The Alberta Junior Hockey League has partnered with INSINC to broadcast the 2009-2010 AJHL Regular Season and 2010 AJHL Playoffs via the internet live on a pay-per-view broadband basis.

Throughout the month of September 2009, a daily pay per view schedule will be posted at www.AJHL.ca until such time that all AJHL games are available online.

AJHL regular season games for all sixteen teams will be available on a PPV basis for $6.95 per game or fans can purchase more games through a variety of packages. Webcasts for all teams will be made available from the AJHL website located at www.AJHL.ca and at http://ajhl.insinc.com.

The Alberta Junior Hockey League is pleased to unveil the second annual AJHL Guidebook. The AJHL Guidebook has already become a collector's piece and set a precedent for Junior A Leagues in Canada.

The AJHL Guidebook is modeled after publications created by the NHL and NFL. The 2009-2010 edition includes new photos, AJHL Alumni spotlights, an expanded League Records Section, the AJHL League Schedule & Calendar of Events, Post-Secondary Scholarships and Commitments, League Award Winners, League History, etc.

The new AJHL Guidebook is a must-have for scouts, media, prospects and fans! Limited quantities of the 2009-2010 AJHL Guidebook are available now for only $10 through the AJHL E-Store at www.AJHL.ca.

The Lloydminster Bobcats and Richardson's Jewellery are proud to announce that tickets for the 6th Annual Ladies Night Out are now available! Please call the Bobcats Office at 780-871-0900.

6th Annual Ladies Night Out - October 17, 2009

Stockade Convention Centre
Cocktails 5:30 - Supper 6:30
Entertainment 8:00 - DJ (Sundown Sound Systems)
$50.00 individual tickets - $350.00 table of 8

Ticket forms available HERE

The Alberta Junior Hockey League has launched the league's first ever weekly audio show, "The AJHL this Week" presented by Canalta Hotels. This exciting new initiative will be a unique addition and popular feature on the AJHL Website for the 2009-2010 season.

Each Wednesday a new edition of "The AJHL this Week" will beavailable on the AJHL website www.AJHL.ca. "The AJHL this Week" will be the ultimate source for all AJHL headlines, stories and breaking news.

"The AJHL this Week" presented by Canalta Hotels will be hosted by the voice of the Bonnyville Pontiacs, Robb Hunter, and the voice of the AJHL champion Grande Prairie Storm, Jeff Henson. The weekly audio show will focus on League news, include exclusive interviews from AJHL coaches, players and management, and feature guest appearances from broadcasters across the League.

The time is now for fans of the Alberta Junior Hockey League who are looking for more. With the launch of www.ajhlfan.com, die-hard AJHL fans will be able to get behind-the-scenes stories, interviews, and features that are unavailable anywhere else.

As one of many contributors, Robb Hunter explains that giving fans daily information about the happenings around the AJHL is win-win for everyone. "What we are able to do is give fans a unique perspective on the league that they aren't going to get anywhere else," said Hunter, who will be providing content for the groundbreaking site along with other broadcasters and writers across Alberta.

For $9.99 a month, subscribers will be treated to daily updates from around the league, as well as frequent features on AJHL alumni currently playing professionally, in the college ranks or even those who have used the AJHL as a spring board to careers outside hockey.

The St. Albert Steel is pleased to announce that 18 year old forward, Daniel Carr, has committed to Union College.

Daniel joined the Steel as a sixteen year old and is entering his third year with the team. He posted an impressive first year with 16 goals while adding 11 assists for 27 points, and followed up last season with a 27 goal and 28 assist performance. Dan was also a member of the 2009 AJHL North Division All-Star team last season.

Union College is a Division I school located in Schenactady, New York and plays in the ECAC Division.

The Drumheller Dragons would like to congratulate Justin Tateson on his recent verbal commitment to the University of Alaska Fairbanks for the 2011-12 season.

Tateson, a 1991-born, 6'3", 190 pound defenceman from Scandia, Alberta, recently entered his first season with the Dragons. Last season, he was named the Most Outstanding Defenceman of the Alberta Midget Hockey League's Medicine Hat Big Country Energy Service Tigers.

Tateson joins a prestigious line of players who have graduated from the Alberta Junior Hockey League and the Drumheller Dragons program to become UAF Nanooks. He follows Brandon and Dion Knelsen to Fairbanks, both of whom are AJHL and Dragons alumni entering their Senior year this season.

Dragons' Assistant General Manager and Associate Coach, Jon Armbruster, adds, "Justin is extremely deserving of this honour. He is a gifted hockey player and, more importantly, a quality individual. We're happy to be a small part of his evolution as a hockey player and look forward to watching his continued growth first hand as he pursues his academic and athletic goals."

