The St. Albert Raiders skate at home this weekend against south division teams in the Alberta Midget AAA Hockey League.
The Raiders (15-11-2) host the Lethbridge Hurricanes (9-17-6) tonight at 8 p.m. and the SEAC Tigers of Medicine Hat (8-19-4) Sunday at 1:15 p.m. at Akinsdale Arena.
In the north standings the Raiders are one point back of the fifth-place Southside Athletic Club (16-12-3) with a game in hand. They are 5-4-1 in their last 10 games.
The top six teams in the north make the playoffs.
The Raiders have five games remaining before the best-of-three opening round starts. The last league game is Feb. 17 in St. Albert against the seventh-place Grande Prairie Storm (11-14-5) at 1:15 p.m.
The Raiders are the top defensive team in the north with 70 goals against for second overall in the AMHL.
This weekend the St. Albert Flyers have two games scheduled against teams they are tying to catch in the Alberta Minor Midget AAA Hockey League’s north division.
Game times are 1:15 p.m. today against the Spruce Grove PAC Saints (15-7-8) and 3:45 p.m. Sunday against the SSAC Bulldogs (17-9-3) at Akinsdale Arena.
The Flyers (14-8-7) are 3-4-2 in 2014 after last weekend’s 1-1 draw against the Lloydminster Rage (13-9-6) in the Border City.
Zach Sherburne scored the equalizer in the last minute of play and Matt Murray (9-3-4, 2.06 GAA) stopped 27 shots for the visitors.
The St. Albert Gregg Distributors Sabres wrap up league play today against the Camrose Vikings in the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League.
Faceoff is 3:45 p.m. at Akinsdale Arena.
The outcome against Camrose (13-11-6) will help determine if the Sabres (17-11-4) play the Canadian Athletic Club (19-11-2) or the SSAC Southgate Lions (26-4-1) – the three-time defending AMBHL champions and 2013 western Canadian gold medallists – in the best-of-three opening round in the nitro north division.
Playoffs start Tuesday. The Sabres are 6-3-1 in 2014.
Monday the Paul Kane Blues battle the McNally Tigers in metro Edmonton division one men’s basketball.
Tip-off is 5 p.m. at Paul Kane.
The Blues are 4-3 and McNally is 2-5 in league play.
The Blues, unranked in 4A, are coming off wins this week of 61-49 against the Sturgeon Spirits (2-5) at Paul Kane and 76-48 against the host M.E. Lazerte Voyageurs (1-7).
