March 16, 2016 Immediate Release Grand Falls-Windsor, NL - The 2016 Herder Memorial Championship brought to you by the Telegram opens this Saturday night, March 19th at 7:30 p.m. at the friendly confines of the Joe Byrne Memorial Stadium in Grand Falls-Windsor and will feature the two-time defending Herder Champs, the Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts and the St. John's Capitals, winners of the Avalon East Senior Hockey League (AESHL). The Caps are coming off a tough seven game series win over the Northeast Eagles in the AESHL finals last night after being down three games to two in the series. The Cats took out the Corner Brook Royals in five games to claim the Central West Senior Hockey title for the third consecutive year. The best of five series will continue on Sunday, March 20th with a matinee game at 1:30 pm at the Joe Byrne Memorial stadium. The series will then shift to the Jack Byrne Arena in Torbay for game three on Friday, March 25th at 7:30 pm which is expected to be an electrifying atmosphere. Game four, if necessary, will be played at the Jack Byrne Arena on Saturday, March 26th at 7:30 pm, with game five, if it goes the limit, on Sunday, March 27th at 2:00 pm in Torbay. The Herder Memorial Trophy was first presented by the Evening Telegram Limited in honor of the hockey playing Herder Family, who founded the Evening Telegram in 1879. The trophy is emblematic of the All Newfoundland Senior Hockey Championship. The St. John's Capitals have won seven Herder titles and last competed for the coveted trophy in 1990. The Cataracts are vying for their fourteenth Herder championship. Hockey NL decided in September to return to a Central West vs Avalon East showdown for the provincial Senior A Championship when both leagues were accepted as Senior A categories. When the series opens this weekend, the Caps will have the discretion to add six strengthening players from within their league to enhance the competition. Jack Lee is the President of Hockey NL, and he believes going back to the East vs West makes this truly a provincial championship. "We really want to provide all senior teams and players in the province an opportunity to win a Herder and we are so excited that fans from across the island will get the chance to witness this competition", said Lee. The Telegram is a provincial newspaper which is the people's paper and as title sponsor for the championship is proud to continue supporting senior hockey in the province. "The Herder Memorial Trophy finals are an important part of our year. We are honored and proud to continue a hockey legacy started by The Telegram's founder", said Leo Gosse, Regional Director, Reader Sales and Marketing with the Telegram. Tickets for games this weekend will be available to the General Public starting tomorrow at Brides Snack Bar and Grant's Sports Excellence in Grand Falls-Windsor and at the Joe Byrne Memorial Stadium box office on Thursday, March 17, 2016 from 7-9 pm. Tickets for game three can be purchased on line at www.ticketpro.ca. All games will be webcasted by Hockey NL's partner Bell Aliant TV One and fans who can't get to a game can watch via the following link. http://tv1.ca/6510agq Hockey NL will also be having live scoring, statistics and news. Hockey fans can follow on http://www.hnlprovincials.ca/TheHerder/ For more information, please contact: Craig Tulk Executive Director, Hockey NL P.O. Box 176 Grand Falls-Windsor, NL A2A 2J4 ctulk@hockeynl.ca 709-489-5512 office 709-486-0442 cell 709-489-2273 fax