Raiders win big
The St. Albert Nektar Raiders packed an offensive punch against the winless Southside Athletic Club in the Alberta Midget AAA Hockey League.
After averaging 3.07 goals per game, the Raiders lit the lamp a season-high eight times in Wednesday’s 8-3 drubbing at Meadows Community Recreation Centre.
Jaxon Dube tallied twice and Matthew Reidy, Noah Wilson, Tye Pedersen (power play), Kyle Norman (shorthanded), Koehn Ziemmer (power play) and Mathieu Gautier also scored as Raiders built up period leads of 3-1 and 6-3.
Pedersen, Norman, Ziemmer and Chase Visser added two assists apiece.
Ziemmer leads the Raiders in points with 13 in 12 games and is tied with Dube with a team-high eight goals.
Shots were 45-18 against Southside (0-12-2).
Carson Ironside (5-0-1, 1.67 GAA) was in net for the top defensive team (1.42 GAA) in the AMHL
The next game for the first-place north division Raiders is Sunday against the Lloydminster Bobcats (8-5-1) at 2:30 p.m. at Jarome Iginla Arena.
The Raiders are 6-1 on home ice.
Age division changes
Hockey Canada has approved a proposal by the board of directors to revise the naming of age divisions used in minor hockey across the country.
The age divisions will become U7, U9, U11, U13, U15, U18 and U21 for all minor and female programs under the Hockey Canada umbrella and is similar to the Baseball Canada age division model that went into effect for the 2019 season.
The change was initiated by Hockey Canada and its 13 provincial and territorial members to drop midget and other traditional age division names In an effort to make hockey more inclusive.
Following the recommendation of a task team, the change was approved at Hockey Canada’s winter congress last weekend in Montreal and the implementation goes into effect for the 2020/21 season.
Team Canada West
Five graduates of the 2016/17 St. Albert Gregg Distributors Sabres in the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League are among 44 players invited to the Team Canada West tryouts for the World Junior A Challenge.
Defencemen Michael Benning of the Sherwood Park Crusaders, Ethan Edwards of the Spruce Grove Saints and Robert Kincaid of the Camrose Trojans and forwards’ Carter Savoie of the Crusaders and Austin Spiridakis of the Alberni Valley Bulldogs were selected to attend the Dec. 1 to 3 session of games and practices in Calgary to determine the roster for the Dec. 7 to 15 competition at Dawson Creek, B.C.
The camp consists of players from Canadian Junior Hockey League’s western junior A leagues in Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, plus the Superior International Junior Hockey League.
The Alberta Junior Hockey League is represented by 15 players.
Sabres result
The St. Albert Gregg Distributors Sabres settled for a tie against the SSAC Lions in the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League.
The Sabres (10-3-1) were winners of four straight as one of the top AMBHL teams before Tuesday's 2-2 outcome at Terwillegar Community Recreation Centre.
Ben Constantino and Carmelo Crandell scored before SSAC (6-3-3) replied with goals at 11:25 and 18:26 of the third period.
Crandell's goal was his team-leading 12th and 22nd point in 14 games.
Shots were 10-9 SSAC in the third and 32-26 overall for the Sabres with Luke Roberts (6-2, 3.20 GAA) in net.
Today at 2 p.m. the Sabres play the Lloydminster Bobcats (7-2-3) in the Border City and Sunday’s game time against the KC Squires (7-7-1) is 5 p.m. at Jarome Iginla Arena.
Sharks watch
The midget elite St. Albert Sharks skate on home ice Sunday in the Alberta Female Hockey League.
Faceoff is 8 p.m. against the Sherwood Park Fury (1-5-1) at Mark Messier Arena.
Friday the Sharks (4-2-1) travelled to play the Red Deer Chiefs (4-1) and the score was unavailable at press time.
Mikayla Sarapuk and Regan Ackroyd are the top point producers for the Sharks with six apiece in seven games and Sierra Whillans is the leader in goals with five in four games.
Natalie Balog’s 1.32 GAA is second-best in the AFHL.
Midget AA games
Tonight the St. Albert Steel host the Fort Saskatchewan Rangers in the Northern Alberta Midget AA Hockey League.
Puck drop is 8:30 p.m. at Mark Messier Arena.
The last win for the Steel (7-3-1) was 3-2 against the Rangers (3-8) Nov. 2 at JRC Arena.
The Steel recorded one point in the last three games as Luke Aston’s equalizer capped off a third-period comeback in Sunday’s 5-5 draw with the Peace River Royals (8-4-1) in St. Albert.
The second power-player marker of the game by the Royals made it 5-2 at 4:08 into the third period and the Steel replied with goals by Jace Simington-Lesanko and Aidyn Hutchinson before Aston pulled the Steel even with 6:23 remaining.
Jordan Irwin and Nico Gallo also scored as the Steel registered 41 shots.
Starting netminder Liam Bell (four GA on 14 shots) was replaced by Ethan Kadatz (one GA on 14 shots) after the first period.
The first-place St. Albert Source for Sports Crusaders (9-0-1) are also in action today against the Lakeland Panthers (4-7-1) at 4:15 p.m. in Cold Lake.
The sixth win for the Playoff Cup champions two years in row was 4-3 against the Sherwood Park Oilers (8-4-1) Tuesday in St. Albert.
The Crusaders overcame a 3-1 deficit in the middle frame as Brady Harroun’s second goal and third point of the night was the winner with 6:59 to play.
Ethan Pool in the first and Owen Bourque late in the second also scored.
Shots were 32-26 for the Crusaders in support of Cole Crozier (5-0, 3.00 GAA), the recipient of the league’s 2019 top netminder award.
Harroun ranks among the league leaders in goals with 13 and is tied for ninth in points with 21.
