Hockey Alberta Provincial Championships: Week Two Results

CALGARY- Building on the growing success of The First Shift - a learn-to-play hockey program for kids aged 6-10 - Bauer Hockey and Hockey Canada looking to double the number of programs it delivers across the country next season.

With an emphasis on fun, The First Shift allows kids ages 6-10 to easily try hockey for $199, which includes enrollment for a six-week, on-ice curriculum and head-to-toe BAUER equipment that each child can keep. The initiative began in 2012 with four pilot programs in Ontario and Nova Scotia, expanded the following year to 40 programs, and doubled to 80 programs delivered in the 2015-16 hockey season.

“To-date, we’ve introduced more than 4,600 players to the game through The First Shift,” said Mary-Kay Messier, senior director, strategic brand initiatives and partnerships, Bauer Hockey. “The popularity of the program continues to grow for kids and their families, with many of programs having to turn kids away and reaching capacity registration in a matter of days. We’re looking to just about double the number of programs we deliver next season, with a target of 150 The First Shift programs for the 2016-17 season.”

The First Shift was created with the goal of creating an exceptional first experience in hockey not only for young players, but for their entire family.

Based on surveys of families and parents whose children participated in The First Shift, 86 per cent of First Shift participants re-enroll into hockey in the First Shift Transition program, 100 per cent of parents said their kids had fun, and 100 per cent of parents would recommend the program to a friend.

Minor hockey associations asked to register now to bring The First Shift to their community

The First Shift is delivered through minor hockey associations (MHAs) across Canada in partnership with Bauer Hockey and Hockey Canada, and relies on volunteer coaches and program administrators to succeed. MHAs interested in applying to bring The First Shift to their community next year are asked to apply now for both fall and winter 2016-17 sessions.

Part of the responsibilities of the MHAs participating in The First Shift include the provision of two blocks of six successive ice sessions on the same day of the week at the same time each day; a space to host the Welcome Event; a commitment to attend program education sessions; and the ability to provide resource personnel to support the delivery of The First Shift program.

“Hockey Canada wants to see more Canadians enjoying the many benefits of hockey - from its ability to support healthy, active lifestyles, to its inherent social outlet and the many life-skills learned from playing in a team environment,” said Paul Carson, vice-president of membership development at Hockey Canada. “Working with Bauer Hockey, The First Shift was developed to specifically meet the needs of those families who are new to hockey and want a fun way for their children to first experience the game.”

Another busy weekend of Hockey Alberta Provincial Championships, presented by ATB Financial, came to a close on Sunday, with 14 teams claiming championship banners.

As the weekend wrapped up, seven Bantam teams and seven Atom teams skated away with gold medals: Beaumont Braves (Bantam AA), Edmonton SWZ Oil Kings (Bantam A), Cold Lake (Bantam B), High Prairie (Bantam C), Foremost Flyers (Bantam D), Lethbridge (Bantam Female A), Lacombe Lacoka (Bantam Female B), Springbank Rockies (Atom AA Major), Stony Plain Predators (Atom AA Minor), Olds Grizzlys (Atom A), Sundre Huskies (Atom B), Grimshaw (Atom C), Winfield Mighty Ducks (Atom D), and Okotoks (Atom Female).

The Bantam Female B event saw one of the longest gold medal games in provincial history - nearly seven full periods - before Lacombe prevailed over Lloydminster.

The Bantam AAA title was also decided over the weekend, with the Lethbridge Val Matteoti Golden Hawks sweeping the championship series against the Sherwood Park United Cycle Flyers three games to none. Lethbridge will now advance to the Western Canada Bantam AAA Championships in Okotoks.

In conjunction with the provincials, seven more host communities celebrated Tundra True Spirit of Hockey Day, an ongoing partnership between Hockey Alberta and Tundra Process Solutions to celebrate the love of the game at local schools.

Provincial championships set for March 23/24-27 include: Senior AA (Nanton), Junior C (Edmonton), Minor Midget AAA (Calgary), Midget AA (Calgary), Midget Female AAA (Grande Prairie), Bantam Female AAA (St. Albert), and Peewee AA (Fort McMurray). Fort McMurray will kick off its tournament by hosting the 13th and final Tundra True Spirit of Hockey Day.

