RED DEER - Eight Alberta players, registered in Hockey Alberta/Hockey Canada sanctioned programs, heard their names called during the first round of the 2023 WHL Draft on Thursday.

Albertans were selected first and second overall and five going in the top 10.

Prince Albert Raiders had the first two picks, selecting Lacombe’s Daxon Rudolph first overall, and Cochrane’s Riley Boychuk with the number two pick.

Five Albertans were selected in the top 10 including:

• 4th: Keaton Verhoeff, Fort Saskatchewan (Victoria Royals)
• 7th: Ty Meunier, St.Albert, (Prince Albert Raiders)
• 8th: Brett Olson, Spruce Grove (Vancouver Giants).

Rounding out the list of Albertans selected in the first round were 13th Cruz Pavao, Calgary (Tri-City Americans), 16th Aaron Sawatzky, Didsbury (Moose Jaw Warriors), and 22nd Carter Esler, Okotoks (Spokane Chiefs)

Five of the eight Albertans are from the Alberta Elite Hockey League.

A full list of Albertans registered in Hockey Alberta/ Hockey Canada sanctioned programs drafted can be found below:

RED DEER – Hockey Alberta is pleased to announce the staff selected to lead Team Alberta U18 Female.

Chris Leeming (Edmonton) heads the bench staff with Ashley Shrode (Barrhead) and Jessie Olfert (Edmonton) as assistant coaches. Erin O’Toole (Lethbridge) joins the staff as the video coach and Jane Kish (Medicine Hat) as the goaltender coach.

The support roles include Rob Dawson (St. Albert) as the coach mentor, Dave Campbell (Grande Prairie) as the equipment manager, and Erin Gordon (Edmonton) as the athletic therapist. Completing the staff as Director of Operations is Hockey Alberta’s Manager of Female Hockey, Kendall Newell (Red Deer).

“It is an honour to be named head coach of Team Alberta and have the opportunity to represent the province at a National Championship,” said Leeming. “We’ve assembled a strong staff, consisting of great humans, who I am eager to collaborate with and to learn from. Ultimately, if we find a way to align with our measures of success, and make the experience a memorable one for our athletes, we have won.”

Leeming makes his second appearance with Team Alberta U18 Female, after joining the bench staff at the 2021 U18 Western Championships as an assistant coach. Currently the MacEwan University Griffins head coach competing in USport, he’s served as a coach mentor at the Alberta Challenge in 2022 and 2023 and spent time with the U16 program over the last five years in various roles.

Shrode has come full circle, playing for Team Alberta at the National Women’s Under-18 Championship, she now coaches with Barrhead Minor Hockey Association. She has an extensive coaching resume that includes coach mentoring at the 2020 Alberta Winter Games, head coach at the 2019 Alberta Challenge and at the 2018 Alberta Winter Games.

Olfert is making the jump to assistant coach after supporting the 2023 Team Alberta Canada Winter Games squad as the video coach. Most recently coaching with the Alberta Female Hockey League’s U18 AAA Jr. Oilers White Female team, she has experience in the Team Alberta program as a head coach at the 2022 Alberta Challenge, and assistant coach at the 2020 Alberta Winter Games and 2019 Alberta Challenge.

O’Toole is fresh off an appearance as a head coach at the Alberta Challenge with South Black and coaches with the Lethbridge Eagles of the Alberta Junior Female Hockey League. A U18 Nationals alumna, Kish, joined South Black as an assistant coach at the Alberta Challenge and coaches with the South Alberta Hockey Academy of the Canadian Sport School Hockey League.

Team Alberta U18 Female is slated to compete at a national competition November 3-11.

Team Alberta U18 Female

Team Alberta U18 Female, fueled by Gatorade, is one of the stages of identification for Canada’s national programs. The team competes at the national competition, November 3-11.

Team Alberta U18 Female program is open to 2006 and 2007 born athletes who are Alberta residents and who were registered with a Hockey Canada/Hockey Alberta sanctioned program for the 2022-23 season. Athletes are invited to camp based on previous Team Alberta programs, as well as scouting of players at sanctioned Hockey Canada/Hockey Alberta games or events.

Athletes identified for the program are invited to Summer Camp, July 11-16. Following the camp, athletes are shortlisted and selected for Fall Camp, September 22-24. Athletes need to be registered with a sanctioned program in the 2023-24 season in order to remain eligible for final team selection in the fall.

Invitations to Summer Camp will be extended May 26, only successful athletes are notified at this time. Camp attendees are to be posted publicly in July.

Key Dates:

Invitations: May 26

Summer Camp: July 11-16

Fall Camp: September 22-24

Competition: November 3-11

For more information, contact Kendall Newell, Hockey Alberta’s Manager of Female Hockey.

