CANMORE – The Canmore Eagles have six regular season games remaining after a revision of the 2023-24 regular season schedule.
On Wednesday (Feb. 7), the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) announced its revised 57-game season schedule and playoff format for its 11-team league following the departure of five clubs last month.
Due to the changes, the Eagles' games on Feb. 9-10 have been cancelled.
The Eagles' new schedule will have four home games and two away games before round one of the playoffs March 15-17.
Feb. 15: Fort McMurray Oil Barons at Canmore at 7 p.m.
Feb. 17: Fort McMurray Oil Barons at Canmore at 7 p.m.
Feb. 19: Olds Grizzlys at Canmore at 2 p.m.
Feb. 23: Eagles at Olds against Grizzlys at 7 p.m.
Feb: 27: Calgary Canucks at Canmore at 7 p.m.
Mar. 1: Eagles at Camrose against Kodiaks at 7 p.m.
For information regarding schedule changes please contact the office at [email protected] or visit the league website at https://t.co/D8UfaRzNaV for the updated 23/24 schedule.
— Canmore Eagles (@canmoreeagles) February 8, 2024
Single game tickets purchased will be refunded and new home dates will be announced. pic.twitter.com/UzRinDljKL
“At the conclusion of the 2023-24 regular season, the top five teams will automatically advance to the 2024 Inter Pipeline Cup AJHL Playoffs, while the bottom six teams will square off in a best of five play-in series (6 vs. 11, 7 vs. 10, and 8 vs.9). The winners of the play-in series will then fill spots six through eight in the opening round of the AJHL Playoffs,” an AJHL statement said.
The AJHL Champion, which will be crowned in May, will represent Alberta at the 2024 Centennial Cup National Junior A Championship from May 9-19 in Oakville, Ont.
The five teams breaking away from the AJHL was reportedly leaked on Jan. 20, which resulted in the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL), an independent league separate from Hockey Canada, announcing that the teams will join its fold immediately.
In a Feb. 1 release on its website, the BCHL said the Blackfalds Bulldogs, Brooks Bandits, Okotoks Oilers, Sherwood Park Crusaders and Spruce Grove Saints signed franchise agreements on Jan. 31 and will form their own division within the league.
The BCHL is frequently considered the top Junior A development league in Canada.
Dan Mason, a professor with the University of Alberta's Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation, told the Outlook in an interview last month the change is a continued movement of teams at all levels of hockey due to players wanting the best way to move to the next stage in their careers.
“I think that’s what we’re seeing here with the BCHL; breaking away from Hockey Canada is the way they see they can have more ownership and control over the process of players moving to the next level, which in this case is the NCAA.”
Historically, the BCHL is stronger than other junior leagues, and with a better pool of players, it results in more eyes from scouts and greater opportunities to go to the next level of development.
