By Scott Lowe – MYHockeyRankings.com

It’s a huge weekend for hockey for U15 boys in Western Canada, so that’s where we are taking you for our Week 18 Games of the Week. 

Two AAA tournaments for 2009 birth years (and younger) that combined include the top-12 teams in Western Canada as well as 26 of the top-29 Western Canadian teams, the No. 2 team in Ontario and two top-40 American teams are being contested simultaneously in Alberta this weekend at different venues.

The Western Canadian Crown Elite U15 Invitational runs Thursday through Sunday and features five of Western Canada’s top-13 teams, seven of the top 19 and 13 of the top 29. It is being held at River Cree Sports Twin Arenas in Enoch, Alberta, and all games can be seen live on HNLive.ca.

The Northern Alberta Xtreme captured the 2023 tournament championship and back to defend their title as the second-ranked team in Western Canada, according to MYHockey Rankings. They are joined by No. 6 Delta Hockey Academy Green, the No. 11 Regina Pat Blues, No. 7 RINK Hockey Academy Winnipeg and the No. 13 Airdrie Xtreme. 

NAX opens defense of its title Thursday at 2:30 p.m. EST vs. the 25^th-ranked Calgary Bisons. 

Meanwhile, over in St. Albert, the 45^th edition of the highly anticipated John Reid Memorial U15 AAA Invitational Tournament also is being held Thursday through Monday at Servus Credit Union Place. The John Reid Memorial boasts seven of Western Canada’s top10 U15 clubs and 12 of the top 20 along with Ontario’s second-ranked Toronto Titans and the USA’s No. 30 Okanagan Hockey Academy Colorado and No. 40 Phoenix Jr. Coyotes.

According to the John Reid Memorial website, “In the fall of 1978, a group of St. Albert residents spearheaded by Blaine Galbraith and the Kinsmen Minor Hockey Association who were operating minor hockey in St. Albert at the time believed that it would be great to have a Bantam A tournament to showcase not only the St. Albert Sabres but other teams from Alberta and Western Canada.”

The first John Reid Memorial Invitational was held in April 1979 and included eight teams: the Kamploops Syd Smith Chevy’s, the Saskatoon North Stars, Edmonton KC Squires, Sherwood Park Bumpers, Edmonton Maple Leaf Bay Drug Knights, Calgary Red Arrow Colts and the St. Albert Sabres. Sherwood Park defeated St. Albert for the inaugural championship. The tournament was expanded to 12 teams in 1994 and the current 16-team format in 2009. 

Tournament-host St. Albert has won the championship just once, in 1983, while placing second in 1996 and 1997. The Notre Dame Hounds and Thunder Bay Kings each have won four tourney titles, with Thunder Bay capturing the championship every year between 1997 and 2000. 

The tournament was renamed the John Reid Memorial U15 AAA Invitational in 1994 to honor former St. Albert coach John Reid, who had lost a lengthy fight with cancer.

Over the years, teams from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario as well as faraway U.S. locations such as Dallas, Phoenix, Seattle, Colorado, Anaheim and Los Angeles have participated. HC Kometa, a club team from the Czech Republic, became the first European team to compete in 2014.

More than 160 tournament alums have played in the National Hockey League, including well-known players such as Rod Brind’Amour, Vincent Lecavalier, Jarome Iginla, Jordan Eberle and Jonathan Toews. Several hundred more tournament participants have been drafted by Canadian Major Junior Western Hockey League teams as the event annually is intended by more than 100 junior and NHL scouts.

 

Western Canadian Crown Elite Invitational

The puck dropped on the Western Canadian Crown event at 9:30 a.m. EST Thursday as No. 61 Delta Hockey Academy Black took on the #28 Lethbridge Golden Hawks. This year’s tournament includes three of Western Canada’s top-seven teams and of the region’s top-12 clubs.

The tournament’s 16-team field is divided into two divisions – the Hemmerling and Savoie divisions – and four pools.

The Hammerling Division’s Sarasota Homes & Realty Pool figures to be the “Pool of Death,” as it includes the No. 2 Northern Alberta Xtreme, No. 6 Delta Hockey Academy Green and No. 11 Regina Pat Blues. The other Hemmerling Division Pool – the Merit Energy Solutions Pool – includes the No. 13 Airdrie Xtreme, No. 7 RINK Hockey Academy Winnipeg, the No. 27 Fort Saskatchewan Rangers and the No. 26 Swift Current Broncos.

The Savoie Division pools include the Nos. 16, 19, 24, 28 and 29 Western Canadian clubs.

