Esso Cup bringing top notch women’s U18 AAA hockey to Dieppe
Hundreds of female hockey players will hit the ice at the UniPlex in Dieppe this weekend, ready to compete.
The Esso Cup begins on Sunday, featuring the best U18 AAA teams from across the country. It’s the first time the event has been held in New Brunswick.
The following U18 champions from across five regions in Canada will see action from April 19 to 25. Stoney Creek Sabres (ONT), Winnipeg Ice (WST), Red Deer Chiefs (PAC), As de Québec (QUE), Northern Selects (ATL), and
the Moncton Rockets (MON).
“Very fast-moving hockey. It’s the highest calibre that we have at the U18 level,” Organizing Committee Co-Chair Mélanie McGrath explained.
The Moncton Rockets finished second in the Atlantic region, but are hosting the event. Hockey Canada, Hockey New Brunswick, and the City of Dieppe have partnered to organize the 2026 event.
McGrath says girls’ hockey has seen growth over the last five years.
“There’s actually more growth right now in numbers in female hockey than there is in male hockey. So when you look at the numbers from the lower level, it’s exciting to see that girls’ hockey is growing at a fast pace and the game is also growing exponentially versus what it was five years ago,” McGrath said.
“What we have now, just when we look at New Brunswick, we have now a U13 AAA girls team, U15 AAA, and U18 AAA. The game is getting a lot faster with the girls, and there are a lot more players who are at the elite level.”
She added that a lot of work has been done at the Hockey New Brunswick level and with various organizations in the province to ensure more opportunities for the girls to play.
“So now girls who are starting, at five or six years old, have the opportunity to play hockey just with the girls’ team, which was not necessarily the case if we look back even just 10 years ago. You can now develop your game and stay with the girls’ team from the start to finish of your career,” McGrath expressed.
The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) also offers women an opportunity to continue playing as adults. There is also a U22 league, and women can play at the college and university level.
“So there are lots of opportunities for girls to play,” McGrath said.
Many of the women competing at the Esso Cup have already committed to universities and are also dreaming of playing in the PWHL.
Full schedules and more details on the Esso Cup can be found on the Hockey Canada website.
All of the games will be livestreamed.
