Hockey Alberta Provincial Championships: Week One Results

CALGARY - Hockey Canada wants all of Canada on the same page when it comes to the delivery of its Initiation Program - traditionally a player’s first brush with organized hockey at the ages of five and six.

Although the Initiation Program - originally developed more than 35 years ago - always recommended cross- ice or half-ice small-area games, its delivery has varied from community to community. Beginning in the upcoming 2017-18 season, a new Hockey Canada policy now mandates that Initiation-aged players receive age-appropriate programming on cross-ice or half-ice surfaces.

“You would never put a five- or six-year-old child on a full-size soccer pitch, or expect them to play basketball without any adjustments made for their size. Hockey is no different,” said Paul Carson, vice- president of membership development for Hockey Canada, who notes that while some provinces and communities already deliver cross-ice programming at the Initiation level, others have always utilized full ice for practices and games.

“The Initiation Program was developed to allow kids to have fun, learn skills, and develop confidence,” said Carson. “Re-sizing the playing surface to cross-ice or half-ice means more puck-touches, which result in more chances to practice puck-control and shooting, as well as overall more movement and motor skill- development - twisting, turning, balance, coordination, agility. Their field-of-play matches their size, and these players hone in on their skill-development in a way that larger ice surfaces just aren’t conducive to.”

The differences in skill-development opportunities with cross-ice or half-ice hockey are significant: players receive five times more passes and take six times more shots. They’re called on to have to make more decisions more quickly, and are overall more engaged in the game.

Special boards and bumpers have been developed that allow for quick and easy division of a regular-sized rink into two half-ice surfaces or three cross-ice rinks, with options to create different small-area configurations. Not only does re-sizing the playing surface allow for Initiation-aged players to develop their hockey skills more effectively, it also allows communities to maximize their ice time by safely putting more teams and games on the ice at one time.

Instruction on delivering age-appropriate programming will also be available to coaches trained in the National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) Coach 1 - Intro Coach. This clinic, delivered by Hockey Canada’s 13 members, is geared towards coaches of entry-level players to provide resources that will aid in the implementation of skill-development and game play.

To ensure all members of the Alberta hockey community understand the new mandate for the Initiation Program, Hockey Alberta will be undertaking a multi-faceted communication plan that includes the following opportunities for engagement and updates:

• May 6-7: in-person with Minor Hockey Association (MHA) presidents/executive members during SpringConference sessions held in Okotoks and Fort Saskatchewan.

• June 17-18: in-person with Development Directors for MHAs, and Provincial Coach 1 Facilitators at the Hockey Alberta Development Seminar in Sylvan Lake.

• September: in-person with Initiation Program Directors for MHAs (date/location TBA)

• October-November 15: in-person as part of Coach 1 Clinic delivery (locations across the province)

• Online at hockeyalberta.ca, where Initiation Program and development materials can be accessed by any member of the hockey community.

Resources such as the Hockey Canada Network - a best-in-class skill-development resource geared to coaches - features information on the purpose of cross-ice hockey and how to run effective on-ice sessions for the five-and six-year-old Initiation age group.

Hockey Canada has also produced a video that features renowned sport scientist Dr. Steve Norris; Olympic, World Cup, world, and Stanley Cup champion Sidney Crosby (Cole Harbour, N.S./Pittsburgh, NHL); Memorial Cup, World Cup, and IIHF World Championship-winning coach Bill Peters (Three Hills, Alta./ Carolina, NHL); and Olympic gold-medallist and two-time IIHF Women’s World Championship silver-medallist Brianne Jenner (Oakville, Ont./Calgary, CWHL) describing the importance of small area games and cross-ice/half-ice hockey.

For more information on Hockey Canada and the Initiation Program, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along through social media on Facebook and Twitter.

CALGARY - An exciting opportunity awaits first-time hockey players, as the Calgary Flames’ Learn to Play program is coming to Sylvan Lake and Lethbridge.

The Learn to Play program is a six-week introductory program for kids between the ages of 4 and 8. Sessions are led by Calgary Flames alumni.

