Team Alberta announces assistant and video coaches for 2017 U16 and U18 programs

CANMORE - For many of the 2002-born athletes taking to the ice in Canmore this week, the 2017 Alberta Cup isn’t their first taste of Hockey Alberta’s Team Alberta program.

Many players were a part of the inaugural Peewee Prospects Cup in 2015, and are the first group to play in the Alberta Cup after taking part in the new program.

Joe Hawkins (Edmonton Blue), Cole Carrier (Edmonton Yellow), Ronan Seeley (Central), Noah Danielson (Central), and Steven Ewaskiw (Assistant Coach, Northwest) shared their experiences at the Peewee Prospects Cup, and how it helped prepare them for the Alberta Cup. Hawkins and Ewaskiw were both part of the Edmonton Green team that won the 2015 Peewee Prospects Cup.

For more scores, stats and stories from the 2017 Alberta Cup, click here.

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 [email protected].

RED DEER - Alberta is well-represented on the National stage this week, as the St. Albert Slash and Leduc Chrysler Oil Kings 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, and are already off to a hot start. The Slash opened the Esso Cup Sunday afternoon in Morden, MB with a 6-0 win over Mid-Isle Wildcats, who are representing the Atlantic.

Schedule > | Stats > | Standings >

The Leduc Chrysler Oil Kings kick off their quest for the Telus Cup tonight against the host Cariboo Cougars in Prince George, BC. The Oil Kings earned the right to represent the Pacific region after winning the Midget AAA Provincial Championship. With their opponent in the Pacific Regional Championships being the Cariboo Cougars, the Oil Kings automatically advanced to the Telus Cup.

Schedule > | Stats > | Standings >

The Leduc Chrysler Oil Kings are about to begin their quest for the Telus Cup. But, the road to Prince George was anything but easy for the Midget AAA team. The Oil Kings finished third in the Alberta AAA Midget Hockey League season with a 14-15-5 record. From there, the team went on an impressive run through the AMHL Playoffs, claiming the Midget AAA Provincial Championship. They now find themselves ready to compete for a national title.

Ahead of the Telus Cup, Oil Kings Assistant Coaches Darin Wood and Colby McClachlan penned the following letter about their team of destiny:

The Leduc Chrysler Oil Kings aren’t your typical Cinderella story.

Expectations were high coming out of the gates with new coaching staff, four returning players, and a very well-rounded batch of incoming players.

With a tough schedule to begin the season, they got off to a mediocre start, playing to a 4-6-0 record in the first month. Goals were hard to come by, and under new systems and philosophies, there was a sharp learning curve to adjust to. Adding to the adversity, Carson Lux (one of four returning players, and team Captain at the time) got the call to take the step up to Drayton Valley in the AJHL.

November was more of the same, with offensive woes being the story, and the team’s record fell to 6-10-1. But the month was not without its ups, with Dillon Hamaliuk returning to the team after a late roster move by Seattle in the Western Hockey League. With the Macs Midget AAA tournament in Calgary looming, and with a goal that was set early in the year to play in the Macs, December was a turning point in the season. The Oil Kings started finding their stride.

Improving to a 3-1-2 record for the month (9-11-3 for the season), and boosting their offensive efforts, they solidified their place in the Macs.

With the Macs Tournament being a goal early on, the Oil Kings knew the competition was stiff and they had to raise their level of play. Great leadership and the close-knit nature of the club helped guide them to a 2-1-1 record in the tournament, narrowly missing the playoff rounds. But, a disappointing result for a very well-played tournament didn’t hinder the resilient group heading into the home stretch of the season, and with a newfound belief in the ability of the team and its potential, the Oil Kings finished the season 5-4-2 (14-15-5 overall), good enough for third place in the North Division.

The preliminary round of the playoffs was a hard-fought battle with the MLAC Beverly Optimists, where both games ended with a one goal differential, one of which was in overtime. A well-balanced attack, and a solid penalty kill was the story in the series, with 11 different players finding the score sheet, and going a perfect 9-for-9 shorthanded. Breydon Berthold led the way with two goals, including the series-winner.

The early series sweep added a lot of confidence to the group as they moved into the second round against the St. Albert Tire Warehouse Raiders. A typical second-seed vs. third-seed battle, the series took all five games to decide, with four one-goal games, two of which went into extra frames.

Exceptional resiliency (all three wins were come-from-behind) and penalty killing was once again the story for the series, allowing only one goal on 17 attempts, and adding a shorthanded marker. This set the stage for the North Division final against the top-seeded Sherwood Park Kings. A hard fought series from the start, which ended in two of three games requiring extra time, saw Easton Hesse assert himself as the leading playoff goaltender, stopping 113 shots in the three-game series, including a 49-save effort in the double-overtime game two. Once again the penalty kill group went a perfect 11-for-11 in the series, en route to a three-game sweep.

Heading into the provincial finals against the CFR Chemicals Bisons, it was clear that this team started seeing themselves as a force to be reckoned with, and with two key injuries on the blueline, they were put to the test. With a game one victory thanks to another 24 save performance by Hesse, and a perfect 4-for-4 penalty kill night, the series came home to Leduc with the Oil Kings up one game to none. Three lead changes, eight different goal-scorers, and another 3-for-3 penalty killing performance later, the Oil Kings found themselves in their sixth overtime game of the playoffs. Tyler Smithies buried his fifth goal of the playoffs, and Brendan Morrow went 100% in the faceoff dot to give LJAC a commanding 2-0 series lead.

