2019 Alberta Challenge kicks off in Leduc

LEDUC - For 120 female athletes from across Alberta, the next several days of competition will mark a significant milestone in their young hockey careers.

These athletes, born in 2004-05, have been named to the rosters of the six teams that will compete in Hockey Alberta’s 2019 Alberta Challenge, May 2-5 at the Leduc Recreation Centre.

The Alberta Challenge is held alternating years opposite of the Alberta Winter Games, with three teams selected to represent the North, and three to represent the South. The players were selected from approximately 300 who attended regional camps held April 5-7 in Cochrane and Fort Saskatchewan. Twenty athletes comprise each roster, along with volunteers serving as head coach, assistant coaches, coach mentor, trainer, and director of operations. The Challenge is also part of the development process for female on-ice officials across the province.

Rosters >

In addition to pursuing the Challenge, the athletes are also vying for a spot at the U16 Female Summer Camp, held July 11-14 in Red Deer, and is one of the stages in the identification and selection process for the Team Alberta U18 program.

“Leduc will play host to some of the top young female athletes in the province, and spectators will definitely be impressed by their talent,” said Taryn Baumgardt, Hockey Alberta’s Coordinator of Female Hockey. “For the players, the Alberta Challenge is a great opportunity to measure themselves against others in the province, as well as receive instruction from elite caliber coaches.”

The teams play a modified round-robin competition. Preliminary round action gets underway on Thursday at 4 pm, with three games. There will be six games on Friday, starting at 8:30 am. On Saturday, preliminary action finishes, with three games, starting at 10 am. The tournament concludes on Sunday with the championship game set for 2:30 pm.

Full Schedule >

For more information, or to check the game results during the Alberta Challenge, go to hockeyalberta.ca or abchallenge.ca. You can also follow along with the action on Facebook and Twitter.

CANMORE - Mike Rogers, Mel Davidson and Al Coates were the featured guests at the special luncheon hosted in Canmore on Thursday in support of the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame Induction Gala.

Rogers and Davidson are both Honoured Members of the AHHF, and Coates is a member of the AHHF selection committee. All three have extensive hockey resumes at the professional and international levels, and they shared some of their favourite memories during a hockey hot stove session.

The luncheon was co-hosted by Hockey Alberta, the Hockey Alberta Foundation and the Canmore AHHF VIP Luncheon and Reception Committee, with members of the Canmore business community participating in an information session on sponsorship opportunities for the 2019 AHHF Gala. Luncheon sponsors included: Basecamp Lodge, Good Earth Coffeehouse (Banff), Stickworx and Canmore Raft Tours.

The AHHF Induction Gala is on Sunday, July 21, at the Coast Hotel in Canmore. This year’s inductees are Shirley Cameron, Theoren Fleury, Kevin Lowe, Duncan MacDougall, Bob Ridley and the 1986-87 & 1987-88 Medicine Hat Tigers Memorial Cup Champions. 2019 Inductee Bios >

If you would like to become an integral part of the biggest celebration of hockey in Alberta, there are sponsorship opportunities available or plan to attend the 16th Anniversary Awards Gala & Hockey Celebration.

Purchase your Gala tickets >

Reserve a room at the Coast Hotel in Canmore Online >
Or by calling 1-800-663-1144. Please reference CCM-GFC 3880 or AHHF Awards - Attendees

RED DEER - During the 2018-19 hockey season, Hockey Alberta completed a trial project at the Peewee division to implement, test and review a new Provincial Championship Model under the Alberta One initiative. Under this trial, the previous Peewee A-D Provincial Championships transitioned to Peewee Tiers 1-4, with teams qualifying as League Champions from six Minor Leagues/organizations.

Representatives from Hockey Alberta’s Minor Regulations and Minor Leagues Committees have reviewed the data and feedback from the trial project in order to make the most informed decision going in to the 2020 Provincial Championships.

Committee members believe the trial project was successful in laying the foundation for the possible Provincial Championship structure of the future. However, it was agreed that one season is not enough to make a final decision related to the Provincial Championship structure.

Therefore, based on the review of the 2019 Peewee division trial project and taking into consideration results at the Bantam and Midget Zone Provincial Playdowns and Provincial Championships, which saw teams categorized based off league play, tiering, tournament and exhibition play through Minor Regulation 9.1 (c), it has been unanimously agreed to extend and amend the Provincial Championship Trial Project for the 2019-2020 season.

Under the revised trial project, the previous A-D Provincial Championships at the Peewee, Bantam and Midget divisions will move into Tiers 1-4. Teams will not participate in Zone Playdowns, but will instead qualify as League Champions from the following leagues/ organizations:

• Hockey Calgary
• Hockey Edmonton
• Central Alberta Hockey League
• Northern Alberta Interlock
• All Peace Hockey League
• North Eastern Alberta Hockey League

The Bantam Tiers 1-4 Provincial Championship Tournaments will take place on the weekend of March 19-22, 2020, while the Peewee and Midget Tiers 1-4 Provincial Championship Tournaments will happen on the weekend of March 26-29, 2020.

The events will consist of eight teams comprised of the league winners from the six above mentioned leagues/ organizations, one host team and one league runner-up that will be identified as a wild card team by the Minor Regulations and Minor Leagues Committees. Leagues/organizations will be scheduling play to ensure that league champions are determined no later than Sunday, March 8 (Bantam) and Sunday, March 15 (Peewee and Midget).

