By Chris Brown

Bandits open national championship schedule on Thursday

May 10, 2023 | 11:42 AM

PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE, MB – The Brooks Bandits begin their chase for a third consecutive national championship on Thursday night at the Centennial Cup in Portage La Prairie, Man. The Bandits would be the first team to ever win back-to-back-to-back national titles.

Brooks won the Alberta Junior Hockey League crown, beating the Spruce Grove Saints four games to one in the AJHL Final last month. It’s the seventh AJHL title since 2012 for the Bandits.

On the other side of the ice on Thursday will be the Maritime Hockey League champion Yarmouth Mariners. They went a perfect 12-0 in the playoffs to capture the title.

The Bandits will also play the Ottawa Jr Senators (Central Canada Hockey League) on Saturday, Timmins Rock (Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League) on Monday and Terrebonne Cobras (Quebec Junior Hockey League) on Tuesday in round-robin action.

A title this year would make the Bandits one of just two teams to win at least four national junior A hockey championships following wins in 2013, 2019 and 2022. The Prince Albert Raiders have also won four times. The Vernon Vipers/Lakers have captured six titles.

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All Bandits games are at 2:30 p.m. (Mountain time) and will be broadcast live on Real Country 105.7 FM and streamed for free at realcountrybrooks.ca, featuring commentary from Nathan Crosby on play-by-play and Ken Fleury on colour.

All the Centennial Cup games will be video streamed on HN Live with the Championship game broadcast on TSN.

The Portage Terriers (Host), Battlefords North Stars (Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League), Steinbach Pistons (Manitoba Junior Hockey League), Collingwood Blues (Ontario Junior Hockey League) and Kam River Fighting Walleye (Superior International Junior Hockey League) are in the other round-robin group.