RED DEER - Orest Korbutt, a Life Member of Hockey Alberta, died on Friday, April 20 at the age of 81.

Orest had a long history of volunteer service to amateur hockey in Alberta, across Canada, and around the world. He served as the President of the Alberta Amateur Hockey Association (Hockey Alberta) for six years, from 1980-1986. During his time as President, he established the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame, a Scholarship program, and an Endowment Fund.

At the national level, Orest served six years on the Board of Directors with the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association and was instrumental in establishing the national medical and liability insurance program. Internationally, Orest was actively involved in exchange programs with the Japanese and Chinese Ice Hockey Federations that lasted for more than three decades.

At the local level in Edmonton with the Knights of Columbus association, he was instrumental in the purchase of their twin ice pad and helped oversee operations of the arena complex.

Outside of hockey, Orest was a leader with several organizations. He served as Chair of the Alberta Sport, Recreation, Parks and Wildlife Foundation, Chair of the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame and Museum for 15 years, Chair of the task force that created the Alberta Sports Plan, and as a Board member with Sports Central.

Orest’s work and achievements have been recognized over the years, with numerous honours bestowed including: Canadian Amateur Hockey Association Order of Merit and Recognition Award, Alberta Amateur Hockey Association Life Membership, Edmonton Minor Hockey Association Life Membership and Recognition Award, Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame inductee (1988), Edmonton Sport Hall of Fame inductee, City of Edmonton Achievement Award, Alberta Sports Hall of Fame inductee (2013) and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Award in 2013.

Hockey Alberta extends its deepest condolences to Orest’s wife of 63 years, Gertrude, and their family: children, Corrine (Fred), Therese, Greg (Stacey), Jackie (Michael); seven grandchildren; and one great grandson.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Thursday, April 26 at 2 p.m. at Connelly-McKinley Funeral Home, 10011-114 Street NW, Edmonton, AB. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Orest’s memory to Edmonton Sports Central.

RED DEER - Alberta is well-represented on the National stage this week, as the St. Albert Slash and Lethbridge Midget AAA Hurricanes compete in the Esso Cup and Telus Cup, respectively.

The St. Albert Slash (Midget Female AAA) of the Alberta Female Hockey League are representing the Pacific region at the tournament for the second straight year, and are the reigning Esso Cup champions.

The Slash kick off their tournament Sunday afternoon at 12:30 against the Pionnières de Lanaudière in Bridgewater, N.S.

Schedule > | Stats > | Standings >

The Lethbridge Midget AAA Hurricanes kick off their quest for the Telus Cup Monday at 5:00 p.m. against host Sudbury Nickel Capital Wolves .

The Hurricanes earned the right to represent the Pacific Regional after defeating the Fraser Valley Thunderbirds in two straight games earlier this month.

Schedule > | Stats > | Standings >

RED DEER – The Alberta Female Hockey League is pleased to announce the 2017-18 league award and scholarship winners.

Four awards are handed out in each league: Most Valuable Player, Top Goaltender, Top Rookie, and Coach of the Year. One award is also given for the AFHL Administrator of the Year.

Bantam Elite

Most Valuable Player: Jenna Goodwin, Sherwood Park Royals
Top Goaltender: Ali Kieren, Calgary Fire White
Top Rookie: Jayde Cadieux, Lloydminster Jr. Steelers
Coach of the Year: Kath Surbey, Calgary Fire White

Midget Elite

Most Valuable Player: Sydney Benko, Calgary Fire Red
Top Goaltender: Holly Borrett, St. Albert Sharks
Top Rookie: Hayleigh Craig, Lethbridge Cyclones
Coach of the Year: Tom Molloy, Calgary Fire White

Midget AAA

Most Valuable Player: Bella McKee, Lloydminster PWM Steelers
Top Goaltender: Camryn Drever, St. Albert Slash
Top Rookie: Josie McLeod, Rocky Mountain Raiders
Coach of the Year: Paul Pozzi, Rocky Mountain Raiders

Administrator of the Year

AFHL Administrator of the Year: Steve Hughes, Lloydminster Minor Hockey

AFHL Scholarship Winners

The Alberta Female Hockey League annually presents four scholarships; two to graduating players from the AFHL as well as two to young women currently attending post secondary and who are giving back to the game through coaching or officiating. All of these scholarships will be awarded to help off-set the costs of pursuing a post secondary degree at the institution of their choice.

The AFHL received an overwhelming response to the scholarship fund and recipients were chosen from an extremely deep pool of applicants. Finalists were chosen based on their strong academics, positive contribution to their team as well as their involvement with their community.

Offical: Emily Hill, Olds College
Coach: Tricia Van Vaerenberg, University of Lethbridge
Midget Elite: Alexis Pfeffer, North Central Impact
Midget AAA: Mackenzie Butz, St. Albert Slash

Congratulations to all AFHL Award winners and scholarship recipients!

In the spring of 2017, Hockey Alberta announced that – effective for the 2018-19 season – Parents and Coaches/Team Officials would be required to recertify their Respect in Sport every four seasons. The requirement to recertify comes into effect on May 1.

For the 2018-19 season, the requirement to recertify affects Parents and Coaches/Team Officials who completed their Respect in Sport certification prior to the 2015-16 season.

The Respect in Sport Parent Program helps define a standard of behaviour for all parents and create a more rewarding, safe and respectful environment for everyone involved. Parents want to do a great job supporting their kids. Respect in Sport provides parents with the tools to do just that.