The Camrose Kodiaks are pleased to start the 2009-2010 season by announcing that 18-year-old forward Clayton Jardine (Lacombe, AB) has committed to attend Merrimack College (Hockey East). Clayton is currently in his third season with the Kodiaks.

Clayton played in 58 regular season games last season and accumulated 13 goals and 20 assists. Clayton will be joining former teammates Karl Stollery and Jesse Todd as well as former Kodiak Chris Barton on the Warriors.
"Many people forget that Clayton is only 18 years old" says Coach/G.M. Boris Rybalka. "We are looking forward this upcoming season to watch his growth not only as a player but as a person as well."

We are extremely proud of Clayton and his accomplishments, and look forward to his continued contribution to our program in preparation for what is sure to be a very successful collegiate career with the Merrimack Warriors.

Nate Fleming of the Spruce Grove Saints is the recipient of the Source for Sports AJHL Player of the Week Award for the week of September 21st - 27th, 2009. Fleming scored 6 goals and 5 assists in three games over the last week, including the game winning goal on Saturday night against the Drayton Valley Thunder.

The 20 year-old forward recorded his first AJHL hat trick on Saturday, September 26th. Fleming is in his third and final season with the Saints. Fleming leads the Saints in scoring and is 6th overall in the AJHL Scoring Race with 13 points (6 goals, 7 assists).

The Spruce Grove Saints recorded 18 goals in just two games over the weekend. The Saints have begun the 2009-2010 AJHL Season atop the League Standings with a 7-0-0-1 record (W-L-T-OTL).

The AJHL is proud to partner with Source for Sports to recognize the AJHL Player of the Week for the 2009-2010 AJHL Season. The recipients of the award will also receive a Source for Sports Gift Certificate.

Source for Sports AJHL Player of the Week Recipients:
September 11th - 13th, 2009 - Dennis Rix, Grande Praibrie Storm
September 14th - 20th, 2009 - Cody Kunyk, Sherwood Park Crusaders
September 21st - 27th, 2009 - Nate Fleming, Spruce Grove Saints

The AJHL has partnered with Canalta Hotels to present the Canalta Hotels Alumnus of the Week award for the 2009-2010 season. The "Alumnus of the Week" will be announced every Tuesday throughout the upcoming season on The Pipeline Show on The Team 1260 AM Radio.

Join Dean Millard and Guy Flaming every Tuesday from 7-9 PM on the TEAM 1260 for the AJHL Game of the Week and the Canalta AJHL Alumnus of the Week in addition to shining a spotlight on the AJHL through various interviews with current and former AJHL Athletes.

The 2009 Crescent Point Energy Trust and TriStar Oil & Gas AJHL Showcase will be held in Spruce Grove, Alberta from October 1st - 3rd, 2009. The event will be a joint initiative between the city of Spruce Grove, the Spruce Grove Saints and the Alberta Junior Hockey League.

The three-day event will include each of the League's 16 teams playing two regular season games apiece at the TransAlta Tri Leisure Centre in Spruce Grove, AB. The AJHL Showcase is a unique opportunity for the scouting community to evaluate over 400 AJHL players in one location as they compete against one another. Thousands of AJHL fans, scouts and media gathered in the AJHL community of Sherwood Park for the 2nd Annual AJHL Showcase in 2008.

Several AJHL Alumni have credited the Annual AJHL Showcase for the exposure they received, which resulted in scholarships to post-secondary institutes across North America. Approximately 100 scouts attended the event in 2008, including representatives from 20 NHL teams, the NCAA, CIS, CHL and executives from NHL Central Scouting.

A complete schedule for the 2009 AJHL Showcase is available at www.AJHL.ca. Each of the exciting 16 games will be broadcast live on the AJHL Website www.AJHL.ca.

To volunteer for the 2009 Crescent Point Energy Trust and TriStar Oil & Gas AJHL Showcase, please contact Joan Holmberg at 780 952-7173.

Okotoks, AB, September 24th, 2009 - Hockey Canada and the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) announced today the 40 players invited to attend an Evaluation Camp for Team Canada West in preparation for the 2009 World Junior A Challenge. The Okotoks Oilers and Alberta Junior Hockey League will host the three-day evaluation camp at the Centennial Arena in Okotoks, Alberta from September 27th – 29th, 2009.

The top 40 players from the five western leagues of the Canadian Junior Hockey League have been invited to participate in the evaluation camp for an opportunity to earn a position on the Team Canada West roster. Team Canada West will include the top 22 players from the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL), the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL), the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL), the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) and the Superior International Junior Hockey League (SIJHL).

The BCHL will be represented by 13 players at the upcoming camp, while the AJHL has 10 representatives, the MJHL will have 8 participants, 7 SJHL players and 2 SIJHL players round out the 40 man roster.