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2016 HOCKEY ALBERTA PROVINCIAL TOURNAMENTS

Gold Medal Games

Bantam AA - Beaumont Braves 5 - Taber Golden Suns 4 (OT)
Bantam A - Edmonton SWZ Oil Kings 4 - Lake Bonavista Breakers 2
Bantam B - Cold Lake 4 - Stony Plain 2
Bantam C - High Prairie 6 - Vermilion 3
Bantam D - Foremost Flyers 5 - Rocky Raiders 1
Bantam Female A - Lethbridge 2 - Edmonton 1 (OT)
Bantam Female B - Lacombe Lacoka 3 - Lloydminster Lloyd Mall 2 (4OT)
Atom AA Major - Springbank Rockies 7 - St. Albert Lightning 4
Atom AA Minor - Stony Plain Predators 5 - Fort Sask Rangers 4
Atom A - Olds 8 - Wetaskiwin 2
Atom B - Sundre Huskies 4 - Provost Blades 2
Atom C - Grimshaw 13 - Ponoka 2
Atom D - Winfield 7 - Redwater 3
Atom Female - Okotoks White 3 - Olds Grizzlys 1

2016 Champions Photos

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PREVIOUS RESULTS

Week One Results | Week Two Results

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2016 HOCKEY ALBERTA PROVINCIAL PLAYDOWN SERIES

Senior AAA - Stony Plain Eagles VS. Bentley Generals
Bentley leads best-of-seven series 2-1

Game One: Stony Plain 1 @ Bentley 4
Game Two: Bentley 2 @ Stony Plain 6
Game Three: Stony Plain 1 @ Bentley 4
Game Four: Wednesday, March 23, 8 p.m. - Bentley @ Stony Plain
Game Five: Saturday, March 26, 7:30 p.m. - Stony Plain @ Bentley
Game Six (if necessary): Friday, April 1, 7:30 p.m. - Bentley @ Stony Plain
Game Seven (if necessary): Sunday, April 3, 7:30 p.m. - Stony Plain @ Bentley (At Red Deer Arena)

Allan Cup - April 11-16, 2016 - Steinbach, Manitoba

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Midget AAA - Lloydminster Bandit Pipeline Bobcats vs. Foothills CFR Chemical Bisons
Lloydminster leads best-of-five series 2-0

Game One: Foothills 0 @ Lloydminster 10
Game Two: Foothills 0 @ Lloydminster 5
Game Three: Thursday, March 24, 7:30 p.m. - Lloydminster @ Foothills
Game Four (if necessary): Friday, March 25, 5:15 p.m. - Lloydminster @ Foothills
Game Five (If necessary): Sunday, March 27, 2 p.m. - Foothills @ Lloydminster

Telus Cup - April 18-24, 2016 - Quispamsis, New Brunswick

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Bantam AAA - Lethbridge Val Matteoti Golden Hawks vs. Sherwood Park United Cycle Flyers
Lethbridge wins best-of-five series 3-0

Game One: Lethbridge 3 @ Sherwood Park 0
Game Two: Lethbridge 4 @ Sherwood Park 3
Game Three: Sherwood Park 3 @ Lethbridge 4

Western Canadian Bantam AAA Championship - March 30 - April 3, 2016 - Okotoks, Alberta

Hockey Alberta is now accepting athletic therapist and equipment manager applications for Team Alberta’s Male and Female Programs.

Both the U16 and U18 programs are each seeking one athletic therapist and one equipment manager for the Team Alberta U16 and U18 teams that will compete in the 2016 Western Canada U16 Challenge Cup and 2016 National Women’s U18 Championships, respectively.

For more information, check the application packages below:

U16 Male Application | U18 Female Application

The application deadline for both programs is April 8.

For more information on the Team Alberta programs, click here.

Registration is now open for Hockey Alberta’s Regional Leader Development Program.

The RLDP is a program to develop and train 1998 born graduating Midget level male and female hockey players in the areas of coaching, skill instruction and leadership.

The program will take place in over a two day period during the month of April. There will be 6 programs being held in Alberta.

The delegates will be trained and mentored on and off ice through classroom sessions that include: leadership, team building and off-ice LTPD training. Along with classroom sessions, regional leaders will work through the NCCP Coach 2 program and with leave the program with a trained status. Delegates will also receive NCCP Instructional Stream-trained status. The total value of the program is more than $400. During the 2 day RLDP all registrants will be provided with:

• Lunch both days
• NCCP Coach 2 Trained Status
• NCCP Instructional Stream Trained Status
• Access to the new Hockey Canada Network App
• Coaching starter kit

Program Cost: $55

There is limited space available - please register early.

