Queens Place Emera Centre in Liverpool, NS. Photo: CKBW Files.

The Liverpool Privateers have been selected to host this year’s Don Johnson Memorial Cup, the regional championship tournament for Atlantic Junior B hockey teams that won their leagues.

The Liverpool Privateers are the only team to have qualified so far, doing so by default as hosts. The other five teams will be determined as Junior B seasons conclude this spring, with spots available for the champions from the Island Junior Hockey League, New Brunswick Junior Hockey League, Nova Scotia Junior Hockey League, and the St. John’s Junior Hockey League.

Although the Privateers are already in the tournament Head Coach Don MacWilliams wants the team to qualify the old-fashioned way, “We want to go through the front door and qualify as Nova Scotia champions and we believe we have the team to do that,” MacWilliams said.

Should the Privateers win their league the runner-up would then be given the extra seat freed up by the hosts qualifying as champions.

The event is scheduled to run from April 26-April 30, and more details on events and the full schedule will be released in the coming months.

Games will be played at Queens Place Emera Centre, where teams will meet in a round-robin tournament. The top four teams qualify for the semifinals with the semifinal winners meeting for the tournament championship.

The Privateers get their season underway this weekend with a home matchup on Saturday against the Sackville Blazers, puck drop is at 7:30 p.m. at Queens Place Emera Centre.