New Memorial Cup dates announced

As expected, the dates for the 2022 Memorial Cup have officially been changed.

The Canadian Hockey League announced Wednesday that the tournament will now be played June 20-29, 2022 in Saint John. The event was originally scheduled for June 4-13 but with pandemic related challenges causing game cancellations across the three CHL circuits, moving the dates back was the best option.

“Due to ongoing challenges related to the pandemic, we have moved forward the schedule for the 2022 Memorial Cup presented by Kia with the assurance that it will allow all three of our member leagues to complete their regular season and playoff schedules and provide our fans with the highest level of competition,” said CHL president Dan MacKenzie in a news release. “We are excited to bring the best the CHL has to offer to Saint John and to crown a national champion for the first time in three years.”

There are a few differences between this schedule and the original. The new schedule will run from Monday to Wednesday rather than Saturday to Monday (which was already different than the usual Friday to Sunday format). Also, the game times will be much more Saint John friendly with no 8 p.m. local starts.

Here's a look at the new schedule:

Mon., June 20 – Game 1: Saint John vs. OHL at 6 p.m. ET

Tues., June 21 – Game 2: QMJHL vs. WHL at 6 p.m. ET

Wed., June 22 – Game 3: Saint John vs. WHL at 6 p.m. ET

Thurs., June 23 – Game 4: QMJHL vs. OHL at 6 p.m. ET

Fri., June 24 – Game 5: WHL vs. OHL at 6 p.m. ET

Sat., June 25 – Game 6: Saint John vs. QMJHL at 4 p.m. ET

Sun., June 26 – Tie-Breaker, if necessary, at 4 p.m. ET

Mon., June 27 – Semi-Final at 6 p.m. ET

Wed., June 29 – Championship Final at 6 p.m. ET

Fans are encouraged to buy tournament packages as there will be limited - if any - single-game tickets made available for purchase.

The Sea Dogs and the CHL have released an FAQ page that outlines ticketing questions.

All games will be broadcast on TSN and RDS.