Fredericton to host two U SPORTS national hockey championships
Fredericton hockey fans will witness history as the city and University of New Brunswick have been selected to host the 2027 U SPORTS Women’s Hockey Championship and the 2028 U SPORTS University Cup men’s hockey final.
UNB receives an automatic bid into each championship.
“U SPORTS is excited to be bringing both of our hockey championships to Fredericton,” said Pierre Arsenault, U SPORTS Chief Executive Officer. This City loves university sport as witnessed by the tremendous crowds UNB draws for both women’s and men’s hockey programs. UNB and the City’s commitment to supporting both championships as well as the interest from the corporate community means that the participating teams and their fans will have an outstanding experience at the Aitken Centre.”
Fredericton has a strong history of hosting the University Cup (U SPORTS men’s hockey championship), but 2027 marks the Aitken Centre's debut as the host of the Women's Hockey Championship. The venerable arena previously served as the backdrop the six University Cup championships (2003, 2004, 2011, 2012, 2017, 2018).
The 2027 U SPORTS Women’s Hockey Championship will be the second time the tournament has been contested in the city, having previously been hosted by St. Thomas University in 2014.
QUOTES
JOHN RICHARD - Athletic Director, University of New Brunswick
“Since the return of our women’s hockey program, our student-athletes and coaches have pushed the bar incredibly high in a very short period of time. After appearing in three national championship tournaments as conference champion, it’s only natural for us to soon be hosting a U SPORTS national championship tournament. UNB has a strong record of hosting national championship events, and we look forward to extending that record and improving on it with women’s hockey in 2027.”
“UNB has proven on more than one occasion our ability to successfully host the University Cup. Our staff and local organizers have the experience needed to make 2028 the most successful tournament held in our City. We know that that hockey fans in the Fredericton area and beyond will make 2028 memorable for all involved.”
Stay tuned for the unveiling of the championship logos in January 2025 and more exciting updates as Fredericton prepares to welcome the best in Canadian university sports.
On Wednesday, U SPORTS also announced that Halifax will host four U SPORTS national championships including the 2026 University Cup and the 2028 U SPORTS Women’s Hockey Championship.
Facility photos and headshots of speakers are available for download at USPORTSMedia.ca.