HUNDER BAY – The Thunder Bay major midget Kings now know who their opponents will be at next week’s TELUS Cup West Regional, April 4-7, in Tisdale, Sask.
Joining the Hockey Northwestern Ontario District AAA midget champion Kings and the host Tisdale Trojans (SAAAMHL) will be the Brandon Wheat Kings and the defending West Regional and TELUS Cup champion Notre Dame Hounds.
Brandon dethroned the three-time reigning Manitoba Midget Hockey League-winning Winnipeg Wild after the Wheat Kings three games to one in their best-of-five match-up that concluded Wednesday night.
As for the Hounds, they punched their latest ticket to the regional Friday evening on home ice after disposing of the Saskatoon Blazers in a similar 3-1 series triumph to capture the Saskatchewan AAA Midget Hockey League title.
The West Regional winner will earn a berth to the TELUS Cup Canadian National Midget Hockey Championship, April 22-28, at the Fort William Gardens in Thunder Bay.
Should the TELUS Cup-host Kings prevail at the regional, then the regional finalist would also earn a berth to the nationals in the Lakehead.
This will mark the first time in 31 years that Thunder Bay will host the national midget hockey championship.
Multiple TELUS Cup ticket packages for the seven-day event remain on sale at HockeyCanada.ca/tickets.
In four appearances at the nationals over the years, Kings’ teams have medaled on each occasion, winning gold in 1995 and 1997 while mining silver in 1992 and 1996.
Two other clubs from the city, in the 1983 Andrews and 1988 Bearcats both captured bronze medals at the then Air Canada Cup.
THUNDER BAY KINGS TELUS CUP TRAIL
HNO AAA Midget District Championship
Thunder Bay major midget Kings vs. Kenora Thistles
Kings win best-of-five series 3-0
Game 1: Thunder Bay 5 Kenora 4 (OT)
Game 2: Thunder Bay 4 Kenora 1
Game 3: Thunder Bay 3 Kenora 1
Manitoba Midget Hockey League championship series
Winnipeg Wild vs. Brandon Wheat Kings
Brandon wins best-of-five series 3-1
Game 1: Winnipeg 6 Brandon 3
Game 2: Brandon 3 Winnipeg 2
Game 3: Brandon 5 Winnipeg 2
Game 4: Brandon 4 Winnipeg 1
Saskatchewan AAA Midget Hockey League
Saskatoon Blazers vs. Notre Dame Hounds
Notre Dame wins best-of-five series 3-1
Game 1: Saskatoon 3 Notre Dame 0
Game 2: Notre Dame 3 Saskatoon 2 (2OT)
Game 3: Notre Dame 3 Saskatoon 2
Game 4: Notre Dame 4 Saskatoon 1
TELUS Cup West Regional
April 4-7
Tisdale, Sask.
Competing teams
Tisdale Trojans (Host) (SAAAMHL)
Hockey Northwestern Ontario champion: Thunder Bay Kings
Manitoba Midget Hockey League champion: Brandon Wheat Kings
Saskatchewan AAA Midget Hockey League champion: Notre Dame Hounds
Schedule
Thursday, April 4
Game 1: Notre Dame vs. Brandon 6 p.m.
Game 2: Tisdale vs. Thunder Bay 9:30 p.m.
Friday, April 5
Game 3: Thunder Bay vs. Brandon 6 p.m.
Game 4: Notre Dame vs. Tisdale 9:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 6
Game 5: Thunder Bay vs. Notre Dame 2 p.m.
Game 6: Tisdale vs. Brandon 5:30 p.m.
Sunday, April 7
Final: 2nd round robin vs. 1st round robin 4 p.m.
TELUS Cup Canadian National Midget Hockey Championship
April 22-28
Thunder Bay, Ont.
All games at the Fort William Gardens
Monday, April 22
Central vs. Atlantic 12 p.m.
Quebec vs. West 4 p.m.
Thunder Bay Kings vs. Pacific 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, April 23
Quebec vs. Atlantic 12 p.m.
Central vs. Pacific 4 p.m.
West vs. Thunder Bay Kings 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, April 24
Pacific vs. Quebec 12 p.m.
Atlantic vs. West 4 p.m.
Thunder Bay Kings vs. Central 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, April 25
West vs. Pacific 12 p.m.
Central vs. Quebec 4 p.m.
Atlantic vs. Thunder Bay Kings 7:30 p.m.
Friday, April 26
Central vs. West 11 a.m.
Atlantic vs. Pacific 3 p.m.
Thunder Bay Kings vs. Quebec 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 27
Semifinal No. 1: 2 p.m.
Semifinal No. 2: 6 p.m.
Sunday, April 28
Bronze medal game: 1 p.m.
Gold/Silver medal game: 6:30 p.m.
All start times ET
