20 Players Lacing up for the 2021 Western Regional Women’s U18 Championship

RED DEER – Hockey Alberta has named the 20-player roster that will sport the Team Alberta colours at the inaugural 2021 Western Regional Women’s U18 Championship in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, November 1-6.

Team Alberta U18 Female Roster >

The roster features 10 players who competed at the 2020 Alberta Winter Games and nine players who dressed for the 2019 Alberta Challenge.

“It has been a very interesting and challenging 2021 U18 Team Alberta experience for players, parents and staff. The ability for everyone involved to pivot throughout the process leads me to believe we have a very resilient bunch heading into a western competition,” said Team Alberta U18 Head Coach, Barry Medori. “I am proud of all participants from the first camp to the final selections. All athletes made coming up with a final list of 20 athletes to represent Alberta extremely difficult.”

The selection process was different this year. In August, Hockey Alberta welcomed 136 players to Red Deer for the Summer Selection Camp. Over the course of three days, the players were evaluated with 36 invitations extended to the Fall Camp from which the 20-player roster was selected.

“We are preparing to make Alberta proud with our team a few short weeks away from competing for a championship. I am excited to see what we can achieve with this group of amazing athletes, training staff and coaches,” said Medori.

Medori will be joined on the bench by assistant coaches Shanya Shwetz and Chris Leeming. Rounding out the team’s staff are Annette Jensen (Video Coach), Marlène Boissonnault (Goalie Coach), and Kendall Newell (Director of Operations).

Twelve Minor Hockey Associations are represented on the team, including: Airdrie, Beaumont, Calgary, Calmar, Chestermere, Edmonton, Lethbridge, Mundare, Red Deer, Sherwood Park, St. Albert and Strathcona. Eleven team members are competing in the AFHL this season.

Team Alberta will compete against teams from Manitoba, Saskatchewan and B.C. at the 2021 Western Regional Women’s U18 Championship. A three-game round robin will be played, followed by semi-finals with teams advancing to either the Bronze or Gold Medal final. A schedule and ticket information will be available in the coming weeks.

For more information on Team Alberta and the 2021 Western Regional Women’s U18 Championship, visit hockeyalberta.ca or follow on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

The evening of Oct. 7, Calgary Buffalo Hockey Association trainers, Haley Patyna, Shyin Dixon and Blair Olsen, were wrapping up U21 baseline concussion testing at Cardel Rec South in Calgary, when they were called to action.

Out of the rink where a 55-plus recreational league game was being played, two guys came out saying they needed an AED (automated external defibrillator), there was a guy on the ice having a heart attack.

Through quick thinking and teamwork, the trainers jumped to action. Together, they saved a life that night.

Read the full story on hockeycanada.ca.

RED DEER - Another Team Alberta comeback fell just short on Sunday, as Team BC took gold at the 2021 WHL Cup with a 5-2 win.

After a scoreless opening period, BC got on the board first just over a minute into the second period, before Gavin Garland evened things up with his third of the tournament five minutes later.

BC would score again late in the second, and took a 2-1 lead into the third after netminder Jesse Sanche stopped Alberta forward Zane Saab on a penalty shot.

Five minutes into the third, BC took a 3-1 lead, but Alberta made it a one goal game once again as Garrett Thom scored on a short-handed breakaway with just over five minutes to go in regulation.

BC shut the door from there, and scored two empty-net goals to take it 5-2.

Netminder Madden Mulawka stood tall in goal for Team Alberta, stopping 32 of 35 shots, while his counterpart Sanche made 30 saves for the win.

Mulawka was named Alberta’s Player of the Game for the second straight day, while defenceman Keith McInnis was named a WHL Cup All-Star for his efforts throughout the tournament.

Boxscore > | Roster > | Game One Recap > | Game Two Recap > | Game Three Recap > | Game Four Recap >

Episode Fifteen of the Centre Ice Podcast is focused around the 2021 WHL Cup, which runs Oct 20-24 in Red Deer, with Team Alberta U16 Male set to battle BC, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

The Western Hockey League’s Senior Manager, Hockey Operations Greg Thomson joins us to discuss what the WHL Cup is all about, and Winnipeg Ice forward and Philadelphia Flyers prospect Connor McClennon shares his experience at the event with Team Alberta back in 2017.

Episode Links: 2021 WHL Cup > | Team Alberta U16 Male Roster > | 2021 Western Regional Women’s U18 Championship Announcement > | Team Alberta U18 Female Roster Announcement > | Alberta Cup, Alberta Challenge and Prospects Cup Team Staff Applications > | EOCF Commits $1.5 million to Hockey Alberta Foundation > | 2021 Hockey Alberta Life Members Announcement > | Elite Coach Development Series >

More Episodes >

Centre Ice is the brand-new Hockey Alberta podcast, featuring the latest news and views on amateur hockey across the province. Subscribe now on your favourite podcast app!

PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE, MAN. - Hockey Manitoba, Hockey Saskatchewan, Hockey Alberta and BC Hockey are pleased to announce the launch of the 2021 Western Regional Women’s U18 Championship, November 1-6 at Stride Place in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba.

Following the cancellation of the 2021 National Women’s U18 Championship, which is a key part of the development process for Canada’s high performance U18 female athletes, Hockey Canada’s four western provincial hockey branches agreed it was important to hold an event for these athletes. The goal of this event is to provide an elite development opportunity while also furthering the development of female hockey in Western Canada.

Planning and coordination has been a collaboration between the western branches, with welcomed support, guidance, and funding from Hockey Canada.

The 2021 Western Regional Women’s U18 Championship is a four-team tournament consisting of:

• A three-game round robin;
• Semi-finals;
• Bronze Medal game;
• Gold Medal game.

Competition commences on November 1 with all games being played at Stride Place - the home of the Portage Terriers of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League and host to the RBC Cup in 2015. Games will be open to the public based on the most recent public health orders with admission being charged at the gate.

Click here to see the event schedule.

The Female Program of Excellence is designed to provide high performance female players with the opportunity to develop advanced skills as well as an introduction to the concepts needed to play at an elite level. Players from the Program of Excellence go on to play at the CIS, NCAA, and international level.