Ottawa Junior Senators to bid for 2018 Fred Page Cup

_ (Via Ottawa Junior Senators) _ The Ottawa Junior Senators announced their intention to bid for the 2018 Fred Page Cup earlier today in a media release.

A Hockey Canada event, the Fred Page Cup pits the top tier-two junior hockey teams against each other in a tournament to determine the representative from Eastern Canada at the RBC Cup, Canada’s national Junior ‘A’ championship.

Martin Dagenais, head coach and general manager of the Junior Senators, was named vice chair of the bid. The bid has also recruited CCHL vice president of communications Tony House to act as the bid’s chair.

“I’m very happy to be working with Tony as we try to bring the 2018 Fred Page Cup to Ottawa,” Dagenais said of his team’s bid.

“We have a committed group who are willing to work as hard as they can to prove to the selection committee that Ottawa would be the perfect destination for this event.”

Dagenais, who is also the owner of the Junior Senators, has put together one of the best organizations in the CCHL.

After making it into the late rounds of the playoffs for the last five seasons, the team made it to game seven of the CCHL’s  Bogart Cup final last season.

It was Ottawa’s first appearance in the league final since 2002, and was Dagenais’s second season behind the bench. He is looking for a repeat of that performance this season, and in many years to come.

House was also the chair of the winning 2012 bid that saw the Kanata Stallions host that edition of the Fred Page Cup. He hopes to bring the winning formula to this bid as well, with the help of his committee of volunteers.

Should Ottawa win the bidding process, the Fred Page Cup would take place at the Jim Durrell Complex in the city’s south end. The arena holds 1,600 people, and would act as the hub for all activities throughout the week.

The CCHL also has two other teams bidding for the tournament. Both the Pembroke Lumber Kings and the Smiths Falls Bears have expressed their intention to host the Fred Page Cup.

An independent panel chosen by the CCHL will make final decisions on a host for the tournament this fall.