Registration

RED DEER - A unique skill development opportunity is available to all 2002-born male hockey players in Alberta, as Hockey Alberta and the Western Hockey League are co-hosting the second annual WHL Skills Camp.

The camp, for U15 players, is set to run June 10-12 at the Don Hartman Sportsplex in Calgary.

"We’re thrilled to team up with the WHL for another year," said Mike Kraichy, Manager of Team Alberta. "This ongoing partnership will continue to benefit young, developing hockey players across Alberta."

The Skills Camp provides athletes with the opportunity to learn from an impressive array of instructors, including a few from the WHL. The 160 participants will be divided into eight teams for the weekend, and participate in a variety of activities, including:

• Friday: off-ice testing and combine activities, coordinated by WHL staff members;
• Saturday: Team Alberta/WHL presentation, a Long Term Player Development session featuring yoga, and two skill sessions.
• Sunday: one skill session, and the event will wrap up with a game for each team

The WHL and Team Alberta have teamed up once again to offer a camp with a focus on skill development and proper training techniques. The camp also provides athletes with information about the Team Alberta process, and information on the WHL, while challenging players to excel on and off the ice.

"The WHL is excited to be teaming up with Hockey Alberta on this great player development initiative for a second year," said Kirt Hill, senior Manager, Player Development for the WHL. "The Skills Camp is a great opportunity for players to learn from elite level coaches and get ready for the next level of their hockey development."

Registration is now underway for 2002-born male players. There is space available for 21 defencemen and 43 forwards. Goalie spots are currently full.

Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. To register, click on the appropriate link, and complete the online registration and payment process.

Defence Registration |Forward Registration | Goalie Waitlist

Hockey Alberta’s Coach of the Month for February is Jason Oakey of Airdrie.

Oakey has 14 years of coaching experience under his belt, and currently serves as the Head Coach of the Airdrie Bantam 2 Lightning.

"I think the best thing about coaching is being able to share my love of the game and seeing a room full of individuals grow in to a unified team all working towards the same goal. Each year I am asked how I measure success in a season and my answer to that is; I want each player to feel like they are part of something special, I want them to love coming to the rink so much that they never want the season to end. And most of all I want them to want to play again next year."

"Our coach teaches our children to play and play hard but always play with respect," said one team parent." Coach Oakey and his assistants have worked hard with the kids to play hard and never give up."

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March is your last chance to nominate an outstanding coach in your community to be Hockey Alberta’s Coach of the Month!

All coach of the month nominees will be entered to win a special Memorial Cup prize pack.

For more details on Hockey Alberta’s Coach of the Month, click here.

As week two of the Hockey Alberta Provincial Championships kicked off on Thursday, Hockey Alberta and Tundra Process Solutions teamed up to bring the true spirit of hockey to schools across the province.

Hockey Alberta and Tundra are partnering up for the True Spirit of Hockey Day for another year, which will see schools in 13 different provincial communities host a number of fun activities, allowing students to learn about hockey, and the teamwork and friendships that can be generated in the sport.

On Thursday, five of those host communities used True Spirit of Hockey Day to kick off their Provincial Championships: Springbank, Oyen, Foothills, Drayton Valley, and High Prairie.

In Springbank, St. Joan of Arc school started the day off with a mini-stick hockey tournament, followed by an assembly complete with a medal ceremony for the champions, and a school-wide game of "heads or tails" for a special prize.

Eight more communities will host a True Spirit of Hockey Day in March: Taber, High Level, Fort McMurray, Grimshaw, Hinton, Lacombe, Duchess, and Innisfail.

St. Joan of Arc students cheer on their fellow classmates.

Members from the winning mini-stick team receive their medals.

Thursday, March 10

IQALUIT - After another busy day of hockey in Nunavut, Team Alberta North skated away from the 2016 Arctic Winter Games with a pair of medals - a gold for the males, and silver for the females.

After finishing round-robin play in second place with a 3-1 record, the male squad drew Team Alaska in the semi-finals, who had a matching 3-1 record.

Team Alberta North edged Alaska 3-2 in the early-morning tilt, and moved on to face NWT in the gold medal final.

Despite a furious comeback by NWT, Alberta North managed to weather the storm and hold on for the 5-4 win, sealing the gold medal.

