AFHL February Wrap Up

RED DEER - As the regular season draws to a close, the St. Albert Slash (Midget AAA), Calgary Fire White (Midget Elite), and Calgary Fire Red (Bantam Elite) all head into the playoffs as the top seed in their respective leagues.

Midget AAA

As the playoffs are set to begin, the final Midget AAA Female standings are:

1) St. Albert Slash (79 pts)
2) Lloydminster PWM Steelers (65 pts)
3) Calgary Fire (56 pts)
4) Red Deer Sutter Fund Chiefs (30 pts)
5) Rocky Mountain Raiders (20 pts)
6) Edmonton Pandas (20 pts)

Slash forward Madison Willan had a terrific year as she lead the league in goals (24), assists (26), and points (50).

St. Albert’s goaltending tandem of Holly Borrett and Brianna Sank were red-hot this season. Borrett paced the league with a 0.86 GAA, and 13 wins, while adding six shutouts. Sank is right behind with a 0.86 GAA, 12 wins and leads the league with eight shutouts.

Midget AAA Leaderboard >

Congratulations to seven AFHL players, as they won a gold medal in the 2019 Canada Winter Games in Red Deer playing with Team Alberta U18 Female: Goaltender Bella McKee (Lloydminster), blueliner Sierra LaPlante (Calgary), and forwards Hayleigh Craig (Lloydminster), Isabelle Lajoie (St. Albert), Payton Laumbach (Lloydminster), Jaden Bogden (St. Albert), and Brooklyn Schroeder (St. Albert).

Midget Elite

After the completion of the regular season, the Midget Elite standings are:

North Division:
1) St. Albert Sharks (50 pts)
2) Sherwood Park Fury (44 pts)
3) Peace Country PCFAC Storm (40 pts)
4) Lloydminster Elite Steelers (35 pts)
5) Edmonton Pandas (26 pts)
6) North Central Impact (23 pts)

South Division:
1) Calgary Fire White (61 pts)
2) Calgary Fire Red (61 pts)
3) Red Deer Sutter Fund Chiefs (50 pts)
4) Airdrie Lightning (44 pts)
5) Rocky Mountain Raiders (16 pts)
6) Lethbridge Cyclones (16 pts)

Calgary Fire Red forward Kelly Stanford took over the lead in total points with 36, while Sherwood Park’s Madison Porter ended the season as the top goal scorer with 24. Her teammate, Reagan Korber, lead the way with 16 assists.

Calgary Fire Red’s Cassidy Brown’s 0.90 GAA and five shutouts were both the top mark in Midget Elite, while her teammate Rebecca Boswell, Airdrie’s Jocelyn Pearce, and Calgary Fire White’s Cienna Kinghorn lead the league with 11 wins.

Midget Elite Leaderboard >

Bantam Elite

The Bantam Elite standings for the regular season have been finalized:

North Division:
1) North Central Impact (56 pts)
2) Lloydminster Junior Steelers(54 pts)
3) Sherwood Park Royals (54 pts)
4) Edmonton Pandas (46 pts)
5) St. Albert Raiders (19 pts)
6) Peace Country Bonnett’s Storm (11 pts)

South Division:
1) Calgary Fire Red (58 pts)
2) Calgary Fire White (52 pts)
3) Rocky Mountain Raiders (39 pts)
4) Red Deer Sutter Fund Chiefs (39 pts)
5) Olds Grizzlys (35 pts)
6) Lethbridge Cyclones (5 pts)

Edmonton’s Sage Taylor lead the Bantam Elite regular season with 38 points, while Sherwood Park’s Emerson Jarvis took the goal scoring title with 24. North Central’s Jorja Nystrom lead the way with 17 assists.

Jorja Fisher sat atop the league with a 1.24 GAA, while North Central’s Rory Gidosh took top spot with 12 wins. Edmonton’s tandem of Katherine Holan and Teegan Fedoruk were the league leaders with five shutouts each.

Bantam Elite Leaderboard >

After the first weekend of the playoffs, there are eight teams remaining. Sherwood Park defeated Peace Country Bonnet’s Storm in two games, while Edmonton did the same versus the St. Albert Raiders in the North division. Sherwood Park will move on to play Lloydminster and Edmonton will face the North Central Impact. In the South it was the Rocky Mountain Raiders defeating Lethbridge, and Red Deer getting past Olds. Red Deer will now face Calgary Fire Red, while the Raiders take on Calgary Fire White. All second round playoff games will take place this weekend (March 8,9,10).

RED DEER - Hockey Alberta’s March Coach of the Month, sponsored by Players Bench Team Apparel recipients are Chris Overwater of Olds and Dave Shaw of Sherwood Park.

Both coaches were selected from all of the Coach of the Month applications received by Hockey Alberta throughout the 2018-19 Minor Hockey season. Chris and Dave will receive a pair of tickets to see the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers, respectively.

