Like a good hockey game, it came right down to the wire between the communities of Estevan and Penticton, British Columbia, for who would host the national junior A championships in 2021. It even went into overtime so to speak, as the host announcement was due to be made before the season began but proved too tricky to make an easy choice.

In the end, the Penticton Vees have won out over the Estevan Bruins as the host team for the newly named Centennial Cup. The event will take place in BC for the second time in four seasons.

"We're still very proud of the package we put forward," said Bruins director of operations Danny Ewen. "Congratulations to Penticton, very deserving, but this is an announcement typically made in August at the latest and by all accounts it took Hockey Canada until mid October to make the announcement. I think that's because it was a toss up between our community and theirs."

The Centennial Cup, formerly the RBC Cup, is held every season and involves the top teams from every region of the CJHL. The winner of the Anavet Cup, between the SJHL and MJHL champions, goes to the nationals every year. The last time an SJHL team hosted the national tournament was 2012, when the Humboldt Broncos hosted it. The last time an SJHL team won was in 2014 when the Yorkton Terriers won in Vernon, B.C. The Lloydminster Bobcats of the AJHL hosted in 2016.

Though the Bruins are undoubtedly disappointed to not host the event, they still hope to win their way to the contest next season, boasting a lineup chock full of 19-year-olds who will be 20-year-old leaders next year. Three of their four captains and their starting goaltender are born in the year 2000 and thus will be 20 next season. 

And though the Bruins lost out in the end, the package they put to Hockey Canada was obviously impressive, as they beat out numerous other teams before losing out to Penticton for next season. With that in mind, and with their case already made to junior hockey's highest authority, they're not done trying to bring the nationals to Estevan yet.

"Everyone who was ready to go for 2021 is prepared to try for 2022 and beyond," Ewen said. "We're not going to stop trying to bring that event to our community. We are dead set on hosting the national junior-A championship here in Estevan."

"We consider ourselves to be one of the top junior hockey clubs in all of Canada," he added. "Penticton has been one of those teams near the top, the gold standard. As far as community, as far as facility, and as far as a hockey club we felt we were just as deserving."

This year's national championships will be in Portage La Prairie, Manitoba, just 45 minutes west of Winnipeg. The Bruins hope to have an announcement shortly on their plans to place a bid for the event in 2022.