November 8, 2023, Mississauga, ON – ….  The rosters for the two Ontario Junior Hockey League teams participating in next week’s 2023 Eastern Canada Cup All-Star Challenge in Trenton have been named.

The 40 players selected from across the 24-team league have been divided into Team OJHL Hawerchuk and Team OJHL Oates. The list includes several players with either NCAA Division 1 or Ontario Hockey League commitments.

The tournament serves as a player identification event for the coaching staff for Team Canada East in player selection for the team’s annual training camp and subsequent entry into the World Junior A Challenge, Dec. 10-17 in Truro, N.S.

How were the teams picked? Team Canada East staff sent a list of players it identified to take part in the Eastern Canada Cup to the five participating leagues. Those players were identified through video, by NHL Central Scouting and by watching live games during showcases, including the OJHL Governors’ Showcase.

The OJHL’s Competition Committee selected the four coaches who will lead the league’s teams. Those coaches and Chris Vanstone, the OJHL’s Vice-President of Hockey Operations, picked the remaining players to fill out the two OJHL rosters.

The Eastern Canada Cup All-Star Challenge will be played at the Duncan McDonald Memorial Community Gardens in Trenton Nov. 13-15.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The two teams are named for the NHL greats who also left a lasting mark on the OJHL.

The late Dale Hawerchuk coached for four seasons in the OJHL. Drafted first overall by the Winnipeg Jets in 1981, the future Hockey Hall of Famer recorded 518 goals and 1,409 points in 1,188 regular-season NHL games – he added 30 more goals and 99 assists in 97 playoff games.

Adam Oates scored 59 goals and added 110 assists in 40 games during his second season of junior hockey in Markham. He scored 341 goals and recorded 1079 assists in his 1337-game career in the NHL and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

The event is one of the premier Jr. A hockey events in the country and provides tremendous exposure for the top prospects of the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL), Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL), Northern Ontario JuniorHockey League (NOJHL), Quebec Junior Hockey League (QJHL) and the Maritime Junior Hockey League (MHL).

Two all star teams from each of the five leagues will play in front of scouts from all over the hockey world – including the NHL, NCAA, CHL and U SPORTS.

Play begins Nov. 13 when OJHL Oates plays MHL South at 9 a.m. and then NOJHL West faces off against OJHL Hawerchuk at 10:40 a.m.

The event begins at 9 a.m. each day. The final games on Nov. 13 and 14 begin at 8:40 p.m. Nov. 15’s schedule includes semifinals at 3:40 p.m. and 5:20 p.m. and the championship game at 7 p.m.

A total of 23 games will be played using a modified two-period format in round-robin, quarter-final, semifinal and championship games.

Teams will be awarded three points for a win in regulation time, two points for an overtime victory and one point for an overtime or shootout loss.

For all the ECC action, including scores, standings and top scorers, go to ojhl.ca or download the new OJHL app at the Apple Store or Google Play.

The Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL), in partnership with the Trenton Golden Hawks, are presenting the 2023 Eastern Canada Cup All-Star Challenge. The Bay of Quinte Tourism and City of Quinte West have both supported the event financially and through their marketing departments.

Tickets are $10 per day or $25 for a three-day pass. ‘Late day’ passes are $5 after 5 p.m.

Tickets are available online via: tickets.trentongoldenhawks.ca

The Eastern Canada Cup was last held in 2018 in Trenton. The ECCASC tournament format will feature 10 all-star teams, two each from the five eastern Canadian Jr. A leagues.

About the venue

The Duncan McDonald Memorial Community Gardens is the home of the Trenton Golden Hawks of the OJHL and has played host to the OJHL Winter Showcase, ECC Challenge and Dudley-Hewitt Cup.

About the OJHL – “ League of Choice”

The Ontario Junior Hockey League is the largest Junior ‘A’ league operating under the auspices of the Canadian Junior Hockey League with 24 member clubs. A proud member of the CJHL and Ontario Hockey Association, the OJHL was originally named the Ontario Provincial Junior ‘A’ Hockey League and it was formed out of the Central Junior ‘B’ Hockey League in 1993-94. With a long and storied history of developing players for the next level, including U SPORTS, the NCAA, CHL, minor pro ranks and the NHL, the OJHL has had more than 35  NCAA Division I scholarship commitments this season already.