Alberta Junior Hockey League facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Alberta Junior Hockey League

Classification	Junior A
Sport	Ice hockey
Founded	1964
No. of teams	12
Country	Canada
Most recent champion(s)	Calgary Canucks (10)
Most titles	Calgary Canucks (10)

The Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) is a special Junior A ice hockey league in Alberta, Canada. It's part of the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL). The league started in 1964 with five teams.

For the 2023–24 season, the league began with 16 teams. However, five teams left before the season ended to join another league. The team that wins the regular season gets the Dave Duchak Trophy. The team that wins the playoffs gets the Inter Pipeline Cup. The playoff winner then goes on to play in the Centennial Cup tournament. This tournament decides the best Junior A team in all of Canada.

History of the AJHL

How the League Started

In the early 1960s, there weren't many places for young hockey players in Alberta to play at a high level. The Edmonton Oil Kings were the main team, and they attracted most of the best players. The Oil Kings were very successful, winning many championships.

In 1964, some business and hockey leaders decided to create a new Junior "A" league. Their goal was to help more young players in Alberta develop their skills. The first teams were the Edmonton Safeway Canadians, the Edmonton Maple Leafs, the Lethbridge Sugar Kings, Calgary Cowboys, and the Calgary Buffaloes.

Famous Teams and Players

Over the years, some teams moved or changed names. For example, the Edmonton Safeway Canadians and Maple Leafs eventually became the Spruce Grove Saints. This team has helped more than 30 players reach the National Hockey League (NHL), including Hockey Hall of Famer Mark Messier.

The Red Deer Rustlers joined the league in 1967 and quickly became champions. They won the first national Junior A championship, the Manitoba Centennial Trophy, in 1971. The Rustlers were famous for having all six Sutter brothers play for them before they went on to the NHL. The Rustlers won eight AJHL titles and two national trophies.

The Calgary Canucks started in 1971. They are the oldest team still playing in the AJHL today. The Canucks have won a record ten AJHL championships and the Centennial Cup in 1995.

Important Moments

On February 21, 1980, a sad event happened. Trevor Elton, a 20-year-old captain for the Sherwood Park Crusaders, was hurt during a game and later passed away in the hospital.

In 2010, the Fort McMurray Oil Barons and Drayton Valley Thunder played the first outdoor Junior hockey game in modern times. It was called the "Northern Classic" and all 5,000 tickets sold out very quickly. In 2017, a new attendance record was set when 5,989 fans watched a game at Northlands Coliseum.

In 2012, the St. Albert Steel team moved to Whitecourt and became the Whitecourt Wolverines.

On January 20, 2024, five teams – the Blackfalds Bulldogs, Brooks Bandits, Okotoks Oilers, Sherwood Park Crusaders, and Spruce Grove Saints – announced they would join the BCHL for the 2024–25 season. After this announcement, their remaining games in the 2023–24 AJHL season were cancelled.

Current Teams

The 2023–24 season started with 16 teams. They were divided into two groups: the North Division and the South Division. After five teams left in January 2024, the league looked for new teams. In April 2024, the league announced that the Devon Xtreme would join the North Division as a new team for the 2024–25 season.

Playoff Champions

The AJHL playoff championship trophy has had different names over the years. It was first called the Carling O'Keefe Cup from 1965 to 1997. Then it became the Rogers Wireless Cup, the Enerflex Cup, the Gas Drive Cup, and now the Inter Pipeline Cup.

The team that wins the AJHL playoffs gets to compete in the Centennial Cup tournament. This tournament decides the best Junior A hockey team in Canada. In the past, the AJHL champion would often play against the champion of the British Columbia Hockey League for the Doyle Cup before going to the national championship.

National Championships

AJHL teams have won the national championship 12 times since 1971. This trophy has also been known as the Manitoba Centennial Trophy and the Royal Bank/RBC Cup.

• 1971 Centennial Cup: Red Deer Rustlers
• 1975 Centennial Cup: Spruce Grove Mets
• 1980 Centennial Cup: Red Deer Rustlers
• 1994 Centennial Cup: Olds Grizzlys
• 1995 Centennial Cup: Calgary Canucks
• 2000 Royal Bank Cup: Fort McMurray Oil Barons
• 2001 Royal Bank Cup: Camrose Kodiaks
• 2013 Royal Bank Cup: Brooks Bandits
• 2019 National Junior A Hockey Championship: Brooks Bandits
• 2022 Centennial Cup: Brooks Bandits
• 2023 Centennial Cup: Brooks Bandits
• 2025 Centennial Cup: Calgary Canucks

Timeline of Teams in the AJHL

This is a list of how teams have joined, moved, or changed in the AJHL over time.

Notable Alumni

"Alumni" means former players. Many players from the AJHL have gone on to play professional hockey. Here are some of the famous players who once played in the AJHL: