Cold Lake wins Bantam Provincial Bid

Pictured: Cold Lake Bantam 1 takes the tournament win in Hillmond, SK on December 16th, 2018.

Cold Lake will host Bantam Provincials this March. Hockey Alberta announced their host sites for the 2019 Hockey Alberta Provincial Championships with Cold Lake winning the bid for the Bantam A division.

Spokesperson for the Cold Lake Bantam 1 team, Crystal Frey says the club is excited to host the prestigious tournament. “Cold Lake hasn’t hosted Provincials since the 1990s,” she laughed with excitement of the news.

“We want to make the event special,” Frey explained with the new rink, lounge, climbing wall and other features the tournament will surely impress.

When expanding the Energy Centre, Mayor of Cold Lake Craig Copeland said the expansion would be great for occasions such as Provincials.

The majority of teams competing in minor Provincial Championship tournaments qualify by winning a zone playdown. Playdowns start in mid-January across the province, with over 700 teams vying for the right to represent their zone at the provincial championships. Host teams receive an automatic berth in the championship they are hosting, although they do participate in zone playdowns, and have the opportunity to win their zone title.

As a host site, the Cold Lake Bantam 1 team will get a by into the event. That doesn’t mean they won’t be working to win their way into the tournament, assured Frey. “We have a strong team this year.”

Provincials will take place at the Energy Centre in Cold Lake, March 14-17, 2019.