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The Okotoks Oilers received a first round bye as the South Division Champion in the 2009-2010 regular season.  The Oilers will meet the Canmore Eagles in Round Two of the AJHL Playoffs.  The Eagles defeated the Olds Grizzlys to advance to the South Division Semi-Final versus the Oilers.  Okotoks finished the regular season with 80 points and a record of 5-0-1-0 over the Eagles.  The Eagles were sixth overall in the South Division with 60 points in the regular season.

The Camrose Kodiaks advanced to Round Two after a victory over the Calgary Royals in Game Five of the best-of-five first round series on March 4th.  The Brooks Bandits will now face the Kodiaks after eliminating the Calgary Canucks in the opening round of the 2010 AJHL Playoffs.  The Kodiaks were 2nd overall in the South Division with 75 points, while the Bandits were fifth with 61 regular season points.  The Kodiaks and Bandits split the regular season with records of 3-2-0-1 against one another in 2009-2010.

AJHL South Division Schedule – Divisional Semi-Finals

Okotoks Oilers (1) vs. Canmore Eagles (4)

Game #        Date                          Home Team                 Time

Game 1        March 7, 2010        Okotoks Oilers            7:00 PM
Game 2        March 8, 2010        Okotoks Oilers            7:00 PM
Game 3        March 10, 2010      Canmore Eagles        7:00 PM
Game 4        March 11, 2010      Canmore Eagles        7:00 PM
Game 5*     March 13, 2010      Okotoks Oilers            7:00 PM
Game 6*     March 15, 2010      Canmore Eagles        7:00 PM
Game 7*     March 17, 2010      Okotoks Oilers            7:00 PM

Camrose Kodiaks (2) vs. Brooks Bandits (3)

Game #        Date                          Home Team                 Time

Game 1        March 7, 2010        Camrose Kodiaks      7:30 PM
Game 2        March 8, 2010        Camrose Kodiaks      7:30 PM
Game 3        March 10, 2010      Brooks Bandits          7:00 PM
Game 4        March 11, 2010      Brooks Bandits          7:00 PM
Game 5*     March 13, 2010      Camrose Kodiaks      7:30 PM
Game 6*     March 15, 2010      Brooks Bandits          7:00 PM
Game 7*     March 17, 2010      Camrose Kodiaks      7:30 PM

The Alberta Junior Hockey League previously announced the North Division schedule listed below:

AJHL North Division Schedule – Divisional Semi-Finals

Spruce Grove Saints (1) vs. Bonnyville Pontiacs (4)

Game #        Date                          Home Team                                 Time

Game 1        March 6, 2010        Spruce Grove Saints                 7:00 PM
Game 2        March 7, 2010        Spruce Grove Saints                 7:00 PM
Game 3        March 9, 2010        Bonnyville Pontiacs                  7:30 PM
Game 4        March 10, 2010      Bonnyville Pontiacs                  7:30 PM
Game 5*     March 12, 2010      Spruce Grove Saints                 7:00 PM
Game 6*     March 14, 2010      Bonnyville Pontiacs                  6:00 PM
Game 7*     March 16, 2010      Spruce Grove Saints                 7:00 PM

Grande Prairie Storm (2) vs. Fort McMurray Oil Barons (3)

Game #        Date                          Home Team                                 Time

Game 1         March 8, 2010       Grande Prairie Storm                7:30 PM
Game 2        March 9, 2010        Grande Prairie Storm                7:30 PM
Game 3        March 11, 2010      Ft. McMurray Oil Barons        7:30 PM
Game 4        March 12, 2010      Ft. McMurray Oil Barons        7:30 PM
Game 5*     March 14, 2010      Grande Prairie Storm                7:30 PM
Game 6*     March 16, 2010      Ft. McMurray Oil Barons        7:30 PM
Game 7*     March 18, 2010      Grande Prairie Storm                7:30 PM

* If necessary

Divisional cross over will begin in Round Three as the remaining four teams are re-seeded as per their regular season winning percentage (1 vs. 4, 2 vs. 3) .  The AJHL will grant home ice advantage to the Division Champions throughout the 2010 AJHL Playoffs.

