In just a few short weeks, the puck will drop in the elite national men鈥檚 under-18 (U18) hockey tournament at the Chilliwack Coliseum鈥攎arking the Fraser Valley Thunderbirds鈥� first time playing in the highly coveted tournament. It鈥檚 also Chilliwack鈥檚 first time hosting the games. Ed Vantongren, owner of Ambstep Homes and a member of the games鈥� organizing committee, said the city was a natural home for the national event.

鈥淲e鈥檙e all hockey nuts out here,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e got a great facility, we鈥檝e got a good town, big population, and a great fan base.鈥�

Since the first games in 1974, the tournament has seen legendary players like Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang, Jordan Eberle and other NHL stars compete for the national title.

Chilliwack was announced as the host of the games in April 2024. A ceremony featuring Chilliwack Mayor Ken Popove and Squiala Chief David Jimmie, representing the Ts'elxweyeqw, Squiala, and St贸:l艒 First Nations was held on Dec. 15 to mark the raising of the U18 hockey tournament banner.

The 2025 Telus Cup will see five of the country鈥檚 best U18 hockey teams and the host team compete in the tournament, fighting for the title of best in Canada. The country鈥檚 various leagues are grouped into regions, with fierce competition throughout the season to see who will represent that region in the U18 tournament.

This year, the Thunderbirds will face off against the Okanagan Rockets from the Pacific, the Regina Pat Canadians from the West, the Elgin-Middlesex Canucks from Central, the Chevaliers De L茅vis from Quebec, and the Moncton Flyers from the Atlantic.

Vantongren played hockey as a kid and coached the sport; now, his two sons are on the Thunderbirds. He鈥檚 excited for them to play and happy to see the event come to Chilliwack for the first time.

鈥淚 think it's a massive deal,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here's close to 140 teams that compete across Canada in their regions to become one of the final teams that come here.鈥� After winnowing down the teams this spring, the six teams are set to face off starting on Monday, April 21. The first-day, preliminary match-ups are as follows:

At 11 a.m., the Moncton Flyers face off against the Elgin-Middlesex Canucks, followed by the Okanagan Rockets and Chevaliers de L茅vis at 3 p.m. and the Regina Pat Canadians versus the Fraser Valley Thunderbirds at 7 p.m. The rest of the schedule is available on Hockey Canada鈥檚 Telus Cup page.

The final matches will run on Sunday, April 27 at 11 a.m. to determine who wins bronze, and 3 p.m. to decide silver and gold.

鈥淚t's going to be really cool to watch kids from all over Canada come and play,鈥� said Vantongren. 鈥淭here's some here that potentially could be playing in the NHL one day.鈥� He singled out Regina鈥檚 Maddox Schultz as a generational talent to watch.

Leanna Kemp, CEO of the Chilliwack Chamber of Commerce, is excited about the opportunity for the city鈥檚 businesses. She told The Progress that the games offer the business community the chance to showcase Chilliwack鈥檚 unique identity.

鈥淎nytime you can bring an event of national stature to our community, it's great exposure,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd it brings tourism. It brings people to Chilliwack that haven't been here before, so they get to see all that we have to offer.鈥�

Proceeds from the event will go right back into the community via a legacy fund. That money will go towards supporting seven minor hockey associations across the Valley.

Kemp said the fund is part of a wider array of opportunities for young fans to get involved, including puck drops and flag-carrying.

鈥淐hilliwack鈥檚 done a really good job of engaging the minor hockey community,鈥� she said.

鈥淚 know it's different than the NHL or WHL, but to the kids that are seven and eight and nine years old, this is a big deal. They get to go drop a puck at a game. And having kids get to experience and watch, maybe kids or older siblings or friends play at a competitive level, I think it's going to be really cool.鈥�

The Telus Cup will run from Monday, April 21 to Sunday, April 27. Tickets are available for $25 or less through Hockey Canada鈥檚 website. A livestream will also be set up through the site closer to the event鈥檚 starting date.