The Respect in Sport Activity Leader/Coach Program educates coaches and activity leaders to recognize, understand and respond to issues of bullying, abuse, harassment and discrimination. It may be the single most important training leaders receive to assist in creating a safe, healthy and respectful environment for all participants. NOTE: Speak Out is no longer recognized as a relevant program for coaches.

For more information on Respect in Sport, and the recertification process: Respect in Sport >

Hockey Alberta’s Regional Consultant, South, Matt Weninger, contributes regularly to the Lethbridge Herald with his "Hockey Talk" column. His most recent piece focuses on the Humboldt Broncos tragedy, and the effect by the entire hockey world, the country, and beyond.

It is in quite a sombre and reflective mood that I write this article. Usually I like to start my column discussing the weather or some programs that Hockey Alberta is running. All of that seems to feel irrelevant this week based on both the tragedy in Humboldt and the news of Brock Hirsche passing away Sunday morning.

It is rather difficult to comprehend what happened in Humboldt and even more challenging to understand the magnitude of this accident. I coached Layne Matechuk at the U16 WHL Cup a few years ago (who remains in a coma at this point), played hockey with assistant coach Mark Cross last year and crossed paths several times with Logan Boulet over the years (both of whom passed away). As well, my neighbour Andrew Thompson was a member of the Broncos last year before a trade took him to Melfort where he finished the season, and saw his season end at the hands of the Broncos no less.

I have rode buses for hundreds of thousands of miles (maybe more but definitely not less) in both my playing and coaching career – blindly placing all of my trust in the bus driver to get us to our destination safely.

Those who have never played junior hockey (or even hockey in general) may not understand the sanctity of the bus. The bus is where we live, watch movies, do homework, play cards, sleep and socialize with our teammates. Where we drive from one location to the next in a travelling box that at its best the TVs work, the Wi-Fi works and is a tolerable place to be. At its worst it smells like the bathroom, is too hot or too cold and most assuredly is uncomfortable.

The reality is that anyone who has played a high level of hockey has more than a few unhappy stories of 16-hour bus rides, of hearing the rumble strips at 2 a.m. and of buses breaking down on the side of the road hours from your destination. We hate the bus, we dread the trips but we tolerate it because we love the game, we strive for the competition and we would do anything for the teammates we ride the bus for (even the ones whose personal hygiene in these confined spaces isn’t ideal and those who can’t hold it until the next time the bus stops).

I have ridden a bus from Canton, N.Y. to Houghton, Michigan, and Flin Flon, Man. to Estevan, Sask., and those are only a few of the horrible trips I can name. I used to bring a big, thick blanket, place it on the floor with a pillow over top and sleep on the floor through the night because that beat having to try and squish on a lumpy seat with the cold window as a pillow. The bus trips were not something to look forward to and the longer the trip and the worse the weather the more dreaded the trip home.

But that is part of the culture of hockey, and it will never change. I am not one to complain about that culture and I don’t want anyone to think I am complaining about the lifestyle. Because I don’t want it to change. Because as bad as those bus trips are, the reward of getting to play the game you love in front of thousands of people who either cheer you or jeer you is the rush that is worth the bus trip. The challenge of winning a game -and to those who don’t understand it, we know it is only a game – is worth the reward of the nine-hour bus ride. And should you lose – that nine-hour bus ride is necessary to cure the mental anguish of the loss.

It’s not about hockey players being a different breed. It’s about the friendships built on a team, the bond built within a group and the bus being the means to meet a challenge and to live a temporary dream that we all know will one day come to an end. The sad part of this story is so many in the hockey world can connect to life on the bus. We all feel so emotionally scarred seeing 16 individuals living the same dream that we can all connect with and seeing so many dreams and lives end in a tragic accident.

I will never forget hearing the news of that bus accident last weekend, and I will also never forget the many bus trips I have taken throughout my life, whether that was home from a loss or home from a win. But this weekend made me appreciate how lucky I was to be able to return home.

I’d also like acknowledge the loss our community feels with the passing of Brock Hirsche. My last column, I aimed to show my respect and gratitude of how incredible a person Brock was. Even when I was writing that column I still believed we’d have many more months of Brock with us, that I would run into Brock many more times. Unfortunately, Brock left us much too soon.

This weekend has hit our community extremely hard. To those we lost last weekend, you will be missed, and the reaction from the rest of the world assures your legacy will live on.

The memorial service for Brock will be on Friday at Nicholas Sheran, and the memorial for Logan will be Saturday at Nicholas Sheran. There are two families in our community that are hurting and this is a chance for us to show them our support.

RED DEER – Hockey Alberta, its two largest Minor Hockey Associations, and the four largest minor leagues in the province are pleased to announce that the Alberta One Standardized Tiering Model will be in operation for the 2018-19 season.

Hockey Calgary, Hockey Edmonton, Central Alberta Hockey League (CAHL), Northern Alberta Interlock, All Peace Hockey League, and North Eastern Alberta Hockey League are implementing the Alberta One Standardized Tiering Model for the upcoming hockey season.

Consistency in tiering has been a significant concern raised in feedback provided by families across the province in Participant Satisfaction Surveys conducted by Hockey Alberta in 2015 and 2017.

For the past year, these six organizations have worked within Hockey Alberta’s Minor Leagues Committee to develop a tiering model that ensures teams are tiered accurately and consistently by accounting for the size of a minor hockey association, the size of a league, and various geographic factors.