Watch each game of the 2010 AJHL Playoffs live on AJHL Pay Per View at www.AJHL.ca!  Detailed head to head statistics are available for each AJHL Playoff series at www.AJHL.ca.

The $1,500 scholarship is awarded to the player deemed most deserving among the sixteen applicants (one per AJHL team).  Applicants were required to submit an essay describing what they have learned from playing hockey and how they can apply this in their lives after hockey.  A Selection Committee then determines the recipient based on the required essay, academic performance, and the quality of reference letters from the applicant’s coaches and educators.

“Adam came to the Saints from Whitehorse, Yukon as a camp invitee, with nothing more than aspirations of playing Junior A hockey and an unwavering work ethic. He not only made our team, but became an integral part of our club,” said Saints General Manager / Head Coach Steve Hamilton.

“He has spent the entire season as a full-time student, enrolled in online classes at the Lansing Community College, while also holding a part-time job.  No other player I have ever coached has had to maintain that type of schedule while being an integral part of our success in the AJHL.”

Henderson has committed to attend the University of Alaska-Fairbanks in 2010-2011.  “I believe that Adam has the outstanding work ethic, interpersonal skills, and commitment that will make him an invaluable member of any profession he decides to pursue after graduation from the University of Alaska-Fairbanks,” added Hamilton.  He is an extremely worthy candidate for the Enerflex Scholarship and an excellent young man.”

Henderson returned to the Spruce Grove Saints in 2009-2010 for his third season in the AJHL following a year at Michigan State.

Connor Hardowa of the Spruce Grove Saints was the recipient of the 2^nd annual Enerflex Scholarship in 2009.

Henderson will be presented with the Scholarship on Saturday, March 6^th prior to the 2010 AJHL Enerflex Cup Playoff Game between the hometown Saints and the Bonnyville Pontiacs.  The Alberta Junior Hockey League is proud to partner with Enerflex Systems Income Fund as its Championship Sponsor.  The AJHL’s sixteen member teams battle for the honour to hoist the Enerflex Cup as AJHL Champion.

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The Alberta Junior Hockey League has selected Breyden DeCock of the Drumheller Dragons as the AJHL recipient of the 2010 RBC Junior A Scholarship.  The RBC Junior A Scholarship recipient from each League within the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) will receive $1,000 towards post-secondary education and will be eligible for the $5,000 National RBC Junior A Scholarship.

The annual scholarship provides financial assistance to players of the Canadian Junior Hockey League for their post-secondary education.  Players eligible for the RBC Junior A Scholarship must be a Canadian citizen, on a Canadian Junior A team roster, and registered in or applying for full-time post-secondary studies. Scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic achievements, Junior A success, and community involvement.

DeCock plans to pursue a career in physiotherapy or as a physical education teacher.  He is bilingual (French and English) and recently graduated from High School with honours in Biology and Math.  DeCock has been actively involved as a volunteer with the Food Bank, local schools and as a coach for young children throughout his Junior hockey career .

“Breyden has been a solid citizen on and off the ice, and has participated with eagerness in all community and charity related activities this season,” stated Dragons GM / Head Coach Dan Price.  “He is extremely studious and respectful, and he is an exceptional hockey player.”

The recipient of the $5,000 National RBC Junior A Scholarship will be announced at the 2010 RBC Royal Bank Cup in May.  The winner of the National RBC Junior A Scholarship will be selected by a national panel of Hockey Canada appointed junior hockey representatives.

The two-referee system is used regularly in the National Hockey League (NHL), Canadian Hockey League (CHL) and at all levels of professional hockey. The Alberta Junior Hockey League has implemented the two-referee system in the post-season since 2006.

