The two-game University Hockey Classic between Simon Fraser University and the University of B.C. hockey teams is just the first of more showcases to come, said the SFU coach.
Mark Coletta, the SFU club head coach, said plans are in the works for a similar competition in December of 2012 that would include NCAA teams.
"(The University Classic) is the first big thing. It is really going to take off with the hockey team. I think there is a whole other story about the program that awaits," Coletta told the Burnaby NOW on Monday.
"There is no doubt when I first came on board in 2008/09, (the program) snowballed into something unimaginable."
Last week, the hockey club announced that the Clan club will play cross town rival UBC for the first time in a home-and-home affair in the first week of January.
"I knew the appetite for hockey in this area is big, especially a collegiate-type tournament between rival schools. When I approached (UBC head coach) Milan Dragicevic, we felt it was a win-win for both of us," added Coletta.
Both schools have something to prove, putting their reputations on the line. For SFU it's a chance to prove the club team is ready to take on varsity status with a good showing against an established Canadian Interuniversity Sports program.
For UBC, nothing short of a win against the Clan would do.
The January dates, coming in the first week of the new year, coincide with both schools that have an extended Christmas break.
Both teams have a four-week layoff in the new year, making Jan. 6 and 7 ideal dates to get back into training against a quality opponent.
The first game will be played at UBC on Jan. 6. The second game will be played at the Bill Copeland Sports Centre on Saturday.
"I think the players are pretty excited. The interest level perked up pretty quickly," said Coletta, who plans to use the hockey showcase as a recruiting tool.
The two-game series is still looking for a name sponsor. Interested businesses or individuals are asked to call the SFU hockey club office at 604-320-2223.
