High school provincial hockey championship sets the stage for competitive action on ice

The Manitoba AAAA Provincial Hockey Championships runs from March 14-17 in Winnipeg. (CTV News Winnipeg)

Manitoba high school hockey athletes are gearing up for the 2025 AAAA Provincial Hockey Championships.

Six teams in the province will head to Winnipeg’s Seven Oaks Arena for a four-day tournament set from Mar. 14-17.

“This is the culmination of the high school hockey season for a provincial championship, so the best of the best is here and ready to kick it off this weekend,” said Chad Falk, executive director of the Manitoba High School Athletic Association.

A round-robin format will see athletes take to the ice from different parts of the province. Four teams from the Winnipeg High School Hockey League are set to join the tournament. They are the host River East Kodiaks, Westwood Warriors, Vincent Massey Trojans, and Springfield Sabres.

The Morden Thunder will take part, representing the Zone IV High School Hockey League, and the Vincent Massey Vikings from Brandon will represent the Westman High School Hockey League.

Falk said the parity among the competition this year was second to none. Going into the tournament, he said the favourite to win it all may come from Westman.

“It’s been a wild year, to be honest with you,” Falk said.

“Our number one seed this year is coming out of the Westman High School Hockey League with the Vincent Massey Vikings from Brandon. It’s the first time we’ve seen them come in as the number one seed.”

Falk said the energy from the crowd takes the visitor experience to the next level.

“These kids give it their all,” Falk said.

“It’s an amazing tournament to come watch. The final that culminates on Monday night, we’ll have about a thousand kids screaming their heads off. I think emotions are running high right now coming off a big win in the Four Nations Cup. This is Canada’s game. I think all these kids are motivated from that.”