Chris Overwater served as both the Head Coach of the Bantam AA Grizzlys and the Atom B Grizzlys in Olds. He’s been coaching hockey in Olds for six years, and also coaches baseball during the summer months.

"As a coach, Chris is open and honest with parents and treats each child on his team with high, but fair, expectations," said the parent who nominated Chris. "While on the bench, Chris presents with a high level of professionalism and is respectful of the officials and rules of the game. As a parent, I’ve watched my child grow tremendously under his tutelage. My child’s understanding and enjoyment of game play has developed to such an extent that there is time spent at home by my child enthusiastically re-enacting practice drills on pen and paper. When an eleven-year-old child is able to recognize their own growth in a season and associate their development with a particular coach, then you know that coach has done an exceptional job."

"He is a great family man, and family is very important to him. This shows in his approach to coaching as he cares for each and every player, coach and parent on the team," said Olds Minor Hockey President Jeff Latimer. "Chris is a student of the game, and is always trying to learn how to do better, to be better, to help develop every player. His knowledge of the game is remarkable."

"I enjoy coaching because of the athletes. Watching players improve and enjoy the sport is the best part of being able to coach," said Chris. "My coaching philosophy is to make each player better everyday. The focus on individual skill gives players the confidence to become better athletes. Team skills make players develop hockey IQ so they think the game better."

Chris will receive an award pack from Hockey Alberta and Players Bench which includes the tickets to a Flames game.

Dave Shaw is the Head Coach of the Sherwood Park Atom Tier 1 Arrows. He’s been coaching for seven years, and also coaches Lacrosse.

"Dave has not only provided leadership on the bench, but off the bench as well," said the parent who nominated Dave. "Throughout the season, Dave has created many opportunities for the kids to give back to our community. Dave has taught these boys how to show respect for others and to help people when in need. Coach Dave is an amazing coach and my son says that this is the best year of hockey he has had."

Dave, along with his wife, Erin, received the 2019 ’Sportsmen of the Year’ award from the Sherwood Park Minor Hockey Association.

"When I took the role of President of SPMHA this season, I had three distinct areas of focus. Those areas included Coach development, player development and community presence," said SPMHA President Elton Davidge. "This year’s Sportsman of the Year recipients obviously came into the season with the same objectives. Without suggestion from the Executive, this couple took an immediate leadership role with the intent of developing not just hockey players, but leaders in our community. They consistently promoted integration into the community and it reflected strongly in the team. The kids are not only being coached to make great plays in hockey, but through the efforts of Dave and Erin, they are learning life lessons, such as selflessness and the importance of giving back to our community. They are also learning what it means to be a “teammate” in a locker room of friends."

"The thing I enjoy most about coaching is being directly involved with the growth and development of our young athletes both on and off the ice. I love being able to share my knowledge of the sport and give the kids the structure and support for them to all grow and be successful," said Dave. "My coaching philosophy is to focus on things we can control and change moving forward. While learning lessons from our past, we continue on our path, working towards both short term and long term goals. I strive to use sports as a great way to develop long term athletes and also to help our youth become outstanding citizens and role models in their communities."

Dave will receive an award pack from Hockey Alberta and Players Bench which includes the tickets to an Oilers game.

The Coach of the Month award is presented every month during the Minor Hockey season, based on nominations submitted to Hockey Alberta.

2018-19 Recipients >

RED DEER - Hockey Alberta is now accepting coach applications for the Team Alberta U16 Male and U18 Female teams that will be competing in the 2019 WHL Cup and National Women’s U18 Championship, respectively.

Team Alberta U16 Male is seeking two Assistant Coaches and one Video Coach, while Team Alberta U18 Female is seeking one Head Coach, two Assistant Coaches, one Video Coach, and one Goaltender Coach.

U16 Coach Application > | U18 Coach Application >

Key dates for the U16 Male program include the Alberta Cup (April 24-28, Red Deer), Team Alberta Summer Camp (July 1-7, Red Deer), and the WHL Cup (October, Calgary).

Key dates for the U18 Female program include Team Alberta Summer Camp (July 8-14, Red Deer), Fall Camp (September, date and location to be confirmed), and the U18 Nationals (November 3-9, Winkler/Morden, MB).

The deadline for all coaching applications is April 8 at 4pm.

RED DEER - Thirteen new provincial champions were crowned on Sunday, highlighting a busy first weekend of the 2019 Hockey Alberta Provincial Championships, presented by ATB Financial.

One Midget team, five Bantam teams, and seven Atom teams skated away from their respective tournaments with gold medals: Strathmore Storm (Midget Female A), NWZ Outlaws (Bantam A), Drumheller Raptors (Bantam B), Tofield Titans (Bantam C), Hanna Colts (Bantam D), GHC Bantam 1 Red (Bantam Female A), St. Albert Barons (Atom AA Major), Strathcona Warriors (Atom AA Minor), La Crete Lumberjacks (Atom A), Picture Butte Blades (Atom B), Taber Oil Kings (Atom C), Magrath Chiefs (Atom D), and Airdrie Lightning (Atom Female).

