The Canadian Lacrosse Association announced the return to the popular best-of-seven East versus West playoff format for the 2014 Minto Cup.
A standing committee of the CLA and the Minto Cup committee recently came to an agreement that will see the junior A champions from B.C. and Alberta playing off in a best-of-five series, with the winner moving on to take on the champion from the east in a best-of-seven affair at the Minto Cup championships.
"We recognize that now is a time for change - 10 years ago change was set in motion that brought the Minto Cup to a new level, adding a third member association into the competition; today, we accept change once again," said Joey Harris, CLA president in a prepared press release. "The Minto Cup championship showcases the best of what our sport has to offer - that has always been the case, but we have seen that the four-team format has not been the best format for those currently involved, and also to those that may want to get involved in the future at this level. We have a responsibility to our athletes and the sport, working within the core values of the CLA, to make decisions that will advance and develop lacrosse nationally," Harris said.
"I like the idea of a seven-game series. Some of the great Minto Cups from the past were seven games," said New Westminster head coach and former Burnaby Cablevision Minto star Dan Perreault. "I like the format, and for the fans there's nothing better than a good, tight seven-game series. You want to draw fans and that's the best way to do it. I think it's a good decision. I think it's great for lacrosse."
Under the new format, B.C. will host the first such seven-game series, while Ontario will return the favour in 2015. With a continued commitment to grow the game and expose growing markets to the elite level of junior lacrosse in Canada, the 2016 Minto Cup will be played in Alberta. The Western finals will also take place in Alberta prior to the start of the Minto playoffs.
In other Minto Cup news, New Westminster's Queen's Park Arena will be the venue for the this year's national championship.
Hosted by the British Columbia Lacrosse Association and the B.C. Junior A Lacrosse League, the Canadian junior A national championship will operate in its current four-team format. The top two teams from B.C. will earn berths into this year's Minto.
The championship will start with round-robin play on Saturday Aug. 17th at Queen's Park Arena.
After four days of round-robin play, the championship round will begin with the final two teams competing for the coveted title in a best-of-five playoff series.
"We are ready to put on a great event here in B.C." said B.C. junior A commissioner and host organizer of the 2013 Minto Cup Ken Wood in a prepared release. "We look forward to welcoming the Ontario and Alberta champions to the West Coast in August. Trust us when we say that you will not want to miss this - the best of the best in junior 'A' Canadian lacrosse will be here and competition will be fierce."
"The CLA, in conjunction with the three member associations who compete for the Minto Cup, have worked hard over the past year examining the Minto Cup, its championship format and its future. We believe the decisions that have been made are what are needed at this time," added Harris.
