ESTEVAN, SK (May 19, 2022) – The Brooks Bandits return to the National Junior A Championship tonight at the 2022 Centennial Cup, presented by Tim Hortons, in Estevan, SK.
The Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) Champs open their Group A Preliminary Round vs College Francais de Longueuil at Affinity Place, game time is 7:30 pm (MST).
Viewers can watch the game at hockeycanada.com/centennialcup or listen to live coverage on Real Country 105.7 FM with Nathan Crosby and Ken Fleury.
This is the first ever meeting between Brooks and Longueuil. The last time the Bandits faced a Quebec Junior Hockey League (LHJAAAQ) team was vs the Cobras de Terrebonne in the 2017 RBC Cup Semi-Final in Cobourg, ON.
Brooks went 52-6-2 in the regular season, claiming the Regular Season Championship. They swept the Canmore Eagles (4-0) in the South Division Semi-Final, and swept the Okotoks Oilers (4-0) in the South Final, claiming the team’s 7th Division Championship. They knocked out the Spruce Grove Saints (4-1) in the AJHL Final in five games to clinch a spot in their fifth National Championship tournament.
The Bandits previously qualified for the National Junior A Championship in 2013 (Summerside, PEI), 2016 (Lloydminster, SK), 2017 (Cobourg, ON) and 2019 (Brooks, AB).
Longueuil won the Quebec Final over Beauce-Appalaches (4-1), their sixth league championship in the last 10 years. This is College Francais’ first appearance at the National Junior A Championship.