In addition to the on-ice action, seven host communities held a True Spirit of Hockey Day to celebrate a shared love for hockey and the community that supports the sport: Cold Lake, Duchess, Elk Point, Nanton, Okotoks, Red Deer and Vermilion.

Provincial championships set for March 21/22-24 include: Peewee Female B (Lethbridge), Peewee Female A (Olds), Bantam AA (Calgary Buffaloes), Bantam Female B (Okotoks), Bantam Female Elite (Red Deer), Midget Female B (Leduc), Midget Female AAA (St. Albert), Midget D (Fort MacLeod), Midget C (Whitecourt), Midget B (Calgary - Springbank), Midget A (Strathmore), and Minor Midget AAA (Edmonton).

Five more host communities will host a True Spirit of Hockey Day this week: Fort Macleod, Lethbridge and Vauxhall.

2019 HOCKEY ALBERTA PROVINCIAL TOURNAMENTS

Gold Medal Games

Midget Female A - Strathmore Storm 4, Irma Aces 3 (OT)
Bantam A - NWZ Outlaws 4, Cochrane Rockies 1
Bantam B - Drumheller Raptors 6, St. Paul Canadiens 2
Bantam C - Tofield Titans 6, Beaverlodge Blades 0
Bantam D - Hanna Colts 4, Kneehill Chiefs 3
Bantam Female A - GHC Red 3, Okotoks Oilers 0
Atom AA Major - St. Albert Barons 10, Red Deer Chiefs 9
Atom AA Minor - Strathcona Warriors 5, Rocky Chiefs 3
Atom A - La Crete Lumberjacks 9, Edson Sabres 2
Atom B - Picture Butte Blades 6, Kitscoty Pitbulls 4
Atom C - Taber Oil Kings 6, Duchess Storm 4
Atom D - Magrath Chiefs 9, Viking Gas Kings 3
Atom Female - Airdrie Lightning 4, Medicine Hat Wildcats 0

Champion Photos >

2019 HOCKEY ALBERTA PROVINCIAL PLAYDOWN SERIES

Senior AAA - Stony Plain Eagles VS. Innisfail Eagles
Best-of-seven series tied 2-2
Winner plays Lacombe Generals in two-game, total-goal series to determine league champion

Game One: Stony Plain 5, Innisfail 2
Game Two: Innisfail 4, Stony Plain 3
Game Three: Innisfail 6, Stony Plain 0
Game Four: Stony Plain 5, Innisfail 4 (OT)
Game Five: Friday, March 22, 8:30 p.m. - Stony Plain @ Innisfail
Game Six: Saturday, March 23, 7:30 p.m. - Innisfail @ Stony Plain
Game Seven (if necessary): Sunday, March 24, 5:00 p.m. - Stony Plain @ Innisfail

Allan Cup - April 8-13 - Lacombe, Alberta

Midget AAA - St Albert Nektar Data Systems Raiders vs Calgary Buffaloes
Best-of-five series begins on March 22

Game One: Friday, March 22, 8:15 p.m. - St. Albert @ Calgary
Game Two: Sunday, March 24, 3:00 p.m. - Calgary @ St. Albert
Game Three: Tuesday, March 26, 7:30 p.m. - St. Albert @ Calgary
Game Four (if necessary): Thursday, March 28, 7:00 p.m. - Calgary @ St. Albert
Game Five (if necessary): Saturday, March 30, 6:30 p.m. - St. Albert @ Calgary

Telus Cup - April 22-28 - Thunder Bay, Ontario

Bantam AAA - Fort Saskatchewan Rangers vs Red Deer Rebels
Fort Saskatchewan leads best-of-five series 2-0

Game One: Fort Sask 4, Red Deer 2
Game Two: Fort Sask 4, Red Deer 2
Game Three: Saturday, March 23, 5:15 p.m. - Red Deer @ Fort Sask
Game Four (if necessary): Sunday, March 24, 12:15 p.m. - Red Deer @ Fort Sask
Game Five (If necessary): Tuesday, March 26, 7:15 p.m. - Fort Sask @ Red Deer

RED DEER - Hockey Alberta would like to congratulate the six Albertans selected to work the 2019 U Sports Men’s and Women’s National Championships.

Referees Chris Crich (Airdrie) and Colin Watt (Edmonton), along with Linesmen Michael Roberts (Calgary), Chad Huseby (Red Deer), and Deion Foster (Edmonton), will all officiate at the U Sports Men’s National Championship in Lethbridge.

On the female side, Referee Lacey Senuk (St. Albert) was chosen for the U Sports Female National Championships in Charlottetown, PE.

Both National Championships run March 14-17.