On the female side, Team Alberta North found themselves in a similar matchup against Team Alaska in the semi-finals, and came out on the winning side of a 2-1 score.

In keeping with the trend, it was a Team Alberta North and NWT gold medal final once again, but this time it was NWT who came away with gold after a 5-1 win.

In other tournament action, Team Alaska landed a pair of bronze medals, as the male squad took down Team Nunavut 9-1, while the females edged the Yukon 2-1.

For the full Arctic Winter Games ice hockey schedule and results, click here.

For more information on the Arctic Winter Games, click here.

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Wednesday, March 9

IQALUIT - After the last day of round-robin play at the Arctic Winter Games, both Team Alberta North squads finished with 3-1 records.

The males lost their first game of the tournament Wednesday morning to NWT by a score of 5-0, but rebounded with a 5-2 over Alaska later in the day. The win set up a three-way tie for first place between Team Alberta North, NWT and Alaska.

Through the tie breaker formula, Team Alberta North finished second, and NWT third, so the two teams will meet again bright and early on Thursday at 6 a.m. (MT).

Meanwhile, the females continued to find their stride, winning their second and third straight games on Wednesday after opening the Arctic Winter Games with a loss.

They started the day with a 3-1 win over Team Yukon Wednesday morning, and finished the round-robin on a strong note with an 11-0 triumph over Nunavut.

The pair of wins gave Team Alberta North sole possession of second place on the female side, setting up a semi-final against third-place Alaska Thursday morning at 8:30 (MT).

The winner of each semi-final game will advance to the gold medal final on Thursday evening.

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Tuesday, March 8

IQALUIT - Despite experiencing some lengthy delays due to a massive blizzard in Iqaluit, both Team Alberta North squads came up with wins on Day Two of the Arctic Winter Games.

In a game that was supposed to start at 9 a.m. (ET), Team Alberta North Male finally got things going at 6 p.m. (ET) against the Yukon. The extra rest proved benificial for the males, as they cruised to an 11-0 to start the Arctic Winter Games with a 2-0 record.

The females finally hit the ice to battle Team Alaska at 7 p.m. (ET), about six hours later than the scheduled time. After a 4-2 loss on Monday, the team rebounded well with a 3-2 win, moving to an even 1-1 record so far at the games.

It’s a quick turnaround for both teams, as they’ll hit the ice again at 9 a.m. (MT) Wednesday. The males are set to go against NWT, while the females will go head-to-head with the Yukon.

The females play their second game of the day at 1 p.m. (MT) against Nunavut, while the males hit the ice again at 4 p.m. (MT) to take on Alaska.

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Monday, March 7

IQALUIT - An up and down opening day for Team Alberta North at the 2016 Arctic Winter Games on Monday.

The male squad opened their Winter Games Monday morning in Iqaluit with a 10-3 win over the host team.

The females didn’t fare as well, falling 4-2 to Team NWT.

The males are back it at Tuesday morning at 7 a.m. (MT) against the Yukon , while the females hit the ice at 11 a.m. (MT) against Alaska.

The first two 2016 provincial champions were crowned on Sunday, as the opening weekend of the 2016 Hockey Alberta Provincial Championships, Presented by ATB Financial, came to a close in Grande Prairie.

In the lone tournament of the weekend, the Grande Prairie Panthers continued their provincial winning streak with their eighth-straight Senior Female A gold medal over the Calgary Ice Hawks, while the North Peace Eagles took down the defending champion Peace River Sharks to earn the title in Senior Female B.

Week two of the Provincial Championships will be a much busier weekend, with 11 tournaments on tap: Midget B (Calgary), Midget C (Oyen), Midget D (Provost), Midget Female A (Olds), Midget Female B (Camrose), Peewee A (Foothills), Peewee B (Drayton Valley), Peewee C (Rimbey), Peewee D (Boyle), Peewee Female A (St. Albert) and Peewee Female B (Edmonton).

In conjunction with the Provincial Championships, Tundra True Spirit of Hockey Day, a partnership between Tundra Process Solutions Ltd. and Hockey Alberta to celebrate a shared love for hockey and the community that supports the sport, will run in five host communities: Calgary (Springbank), Oyen, High Prairie, Foothills, and Drayton Valley.

