Photo Credit: Hockey Canada Images/Dennis Pajot
Team Alberta Female Program
The Female Development program strives to create an environment where players, coaches, trainers and administrators can compete with their peers and approach levels of commitment and excellence that each has the potential to achieve. Players are prepared with the knowledge and skills to progress to the next level.
The Team Alberta U16 path is an important stepping stone toward Team Alberta U18, which competes at the National Women’s Hockey Championship or Canada Winter Games. Players learn what is required of them physically and mentally to progress into the Team Alberta U18 Program.
The Alberta Challenge is held each year. It allows for players evaluation and development through regional selection camps and a six-team tournament format. Coaches, Trainers, and Director of Operations also are evaluated to continue in the U16 and U18 development path. Players will be selected from regional selection camps with three teams representing each region. Regional Camps will be held in both Cochrane & Beaumont from April 4-6, 2025.
The 2025 Alberta Challenge will be held from April 30-May 4 at the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Arena in Red Deer.
The U16 Female Summer Development Camp is the second stage of the development and identification process that feeds Team Alberta U18. Participants are selected based on their performance at the Alberta Challenge. The camp includes on and off-ice training as well as classroom sessions.
The 2025 Team Alberta U16 Summer Development Camp will be hosted in Red Deer; the dates will be announced following the 2025 Alberta Challenge.
The Team Alberta U18 program is the final stage of identification and evaluation towards Team Alberta and one of the stages of identification for Canada’s national programs. Team Alberta U18 Program is open to age eligible Alberta residents who are registered with Hockey Canada/Hockey Alberta sanctioned teams.
Through on and off-ice evaluation, the high performance U18 program works towards the final goal of taking Team Alberta to the National Women’s U18 Hockey Championship or the Canada Winter Games. The U18 Team Selection Process is as follows:
Summer Selection Camp: The Summer Selection Camp is the first step in the identification and selection of potential players for Hockey Alberta’s Team Alberta program that will represent the province at the 2024 U18 Nationals. It is open to 2007, 2008 and 2009-born athletes are eligible to be invited to the camp based on previous Team Alberta programs, as well as scouting of players through their club teams. Players will only be evaluated and scouted at Hockey Canada/Hockey Alberta sanctioned games or events. Athletes must be registered with a Hockey Canada/Hockey Alberta sanctioned program for the 2023-24 season to be considered for an invitation and must be registered with a sanctioned program in the 2024-25 season in order to remain eligible.
Invitations will be sent in May. Only successful athletes will be notified.
Summer Selection Camp will be hosted July 9-14, 2024 in Red Deer.
Fall Camp: After the summer camp, a shortlist of players are identified to continue through a fall training camp and scouting process. The fall camp will include on and off-ice sessions, and exhibition games.
Fall Selection Camp is scheduled for September 2024.
Final Selection: Following Fall Camp, shortlist athletes will continue to be scouted with their 2024-25 registered teams and final team selection will be announced in October 2024.
Team Alberta: Team Alberta will compete at either the National Women’s Under-18 Hockey Championship or the Canada Winter Games. The National Women’s Under-18 Championship includes a combination of provincial and regional teams: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario Red and Blue, Quebec and Team Atlantic. That event is usually held in November of non-Canada Winter Games years. Canada Winter Games are held every four years, with the next Games set for Quebec in 2027.
For more information, contact Mike Kraichy, Manager, High Performance
The Alberta Winter Games are held every two years. After a four-year hiatus, the Alberta Winter Games are set to return in February 2024 in Grande Prairie.
The 2024 Alberta Winter Games will feature eight U13 AA Club Teams competing in a multi-sport Games. It provides athletes their first exposure to short-term competition as well as the Team Alberta Program.
Teams will compete in a play in series in December 2023 to determine the Zone representative at the Alberta Winter Games.
The 2024 Alberta Winter Games will be held in Grande Prairie from February 16-19, 2024.
