The St. Albert Steel skate tonight against the Alberta Junior Hockey League champion Spruce Grove Saints at 7 p.m. at Grant Fuhr Arena.
The first-place Saints (29-2-6) beat the Steel 7-1 Friday before 208 fans at Performance Arena. The loss was the fifth in a row and the 12th in 13 games for the last-place Steel (6-29-2).
It was 2-1 for the Saints in the second period when Steel forward Nick Lamoureux scored on the power play. Steel netminder Tanner Kovacs was pulled halfway through the period after giving up four goals on 17 shots. Rhys Hadfield faced 25 shots in a relief role.
Former Steel captain Taylor Fraser had one goal and one assist for the Saints. On Nov. 30 the Steel dealt the 20-year-old right-winger for forward Dallas Smith, 18, the AJHL rights for midget AAA defenceman Jarrett Brown of the Leduc Oil Kings and future considerations.
Fraser has two goals and two assists in six games with the Saints.
The St. Albert Merchants play the Edmonton Royals tonight in the Capital Junior B Hockey League. Puck drop is 8 p.m. at Kenilworth Arena.
The Merchants (11-8-2) share fourth place in the west division and the Royals (18-5-2) are ranked second in the east standings.
The fifth loss in 10 games for the Merchants was 5-2 against the east division-leading Sherwood Park Knights (22-1-1) last weekend at Akinsdale Arena.
The Merchants are back on the ice Friday against the Stony Plain Flyers (1-22-2) at 8:30 p.m. at the Glenn Hall Centennial Arena.
The last home game before the Christmas break is Sunday against the Morinville Jets (16-6-2), the top team in the west, at 8 p.m.
The 30th annual REB Invitational Basketball Tournament at Jasper Place High School tips off Thursday for the Paul Kane Blues and St. Albert Skyhawks.
The first game for the Paul Kane junior girls is against the Harry Ainlay Titans at 2 p.m. in the west gym.
The Paul Kane senior men play the Bishop Grandin Ghosts of Calgary at 6 p.m. in the centre gym. The 2011 Metro Edmonton premier champions are 6-1 in tournament, exhibition and league play. Their only loss was 92-66 against the Bishop O’Byrne Bobcats of Calgary in the semifinal of the 14th annual Mike Dea Classic. The Blues beat the Western Canada Redmen of Calgary by 13 points for third place.
The Skyhawks fly into action at 2 p.m. against the Holy Cross Crusaders of Saskatoon in the east gym. The two-time defending 3A provincial women’s champions are 5-1 overall. They lost the final of the Dea Classic 88-71 to the Dr. Martin LeBoldus Golden Suns of Regina.
