The No. 1 team in the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League is back at Akinsdale Arena next week.
Tuesday the St. Albert Gregg Distributors Sabres (22-1-1) host the SSAC Southgate Lions (2-18-4) at 8:15 p.m.
The Sabres skated into the Christmas break as winners of four in a row after losing 5-0 to the Calgary Flames (9-9-6) Dec. 11 in St. Albert.
The Sabres are averaging 6.2 goals per game and four players are among the league’s top 12 point producers: Ethan Leyer is fifth at 51, Carter Savoie is tied for seventh at 49, Ryley Morgan is 11th at 45 and Matthew Savoie is 12th at 44.
Mike Benning also leads all defencemen with 33 points.
Ethan Barwick (10-1, 1.81 GAA) and Kyle Nelson (12-0-1, 2.09 GAA) are first and eighth, respectively, in goals-against average as the Sabres have allowed a second-best 47 goals, two more than the Fort Saskatchewan Rangers (19-4-1).
Upcoming for the Sabres is the John Reid Memorial Tournament, Jan. 19 to 22 at Servus Credit Union Place.
The Sabres are competing in the Reid pool’s Kal-Tire division and games are scheduled for Jan. 19 against the Okanagan Hockey Academy of Edmonton at 10:45 a.m. and the Colorado T-Birds at 8 p.m. and Jan. 20 against the 2016 champion Yale Hockey Academy of Abbotsford at 2:30 p.m.
The Skybox Grill division in the Reid pool includes Fort Saskatchewan, Toronto Marlboros, Calgary Bisons and Notre Dame Hounds.
The Iginla pool consists of the Pursuit of Excellence Academy of Kelowna, Red Deer Rebels, Rink Hockey Academy of Winnipeg and Rocky Mountain Roughriders of Colorado in the Holmes division and the Burnaby Winter Club Bruins, Lethbridge Golden Hawks, Phoenix Jr. Coyotes and Delta Hockey Academy Wild in the Remax-Brian Cyr division.
Visit www.johnreidmemorial.com for more information.
The St. Albert Merchants and Morinville Jets ring in the new year with a bang Jan. 6 at Akinsdale Arena.
Puck drop is 8 p.m. between the Capital Junior B Hockey League rivals.
The Jets (19-5-4) are first and the Merchants (13-10-4) are fourth in the west division at the Christmas break.
Previous scores this season were 7-6 Merchants in a shootout in St. Albert and 8-1 and 6-5 in overtime for the Jets in Morinville.
After the holidays, the Merchants have 11 games remaining and the Jets play 10 times before the playoffs start.