Darren Reid quite literally dreamt his future.

The assistant coach of Team Alberta Male, who competed at the 2023 National Aboriginal Hockey Championships (NAHC), had a dream about playing hockey for a team with a lightning bolt at six-years-old.

When he was eight, he bought a pack of hockey cards, where he discovered the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ten years later, the Lightning drafted him 256th overall in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft.

Along the way, there were little signs that gave Reid motivation to keep honing his skills. Like the reoccurring dream he would have in his teenage years of driving in a city, with a little league baseball park, opening up to the city as he turned the corner. In his first year as a professional hockey player in Springfield, Massachusetts, Reid found himself in the exact scenario he had dreamed about for years.

“I went for a drive on one of my first days in Springfield. I saw the little league field on the right and I thought if there’s a city around this corner, then this is meant to be,” said Reid. “I turned the corner and I was in shock. I pulled over and I took it all in. I had this feeling this is where I’m supposed to be in life.”

Reid’s involvement in hockey stems back to his biggest inspiration, his grandfather.

“My grandfather led all the sports in our family. My Dad and my uncles grew up with it and my Dad wanted that for my brother and me,” said Reid. “I was three years old the first time I skated, and I fell in love with hockey.”

As a kid, Reid loved the game. He never missed an Edmonton Oilers or Detroit Red Wings game. His passion came from the generations before him and when his family saw his potential to go to the next level, they pushed him harder.

“I’m very grateful for my Dad’s belief in me. He saw that I had what it takes to go to the next level,” said Reid. “I recognized that I had that hard work, that passion, that wanting to get better skill, that would take me there.”

By the time he was 14, Reid was one of the better players on his team and in his leagues in the Lac La Biche area. But he wondered why some of the really good hockey players he grew up playing with never moved on.

“You wonder why sometimes, why some people get chosen and some people don’t,” said Reid. “Now that I’m a coach and I was a scout, you understand and can see the difference between hard working players and kids who are just good players. Hard work is something that you can’t teach, it’s instilled.”

Reid’s work ethic couldn’t be ignored. But growing up in the 1990s as an Indigenous male, neither could the racism he experienced.

“I hate to say it, but there was a lot of racism which prevented me from playing on different teams,” said Reid. “There were teams that I didn’t make that helped me get better in my own way. I honestly think I needed that because it pushed me 10 times harder to play.”

As Reid moved through the ranks in his career, he would compete against the same players he was cut for in Midget AAA, while he played Midget B at home.

“It was really hard mentally to figure out why I couldn’t make some of these teams. That’s something I can’t change, but I’m grateful that in hockey today, a lot of the Indigenous kids are getting the opportunities to showcase their talent,” said Reid.

In Lac La Biche, a local former professional player, Terry Ewasiuk, took notice. He convinced Milan Dragicevic, then head coach and general manager of the Drayton Valley Thunder in the Alberta Junior Hockey League, to watch Reid.

“Milan truly believed in me. Even though I only played for him for two games, he was the one who brought me to Drayton Valley and selected me to play,” said Reid. “Then Barry Medori took over. Barry gave me the opportunity.”

Medori was the coach that Reid needed - giving him an opportunity, and not giving up on him.

“That’s what I teach kids today, I don’t give up on them. I don’t send them away, I want to teach them, until they show me they can’t,” said Reid.

Under Medori, Reid began to blossom. He was named rookie of the year and received full-ride scholarship offers to NCAA schools. Then the Western Hockey League (WHL) called. After discussing it with his family, Reid chose to enter the WHL with the Medicine Hat Tigers.

With the Tigers, Reid honed his game. He had a breakout season in 2004 when the Tigers won the WHL championship. After that, he knew he was ready for the next step in his hockey career.

But timing is everything and after realizing his dream of being drafted to the NHL, the timing in Reid’s career began to go awry.

What should have been his first NHL training camp with the Tampa Bay Lightning was put on hold for a year due to the 2004-05 NHL lockout. He began his career in the American Hockey League with the Springfield Falcons under coach Dirk Graham. Reid received the True Grit award, an award presented to the player who exemplifies the traits of courage, determination, and a strong work ethic.

After five years in the Lightning system, he was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers. The trade felt like a new chance at the NHL dream, especially since cracking the Lightning lineup was tough after they won the Stanley Cup in 2004. He played 14 games with the Flyers. But his time in the AHL with the Philadelphia Phantoms, playing for coach Craig Berube, was priceless.

