When the puck drops for the 2023 Esso Cup in Prince Albert later this month, two players from Weyburn will be among the six teams competing for the national U18 AAA female hockey championship.  

Rayna Hennie and Addison Greve both skate with the Regina Rebels of the SFU18AAAHL, and they couldn’t have hoped for a better first year at the U18 AAA level. The Rebels finished the regular season with a record of 24-5-1 and moved their way through the post-season. They beat the Notre Dame Hounds in three games in the semi-finals, then topped the Saskatoon Stars in three games to advance to the Esso Cup Western Regionals 

In the regionals, they were up against the Manitoba champion Winnipeg Ice. All three games were scheduled for Regina, but the Rebels only needed two to clinch the berth in the Esso Cup, winning the games in overtime on back-to-back nights. 

Greve, a forward, finished the regular season with 25 points in 27 games. She contributed another five points in the eight playoff games that were played. Hennie, a blueliner, skated in all 30 regular season games and chipped in a goal and four assists. She would be held off the scoresheet in the eight playoff games but made an impact in all of the games.  

The Esso Cup tournament will open up on Sunday, April 23rd, with the first game of the event being played between the Rebels and the Quebec champion Étoiles Laurentides Lanaudiere. The Rebels will then take on the Ontario champions, who have yet to be named, on April 24th. The 25th will see the Pacific champion Fraser Valley Rush play the Rebels, followed by an all-Saskatchewan match-up in on the 26th between the Rebels and the host Prince Albert Bears. They will close out the round-robin of the tournament against the Northern Selects on the 27th.  

The top four teams will advance to the semi-finals, which will be played on the 28th. The bronze medal game and the championship game will be played on April 29th.