Ridge Meadows Minor Hockey Association will be hosting the 2011 B.C. juvenile hockey championships.
The tournament, which runs March 24 to 27, will feature six of the best minor hockey teams in the 18- to 20-year-old age bracket in B.C.
All of the games will take place at Cam Neely Arena at Planet Ice in Maple Ridge and are free of charge for the public to attend.
“We want to share this with the community, and use it as an opportunity to showcase Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows,” said organizer Doug .Strangward. “I don’t think it’s a lot different from junior B: it’s fast, physical and there’s lots of contact.
“The level of competition is quite impressive.”
The majority of juvenile players have come up from the midget A1 and A2 ranks. There are also former junior B and major midget players, who, for one reason or another, have opted to play in their own hometown.
“These are young adults, they have jobs, they’re going to school,” said Strangward. “Juvenile hockey is much more stable. There’s not as much travel and they know they’re going to get traded.”
• The Ridge Meadows Minor Hockey Association is looking for sponsors to help support the event. For more information visit ridgemeadowshockey.com