AFHL March wrap-up

RED DEER - As the 2017-18 Alberta Female Hockey League regular season comes to a close, the Rocky Mountain Raiders (Midget AAA), St. Albert Sharks (Midget Elite), and Calgary Fire White (Bantam Elite) lead their respective leagues. This weekend marks the final weekend of regular season action for Midget AAA and Midget Elite, while the Bantam Elite playoffs kick off on Friday.

Midget AAA

Heading into February, the Midget AAA Female standings are:

1) Rocky Mountain Raiders (68 pts)
2) St. Albert Ron Hodgson Slash (58 pts)
3) Red Deer Sutter Fund Chiefs (49 pts)
4) Lloydminster PWM Steelers (44 pts)
5) Calgary Fire (26 pts)
6) Edmonton Pandas (10 pts)

Rocky Mountain Raiders forward Nicole Fry heads into the final weekend of play atop the Midget AAA leaderboard with 40 points, while teammates Breanne Trotter and Chloe Puddifant lead the league in goals and assists, with 22 goals and 23 assists, respectively.

St. Albert goaltender Camryn Drever carries the league’s best goals against average, heading into March with a 1.36 GAA, and is tied with teammate Brianna Sank with a .940 save percentage, while Rocky Mountain Raiders goalie Stephanie Gross leads all Midget AAA goalies with 12 wins.

Midget AAA Leaderboard >

Midget Elite

After four months of play, the Midget Elite standings are:

North Division:
1) St. Albert Sharks (58 pts)
2) Sherwood Park Fury (53 pts)
3) Edmonton Pandas (29 pts)
4) Peace Country PCFAC Storm (29 pts)
5) Lloydminster Elite Steelers (26 pts)
6) North Central Impact (14 pts)

South Division:
1) Calgary Fire White (53 pts)
2) Calgary Fire Red (53 pts)
3) Airdrie Lightning (49 pts)
4) Red Deer Sutter Fund Chiefs (29 pts)
5) Lethbridge Cyclones (26 pts)
6) Rocky Mountain Raiders (19 pts)

Calgary Fire Red forward Sydney Benko leads the league in goals (30) and points (37), while Peace Country’s Karsyn May and St. Albert’s Annika Neset both lead the way with 14 assists.

St. Albert’s Holly Borrett leads all Midget Elite goaltenders with a 0.92 goals against average, and .950 save percentage, while Airdrie’s Cianna Weir leads the league with with 13 wins.

Midget Elite Leaderboard >

Bantam Elite

In the Bantam Elite division, it has been exciting first few weeks of league play. The Bantam Elite standings heading into November are:

North Division:
1) St. Albert Raiders (51 pts)
2) North Central Impact (44 pts)
3) Sherwood Park Royals (43 pts)
4) Edmonton Pandas (39 pts)
5) Peace Country Bonnett’s Storm (36 pts)
6) Lloydminster Junior Steelers (28 pts)

South Division:
1) Calgary Fire White (63 pts)
2) Calgary Fire Red (49 pts)
3) Rocky Mountain Raiders (40 pts)
4) Olds Grizzlys (35 pts)
5) Red Deer Sutter Fund Chiefs (21 pts)
6) Lethbridge Cyclones (19 pts)

Sherwood Park’s Jenna Goodwin ended the Bantam Elite season on a strong note, sitting atop the league in goals (24) and points (34), with North Central’s Jacquelyn Fleming leading the way in assists, with 16.

Alexandra Kieren wrapped up her outstanding season with Calgary White, leading the way with a 0.92 GAA, a .950 save percentage, while North Central’s Laney Pasemko is the regular season leader in wins with 15.

Bantam Elite Leaderboard >

The 2018 Bantam Elite playoffs officially kick off on Friday, as the Olds Grizzlys (4) battle the Red Deer Sutter Fund Chiefs. The other South Division series between the Rocky Mountain Raiders (3) and Lethbridge Cyclones (6) begins on Saturday, as do the North Division series between Sherwood Park (3) and Lloydminster (6), and Edmonton (4) and Peace Country (5). The St. Albert Raiders (1 North), North Central Impact (2 North), Calgary Fire White (1 South) and Calgary Fire Red (2 South) all earned first-round byes.

