2016 Alberta Cup: Day One Recap

SPRUCE GROVE - For the third time in five years, the Brooks Bandits are AJHL Champions.

The Bandits sealed their third league title in team history Friday night in Spruce Grove with a 4-1 over the Saints, taking the Gas Drive Cup in five games. Brooks also won back-to-back league titles in 2012 and 2013, and won the RBC Cup National Championship in 2013.

The Bandits now advance to the Crescent Point Energy Western Canada Cup, which runs April 30 - May 8 in Estevan, SK.

WEYBURN, SK - The Midget Female AAA Rocky Mountain Raiders bounced back from a heartbreaking semi-final loss in a big way on Saturday, beating the Saskatoon Stars 3-0 to earn bronze at the Esso Cup.

Raiders goaltender Kate Lloyd, who was named the tournament’s top goaltender, made 21 saves for the shutout win.

Photo credit: Andy Devlin / Hockey Canada Images

The Raiders finished first in round-robin play, but found themselves in the bronze medal game following a 4-3 shootout loss to the Express du Richelieu. The Express would go on to lose 10-3 to the Brantford Ice Cats in the gold medal game.

QUISPAMSIS, NB - The Midget AAA Lloydminster Bandit Pipeline Bobcats also found themselves in the bronze medal game at the Telus Cup, but fell short of a medal with a 6-2 loss to the Lions du Lac St-Louis on Sunday afternoon.

After stumbling to begin the tournament, the Bobcats worked their way into second place in round-robin play, then fell 5-3 to the North York Rangers in Saturday’s semi-final matchup. The Rangers would go on to defeat the host Saint John Vito’s to earn its first Telus Cup in team history.

Lloydminster blueliner and former Team Alberta captain Ty Smith was named the Telus Cup’s top defenceman.

The 2016 Alberta Cup marks the 30^th anniversary of the very first Alberta Cup, played in Edmonton in 1986. We asked a handful of past participants of the Alberta Cup to share their memories with us.

Jamie Steer not only played in the inaugural tournament in ’86, he was a part of the Calgary South team that claimed the first ever Alberta Cup championship. He went on to play in the NCAA with Michigan Tech on a scholarship, followed by 11 years of professional hockey, including a year with the Canadian National team. Steer is now the Operations Coordinator for Okotoks Minor Hockey, and now, exactly 30 years after winning the Alberta Cup with Calgary South, will serve as the head coach of that very same team.

How did the Alberta Cup help shape your future - in hockey or otherwise?

It definitely drove me to be better. After seeing the best in the province all in one tournament, it opens up your eyes to how many good hockey players there are.

What other involvement did you have with Hockey Alberta?

As a player I went on from Alberta Cup to what was sort of the top 80 in today’s terms. That was as far as I got. As a coach I have coached Peewee Prospects, Alberta Winter Games and have taken my High Performance 1 certification all in this calendar year.

What has it meant to you to be involved with the Alberta Cup from multiple perspectives?

Okotoks hosted two Alberta Cups which I was the tournament chairman for. I was a player 30 years ago, and now I am a head coach. I love the tournament, as it brings so many good players and coaches together. Everyone guesses it is a highlight for the players, but as a coach it’s a great teaching tool to better anyone involved. It means a lot that Hockey Alberta has given me so many chances to be involved in this, and other events.

How does it feel to coach the very team (Calgary South) this year that you won the very first Alberta Cup with in 1986?

Excitement for sure, also a challenge to give these kids and my coaches an experience like I had, one they won’t forget.

How have you seen the Alberta Cup Change over its 30 years?

The obvious is it went from Midget to Bantam. That change has brought in the WHL as it is the league’s last chance to see Alberta players before the draft. Also, the change from it being just a player event to an overall team event. Coach Mentors helping coaches, experienced directors of operations, and qualified trainers being graded. I also think the rural players have improved greatly since the start of this event. Then, you add in the top 80 camp which is feather in the cap for all players involved.

Steer and the rest of Team Calgary South celebrate winning the first ever Alberta Cup.

How has the game of hockey changed since you played in the Alberta Cup?

The game is so fast now which everyone knows, but it also has improved in skill as well. Add in that every team is well coached and it is a great game. Also, there are so many more good players. Back then there were so many more mistakes, you had more time, and every team had weak players. I still think players back then were great and would have been great in this era as well because they would have adapted but watching today’s hockey amazes me with the speed, skill and how quick decisions are being made.

Do you still talk to any friends from your Alberta Cup Team?

I have one real good friend still from that team but it is amazing that about half the team I still see every so often and can get caught up with a short conversation. Most from the team that still live in Calgary I have talked to in the past 10 years.

What’s your favourite Alberta Cup memory?

Obviously winning it was the best. The second best, I would say, was playing in the Northlands Coliseum when the Oilers were in there prime (although I am not an Oilers fan!!), and third best was the lousy hotel we stayed at. No way Hockey Alberta would allow kids to stay there these days, but we had so much fun in that hotel even with the rif-raf, police sirens and much more.

Any advice for this year’s players?

Enjoy more than the hockey, meet friends and make lasting memories.

Steer (bottom row, centre) hopes to have the same result as the head coach of team
Calgary South as he did as a player in 1986.

The 2016 Alberta Cup marks the 30^th anniversary of the very first Alberta Cup, played in Edmonton in 1986. We asked a handful of past participants of the Alberta Cup to share their memories with us.

Jordan Kanygin skated in the 2005 Alberta Cup in Edson with Team Calgary South. He would continue on to play Junior A hockey with the Calgary Canucks of the AJHL, before pursuing a career in journalism. After spending time as a news and sports reporter with the Eagle 100.9 in Okotoks, including a season as the colour commentator of the AJHL’sOkotoksOilers, and as a reporter and sports director for CHAT TV in Medicine Hat, Jordan is now a news reporter with CTV Calgary.

Q: Can you recall your first game at the Alberta Cup?

A: I do, but it’s not so much a memory of the game itself. I remember first walking into the dressing room. Our team room, with our solid red track jackets and crisp white jerseys hanging in the stalls, seemed too put-together for us to even touch. Everything was in its place – our equipment was strategically arranged in individual stalls, tape rolls were stacked in circular towers, and the Gatorade cooler was flanked by cups for our taking. It seemed so professional to me, as if my 16-year-old self had snuck into an NHL dressing room.

I remember small details of the games themselves – like when my teammate Jordan Eberle seemed to take over games with his skill, or how well Tyler Myers used his incredible reach to shut down opponents – but it was the entire experience that’s really stuck with me. The pressure of being in front of coaches, scouts and parents; getting to know players, who were now my short-term teammates, I’d played against just weeks prior; and the overall commitment to the game by everyone at the tournament. The Edson rink where we played wasn’t glamorous, or even very big, but it felt like the Scotiabank Saddledome for a weekend.

Q: How did the Alberta Cup help shape your future - in hockey or otherwise?

A: The impact of the tournament wasn’t immediately felt by me. I wasn’t taken by any team in the WHL Bantam Draft, I wasn’t recruited by any Junior A teams, I didn’t even make my Midget AAA team the following year. But what the tournament did teach me, and it’s something I try to remember each day, was the commitment and hard work needed to succeed.

Being selected for the Alberta Cup team was an honour. It meant someone felt I was among the top 160 players in the province at my age. But it also opened my eyes to how many talented players were out there. I had a front-row seat to the best hockey players Alberta had to offer. Some of those players would go on to play in the NHL, AHL or professional European ranks. Most, like me, didn’t make it very far in our hockey careers, but I know seeing the commitment the top players had to put in to get to the next level is something that can be applied to every single career, hockey or otherwise.

Do you still talk to any friends from your Alberta Cup Team?

Not as many as I should. The Alberta Cup is so short, so you don’t have a lot of time to form long-term relationships, other than just the base to some. Having said that, there are a few teammates who I speak to regularly and we’ll talk about the tournament every once in a while. We’ll remember the bus rides to the rink full of nervous excitement and the anticipation we felt as we stood in a line, waiting for the rink gate to open and let us onto the ice.

I do follow the careers of many of my Alberta Cup teammates, the ones who still play hockey at a high level. We have very different lives now, but it’s nice to think we all shared a tournament weekend in Edson together.

What’s your favourite Alberta Cup memory?

My favourite memories didn’t even happen on the ice. They are memories that came from coming together as a team off the ice… sharing music on the bus rides, fighting over beds in our shared hotel rooms and hanging out in our limited down time. Our team activity off the ice? A Family Feud game that we spent hours on over the tournament.

When we weren’t pouring over tournament stats online, we were collectively yelling at a computer screen about our answers to the Family Feud Showdown. It was team bonding, we told ourselves.

Do you still follow the Alberta Cup and cheer for your team?

Not yearly, no, but I do pay attention to some of the scores. I cover the announcements every year for my job and remember the excitement I had when I was chosen for the team years ago.

Who were the most memorable people you played with, and why?

I’ve mentioned two, Jordan Eberle and Tyler Myers. They are the most noteworthy due to their professional success. Even at Alberta Cup age, you could see the skill in those two players.

Others are Brandon Kozun, Kris Foucault and Ian Schultz, who each went on to play for the 2009 Calgary Hitmen team that went to the Memorial Cup. The latter two were my Alberta Cup line mates, and now all three play professionally.

Do you have any advice for this year’s players?

Take it all in and enjoy the moment.

It’s cliche, I know, but it’s an event that goes by very, very quickly. There’s pressure and you’re in an unusual environment, but you’re playing with people who may become some of the biggest names in hockey. Enjoy the people and the dressing room and the great coaches and atmosphere, and just have fun.

RED DEER - Hockey Alberta is proud to announce the six Alberta officials selected to work the 2016 RBC Cup in Lloydminster.

Referees Cody Rude (North Zone) and Fraser Lawrence (North), along with linesmen Jared Mackey (Central), Kris Hartley (Central), Chad Huseby (North Central), and Deion Foster (North), will be a part of the 10-person crew that will officiate the annual National Junior A championship.

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

The remaining three referees will be selected from across Canada, while the last linesman will be chosen from either Saskatchewan or BC.

The 2016 RBC Cup ran in Lloydminster from May 14-22. For more information, click here.

STEINBACH, MB - The Allan Cup is coming back to Alberta once again, as the Bentley Generals won the Senior AAA national title in a thrilling fashion on Saturday afternoon.

In what was a rubber match from last year’s Allan Cup in Clarenville, NL, the Generals exacted revenge against the reigning champions and tournament host South East Prairie Thunder with a 4-3 overtime victory.

Bentley’s win marks the third Allan Cup in team history, to go along with four silver medals. The Generals have appeared in the Allan Cup final seven of the last nine years.

REGINA, SK - The North Peace Navigators will be returning home to Alberta with some hardware of their own, landing a bronze medal at the Keystone Cup with a triple-overtime win Sunday afternoon.

It took nearly two full games worth of hockey to decide, but the Navigators defeated the host Extreme Hockey Regina Capitals in the third overtime frame to claim third place at the annual Junior B Western Canada championship.

The 100 Mile House Wranglers (BC) took the gold medal with a 3-2 overtime victory over the AGI Insurance Quakers (Saskatchewan).

Meanwhile, a pair of Alberta teams will vie for national supremacy this week, as the Lloydminster Bandit Pipeline Bobcats (Midget AAA) and the Rocky Mountain Raiders (Midget Female AAA) compete in the Telus Cup and Esso Cup, respectively.

The Raiders are already off to a good start at the Esso Cup in Weyburn, SK, kicking off their tournament with a 2-1 win over Brantford Ice Cats (Ontario), with forward Hailey McCallum earning the Esso Cup’s First Star of the Day honours. The Raiders are back at Monday at 12 noon against Metro Boston Pizza (Atlantic). That game can be viewed live here. All games will be available live on the Esso Cup website.

After making the long trip out to Quispamsis, NB, the Bobcats will begin their quest for the Telus Cup Monday at 1:00 p.m. against the Lions du Lac St-Louis (Quebec). That game can be viewed live here. All games will be available live on the Telus Cup website.

RED DEER - Hockey Alberta is proud to announce the assistant and video coaches of Team Alberta for the 2016 U16 Male and U18 Female programs.

Spiros Anastas (Assistant Coach), Matthieu Keillor (Assistant Coach), and Ryan Allen (Video Coach) will join Head Coach Bram Stephen on Team Alberta Male.

Anastas is currently the head coach of the University of Lethbridge men’s hockey team, and has previously served as an assistant coach in the AHL, and in the NCAA. The list of accomplishments for Anastas includes a Calder Cup with the Grand Rapids Griffins in 2013, a bronze medal as an assistant coach with Team Canada at the 2015 World University Games, and a pair of gold medals with the Korean U18 and National teams in 2015.

This season marks Keillor’s sixth year with the U16 program as a coach or a mentor, most recently serving as the team’s video coach in 2015. He’s currently the head coach of the Grande Prairie Midget AAA Storm, and is also the technical director of the Grande Prairie Minor Hockey Association.

Allen is an assistant coach and the assistant general manager with the Drayton Valley Thunder of the Alberta Junior Hockey League. Allen has previous experience as an assistant and head coach with the Northeast Flyers, and as an assistant coach with the Fort McMurray Oil Barons, who hosted the 2015 Western Canada Cup.

SCHOLS, GLOWINSKI, TAPP JOIN U18 FEMALE STAFF

Joining Head Coach Carla MacLeod on Team Alberta Female will be Cassea Schols (Assistant Coach), Grant Glowinski (Assistant Coach) and Amanda Tapp (Goalie/Video Coach).