The Sylvan Lake program will be led by Curtis Glencross, while Jamie Macoun will lead the program in Lethbridge.

The program costs $175, and includes a free full set of equipment, six weeks of on-ice instruction (one icetime a week from April 29 - June 10).

Register >

For more details on the Calgary Flames Learn to Play program, click here.

RED DEER - Sixteen new champions will be crowned this weekend, as week two of the Hockey Alberta Provincial Championships, presented by ATB Financial, gets underway across the province.

Provincial championships set for this weekend include: Junior C (Calgary), Minor Midget AAA (Grande Prairie - began March 22), Midget A (Strathmore), Midget B (Rocky Mountain House), Midget C (Slave Lake), Midget D (Elk Point), Midget Female Elite (Sherwood Park), Midget Female A (Edmonton), Midget Female B (High Prairie), Bantam Female A (Edmonton), Peewee A (Lloydminster), Peewee B (3Cs), Peewee C (Athabasca), Peewee D (Kneehill), Peewee Female A (Calgary) and Peewee Female B (Lacoka - Lacombe/Ponoka).

Seven more host communities will host a True Spirit of Hockey Day this week: 3Cs, Elk Point, High Prairie, Kneehill, Rocky Mountain House, Slave Lake, and Strathmore. True Spirit of Hockey Day aims celebrate a shared love for hockey and the community that supports the sport.

You can keep track of all this weekend’s tournaments at haprovincials.ca, by following along with the score ticker at hockeyalberta.ca, on Facebook, or onTwitter (using the hashtags #HAProvincials or #ATBProvincials).

You can also follow along with a number of individual tournaments on social media:

Midget Female Elite: Twitter
Peewee B: Facebook
Peewee C: Twitter
Peewee D: Twitter (For live streams of games in Trochu) | Facebook (For live streams of games in Three Hills)
Peewee Female B: Twitter

Previous Results

Week One Results >

2017 HOCKEY ALBERTA PROVINCIAL PLAYDOWN SERIES

Senior AAA - Stony Plain Eagles VS. Lacombe Generals
Best-of-seven series tied 2-2

Game One: Stony Plain 6, Lacombe 4
Game Two: Lacombe 4, Stony Plain 1
Game Three: Stony Plain 7, Lacombe 4
Game Four: Lacombe 8, Stony Plain 3
Game Five: Friday, March 24, 8:00 p.m. @ Lacombe
Game Six: Saturday, March 25, 7:30 p.m. @ Stony Plain
Game Seven (if necessary): Thursday, March 30, 8:00 p.m. @ Lacombe

Allan Cup - April 10-15 - Bouctouche, New Brunswick

Midget AAA - Foothills CFR Bisons vs Leduc Chrysler Oil Kings
Leduc leads best-of-five series 2-0

Game One: Leduc 3, Foothills 1
Game Two: Leduc 5, Foothills 4 (2OT)
Game Three: Friday, March 24, 8:00 p.m. @ Foothills
Game Four (if necessary): Sunday, March 25, 2:00 p.m. @ Leduc
Game Five (if necessary): Monday, March 27, 8:00 p.m. @ Foothills

Telus Cup - April 24-30 - Prince George, British Columbia

Bantam AAA - Lethbridge Val Matteoti Golden Hawks vs. Fort Saskatchewan Rangers
Fort Saskatechewan Rangers wins series 3-2

Game One: Fort Saskatchewan 3, Lethbridge 2 (OT)
Game Two: Fort Saskatchewan 2, Lethbridge 1
Game Three: Lethbridge 7, Fort Saskatchewan 2
Game Four: Lethbridge 2, Fort Saskatchewan 1
Game Five: Fort Saskatchewan 2, Lethbridge 1

Western Canadian Bantam AAA Championship - March 30 - April 2 - Warman/Martensville, Saskatchewan

RED DEER/CALGARY - Alberta was very well-represented when the Western Hockey League announced its 2016-17 Eastern and Western Conference award winners and All-Star teams on Wednesday.

