| Alberta Junior Hockey League |
Article Index for Alberta |
Website Links For Alberta Junior Hockey League |
Information AboutAlberta Junior Hockey League |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT ALBERTA JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE | |
| alberta junior hockey leaguealberta junior hockey league | |
| sport in alberta | |
| ice hockey leagues | |
| ice hockey in canada | |
| canadian junior a hockey league | |
|
The Alberta Junior Hockey League ('''AJHL''') is an Alberta -based Tier II Junior A Hockey League that belongs to the Canadian Junior A Hockey League ( CJAHL ). It was formed as a five-team league in 1963 . There are currently 16 teams in the league. The regular season league champions receive the Dave Duchak Trophy. The playoff champions receive the Rogers Wireless Cup (the Carling O'Keefe trophy before 1998 ). The winner of the AJHL playoffs continues on to play in the Doyle Cup in a best-of-7 series against the champion of the British Columbia Hockey League . The winner of the Doyle Cup will compete in the Junior "A" National Championship for the Royal Bank Cup . Notable alumni include , Brian , Darryl , Duane , Rich , and Ron . The 2006 AJHL Champions are the Fort McMurray Oil Barons. For the National Championship, please see the Royal Bank Cup 2006 . HISTORY The early 1960s saw a much different junior hockey scenario in Alberta than what currently exists. A team known as the Edmonton Oil Kings was the only true-junior "A" calibre team in the province and drew most of the top talent Alberta had to offer. The Oil Kings were the Western Canadian champions from 1962 until 1966, Abbott Cup Champions in 1954 and from 1960 to 1966, and Memorial Cup National Champions in 1963 and 1966. In 1966, the Oil Kings helped create the Western Hockey League . The issue in 1963 was that there were hundreds of junior-calibre players in the province, but only really one team to play for. A group of business and hockey people got together and decided to form a Junior "A" league in an attempt to truly develop Alberta hockey. The original league consisted of the Edmonton Safeway Canadians , the Edmonton Maple Leafs , the Lethbridge Sugar Kings , Calgary Cowboys , and the Calgary Buffaloes . None of the original teams still exist, but through the lineage of ownership change and relocation, the Canadians became the Edmonton Western Movers who are now the Spruce Grove Saints and the Maple Leafs are now the Sherwood Park Crusaders . The history of the AJHL is littered with a trail of defunct, failed, or relocated hockey franchises. Teams failed in Edmonton , Drumheller , Lloydminster , Lethbridge , Red Deer , and Hobbema -- just to name a few. The current 16-team AJHL is fairly healthy, but still has the odd relocation. The league's teams have combined for a total of 6 Royal Bank Cup s (or Centennial Cups) as National Champions. CURRENT TEAMS 2005-06 ROGERS WIRELESS CUP PLAYOFFS
CARLING O'KEEFE CUP CHAMPIONS
ROGERS WIRELESS CUP CHAMPIONS
DEFUNCT TEAMS EXTERNAL LINKS |
|
|