Ice Hockey
Ice Hockey is the national winter sport of Canada and one of the country's favourite pastimes. Several major Canadian cities have teams in the National Hockey League (NHL), North America's premier men’s hockey league. The Air Canada Centre in downtown Toronto is home to the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs.
Hockey in Mississauga and Brampton
Both Mississauga and Brampton have hockey teams that participate in men's junior hockey and women's professional leagues. The Mississauga St. Michaels Majors of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) play at the Hershey Centre, which has a 5,400 seat arena. Many NHL teams recruit from the OHL, a Junior A hockey league in Canada. The Mississauga Chiefs play in the Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL), the premier women's hockey league in Central Canada. The Chiefs were the gold medal winners of the 2008 Esso Women's Nationals, Canada's senior women's hockey championship created in 1982.
Brampton also has two professional ice hockey teams - the Brampton Battalion of the OHL and the Brampton Canadette Thunder of the CWHL. Both play at the 5,000 seat Powerade Centre. The Brampton Canadette Thunder is the 2008 CWHL champions and the gold medal winners of the 2006 Esso Women's Nationals.
Hockey arenas
Besides the main 5,400 seat arena, the Hershey Centre also has three other ice rinks that can be rented for minor and adult hockey, hockey tournaments and for a game of pick-up or shinny hockey (informal type of hockey). Public skates and shinny hockey programs are also offered at the nearby Mississauga Iceland and provide good fun and exercise for families and individuals.
The Powerade Centre also has 3 community ice rinks which can rented for tournaments, teams, parties, corporate functions or shinny or pick-up hockey year round. The Powerade Centre is also home to Brampton's Sports Hall of Fame.