Four Albertans took home major awards:

Sam Steel (Sherwood Park), Regina Pats - Eastern Conference Player of the Year, WHL Top Scorer
Zach Sawchenko (Calgary), Moose Jaw Warriors - Eastern Conference Top Goaltender
Carter Hart (Sherwood Park), Everett Silvertips - Western Conference Top Goaltender
Tyler Steenbergen (Sylvan Lake), Swift Current Broncos - Eastern Conference Most Sportsmanlike Player

All four players were also among the eight Albertans named to the WHL’s First and Second All-Star teams:

Eastern Conference First All-Star Team:
Goaltender - Zach Sawchenko (Calgary, AB), Moose Jaw Warriors
Defenceman - Kale Clague (Lloydminster, AB), Brandon Wheat Kings
Forward - Sam Steel (Sherwood Park, AB), Regina Pats
Forward - Tyler Wong (Cochrane, AB), Lethbridge Hurricanes

Eastern Conference Second All-Star Team:
Defenceman - Jake Bean (Calgary, AB), Calgary Hitmen
Forward - Tyler Steenbergen (Sylvan Lake, AB), Swift Current Broncos

Western Conference First All-Star Team:
Goaltender - Carter Hart (Sherwood Park, AB), Everett Silvertips
Forward - Matthew Phillips (Calgary, AB), Victoria Royals

WHL Award Winners > | WHL All-Star Teams >

Hockey Alberta is proud to unveil a new section at hockeyalberta.ca. Home Ice Feature stories will focus on interesting stories about the individuals and groups who make a difference within the hockey community in Alberta. If you have a suggestion for a Home Ice Feature story, email [email protected].

SPRUCE GROVE - Hockey Alberta is pleased to announce the City of Spruce Grove as the host of the 2018 Alberta Cup.

The Spruce Grove Agrena is the host location for the event, scheduled for April 25-28, 2018.

The Alberta Cup is a core Hockey Alberta development program, and a significant step in the identification and evaluation process for Team Alberta’s U16 Male provincial team that competes at either the U16 Western Challenge Cup or the Canada Winter Games. It is also the final opportunity for Western Hockey League scouts to evaluate players eligible for the WHL bantam draft.

On the ice, the Alberta Cup features 160 of the top bantam-aged male players in Alberta, divided into eight zone teams, playing in a four-day tournament format event. The Alberta Cup also provides coaches, therapists, equipment managers, administrators and officials the opportunity to be identified for potential positions at higher level events such as the Western Challenge, World U17 Hockey Challenge and Canada Winter Games.

“Hosting an event like the Alberta Cup is a challenging undertaking. In addition to the on-ice action, there are a multitude of behind-the-scenes logistics such as accommodations, meals, travel, souvenirs, sponsorship and off-ice player preparation that need to be covered,” said Michael Kraichy, Hockey Alberta’s Manager of Team Alberta. “We were very impressed with the range of partners who will be involved in the event, and the thoroughness and attention to detail shown in the bid package submitted by Spruce Grove. We are confident that the 2018 Alberta Cup will be a memorable one for all participants.”

Spruce Grove’s Strategic Plan identifies that the community will become a leading recreation, leisure, and sports community, and be recognized as an event-hosting destination. The Alberta Cup will join a growing list of sporting events hosted in Spruce Grove, including curling, collegiate soccer, ringette, and junior hockey.

“We are thrilled to be hosting this prestigious event in our community next year,” said Spruce Grove Mayor Stuart Houston. “Sports and recreation play an important role in our city and it’s always a pleasure when we are able to bring a large-scale event like the Alberta Cup to Spruce Grove. I have complete confidence that the players, coaches, spectators and everyone else who comes out to enjoy some fantastic hockey will feel right at home during their stay with us.”

The host committee will include municipal representatives, members of Spruce Grove Minor Hockey Association, local businesses and other sports and not-for-profit organizations.

Spruce Grove Minor Hockey Association will be coordinating volunteers for the 2018 event. Anyone interested in volunteering can email [email protected].

