1 January 2015Bell Capital Cup events for Thursday, Jan. 1The 16th annual Bell Capital Cup, the world’s premier atom and peewee hockey tournament, continues with games and events on Thursday, Jan. 1. The 2015 edition of the Bell Capital Cup, which runs through Friday, Jan. 2, includes 18 divisions (including two girls groups), which will play nearly 600 games (almost 1,000 hours of hockey) on 25 ice surfaces across Ottawa, from Stittsville to Orleans and points in between. Local teams will face squads from across Canada, Europe, Asia and the United States to vie for the Allen J. MacDonald Memorial Trophy, which will be awarded to each division champion. Championship games will resume this morning at Canadian Tire Centre when teams from the Minor Atom AA division take to the ice at 8 a.m. The opportunity to play for the respective division titles at Canadian Tire Centre, the home of the National Hockey League’s Ottawa Senators, continues to be a highlight of the Bell Capital Cup. Tournament participants are treated to the full NHL experience from the moment they step on the ice. ** Seven division champions were crowned on Wednesday, Dec. 31: ** Major Peewee AAA – Eastern Ontario WildMinor Peewee AAA – Kitchener Jr. RangersMinor Peewee A – Ottawa StingMajor Atom AAA – Rochester GrizzliesMinor Atom AAA – Whitby WildcatsGirls Peewee AA – Brampton CanadettesGirls Atom AA – Stoney Creek Sabres Eight champions will be crowned today in the following divisions: Major Peewee AA (11:30 a.m.), Major Peewee A (12:50 p.m.), Minor Peewee AA (2:10 p.m.), Major Atom AA (9:15 a.m.), Major Atom A (4:45 p.m.), Minor Atom AA (8 a.m.), Minor Atom A (3:30 p.m.) and Peewee House A (6 p.m.). The remaining three champions will be crowned on Friday, Jan. 2, in the following divisions: Atom House A (12:30 p.m.), Atom House B (9:15 a.m.) and Atom House C (8 a.m.). The 2015 Bell Capital Cup championship games can be viewed live online from Canadian Tire Centre by logging on tobit.ly/1CTCk5x. ** Bill Patterson Trophy ** The Bill Patterson trophy is awarded to the two teams (one house league and one competitive) that best demonstrate fair play and sportsmanship during round-robin play. A sportscaster for CJOH-TV, Patterson died suddenly on Sept. 22, 1999, of a heart attack. An active family man who is survived by his wife, Pat, and daughters Sherri, Meghan and Sarah, Patterson loved watching and reporting on young athletes and was Ottawa’s No. 1 booster of amateur sports. ** Allen J. MacDonald Memorial Trophy ** Thursday, Jan. 1, and Friday, Jan. 2 The Allen J. MacDonald Memorial Trophy is awarded to the victorious team in each division after each championship game at Canadian Tire Centre. The four-foot trophy is named in honour of Allen J. MacDonald, a friend, colleague and passionate member of the minor hockey community, who was a great contributor to the Bell Capital Cup. Each winning team will take home a replica trophy and a championship banner for display in its home arena. Each player will receive a gold miniature championship trophy. ** Bruce M. Firestone Award ** Thursday, Jan. 1, and Friday, Jan. 2 The Bruce M. Firestone Award, emblematic of perseverance, hard work and a won’t-back-down spirit, is awarded to the finalists in each division after each championship game at Canadian Tire Centre. Each team will receive a silver miniature trophy for all players on the team. Firestone is a founder of the modern-day Ottawa Senators. A resident of the nation’s capital, he takes an active interest in minor hockey, including regularly attending the Bell Capital Cup. Local hockey fans are encouraged to come out and support these young athletes as admission is free at all tournament events. For more information on the Bell Capital Cup, including updated schedules, statistics and results, please visit www.bellcapitalcup.ca or follow the tournament on Twitter (@bellcapitalcup).