Carpathian Junior Hockey League announces next expansion! After the first rounds of both CJHL divisions, BEARS and EAGLES, took place in August and September, "CJHL ROOKIE CUP 2018/2019" will kick off in Sanok in October.

"ROOKIE CUP is in its first season for players born in 2006/2007, it means U13 category. It can be said that the clubs and their interest have "pushed"us to the creation of this competition. I think I can tell that the club from Sanok, mostly the club's vice-president, Renata Klodowska-Burczyk, was lobing for this category," revealed the background of ROOKIE CUP Peter Kločanka, director of CJHL and continued: "In the 2018/2019 season will present 7 teams, including the newcomer in the CJHL family, Sokil Kiyv. During the season will be 3 rounds, first of them will start in less then two weeks in Sanok."

Seven teams will fight for the ROOKIE CUP. The above-mentioned Sokil Kiyv and STS UKS Niedzwiadki MOSiR Sanok, Kryzhynka Kiyv, Gladiators Gloria, MMKS Podhale Nowy Targ, Debreceni Hoki Club and MŠKM TREBIŠOV.

While the CJHL U19 and the CJHL U15 are played four-rounds, ROOKIE CUP has just three rounds on the program. "We chose three-rounds format especially for reasons of time. Starting in October, with four rounds it could be too busy for teams. On the other hand, we do not consider it as a Carpathian Junior Hockey League as it is in the U19 and U15. Thats why we call it "CUP". The main target of ROOKIE CUP, and I hope that it will be the same in the following seasons, is to prepare players of the younger age for a regular international confrontation, which should be rewarded if their teams will continue in CJHL. It has to be also some kind of preparation for coaches and teams managers. In CJHL we have some organizational demands, standards and the participation in ROOKIE CUP could help them to understand it, bring them closer to the league´s life and hopefully this experience will make it easier for them and for us in the future seasons," described the director of CJHL the intentions of a new competition.

The first round of the CJHL ROOKIE CUP will take place on 26-28 October in Sanok, the other rounds being scheduled in Trebišov (27th - 29th December 2018) and Debrecen (March / April 2019).

ROOKIE CUP has expanded the number of teams starting in the Carpathian Junior Hockey League competitions on 26. They represent 14 clubs from seven European countries!