Spruce Grove Saints among 5 teams leaving AJHL to join BCHL

The British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) acquired five Alberta Junior Hockey League teams (AJHL), including the Spruce Grove Saints, it announced Saturday.

The league says it has agreed to terms with the Saints and four other teams from the AJHL, which are the Blackfalds Bulldogs, Okotoks Oilers, Sherwood Park Crusaders, and Brooks Bandits.

The BCHL says it will provide more information, including league structure, in the “coming weeks.”

This is the first time Alberta clubs have ever been a part of the BCHL, and this addition brings the league to 22 teams, the largest in its history.

Meanwhile, the AJHL claims it learned of the move from the announcement itself, and had not been warned by the BCHL or any of the five teams involved.

“No official notice has been provided to the AJHL from the respective teams,” a statement reads.

As a result of the teams leaving, the AJHL says will be assessing the next steps and “schedule implications.”

“The AJHL will continue to provide unprecedented development opportunities for our athletes within our valuable communities,” the AJHL said.

As a result of the shakeup, several games were cancelled, including two games on Saturday, and two games on Sunday that involved the Calgary Canucks facing the Spruce Grove Saints and the Brooks Bandits squaring off against the Whitecourt Wolverines.

The Bandits, which were supposed to have a game on Saturday, held a three-on-three game instead.

Regarding the AJHL decision to cancel games, the president of the Brooks Bandits Paul Seaton is calling them vengeful on the part of the league and in general mystifying.

He’s concerned about the team being allowed to finish the season.

When CityNews asked for more information from the league about the cancellations, the AJHL declined to comment.

The Bandits are AJHL seven-time champions, winning in 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2022 and 2023. They also won the national junior championship in 2013, 2019, 2022 and 2023.