The Town of Canmore is hosting the 2017 Alberta Cup, April 27-May 1. Zone selection camps are slated for March 24-26.

For more information on the Alberta Cup, go to hockeyalberta.ca or abcup.ca.

RED DEER - The deadline for future coaches to register for Hockey Alberta’s Regional Leader Development Program is Friday, March 24.

The Regional Leader Development Program is aimed to develop and train 1999 and 2000-born Midget level male and female hockey players in the areas of coaching, skill instruction and leadership.

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

The program cost is $50 (plus GST), and registration is on a first come, first served basis. Each location is limited to 30 registrants.

Dates & Locations

EDMONTON - Twelve former Team Alberta players and three former staff are now U Sports national champions as members of the University of Alberta Pandas.

The sixth-seeded Pandas defeated the fourth-seeded McGill Martlets in double-overtime Sunday night in Napanee, Ontario to clinch the championship.

Taylor Kezama, Cayle Dillon, Ashley Morin, Deanna Morin, Amy Boucher, Alex Poznikoff, Hanna Olenyk, Regan Wright, Abby Benning, Kirsten Chamberlin, Dayna Owen, and Kennedy Ganser have all previously played in the Team Alberta U18 Female program.

Kezama netted the double-overtime winner for the Panadas, while Poznikoff, who was recently named to the Canada West All-Star team, was named one of the tournament all-stars.

Head Coach Howie Draper, Assistant Coach Leah Copeland, and Equipment Manager Wes Nystrom were also previously involved with the Team Alberta program.

About the Team Alberta U18 Female Program

The High Performance U18 program works towards identifying the top 20 female players in Alberta, who will comprise Team Alberta U18 representing the province at the National Women’s Under 18 Championship or the Canada Winter Games. Making this team is the pinnacle of female amateur hockey in Alberta, and a major lifetime highlight for the players.

Hockey Alberta is proud to unveil a new section at hockeyalberta.ca. Home Ice Feature stories will focus on interesting stories about the individuals and groups who make a difference within the hockey community in Alberta. If you have a suggestion for a Home Ice Feature story, email [email protected].

RED DEER - The Alberta Female Hockey League’s Midget AAA regular season has officially come to a close, and the Provincial Championships for Bantam Elite and Midget AAA kick off on Thursday and Friday.

The Midget AAA Division wrapped up its inaugural season on March 5. The regular season standings finished up with St. Albert (27-2-1) taking home the regular season crown. The final standings are as follows:

1) St. Albert Slash (81 pts)
2) Rocky Mountain Raiders (55 pts)
3) Calgary Fire (36 pts)
4) Red Deer Sutter Fund Chiefs (35 pts)
5) Lloydminster PWM Steelers (34 pts)
6) Edmonton Pandas (29 pts)

St. Albert’s first year forward Madison Willan takes home the league scoring with 25 goals and 25 assists for 50 points. Willan’s teammates Cassidy Maplethorpe and Tyra Meropoulis round out the top three point leaders with 46 and 45 respectively. Maplethorpe also finished the season leading the league in assists (29).

Two goaltenders tied for top save percentage of the seson, both with a .940; St. Albert’s Camryn Drever and Red Deer’s Chantelle Sandquist (Red Deer). Drever boasts a 1.38 goals against average and a 14-3-0 record, while Sandquist appeared in 11 games, posting a 6-3-1 record with a 1.60 goals against average.

AFHL Action heated up as the race to the Hockey Alberta Provincial Championships kicked off last weekend. The regular season champion St. Albert received a bye into the tournament, as well as host association Rocky Mountain Raiders.

In the first round series, the third-place Calgary Fire faced off against the sixth-place Edmonton Pandas and won the two game, total point series by a score of 6-5. The other series featured the fourth-place Red Deer Chiefs and fifth-place Lloydminster in a low-scoring battle. Red Deer skated away victorious as Kaitlin Linnel scored on a rebound to seal the victory for Red Deer on Sunday afternoon.