The two-referee system decreases the chance of high impact calls being missed and assists in the development of officials. The two referee system will utilize the knowledge of the more experienced referees and enable them to become actively involved in the development of young officials during the post season.

As hockey leagues across Alberta conclude the 2009-2010 season, a growing number of quality officials will become available to the AJHL and allow the League to increase use of the two-referee system.

A complete schedule for the 2010 AJHL Enerflex Cup Playoffs is available on the AJHL website www.AJHL.ca.

AJHL President Craig Cripps presented Bryce Williamson the AJHL Scoring Champion trophy prior to Monday’s AJHL playoff game in St. Albert.

Zahn Raubenheimer of the Grande Prairie Storm and Bryce Williamson of the St. Albert Steel are the co-recipients of the Ernie Love Trophy as the regular season scoring champions.  Raubenheimer and Williamson recorded 107 points, an average of 1.8 points per game.

Bryce Williamson (Seba Beach, AB) completed the regular season on a 21 game point streak.  In 60 games played, he scored 41 goals, 66 assists and 8 game winning goals.  Williamson received the Player of the Game Award 14 times in 2009-2010.  He also received the honour of Source for Sports AJHL Player of the Week twice (October 2009 and February 2010).    Williamson was voted to the 2010 North Division All-Star Team for a second consecutive year.

Williamson is the current franchise record holder for Most Goals (41), Most Assists (66) and Most Points (107) in a single season and the career record holder for Most Goals (102), Most Assists (136) and Most Points (238).

Williamson has committed to Bowling Green State University for the 2010-2011 season.  Williamson amassed 250 regular season points with the Fort Saskatchewan Traders and St. Albert Steel (2006-2010), averaging 1.1 point per game in his AJHL career.  Last season Bryce was the St. Albert Steel MVP and leading scorer.

The pair combined for eight points in a weekend sweep of the Alaska Anchorage Seawolves that gave the Blue and Gold their first Alaska Airlines Governor’s Cup title since 2005 and snapped UAA’s three-year claim to the Cup.

Alaska’s back-to-back victories against UAA marked their second sweep in as many weeks, extending the unbeaten streak to eight games (6-0-2) and helping them climb in the national hockey polls for the second consecutive week. The Nanooks jumped to No. 14 on this week’s USCHO.com/CBS College Sports poll and No. 13 on the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll.

Taranto had a hat trick on Friday for his second three-goal night in a five-game span and then added two assists on Saturday. He leads the Nanooks offensively with 16-23-39. He is two points shy of tying the Nanooks single-season record for points by a freshman, which belongs to Andy Pokupec, who had 41 during the 1986-87 season.

He finished the regular season with 12-19-31 in 28 league games: good for first among rookies and fifth among all players. It marks his second such award in the past two weeks and is the third of his career.

Enders assisted on three Nanook goals over the weekend and had a +3 rating. He is third among Alaska defenseman for points this season with 2-8-10 and has more than doubled his offensive output from his rookie campaign.

It is his first CCHA Defensive Player of the Week honor and the first by an Alaska blueliner this season.

The No. 13/14 Nanooks, who finished fifth in the CCHA, take on the Western Michigan Broncos in the first round of the CCHA Playoffs this weekend (Mar. 5-7) at the Carlson Center. Playoff action begins Friday night at 7:05 p.m.

The 2009-2010 Regular Season Champion Spruce Grove Saints earned a bye in the first round and will now face the Bonnyville Pontiacs.  The Pontiacs swept the Sherwood Park Crusaders in the first round best-of-five series.  The Saints completed the regular season in first place overall with 108 points.  The Pontiacs were the 5th place seed in the North Division with 58 points.  The Saints were 6-0-0-0 versus the Pontiacs in the 2009-2010 regular season.