Team White Roster

Team Red Roster

"We are excited to have the roster selected for the camp in Okotoks and are looking forward to finally having them on the ice as a group,” said Team Canada West General Manager Leonard Strandberg. “I am thankful for the diligence of our staff and the effort they provided in the selection process in what is a very busy time for them. We are also excited to working with the organizing committee in Okotoks and thank them for stepping forward to host the camp. We would like to welcome Coach Dan MacDonald, Assistant Coach Chris Fuss and the Oilers training staff as they assist us with the camp as well."

Games will be played at 7:15PM on Monday, September 28th and Tuesday, September 29th. Game Tickets are available at the Oilers Box Office inside the Okotoks Centennial Arena. Tickets for Adults and Seniors $10.00, Students and Children $5.00, and children under 8 are free.

Team Canada West General Manager Leonard Strandberg will return as the General Manager of Team Canada West for the second consecutive year. Rylan Ferster of the BCHL's Salmon Arm Silverbacks, who was an Assistant Coach in 2008, now assumes the position of Head Coach for Canada West. Jomar Cruz is the Video Coach for Team West, while Larry Wintoneak (Kindersley Klippers, SJHL) and Barry Butler (Waywayseecappo Wolverines, MJHL) join the team as Assistant Coaches.

In August, Team Canada East held multiple evaluation camps for the five eastern CJHL leagues. Over 155 players participated in evaluation camps in Renfrew, Ontario (CJHL, NOJHL and LHJAAAQ players), Richmond Hill, Ontario (OJHL players), and a final camp in Halifax, NB (MJAHL players).

The final rosters for Team Canada East and Team Canada West will be announced in mid-October. Summerside, P.E.I. will host the 2009 World Junior A Challenge from November 1st - 8th, 2009 at Credit Union Centre. The 2009 World Junior A Challenge will follow the same format as previous years - two Canadian entries will be joined by four international teams from Russia, Belarus, Sweden and the defending champion Team USA. .

For more information on the 2009 World Junior A Challenge, visit www.hockeycanada.ca/wjac or www.cjhlhockey.com .

By Pete Lucarotti, Grande Prairie Daily Herald Tribune

It was only fitting that Morgan MacLean helped raise the Grande Prairie Storm's second AJHL championship banner to the rafters at the Canada Games Arena.

After all, MacLean led the league in playoff scoring last season (8 goals, 14 assists) and his overtime goal in Game 4 of the finals against the Spruce Grove Saints gave the Storm the title.

While MacLean was able to take part in the Storm's home opener it could be the last time he's seen in a Grande Prairie rink for some time.

MacLean will be spending this season in Texas after signing a one-year, entry-level contract with the Corpus Christi Ice Rays of the Central Hockey League.

"It's going to be a great experience as far as living in that climate, that area, and living that lifestyle," he said.

MacLean had offers closer to home, but decided to take a different road instead. "I had many scholarship offers throughout Canada with schools and personally I'd like to make my way into the pro ranks," he said. "As far as that goes I just don't want to sell myself short and give it a crack in the pro world. I have every opportunity in the world right now and they're going to give me all the ice time I need to succeed so I'm looking forward to it."

MacLean isn't going to Texas with the intentions of just filling a roster spot. He said he's been assured he'll see plenty of ice time as a second-line forward and on the power play. He knows exactly what will be expected of him when the Ice Rays' season begins, Oct. 16: Offence and plenty of it.

"The big thing now is either you do it or you don't get paid and you lose your job," MacLean said.

"This is my job now and my job is to produce offence and if I'm not doing that I won't be playing at the pro level."

He hopes if he's successful at putting the puck in the net at the Central League level he'll be able to turn his time in Texas into a tryout with a team higher up the pro ladder.

"I'm looking for a professional tryout with an NHL team," MacLean said.

"Teams in the Central are affiliated with other teams as far as that goes and I'm looking forward to working my way up to the pro ranks."

1. (1) Vernon Vipers (BCHL)
2. (7) Dauphin Kings (MJHL)
3. (5) Penticton Vees (BCHL)
4. (4) Spruce Grove Saints (AJHL)
5. (8) Brooks Bandits (AJHL)
6. (3) Humboldt Broncos (SJHL)
7. (10) Kingston Voyageurs (OJAHL)
8. (4) Pembroke Lumber Kings (CJHL)
9. (11) Burlington Cougars (CCHL)
10. (HM) Sherwood Park Crusaders (AJHL)
11. (HM) Newmarket Hurricanes (CCHL)
12. (NR) Amherst Ramblers (MJAHL)
13. (13) North Bay Trappers (NOJHL)
14. (15) Les Pantheres de Saint-Jerome (LHJAAA)
15. (14) Fort William North Stars (SIJHL)