With the previous two national championships having to be cancelled due to COVID-19, there were some questions surrounding what Hockey Canada would choose to do with the Centennial Cup next year, which was scheduled to be hosted in Estevan. Today, they answered those questions.

In a release this morning, Hockey Canada confirmed the Centennial Cup would return in 2022, and Estevan would remain the host city. The TELUS Cup and Esso Cup, the national U18 AAA titles for men's and women's teams, would also be returning.

"Hockey Canada is excited to mark the return of its national championships in 2022 by announcing Prince Albert, Cape Breton, and Estevan as the hosts of our three spring events next year," said Dean McIntosh, Hockey Canada's vice president of events and properties. "Despite not being able to host national events since 2019, we know the local organizing committees in these three communities will deliver a world-class experience to all participants."

The Estevan Bruins first secured their Centennial Cup bid in late 2019, after the team had put in a package for the 2021 event that was supposed to be held in Penticton but was cancelled due to COVID. Not long after finding out Penticton was to be the 2021 host, the Bruins were named the host for 2022.

"Hockey Canada recognizes the excitement for a possible return to fans in the stands," said McIntosh, "and we look forward to welcoming hockey fans in those communities if it is deemed safe to do so."

Both the 2021 championships and the 2020 event (which had been scheduled for Portage La Prairie, Manitoba) had been cancelled due to pandemic restrictions. The most recent national Junior A championship was in 2019 in Brooks, Alberta.

The host team has won the last three national championships and four of the last five.