While the sun blazes outside, hockey season is right around the corner.
The Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) released the 2016-2017 AJHL Exhibition and Regular Season schedules. This means the Drumheller Dragons will be back on the ice before you know it.
AJHL Teams open Main Camp for the 2016-2017 Season starting on Friday, August 26, followed by the start of the Exhibition Season.
The Exhibition Season will begin on Wednesday, August 31. Opening weekend will feature 16 games.
The Dragons preseason will begin with tournament play. The Okotoks Oilers will be hosting a four-team tournament. The Dragons will play the Calgary Mustangs on Wednesday, on August 31 at 1:45 p.m. The first chance for home fans to see the Dragons on the ice at Drumheller Memorial Arena is Friday September 9 at 7:30 p.m. when they take on the Lloydminster Bobcats.
The regular season opener is Friday, September 16 on the road versus the Camrose Kodiaks. Their season home opener will not be until Friday September 23 when they host the Calgary Mustangs.
Six AJHL teams will begin the 2016-2017 season with a new Head Coach, two South Division teams and four North Division teams. Currently, the upcoming season would begin with 32 players on AJHL rosters that have already committed to a College / University for the 2017-2018 season and beyond. The total number of College commitments is expected to surpass 75 by the completion of the season.
Camrose will play host to the 10th Annual AJHL Showcase from September 29 – October 1. The Sherwood Park Crusaders will host the Spruce Grove Saints in a Pre-Showcase game on September 28. Showcase Scout Packages are now available through the AJHL website.
The 2016 AJHL Semi-Annual Meeting will take place in Red Deer on November 19. The newly formed Strategic Planning Committee will bring forth recommendations to the meeting regarding the league schedule, playoff format, championship structure, parity and overall future direction of the AJHL.
The World Junior A Challenge, a showcase of Canadian and International Junior A talent, is returning to Alberta for the second time in tournament history when the Bonnyville Pontiacs host the event December 11 – 17, 2016.
The AJHL will break for the holidays from December 22 - 29.The Canmore Eagles will take AJHL hockey to the town of Banff, Alberta for a third straight year on January 31, 2017 when they host the Drumheller Dragons. A number of satellite games are expected to be announced over the coming weeks in Alberta communities.
The Regular Season concludes after 480 games on Sunday, March 5, 2017.
The 2017 AJHL Gas Drive Playoffs will open on Thursday, March 9, 2017. The top team in each division will receive a first round bye. The Viterra AJHL South Division and Viterra AJHL North Division will playoff to determine a divisional champion at the conclusion of Round Three. The North Division Champion and the South Division Champion will then compete in the AJHL Gas Drive Cup Final.
The 2017 Western Canada Cup will be held from April 28 - May 7, 2017 in Penticton, BC.
The 2017 RBC Cup will take place from May 13 – 21 in Cobourg, ON.
A complete League Schedule is now available on the AJHL Website www.AJHL.ca.
