MARKHAM, ON - March 18, 2014 /CNW/ - The puck is about to drop on the 2014 Clarkson Cup, the sixth annual Canadian Women's Hockey League Championship presented by Scotiabank, which takes place Wednesday, March 19 through Saturday, March 22 at the Centennial Community Centre here in Markham.

The top four teams from the 2012-13 CWHL regular season have advanced to the 2014 Clarkson Cup, with the Montreal Stars finishing in first at 42 points, Boston Blades taking second at 26 points, Calgary Inferno making their first Clarkson Cup appearance in third place with 25 points and Toronto Furies finishing fourth with 23 points.

The Boston Blades look to defend their championship title, while the Montreal Stars have previously won three of five Clarkson Cup crowns. The Clarkson Cup was named after former Governor General of Canada Adrienne Clarkson and is widely regarded as The Stanley Cup of women's hockey. When not up for grabs by the CWHL's top teams, it is housed permanently in the Hockey Hall of Fame in downtown Toronto.

"Thanks to Sochi, there's an incredible sense of excitement and heightened interest in women's hockey right now," CWHL commissioner Brenda Andress said. "For fans, the Clarkson Cup means they don't have to wait another four years to see the very best in our game.

"The CWHL is coming off another hugely successful year, and fans can expect a highly competitive and entertaining tournament as our players leave it all on the ice for a chance to hoist the highly coveted Clarkson Cup trophy," Andress added.

"We've been lucky this year to have seen just how talented Canadian women hockey players are on the world stage, and we're excited to get to see them battle it out here in Canada during the Clarkson Cup," said Eiji Doi, Scotiabank's District Vice President of GTA East. "Scotiabank is proud to support the Clarkson Cup and the CWHL. The athletes are a tremendous example of what can be achieved through teamwork, camaraderie and sportsmanship, and are an inspiration both on and off the ice. We look forward to cheering them all on during the tournament."

The 2014 Clarkson Cup game schedule is as follows: 
Wednesday, March 19: 
Calgary @ Toronto - 11 a.m. ET 
Montreal @ Boston - 7:30 p.m. ET 
Thursday, March 20: 
Boston @ Toronto - 11 a.m. ET 
Montreal @ Calgary - 7 p.m. ET 
Friday, March 21: 
Montreal @ Toronto - 11 a.m. ET
Boston @ Calgary - 7:30 p.m. ET 
Saturday, March 22: 
Championship game - 2 p.m. ET

Tickets for the 2014 Clarkson Cup are $10 apiece, and $15 each for the championship game, and can be purchased by visitingwww.ClarksonCup.com. All 2014 Clarkson Cup games will be available for viewing online by The Streaming Sports Network atwww.ssncanada.ca and on local Rogers Television, except for the championship game, which will air on The Sports Network. Please check local listings for TSN broadcast times in your area.

This year's Clarkson Cup also kicks off with the 2014 CWHL Awards Night, presented by the Insurance Bureau of Canada, to honour players and their performances during the 2013-14 season, taking place the evening of Tuesday, March 18 at the Hilton Toronto-Markham Suites Conference Centre and Spa. The awards gala will feature special guests including community board member Brian Burke, also general manager of the Calgary Flames, Canada's National Women's Team alumnae such as Cassie-Campbell Pascall and Cheryl Pounder, and business woman extraordinaire Arlene Dickinson of Dragons' Den fame.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper will also deliver remarks at this year's CWHL Awards Night. Media should arrive no later than 6 p.m. ET, must present proper identification for accreditation and should enter through the main hotel entrance. Press secretary Carl Vallée and deputy press secretary Anna Tomala will be on site to assist. Please contact the PMO press office at 613-957-555 for any media requests.

Tables and tickets to the 2014 CWHL Awards Night are available for purchase at www.CWHL.ca or email CWHL administration director Jamie Cafissi at jcafissi@cwhl.ca.

For 2014 Clarkson Cup media requests, please contact Jeff Fredericks at jeff.fredericks@rogers.com or (647) 963-6957.

For CWHL media requests, please contact CWHL communications manager Kristen Lipscombe at communications@cwhl.ca or (403) 826-4819.

Please visit www.CWHL.ca for more information, and stay up-to-date on social media by following along atwww.Twitter.com/ClarksonCup and "liking" the Clarkson Cup fan page at www.Facebook.com/ClarksonCup.

About the Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL): 
The CWHL is the premier, professionally run women's hockey league in the world. It enables elite female hockey players to pursue their dreams of competing at the highest level possible, while enhancing the lives of others through exceptional athleticism, entertainment and motivation. The league is centrally funded, with all participating teams in the CWHL receiving equal access to financial support and given the same opportunities to succeed. The CWHL is a not-for-profit organization, with every dollar going towards building a league that is dedicated to raising the profile of women's hockey, providing a place for the best female players in the world to compete and inspiring the next generation of female hockey heroines. Since the CWHL's inception in 2007, each hockey season has culminated in an exciting play-off round in which the top teams face off for the Clarkson Cup, named after former Governor General of Canada Adrienne Clarkson. For more information, please visit www.CWHL.ca, follow the CWHL on Twitter atTwitter.com/cwhl_insider and "like" the CWHL fan page on Facebook. For interview requests, please email communications@cwhl.ca.

About Scotiabank
Scotiabank is the Official Bank of the NHL®, NHL Alumni™, CWHL, Vancouver Canucks®, Winnipeg Jets®, Toronto Maple Leafs®, Ottawa Senators, Edmonton Oilers® and the Calgary Flames® whose home arena is the Scotiabank Saddledome. The Bank also has a partnership with the Montreal Canadiens®. Scotiabank has a long tradition of supporting hockey in Canada from local teams and minor hockey associations to professional players and leagues. Across Canadian communities coast to coast, Scotiabank's Community Hockey Sponsorship Program reaches out to over 5,000 minor hockey teams. To find out more about Scotiabank's hockey programs, please visit www.facebook.com/scotiahockeyclub. Scotiabank is a leading financial services provider in over 55 countries and Canada's most international bank. Through Bright Future, our global philanthropic program, Scotiabank and its employees support causes at a grassroots level across six pillars: health, education, social services, arts and culture, environment and sports. Recognized as a leader for our charitable donations and philanthropic activities, Scotiabank has contributed on average some $50 million annually over the last five years to community causes around the world. Visit us at www.scotiabank.com.

About the City of Markham
Markham, a municipality with more than 320,000 residents centrally located in the Greater Toronto area, is home to 400 corporate head offices and 900 high tech and life science companies. Founded in the 1790s, today Markham is Canada's most diverse community, enjoys a rich heritage, outstanding community planning and services, and a vibrant local economy. Canada's newest urban city as of July 1, 2012, Markham has received the Excellence Canada PEP III Integrated and Accessibility Awards, and multiple heritage and environmental awards.

For more information, please contact:
CWHL Commissioner Brenda Andress 
(647) 278-6515 bandress@cwhl.ca