The Alberta One Standardized Tiering Model includes:

• Six tiers within the divisions of Atom, Peewee, Bantam, Midget.
• A tiering grid to assist organizations in placing their teams within a specific division.
• The ability for larger organizations to split tiers into smaller groups based on number of teams, games to be played and travel
• The ability for smaller organizations to utilize the grid to determine the number of tiers to operate based on number of teams.
• Teams proceed through tiering rounds for final placement determined by policies of the individual league.

Hockey Alberta’s member organizations were informed of the new Alberta One Standardized Tiering Model through an Information Bulletin on April 11.

RED DEER - A pair of Alberta Midget AAA teams punched their tickets to National Championships over the weekend.

The St. Albert Ron Hodgson Slash and Lethbridge Midget AAA Hurricanes both won the Pacific Regional Championship to advance to the Esso Cup and Telus Cup, respectively.

In Richmond, BC, the St. Albert Ron Hodgson Slash of the Alberta Female Hockey League defeated the Greater Vancouver Comets for the second straight year, and will now defend their 2017 Esso Cup title.

The Slash took the three-game series two games to one, winning game one 4-2 and losing game two 4-2, before edging the Comets 1-0 to claim the Pacific Regional banner.

The 2018 Esso Cup runs April 22-28 in Bridgwater, Nova Scotia.

Meanwhile, the Lethbridge Hurricanes swept the three-game series against the Fraser Valley Thunderbirds, winning games one and two by 5-3 and 6-1 scores, respectively.

The Hurricanes will head to the 2018 Telus Cup in Sudbury, Ontario, which runs April 23-29.

Hockey Alberta extends its deepest condolences to the Humboldt Broncos, their families, and the entire hockey community in the wake of the tragic crash on Friday, April 6.

Tributes and memories are pouring in as the identities are confirmed of those who died in the crash, as well as those who are recovering in hospital.

Saskatoon Star Phoenix >

• Victims identified
• Empty ice
• Darcy Haugan

North Peace Navigators >

NHL.com >

RED DEER - A pair of Alberta teams look to punch their ticket to a national championship as the Midget AAA and Midget AAA Female Pacific Regional Championships go this weekend.

Less than a week removed from winning the Midget AAA provincial championship, the Lethbridge Midget AAA Hurricanes head to Chilliwack, BC to take on the Fraser Valley Thunderbirds in a best-of-three series, with the winner advancing to the 2018 Telus Cup. Games one and two are set for Friday and Saturday at 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., respectively, with game three scheduled for Sunday at 12 noon, if necessary.

The 2018 Telus Cup runs April 23-29 in Sudbury, Ontario.

Meanwhile, for the second straight year, the St. Albert Ron Hodgson Slash of the Alberta Female Hockey League will travel to Richmond to battle the Greater Vancouver Comets for a spot in the Esso Cup. The Slash defeated the Comets in last year’s Pacific Regional Championships en route to an Esso Cup championship.

Games one and two are scheduled for Friday at 5:45 p.m. and Saturday at 12 noon, with game three set for Sunday at 1 p.m., if necessary. The 2018 Esso Cup runs April 22-28 in Bridgwater, Nova Scotia.

RED DEER - Three members of the 2015 Team Alberta U16 Male squad, along with four from the 2016 team, will join Canada’s U18 National Team’s training camp ahead of the 2018 IIHF U18 World Championship.

Defencemen Ty Smith and Jonathan Tychonick, and forward Chase Wouters, will be joined by blueliners Bowen Byram and Matthew Robertson, and forwards Kirby Dach and Peyton Krebs in Etobicoke, Ontaria next week.

Following training camp, the players selected to Team Canada will travel to Chelyabinsk, Russia for two pre-tournament games. The 2018 IIHF U18 World Championship runs April 19-29 in Chelyabinsk and Magnitogorsk.

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 info@hockeyalberta.ca.

RED DEER - Applications are now being accepted from experienced and interested individuals to serve in a leadership capacity with Hockey Alberta’s Officials Committee for the 2018-19 season.

Available positions include the Officials Committee Chair, as well as the Regional Coordinator (previously Zone Chair) positions for each of the six Officials Regions in the province: Peace, North, North East, North Central, Central and South.

In addition, applications also are being accepted for the following Coordinator positions: Data, Match Penalty, Supervision, Male Development and Female Development.

The Officials Committee provides oversight and monitoring of the delivery of the Hockey Canada Officiating Program within Hockey Alberta. The Committee is responsible for the administration, operational standards and development of new components regarding the officiating program in Alberta. Responsibilities include: recruiting, training, mentoring, developing and evaluating officials; selecting and appointing officials for all provincial, regional and national championship games/events hosted in Alberta; and providing guidance and leadership on all matters pertaining to officiating with leagues, minor hockey associations and other stakeholders.

Deadline for applications for the Committee Chair is May 1. Deadline for applications for the Coordinator positions is May 8.

SUBMIT AN APPLICATION >

Please note that Hockey Alberta’s application platform requires that once you start an application you must complete and submit in the same sitting.

RED DEER - The third and final week of the Hockey Alberta Provincial Championships, presented by ATB Financial, kicks off on Thursday across the province with the final six tournaments of 2018.

Provincial championships set for March 29 - April 1 include: Junior B (Fort St. John), Junior C (Sherwood Park), Midget AA (Spruce Grove), Midget Female Elite (Calgary), Bantam AA (Edmonton), Peewee AA (Glenlake/Calgary).

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 on Twitter (using the hashtags #HAProvincials or #ATBProvincials), or on Snapchat (username: hockeyalberta).

