Record 57 Teams Register for the Canada Cup

A new North American record has been made as 57 teams have registered for the 2010 Canada Cup Floorball Championship.

A new North American record has been made as 57 teams have registered for the 2010 Canada Cup Floorball Championship. The annual tournament is played at York University in Toronto, Canada May 21st to 23rd, 2010. The international event is known as the crown jewel of the North American floorball circuit and brings together floorball newbies and veterans from across Canada, the United States and Europe. The Canada Cup was started in 2004 with just six teams and has now eclipsed the 50 team mark for the very first time.

"We are absolutely thrilled with the interest from teams this year", says tournament co-chair Juha Mikkola. "We have seen another year of strong growth, in particular in the youth and high school divisions, a sure sign the game is growing in popularity amongst minor hockey teams and schools".

The Canada Cup has seven divisions starting with Atom & Peewee, Bantam and High School and up to Adult Rec, Intermediate, Elite and Ladies.

Already rumours can be heard around floorball rinks in North America about the top Elite division, which has traditionally seen appearances from some of the world's best floorball players, who are primarily professional players from Europe.

"Unnamed sources tell me we might have as many 5 or 6 Swedish Super League stars here in Canada this year, including players like last year's stars Daniel Dalbjer, Alexander Nede and new names like Swedish national team goalkeeper Daniel Ramsin and Andreas Ackervi, captain of Swedish defending champions Täby", says Mikkola. "If these rumors prove to be true, seeing these players play is like watching NHL players up close and personal - it is incredible to see the creativity and skill they have and gives Canadian athletes something to aim towards".

The early contenders in the Elite division appear to be defending champs Xstream IBK, Czech team SKP Nymburk, 2-time champs NYC Floorball and local challengers Salming Vikings. There will also be an Under-19 Team Canada Selects team giving Canada's next generation of floorball stars a chance to shine on the big stage along with the Floorball Club of Toronto, Ottawa Blizzard and newcomers Dunnville Floor Dogs.

The Intermediate Division is huge with 15 squads challenging for the crown. There's simply too many teams to list! Last year's champs Striation Six Striators are back and joining them are three other teams from the Toronto Floorball League: the Vikings, Bulldogs and iMove Blue Collars. This division will be anyone's tot ake as some big names are there - including Innebandy Chicago, Team Canada's Ladies team, Hamilton's Sherwood Saints and a combined US/Canadian squad CAN-AM United FC.

The Recreational and Ladies Divisions will have four teams each, in Rec there are three Toronto area teams who will welcome Texas United. The Texas team is traveling up from the Lone Star State where floorball is growing fast. In the Ladies division local favorites GWB will have a new Toronto challenger in DFC. The Toronto ladies will battle the Ottawa Blizzard Ladies and Minneapolis 612 from the United States.

The future of floorball is with the kids and the Atom & Peewee, Bantam and High School divisions may be the most exciting to watch and hardest to predict.

In Atom & Peewee, seven teams will take to the floor including two teams from Ottawa. Newcomers include Belle River, Durham and a new Hurricanes team from Toronto taking on familiar teams like the Denlow Steins and Mississauga.

Bantam sees several former Atom & Peewee stars move up to the next age level. The 9-team division has Ontario teams from Belle River, Ottawa, two from Mississauga and three from Toronto. The most intriguing teams may be the Salems Cobras and Panthers who make up the first European club entry in a Canada Cup youth division. The squad from Stockholm will give the Canadian juniors a run for their money.

Finally in the High School division a new record of eight teams, double the number from last year, will go for Gold. Ontario schools participating are North Albion (Toronto), with two teams. Sherwood (Hamilton), Father McGivney (Richmond Hill), Moira (Belleville), Sir Winston Churchill (Hamilton) and St Paul Secondary (Mississauga). For the first time this division welcomes an out of province team as St. James from Winnipeg, Manitoba will challenge the Ontario schools.

The 2010 Canada Cup promises to be the best to date and we can hardly wait for the event to get started. Check back to our website tomorrow to see all of the teams listed in their respective divisions.

Now let the predictions begin - post your favorites to win each division on our message board. See you in Toronto May 21st!