Two teams from the Manitoba Junior Hockey League will be in Portage la Prairie for Canada's National Junior A Championship (Centennial Cup) in May.
The Terriers will play host the 51st edition of the tournament from May 11-21, 2023, at Stride Place. The venue features 2,035 seats. As a result of Portage hosting, one other member team from the MJHL will also get a spot in the event.
The event will once again be a 10-team format with two pools consisting of five teams each. The pool-play portion of the event runs from May 11 to 17.
“We are extremely grateful for the opportunity to bring Canada’s National Junior A Championship back to Portage la Prairie after the success we enjoyed in 2015, and for the continued support from local organizations and community members of our efforts to bring national events to the city,” said Dale Deschouwer, chair of the local host committee.
Canada’s National Junior A Championship will return to the province where the original Centennial Cup was created in 1971. It will mark the sixth time Manitoba has welcomed the event; it was previously hosted in Portage la Prairie (2015), Dauphin (2010), Flin Flon (2001), Winnipeg (1973 and 1992) and Brandon (1973).
The Portage Terriers have appeared at Canada’s National Junior A Championship six times (1973, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019) and have captured the national title twice. The Terriers most recently won in 2015 when Portage la Prairie first hosted the event and claimed their first national championship in 1973 when Brandon and Winnipeg welcomed the championship to the province for the first time. Full tournament packages are on sale right now for just $260 which includes a $10 fee. You can get them at Centennial Cup 2023.
