The 2016 Herder Memorial Championship brought to you by the Telegram opens next Saturday night, March 19th in either the Civic Centre in Corner Brook or the Joe Byrne Memorial Stadium in Grand Falls-Windsor and will feature the championship teams from the Central West and Avalon East Senior Hockey Leagues.

The best of five series will continue on Sunday, March 20th with a matinee game two, before the series moves out east for games three as well as four and five, if necessary. The series and Herder Trophy presentation will take place at the Jack Byrne Arena in Torbay on the second weekend of the series on March 25, 26 and 27, 2016.

Both leagues are finishing up their league finals this weekend. In the Avalon East Senior Hockey League, the Northeast Eagles and St. John's Capitals are knotted at two games apiece in the best of seven with game five going ahead tonight at the Jack Byrne Arena and game six is being played in Goulds on Monday, March 14, 2016. If a seventh and final game is required, it will be played back at the Jack Byrne Arena on Tuesday, March 15, 2016. In the Central West Senior Hockey League finals, the Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts hold a comfortable three games to one lead on the Corner Brook Royals in the best of seven affair. Game five is tonight at the Joe Byrne Memorial Stadium in Grand Falls-Windsor and if the Royals can extend the series, game six is tomorrow night back in Corner Brook. Game seven, if necessary, will be played Sunday afternoon in Grand Falls-Windsor.

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.

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 next weekend, the championship team of the Avalon East League will have the discretion to add six strengthening players from within their league to enhance the competition.

More information on sites, times, tickets and broadcast will be released on Wednesday of next week upon confirmation of the teams competing. 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.