The U18 AA Prince Albert Vulcans won't be the only AA hockey above the U15 level this coming season in Prince Albert. (Prince Albert Vulcans/Facebook)

By Rob Mahon

New Hockey Level

New 15 AA hockey league to arrive in Prince Albert next season

Apr 5, 2023 | 8:00 AM

A new level of hockey similar to one that has been tried in other provinces is coming to Saskatchewan, and Prince Albert has been selected as one of the centres to host a team at this new level.

Hockey Sask has announced the creation of a new AA league specifically for 15-year-olds to help bridge the gap between U15 and U18 levels. The new level will feature eight new teams including one in Prince Albert, and will begin play this coming season.

“Any time you get a chance to create a league where there are more development opportunities at a high level is good for not only Prince Albert, but for the province,” said Tyson Dallman, Director of Player Development with P.A. Minor Hockey. “We’re kind of a year or so behind some of these leagues that have been created around Canada.”

Prince Albert-based parents of kids at the U18 level don’t need to fret, however. Although the U18 AA ranks will be trimmed down from 25 teams to 22, the Prince Albert Vulcans are still in the league.

“It’s great that it gives a chance for those players who are 16 and 17 to keep pursuing higher levels of hockey,” Dallman said. “They have a chance now with the option for 15-year-olds to play in the 15-year-old league, it creates space on our U18 team that might not otherwise be there.”

Raiders AGM

Raiders impact on Prince Albert local economy continues to go up: AGM report

37m ago

Court proceedings

'The impact of this trauma will echo for generations': court case surrounding La Ronge woman's death reaches conclusion

Dec 11, 2024

Going Global

P.A.'s Zablocki named to Team Canada for U18 Women's World Championships

Dec 11, 2024

As Dallman alluded to, Saskatchewan is not the first province to try this method of buying players another year of development rather than jumping straight from U15 to U18. Alberta has a U16 AAA league and both Manitoba and British Columbia operate U17 AAA circuits.

“The main purpose of the league would be to give those kids who just aren’t physically mature enough to play against those 16, 17, some guys by the end of the year are 18 years old,” said Dallman. “I think this (is for) those kids who maybe need a year of similarly sized, similar speed players rather than having to make a jump to a U18 AA players.”

Dallman added they’re not worried about ice times with a new team in Prince Albert, especially since the new arena and aquatic centre should be finished construction sometime this coming winter.

The list of U18 AA teams shrinking by three means Melville, Lumsden/Bethune, and one of the two Notre Dame teams will be out of the league next season.

—-

rob.mahon@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @RobMahonPxP