Schols has been the head coach of the Banff Academy Female Prep team since 2014, and was previously head coach of the Midget AAA Edmonton Thunder. The Thunder won the silver medal in the 2014 Esso Cup. She served as an assistant coach at the Alberta Winter Games, and as a head coach at the 2015 Alberta Challenge. Schols was also the summer camp video coach for Hockey Canada’s female development team.

Glowinski is coming off his first year as the head coach of the Sherwood Park Kings Athletic Club Bantam AAA Female Royals. He’s been a hockey program instructor at Colver Bar Junior High since 2013, and a professional skating instruction coach since 2000. With Hockey Alberta, Glowinski was a head coach at the 2015 Alberta Challenge, and an assistant coach at the 2012 Alberta Winter Games.

Tapp brings over 22 years of experience as a goalie coach, this being her fourth straight year with Team Alberta Female, having previously won gold medals with the team at the 2013 U18 Nationals and the 2015 Canada Winter Games. She’s currently the video coach for the Edge School for Athletes, a position she’s held since 2014, while also working with Top Prospects Goaltending. Tapp also spent the 2014-15 season as an assistant coach with the GHC Bantam AAA Rangers.

The U16 Male Program is the third stage of the development and identification process to select a roster for Team Alberta to compete at either the U16 Western Challenge or the Canada Winter Games. The Games are held every four years, with the next event set for 2019 in Red Deer. Players in the U16 Male program will be challenging for the opportunity to compete on one of the three teams that represent Canada each year at the World U17 Hockey Challenge.

The High Performance U18 program works towards identifying the top 20 female players in Alberta, who will comprise Team Alberta U18 representing the province at the National Women’s Under 18 Championship or the Canada Winter Games. Making this team is the pinnacle of female amateur hockey in Alberta, and a major lifetime highlight for the players.

RED DEER - It was quite the busy weekend for hockey across Alberta as the Junior B provincial title was handed out, along with a handful of regional medals for Bantam and Midget teams.

The fifth and final week of Hockey Alberta Provincial Championships, presented by ATB Financial, concluded Sunday afternoon with the crowning of the Junior B champion.

In the last ever game at the historic Red Deer Arena, the North Peace Navigators edged the Wainwright Bisons 3-2 to claim the gold medal. The Navigators will move on to compete in the Keystone Cup in Regina April 14-17. Earlier in the afternoon, the Wetaskiwin Icemen skated away with the bronze medal after a thrilling 3-2 double overtime win over the host Red Deer Vipers.

The Junior A title is now the last one to be decided in Alberta, as the Alberta Junior Hockey League playoffs continue. Click here for up-to-date results.

List of 2016 Champions | 2016 Champions Photos

Week One Results | Week Two Results | Week Three Results | Week Four Results

Meanwhile, Okotoks played host to the 2016 Western Canada Bantam AAA Championships. Alberta teams fared quite well. The 2016 AMBHL champion Lethbridge Val Matteoti Golden Hawks earned the bronze medal with a 2-1 overtime win over the Winnipeg Monarchs, while the host Rocky Mountain Raiders just missed out on gold, falling 3-2 to the Burnaby Winter Club.

It was more good news for Alberta teams in the Midget AAA circuit. The Lloydminster Bandit Pipeline Bobcats advanced to the 2016 Telus Cup (Quispamsis, NB, April 18-24) by sweeping the best-of-three Pacific Regional series against British Columbia’s Valley West Hawks, 2-0.

On the female side, the Rocky Mountain Raiders swept their Pacific Regional series against the Northern Cougars, punching their ticket to the 2016 Esso Cup in Weyburn, SK, April 17-23.

OKOTOKS - The host Rocky Mountain Raiders will meet the Burnaby Winter Club (British Columbia champions) in the gold medal game at the Western Canadian Bantam Championships.

The Raiders (2-2) and the BC champions (4-0) will face off at 1 pm on Sunday in the Pason Centennial Arena. The gold medal game follows the bronze medal game, which pits the Lethbridge Val Matteotti Golden Hawks (Alberta champions) against Winnipeg Monarchs (Manitoba champions) at 10 am.

Rocky Mountain and Lethbridge finished with identical 2-2 records after round-robin play. However, Rocky Mountain advanced to the championship final by virtue of a 3-2 victory over Lethbridge on Friday afternoon. In fact, it took a dramatic third-period comeback, with Rocky Mountain erasing a 2-1 deficit and scoring the winning goal with three seconds remaining.

Rocky Mountain’s other victory was on Thursday, 5-1, over Yorkton Terriers (Saskatchewan champions). Losses came to Winnipeg (7-3) and Burnaby (4-3). Lethbridge defeated Winnipeg (3-1) and Yorkton (4-1), along with a 4-1 loss to Burnaby.

For complete tournament results, and a link to the purchase tickets for Sunday’s games, go to the tournament website.