2018 Alberta Winter Games kick off in Wood Buffalo

FORT MCMURRAY - After months of preparation, the battle for provincial hockey supremacy heats up as the 2018 Alberta Winter Games take place in the region of Wood Buffalo this weekend.

The opening ceremonies are set for today (Friday) with hockey running from February 17-19. Global News will live-stream the opening ceremonies on globalnews.ca, beginning at 6:45 p.m.

Eight teams will compete on the male side, comprised of 2005-born players from across the province, while six teams will compete on the female side, comprised of 2003 and 2004-born players.

Male Rosters > | Female Rosters >

A full schedule for both the male and female competition can be found on the Alberta Winter Games section of the Hockey Alberta website:

Male Schedule & Results > | Female Schedule & Results >

For more information on the 2018 Alberta Winter Games, visit albertasport.ca/alberta-games/winter-games.

Hockey Alberta coordinates the ice hockey portion of the Winter Games, as a core segment of its Development Program. The Winter Games provide players, coaches, trainers and referees an opportunity to discover the great qualities of competitive hockey starting with the zone camp and selection process, through to competing in the Games.

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.