Game three was nothing short of spectacular, as both teams exchanged prime scoring chances, and exceptional goaltending. The game went into overtime for the second time in a row, and seventh time in the playoffs for the Oil Kings. A phenomenal slap pass/deflection goal kept the Bisons alive, and for the first time, the Oil Kings had a chance to lock up a series at home. LJAC made history March 26, as they clinched game 4 in front of family and friends.

Their heart, evident by a 5-2 record in overtime, an earth-shattering seven wins coming from behind, and 98% penalty kill effort was the difference in the post season, which saw them go 11-3 overall. Even with their backs up against the wall, they stayed positive, focused, and poised. They played for each other, were accountable to each other, and never gave up on anyone wearing the crest. Other teams may have walked into the dressing room going into overtime exhausted, and sore, and used that as an excuse to shed 1% of their effort, but not this group. Some may have used a heartbreaking overtime loss as an excuse to point a finger in blame, or try and change the game plan. But not this group. Stats aside, it took 23 players to win the league. 23 unwavering efforts. 23 hearts and 23 souls. Some call it a “Cinderella Story”. The LJAC Oil Kings call it hockey.

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 [email protected].

RED DEER - Hockey Alberta is pleased to announce the rosters for the 2017 Alberta Challenge.

Six teams will battle at the Olds Sportsplex May 3-7. The teams include three from the North (North Blue, North Grey, and North Yellow), and three from the South (South Black, South Green, and South White).

Twenty 2002 and 2003-born female athletes 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 April 7-9 in Fort Saskatchewan and April 14-16 in Olds.

2017 Alberta Challenge Rosters >

For more information on the Alberta Challenge, click here.

ARBORG, MB - The Keystone Cup is on its way back to Alberta, as the Wainwright Bisons defeated the Beaver Valley Nitehawks in overtime to claim the Western Canadian Junior B crown.

Wainwright went undfeated in round-robin play (3-0-2) to punch their ticket to the finals. The Bisons led 3-1 heading into the third period, but the Nitehawks forced overtime with two quick goals to open the final frame. With time ticking down in the first overtime period, Bryce Woodward scored the overtime winner, sealing the championship for the Bisons.

The Keystone Cup win is the first ever for Wainwright, following its first ever Provincial Championship win just two weeks prior. The Bisons are the first Alberta team to win the Keystone Cup since the Blackfalds Wranglers in 2011, and the tenth Alberta team in the tournament’s 35-year history.

RED DEER - Hockey Alberta is pleased to announce the rosters for the 2017 Peewee Prospects Cup.

Eight teams will take to the ice at the Nicholas Sheran Arena in Lethbridge on May 10-14, with 160 2004-born players ready to make their first step in the Team Alberta program. Two teams each were formed from Calgary, Edmonton, the North and the South.

Twenty players comprise each roster, along with volunteers serving as head coach, assistant coaches, coach mentor, and director of operations. Rosters were selected based on performances at regional camps held April 6-9 in Stony Plain, Leduc, Olds and Calgary.

2017 Peewee Prospects Cup Rosters >

The teams will play in a four-day, tournament-format competition. All Peewee Prospects Cup games are open to the public.

Every Kid Every Community Speaker Series

The Hockey Alberta Foundation is excited to announce the next installment in the Every Kid Every Community Speaker Series, set for Saturday, May 13 in Lethbridge, featuring Jamie McLennan, Rob Brown and Jason Strudwick.

The lunch event is in support of the Hockey Alberta Foundation’s Every Kid Every Community Program and the Lethbridge Minor Hockey Association, and will run in conjunction with the Peewee Prospects Cup. The event begins at 11:30 a.m., prior to the Peewee Prospects Cup semi-final games.

For more information, click here.

The Every Kid Every Community Speaker Series is presented by:

RED DEER - The Alberta Female Hockey League is proud to announce the 2016-17 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: Allison Reich, Sherwood Park
Top Goaltender: Jocelynn Peace, Olds
Top Rookie: Sarah Wozniewicz, Olds
Coach of the Year: Cassidy Delainey, Olds

Midget Elite

Most Valuable Player: Danica Polson, Red Deer
Top Goaltender: Paige Jassman, Grande Prairie
Top Rookie: Avery Lajeunesse, Red Deer
Coach of the Year: Brad Koopmans, Red Deer

Midget AAA

Most Valuable Player: Tyra Meropoulis, St. Albert
Top Goaltender: Bella McKee, Lloydminster
Top Rookie: Madison Willan, St. Albert
Coach of the Year: Dan Auchenberg, St. Albert

Administrator of the Year

AFHL Administrator of the Year: Dean Trotter, Okotoks

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: Hayleigh Dansereau, North Central Midget Elite
Coach: Krista Wilson, Olds College/Olds Bantam Elite
Midget Elite: Alyssa Wilkie, Airdrie
Midget AAA: Carley Wlad, Red Deer

Congratulations to all AFHL Award winners and scholarship recipients!

As Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team begins to assemble, three former Team Alberta players are among the first six players to join the team roster.

Jaret Anderson-Dolan, Ian Mitchell, and Ian Scott will head to Etobicoke, Ontario, for two pre-competition games in preparation of the 2017 IIHF U18 World Championship, which runs April 13-23 in Poprad and Spisska Nova Ves, Slovakia.

Another Team Alberta alumnus, Ty Smith, is one of the six under-aged players invited to take part in order to gain more international experience.

All four players were a part of the Team Alberta squad that won silver at the 2015 Canada Winter Games. Smith, who played in the Canada Winter Games as an under-age player, also won gold with Team Alberta at the 2015 Western Canada U16 Challenge Cup.

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 [email protected].