The inaugural AFHL Midget AAA Provincial Championship will start on Friday morning, March 17 at Scott Seaman’s arena and will feature our top four teams from the regular season; (1) St. Albert, (2) Rocky Mountain Raiders, (3) Calgary, and (4) Lloydminster. If you are unable to make it Okotoks this weekend, you can still catch the games online! The live video and audio streams, as well as updates on scores will be provided on the AAA Provincial website.

The Bantam Elite Provincial Championships kick off this weekend as well in Olds March 16-19. The five-team tournament features the Calgary Fire White, Calgary Fire Red, St. Albert Raiders, Sherwood Park Royals, and Olds Grizzlys. Tournament information and scores can be found on the Bantam Elite Provincial website.

RED DEER - Registration for the 2017 Peewee Prospect Cup Regional Camp (2004-born male athletes) and the 2017 Alberta Challenge (2002 and 2003-born female athletes) closes at noon on Friday, March 17.

Peewee Prospects Cup

The 2017 Peewee Prospect Cup runs May 10-14, 2017 in Lethbridge.

All four regional camps will take place April 6-9, 2017 at the following locations (dates and locations subject to change):

Calgary - East Calgary Twin Arenas
Capital - Leduc Recreation Centre
North - Glenn Hall Centennial Arena (Stony Plain) *REGISTRATION FULL FOR GOALTENDERS - CONTACT Dustin Moore to be placed on the waitlist*
South - Olds Sportsplex *REGISTRATION FULL FOR GOALTENDERS - CONTACT Dustin Moore to be placed on the waitlist*

Register >

Not sure of your zone? Click here for the Peewee Prospects Cup Directory, or click here for the Peewee Prospects Cup Boundary Map.

Space at each Regional Camp is limited, and registration is on a first come, first served basis.

*Each camp has limited space for goaltenders.*

Alberta Challenge

RED DEER - Registration for 2002 and 2003-born female athletes to take part in regional selection camps for the 2017 Alberta Challenge closes on March 17.

The 2017 Alberta Challenge runs May 3-7 in Olds.

The North Regional Camp runs April 7-9 in Fort Saskatchewan, while the South Regional Camp runs April 14-16 in Olds (dates and locations subject to change).

*THE NORTH REGIONAL CAMP IS FULL FOR GOALTENDERS* Contact [email protected] to be added to the waitlist

Register for North Regional Camp > | Register for South Regional Camp >

Not sure of your region? Click here for the Alberta Challenge Boundaries.

Space at each Regional Camp is limited, and registration is on a first come, first served basis.

*Each camp has limited space for goaltenders.*

RED DEER - Five outstanding individuals, and perhaps one of the most celebrated families in all of hockey comprise the 2017 Induction Class for the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame (AHHF).

Hockey Alberta and the Hockey Alberta Foundation announced on Wednesday the 2017 inductees who will be recognized at the AHHF Awards Gala in Canmore:

• Mel Davidson, three-time Olympic gold medalist (Head Coach, Canadian Women’s national team).
• Bill Hay, Stanley Cup champion, and former head of the Hockey Hall of Fame
• Tony Kollman, one of the most noteable senior hockey players of the 1960s
• Perry Pearn, second-winningest coach in ACAC history, including six ACAC championships.
• Glen Sather, former coach, general manager and president of the 5-time Stanley Cup champion Edmonton Oilers
• The Sutter family - Brent, Brian, Darryl, Duane, Gary, Rich, Ron, Grace and Louis.

Inductee Bios >

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 2017 Hockey Alberta Provincial Championships, presented by ATB Financial.

Tournament action will determine the majority of the 2017 provincial champions. 14 titles will be awarded on March 19. March 26 will see another 16 champions crowned. The remaining five champions will be determined on April 2. 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 16-19 in fourteen locations around Alberta.

