Dekker's Corner

First let me say that this is all speculation. I don't have any inside information on who will leave, who will stay. That said, as broadcasters it is fun to make bold predictions and every once in a while a blind squirrel finds a nut. This upcoming season could be one of the most wide open years in recent memory for the AJHL. It will be the first full season since the NCAA rule change, no team will be hosting the Centennial Cup in Alberta (that we know of, the 2026 edition has yet to be announced), and there could be an influx of young players coming to the league whose WHL teams feel like aren't quite ready for major junior. So let's take a look and do some waaaaaaaay too early 2025-26 AJHL predictions.  North Division 1. Whitecourt Wolverines Key Returnees: Jalen Bianchet, Ethan Short, Marcello Giorgi, Xavier Lacoste, Jack Pollock Graduates: Zac Onyskiw, Braden Keeble, Travis Verbeek, Joey Vetrano, Dylan Ruptash, Timothy Kim, Ewan McPherson, Matthew Gallant Possible Depar...

  After 10 days of intense competition we have a new national champion at the Junior A circuit. First off, hats off to Calgary for hosting a top class event. I know there were some ice issues in the middle of the preliminary round (not quite ice plant on fire, hey Fort McMurray?), but the crew found a way to fix these issues and adapted to ensure the tournament wouldn't skip a beat. Group A Results This was a wild group that seemed wide open at the start of the Centennial Cup, and for the most part it lived up to the billing. Trenton was the class of the group. Their only blemish, an overtime loss to Kam River (the Walleyes first ever win at the Centennial Cup) otherwise it was a very professional performance from the OJHL champs. Northern Manitoba continued their Cinderella run. Taye Timmerman continued to be their best player and the spotlight never seemed too bright for the 2007-born rookie. Greater Sudbury did enough to get themselves into the quarterfinals. A final preliminary...

  About a week has gone by since the Oil Barons held their spring camps in Cochrane and Beaumont. First off, huge stick taps to assistant coach Matt Liggett, Director of Scouting Tim Sullivan and all the scouts for putting on two excellent showings, especially with all the drama surrounding the Oil Barons organization (more on that in a later post). Spring camps typically are for identifying players for two seasons down the road, with the odd guy finding a way onto the team for the upcoming season. Cochrane's camp turned out to generally be more geared towards the skaters. Lots of skill was on display, lots of goals were scored and there were some intriguing prospects showcasing their talent and potential to be stars in the AJHL. In Beaumont, the goalies stole the show, although some players also stood out. Before we get to the prospects who stood out, let's take a glance at the current roster of players who could return and who have departed. Departures Eight Oil Barons gradua...

  The combatants are set. We know who all will be coming to Calgary for the 2025 edition of the Tim Horton's Centennial Cup. It all starts tomorrow at noon when the OJHL's Trenton Golden Hawks battle the Northern Manitoba Blizzard. Here's a quick preview of this season's national championship. Group A Trenton Golden Hawks: The Ontario Junior Hockey League champions were one of the highest ranked teams all season. While some people thought the Leamington Flyers would've been league champions, the Golden Hawks tore through the playoffs beating Pickering, Stouffville and Haliburton County in five games, before beating the Milton Menace in the league finals in six games. Corbin Roach led Trenton in points through the playoffs with 26, while Ryan Sanborn was the best goaltender in the postseason with a sparkling 1.97 goals against average and .935 save percentage. Possessing the top offence in the OJHL, the Golden Hawks can outscore any opponent, but with Sanborn in net,...

  You know what they say about opinions. Everyone's got one. Well, I figured why not throw mine out there. Most people hear my opinion during a broadcast. How I see a game unfold, how I feel about a play (sometimes), how I feel things are trending. But there are a lot of things that are going on behind the scenes and I know there are some people who wouldn't mind me pulling back the curtain a little bit. Now while I can't talk about every single thing in detail, I can still speak up about a few things, which is the purpose of this blog. So, who am I? I am currently the broadcaster of the Fort McMurray Oil Barons of the Alberta Junior Hockey League. Just finished my second season with the organization, after spending four years in Yorkton, Saskatchewan as a news reporter and part time broadcaster of the Yorkton Terriers in the SJHL. To say my two years in northern Alberta were turbulent ones would be an understatement. I've seen more crazy events in two seasons than most...