Bantam Elite Playoff Schedule >

RED DEER - Hockey Alberta is pleased to announce the rosters for the 2018 Alberta Cup.

Eight teams will take to the ice at the Agrena in Spruce Grove April 25-29. 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 2003-born players comprise each roster, along with volunteers serving as head coach, assistant coaches, trainer, and director of operations. Rosters were selected in the aftermath of zone camps held March 23-25 throughout the province.

2018 Alberta Cup Rosters > | 2018 Alberta Cup Schedule >

"We are very excited to take the next step in the Road to Red Deer," said Manager of Team Alberta, Mike Kraichy. "We’re looking forward to a fantastic event in Spruce Grove this year, and for the high level of talent that will hit the ice."

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

Eighty players from this year’s competition will be selected to attend Team Alberta’s Provincial Camp in July, with a chance to represent their province at the 2019 Canada Winter Games in Red Deer.

Tournament Passes

Tournament passes for the 2018 Alberta Cup are now on sale. A weekend pass is $59 (plus GST), a family weekend pass (two adults and two children) is $173 (plus GST), and a day pass is $17 (plus GST). Day Passes will also be available at the door.

Tournament Passes >

Alberta Cup Banquet

Tickets for the 2018 Alberta Cup Banquet are also now available for purchase. Tickets are $59 per person (plus GST). Only 180 tickets are available, and are sold on a first-come, first-served basis.. The Alberta Cup Banquet is Saturday, April 28 at 5 p.m. at the Stony Plain Pavilion.

Banquet Tickets >

Volunteers

The 2018 Alberta Cup is looking for passionate, dedicated volunteers! If you are interested in being part of the Alberta Cup, numerous volunteer positions are available throughout the tournament, including: off-ice officials, admission table, program and 50/50 sales, security and more. To apply to be a volunteer, please fill out the form below.

Volunteer Form >

Alberta Cup Apparel

2018 Alberta Cup apparel is now available for pre-order. All orders must be placed by April 12. To place an order, click the link below.

Alberta Cup Apparel >

For more information on the Alberta Cup, click here.

RED DEER/CALGARY - Alberta was very well-represented when the Western Hockey League announced its 2017-18 Eastern and Western Conference award winners and All-Star teams on Wednesday.

Three WHL awards went to a pair of players hailing from Alberta:

Cale Klague (Lloydminster), Moose Jaw Warriors - Eastern Conference Top Defenceman
Carter Hart (Sherwood Park), Everett Silvertips - Western Conference Player of the Year, Western Conference Top Goaltender

Both players were among the 12 Albertans named to the WHL’s First and Second All-Star teams:

Eastern Conference First All-Star Team:
Defenceman - Kale Clague (Lloydminster, AB), Moose Jaw Warriors
Defenceman - David Quenneville (Edmonton), Medicine Hat Tigers

Eastern Conference Second All-Star Team:
Goaltender- Logan Thompson (Calgary), Brandon Wheat Kings
Defenceman - Josh Mahura (St. Albert), Regina Pats
Defenceman - Colby Sissons (Edmonton), Swift Current Broncos
Forward - Tyler Steenbergen (Sylvan Lake, AB), Swift Current Broncos
Forward - Brayden Burke (Edmonton), Moose Jaw Warriors

Western Conference First All-Star Team:
Goaltender - Carter Hart (Sherwood Park, AB), Everett Silvertips
Defenceman - Ty Smith (Lloydminster), Spokane Chiefs
Forward - Matthew Phillips (Calgary, AB), Victoria Royals
Forward - Jaret Anderson-Dolan (Calgary), Spokane Chiefs

Western Conference Second All-Star Team:
Forward - Dillon Dube (Cochrane), Kelowna Rockets

WHL Award Winners > | WHL All-Star Teams >

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 - Four outstanding individuals, along with a pair of gold medal-winning Team Alberta squads comprise the 2018 Induction Class for the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame (AHHF).

