The St. Albert Merchants are sending four players and the coaching staff to the Capital Junior B Hockey League all-star classic today at Ken Nicol Arena in Beaumont.
The rookie game at 1:30 p.m. will feature defenceman Mike Bruni and bench boss Scott Rodda and his assistant coaches on the west team.
Forwards Mike Roeleveld (21 goals, 40 points) and Casey Reid (14 goals, 38 points) and captain Dan Rombough (eight goals, 19 points) on defence will participate in the 4:30 p.m. all-star game.
In league play, the first-place Merchants (23-5-1) were winners of 10 straight games before Friday’s home tilt against the Strathcona Bruins (12-15-1). The score was unavailable at press time.
The Merchants visit the Edmonton Mustangs (16-9-1) at 8 p.m. Wednesday at Bill Hunter Arena.
The St. Albert Flyers are undefeated in nine games after winning their fourth in a row in the Alberta Minor Midget AAA Hockey League.
Leif Mattson tallied twice and Peter Michailides added two assists in Wednesday’s 5-3 victory over CAC United Cycle (12-10) at Akinsdale Arena.
Mattson’s second goal and league-leading 36th in 22 games was the winner with 7:19 to play. He is also the top point producer with 66.
Aidan Steinke, Samuel Smith-Ackerl and Josh Antunes also scored as the Flyers (16-3-4) recorded their eighth win in nine games. They are 11-0-2 on home ice.
Shots were 35-31 for the Flyers and Chris Curr (7-1-2, 3.14 GAA) was in net.
The next game is Thursday versus the Spruce Grove PAC Saints (5-10-5) at 7:15 p.m. at Grant Fuhr Arena.
The first game in the new year for the St. Albert Slash ended with a loss in the Alberta Major Midget Female Hockey League.
The Sherwood Park Fury scored twice in the last seven minutes of the second period to break a 2-2 tie in Wednesday’s 4-2 decision at Go Auto Arena.
The fourth goal was a power-play effort with 54 seconds left in the period.
Megan Lalor potted a pair and Breanna Jones tied at two in the opening minute of the second.
Lalor’s second marker, a power-play strike with 12:46 to play, was her league-leading 21st goal and 32nd point in 24 games.
The Slash were outshot 41-23 and Natalie Bender (5-6, 2.41 GAA) was between the pipes.
The Fury (15-8-2) now trail the third-place Slash (14-8-5) by one point with two games in hand.
The Slash enjoy a break in the schedule and don’t play until Jan. 24, when they visit the Rocky Mountain Raiders (8-9-8) in DeWinton.
Meanwhile, in last weekend’s all-star game, Lalor was named the game star for Team Teal in the 5-1 loss to Team White.