Hockey Alberta and ATB Financial are also proud to unveil a brand new Snapchat filter, available at all Provincial rinks across the province. Players and fans are encouraged to use the Provincials filter, and send a photo to Hockey Alberta on Snapchat for a chance to win a gift card prize pack from Hockey Alberta and ATB Financial

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

Junior B: Twitter
Midget AA: Twitter
Midget Female Elite: Twitter
Bantam AA: Twitter
Peewee AA: Twitter

The Junior A Provincial Championship will be decided through the Alberta Junior Hockey League Playoffs. The North and South Division finals begin on March 31. The Brooks Bandits and Okotoks Oilers are set to face off in the South Division Final, while the Whitecourt Wolverines and Spruce Grove Saints will battle in the North Division Final.

Previous Results

Week One Results > | Week Two Results > | Champions Photos >

2018 HOCKEY ALBERTA PROVINCIAL PLAYDOWN SERIES

Senior AAA – Stony Plain Eagles VS. Lacombe Generals
Lacombe Generals win best-of-seven series 4-1

Game One: Stony Plain 2, Lacombe 4
Game Two: Lacombe 3, Stony Plain 4
Game Three: Stony Plain 2, Lacombe 7
Game Four: Lacombe 6, Stony Plain 3
Game Five: Stony Plain 1 @ Lacombe 6

Allan Cup – April 9-14 – Rosetown, Saskatchewan

Midget AAA – Lethbridge AAA Hurricanes vs Knights of Columbus Pats
Best-of-five series tied 1-1

Game One: KC 0 @ Lethbridge 4
Game Two: KC 4 @ Lethbridge 2
Game Three: Wednesday, March 28, 7:45 p.m. - Lethbridge @ KC
Game Four: Thursday, March 29, 7:30 p.m. - Lethbridge @ KC
Game Five (if necessary): Sunday, April 1, 3:00 p.m. - KC @ Lethbridge

Telus Cup – April 23-29 – Sudbury, Ontario

Bantam AAA – Airdrie Xtreme vs. St. Albert Sabres
Airdrie wins best-of-five series 3-2

Game One: Airdrie 3, St. Albert 2 (OT)
Game Two: Airdrie 3, St. Albert 2 (3OT)
Game Three: St. Albert 7, Airdrie 6 (OT)
Game Four: St. Albert 4, Airdrie 3
Game Five: Airdrie 2 @ St. Albert 1 (4OT)

Western Canadian Bantam AAA Championship – March 29 - April 1 – Kamloops, British Columbia

RED DEER - Week Two of the Hockey Alberta Provincial Championships, presented by ATB Financial, wrapped up on Sunday with 18 teams crowned as 2018 Provincial champions.

Fifteen tournaments ran across the province from March 21-25, while three league champions also earned provincial honours last week.

Teams skating away from this weekend’s tournaments with gold medals were: Bonnyville Sr. Pontiacs (Senior AA), Lethbridge Headwater Hurricanes (Minor Midget AAA), Lethbridge Hurricanes (Midget A), High Prairie Legionnaires (Midget B), Stettler Storm (Midget C), Kitscoty Pitbulls (Midget D), St. Albert Slash (Midget Female AAA), SPS Fuzion (Midget Female A ), Irma Aces (Midget Female B), Calgary Fire White (Bantam Female Elite), Cold Lake Ice (Peewee A), Provost Blades (Peewee B), Winfield Peewee (Peewee C), Irvine Bulldogs (Peewee D), and Okotoks Oilers (Peewee Female A).

Two league playoffs wrapped up on Wednesday evening in Senior AAA and Bantam AAA. The Lacombe Generals repeated as Senior AAA Provincial champs with a 6-1 win over the Stony Plain Eagles, taking the best-of-seven series four games to one.The Generals now head to the Allan Cup, which runs April 9-14 in Rosetown, SK.

An incredibly close Bantam AAA series between the Airdrie Xtreme and St. Albert Sabres, which saw a total of nine overtime periods, came to a close when Airdrie scored near the end of the fourth overtime of game five. The Xtreme advance to the Western Canadian Bantam AAA Championship, March 29 - April 1 in Kamloops, BC.

The Alberta Junior Female Hockey League crowned a champion as well, with the Sherwood Park Steele skating away with the Provincial banner.

In addition to the on-ice action, five more host communities held a True Spirit of Hockey Day to celebrate a shared love for hockey and the community that supports the sport: Daysland/Forestburg (Thunderstars), La Crete, Okotoks, Oyen, and Taber.

The 2018 Provincial Championships tournament schedule wraps up this coming weekend with six tournaments set for March 29 - April 1: Junior B (Fort St. John), Junior C (Sherwood Park), Midget AA (Spruce Grove), Midget Female Elite (Calgary), Bantam AA (Edmonton), Peewee AA (Glenlake/Calgary). The Midget AAA Provincials will wrap up by April 1 as well, with the best-of-five series between the Knights of Columbus Pats and Lethbridge Hurricanes tied at 1-1.

The Junior A Provincial Championship will be decided through the Alberta Junior Hockey League Playoffs. The North and South Division finals begin on March 31. The Brooks Bandits and Okotoks Oilers are set to face off in the South Division Final for the second straight year, while the Spruce Grove Saints will have to wait for Game Seven between the Whitecourt Wolverines and Fort McMurray Oil Barons to decide who they will face in the North Division Final.

