AJHL won't allow 5 departing teams to play scheduled games against 11 remaining franchises
The Brooks Bandits won their third consecutive AJHL championship Friday night, defeating Spruce Grove 3-2 in overtime. The team qualified for the Centennial Cup, which starts May 11 in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. (Photo: Twitter@BrooksBandits)
The Alberta Junior Hockey League issued a statement Thursday concerning the fallout from the news that five of its franchises are joining the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) next season.
The AJHL statement was limited to what remains of the regular season schedule. After cancelling a number of games involving Brooks, Blackfalds, Okotoks, Spruce Grove and Sherwood Park -- the five Alberta teams who announced they are joining the BCHL next season -- over the weekend, the league announced that those five franchises wouldn’t play any remaining games scheduled against the 11 teams that are remaining in the AJHL.
However, the remaining games scheduled between the five departing franchises will be played.
“We are responding by taking steps to protect the competitive integrity of the AJHL and CJHL playoff system and to ensure the safety of our players and officials,” the statement said.
There was no word on whether the five departing franchises will be eligible to participate in the upcoming AJHL playoffs.
“We are working diligently with our partners – the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL), Hockey Alberta and Hockey Canada – to find a resolution to this unusual situation,” it added, “created by the five defecting teams and the BCHL and will provide further updates as decisions are made.”
The BCHL isn’t sanctioned by Hockey Canada. It withdrew in 2023 in order, it said, to provide U18 players greater opportunities to play college hockey in the United States.
The Brooks Bandits, who have won the last three AJHL championships, are one of the teams joining th BCHL next season.
CTV News has reached out to the Okotoks OIlers for comment.
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