Coach of the Month - January

RED DEER - Hockey Alberta’s Coach of the Month for January is Kraig Radtke of Leduc.

Kraig is currently the Head Coach of the Leduc Roughnecks Atom 1 team.

"This year, I was fortunate to be surrounded by a great group of kids, parents, managers and coaches. The entire coaching staff and managers on our Leduc Atom 1 Hockey team have made significant contributions that support my overall coaching philosophy and goals," said Kraig. "Hockey and coaching takes up a huge part of my life and I look forward to every moment I have with the kids on the ice, on the bench and in the dressing room. It is extremely rewarding to see the kids enjoy the game as much as I do and to know that I helped foster or create that passion for the game."

"Kraig has shown several qualities of an outstanding coach for our Atom team," said the individual who nominated Kraig. "He had shown interest in all of the boys’ individual success and continues to focus on helping them reach their goals. One of the things that really stood out was the way he continues to emphasize the importance of being a team player, not just on the ice in a practice or game setting but outside of the rink and in life. He has had several talks with the team about the importance of being respectful, looking out for one another, and being accountable for you’re actions. It is so important to teach our young hockey players life lessons through sports and I think he and the other coaching staff have been doing a great job in reinforcing this. He has been completely dedicated to the team and our team appreciates everything he has brought forward."

Hockey Alberta’s Coach of the Month award is sponsored by Howies Hockey Tape.

For more details on Hockey Alberta’s Coach of the Month, or to nominate a coach, click here.

FORT MCMURRAY - Zone 2 swept the gold medals in the hockey competition, as the 2018 Alberta Winter Games wrapped up in Fort McMurray on Monday.

In the Female Division, Zone 2 eked out a 3-2 victory over Zone 6 in the gold medal game. Meanwhile, in the Male Division, Zone 2 blanked Zone 3, 2-0, to capture the gold.

In the bronze medal games, it was also a sweep, as Zone 7 captured third place honours in both divisions. On the Female side, Zone 7 defeated Zone 3, 3-1. In the Male Division, Zone 7 defeated Zone 6, 7-2.

Action started on Saturday, with round-robin pool play for the eight male teams and six female teams.

In the Male Division, Zone 7 finished first and Zone 3 second in Pool A, while Zone 6 and Zone 2 were tied atop Pool B, with Zone 6 being awarded top spot. In the semi-finals, both first-place finishers were upset, as Zone 2 defeated Zone 7, 8-1, and Zone 3 defeated Zone 6, 5-2.

In the Female Division, Zone 2 finished first and Zone 3 second in Pool A, while all three teams in Pool B tied with 2 points. Zone 7 was awarded first, and Zone 6 second. In the semi-finals, Zones 2 and 6 emerged victorious with identical 3-1 wins, to advance to the gold medal game.

For all the scores and complete standings:

MALE DIVISION >

FEMALE DIVISION >

EDMONTON - The 2018 Alberta Female Hockey League Prospects Games were a huge success, with the Midget Elite North and Bantam Elite South teams coming out on top in their respective games.

Both games took place at the NAIT Arena in Edmonton, complete with on-ice goalie and skills sessions, team-building activities, and a fitting booth with one of the day’s sponsors, CCM, giving players the chance to try out various pieces of equipment throughout the day.

In the Midget Elite All-Star game, the North team edged the South 3-2, with goals from Reagan Korber, Madison Porter and Brooklyn Schroeder. Madison Black and Brooke Palin scored for the South.

Midget Elite Prospects Rosters >

It was a tight match-up in the Bantam Elite Prospects Game as well, with the South coming out on top 4-3. Claire Hobbs, Megan Yakiwchuk, Hailey Wiltshire, and Sarah Gaiser scored for the South team, while North got goals from Ardyn Hawryshko (2) and Jenna Goodwin.

Bantam Elite Prospects Rosters >

Two forwards and one defence from each AFHL team were selected to their respective rosters by AFHL coaches, while goaltenders were selected based on their statistical ranking as of January 10. The coaches chosen to represent the North and South teams in each league are from the first and second place teams within each division.

Photos >

The Alberta Female Hockey League would like to thank all the parents, players and coaches for making the AFHL Prospects games such a success. The AFHL would also like to thank all of the event sponsors: Gatorade Canada, CCM, Two Point Photography and Skate to Excel.