2018 HOCKEY ALBERTA PROVINCIAL TOURNAMENTS

Gold Medal Games

Senior AA – Bonnyville Pontiacs 6, Elk Point Elks 2
Minor Midget AAA – Lethbridge Headwater Hurricanes 2, Rockyview Raiders 1
Midget A – Lethbridge Hurricanes 4, Sherwood Park Knights 2
Midget B – High Prairie Legionnaires 4, Barrhead Steelers 2
Midget C – Stettler Storm 9, Elk Point Avalanche 4
Midget D – Kitscoty Pitbulls 5, Oyen Bees 3
Midget Female AAA – St. Albert Slash 3, Rocky Mountain Raiders 2 (OT)
Midget Female A – SPS Fuzion 2, Strathmore Storm 1
Midget Female B – Irma Aces 3, Whitecourt Wolverines 2 (OT)
Bantam Female Elite – Calgary Fire White 2, North Central Impact 0
Peewee A – Cold Lake Ice 6, Springbank Rockies 4
Peewee B – Provost Blades 9, Elk Point Avalanche 0
Peewee C – Winfield Peewee 7, Beaverlodge Blades 4
Peewee D – Irvine Bulldogs 5, Horse Lake Thunder 2
Peewee Female A – Okotoks Oilers 9, SPS Fuzion 1

Champions Photos >

Previous Results

Week One Results >

2018 HOCKEY ALBERTA PROVINCIAL PLAYDOWN SERIES

Senior AAA – Stony Plain Eagles VS. Lacombe Generals
Lacombe Generals win best-of-seven series 4-1

Game One: Stony Plain 2, Lacombe 4
Game Two: Lacombe 3, Stony Plain 4
Game Three: Stony Plain 2, Lacombe 7
Game Four: Lacombe 6, Stony Plain 3
Game Five: Stony Plain 1 @ Lacombe 6

Allan Cup – April 9-14 – Rosetown, Saskatchewan

Midget AAA – Lethbridge AAA Hurricanes vs Knights of Columbus Pats
Best-of-five series tied 1-1

Game One: KC 0 @ Lethbridge 4
Game Two: KC 4 @ Lethbridge 2
Game Three: Wednesday, March 28, 7:45 p.m. - Lethbridge @ KC
Game Four: Thursday, March 29, 7:30 p.m. - Lethbridge @ KC
Game Five (if necessary): Sunday, April 1, 3:00 p.m. - KC @ Lethbridge

Telus Cup – April 23-29 – Sudbury, Ontario

Bantam AAA – Airdrie Xtreme vs. St. Albert Sabres
Airdrie wins best-of-five series 3-2

Game One: Airdrie 3, St. Albert 2 (OT)
Game Two: Airdrie 3, St. Albert 2 (3OT)
Game Three: St. Albert 7, Airdrie 6 (OT)
Game Four: St. Albert 4, Airdrie 3
Game Five: Airdrie 2 @ St. Albert 1 (4OT)

Western Canadian Bantam AAA Championship – March 29 - April 1 – Kamloops, British Columbia

FORT SMITH/HAY RIVER - Both Team Alberta North squads have a chance to medal at the 2018 Arctic Winter Games, with the Bantam Males set to play for gold, and the Junior Females looking to capture bronze.

The Bantam Males opened up Thursday with a 3-3 tie against Nunavut to close out round-robin play, finishing fourth in the standings. Alberta North got goals from Jacobi Rouleau, Brandon MacIntyre and Hudson Chalifoux.

Later on in the day, the Bantam Males avenged a 7-2 loss on Monday against Alaska by upsetting the top-seeded team 2-1, earning a berth in the gold medal final, and a chance to repeat as Arctic Winter Games champions. Sheldon Parliament and Brandon MacIntyre were the goal-scorers for Alberta North.

The gold medal game is set for 4 p.m. on Friday against the host Northwest Territories, after Nunavut and Alaska battle for bronze.

Meanwhile, in the Junior Female’s semi-final matchup, Alberta North narrowly missed out on the championship final with a 3-2 loss to Northwest Territories. Sanne Hansen and Abigail-Marie Robinson scored for Alberta.

The Junior Females will go for bronze against the Yukon at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, while Alaska and host NWT will battle for gold at 6:00 p.m.

Male Roster > | Female Roster > | Schedule/Results > | Day One Recap > | Day Two Recap > | Day Three Recap >

RED DEER - Fifteen new champions will be crowned this weekend, as Week Two of the 2018 Hockey Alberta Provincial Championships, presented by ATB Financial, gets underway across the province.

Provincial championships set for March 22-25 include: Senior AA (Bonnyville), Minor Midget AAA (Lethbridge), Midget A (Sherwood Park), Midget B (Wetaskiwin), Midget C (Rimbey), Midget D (Taber), Midget Female AAA (Red Deer), Midget Female A (Strathcona), Midget Female B (Lac La Biche), Bantam Female Elite (Grande Prairie), Peewee A (Edmonton), Peewee B (La Crete), Peewee C (Thunderstars), Peewee D (Oyen), and Peewee Female A (Okotoks).

The Minor Midget AAA Provincials get underway on Wednesday afternoon, while the remaining 14 tournaments begin on Thursday evening.

Five more host communities will host a True Spirit of Hockey Day this week: Daysland/Forestburg (Thunderstars), La Crete, Okotoks, Oyen, and Taber.

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, Twitter (using the hashtags #HAProvincials or #ATBProvincials), or on Snapchat (username: hockeyalberta).

Hockey Alberta and ATB Financial are also proud to unveil a brand new Snapchat filter, available at all Provincial rinks across the province. Players and fans are encouraged to use the Provincials filter, and send a photo to Hockey Alberta on Snapchat for a chance to win a gift card prize pack from Hockey Alberta and ATB Financial.

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

Peewee C: Facebook
Peewee Female A: Facebook
Midget D: Facebook

Previous Results

Week One Results >

2018 HOCKEY ALBERTA PROVINCIAL PLAYDOWN SERIES

Senior AAA – Stony Plain Eagles VS. Lacombe Generals
Lacombe Generals win best-of-seven series 4-1

Game One: Stony Plain 2, Lacombe 4
Game Two: Lacombe 3, Stony Plain 4
Game Three: Stony Plain 2, Lacombe 7
Game Four: Lacombe 6, Stony Plain 3
Game Five: Stony Plain 1 @ Lacombe 6

Allan Cup – April 9-14 – Rosetown, Saskatchewan

Midget AAA – Lethbridge AAA Hurricanes vs Knights of Columbus Pats

Game One: Saturday, March 24, 3:00 p.m. - KC @ Lethbridge
Game Two: Sunday, March 25, 1:00 p.m. - KC @ Lethbridge
Game Three: Wednesday, March 28, 7:45 p.m. - Lethbridge @ KC
Game Four (if necessary): Thursday, March 29, 7:30 p.m. - Lethbridge @ KC
Game Five (if necessary): Sunday, April 1, 3:00 p.m. - KC @ Lethbridge

Telus Cup – April 23-29 – Sudbury, Ontario

Bantam AAA – Airdrie Xtreme vs. St. Albert Sabres
Best-of-five series tied 2-2

Game One: Airdrie 3, St. Albert 2 (OT)
Game Two: Airdrie 3, St. Albert 2 (3OT)
Game Three: St. Albert 7, Airdrie 6 (OT)
Game Four: St. Albert 4, Airdrie 3
Game Five: Wednesday, March 21, 6:45 p.m. - Airdrie @ St. Albert

Western Canadian Bantam AAA Championship – March 29 - April 1 – Kamloops, British Columbia

RED DEER/CALGARY - Alberta was very well-represented when the Western Hockey League announced its 2017-18 Eastern and Western Conference award winners and All-Star teams on Wednesday.

Three WHL awards went to a pair of players hailing from Alberta:

Cale Klague (Lloydminster), Moose Jaw Warriors – Eastern Conference Top Defenceman
Carter Hart (Sherwood Park), Everett Silvertips – Western Conference Player of the Year, Western Conference Top Goaltender

Both players were among the 12 Albertans named to the WHL’s First and Second All-Star teams:

Eastern Conference First All-Star Team:
Defenceman – Kale Clague (Lloydminster, AB), Moose Jaw Warriors
Defenceman – David Quenneville (Edmonton), Medicine Hat Tigers

Eastern Conference Second All-Star Team:
Goaltender– Logan Thompson (Calgary), Brandon Wheat Kings
Defenceman – Josh Mahura (St. Albert), Regina Pats
Defenceman – Colby Sissons (Edmonton), Swift Current Broncos
Forward – Tyler Steenbergen (Sylvan Lake, AB), Swift Current Broncos
Forward – Brayden Burke (Edmonton), Moose Jaw Warriors

Western Conference First All-Star Team:
Goaltender – Carter Hart (Sherwood Park, AB), Everett Silvertips
Defenceman – Ty Smith (Lloydminster), Spokane Chiefs
Forward – Matthew Phillips (Calgary, AB), Victoria Royals
Forward – Jaret Anderson-Dolan (Calgary), Spokane Chiefs

Western Conference Second All-Star Team:
Forward – Dillon Dube (Cochrane), Kelowna Rockets

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 info@hockeyalberta.ca.

FORT SMITH/HAY RIVER - It was another up and down day for the Team Alberta North Male and Female squads at the Arctic Winter Games.

The Junior Females, playing their third game in just over 24 hours, skated to a 4-1 loss against the Northwest Territories. NWT carried a 3-0 lead halfway through the third until Sanne Hansen put Alberta North on the board, but NWT responded to make it a 4-1 final.

The Junior Female team now holds a 1-2 record moving into its final round-robin game on Wednesday at 5:00 p.m.against the Yukon.

After a 7-2 loss on Monday, the Bantam Males rebounded in a big way on Tuesday with an 8-0 win over the Yukon to move to 1-1 at the Arctic Winter Games. Joseph Gerwatoski, Ethan Alook-Ferguson, and Dalton Seniantha all had two-goal games for Alberta North, with Sheldon Parliament and Jacobi Rouleau adding tallies as well.

The males are back in action Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. against the Northwest Territories.

Male Roster > | Female Roster > | Schedule/Results > | Day One Recap >

CALMAR - The Hockey Alberta Foundation, along with Calmar Minor Hockey Association are excited to announce the CMHA Comedy Night and Speaker Series featuring Rob Brown and Jason Strudwick on April 21.

The event runs on Saturday, April 21 at the Calmar Curling Rink. Tickets to the event are $40 each, or $320 for a table of eight (includes dinner).

Doors open at 5 p.m. at the Calmar Curling Club, dinner will be served at 6, followed by a comedy show at 7:30, an auction at 9, and a Hockey Hot Stove with Brown and Strudwick at 9:30, and a dance to follow.

Proceeds from this event will go towards the Every Kid Every Community program and the Calmar Minor Hockey Association.

Tickets >

Please contact Holly Martin (Hockey Alberta) at 403-967-0059.or hmartin@hockeyalberta.ca, or Samantha Besler at (Calmar MHA) at sbesler@live.ca if you have any questions

FORT SMITH/HAY RIVER - It was an up and down first day for Team Alberta North at the 2018 Arctic Winter Games in Fort Smith and Hay River, NWT.

The Bantam Male squad dropped a 7-2 decision to Team Alaska on Monday in its only game of the day. Alberta and Alaska were tied 1-1 after the first period, with Alaska opening the scoring, and Joseph Gerwatoski replying for Alberta minutes later.

Alaska came back with four straight goals in the second period, and two more in the third before Adam Morrow stopped the bleeding for Alberta. The Bantam Males are back at it Tuesday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. against the Yukon.

Meanwhile, the Junior Female team kicked off the Arctic Games with a bang, shutting out Nunavut 7-0 in its first game of the day. Alberta North came out of the gate firing on all cylindars, with five goals in the first period from Kennedy Hartman, Shelby-Lyn Richards (2), Rhys Johnson and Kali Laderoute. Sanne Hansen and Hartman scored in the second to make it a 7-0 game.

After a short turnaround between games, the Junior Females were edged by Alaska 1-0 to move to 1-1 in the tournament. The game was deadlocked until Alaska broke the goose egg halfway through the third, and managed to shut out Alberta North the rest of the way.

The Female squad’s next game is Tuesday afternoon against the host Northwest Territories.

Male Roster > | Female Roster > | Schedule/Results >

RED DEER - Fourteen new provincial champions were crowned on Sunday, highlighting a busy first weekend of the 2018 Hockey Alberta Provincial Championships, presented by ATB Financial.

Six Bantam Teams, one Peewee team, and seven Atom teams skated away from their respective tournaments with gold medals: Springbank Rockies (Bantam A), Athabasca Hawks (Bantam B), Westlock Warriors (Bantam C), Valleyview Icebears (Bantam D), Okotoks Oilers (Bantam Female A), Lloydminster Blazers (Bantam Female B), Olds Grizzlys (Peewee Female B), Whitemud Warriors (Atom AA Major), Canmore Eagles (Atom AA Minor), Drayton Valley DV Meter All Stars (Atom A), Didsbury Ramblers (Atom B), Drumheller Dragons (Atom C), Bentley Canucks (Atom D), and Vermilion Selte Fuels Tigers (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: Beaverlodge, Bentley, Chestermere, Elk Point, Rocky Mountain House, Stettler and Whitecourt.

Provincial championships set for March 22-25 include: Senior AA (Bonnyville), Minor Midget AAA (Lethbridge), Midget A (Sherwood Park), Midget B (Wetaskiwin), Midget C (Rimbey), Midget D (Taber), Midget Female AAA (Red Deer), Midget Female A (Strathcona), Midget Female B (Lac La Biche), Bantam Female Elite (Grande Prairie), Peewee A (Edmonton), Peewee B (La Crete), Peewee C (Thunderstars), Peewee D (Oyen), and Peewee Female A (Okotoks).

Five more host communities will host a True Spirit of Hockey Day this week: Daysland/Forestburg (Thunderstars), La Crete, Okotoks, Oyen, and Taber.

It was a busy weekend for post-secondary teams as well, as the MacEwan Griffins Men’s team repeated as ACAC Champions, one week after the Griffins’ Female team captured the ACAC title on the women’s side.

Meanwhile, the University of Alberta Golden Bears continued their winning ways, repeating as the U-Sports National Men’s Hockey champions.

2018 HOCKEY ALBERTA PROVINCIAL TOURNAMENTS

Gold Medal Games

Bantam A - Springbank Rockies 3, Innisfail Flyers 0
Bantam B - Athabasca Hawks 5, Okotoks Oilers 2
Bantam C - Westlock Warriors 2, Duchess Storm 0
Bantam D - Valleyview Icebears 3, Hanna Colts 2 (OT)
Bantam Female A - Okotoks Oilers 3, SPS Fuzion 2
Bantam Female B - Lloydminster Blazers 3, Warburg Wolves 0
Peewee Female B - Olds Grizzlys 2, Medicine Hat Wildcats 1 (OT)
Atom AA Major - Whitemud Warriors 4, St. Albert Lightning 2
Atom AA Minor - Canmore Eagles 4, Bonnyville Pontiacs 2
Atom A - Drayton Valley DV Meter All-Stars 9, Innisfail Flyers 3
Atom B - Didsbury Ramblers 7, Stettler Storm 3
Atom C - Drumheller Dragons 5, New Sarepta Eagles 1
Atom D - Bentley Canucks 10, Mallaig Monarchs 8
Atom Female - Vermilion Selte Fuels Tigers 5, Okotoks Oilers 1

Champions Photos >

2018 HOCKEY ALBERTA PROVINCIAL PLAYDOWN SERIES

Senior AAA – Stony Plain Eagles VS. Lacombe Generals
Lacombe Generals lead best-of-seven series 3-1

Game One: Stony Plain 2, Lacombe 4
Game Two: Lacombe 3, Stony Plain 4
Game Three: Stony Plain 2, Lacombe 7
Game Four: Lacombe 6, Stony Plain 3
Game Five: Wednesday, March 21, 8:00 p.m. - Stony Plain @ Lacombe
Game Six (if necessary): Friday, March 23, 8:00 p.m. - Lacombe @ Stony Plain
Game Seven (if necessary): Wednesday, March 28, 8:00 p.m. - Stony Plain @ Lacombe

