Players and their families have many opportunities to consider throughout their Junior hockey careers, and the AJHL continues to be a popular choice for student athletes.   By choosing to play in the Alberta Junior Hockey League, a player is joining a fraternity of storied athletes through nearly 50 years of athletic and academic excellence.

This choice continues to be popular for players and their families who are concerned for their academic future and are becoming increasingly more aware of the options that are available.  The Alberta Junior Hockey League encourages players and their parents to make wise decisions about their individual futures, and do all that is possible to provide the necessary and relevant information.

Answers to some of the most frequently asked questions by prosepcts are listed below:

What is a White Card Certificate?

Reserve List (AJHL White Card Certificate Certificate) – All players signed to an AJHL White Card Certificate shall be deemed to constitute that team’s Reserve List.  Each member team shall be allowed to retain a maximum of five players on their respective Reserve List.

AJHL Article 27.1 - Reserve List
(a) The league, for administrative purposes, shall operate a registration system using player certificates (“White Card Certificate”), which shall be separate from the Hockey Canada Allotment system, which must still be adhered to by all Members under regulations according to Hockey Canada.
(b) Member teams may sign any player of any legal hockey age of any area to a White Card Certificate, provided that he is not already included on the Reserve List of another member team.
(c) A parent or guardian’s signature is required for all players under the age of 18.
(d) Emergency replacement goaltenders need not sign a White Card Certificate.
(e) White Card Certificates are not required for exhibition play.
(f) White Card Certificates, accompanied by the AJHL Addition / Deletion Form, must be sent together electronically or by fax, to the League Office.
(g) Each Member shall be allowed to retain a player reserve list, which shall, at no time, exceed 5 players.
(h) All players signed to White Card Certificates by a single Team shall be deemed to constitute that Team’s protected players list (the “Reserve List”) for the team with which the White Card Certificate signee is registered and all Reserve Lists are to be recognized by all Teams.

What is an Affiliation List?

Affiliation List – The Affiliation List shall be comprised of all players who have signed an AJHL Affiliation Form and approved on the Hockey Canada Registration system.

AJHL Regulation 27.3 - Affiliation List
(a) The Affiliation List shall be comprised of all Players who have signed an AJHL Affiliation Form.
(b) An Affiliated player is not required to sign a White Card, and such player is not deemed to be a protected player for the purposes of Article 18.1. An Affiliated player remains a free agent until the completion of the respective team’s season.
(c) Affiliation of first year eligible Midget players (fifteen (15) year olds) shall be permitted with the following restrictions:
i. A team may affiliate no more than five (5) players for up to a maximum of five (5) games during the season, unless there are extenuating circumstances.
ii. The player must sign a special affiliation form with the permission of his regular team.
iii. A player shall NOT be called up, except under emergency conditions, when the player’s regular team is playing or when the player has semester exams at school.
iv. When the player’s regular team is finished its season, the player may join the Junior A team for the balance of its season.
v. A team is restricted to calling up one (1) fifteen (15) year old per game and this player would count towards its total of sixteen (16) year olds allowed to dress.
vi. A player may specially affiliate to a Major Junior team and a Junior A team in the same season and play a maximum of five (5) games with each team if he so chooses and his regular team agrees.
vii. Should a Major Junior League choose not to utilize this provision, the player would NOT be eligible to affiliate to two (2) other Junior teams in that League or region.
viii. This affiliation process is unique to Major Junior and Junior A & B hockey.  Players have to be on an affiliation list in order to play and there can be no more than five (5) players (fifteen (15) years of age) per team. A team may add to the affiliation list to reach the five (5), but cannot remove players and add another as a replacement. If a player is removed from a team, he cannot go to another team (unless it is a Major Junior team as per the above provisions). These players fall under the special affiliate classification. The final date to add names to this list is January 15.
(d) Affiliation deadline for all AJHL teams will be January 9.

When can an Automatic Release occur?

AJHL Regulation 27.2 (c) - Automatic Release
(i) Any Player that is not registered in Hockey Canada’s Allotment system on December 2nd of the playing season and has completed his midget eligibility will be automatically granted an unconditional release from the Reserve List. The Player must have completed his midget eligibility for the release. The League President would automatically release the players from the teams reserve list. This would only apply to players who are not registered in the Hockey Canada Allotment System and wish to pursue their hockey with other Members. Previously signed players would remain a team’s property under Hockey Canada rules.
(ii) Any 17 year old player on the reserve list and not CHA carded by the Monday immediately following Showcase Weekend shall be released.   The League President would automatically release the players from the teams reserve list. This would only apply to players who are not registered in the Hockey Canada Allotment System and wish to pursue their hockey with other Members. Previously signed players would remain a team’s property under Hockey Canada rules.