Ringette Canada – Ottawa, Ontario – February 23, 2017 – Regular season play ended this past weekend in the National Ringette League (NRL) and today the league has released its Elite Eight rankings, with the Cambridge Turbos maintaining the top spot. After this weekend’s games, Cambridge, Atlantic Attack and Calgary RATH have clinched the top spot in their respective divisions and receive a bye to the NRL Championship tournament which will be held in Leduc, Alberta from March 27 to April 1, 2017.

The remaining five spots at the championship tournament will be determined through playoffs that will take place March 4-5 in the East and March 11-12 in the West. In the East, Richmond Hill Lightning will host Rive Sud Revolution, Ottawa Ice will host the Gloucester Devils and Montreal Mission will host Waterloo Wildfire, with the winners advancing. In the West, Edmonton WAM!, Manitoba Intact and Edmonton Black Gold Rush will meet for a double knockout playoff series, with the top two teams advancing.

The final Elite Eight rankings have the Cambridge Turbos (1) maintaining their first place ranking after winning their last four games. Richmond Hill Lightning (2) hold onto their second-place ranking, winning three of their final five games. Edmonton WAM! (3) rise up to third place in the rankings from seventh last month, winning six of their eight last games.

Calgary RATH (4) move up one spot to fourth after winning all six of their final league games. Ottawa Ice (5) move down one spot to fifth, winning one of their last four game. Montreal Mission (6) who were previously unranked come in at sixth in the rankings after winning all three of their games. Rive Sud Revolution (7), also previously unranked, take seventh spot after winning one and losing three. The Gloucester Devils (8) remain in eighth place, winning four and losing one since the last rankings.

Previously ranked Waterloo Wildfire and Atlantic Attack have fallen out of the rankings.

National Ringette League Elite Eight as of February 23, 2017:
Rank – (Ranking last month) – Team name – Conference

1 – (1) – Cambridge Turbos – Eastern
2 – (2) – Richmond Hill Lightning – Eastern
3 – (7) – Edmonton WAM! – Western
4 – (5) – Calgary RATH – Western
5 – (4) – Ottawa Ice – Eastern

6 – (–) – Montreal Mission – Eastern
7 – (–) – Rive Sud Revolution – Eastern
8 – (8) – Gloucester Devils – Eastern

Cambridge Turbos currently hold the NRL Championship title after downing the Gloucester Devils 5-3 at the 2016 NRL Championship tournament final held in April 2016 in London, Ontario. This year’s NRL Championship tournament will be held in Leduc, Alberta from March 27 to April 1, 2017.

A full schedule of games, as well as results, stats and player profiles can be viewed on the NRL website at www.nationalringetteleague.ca.

About the National Ringette League
The National Ringette League (NRL) is the showcase league for ringette in Canada and strives to be the premiere women’s sports league in the country. The league has 16 teams participating in two conferences – a Western Conference with five teams and an Eastern Conference with 11 teams. The objectives of the NRL are to move ringette into the mainstream of Canadian sports activity, encourage greater public awareness of ringette, create more and better competitive opportunities for athletes, and achieve positive financial results at both a league and team level. For more information on the NRL, including schedules, team rosters and athlete profiles, please visit our website at www.nationalringetteleague.ca.

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For more information, please contact:
Alayne Martell
Media and PR – Ringette Canada/National Ringette League
Office: 613-748-5655, ext. 226
Cell: 902-308-1067
alayne@ringette.ca
www.ringette.ca
www.nationalringetteleague.ca