Langley and Delta will host some of the world’s top under-17 hockey players this fall for an international tournament twice cancelled by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Earlier this month, Hockey Canada announced the dates and host communities for six events taking place during the 2022-23 season, starting with the 2022 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge Nov. 5-12 at the Langley Events Centre and Sungod Arena in North Delta.
The tournament features three Canadian teams and five international entries.
In early 2020, Hockey Canada was considering a joint bid to host the 2021 event in North Delta, Langley and Chilliwack. However, when COVID-19 hit, the pandemic forced the cancellation of that year’s tournament (scheduled to take place Oct. 31 to Nov. 7 in Charlottetown and Summerside, P.E.I.) and put future plans on hold.
The event was again cancelled in 2021 and replaced with the one-off Capital City Challenge, a six-day tournament featuring three men’s U17 teams and Canada’s national women’s team that served as part of the latter’s preparation for the Winter Olympics in Beijing two months later.
Since its inception in 1986, more than 1,800 NHL draft picks have played in the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge (previously called the Quebec Esso Cup), including stars Patrick Kane, Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews and Alex Ovechkin.
Tickets are available now for the 2022 World Junior A Challenge at hockeycanada.ca/tickets, while on-sale dates for the other events have yet to be announced.
— with files from Tom Zillich
SEE ALSO: Silver medals for Fraser Valley Rush at national Esso Cup U18 female hockey championship
SEE ALSO: Surrey para-hockey goalie dreams of national team 5 years after ATV crash changed his life
editor@northdeltareporter.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter