It's official: Weyburn is playing host to the largest event in Canadian junior A hockey in 2005.

Hockey Canada made the official announcement on Tuesday that the Royal Bank Cup, the national finals for junior A hockey across Canada, will be held in Weyburn from May 7-15, 2005.

"On behalf of Hockey Canada's Junior Council, I am pleased and proud to offer congratulations to the Weyburn Red Wings and the City of Weyburn on their successful bid," said Wayne Kartusch, Hockey Canada's junior council chair, in a statement from Hockey Canada.

Reaction to the news was immediately positive at the Red Wings' office.

"We're elated, of course," said Winston Bailey, president of the team. "It's a very big event for the Weyburn Red Wings and for Weyburn and the community.

"We've been all across Canada, participating from coast to coast in Royal Bank Cup activities over the last 10-12 years. And now we get to showcase it in our own building (in the Colosseum)."

To commemorate the awarding of this event, an on-ice ceremony will take place during the first intermission of the Red Wings' game with the Estevan Bruins on Saturday, Dec. 6, at the Weyburn Colosseum.

The Royal Bank Cup event will begin with a five-team round robin, with the top four teams qualifying for the playoff round. The round robin is followed by two crossover games, with the gold medal round on May 15, televised across the country on TSN.

As the host team, the Red Wings will automatically be entered in the Royal Bank Cup. The last time the Wings competed nationally was in 2001.

For the local Royal Bank Cup host committee, Tuesday's announcement is the culmination of their efforts over the past year and a half, as they made presentations to the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League and Canadian Hockey Association.

Now it's a case of making sure all that planning falls into place, said Bill Rudachyk, co-chair of the host committee.

Getting the Royal Bank Cup will come with a fairly hefty price tag: Rudachyk said they have budgeted for expenses in the range of $325,000. Most of that comes from transporting the participating teams to Weyburn, getting them accommodations, feeding them, setting up a $12,000 scholarship fund for the players, and so on.

However, Rudachyk said he had been to several Royal Bank Cup tournaments in the past and found that every host city for the event "has made money," adding the committee is expecting profits of at least $100,000.

As a lead-up to next season, Rudachyk said the committee will probably be embarking on some fund-raising activities, like a golf tournament during the week of the 2004 Cup.

However, Rudachyk said he wanted to emphasize the spotlight is still on the 2004 Saskatchewan Summer Games for the next while, so as not to detract from that event. Once the Games are over, the Royal Bank committee will be far more aggressive in seeking out volunteers, sponsorship dollars and selling season tickets.

A big part of the revenue from the Royal Bank Cup will be in the form of ticket sales, either by season tickets or packages for the event itself.

Bailey said the only way to guarantee a ticket to the 2005 Cup will be to buy a season ticket for next year. However, the Red Wings are also hoping that the event increases attendance this season as well.

As for the team outlook, Bailey said the coaching and scouting staff went into this season gearing up to have as best a team as possible for 2005, but not by sacrificing this year's team or the 2006 team.

"This isn't a one-year shot. We don't want to sell the farm out: we want to have the best team that we can put on the ice."

2005 will mark the second time Weyburn has hosted the event. The city was the event's host in 1984, when it was known as the Centennial Cup before the Royal Bank Financial Group became the title sponsor.

That was also the last time the Red Wings won the national Junior A title, as they defeated the Orillia, Ont., Travelways in a best-of-seven series.

The 2004 Royal Bank Cup is slated for Grande Prairie, Alta., from May 8-16. Members of the Weyburn host committee will be present at that event to watch the proceedings.