“We were Indigenous and he took me under his wing. He showed me what hard work meant,” said Reid. “I learned at junior, the personal aspect. Dirk gave me the opportunity to play my game. Then you get a coach who was a Stanley Cup Champion level, and he showed you what to do to players to get them to respond through hard work.”

When Reid retired from playing in 2010, his resume included a Calder Cup Championship with the Hershey Bears of the AHL, a WHL championship and multiple accolades acknowledging him for his hard work and dedication to the game.

At the time, Reid didn’t realize the platform that he’d been given as an Indigenous player, especially in north central Alberta.

“I didn’t ask for a spotlight and I didn’t know what to do with it, I’m not that kind of person,” said Reid. “It took me awhile to learn that I actually have something to offer the Indigenous community, because I’ve been there and I’ve went through the steps. Now I want to help the next generation so they don’t have to make the same mistakes I did.”

Blessed with good coaching throughout his career, he began to understand how he could give back, it started with operating hockey schools across North American for Indigenous youth.

“I always wanted to coach, but for the first five years after playing, I felt I wasn’t ready to be the coach I wanted to be. I felt I needed to mature as a coach and as a person,” said Reid. “As time went on, I did…. I’m happy I can do stuff like that to give back to these kids. It’s something I have a passion for.”

In addition to Medori, Graham and Berube, he also credits his Tigers coach, Willie Desjardins for making him coach he is today.

“I’m still learning and I always will still learn, but I’m grateful for Barry, Willie, Dirk and Craig for teaching me how to be a great coach,” said Reid. “Willie made me who I am today as a coach. He instilled a lot of great coaching values in me. He knows how to dig into your soul and get the best out of you. He could have sent us home a lot of times, instead he put us on the right path.”

The combination of the four coaches who impacted his career and his own professional experience, has enabled Reid to grow into his position as an Assistant Coach at NAHC.

“Words can’t even explain how honoured I am to have been asked to help coach Team Alberta,” said Reid. “I wanted to be involved because I have this experience that a lot of our Indigenous youth don’t know.”

Reid is using this opportunity to share his wisdom with players of the next generation.

“If I had had this when I got to pro, it would have made me career a whole lot easier,” said Reid. “Helping these kids get to the next level and give them the best version of themselves to make it there, I’m just very honoured to help.”

As for envisioning his future, this is one dream he didn’t see coming.

“I never thought I’d be sitting here as a coach and be coaching Team Alberta,” said Reid. “We represent our province and that’s a big deal.”

RED DEER – Four individual and two minor hockey associations have been recognized as 2023 recipients of Hockey Alberta Awards, presented by ATB.

The Hockey Alberta Awards program provides the hockey community the opportunity to recognize outstanding individuals, teams and associations for their hard work and accomplishments in making a positive difference for participants in our sport each season.

Nominations are accepted from Hockey Alberta member organizations, staff members, volunteers and the hockey community. Each award recipient receives $1,000 for his/ her association.

The 2022-23 Hockey Alberta Award recipients are:

Coach of the Year: Chad Huseby (Red Deer). Chad was a coach of the Red Deer Minor Hockey U11B Flyers, and after a tragic incident occurred with the team’s head coach, Chad acted as support to the players and coaching staff to help guide them through the season.

Official of the Year: Taylor Burzminski (St. Albert). Taylor obtained his National High Performance Level certification in October. He skated two international events and the Alberta Junior Hockey League and Western Hockey League playoffs. He also serves as the Development Coordinator in the North Region.

Player of the Year: Ryley Budd (Calgary). Ryley, a goaltender with the Calgary Northstars of the Alberta Elite Hockey League, raised $5,000 for HEROS Hockey this season through a fundraising initiative with EnerCorp. The funds Ryley raised sent a goalie (and his team) in the HEROS program to Ontario for their first hockey tournament.

Volunteer of the Year: Janet Fairless (Grimshaw). Janet has volunteered with Hockey Alberta since 2009 in a variety of roles, including serving on the Minor Administration Committee.

Minor Hockey Association of the Year: St. Albert Minor Hockey Association (SAMHA). During the 2022-23 season, SAMHA demonstrated it was one of the most progressive organizations keeping the development of their players and support of voluteers at the forefront.

Exceptional Provincial Host Site Awards:

• Olds Minor Hockey Association – U13 AA
• St. Albert Minor Hockey Association – U17 AAA

Congratulations to all the award recipients and nominees. Hockey Alberta and the hockey community thank you for your contributions to our sport.

RED DEER – After competing in the National Aboriginal Hockey Championship (NAHC) May 8-13, Team Alberta has returned home from Winnipeg.

