It is one of two national championships for female minor hockey in Canada, the other being the Esso Cup, which is a competition for 'AAA' clubs.
During its early years, the tournament was known as the Women's Under-18 Hockey Challenge and was not an annual event.
[1] In 2005, Hockey Canada restructured the Under-18 Challenge, moving to November and renaming it the National Women's Under-18 Championship.
The tournament is now held each year in November, but is skipped every fourth season when the women's hockey competition at the Canada Winter Games takes its place.
Notable alumni of this tournament are Canadian national team veterans Marie-Philip Poulin, Natalie Spooner, and PWHL 1st Overall Pick Sarah Fillier.