 

CLICK HERE for the updated tournament standings

CLCK HERE for the full tournament schedule

 

Thursday’s Top Western Canadian Crown Matchups

#7 RHA Winnipeg (11), #27 Fort Saskatchewan Rangers (3)

#13 Airdrie Xtreme (3), #26 Swift Current Broncos (4) - OT

#19 Calgary Northstars (9), #24 Martensville Marauders (2)

#6 Delta Hockey Academy Green (1), #11 Regina Pat Blues (0)

#13 Airdrie Xtreme (6), #27 Fort Saskatchewan Rangers (1)

 

Friday’s Top Western Canadian Crown Matchups

#2 Northern Alberta Xtreme (8), #6 Delta Hockey Academy Green (1)

#7 RHA Winnipeg (8), #13 Airdrie Xtreme (2)

#27 Fort Saskatchewan (6), #26 Swift Current Broncos (5)

#24 Martensville Marauders (11), #29 KC Squires (3)

#2 NAX (6), Regina Pat Blues (3)

 

Saturday’s Western Canadian Crown Semifinals

 #6 Delta Hockey Academy Green (2), RHA Winnipeg (3) - OT

Treyce Pavlic's late second-period goal for Delta forced overtime, but Anthony Bedard would win it for RHA Winnipeg with 2:25 left in the extra session to make a winner of netminder Tate Barnaby (22 saves). 

 

#2 NAX (6) vs. #13 Airdrie Xtreme (0)

Ben Harve netted a pair of goals and added an assist, while Blake Chorney also tallied three points with a goal and two assists to lead the Xtreme into the championship round. Cam Hoose made 24 saves to earn the shutout for NAX. 

 

Sunday's Western Canadian Crown Third-Place Game

#13 Airdrie Xtrme (3), #6 Delta Hockey Academy Green (1)

Delta's Alexander Laing broke a scoress tie with a second-period goal, but the Xtreme rallied for three-striaght second period tallies and held off Delta in the final frame. Jensen Marsch tied it with a penalty shot before Zachery Hall and Zane Rains pushed the lead to 3-1 after two. Remy Martins made 23 saves to earn the win in goal. 

 

Sunday's Western Canadian Crown Championship Game

 #2 NAX (8), #7 RHA Winnipeg (3)

Northern Alberta scored five times in the opening two periods and cruised to the championship with three more goals in the final frame. Blake Chorney was one of three players with three points, recording two goals and an assist. Memphis Adeniken added 1-2-3 and Jaggar John handed out three asssits. Trey Bohlken was the other NAX player to record multiple points, netting a pair of goals, and Cam Hoose stopped 25 shots to pick up the win in goal. NAX ended the weekend with a perfect 5-0-0 record, while RINK Winnipeg went 4-1-0. 

 

Watch games on HNLIVE.ca 

 

 

John Reid Memorial Invitational Tournament

The puck dropped on the 45^th edition of the John Reid Memorial U15 AAA Invitational at 10 a.m. EST Thursday as Western Canada’s eighth-ranked Yale Hockey Academy faced #15 Burnaby Winter Club Academy at the Performance Arena. It will wrap up Sunday with the championship game at 4 p.m. EST.

All games are being played at Servus Credit Union Place and can be seen on FloHockey.tv.

Much like the other Alberta U15 tournament, the John Reid Memorial has 16 teams divided into four pools. This event’s “Pool of Death” appears to be the San Rufo Homes Pool, which includes the top-ranked Edge School, No. 4 St. Albert Sabres, No. 12 Okanagan Hockey Academy Penticton and No. 17 Fraser Valley Thunderbirds.

The Kondro Electric Pool is no walk in the park either as it includes the third-ranked St. George’s School (BC), No. 10 Okanagan Hockey School Edmonton, No. 18 Sherwood Park Kings and No. 21 Saskatoon East Oilers. The other two pools include the Nos. 5, 8, 15, 9, 14 and 30 Western Canadian teams along with Ontario’s second-ranked Toronto Titans.

 

CLICK HERE for the updated tournament standings

CLCK HERE for the full tournament schedule

  

Thursday’s Top John Reid Memorial Games

#8 Yale Hockey Academy (5), #15 Burnaby Winter Club Academy (4) - OT

#4 St. Albert Sabres (3), #17 Fraser Valley Thunderbirds (1)

#3 St. George’s (8), #18 Sherwood Park Kings (2)

#10 OHA Edmonton (8), #21 Saskatoon East Oilers (5)

#2 Ontario Toronto Titans (4), #14 WC Red Deer Rebels (3)

#5 Calgary NWCAA Flames (4), #8 Yale Hockey Academy (2)

#4 St. Albert Sabres (3), #12 OHA Penticton (1)

#1 Edge School (9), #17 Fraser Valley Thunderbirds (4)

 

Friday’s Top John Reid Memorial Games

#10 OHA Edmonton   (6), #18 Sherwood Park Kings (5)