Provincial championships set for March 16-19 include: Midget Female AAA (Okotoks), Bantam A (Grande Prairie), Bantam B (Springbank), Bantam C (CNN), Bantam D (Hanna), Bantam Female Elite (Olds), Bantam Female B (Leduc), Atom AA Major (Fort McMurray), Atom AA Minor (Sturgeon), Atom A (Foothills), Atom B (Fairview), Atom C (Provost), Atom D (Delburne), Atom Female (Battle River).

Provincial championships set for March 22/23-26 include: Junior C (Calgary), Minor Midget AAA (Grande Prairie), Midget A (Strathmore), Midget B (Rocky Mountain House), Midget C (Slave Lake), Midget D (Elk Point), Midget Female Elite (Sherwood Park), Midget Female A (Edmonton), Midget Female B (High Prairie), Bantam Female A (Edmonton), Peewee A (Lloydminster), Peewee B (3 Cs), Peewee C (Athabasca), Peewee D (Kneehill), Peewee Female A (Calgary), Peewee Female B (Lacoka).

Provincial championships set for March 30-April 2 include: Senior AA (Wainwright), Junior B (St. Paul), Midget AA (Okotoks), Bantam AA (Olds), Peewee AA (Edmonton).

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. You can also follow Hockey Alberta on Twitter and Facebook.

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 True Spirit of Hockey Day activities in their location communities. 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: 3Cs, Athabasca, Battle River, Delburne, Elk Point, Fairview, Fort McMurray, Hanna, High Prairie, Kneehill, Okotoks, Olds, Rocky Mountain House, Slave Lake, Sherwood Park and Strathmore.

RED DEER - Hockey Alberta’s Coach of the Month for February is Jake Rushton of Fairview.

Jake is currently the Head Coach of the Fairview Novice Bears, and has been coaching hockey for three years.

“Jake is the coach that goes beyond! He will help out in a heartbeat with equipment, booth shifts or to take five more minutes with a player struggling with a skill," said the parent who nominated Jake. "His enthusiasm and pride in his team, as well as all other teams shines in every direction of his life.”

“He (Jake) treats all the kids like his own and he’s very energetic and communicates great with the parents," said the second parent who nominated Jake. "If there is anything that any kid or even parent needs on the team he’s right there to help. He’s great at picking up on where these kids need a little extra help and making sure they reach their goals and succeed!”

“The thing I love most about coaching is the kids," said Jake. "Every child is unique in their own way. I like to stress teamwork on and off the ice whether it be in the dressing room or in their classroom.”

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

RED DEER - The deadline to apply for assistant coach and video coach positions with the Team Alberta U16 Male and U18 Female programs is this Friday (March 10).

Both the U16 and U18 programs are seeking two assistant coaches and one video coach for Team Alberta that will compete in the 2017 Western Canada U16 Challenge Cup and 2017 National Women’s U18 Championships, respectively.

Team Alberta U16 Coach Application › | Team Alberta U18 Coach Application ›

Applicants must be in good standing with Hockey Canada and/or a member branch, have a strong knowledge base and understanding of systems and strategies. Previous coaching background within the Team Alberta program is considered an asset.

Team Alberta announces U16 and U18 Head Coaches

Hockey Alberta is proud to announce the appointment of Spiros Anastas and Craig Perrett as the Head Coaches of Team Alberta for the 2017U16 Male and U18 Female Programs.

CALGARY - The Canadian Tire First Shift is pleased to announce the launch of the 2017-2018 application process to become a host Minor Hockey Association for The First Shift program. Minor Hockey Associations are encouraged to review the application criteria and submit an online application.

Application Forms >

The Canadian Tire First Shift Program is designed to ease kids and their families into the sport of hockey in a fun and welcoming environment. It is open to boys and girls ages 6-10 years old, who have never registered to play hockey. The registration fee is $199 for each participant and includes:

• A Welcome Event - information, education, and an equipment fitting session
• 6 "learn to play on-ice sessions, implemented by MHA
• A complete set of Bauer equipment including: Helmet with facemask, neck guard, gloves, jersey & socks, shoulder & elbow pads, pants, skates, shin pads, jock/jill shorts, stick and a bag.

