University Hockey Teams in BC are preparing for the annual Captains Cup, which returns again starting this Friday after being cancelled last year due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
The tournament, which is the first big competition these teams see each year, typically includes The University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University and Trinity Western University’s Varsity hockey teams. However, this year the tournament will be expanded, and will also see the University of Victoria and Vancouver Island University’s hockey teams compete alongside the usual suspects for their shot at the cup title.
This will be fourth Captains Cup since it began in 2017. Aside from bringing together the university hockey teams in the lower mainland (and now the island), the cup also acts as a way to raise awareness for the varsity hockey teams and the WHL’s Scholarship program, which is a bursary available to university students who intend to play varsity hockey. The cup is sponsored by the WHL and the Vancouver Giants, who present the scholarship every year.
🏒 MHKY | The Captain's Cup Tournament is back for 2021, kicking off Friday night as @UBCMHKY hosts @sfu_athletics!
📣 https://t.co/apJwnrJpRA pic.twitter.com/eFkrMAhPMO
— UBC Thunderbirds (@ubctbirds) September 13, 2021
Due to the additional teams included in the cup this year, the tournament will last eleven games and carry out from Friday Sept. 17 all the way until the championship game which will take place on Saturday, Oct. 9. The games are scheduled to take place mostly between the University of Victoria and the University of British Columbia, with other select games taking place at both Simon Fraser University and Vancouver Island University.
The regular varsity hockey season is set to being the week after the cup, with UBC and TWU playing their first official game on Oct. 15. For more information about times, schedules, and game locations you can visit the schedules on the team pages for UBC, TWU, SFU, UVIC and VIU.