The Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) has announced a record number of players from the 2022-23 season have committed to post-secondary institutions.
A record 121 players committed to play hockey at the college/university level, 90 of which are at the NCAA Div. I level in the United States. The other 31 players signed with schools in NCAA Div. III, USports and in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference.
In the AJHL’s 60-year history, these single-season commitment numbers are unprecedented and the league remains to be one of Canada’s best developmental league for players hoping to play at the collegiate level.
“The path leading from the province of Alberta to NCAA Division I men’s hockey has arguably never been more prolific. This season there were 102 men from Alberta playing NCAA Division I hockey across 44 teams, which is the most ever,” as stated in a media release.
This past season there were 485 members of the AJHL alumni on college and university rosters including the NCAA, USports, ACAC, and the British Columbia Intercollegiate Hockey League. Of those, 158 played in Div. I and 116 in Div. III. In the Canadian leagues, 115 were on the ice in Usports and 76 were on ACAC rosters.
Alberta is just behind Ontario for the most out of any Canadian province to send players to the NCAA Division I level.
“Considering the population, there were more Albertans playing NCAA Division I men’s hockey in 2022-23 than any other province on a per capita basis.
“Of the 102 Albertans playing NCAA Division I hockey, 92 of them played in the Alberta Junior Hockey League and six were captain of their respective team.”
The Blackfalds Bulldogs alone had 13 players commit to playing in the NCAA in the coming years.
On June 15th the AJHL will announce the schedule for the league’s 60th season in the upcoming 2023-24 campaign.
