From left to right, Liam Leonard, Kyle Ward, Alexandre Bernier, Logan Johnston and Francis Asselin, on the eve of their departure for Quinte West on Saturday. Photo courtesy Pierre Thibault.
Francis Asselin (goalkeeper), Alexandre Bernier (defenseman), Kyle Ward (forward), Liam Leonard (forward) and Logan Johnston (forward) will jump on the ice for their opening game on Monday, November 13, at 1:30 pm (Ontario time), against the Central Canada Hockey League’s team (CCHL).
On Tuesday, they will face the Team St. Louis (Martin) of the Quebec Junior Hockey League (11:30 am) and the OJHL Oates (5:30 pm). On Wednesday, the MHL team will play its final round-robin game against the OJHL Nieuwendyk team (11 am). The semi-finals and the final will be played Wednesday.
The Blizzard is well represented with a quarter of the MHL squad made up of players from the Edmundston team.
“This tournament gives us the opportunity to improve because we are going to play against the best of the other leagues. The caliber of play will be superior. This will be a very good experience, “said veteran rearguard Alexandre Bernier.
On a personal level, it goes without saying that the tournament is an excellent showcase for the 200 players who will take part.
“This tournament will be a good opportunity for me because I’ll be able to play in front of university scouts in other parts of the country who wouldn’t normally get to see me play, “said Blizzard’s captain Kyle Ward whose junior career comes to an end this season.
Another Blizzard veteran, Logan Johnston, plans to enjoy these precious moments with his friends. “I am very fortunate to be sharing this opportunity with my teammates. They have all been great pieces to our team this year so I am excited to see how we do, “he said.
The tournament takes place in Quinte West, an Ontario city of 43,000 located less than two hours from Toronto.
This hockey tournament is known to be one of the premier Junior A hockey events in the country and provides tremendous exposure for the top prospects of the Central Canada Junior Hockey League (CCHL – 2 teams), MHL (1 team), Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL – 1 team), Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL – 4 teams) and the Quebec Junior Hockey League (QJHL – 2 teams) to play in front of scouts from all over the hockey world – including the NHL, NCAA, CHL and Canadian universities and colleges.
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Contact: Hugues Chiasson, vice-president communications – The Edmundston Blizzard; (506) 740-0623 – cell phone