For more program information, visit thefirstshift.ca. Additional questions and inquiries can be sent to [email protected]

RED DEER - The Alberta Female Hockey League’s Bantam Elite division wrapped up its inaugural season on February 26.

The Calgary Fire White (21-2-2) are taking home not South Division crown, but the league’s regular season title as well, although the Northern Division-leading St. Albert Raiders (21-3-4) gave them a run for their money.

The regular season Bantam Elite standings are:

North Division:

1) St. Albert Raiders (61 pts)
2) Lloydminster Junior Steelers (55 pts)
3) Sherwood Park Royals (47 pts)
4) Edmonton Pandas (41 pts)
5) North Central Impact (26 pts)
6) Peace Country Bonnett’s Storm (9 pts)

South Division:
1) Calgary Fire White (65 pts)
2) Olds Grizzlys (57 pts)
3) Calgary Fire Red (33 pts)
4) Lethbridge Cyclones (29 pts)
5) Red Deer Sutter Fund Chiefs (27 pts)
6) Rocky Mountain Raiders (18 pts)

Olds’ Sarah Wozniewicz claimed the league scoring title, finishing with 27 goales and seven assists for 34 points. goals (23) and points (28). Calgary Red’s Emily Straw and North Central’s Chloe Reid round out the top three in points with 31 and 30, respectively.

Another Grizzly topped the regular season leaderboard, as netminder Jocelynn Pearce ended the regular season with a league-best .950 save percentage, to go allong with an 11-2-0 record and five shutouts.

The road to the Hockey Alberta Provincial Championships, presented by ATB Financial, is now laid out, as the first-round playoff matchups are set. In the North Division, the St. Albert Raiders receive a first-round bye, while the North Central Impact will battle the Edmonton Pandas, and the Peace Country Bonnett’s Storm will take on the Sherwood Park Royals.

Calgary Fire White advance directly to the second round in the South, with the Rocky Mountain Raiders going head-to-head with Calgary Fire Red, and the Red Deer Sutter Fund Chiefs up against the Lethbridge Cyclones. All playoff matchups are two game, total-goal series. The winning teams from each second round series will advance to the Provincial Championship.

Playoff Schedule >

The Midget AAA and Midget Elite schedule wraps up this weekend, with playoffs set to start the following weekend.

EDMONTON – Three Alberta hockey players highlight the list of 2016-17 major award winners announced today by Canada West.

University of Alberta Panda forward Kennedy Ganser is the Canada West Rookie of the Year in Women’s Hockey, while Mount Royal’s Sarah Weninger is the Student-Athlete Community Service honouree. In Men’s Hockey, University of Saskatchewan netminder Jordon Cooke was named Goalie of the Year.

Ganser, a former Team Alberta forward from Provost, led all Canada West rookies with 17 points this season, suiting up in all 28 games. Her 17 points were two more than UBC Thunderbird Mairead Bast, of Red Deer, while her seven goals were tied with Manitoba Bison Sheridan Oswald for tops among rookies. Ganser also showed her potential as a strong two-way forward, adding 84 shots and a +13 rating this season. Ganser is now the Canada West nominee for the U SPORTS Rookie of the Year.

“Kennedy has been a tremendous addition to our roster. She is the kind of player that coaches can build a program around. She has a high degree of skill and a hockey IQ to match. These abilities have made her a strong addition to all of our specialty situations,” said Howie Draper, head coach of the Pandas. “Despite her smaller stature, she competes like a giant on both sides of the puck. She is already and will continue to be a tough player to play against in the next four years of her career.”

Weninger, a fifth-year forward from Lethbridge, excelled both on and off the ice at Mount Royal. She finished tied for MRU’s scoring title this season, registering nine goals and four assists in 25 games.

Off the ice, Weninger is involved in several volunteer initiatives, including Hockey Alberta’s Hockey Education Reaching Out Society (HEROS) program, which uses the game of hockey to teach life-skills and empower Canada’s marginalized youth. In addition to her involvement with HEROS, Weninger also attended Hockey Alberta’s Future Leaders Camp, which helps prepare coaches to play an active role in Hockey Alberta programs and within their communities.

