RED DEER - Week Two of the Hockey Alberta Provincial Championships, presented by ATB Financial, wrapped up on Sunday with 18 teams crowned as 2018 Provincial champions.
Fifteen tournaments ran across the province from March 21-25, while three league champions also earned provincial honours last week.
Teams skating away from this weekend’s tournaments with gold medals were: Bonnyville Sr. Pontiacs (Senior AA), Lethbridge Headwater Hurricanes (Minor Midget AAA), Lethbridge Hurricanes (Midget A), High Prairie Legionnaires (Midget B), Stettler Storm (Midget C), Kitscoty Pitbulls (Midget D), St. Albert Slash (Midget Female AAA), SPS Fuzion (Midget Female A ), Irma Aces (Midget Female B), Calgary Fire White (Bantam Female Elite), Cold Lake Ice (Peewee A), Provost Blades (Peewee B), Winfield Peewee (Peewee C), Irvine Bulldogs (Peewee D), and Okotoks Oilers (Peewee Female A).
Two league playoffs wrapped up on Wednesday evening in Senior AAA and Bantam AAA. The Lacombe Generals repeated as Senior AAA Provincial champs with a 6-1 win over the Stony Plain Eagles, taking the best-of-seven series four games to one.The Generals now head to the Allan Cup, which runs April 9-14 in Rosetown, SK.
An incredibly close Bantam AAA series between the Airdrie Xtreme and St. Albert Sabres, which saw a total of nine overtime periods, came to a close when Airdrie scored near the end of the fourth overtime of game five. The Xtreme advance to the Western Canadian Bantam AAA Championship, March 29 - April 1 in Kamloops, BC.
The Alberta Junior Female Hockey League crowned a champion as well, with the Sherwood Park Steele skating away with the Provincial banner.
In addition to the on-ice action, five more host communities held a True Spirit of Hockey Day to celebrate a shared love for hockey and the community that supports the sport: Daysland/Forestburg (Thunderstars), La Crete, Okotoks, Oyen, and Taber.
The 2018 Provincial Championships tournament schedule wraps up this coming weekend with six tournaments set for March 29 - April 1: Junior B (Fort St. John), Junior C (Sherwood Park), Midget AA (Spruce Grove), Midget Female Elite (Calgary), Bantam AA (Edmonton), Peewee AA (Glenlake/Calgary). The Midget AAA Provincials will wrap up by April 1 as well, with the best-of-five series between the Knights of Columbus Pats and Lethbridge Hurricanes tied at 1-1.
The Junior A Provincial Championship will be decided through the Alberta Junior Hockey League Playoffs. The North and South Division finals begin on March 31. The Brooks Bandits and Okotoks Oilers are set to face off in the South Division Final for the second straight year, while the Spruce Grove Saints will have to wait for Game Seven between the Whitecourt Wolverines and Fort McMurray Oil Barons to decide who they will face in the North Division Final.
2018 HOCKEY ALBERTA PROVINCIAL TOURNAMENTS
Gold Medal Games
Senior AA - Bonnyville Pontiacs 6, Elk Point Elks 2
Minor Midget AAA - Lethbridge Headwater Hurricanes 2, Rockyview Raiders 1
Midget A - Lethbridge Hurricanes 4, Sherwood Park Knights 2
Midget B - High Prairie Legionnaires 4, Barrhead Steelers 2
Midget C - Stettler Storm 9, Elk Point Avalanche 4
Midget D - Kitscoty Pitbulls 5, Oyen Bees 3
Midget Female AAA - St. Albert Slash 3, Rocky Mountain Raiders 2 (OT)
Midget Female A - SPS Fuzion 2, Strathmore Storm 1
Midget Female B - Irma Aces 3, Whitecourt Wolverines 2 (OT)
Bantam Female Elite - Calgary Fire White 2, North Central Impact 0
Peewee A - Cold Lake Ice 6, Springbank Rockies 4
Peewee B - Provost Blades 9, Elk Point Avalanche 0
Peewee C - Winfield Peewee 7, Beaverlodge Blades 4
Peewee D - Irvine Bulldogs 5, Horse Lake Thunder 2
Peewee Female A - Okotoks Oilers 9, SPS Fuzion 1
Previous Results
2018 HOCKEY ALBERTA PROVINCIAL PLAYDOWN SERIES
Senior AAA - Stony Plain Eagles VS. Lacombe Generals
Lacombe Generals win best-of-seven series 4-1
Game One: Stony Plain 2, Lacombe 4
Game Two: Lacombe 3, Stony Plain 4
Game Three: Stony Plain 2, Lacombe 7
Game Four: Lacombe 6, Stony Plain 3
Game Five: Stony Plain 1 @ Lacombe 6
Allan Cup - April 9-14 - Rosetown, Saskatchewan
Midget AAA - Lethbridge AAA Hurricanes vs Knights of Columbus Pats
Best-of-five series tied 1-1
Game One: KC 0 @ Lethbridge 4
Game Two: KC 4 @ Lethbridge 2
Game Three: Wednesday, March 28, 7:45 p.m. - Lethbridge @ KC
Game Four: Thursday, March 29, 7:30 p.m. - Lethbridge @ KC
Game Five (if necessary): Sunday, April 1, 3:00 p.m. - KC @ Lethbridge
Telus Cup - April 23-29 - Sudbury, Ontario
Bantam AAA - Airdrie Xtreme vs. St. Albert Sabres
Airdrie wins best-of-five series 3-2
Game One: Airdrie 3, St. Albert 2 (OT)
Game Two: Airdrie 3, St. Albert 2 (3OT)
Game Three: St. Albert 7, Airdrie 6 (OT)
Game Four: St. Albert 4, Airdrie 3
Game Five: Airdrie 2 @ St. Albert 1 (4OT)