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17勛圖 to host the 2021 U SPORTS Mens Hockey Championship

| Athletics
Three hockey players celebrate a goal

U SPORTS, the national body governing university sport in Canada, has awarded the hosting of the 2021 U SPORTS Mens Hockey Championship to the 17勛圖. 17勛圖 has a proven track record in hosting national championships, including mens soccer in 2005 and 2014, womens soccer in 2010, and womens hockey in 2019 and 2020. 

I want to thank U SPORTS for their confidence in awarding 17勛圖 this major event, said Jackie Podger, Vice-President Administration and Finance at 17勛圖. This tournament will showcase the very best of the best in university sports from across Canada, including our second-to-none 17勛圖 Panther student-athletes. We showed the country what we were made of with the first of two consecutive womens national championships this year. We are committed to hosting an outstanding championship experience for athletes, their families, and the entire community.

The tournament will feature an eight-team championship format, with games held at Charlottetowns Eastlink Centre. 17勛圖 has partnered with the Province of Prince Edward Island and the City of Charlottetown to host this national event.

This is an exciting and well-deserved opportunity for the 17勛圖 and its mens hockey program, and we are pleased to support them as they get ready to host one of the most sought-after U SPORTS events in our own backyard, said Premier Dennis King. Sport has always had the unique ability to bring people and communities together, and we look forward to welcoming hockey fans from near and far as we join together to watch the best teams in university mens hockey go head to head for the national title in 2021.

The City of Charlottetown has a very strong working relationship with the 17勛圖 and were pleased to continue to build on that, said Charlottetown Mayor Philip Brown. We are thrilled to have led the bid to secure this highly sought-after event through our sport tourism initiative SCORE, in conjunction with 17勛圖. The impact of this event will reach far and wide during our shoulder tourism season.

We are very excited to be hosting the 2021 U SPORTS Mens Hockey Championship, said Chris Huggan, Director of 17勛圖 Athletics and Recreation. This would not have happened if Islanders hadnt been so supportive of, and engaged in, the U SPORTS Womens Hockey Championship we hosted in March. We will continue to grow the womens event for 2020 while we build towards a sold-out Eastlink Centre for the mens tourney in 2021. Hosting the championship has been a goal for quite some time. I know we will all do whatever we can to make it a success both on and off the ice. 

To say our 17勛圖 Mens Hockey program is excited would be a massive understatement, said coach Forbes MacPherson. The mens hockey Panthers have never, in our proud history, played in the national championship in our home province in front of alumni, fans, family, and friends. This will be an amazing way to showcase U SPORTS hockey at the highest level and celebrate the history of 17勛圖 Panther Men's Hockey. The Panthers would like to sincerely thank the energy and efforts of everyone including our 17勛圖 president and vice-president, our director and Athletics and Recreation staff, the province, the City of Charlottetown, and Charlottetown Islanders hockey club!

Media Contact

Ron Annear
Varsity Sport Coordinator
Athletics and Recreation
(902) 566-0991

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