What an NCAA rule change might mean for junior hockey in Sask.
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Saskatoon has been selected as one of six Canadian cities to host the CIBC Canada Russia Series in the fall.
The series pits a team of Russian junior hockey players against a selection of all-stars from each of the three leagues that make up the Canadian Hockey League (CHL).
Saskatoon will host the first of two games for the Western Hockey League (WHL) all-stars on Nov. 13 at SaskTel Centre. The second game will be played at the Art Hauser Centre in Prince Albert on Nov. 14.
The six-game series begins with the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) team suiting up against the Russians in St. John, N.B., on Nov. 3 and Moncton, N.B., on Nov. 5. The series shifts to Ontario for games Nov. 7 in Kitchener and Nov. 11 in London.
The tournament is largely seen as a tuneup for the world junior championship.
“The Canada and Russia rivalry is like no other in hockey and continues to ignite passion among the players competing on the ice and for the fans following along in CHL communities across the country,” CHL president David Branch said in a news release.
“This is a showcase of our league’s best players and the stars who will proudly don the maple leaf at Christmas as members of Canada’s National Junior Team in pursuit of gold at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship in the Czech Republic.”
Saskatoon Blades forward Kirby Dach was selected for the team last year and is expected to take on a larger role for Team WHL if he is to continue playing junior hockey next season rather than ascending to the National Hockey League.