The Grande Prairie Storm eliminated the Lloydminster Bobcats in the opening round of the AJHL Playoffs and will now face the Fort McMurray Oil Barons.  The Oil Barons defeated the St. Albert Steel with a 3-0 series victory in Round One.  Grande Prairie completed the 2009-2010 season with 83 points, second only to the league leading Saints.  The Oil Barons were the 3rd place team in the North Division and 4th overall with 78 points.   The Storm and Oil Barons split their regular season series at three wins a piece.

Divisional cross over will begin in Round Three as the remaining four teams are re-seeded as per their regular season winning percentage (1 vs. 4, 2 vs. 3) .  The AJHL will grant home ice advantage to the Division Champions throughout the 2010 AJHL Playoffs.

Watch each game of the 2010 AJHL Playoffs live on AJHL Pay Per View at www.AJHL.ca!  Detailed head to head statistics are available for each AJHL Playoff series at www.AJHL.ca.

AJHL North Division Schedule

Spruce Grove Saints (1) vs. Bonnyville Pontiacs (4)
Game #    Date    Home Team    Time
Game 1     March 6, 2010     Spruce Grove Saints    7:00 PM
Game 2     March 7, 2010     Spruce Grove Saints     7:00 PM
Game 3     March 9, 2010     Bonnyville Pontiacs    7:30 PM
Game 4     March 10, 2010     Bonnyville Pontiacs    7:30 PM
Game 5*     March 12, 2010     Spruce Grove Saints    7:00 PM
Game 6*     March 14, 2010     Bonnyville Pontiacs    6:00 PM
Game 7*     March 16, 2010     Spruce Grove Saints    7:00 PM

Grande Prairie Storm (2) vs. Fort McMurray Oil Barons (3)
Game #    Date    Home Team    Time
Game 1     March 8, 2010     Grande Prairie Storm    7:30 PM
Game 2     March 9, 2010     Grande Prairie Storm     7:30 PM
Game 3     March 11, 2010     Ft. McMurray Oil Barons     7:30 PM
Game 4     March 12, 2010     Ft. McMurray Oil Barons     7:30 PM
Game 5*     March 14, 2010     Grande Prairie Storm     7:30 PM
Game 6*     March 16, 2010     Ft. McMurray Oil Barons     7:30 PM
Game 7*     March 18, 2010     Grande Prairie Storm     7:30 PM

* If necessary

Outstanding Defenceman – W.G. (Bill) Scott Memorial Trophy

Matthew Register of the Bonnyville Pontiacs has captured the W.G. (Bill) Scott Memorial Trophy as the League’s Outstanding Defenceman for 2009-2010.    The award is given annually to the defensive player who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position.

Register (Calgary, AB) led all AJHL Defencemen in scoring and was 16th overall in the AJHL Scoring Race with 45 assists and 61 points.    Register averaged 1.1 point per game in his third and final season with the Pontiacs.  The 20 year-old AJHL veteran is committed University of Alabama-Huntsville for the 2010-2011 season.

Register is the first player in franchise history to receive the W.G. (Bill) Scott Memorial Trophy.

Connor Hardowa of the Spruce Grove Saints was the recipient of the 2008-2009 Outstanding Defenceman Award.   Past recipients of the W.G. (Bill) Scott Memorial Trophy include: Chris Phillips and Dave Babych.

The Board of Directors for the Royals Hockey Club are extremely pleased to announce that Head Coach Jeff Peters will remain with the organization for the next two Hockey Seasons.  Jeff has agreed to a two year contract and will remain as Head Coach through the 2011-2012 season.

In addition, the Board has moved Jeff into the role of General Manager along with his coaching duties. Jeff is just completing his first full year as Head Coach and the team has improved vastly under his direction.

Royals President Ken Morris stated, “We are a better organization with Jeff at the helm, assisted by a very enthusiastic young staff. We are looking forward to working with Jeff and improving our program both on and off the ice.”

Ed Williamson will assume the role of Alternate Governor, and continue to assist the Operations Group.

For further information contact the Royals Office at 403-640-7333

K.D. Morris

President/Governor