CWHL to Host 2013 Clarkson Cup in Greater Toronto Area

With the 2012-13 CWHL season promising to be the greatest one ever, the CWHL has made the decision to host the 2013 Clarkson Cup in the Toronto suburb of Markham, Ontario.

Located north of Toronto, the city boasts over 300,000 residents, making it one of the top 20 largest cities in Canada. Markham’s Centennial Community Centre will host the fifth annual championship event from March 20 to 23.

Known as the Stanley Cup for women, the level of competition is better than ever. With the two-time defending Clarkson Cup champion Montreal Stars sitting in third place, no team can be taken for granted.

Should Montreal claim the title, they would become the first franchise in CWHL history to win the Clarkson Cup three years in a row.

This marks the third time that the CWHL has chosen to host its championship event in the Greater Toronto Area. The first time was in 2010 when the municipality of Richmond Hill, which borders Markham to the east, hosted the event.

That event made women’s hockey history as it marked the first time that an American hockey franchise, the Minnesota Whitecaps, claimed the Clarkson Cup. Barrie, Ontario hosted the event in 2011 when the Montreal Stars became the first CWHL franchise to claim the coveted Cup twice.

In the history of the event, no team from the Greater Toronto Area has ever claimed the Cup. From 2010 to 2012, a GTA-based team was in the finals but finished as runner-up, (Brampton in 2010 and 2012, Toronto in 2011).

With the Toronto Furies currently in second place in the CWHL standings, a Clarkson Cup win would bring the city of Toronto its first major hockey championship since the Toronto Marlboros won the Memorial Cup in 1975.