Team Alberta Female brought home their second-ever medal, after claiming bronze in a double overtime thriller. Berry Rosychuk chipped in a pass from Megan Tipton to seal the 3-2 victory. Team Alberta Female finished the tournament with a 4-3 record, and Phoenix Big Snake was named the team’s Most Sportsmanlike Player.

“They believed in themselves, they believed in me and they believed in each other and that’s what helped us be successful in this tournament,” said Kendra Rosychuk, head coach of Team Alberta Female. “They kept going and they kept getting better each game and each and every shift. Bringing home the second bronze medal ever, we’re a part of history now and it’s a huge accomplishment.”

Team Alberta Male closed out the NAHC in fifth place. Opening the tournament with a win, the team faced strong goaltending throughout the round robin, to finish with a 1-2 record. Opposition goaltending continued to be the story in the quarter-final, where Team Alberta Male outshot Ontario by more than 20 shots but fell 3-2. Alberta finished the tournament with a 10-7 win over Atlantic in the 5^th/6^th place game. The team was named the Most Sportsmanlike Team of the tournament and Jaxen Gauchier was selected as the Most Sportsmanlike Player for Team Alberta Male.

“The boys did a great job and I am super proud of them. They competed and battled in every zone on the ice,” said Darren Reid, assistant coach of Team Alberta Male. “We had a young team and we as coaches were very proud of them and how far they came over the 10 days. I was honoured that our team was named most sportsmanlike team of the tournament.”

The 2024 edition of NAHC will be held in Alberta for the first time ever as Grande Prairie will welcome the country to Treaty 8 Territory in northwest Alberta.

Tryouts for Team Alberta competing at the 2024 NAHC will be held Aug. 3-6 in Red Deer. Registration will open in June.

For more information on Team Alberta and the NAHC, visit hockeyalberta.ca or follow on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

RED DEER – The 2023 Prospects Cup was hoisted by Capital Royal in an exhilarating 5-4 championship game against Calgary White.

Nathan Murray opened the scoring for Calgary White with an assist coming from Connor Huynh just two and a half minutes into the game. Brady Forest retaliated with a short handed goal, stealing the puck just outside the left post and firing it through the legs of Colten Dunsby. Under two minutes later, James Anisimovicz sent one into the cornerrea high above Dunsby’s right shoulder and into the back of the goal, bringing a 2-1 lead to White. Brayden Tucker notched Royal’s second short-handed goal of the game after a one-on-one with Dunsby. Kalen Miles gave Capital Royal their first lead of the game after tapping one in the back door off a perfect pass from Andrew Nordstrom. Austyn Giebelhaus rode the momentum scoring Royal’s fourth of the game off a face-off at the end of the first period. Grayson Bauer and Nathan Murray add two for Calgary White within 30 seconds of one another to out the crowd on their feet. The pair had the lone two goals of the second period. Brayden Tucker knocked back him second goal for the game and won the championship for Capital Royal!

It was a battle of the south to open the day, South Black taking the win 8-4 over region rival, South Gold. The game saw a total 84 shots taken against the two Airdrie goaltenders making this game a true frenzy of action.

North Blue and Calgary Red took the ice next with a nailbiter resolution. Calgary Red fighting against North Blue’s Adrien Brochu, only able to score 3 on 39 shots. North Blue sealed the deal 12 seconds into overtime with Ryan Sieker sneaking one just inside the right post.

The fifth-place game was played by Capital Green and North Grey with Green taking the win, 4-3. North Grey played with speed and grit against Green’s precision passing. Both squads exchanged goals through the third period, with Boston Matter netting the game winning goal with 7:47 left in the game.

The Prospects Cup marks the end of Hockey Alberta’s 2023 Spring showcase events. The Alberta Cup and the Alberta Challenge had wrapped up in the previous two weeks with Green taking home both of those championships.

Standings > Stats > Schedule > Day 1 Recap > Day 2 Recap > Day 3 Recap >

Game #1

South Black 8 – South Gold 4

Players of the Game: South Black: #12 Calder Fraser | South Gold: #16 Jaxon Jaffray

Boxscore >

Game #2

North Blue 4 – Calgary Red 3 (OT)

Players of the Game: North Blue: #16 Ryan Sieker | Calgary Red: #18 Eric Savage Keller

Boxscore >

Game #3

Capital Green 4 – North Grey 3 (OT)

Player of the Game: Capital Green: #2 Chase Asher Zolinski | North Grey: #7 Nolan Wolitski

Boxscore >

Game #4

Capital Royal 5 – Calgary White 4

Player of the Game: Capital Royal: #20 Brayden Tucker | Calgary White: #17 Nathan Murray

Boxscore >

Gatorade Alberta Built Performer of the Day – Calder Fraser (South Black)

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