Provenzano Cup to feature Thunderbirds-Beavers rivalry

NEWS RELEASE

*************************

Beavers and Thunderbirds to again play for the Provenzano Cup The Carmen Provenzano Memorial Cup series is returning to its original format. The Provenzano Cup came into being at the beginning of the '05-06 Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League season as a way to honour the late Carmen Provenzano, a former Sault Ste. Marie Member of Parliament who passed away in July of 2005. The original series featured the Soo Thunderbirds and the Blind River Beavers. The Soo won the initial version of the Provenzano Cup by taking its regular-season series from Blind River. But when the Northern Michigan Black Bears became the Soo Indians last summer, the format of the Provenzano Cup was changed for the '06-07 season at the request of the late politician's son, Frank, who is the assistant general manager with the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League. Frank Provenzano asked that the Provenzano Cup be played between the Twin Soo teams, the Indians and Thunderbirds, suggesting that the crossborder format would have more "cachet" to it. The Indians subsequently won the second installment of the Provenzano Cup by defeating the Thunderbirds in the regular-season series between the two teams. But the Indians will not be a part of the NOJHL come the '07-08 season and the Provenzano Cup series will again be between the Thunderbirds and Blind River. Should the Indians return to the NOJHL in '08-09, the Provenzano Cup series will nonetheless remain a Thunderbirds/Beavers affair. "Those involved with the Blind River Beavers -- general manager Don Lees Jr., coach Todd Stencill and administrator Karen Carnahan were gracious enough to allow for the return of the original format and I am taking it upon myself to ensure that the Provenzano Cup will always be played for between the Blind River Beavers and Soo Thunderbirds as long as both teams want to," said Sault Ste. Marie sportswriter Randy Russon, who founded the Provenzano Cup series in memory of his late uncle, Mr. Carmen Provenzano. Lees, meanwhile, welcomed Blind River's return to the Provenzano Cup series. "We are honoured to again compete for the Cup and in fact, can't wait to display it in our Beaver Den once we have gnawed down all the Thunderbird trees. I feel that the rivalry between our organizations warrants this competition and should result in some great battles," said the good-natured Beavers' GM.

************************************************************