St. Albert product Josh Mahura was among 66 players selected to play on three Canadian teams at the 2014 World U17 Hockey Challenge.
The defenceman for the Red Deer Rebels in the Western Hockey League will suit up for Canada White at the Nov. 2 to 8 tournament in Sarnia and Lambton, Ont.
It’s the first time three Canadian national teams – Black, Red and White – will compete at U17 worlds. From 1986 to 2014, Canada was represented by five regional teams: Atlantic, Ontario, Pacific, Quebec and West.
The U17 players were evaluated with their club teams early in the 2014/15 season, the national U17 development camp in August in Calgary and last season at three regional U16 events.
Mahura, 16, was picked in the second round (36th overall) by the Rebels as the ninth defenceman taken in the 2013 WHL bantam draft.
The six-foot, 165-pound blueliner spent last season with the Okanagan Hockey Academy
The former captain of the bantam AAA St. Albert Sabres had one assist and was minus-eight in six games with the Rebels, the host team for the 2016 Memorial Cup.
The second season for the senior AA Morinville Kings in the North Central Hockey League starts Saturday in Slave Lake.
Puck drop is 8 p.m. against the Winterhawks.
The home opener for the Kings is Oct. 25 against the two-time reigning NCHL champion Devon Barons at 8:30 p.m. at Ray McDonald Sports Centre.
The Kings will also raise their Hockey Alberta provincial A banner to the rafters in the pre-game ceremonies.
At the AA/A provincials in March in Morinville the Kings defeated the Barons 4-3 in the A final.
The teams hooked up recently in preseason action in Evansburg and Devon won 6-2. The Kings didn’t dress eight players from their provincial championship team.
In the NCHL north standings Devon (13-2-3) finished two points ahead of the second-place Kings (13-4-1).
The best-of-three divisional opening playoff round saw the Kings lose two straight to the Westlock Warriors (9-9).
This season the NCHL is down to seven teams with the absence of the Drayton Valley Wildcats and Athabasca Aces.
Changes to the schedule include two extra league games and a best-of-five first round playoff.
Visit www.northcentralhockeyleague.com or www.morinvillekings.com for game times and results.
The St. Albert Raiders have collected more ties than wins after six games in the Alberta Midget AAA Hockey League.
The fourth draw in a row for the Raiders (1-1-4) was Sunday’s 5-5 stalemate with the Calgary Northstars (2-0-4) at Max Bell Centre.
The Northstars pulled even at five on the power play with 1:45 remaining.
The Raiders were led by Parker AuCoin’s hat-trick and a pair by Ryan Peckford.
AuCoin, a second-year Raider, is the team’s top scorer with six goals.
Ian Mitchell and Ryan Cox added two assists apiece.
Both teams were credited with 35 shots. In net was Joshua Dechaine.
The day before the Raiders and Calgary Flames skated to a 3-3 tie at Stu Peppard Arena.
Jaedon Leslie knotted the score at three with 3:53 to play. Nick Sutter and Brendan Kallis struck on the power play.
The Raiders were outshot 34-27 and Dechaine was between the pipes.
This weekend the Raiders host the Canadian Athletic Club (4-0-2) Saturday at 1:15 p.m. and Sunday they face-off against the Southside Athletic Club (1-3-2) at 11:45 a.m. at Bill Hunter Arena.
Tonight the St. Albert Slash start a six-game homestand at Go Auto Arena in the Alberta Major Midget Female Hockey League.
Puck drop is 8:15 p.m. against the Edmonton Thunder, the six-time reigning AMMFHL champions and 2014 Esso Cup silver medallists.
The Slash (6-6) are coming off a 3-2 loss to the Thunder (3-3-2) Sunday at Kinsmen Arena.
Jamie Jones opened the scoring in the second period and it was 3-1 Thunder when Jenna Jewell capitalized on the power play with 2:56 left in the game.
Shots were 33-15 for the Thunder. In net was Natalie Bender.
Saturday the Slash were shutout 1-0 by the Fury (8-4) in Sherwood Park. It was the third time in six games the Slash were unable to find the back of the net.
The Slash outshot the Fury 21-20. Erynn Shantz drew the start in net.
This weekend the Slash host the Lloydminster Steelers (2-5-1) Saturday at 2:15 p.m. and the Peace Country Storm (4-5-1) Sunday at 11 a.m.
The St. Albert Sabres rebounded from a shutout loss in Spruce Grove to defeat Camrose on the road last weekend in the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League.
Cole Gupta and Martin Rudolf tallied twice and Ryan Deets also scored in Sunday’s 5-1 win against Camrose (2-3).
The Sabres outshot the home team 40-18. The winning netminder was Colton Girard.
Gupta is the team leader in goals with seven and points with nine in eight games. Mason Rezewski and Rudolf have eight points apiece.
Saturday the Sabres outshot the PAC Saints 31-26 but lost 5-0 at Grant Fuhr Arena. Mitchell Reidy started in net against the Saints (4-2-2).
The Sabres (3-3-2) are back on home ice this Sunday against the Lloydminster Heat (2-5). Game time is 5 p.m. at Akinsdale Arena.