Academically, Weninger has achieved a combined GPA of 3.66 over her last two academic semesters and is on pace to be an Academic All-Canadian this season. Weninger now moves forward as the conference nominee for the Marion Hilliard Award as the nation’s top student-athlete.

“Sarah is extremely committed to try and better those around her, whether it is in the hockey community, or life in general,” said Scott Rivett, head coach at Mount Royal. “Her relationship with HEROS is truly remarkable. Sarah has brought other players from our team out to work with them and many are continuing to build their own relationships with these kids on a weekly basis and are having a true impact in their lives. We raised over $3,000 and created an evening for these kids that most have never experienced and it was in large part to all the work that Sarah has put in.”

For a second consecutive season Jordon Cooke has been named Canada West’s top goalie, after posting a 19-4-1 record, 1.94 GAA, and .929 SV%. The Leduc native was the backbone of Saskatchewan’s tremendous campaign, which saw the Huskies claim the conference regular season title for a second straight season.

2016-17 has been a phenomenal season for Cooke, as the Leduc, Alta. product was also named to Canada’s team at the Spengler Cup in Davos, Switzerland over the holiday break. Cooke’s four shutouts this season tied the Canada West single-season record, and his seven career shutouts are the most among any active Canada West goalie.

Cooke now moves forward as the conference nominee for the U SPORTS Goaltender of the Year award, which has been won by a Canada West goalie all but once since being created in 2009-10, including last season by Cooke.

"Last year, Jordon stood out in his first full-year as our No. 1 goaltender. He helped calm a young team, leading us to the Canada West pennant," said Dave Adolph, head coach at the University of Saskatchewan. "In 2016-17, he made things look routine as our team skated to a first-place‎ finish in the regular season. He and our young defence enabled us to lead the league with a very stingy 2.11 goals GAA. He loves to play and loves the challenge. We are very fortunate to have him in a Huskie uniform.”

RED DEER - Registration for 2002 and 2003-born female athletes to take part in regional selection camps for the 2017 Alberta Challenge closes on March 17.

The 2017 Alberta Challenge runs May 3-7 in Olds.

The North Regional Camp runs April 7-9 in Fort Saskatchewan, while the South Regional Camp runs April 14-16 in Olds (dates and locations subject to change).

*THE NORTH REGIONAL CAMP IS FULL FOR GOALTENDERS* Contact [email protected] to be added to the waitlist

Register for North Regional Camp > | Register for South Regional Camp >

Not sure of your region? Click here for the Alberta Challenge Boundaries.

Space at each Regional Camp is limited, and registration is on a first come, first served basis. The deadline to register for a Regional Camp is Friday, March 17.

*Each camp has limited space for goaltenders.*

Hockey Alberta is pleased to announce the staff for each team competing in the 2017 Alberta Challenge. A Director of Operations, Coach Mentor, Head Coach, Two Assistant Coaches, and one Trainer were selected for each of the six regional teams.

2017 Team Staff >

About the Alberta Challenge

The Alberta Challenge is a core Hockey Alberta Female Development program, providing players, coaches, therapists, equipment managers, administrators and referees an equal opportunity to discover the great qualities of competitive hockey.

The Alberta Challenge is held alternating years when the Alberta Winter Games are not held. The Alberta Challenge process begins in April, with players trying out at their respective regional camps. The province is divided into North and South regions, with three teams selected from each region. The six teams compete in the Alberta Challenge tournament in May.

The Alberta Challenge aids in the preparation, evaluation and identification of potential players for Hockey Alberta’s Team Alberta program, and is a grassroots program.Through the camps, the players are able to measure themselves against other players of the same age and receive instruction from some of the best coaches in the province. For those selected to the regional teams, the Alberta Challenge is a taste of top level competition.

Click here for more information on the 2017 Alberta Challenge.

For more information, contact Mathieu Provencher, Coordinator, Team Alberta Female.