The Subway Super Series – formally known as the ADT Canada-Russia Challenge – is making it way back to Harbour Station this November.
This afternoon, the Canadian Hockey League unveiled the six host cities for annual event. Saint John will host game one of the challenge on Monday, November 8 when the top Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Canadian born players take on the Russian National Junior Team.
The QMJHL, Western Hockey League, and Ontario Hocket League teams are selected by Hockey Canada with the contests being used to help evaluate the chosen players for the upcoming 2011 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships in Buffalo, New York this winter.
“The CHL looks forward to welcoming back the SUBWAY® Super Series in CHL arenas this November," said CHL President David Branch in a release. "The excitement around this event continues to grow as fans have the opportunity to see our league’s top talent that will vie for a spot on Team Canada at the World Junior Championships compete against one of our country’s biggest hockey rivals."
The Sea Dogs hosted the event just two years ago after Cape Breton hosted game one. Russia beat the Canadians 4-3 at Harbour Station, their only win of their six game journey.
Drummondville, who hosted a game last year, will host game two on Wednesday, November 8. Game three will be on Thursday November 11 at London, ON, game four on Monday November 15 at Sudbury, ON, game five on Wednesday November 17 at Kamloops, BC, and game six Thursday November 18 at Prince George, BC.
It seems odd to have two QMJHL teams who recently hosted the event having it again so soon. But, the two teams did finish one-two in the regular season standings and both squads feature the best talent available from the QMJHL for the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.
Hosting this game is no doubt an effort to boost Saint John’s profile for their 2012 MasterCard Memorial Cup bid. In 2008, the Sea Dogs did an exceptional job at hosting and sold out the game well in advance of puck drop.
No start times have been released yet. In 2008, Saint John’s game began at 7:00 pm AST and were on a one hour tape delay. All six games will be aired on Rogers Sportsnet. Two years ago, News 88.9 aired game two across the Maritimes on the Rogers Atlantic radio network. Both QMJHL games will also be on RDS.
Subway, a corporate partner of the CHL since the 2005-06 season became title sponsor of the Subway Super Series last season as part of an expanded corporate partnership deal.
Last season, the CHL won all six games of the series and were represented internationally by 21 players from 2009 Subway Super Series rosters on the Team Canada squad that captured silver at the World Junior Championships in Saskatoon, SK. Eight Russian players also competed in the 2009 event before finishing in sixth place in Saskatchewan.
The Sea Dogs’ Twitter page reports that “Sea Dogs President Wayne Long will be a guest on both The Afternoon News with Tom Young & The Drive with Dan Ahlstrand (News 88.9 FM) later today.”
-With files from the QMJHL
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