An Opportunity To Learn From The Best

RED DEER - A unique skill development opportunity is available to all 2002-born male hockey players in Alberta, as Hockey Alberta and the Western Hockey League are co-hosting the second annual WHL Skills Camp.

The camp, for U15 players, is set to run June 10-12 at the Don Hartman Sportsplex in Calgary.

"We’re thrilled to team up with the WHL for another year," said Mike Kraichy, Manager of Team Alberta. "This ongoing partnership will continue to benefit young, developing hockey players across Alberta."

The Skills Camp provides athletes with the opportunity to learn from an impressive array of instructors, including a few from the WHL. The 160 participants will be divided into eight teams for the weekend, and participate in a variety of activities, including:

• Friday: off-ice testing and combine activities, coordinated by WHL staff members;
• Saturday: Team Alberta/WHL presentation, a Long Term Player Development session featuring yoga, and two skill sessions.
• Sunday: one skill session, and the event will wrap up with a game for each team

The WHL and Team Alberta have teamed up once again to offer a camp with a focus on skill development and proper training techniques. The camp also provides athletes with information about the Team Alberta process, and information on the WHL, while challenging players to excel on and off the ice.

"The WHL is excited to be teaming up with Hockey Alberta on this great player development initiative for a second year," said Kirt Hill, senior Manager, Player Development for the WHL. "The Skills Camp is a great opportunity for players to learn from elite level coaches and get ready for the next level of their hockey development."

Registration is now underway for 2002-born male players. There is space available for 21 defencemen and 43 forwards. Goalie spots are currently full.

Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. To register, click on the appropriate link, and complete the online registration and payment process.

Defence Registration |Forward Registration | Goalie Waitlist

RED DEER - The rosters have been announced for Hockey Alberta’s 2016 Alberta Cup.

Eight teams will take to the ice at the Canmore Recreation Centre April 28-May 1. The teams include two from each of Calgary and Edmonton, and one each representing the South, Central, Northeast and Northwest zones of the province.

Twenty 2001-born players comprise each roster, along with volunteers serving as head coach, assistant coaches, trainer, and director of operations. Rosters were selected based on performances at zone camps held March 25-27 throughout the province.

The 2016 Alberta Cup marks the 30th Anniversary of the very first Alberta Cup which was held in Edmonton in 1986.

2016 Alberta Cup Rosters

The teams will play in a four-day, tournament-format competition. The event also features an education seminar hosted by the Western Hockey League (WHL).

“The coaching staffs were faced with some very difficult decisions when it came to selecting the 20 players for each team. For the athletes who have earned a roster spot, congratulations. But the work is just beginning, not just for this edition of the Alberta Cup, but also in the competition to earn a spot on the Team Alberta squad that will compete later this year,” said Michael Kraichy, Hockey Alberta’s manager of Team Alberta.

Eighty players will be invited to the U16 Male Provincial Camp in July. This year, players are also vying for spots on Team Alberta at the Western Canada U16 Challenge Cup in October in Calgary.

Alberta Cup graduates include Matt Dumba, Braden Holtby, Jay Bouwmeester, Dion Phaneuf, Scott Hartnell, Jordan Eberle, Devan Dubnyk, and Andrew Ference.

Click here for more information on the Alberta Cup.

Hockey Alberta is proud to announce the 12 officials that have been selected to officiate at the Western Canada Bantam Championships this week in Okotoks.

The 12 officials are:

Hockey Alberta and the Officiating Committee would like to congratulate each official on their selection.

The Western Canada Bantam Championships run March 31 - April 3 in Okotoks. Click here for the tournament’s website.

Thursday, March 10

IQALUIT - After another busy day of hockey in Nunavut, Team Alberta North skated away from the 2016 Arctic Winter Games with a pair of medals - a gold for the males, and silver for the females.

After finishing round-robin play in second place with a 3-1 record, the male squad drew Team Alaska in the semi-finals, who had a matching 3-1 record.

Team Alberta North edged Alaska 3-2 in the early-morning tilt, and moved on to face NWT in the gold medal final.

Despite a furious comeback by NWT, Alberta North managed to weather the storm and hold on for the 5-4 win, sealing the gold medal.

On the female side, Team Alberta North found themselves in a similar matchup against Team Alaska in the semi-finals, and came out on the winning side of a 2-1 score.

In keeping with the trend, it was a Team Alberta North and NWT gold medal final once again, but this time it was NWT who came away with gold after a 5-1 win.

In other tournament action, Team Alaska landed a pair of bronze medals, as the male squad took down Team Nunavut 9-1, while the females edged the Yukon 2-1.

For the full Arctic Winter Games ice hockey schedule and results, click here.

For more information on the Arctic Winter Games, click here.

Wednesday, March 9

IQALUIT - After the last day of round-robin play at the Arctic Winter Games, both Team Alberta North squads finished with 3-1 records.

The males lost their first game of the tournament Wednesday morning to NWT by a score of 5-0, but rebounded with a 5-2 over Alaska later in the day. The win set up a three-way tie for first place between Team Alberta North, NWT and Alaska.

Through the tie breaker formula, Team Alberta North finished second, and NWT third, so the two teams will meet again bright and early on Thursday at 6 a.m. (MT).

Meanwhile, the females continued to find their stride, winning their second and third straight games on Wednesday after opening the Arctic Winter Games with a loss.

They started the day with a 3-1 win over Team Yukon Wednesday morning, and finished the round-robin on a strong note with an 11-0 triumph over Nunavut.

The pair of wins gave Team Alberta North sole possession of second place on the female side, setting up a semi-final against third-place Alaska Thursday morning at 8:30 (MT).

The winner of each semi-final game will advance to the gold medal final on Thursday evening.

Tuesday, March 8

IQALUIT - Despite experiencing some lengthy delays due to a massive blizzard in Iqaluit, both Team Alberta North squads came up with wins on Day Two of the Arctic Winter Games.

In a game that was supposed to start at 9 a.m. (ET), Team Alberta North Male finally got things going at 6 p.m. (ET) against the Yukon. The extra rest proved benificial for the males, as they cruised to an 11-0 to start the Arctic Winter Games with a 2-0 record.

The females finally hit the ice to battle Team Alaska at 7 p.m. (ET), about six hours later than the scheduled time. After a 4-2 loss on Monday, the team rebounded well with a 3-2 win, moving to an even 1-1 record so far at the games.

It’s a quick turnaround for both teams, as they’ll hit the ice again at 9 a.m. (MT) Wednesday. The males are set to go against NWT, while the females will go head-to-head with the Yukon.

The females play their second game of the day at 1 p.m. (MT) against Nunavut, while the males hit the ice again at 4 p.m. (MT) to take on Alaska.

Monday, March 7

IQALUIT - An up and down opening day for Team Alberta North at the 2016 Arctic Winter Games on Monday.

The male squad opened their Winter Games Monday morning in Iqaluit with a 10-3 win over the host team.

The females didn’t fare as well, falling 4-2 to Team NWT.

The males are back it at Tuesday morning at 7 a.m. (MT) against the Yukon , while the females hit the ice at 11 a.m. (MT) against Alaska.