Hockey Alberta and the Hockey Alberta Foundation announced on Wednesday the 2018 inductees who will be recognized at the AHHF Awards Gala in Canmore:

• Grant Fuhr, five-time Stanley Cup champion with the Edmonton Oilers
• Mike Vernon, two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Calgary Flames and Detroit Red Wings
• Wally Kozak, former Head Scout/Manager of Player Development for Canada’s National Women’s team
• Ron MacLean, host of Hockey NIght in Canada and Rogers Hometown Hockey
• 1991 Team Alberta Female, Canada Winter Games gold medalists
• 1999 Team Alberta Male, Canada Winter Games gold medalists

Inductee Bios >

We invite you to celebrate the legacy of these Alberta hockey legends on Sunday, July 22 at the Coast Hotel in Canmore. For ticket information, click here.

RED DEER - Six months of regular season and tournament action, including up to six weeks of games in Zone playdowns, culminates this month, as teams prepare to “March to a title” at the 2018 Hockey Alberta Provincial Championships, presented by ATB Financial.

Tournament action will determine the majority of the 2018 provincial champions. Fourteen titles will be awarded on March 18. March 25 will see another 15 champions crowned, and the remaining six champions will be determined on April 1. Tournament champions will emerge from a weekend of round-robin pool play and playoff action in their respective tournaments.

The slate of provincial championship tournaments starts next weekend, March 15-18 in 14 locations around Alberta.

Provincial championships set for March 15-18 include: Bantam A (Marwayne), Bantam B (Rocky Mountain House), Bantam C (Drumheller), Bantam D (Elk Point), Bantam Female A (Brooks), Bantam Female B (Stettler), Peewee Female B (Medicine Hat), Atom AA Major (Glenlake/Calgary), Atom AA Minor (Chestermere), Atom A (Whitecourt), Atom B (Beaverlodge), Atom C (Spirit River), Atom D (Bentley), and Atom Female (St. Paul).

Provincial championships set for March 21/22-25 include: Senior AA (Bonnyville), Minor Midget AAA (Lethbridge), Midget A (Sherwood Park), Midget B (Wetaskiwin), Midget C (Rimbey), Midget D (Taber), Midget Female AAA (Red Deer), Midget Female A (Strathcona), Midget Female B (Lac La Biche), Bantam Female Elite (Grande Prairie), Peewee A (Edmonton), Peewee B (La Crete), Peewee C (Thunderstars), Peewee D (Oyen), and Peewee Female A (Okotoks).

Provincial championships set for March 29 - April 1 include: Junior B (Fort St. John), Junior C (Sherwood Park), Midget AA (Spruce Grove), Midget Female Elite (Calgary), Bantam AA (Edmonton), Peewee AA (Glenlake/Calgary).

Four champions will be determined via league playoffs: Senior AAA, Junior A, Midget AAA, and Bantam AAA. The final round of the Senior AAA provincials kicks off tonight (Friday) between the Lacombe Generals and the Stony Plain Eagles. Playoffs are just underway in the Alberta Junior Hockey League, while the Midget AAA Division Finals begin on Sunday. The Bantam AAA Provincial Championship is now set, with the St. Albert Sabres and Airdrie Xtreme squaring off, beginning on Saturday.

For schedules, arenas, host organizations, and other event-specific information, check the Provincial Championships website at haprovincials.ca or the Hockey Alberta website at hockeyalberta.ca. You can also follow Hockey Alberta on Twitter and Facebook.

Provincial championship host locations were awarded in mid-December, and in the ensuing months, organizing committees in communities across Alberta have been busy securing local sponsors, organizing opening ceremonies, confirming teams and schedules, ordering souvenirs and player gifts, arranging for accommodations, and numerous other tasks to ensure that the participating teams have a memorable experience.

In addition to the on-ice action, several communities will participate in True Spirit of Hockey Day activities in their location communities. In conjunction with the Provincial Championship tournament hosts in these communities, a local school is hosting a number of fun activities, allowing students to learn about hockey, and the teamwork and friendships that can be generated in the sport. Participating communities are: Beaverlodge, Bentley, Chestermere, Daysland/Forestburg, Elk Point, La Crete, Okotoks, Oyen, Rocky Mountain House, Stettler, Taber and Whitecourt.