2020 Alberta Winter Games female rosters announced

RED DEER - Hockey Alberta is pleased to announce the female rosters for the 2020 Alberta Winter Games.

Six teams will take to the ice in Airdrie on February 14-17, with 120 female players (born in 2005 and 2006) ready to take the first step in the Team Alberta program.

2020 Alberta Winter Games Female Rosters >

Twenty players comprise each roster, along with volunteers serving as head coach, assistant coach, apprentice coach, coach mentor, trainer, and director of operations. Rosters were selected based on performances at regional camps held November 29 - December 1 in Innisfail and Wetaskiwin.

Of the 120 players selected, 106 play in the Bantam Elite division of the Alberta Female Hockey League.

The Alberta Winter Games is a multi-sport event for developing athletes, aged 11-17 years old. The Winter Games were first hosted in 1976 in Banff, and occur each even-numbered year. The athletes are selected to represent the eight zones in Alberta in 20 sports such as hockey, badminton, gymnastics, skiing and skating. Hockey Alberta coordinates the ice hockey portion of the Winter Games, as a core segment of its Development Program.

RED DEER - Seventeen of the top 2001-2006 born female athletes living north of the 55th parallel have been selected to represent Team Alberta North for the 2020 Arctic Winter Games.

Team Alberta North Female Roster >

Simon Juckes and Stacy Cosgrove will serve as Team Alberta North Female’s Head Coach and Assistant Coach, respectively. Team Alberta North took home the bronze medal at the 2018 tournament. Selection camps ran December 20-22 in Manning, and saw over 50 athletes turn out to compete for a spot with the team.

Hockey Alberta’s Junior Female squad, along with a Bantam Male team, will compete in the Arctic Winter Games March 15-21 in Whitehorse, YK.

Staging weekend for both teams runs February 7-9.

The Arctic Winter Games are the world’s largest northern multi-sport and cultural event. The Arctic Winter Games are a celebration of athletic completion, culture, friendship and cooperation between northern contingents. Athletic competition features sports that enjoy worldwide popularity alongside traditional Arctic Sports and Dene games. The cultural component is a pillar of the Games, featuring visual arts, dance, ceremonies and galas with participants from across the circumpolar region.

Each hockey team is comprised of 17 players and two coaches. Teams participate in a round-robin tournament to determine seeding for medal-round pairings. One gold ulu is awarded in each division. Teams that regularly participate in ice hockey include Alaska, Yukon, Alberta North, Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

Eligible communities for the Arctic Winter Games are located North of the 55th Parallel.

RED DEER – A new partnership between Indigenous Sport Council Alberta (ISCA) and Hockey Alberta will provide improved and enhanced opportunities for Indigenous hockey participants across the province.

The partnership, which was formalized in November, has a two-pronged focus:

• Working together to facilitate the growth and development of Indigenous hockey across Alberta; and
• Operating the Team Alberta Female and Male squads attending and competing in the National Aboriginal Hockey Championships.

“For Hockey Alberta, this partnership is an opportunity to grow our game for Indigenous players and communities across the province,” said Winston Delorme, Chair of Hockey Alberta’s Indigenous Hockey Committee. “We always appreciate the opportunity to partner with other provincial organizations, but ultimately this is about the players, and ensuring they get the chance to participate and compete.”

Off the ice, work undertaken by the Indigenous Hockey Committee will be the focus. A key goal of the committee is to provide a forum for Indigenous communities to discuss and develop recommendations for improved opportunities for Indigenous players.

The ISCA will be represented on the committee in its role of advocating and promoting increased participation opportunities for youth and leaders at all levels.

“ISCA has been working hard this past year to develop relationships with our Provincial Sport bodies and it is only natural this includes a partnership with Hockey Alberta. With Al Blackwater as our representative on the Indigenous Hockey Committee, we feel very strongly this partnership will be in the best interests of our youth across the province,” said Jake Hendy, Executive Director of ISCA.

On the ice, Hockey Alberta will be overseeing and coordinating the selection process for the players and coaches representing the province at the National Aboriginal Hockey Championships in Regina in May. That process is already underway, and includes recruiting and selecting the Indigenous coaching staff, registration and selection camps for players, team training, and the procurement of equipment and uniforms.

Details on registration, selection camp dates and locations, and other information pertaining to the National Aboriginal Hockey Championships will be posted in the coming weeks at hockeyalberta.ca and indigenoussportsalberta.com.

RED DEER - Hockey Alberta is pleased to announce the male rosters for the 2020 Alberta Winter Games.

Eight teams will take to the ice in Airdrie on February 14-17, with 160 male athletes born in 2007 ready to take the first step in the Team Alberta program.

2020 Alberta Winter Games Male Rosters >

Twenty players comprise each roster, along with volunteers serving as head coach, assistant coaches, coach mentor, and director of operations, as well as four trainers. Rosters were selected based on performances at regional camps held December 6-8 in Vegreville, Edmonton, Olds and Calgary.

The 2020 Alberta Winter Games female rosters were announced on December 3.

The Alberta Winter Games is a multi-sport event for developing athletes, aged 11-17 years old. The Winter Games were first hosted in 1976 in Banff, and occur each even-numbered year. The athletes are selected to represent the eight zones in Alberta in 20 sports such as hockey, badminton, gymnastics, skiing and skating. Hockey Alberta coordinates the ice hockey portion of the Winter Games, as a core segment of its Development Program.

RED DEER - Seventeen of the top 2005 and 2006-born male athletes living north of the 55th parallel have been selected to represent Team Alberta North for the 2020 Arctic Winter Games.

Team Alberta North Male Roster >

Damon Jeffs and Kevin Kuryluk will serve as Team Alberta North Male’s Head Coach and Assistant Coach, respectively. Jeffs returns to Team Alberta North after winning a silver medal in 2018 as an Assistant Coach. Selection camps ran December 6-8 in Fairview, and saw over 90 athletes turn out to compete for a spot with Team Alberta North.

Hockey Alberta’s Bantam Male squad, along with a Junior Female team, will compete in the Arctic Winter Games March 15-21 in Whitehorse, YK.

Female team selection camp runs December 20-22 in Manning.

The Arctic Winter Games are the world’s largest northern multi-sport and cultural event. The Arctic Winter Games are a celebration of athletic completion, culture, friendship and cooperation between northern contingents. Athletic competition features sports that enjoy worldwide popularity alongside traditional Arctic Sports and Dene games. The cultural component is a pillar of the Games, featuring visual arts, dance, ceremonies and galas with participants from across the circumpolar region.

Each hockey team is comprised of 17 players and two coaches. Teams participate in a round-robin tournament to determine seeding for medal-round pairings. One gold ulu is awarded in each division. Teams that regularly participate in ice hockey include Alaska, Yukon, Alberta North, Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

Eligible communities for the Arctic Winter Games are located North of the 55th Parallel.