Central Canada Cup All-Star Challenge Announcement

Press Release

The Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL), in conjunction with the Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL) and the Ligue de Hockey Junior AAA de Quebec (LHJAAAQ), today announced the coaching staffs, as well as the tournament schedule, for the 2nd Annual Central Canada Cup All-Star Challenge being hosted by the OJHL’s Wellington Dukes from December 27-29, 2012 at the Wellington & District Community Centre.

This year’s eight All-Star Teams are being led by some of the best coaches in the entire CJHL, having accumulated numerous accolades and league championships throughout their tenures.
Last year’s champion, the LHJAAQ All-Stars will return to defend their title with two All-Star teams; the Martin St-Louis Division All-Stars and the Alex Burrows Division All-Stars.

Team Martin St-Louis will be coached by Jean-François Sénéchal of the Lachine Maroons, who was an assistant on last year’s Central Canada Cup winning team from the LHJAAAQ.  Sénéchal will be assisted by his assistant coach in Lachine, Alain Bédard, as well as the head coach of the Loups de La Tuque, Rick Lalonde.  Team Alex Burrows will be coached by the 2011-12 LHJAAAQ NAPA Cup champion Mario Roy of the Princeville Titan.  Roy will be assisted by Sherbrooke Cougars assistant coach Dominic Desmarais.

The CCHL will return once again with two All-Star squads from the Robinson and Yzerman Divisions.
The Robinson Division All-Stars will be coached by 2011-12 CCHL runner-up, Cornwall Colts head coach, Ian MacInnis, while the Yzerman Division All-Stars will be headed up by the defending CCHL champion head coach of the Nepean Raiders Peter Goulet.  Both will be assisted by the head coach of the two first place clubs in the CCHL as of December 1, 2012.

The OJHL will return this year with four All-Star Teams representing the four league divisions; East, North, South and West.

Cobourg Cougars head coach and 2011 World Junior A Challenge silver medalist as the coach for Team Canada East, Curtis Hodgins, will be behind the bench for the East Division after leading the Whitby Fury to the league championship series last season.  Hodgins will be assisted by Kingston Voyageurs head coach Colin Birkas who has led the Vees to early success this season.

The North Division will be coached by a pair of newcomers to their current teams as Justin Peca has led the Newmarket Hurricanes once again to the top of their Division and he will be assisted by new Stouffville Spirit head coach Jeff Perrin, who assisted his predecessor Craig Donovan to last year’s OJHL Championship.

Last season’s South Division playoff champion was the Toronto Lakeshore Patriots and their head coach Mike Tarantino will be behind the bench to lead the Division All-Stars in Wellington.  Tarantino will be joined by Oakville Blades new bench boss Kevin Gomes, who has led his club to the highest winning percentage in the South thus far this season.

Burlington Cougars head coach Peter Richards, who has led his club to a resurgence this season, will lead the West Division All-Stars and he will be assisted by Milton Icehawks new head coach and former Georgetown Raiders assistant Dan Currie.

Also announced was the full tournament schedule for the three day event that begins with the first game featuring the OJHL East Division, including the hometown Wellington Dukes, playing the OJHL South Division All-Stars at 12:15pm on Thursday, December 27.  The tournament wraps up two days later with the championship game played at 7:00pm on Saturday, December 29.  Just prior to the championship game, two teams of CCHL and OJHL Prospects will face-off at 4:00pm.

For the full 2012 Central Canada Cup All-Star Challenge schedule and for more, as well as up-to-date information on the event, please visit the OJHL website (www.ojhl.ca) and click on the Tournament icon that can be found on the right-hand side of the homepage.


 (Nathan can be reached at nathanfournier@mainehockeyjournal.com)