PENTICTON – This March is your chance to see some of the hockey stars of the future. Penticton has been awarded the 2015 Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL) championships, showcasing young talent from across the country, including some top WHL prospects. The competition will be jointly run by the Okanagan Hockey Academy and Global Spectrum Facility Management L.P., with support from the City of Penticton and the Penticton Hospitality Association.

Approximately 600 student athletes from all over Canada will lace up for four day event, which is underway March 12-15. It will run out of the South Okanagan Events Centre, OHS Training Centre, Memorial Arena and McLaren Park Arena.

“We are very proud to be bringing the CSSHL Championships to Penticton and to showcase our athletes in such great facilities here within the city,” says CSSHL Chairman and Okanagan Hockey Academy President, Andy Oakes. “The operational partnership between OHA and Global, combined with the support of the City of the Penticton and the Penticton Hospitality Association, will allow us to host a world class championship weekend here in the Penticton.”

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In addition to the athletes, 100 staff members will also be in Penticton, as well as an estimated 1000 family members and scouts, accounting for over an estimated 2000 hotel rooms throughout the duration of the event.

“We are delighted to be able to bring such a high profile and professionally managed event to Penticton,” says Tim Hodgkinson, Operations Director of the Penticton Hospitality Association. “It provides yet another fantastic opportunity to showcase our city and proves yet again that we are the natural home for premier sporting events.

The CSSHL is made up of 11 sports schools across Alberta, British Columbia and Idaho, locally including the Okanagan Hockey Academy and Pursuit of Excellence While the majority of CSSHL players hail from Western Canada, players also come from all over the world to join their respective programs, including across Canada and the United States, as well as Mexico and 16 countries outside of North America.