Throughout the months of March and April, more than 6,000 amateur male and female hockey players, ranging in age divisions from Atom to Senior, will take part in the 2016 Hockey Alberta Provincial Championships. Over 400 teams playing in 39 provincial championship tournaments and six provincial championship playdown series will hit the ice across the province to battle it out for their respective provincial titles.

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2016 HOCKEY ALBERTA PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENTS

Gold Medal Games

Senior Female A: Grande Prairie 6, Calgary 2

Senior Female B: North Peace 6, Peace River 3

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2016 HOCKEY ALBERTA PROVINCIAL PLAYDOWN SERIES

Senior AAA - Stony Plain Eagles VS. Bentley Generals

Upcoming Games TBD

Allan Cup - April 11-16, 2016 - Steinbach, Manitoba

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The Hockey Alberta Provincial Championships, presented by ATB Financial, officially kick off this weekend with the Senior Female Championship in Grande Prairie March 4 - 6.

The lone tournament of the weekend is the first of 39 Provincial Championships set to run in Alberta in March.

The Grande Prairie Panthers will host the defending champion Peace River Sharks, along with the Calgary Ice Hawks, Sturgeon Lake Chill, Dawson Creek Elites, Hythe Colts, and North Peace Eagles.

Links to all individual Provincial Championship sites can be found on the Hockey Alberta Provincial Championship homepage.

RED DEER - Six months of regular season and tournament action, including up to six weeks of games in Zone playdowns, culminates this month, as teams prepare to “March to a title” at the 2016 Hockey Alberta Provincial Championships, presented by ATB Financial.

Tournament action will determine the majority of the 2016 provincial champions. Twelve titles will be awarded on March 13. March 20 will see another 14 champions crowned. Seven more champions will be determined on March 27, and the final tournament champ will be crowned on April 3. Tournament champions will emerge from a weekend of round-robin pool play and playoff action in their respective tournaments.

The slate of provincial championship tournaments starts this weekend, March 4-6, with Senior Female in Grande Prairie.

Provincial championships set for March 10-13 include: Midget A (Stettler), Midget B (Springbank), Midget C (Oyen), Midget D (Provost), Midget Female A (Olds), Midget Female B (Camrose), Peewee A (Foothills), Peewee B (Drayton Valley), Peewee C (Rimbey), Peewee D (Boyle), Peewee Female A (St. Albert) and Peewee Female B (Edmonton).

Provincial championships set for March 17-20 include: Bantam AA (Taber), Bantam A (Beaumont), Bantam B (Drumheller), Bantam C (High Prairie), Bantam D (High Level), Bantam Female A (Edmonton), Bantam Female B (Hinton), Atom AA Major (Edmonton), Atom AA Minor (Bonnyville), Atom A (Lacombe), Atom B (Vegreville), Atom C (Grimshaw), Atom D (Duchess), and Atom Female (Innisfail).

Provincial championships set for March 23/24-27 include: Senior AA (Nanton), Junior C (Edmonton), Minor Midget AAA (Calgary), Midget AA (Calgary), Midget Female AAA (Grande Prairie), Bantam Female AAA (St. Albert), and Peewee AA (Fort McMurray).

As well, the Junior B champs will be decided March 31-April 3, and four champions will be determined via league playoffs: Senior AAA, Junior A, Midget AAA, and Bantam AAA.

For schedules, arenas, host organizations, and other event-specific information, check the Hockey Alberta website at hockeyalberta.ca or the Provincial Championships website at haprovincials.ca.

Provincial championship host locations were awarded in mid-December, and in the ensuing months, organizing committees in communities across Alberta have been busy securing local sponsors, organizing opening ceremonies, confirming teams and schedules, ordering souvenirs and player gifts, arranging for accommodations, and numerous other tasks to ensure that the participating teams have a memorable experience.

In addition to the on-ice action, several communities will participate in the second year of the Tundra True Spirit of Hockey Day, a partnership between Tundra Process Solutions Ltd. and Hockey Alberta to celebrate a shared love for hockey and the community that supports the sport.

In conjunction with the Provincial Championship tournament hosts in these communities, a local school is hosting a number of fun activities, allowing students to learn about hockey, and the teamwork and friendships that can be generated in the sport. Participating communities are: Springbank, Oyen, Taber, High Prairie, High Level, Fort McMurray, Foothills, Drayton Valley, Grimshaw, Lacombe, Duchess, and Innisfail.