Allan Cup – April 9-14 – Rosetown, Saskatchewan

Midget AAA – Lethbridge AAA Hurricanes vs Knights of Columbus Pats

Game One: Saturday, March 24, 3:00 p.m. - KC @ Lethbridge
Game Two: Sunday, March 25, 1:00 p.m. - KC @ Lethbridge
Game Three: Wednesday, March 28, 7:45 p.m. - Lethbridge @ KC
Game Four (if necessary): Thursday, March 29, 7:30 p.m. - Lethbridge @ KC
Game Five (if necessary): Sunday, April 1, 3:00 p.m. - KC @ Lethbridge

Telus Cup – April 23-29 – Sudbury, Ontario

Bantam AAA – Airdrie Xtreme vs. St. Albert Sabres
Best-of-five series tied 2-2

Game One: Airdrie 3, St. Albert 2 (OT)
Game Two: Airdrie 3, St. Albert 2 (3OT)
Game Three: St. Albert 7, Airdrie 6 (OT)
Game Four: St. Albert 4, Airdrie 3
Game Five: Wednesday, March 21, 6:45 p.m. - Airdrie @ St. Albert

Western Canadian Bantam AAA Championship – March 29 - April 1 – Kamloops, British Columbia

FORT SMITH/HAY RIVER - The quest for gold begins on Monday for Team Alberta North Bantam Male and Junior Female, as the 2018 Arctic Winter Games get underway in Fort Smith and Hay River, Northwest Territories.

The Bantam Male squad’s tournament kicks off at 11 a.m. on Monday against Alaska in Hay River, while the Junior Females battle Nunavut at 11:30 a.m. in Fort Smith.

2018 Male Roster > | 2018 Female Roster > | Schedule/Results >

The Bantam Males will play four round-robin games, with the semi-finals set for Thursday afternoon, and the medal rounds on Friday. On the Junior Female side, there will be three round-robin games, with the semi-finals to go on Thursday and the finals on Friday.

You can follow along with Team Alberta North Male and Female on hockeyalberta.ca, the Arctic Winter Games website, or by following Team Alberta on Twitter.

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 – The 2018 Hockey Alberta Provincial Championships, presented by ATB Financial, officially kick off today (Thursday) with 14 tournaments across the province.

Provincial championships set for March 15-18 include: Bantam A (Marwayne), Bantam B (Rocky Mountain House), Bantam C (Drumheller), Bantam D (Elk Point), Bantam Female A (Brooks), Bantam Female B (Stettler), Peewee Female B (Medicine Hat), Atom AA Major (Glenlake/Calgary), Atom AA Minor (Chestermere), Atom A (Whitecourt), Atom B (Beaverlodge), Atom C (Spirit River), Atom D (Bentley), and Atom Female (St. Paul).

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, Twitter (using the hashtags #HAProvincials or #ATBProvincials), or on Snapchat (username: hockeyalberta).

Hockey Alberta and ATB Financial are also proud to unveil a brand new Snapchat filter, available at all Provincial rinks across the province. Players and fans are encouraged to use the Provincials filter, and send a photo to Hockey Alberta on Snapchat for a chance to win a gift card prize pack from Hockey Alberta and ATB Financial.

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

Atom AA Major: Twitter | Instagram
Atom AA Minor: Twitter | Facebook
Atom A: Facebook
Atom D: Twitter | Facebook
Bantam B: Facebook

Seven host communities are also celebrating True Spirit of Hockey Day this week, with Beaverlodge, Bentley, Chestermere, Elk Point, Rocky Mountain House, Stettler and Whitecourt all hosting a number of fun activities at local schools, allowing students to learn about hockey, and the teamwork and friendships that can be generated in the sport.

2018 HOCKEY ALBERTA PROVINCIAL PLAYDOWN SERIES

Senior AAA – Stony Plain Eagles VS. Lacombe Generals
Best-of-seven series tied 1-1

Game One: Stony Plain 2, Lacombe 4
Game Two: Lacombe 3, Stony Plain 4
Game Three: Friday, March 16, 8:00 p.m. - Stony Plain @ Lacombe
Game Four: Saturday, March 17, 7:30 p.m. - Lacombe @ Stony Plain
Game Five: Wednesday, March 21, 8:00 p.m. - Stony Plain @ Lacombe
Game Six (if necessary): Friday, March 23, 8:00 p.m. - Lacombe @ Stony Plain
Game Seven (if necessary): Wednesday, March 28, 8:00 p.m. - Stony Plain @ Lacombe

Allan Cup – April 9-14 – Rosetown, Saskatchewan

Midget AAA – Teams, dates TBD

Telus Cup – April 23-29 – Sudbury, Ontario

Bantam AAA – Airdrie Xtreme vs. St. Albert Sabres
Airdrie leads best-of-five series 2-0

Game One: Airdrie 3, St. Albert 2 (OT)
Game Two: Airdrie 3, St. Albert 2 (3OT)
Game Three: Saturday, March 17, 3:30 p.m. - St. Albert @ Airdrie
Game Four (if necessary): Sunday, March 18, 1:30 p.m. - St. Albert @ Airdrie
Game Five (If necessary): Wednesday, March 21, 6:45 p.m. - Airdrie @ St. Albert

Western Canadian Bantam AAA Championship – March 29 - April 1 – Kamloops, British Columbia