It’s sure to be the perfect Christmas gift for the Hockey lover on your list.

World-class women’s hockey is coming to Sarnia later this year, as Team Canada battles the US as part of the annual seven game Rivalry Series.

The series makes a stop at Sarnia’s Progressive Auto Sales Arena on Saturday, December 16. 

Games will also be played in Kitchener, Saskatoon, Regina, Tempe, AZ, Los Angeles, CA, and St. Paul, MN.

Tourism Sarnia-Lambton Executive Director Mark Perrin said he’s excited.

“We’ve been very focused on bringing more events to Sarnia-Lambton,” said Perrin. “Our primary goal over the last little bit has been figuring out what we can bid on, and how we can bring in that added tourism value that comes with these major events. This one with Hockey Canada is really special. This not only will be a great event, but it puts Sarnia-Lambton in the spotlight. The game will be nationally televised on TSN. It’s a great opportunity to showcase, especially to the rest of Canada, what Sarnia-Lambton has to offer and to highlight the best women’s hockey players in North America.”

Perrin said the local women’s hockey fanbase is a strong one.

“Throughout Lambton county, we have great partnership organizations that are always happy to send support letters and be behind us and back us anytime we go for something women’s hockey related,” he said. “I think that’s one of the key components. We’re just trying to continue to bid and put our name out there and be pretty aggressive in wanting to host events. That’s what we’re going to do for this year and for years to come.”

Perrin said, much like Silver Stick, there’s expected to be a great economic benefit to Sarnia-Lambton for hosting this event.

“It doesn’t have the longevity of Silver Stick but we will see players coming from across Canada and the US and they’ll bring their families,” he said. “We’ll also see a lot of people visiting, that are fans of women’s hockey, from across the country. We’ll see a lot of Western Canada and Eastern Canada kind of collide to come and check this event out. We expect the hotels to be booked and the restaurants to be very busy. Anytime we bring in events like this, it’s just such a major boost to the economic impact on the local economy. That’s the reason why we keep doing these things.”

Perrin said fans should stay tuned for some news about exciting “grass grassroots initiatives” that will take place leading up to the Rivalry Series. He said that could include something with the Sarnia Sting.

Tickets go on sale October 6, and are available starting at under $30.

Last year’s Rivalry Series ended in thrilling fashion, with Canada’s National Women’s Team winning four-straight games to win the series after dropping the opening three games.