The 2022 Centennial Cup National Junior "A" Hockey Championship begins Thursday at Affinity Place in Estevan.

The host Bruins captured their first Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League championship in 23 years last Friday.

Boston Bilous made 29 saves as Estevan defeated the Flin Flon Bombers 2-0 in the deciding seventh game of the SJHL final.

Portage la Prairie's Kian Calder and Olivier Pouliot did the goal scoring for the Bruins.

Kade Runke had an impressive first season in Estevan.

The 20-year-old Grunthal native recorded 22 goals and 44 points in 54 regular season games and then added six goals and five assists in 16 playoff games.

 

Clayton Dreger asked Kade Runke to describe game seven of the SJHL final which was played in front of a full house at Affinity Place

 


The Bruins are in Group A and will play round robin games against the Quebec Junior Hockey League champion College Francais de Longueuil on Friday, May 20th; the Ontario Junior A Hockey League champion Pickering Panthers on Saturday, May 21st; the Superior International Junior Hockey League champion Red Lake Miners on Monday, May 23rd and the Alberta Junior Hockey League champion Brooks Bandits on Wednesday, May 25th.

Group B features the Manitoba Junior Hockey League champion Dauphin Kings, Maritime Junior Hockey League champion Summerside Western Capitals, Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League champion Soo Thunderbirds, Central Canada Hockey League champion Ottawa Jr. Senators and the SJHL finalist Flin Flon Bombers.

The top three teams in each group will advance to the playoffs. The second and third place teams play in the quarterfinals. The winners will join the first place teams in the semifinals.