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18-662: The Rustlers joined the AJHL in 1967 on the orders of the Alberta Amateur Hockey Association , which blocked their attempt at joining the Western Canada Hockey League as an expansion team. The Rustlers would quickly rise to the top of the AJHL, capturing four league titles in five years between 1970 and 1974. In 1971, they captured the first Centennial Trophy as Canadian Junior A national champions. The Rustlers repeated that feat in 1980. During this time,

36-417: A time when most households didn't have a television and few hockey games were broadcast, local arenas were filled to capacity to watch the local team take on a rival. The popularity of Senior hockey declined in the 1980s and 1990s. A number of long-running leagues and teams vanished. Today, many players choose to play organized recreational hockey, sometimes referred to as "commercial hockey." The popularity of

54-678: Is the governing body of all ice hockey in Alberta , Canada and is affiliated with Hockey Canada . It was founded in 1907 as the Alberta Amateur Hockey Association (AAHA) to be the governing body for Alberta intra-city ice hockey play. As of the 2018–19 hockey season, the Chair of the Board of Directors was Terry Engen, and the Chief Executive Officer for operations management was Rob Litwinski. Hockey had been played for over 10 years before Alberta

72-695: The Alberta Junior Hockey League which was formed in 1963. In the 2024–25 season, Hockey Canada and its four western affiliates – BC Hockey , Hockey Alberta , Hockey Saskatchewan and Hockey Manitoba – will pilot the Western Canadian Development Model (WCDM). Under the WCDM, junior leagues will adopt most of the Western Hockey League rulebook, excluding some sections, and restrictions on 15-year-old affiliate players in

90-780: The Memorial Cup dating back to 1919. The first Alberta junior team to qualify for the Memorial Cup Finals was the Calgary Canadians in 1924. The Canadians would win the Memorial Cup in 1926. Like the rest of Canada, the junior leagues have developed into various tiers as the number of teams and popularity of ice hockey has grown. Today the CHL's Western Hockey League is the top junior level league operating in Alberta. Hockey Alberta operates

108-738: The Pacific Coast Hockey Association sent a letter of protest to the Canadian Hockey Association , demanding that the league be declared professional, thus ineligible to compete for the Allan Cup. The CHA agreed, and stripped the league of its amateur standing after only one season. The controversy continued to haunt the Big Four in its second season. Repeated accusations were made by teams against their opponent's star players, accusing them of being pros. An accusation against

126-517: The Victoria Arena , which had been converted into a hockey rink in 1918. While the Big Four League billed itself as an amateur circuit, it became known as a notorious example of a "shamateur" league, as amateur teams secretly employed professional players in an attempt to gain an upper hand on their competition. When the Big Four announced their intention to compete in the Allan Cup playdowns,

144-543: The Western Hockey League will be loosened. Players that will be 18-years of age or older in the calendar year will be allowed to choose whether to use full-face protection or half-face protection, whilst younger players will be required to use full-face protection. Senior ice hockey Senior hockey refers to amateur or semi-professional ice hockey competition. There are no age restrictions for Senior players, who typically consist of those whose Junior eligibility has expired. Senior hockey leagues operate under

162-610: The Big Four League was finished. After the Big Four League disbanded and the Tigers and Eskimos formed the openly professional Western Canada Hockey League , the AAHA could concentrate on true amateur play. Various senior leagues have existed since 1921, and teams such as the Calgary Stampeders and Edmonton Flyers have played for and won the Allan Cup. Alberta junior teams played against Saskatchewan Hockey Association teams to qualify for

180-517: The Eskimos' goaltender, Bill Tobin by the two Calgary teams led both to threaten to pull out of the league. While Tobin was vindicated, the threats led the league to suspend operations, formally canceling the championship. The Tigers and Eskimos, however, agreed to play their own playoff, known as the Intercity Championship . The Tigers defeated the Eskimos in a two-game, total goal series, but

198-731: The Rustlers developed many players who would go on to play major-junior or college hockey, while 20 ultimately played in the National Hockey League . Among them were all six members of the Sutter family to play in the NHL: Brian , Darryl , Duane , Brent , Ron and Rich . Gary Sutter, the seventh, and only, brother not to play in the NHL turned down an invitation to play for the Rustlers in 1972. In 1989, after winning their eighth league championship,

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216-642: The Rustlers were expelled from the league for violating its by-laws. The team remained suspended until 1992 when it officially folded, making room for the Red Deer Rebels , as the central Alberta city finally joined the WHL. Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against Team granted a one-year leave of absence in 1985–86. They would re-emerge in 1986-87 under new ownership. General Footnotes Alberta Amateur Hockey Association Hockey Alberta

234-642: The first team from Calgary. In 1910, Edmonton would again challenge for the Stanley Cup , this time against the Ottawa Senators . This would be the last challenge for the Stanley Cup from AAHA teams. After the founding of the professional National Hockey Association , Canada's amateur senior teams would compete for the Allan Cup , which they do to this day. For more information, see Big-4 League . In 1919, under

252-617: The founding associations for the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association , formed at meetings held on December 4, 1914 in the Chateau Laurier at Ottawa . In 2007, the centennial of the association was celebrated with the hosting of the Allan Cup in Stony Plain. In 1907 senior amateur hockey was organized into two tiers; the "A" level saw associations from Edmonton, Strathcona and Battleford, Saskatchewan. This "A" level

270-616: The guidance of AAHA league president Allan McCaw, a new elite senior amateur league was established in Alberta with two teams each in Calgary and Edmonton. The league's intention was to compete for the Allan Cup , emblematic of Canada's national senior championship. The Tigers were created, along with the Canadians to represent Calgary, while the Edmonton Eskimos and Dominions represented Alberta's capital. The Calgary teams were hosted at

288-465: The jurisdiction of Hockey Canada or USA Hockey . They are not affiliated in any way with professional hockey leagues. Many former professional players play Senior hockey after their pro careers are over. The top Senior AAA teams in Canada compete annually for the Allan Cup . From the beginning of the 1900s until the 1970s, Senior hockey was immensely popular across Canada, particularly in rural towns. At

306-624: Was only technically amateur. A second "B" level was formed that was "pure amateur." In the 1907-08 season, the Edmonton Hockey Club would win the Alberta "A" championship and challenge the Montreal Wanderers for the Stanley Cup . While Calgary was larger than Edmonton at the time of the AAHA founding, the Calgary associations declined to participate until joining the Senior "A" league in 1910. The Calgary Shermans, named for their rink, were

324-542: Was proclaimed a province in 1905. Play took place on an exhibition or friendly basis. As teams developed, a need developed for a governing body to administer the game at a provincial level for intra-city games. At a November 29, 1907 meeting in Red Deer , the Alberta Amateur Hockey Association was founded, with R.N. Brown elected as the first president of the organization. In 1914, the AAHA would be one of

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