#3 St. George’s (8), #21 Saskatoon East Oilers (3)

#2 Ontario Toronto Titans (6), #9 WC RHA Kelowna (4)

 #5 Calgary NWCAA Flames (4), Burnaby Winter Club Academy (2)

#1 Edge School (7), #4 St. Albert Sabres (3)

#12 OHA Penticton (2), #17 Fraser Valley Thunderbirds (1)

#10 OHA Edmonton (2), #3 St. George’s (3) - SO

#9 RHA Kelowna (2), #14 Red Deer Rebels (5)

 

Saturday's John Reid Memorial Quarterfinals

#2 Ontario Toronto Titans (6) vs. #10 WC OHA Edmionton (4)

Toronto rallied from an early 2-0 defict to tie the game at 2 after two periods then scored twice in the firs 8:18 of the final frame to secure the win and advance to the semifinals. Six different Titans scored, with Sam Roberts stirring the offensive pot by dishing out three assists to go along with the game-winning goal in the third period. Branden Chong handed out a pair of assists while both Jeremy Freeman and Logan Massimi added a goal and an assist. Owen Leonard made 29 saves to earn the win in goal. 

 

 #5 NWCAA Flames (2) vs. #4 St. Albert Sabres (5)

Ossie McIntyre was the hero for the Sabres, recording a hat trick and dishing out an assist as St. Albert moved on to the semis. Pacey Thomas made 33 saves as the winning netminder. 

 

#3 St. George's School (3) vs. #14 Red Deer Rebels (4)

Red Deer potted two goals in each of the second and third periods to earn the semifinal berth. Easton Nafziger finished with a goal and two assists, with Brock Dingman adding a goal and an assist and Drake Mooney stealing the show by stoppig 52 St. George's shots. 

 

 #8 Yale Hockey Academy (1) vs. #1 Edge School (9)

Edge asserted its dominance early with four first-period goals and never looked back. Aden Bouchard and Adam Halat recorded two goals and two assists for the winners, with Mirco Duour adding 1-3-4, Jordin St. Louis contributing 0-2-2, Luke Jamison tallying 2-0-2 and Jordin St. Louis dishing out a pair of helpers. Carsten Leyerzapf stopped 22 shots in the victory. 

 

Saturday's John Reid Memorial Semifinals

#1 Edge School (8), #14 Red Deer Rebels (3)

The offensive onslaught continued for Edge School as they forced Drake Mooney to make 54 saves but also figured him out eight times to advance to the title game. Mooney finished the day with 106 total saves for the Rebels. Six Edge players finished with multiple points, led by Mirco Difour (1-2-3), Nate Cole (2-1-3), Jordin St. Louis (1-2-3) and Brock England (1-2-3). Leif Oaten stopped nine shots to record the shutout. 

 

#2 Ontario Toronto Titans (8) vs. #4 WC St. Albert Sabres (3)

The Titans scored six times in the first two periods and cruised into the championship game. Jeremy Freeman scored four of the Titans' eight goals, while Michael Tang added two goals and two assists and Max Delisle chipped in a goal and three helpers. Bruce Tyler dished out two helpers, and Owen Leonard made 22 saves to pick up the win in goal. 

 

Sunday's John Reid Memorial Third-Place Game 

#4 St. Albert Sabres (8), #14 Red Deer Rebels (3)

The Sabres sprinted to a 5-2 lead after the first period and cruised to the bronze medal, outsooting the Rebels by a 57-19 margin. Ossie McIntyre and Colt Carter led the offensive surge with two goals and an assist apiece, with Kai Richards adding 1-2-3 and Chase Sabatino handing out three helpers. Ethan Fidelak and Luke Ruptash each added a goal and an assist, and Joe Naccarato got the win by making 15 saves. Red Deer actually led, 2-1, 4:16 into the contest on goals by Brock Dingman and Alex Mathieson, but the Sabres exploded for four goals in the final 10-plus minutes of the opening frame to take control. 

 

Sunday's John Reid Memorial Championship Game 

 #1 WC Edge School (5) vs. #2 Ontario Toronto Titans (2)

Edge School used four second-period goals to rally from an early two-goal deficit and capture the tournament title in a battle of the top-ranked team in Western Canada and the second-ranked team in Ontario. Five different players scored for Edge, with Adam Halat, Luke Jamieson, Jordin St. Louis and Reeve Waugh tallying during the second-period run and Matthew Hilderman burying an empty-netter with one second left in the game. St. Louis, Waugh and Hilderman added assists to go along with their goals, and Leif Oaten made 25 saves to earn the victory in goal. Edge School completed a perfedt 7-0-0 weekend, while the Titans finished up at 6-1-0. 

 

Watch games at FloHockey.TV