Its been three long years since WRBHA last hosted its Provincial Ball Hockey Championships. But come this Friday, the Edmonton South Soccer Centre will see a steady stream of teams from around the province, hitting the floor in pursuit of gold.
All told, there will be 38 teams (26 men, 12 women) competing across 7 divisions (4 men, 3 women), and representing leagues from Edmonton, Calgary, Grande Prairie, Fort McMurray, Medicine Hat, and Sherwood Park.
On the women's side, the A-division features just two teams, but both come in with success at the provincial-level. The Edmonton Fusion have previously won the top division in 2016 and 2014, while also capturing the B-division in 2013. Meanwhile, the Edmonton Cherry Pickers took home the gold in the B-division in the most recent provincial championships (2019).
The B-division sees four teams, with an even split between clubs from Calgary (Vipers, Tune Squad) and Edmonton (Havoc, Asylum White). Of note, the Tune Squad took home silver last time out (2019), while Havoc earned gold in 2018. Asylum were the winners of the C-division in 2018.
Finally, the six teams in the C-division are made up of four from Edmonton (Sillettos, Storm, Asylum Red, and Boom), along with the Grande Prairie Hunnies and Calgary Elite Pumas. The Edmonton Storm finished as runners up in 2019.
Switching over to the men's side, Tier 1 will feature five teams, and a combined nine gold medals. However, just three of the teams have actually won gold; the Edmonton Savages (2019, 2015, 2014, 2013), the Calgary Phantoms (2016, 2011, 2008, 2007), and the Calgary Pitbulls (2012). While the Nighthawks have yet to taste gold, they did manage to grab the silver in 2019. The Calgary Generals, also searching for their first gold medal, round out the division.
Tier 2 also consists of five teams, and also features the most recent tournaments gold medal winner, the Edmonton Walruses. Three more teams from Edmonton will join the Walruses, all three team have previously won gold, but at the Tier 3 level; Killer Bees (2019), Bar South (2017), and the Cobras (2014). Calgary Full Metal Jacket are the lone representative from outside of Edmonton in the Tier 2 division.
The largest division of this year's tournament is the Men's Tier 3 pool. Nine teams, including five from Edmonton (Knowlton Gnashers, Rush, the Edge, 7C's, Beverly Bullies), along with the Medicine Hat Rebels, Calgary Blazers, Grande Prairie Cobras, and Sherwood Park Ball Hogz will slug it out starting Friday night. The Blazers lost in the gold medal game in 2019. While the Knowlton Gnashers captured gold in Tier 4, also in 2019. The Edge are the only team from the pool to have actually won Tier 3 gold. But, they did so over a decade ago, in 2012.
The final men's division will consist of seven teams. The Edmonton Reapers are the only one of the seven to have tasted gold. But seeing as how that happened in 2011...the may have forgotten just what that tastes like. That gold also came in Tier 3. Joining the Reapers this year in Tier 4 will be the Calgary Mammoths, Calgary Rink Rats, Fort McMurray Vullets, and three more teams out of Edmonton; the Wolfpack, Drunken Monkeys, and Silver Kings.
All games will take place at the Edmonton South Soccer Centre. Schedules will be posted on the website as they become available.
Best of luck to all the teams who will be competing this weekend!
