Alberta Junior Hockey League facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Alberta Junior Hockey League

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

The league's regular season champions win the Dave Duchak Trophy. The playoff champions get the Inter Pipeline Cup. Winning the AJHL playoffs means a team gets to compete in the Centennial Cup. This tournament decides the best Junior A team in all of Canada!

History of the AJHL

In the early 1960s, there weren't many places for young, talented hockey players in Alberta to play at a high level. The Edmonton Oil Kings were the main Junior A team. They were very successful, winning national championships in 1963 and 1966.

But many other skilled players needed a league to join. So, in 1964, a group of hockey fans and business people decided to create a new Junior A league. Their goal was to help more young players develop their skills. The first teams were the Edmonton Safeway Canadians, Edmonton Maple Leafs, Lethbridge Sugar Kings, Calgary Cowboys, and Calgary Buffaloes.

Famous Teams and Players

One of the league's most famous teams was the Red Deer Rustlers, who joined in 1967. They won the championship in their first year! In 1971, they won the first-ever national Junior A championship, called the Manitoba Centennial Trophy. The Rustlers were home to all six Sutter brothers, who later became famous in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Rustlers won eight AJHL titles and two national championships before leaving the league in 1989.

The Calgary Canucks were founded in 1971. They are the oldest team still playing in the AJHL today! The Canucks have won a league record ten AJHL championships. They also won the national championship (Centennial Cup) in 1995. Their goal has always been to help local Calgary players develop their hockey skills while also focusing on their education.

A team with a long history is the one that started as the Edmonton Safeway Canadians. This team moved several times, becoming the Edmonton Mets, then the Spruce Grove Mets, and later the St. Albert Saints. In 2004, they returned to Spruce Grove and are now the Spruce Grove Saints. This team has helped over 30 players reach the NHL, including the legendary Hockey Hall of Famer Mark Messier!

Key Moments and Changes

On February 21, 1980, the league faced a sad event. Trevor Elton, the captain of the Sherwood Park Crusaders, passed away after being hit during a game. This tragedy deeply affected the AJHL community.

In 2010, the Fort McMurray Oil Barons and Drayton Valley Thunder played a special outdoor game called the "Northern Classic." It was the first modern outdoor junior hockey game and sold out quickly, setting a new attendance record for the league. Another record was set in 2017 when nearly 6,000 fans watched a game at the Northlands Coliseum.

In January 2024, five teams – the Blackfalds Bulldogs, Brooks Bandits, Okotoks Oilers, Sherwood Park Crusaders, and Spruce Grove Saints – announced they would leave the AJHL to join the BCHL for the next season. After this news, their remaining games in the 2023–24 AJHL season were cancelled. The AJHL is now looking forward to new teams joining, including the Devon Xtreme in the 2024–25 season.

Current Teams

The 2023–24 season started with 16 teams, split into two groups: the North Division and the South Division. After some teams left in January 2024, the league is now preparing for new teams to join. The Devon Xtreme will be a new team in the North Division for the 2024–25 season.

Playoff Champions

The AJHL playoff championship trophy has had different names over the years due to sponsorships. It was first known as the Carling O'Keefe Cup. Today, it's called the Inter Pipeline Cup.

Here are the different names the championship cup has had:

• Carling O'Keefe Cup (1965–1997)
• Rogers Wireless Cup (1998–2007)
• Enerflex Cup (2008–2012)
• Gas Drive Cup (2013–2017)
• Inter Pipeline Cup (2018–present)

The winner of the AJHL playoffs goes on to compete for the Centennial Cup, which is the national championship for Junior A hockey in Canada.

National Junior A Championships

Teams from the AJHL have won the Centennial Cup (the Canadian Junior A championship) 11 times! This trophy has also been known as the Manitoba Centennial Trophy and the Royal Bank/RBC Cup.

• 1971: Red Deer Rustlers
• 1975: Spruce Grove Mets
• 1980: Red Deer Rustlers
• 1994: Olds Grizzlys
• 1995: Calgary Canucks
• 2000: Fort McMurray Oil Barons
• 2001: Camrose Kodiaks
• 2013: Brooks Bandits
• 2019: Brooks Bandits
• 2022: Brooks Bandits
• 2023: Brooks Bandits

Timeline of Teams in the AJHL

The AJHL has seen many teams come and go, and some have even changed their names or moved to different towns. Here's a quick look at how the league's teams have changed over time:

• 1964: The league starts with five teams: Edmonton Safeway Canadians, Edmonton Maple Leafs, Lethbridge Sugar Kings, Calgary Cowboys, and Calgary Buffaloes.
• 1967: The Red Deer Rustlers join.
• 1971: The Calgary Canucks are founded.
• 1972: The Edmonton Maple Leafs and Edmonton Western Movers combine to become the Edmonton Mets.
• 1974: The Edmonton Mets move to Spruce Grove and become the Spruce Grove Mets.
• 1977: The Spruce Grove Mets move to St. Albert and become the St. Albert Saints.
• 1978: The Edmonton Crusaders move to Sherwood Park and become the Sherwood Park Crusaders.
• 1981: The Fort McMurray Oil Barons and Hobbema Hawks join. The Taber Golden Suns move to Olds and become the Olds Grizzlys.
• 1989: The Red Deer Rustlers are removed from the league.
• 1991: The Bonnyville Pontiacs join.
• 1996: The Grande Prairie Storm join.
• 1997: The Camrose Kodiaks join.
• 1998: The Drayton Valley Thunder and Crowsnest Pass Timberwolves join.
• 2000: The Brooks Bandits join.
• 2001: The Bow Valley Eagles become the Canmore Eagles.
• 2003: The Drumheller Dragons join.
• 2004: The St. Albert Saints return to Spruce Grove and become the Spruce Grove Saints.
• 2005: The Crowsnest Pass Timberwolves move to Okotoks and become the Okotoks Oilers.
• 2007: The Fort Saskatchewan Traders move to St. Albert and become the St. Albert Steel.
• 2012: The St. Albert Steel move to Whitecourt and become the Whitecourt Wolverines.
• 2021: The Calgary Mustangs move to Blackfalds and become the Blackfalds Bulldogs.
• 2024: The Blackfalds Bulldogs, Brooks Bandits, Okotoks Oilers, Sherwood Park Crusaders, and Spruce Grove Saints switch to the BCHL. The league also announces a new team, the Devon Xtreme, will join.

Notable alumni

Many players from the AJHL have gone on to play professional hockey, including in the NHL. Here are some of them: