WINNIPEG – Hockey Manitoba is please to announce that the 2012 TELUS Cup West Regional qualifying championship will be hosted in Virden, MB by the Southwest Cougars of the Manitoba Midget Hockey League (Midget AAA). This qualifying event annually features a host team along with the provincial champions from Manitoba and Saskatchewan as well as the Northwestern Ontario champion. The winner of the West Regional then advances into the TELUS Cup to contend for a National Midget Championship.

The 2012 TELUS Cup West Regional will take place March 29 – April 1, 2012 at Virden's new arena facility. Local host chair Grant Moffat comments on the 2012 event, "the Southwest Cougars and Virden Minor Hockey are excited to be awarded the 2012 TELUS Cup West Regional which will showcase the new District Recreational Complex in Virden. The Cougars are expecting a number of players to return from our successful 2010-11 team. This is a tremendous opportunity for our Region and we are confident that it will be an outstanding event."

Last season the Southwest Cougars finished with a 31-8-5 regular season record and advanced to the league finals where they fell 3-1 in the championship series to the Winnipeg Thrashers. The Thrashers then went onto win the West Regional and then continued their run to win the TELUS Cup National Championship in St. John's, NF.