AJHL punishes 5 teams ‘defecting’ to BCHL

In a not-so-surprising announcement, the Alberta Junior Hockey League has heavily punished the five teams that are “defecting” to the B.C. Hockey League next season.

On Thursday, the AJHL said it was curtailing the remaining schedules of the Blackfalds Bulldogs, Brooks Bandits, Okotoks Oilers, Sherwood Park Crusaders and Spruce Grove Saints.

News broke last Friday that the five were leaving the 16-team AJHL, with the BCHL confirming the news in a short statement one day later.

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In a league announcement on Thursday, the AJHL said it was cancelling games between the five teams and the league’s other 11 teams. In effect, the five teams can now only play each other.

“We continue to evaluate the best path forward after reviewing Saturday’s BCHL announcement that five of our teams have decided, in the middle of our current season, to leave the AJHL to play unsanctioned hockey beginning in the 2024-25 season,” the AJHL said.

“We are responding by taking steps to protect the competitive integrity of the AJHL and CJHL playoff system and to ensure the safety of our players and officials.

“To this end, until further notice, we have cancelled all upcoming games scheduled to be played between these five defecting teams and the remaining 11 teams at the core of our league.”

The league said that “out of respect for the players on the five defecting teams, we will allow scheduled games among these clubs to proceed.”

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The AJHL also said that “We are disappointed by the recent announcement but look forward to providing our fans with more exciting AJHL hockey in the months and years ahead.”

Since Saturday, the league had suspended several games involving the five teams.

In the Brooks, Alta., Bulletin, Bandits president told the century-old newspaper that “the information wasn’t supposed to be out until May 1,” adding “nothing has been signed yet, but an agreement has been reached and our board has agreed to it unanimously.”

The newspaper article is available online.

Global News has reached out to the BCHL and the five teams for comment.