Provincial Championships at the Atom division will remain unchanged from past seasons. Minor Hockey Associations will declare their teams by December 1 with Zone Playdowns commencing in January.

BULLETIN 18:14 - 2020 Provincial Championship Trial Project

If you have any questions regarding the 2020 Provincial Championship Trial Project, please contact either your Zone Minor Regulations Coordinator or Bryden Burrell, Coordinator of Hockey Programs ([email protected]).

RED DEER -The coaching staff who will lead the Team Alberta U18 Female squad at the 2019 U18 National Championships has been announced by Hockey Alberta.

The team will be led by head coach Craig Perrett, who was on the bench as an assistant during the U18 Female gold medal run at the 2019 Canada Winter Games. Flanking him will be assistant coaches Dayna Janzen and Brett Wold, who both recently finished head coaching stints at the 2019 U16 Alberta Challenge. Other coaching staff members include goaltender coach Engi Lim, who has experience with the Team Alberta U16 program, and video coach Shanya Shwetz, who was an assistant coach at the 2019 U16 Alberta Challenge.

"We are very excited about the experience level of this particular group of coaches," said Kendall Newell, Manager of Female Hockey. "With the staff in place, we can now begin the process of building towards another successful year for the Team Alberta U18 Female program."

Invitations will be sent out to 68 players by the end of May to participate in the summer selection camp running from July 9-14 in Red Deer. A shortlist of players will be selected to participate in the final selection camp taking place September 27-29, where the final roster will be chosen. The team training weekend October 18-20 will be the final preparation before departing for the competition in Morden & Winkler, MB, November 3-9.

2019 Team Alberta U18 Staff

Hockey Alberta is pleased to announce the team staff that will lead Team Alberta U18 Female at the 2019 U18 Nationals.

LETHBRIDGE - The Peewee Prospects Cup has a long trip home from Lethbridge, as North Grey skated to a 6-2 win over North Blue to claim the 2019 title.

North Grey went wire-to-wire as the top team of the tournament, finishing with a perfect 5-0 record.

It was the first win for Head Coach John Sexsmith, a long-time coach with the Team Alberta program.

Earlier in the day, Calgary Red took the B Final with a 3-1 win over Capital Green.

Standings > | Leaders > | Schedule > | Day One Recap > | Day Two Recap > | Day Three Recap >

B Final

Calgary Red 3 - Capital Green 1

Boxscore >

Championship Final

North Grey 6 - North Blue 2

Boxscore >

Alberta Built Player of the Day

The Alberta Built player of the day is the athlete who best exemplifies the qualities of an "Alberta Built" player. Alberta Built is defined as:

1 - Good person - Know who you are.
2 - Character player - Believe in yourself.
3 - Grit player - Thrive on adversity
4 - Leadership - Treat yourself & people right
5 - Standard of performance - Focused approach on process - ALWAYS COMPETE - EVERY-DAYERS

RED DEER - Alberta is well-represented on the officiating crew for the 2019 National Junior A Championship in Brooks that starts Saturday.

One referee and five linesmen from Alberta have been assigned to work the national championship hosted by the Alberta Junior Hockey League’s Brooks Bandits. Other participating teams include the Oakville Blades, Ottawa Jr Senators, Portage Terriers and Prince George Spruce Kings.

Alberta’s officiating contingent is led by referee Kevin Webinger of Calgary. Webinger has been refereeing for 18 years and obtained his Level 6 in 2015. He has worked in the WHL, AJHL and USports for nine seasons and Para-Ice Hockey since 2011, including the 2018 Paralympic Winter Games in Korea. Notable assignments include this year include CJHL Top Prospects game, Allan Cup, and the World Para Ice Hockey Championships in the Czech Republic.

Five Alberta linesmen also bring an impressive amount experience to the event. Linesmen are also working the event:

• Travis Toomey: notable assignments include 2017-18 AJHL playoffs, 2018-19 WHL playoffs and AJHL finals, and the 2019 Doyle Cup.
• Devin Kohlhauser: graduate of 2014 Hockey Alberta Officials’ Development Camp; notable assignments include 2015 Mac’s Tournament and Officials Program of Excellence; 2016 World U17 Challenge; 2017 NHL/CHL Camp; 2018 WHL Canada/Russia Series, CHL Prospects Game; and 2019 Doyle Cup.
• Ethan Cronkhite: 15 years of experience including five seasons working WHL, CIS, and Jr. A; notable assignments include 2012 Telus Cup, 2016 WHL Canada/Russia Series, 2017 World U17 Championship, and 2019 AJHL finals and Allan Cup.
• Jason Nedinis: has worked in the WHL and USports since 2015, and AJHL since 2013; notable assignments include 2019 CJHL Prospects Game, 2018 and 2019 Doyle Cup, 2018 World Jr. A Challenge gold medal game, and 2012 Telus Cup.
• Deion Foster: notable assignments include 2012 Telus Cup, 2015 Western Canada Cup, 2016 RBC Cup, 2017 World Jr. Championship, 2019 University Cup, 2018 CIBC Canada/Russia Series, 2019 WHL finals, six AJHL finals, and two Doyle Cups.