SPORTS TALK: What does the future hold for the AJHL?
By Greg Buchanan
The future of the Alberta Junior Hockey League will have one of its biggest tests this off-season.
Five teams – arguably among some of its best in the 16-team league - jumped ship to the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL).
With Brooks, Blackfalds, Okotoks, Sherwood Park, and Spruce Grove announcing their intent on Jan. 20 to join the BCHL, the overall quality of the AJHL will suffer, potentially hurting longstanding local teams, as more scouts undoubtedly turn even greater attention to the BCHL.
As the scouts go, so do the players who look to get seen and continue to move as far as possible in the hockey world.
All but Spruce Grove are in the top four in the AJHL, with the Brooks Bandits perennial champions in not only the AJHL but also the top Junior A team in Canada, capturing three consecutive Centennial Cup championships.
The running of a junior club is a testament to its numerous volunteers, players, billets, coaches, sponsors and anyone else who has contributed.
But for several years, teams, such as the Lloydminster Bobcats, have been unable to keep up on the ice with the top tier of Brooks and Okotoks.
The BCHL withdrew from the Canadian Junior Hockey League in 2021 – an association of Junior A leagues – and chose not to re-up an agreement with Hockey Canada last year, leaving it an independent league.
The powerhouse league said it chose to leave Hockey Canada to allow for more opportunities for players, particularly those under 18 looking to eventually make the move to the NCAA. The move allows BCHL teams to recruit 16- and 17-year-old players from other provinces, which isn’t allowed by Hockey Canada.
Hockey Canada had also mandated changes for all players – including those in the AJHL – to wear face cages, while the AJHL had converted to an interlocking schedule with one division that led to more travel.
The BCHL has long been considered one of – if not the best – Junior A league in the country and has been a consistent feeder system to NCAA Division I schools, with many players going to the professional ranks in North America and Europe. As of the 2023-24 NHL season, more than 20 alumni are on active rosters.
The move will see the BCHL grow to 22 teams, with 16 of its current 17 teams based in British Columbia.
However, as one league continues to maintain its spot as a destination for upper-tier Canadian junior players, the AJHL will need to find a way to maintain its relevance.
The coming months will dictate how the league reacts and attempts to rebound, but the move undoubtedly leaves the AJHL weaker and less eye-catching for NCAA scouts.
The AJHL has not only restabilized but is looking forward to and planning the addition of more teams.
Enter, now the newest AJHL team from Devon, Alberta, awarded an expansion franchise for the 2024-2025 season.
Devon was long rumoured to be the preferred location for a relocation bid of the Whitecourt Wolverines franchise. The move was blocked by the former owner of the Wolverines franchise when he acted upon his right of first refusal to reclaim ownership of the Wolverines.
Unconfirmed reports have Whitecourt retaining its franchise through the return of its former owner, who regained control of the franchise. This allowed the ownership group that operated in Whitecourt this season to gain the expansion franchise in Devon.
As for Devon, it is a small suburb southwest of Edmonton. Devon’s Dale Fisher Arena will be the home of the expansion franchise. While the arena now has limited seating, an expansion project is said to be in the works for the near future.
The next steps, both short and long-term, will be key for the AJHL.