The next stop for Squamish's Bret Higham and the Richmond Sockeyes will be St. Malo, Man.
The Sockeyes took home the Cyclone Taylor Cup with a 4-1 win over the Victoria Cougars in Comox on Sunday (April 14) and will now move on to the Keystone Cup in Manitoba.
"Didn't ever think I'd have an excuse to go to Manitoba. Well, Keystone Cup 2013 sounds like a pretty damn good one," Higham tweeted shortly after the win.
The Cyclone Cup means that the Sockeyes are the top Junior B team in all of B.C. and will represent the province at the next level. The Keystone Cup starts with a round-robin format with top teams from Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, B.C. and Northern Ontario squaring off.
It all gets underway for the Sockeyes on Thursday (April 18) when they take on Alberta's Okotoks Bisons. The gold-medal game is slated for Sunday (April 21).
Visit www.keystonecup.ca for up to the minute results and more information.
Higham wasn't the only local player who had a good week, as 麻豆社国产Minor Hockey Association (SMHA) products Corey Koop and Brendan Hopkins and the Steinbach Pistons are still battling for the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) finals.
The Pistons are tied 2-2 with the Dauphin Kings in the final, with Game 5 taking place on Monday (April 15) but results were not available at press time. Game 6 took place on Wednesday (April 17), with Game 7, if necessary, to be determined.
Koop also was selected as the MJHL recipient of the RBC Junior A scholarship. He will receive $1,000 towards his post-secondary education and is eligible for the national Junior A scholarship, which is good for $5,000 and will be announced at the 2012 RBC Cup in May.
Meanwhile, Josh Thrower and the Calgary Hitmen have advanced to the Eastern Conference final in the Western Hockey League and the final will look to reignite the battle of Alberta.
The Hitmen will challenge the Edmonton Oil Kings in the final, with the series getting underway in Edmonton on Thursday (April 18).
Stay tuned to The Chief for future updates on local hockey players.
