The St. Albert Merchants skate Sunday against the Edmonton Royals in the Capital Junior B Hockey League.
Faceoff against the east division Royals (4-6-1) is 8 p.m. at Confederation Arena.
On Friday the Merchants (5-2-2) were gunning for their fifth straight win when they hosted the Beverly Warriors (9-2) in a west division tilt at Akinsdale Arena. The score was unavailable at press time.
Last weekend the Merchants downed the Fort Saskatchewan Hawks 7-4 in St. Albert. Alex Hawirko paced the offence with three goals and one assist. Stefan Meunier and Ryan Harrison had one goal and two assists apiece. Jamie Umbach and Matt Bowles also scored. In net was Justin Pawlenchuk (3-3, 3.79 GAA).
Defensive lineman Josh Madsen and place kicker Ideen Samadi of the Edmonton Wildcats were named to the Prairie Football Conference all-star team.
Madsen, a Paul Kane graduate who played high school football for the St. Albert High Skyhawks, tied for the PFC lead with five quarterback sacks.
Samadi led the PFC in scoring with 85 points and his 19 field goals tied for the third highest total in conference history. He was also second in the conference in kickoff yards at 1,872.
Samadi was also a unanimous selection as the PFC place kicker rookie of the year and was the recipient of the outstanding special teams player award.
This is only the second year of football for the noted soccer player. Last year in Grade 12 he was the main offensive threat for the winless Paul Kane Blues in the metro Edmonton league’s Carr conference.
Forwards Connor Hoekstra of St. Albert and Nelson Gadoury of Calahoo are among 61 players selected from the Canadian Junior Hockey League’s junior A leagues in Alberta (20 players), British Columbia (25), Saskatchewan (seven) and Manitoba (five) and the Superior international league (four).
Tryouts start Sunday in Calgary. Players will be divided into three teams and will play three intersquad games in addition to daily practices.
The junior A worlds run Nov. 5 to 11 in Yarmouth, N.S. Canada West will play in group A with the Czech Republic and Russia. Canada East, Switzerland and the United States will comprise group B.
Hoekstra, 19, is one of seven players going to the camp who played for Canada West at last year’s junior A worlds. He was pointless in five games and had 12 penalty minutes. In the final Canada West doubled Canada East 4-2.
Hoekstra is in his third season with the Canmore Eagles and in 15 games has six goals, two assists and 27 PIM. His career totals are 33 goals, 60 points and 220 PIM in 125 games.
Gadoury, 17, skates for the Camrose Kodiaks and in 15 games posted three goals, eight points and 57 PIM. Last season as a rookie he recorded 16 goals, 36 points and 108 PIM in 58 games with Camrose.
