AJHL Team Reports

January 20, 2012
Posted in Alberta Edition, Junior A

By Ryan Laverty /

Brooks Bandits

For the second time in four weeks Matt Wilkins has been named the Alberta Junior Hockey League’s Canalta Hotels Player of the Week.

The 20-year-old forward notched two goals and 10 points in three games between Jan. 9-16, all wins for the South Division’s first-placed Bandits. Wilkins, who will attend Union College in the NCAA next season, is making his third and final season in the AJ his best yet. The Kimberley, B.C. native leads the entire league with 75 points.

Calgary Mustangs

No one is pushing the panic button just yet down at Father David Bauer Arena, but if momentum matters heading into the post-season then the Calgary Mustangs’ days could be numbered.

After turning in a consistent effort first half of the season, the Mustangs have slid to fourth in the AJHL’s South Division thanks to a 3-6-0-1 record in their last 10 games. Certainly no one player can shoulder the blame for that sort of skid, but the fact that captain Corey Scott – the team’s leading point-getter – has not scored since Dec. 14 is telling of the team’s struggle. Scott’s seven game absence from the goal column coincided with a four-game losing streak which has allowed the Okotoks Oilers to take over third in the South.

Calgary Canucks

If you’re looking for a reason to explain yet another unremarkable season for the Calgary Canucks don’t look at Michael Matyas.

Despite his losing record (13-21-3-0) so far this season, Matyas may be the prime reason the Canucks have clung to sixth spot in the AJHL South. After spending two solid years behind solid blueliners in Okotoks, Matyas has carried the bulk of the defensive weight for the Canucks this year. At 2206 minutes played, the 19-year-old has logged the third most minutes in the league this year behind only Jan Obernesser in Brooks and Jay Deo for the Mustangs, yet his save percentage of 91.2 is better than both of those two and is ninth best in the league.

Camrose Kodiaks

It may be an extended Christmas hangover, a tough stretch on the schedule or a combination of the two, but it seems like the Camrose Kodiaks have started hibernation.

While they’ve picked up a single point in three of them, the simple fact remains that the Kodiaks have only won two of their last eight games. To make matters worse, three of those eight games came against the suddenly surging Oilers who, at press time, were only five points back of the second-place Kods in the South Division.

The Kodiaks will need goaltender Brayden Hopfe to continue his strong play if they hope to hold onto their position in the final 14 games of the season. Hopfe has saved 92.6% of the 755 shots he’s faced this year.

Canmore Eagles

It hardly seems possible for a 16-year-old to do, but Luke Philp seems intent on putting the Canmore Eagles on his back and carrying them to the playoffs.

The play-making rookie has quietly helped resurrect what seemed like a doomed season for the Eagles. In 35 games the Canmore-bred forward has tallied 11 goals and 24 assists and has helped pull his hometown squad out of the AJHL’s cellar. At press time the Eagles sat four-points up on the South Division’s last place team – Drumheller.

Drumheller Dragons

For most of the province the -30-degree weather only just arrived, but it’s been ice cold in Drumheller for months now.

Despite a few glimpses of hope following the replacement of head coach Dan Price earlier this season, the Dragons have slipped back into last place in the South Division. And the slide has not been pretty.

Drumheller has been outscored 28-7 so far in January and there is limited reason to believe that sort of spread to converge any time soon. Goaltenders Christopher Wray and Brayden Gamble have an average goals against average of 4.65 so far this season, while the Dragons’ top goal-scorer, Doug Jones, has managed only 11 markers in 45 games.

With 15 games remaining on the schedule the Dragons are only four points back of a playoff spot, but they’re going to need the Eagles to slide to bridge that gap.

Okotoks Oilers

Coach James Poole has got to be wishing the playoffs started today. The second-year bench boss has helped turn an adverse start into what’s promising to be a torrid finish in Okotoks.

The Oilers, paced by some timely goals from last year’s Unsung Hero Scott Bolland, have managed to close the gap on the second-place Kodiaks with three wins in their last three tries head-to-head. Solid team defence is also proving to be a strong suit for Poole’s club as exhibited by Okotoks’ 2-0 win over the Lloydminster Bobcats on Jan. 8.

At press time the Oilers sat third in the division with 49 points.

Olds Grizzlys

Tanner Dunkle is a man possessed.

The 18-year-old Calgary product has been one of the league’s most dominant performers since returning from the Christmas break, putting up 12 points in his last seven games and is playing a major role in the Grizzlys’ recent resurgence.

Olds has won its last six in a row and despite a tough stretch of opponents to end the month of January are showing a level of confidence seldom seen around the central Alberta town over the past two seasons. At press time the Grizzlys were in fifth place in the South with 39 points.

More from the AJHL North in our next issue…

Previous Story: AJHL Team Reports
Next Story: Bandits Capture AJHL Title