Players interested in joining the NEW AFHL U13AA Raiders for the 2023-2024 season are invited to come out and skate with the Head Coach Mark Hallam and learn more about the program at the Chestermere Arena on June 23rd and June 25th.

The ice times are Friday June 23rd from 7:45-8:45pm and Sunday June 25th from 12:15-1:15pm. If you select 1 session the fee is $25.00, 2 session is $50.00

Players must reside within the Raiders draw zone to register. The draw zone includes players from Foothills, Chestermere, High Country, Hussar, Indus, Nanton, Okotoks, Rockyford, Siksika, Strathmore, Standard

To register please visit:

http://ooaa.rampregistrations.com/

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to reach out: admin@okotokshockey.com

The OOAA AGM will be taking place on Wednesday June 21st at 7:00pm. The AGM will be hosted by an independent 3rd party.

If you are not able to attend the AGM Powerpoint will be posted on the OOAA website after the AGM.

AGM Registration is now closed.

The link to access the AGM will be emailed out to registered members prior to June 21st.

Nominations:

If you are interested in serving on the board in a volunteer capacity please refer to the OOAA website to complete a nomination form and submit it to Rob Ellis at rellis@okotokshockey.com.

All nominations must be received by OOAA 10 days prior to the AGM as per our bylaws

Registrants will receive a link to the meeting prior to the AGM.

Please welcome the following volunteers to the OOAA 2023-2024 Board:

Treasurer – Kathleen Dengler (2 Year term)

Division Directors (one year term)

U18AAA / AA Raiders – Tamara Spencer

U15AA Raiders – Nicole Brockhoff

U13AA Raiders / U13AA Oilers – Jenn Dustow

U15AAA/AA Oilers – Michelle Barratt

U16AA/U18AA – Karla Wingate-Cooley

U18AAA BowMark – Rob Ellis

 Directors at Large (one year term)

Scott Harding

Orinda McCann

Nominations for the positions that remain open will be accepted from the floor during the AGM.

Open Positions (one year term)

U17AAA Division Director

Directors at Large (2 openings)

REGISTRATION LINK:  to be posted here once registration opens

For a breakdown of different registration options based on your players birth year please visit the registration information tab.

If your player is attending a Junior camp or has signed a LOI and will be missing some or all of the AAA tryouts they MUST STILL BE REGISTERED for the OOAA tryouts.

Only players that are registered will be considered for OOAA teams in the event they are released from their junior team.

Players that are still at a junior camp but have registered will have their names listed on the tryout rosters as "At Junior Camp" as players are released their name will be removed from this list and added to a tryout roster.

Players that are at Junior camps MUST stay in contact with the U18AAA Director Rob Ellis - rellis@okotokshockey.com throughout the process.

If your player is successful in making a Junior team you will receive a full refund from OOAA. If your player joins the OOAA tryouts in progress you will receive a prorated refund.

https://www.ajhl.ca/critcal-dates

PLEASE ONLY REGISTER FOR YOUR PLAYERS 1st TRYOUT. IF THEY HAVE BEEN RELEASED YOU CAN LOG BACK INTO RAMP AND REGISTER FOR THEIR 2ND TRYOUT.

Any questions please contact the OOAA Registrar Lindsay Graw at admin@okotokshockey.com

Conditioning camp tentative dates:

U13AA Oilers- August 26-29th

U13AA Raiders- August 26-30th

U15AA/AAA- August 14-20th (included checking)

U15AA Raiders- August 26th-29th

U16AA/U17AAA/U18AA/U18AAA Oilers- August 19-22nd

U18AAA/AA Raiders- August 19-25th

Tryout tentative dates for guaranteed 3 skates:

U13AA Oilers- August 31-Sept 2nd 

U13AA Raiders- September 6-9th

U15AAA  Oilers 1st year tryout- August 23/24th

U15AAA Oilers- August 26-29th

U15AA Oilers- August 31-September 3rd

U15AA Raiders- August 31-September 3rd

U16AA/U18AA Oilers combined- TBD

U17/U18AAA Oilers 1st year tryout- August 26-27th

U17AAA/U18AAA Oilers - September 1-3rd

U18AAA Raiders- August 26-30th

U18AA Raiders- September 8-10th

U18AAA Bowmark

Tuesday and Thursday development sessions-Pason Green from 11:00am-12:15pm

Wednesday and Friday- Pason Green from 7:15AM to 8:30AM 

U17AAA Oilers

Tuesday and Thursday development sessions- Pason Gold 10:45am-12:00pm

Wednesday and Friday - Pason Gold from 7:00AM to 8:15AM 

U18AAA Raiders

Tuesday and Thursday - Pason Gold from 12:15pm-1:30pm

Wednesday and Friday – Pason Gold form 2:45PM to 4:00PM 

OOAA is please to announce the following Coaches for 2023-2024 season.

U18AAA Bowmark- Head Coach- Chris Beston

U18AAA Raiders- Head Coach- Dave Addison

       Assistant Coach- C.J. Wedenig

U18AA Oilers- Head Coach- Rob Hale

U18AA Raiders- Head Coach- Dave Hayes

      Assistant Coach- Mike Bara

U17AAA Oilers- Head Coach- Ken Plaquin

U16AA Oilers- Head Coach- Geoff Stewart

U15AAA Oilers- Head Coach- Jamie Steer

       Assistant Coach- Joe Tsai, Rock Ruschkowski

U15AA Oilers- Head Coach- Daron Dumanski

       Assistant Coach- Dylan Wilson

U15AA Raiders- Head Coach- Keegan Thompson

U13AA Oilers- Head Coach- Jerry Thompson

U13AA Raiders- Mark Hallam

Spokane, Wash. — The Spokane Chiefs are proud to announce that goaltender prospect Carter Esler has signed a WHL Scholarship and Development Agreement. Esler was selected in the first round (22nd overall) of May’s WHL Prospects Draft — the highest goaltender selection by the Chiefs in franchise history.

General Manager Matt Bardsley commented, “We are excited to welcome Carter and his family to the Chiefs organization.  Carter is a very composed, technical goaltender who provides a calmness and confidence in the net.  He will display his athleticism when needed and has the ability to make the big save.  Carter is very focused and driven to be the best and we are excited for his future in Spokane.”

“I am very honoured to be drafted and signed to such a great organization. I have heard nothing but great things about Spokane. All of the staff and players have been very welcoming and I’m excited to be a Spokane Chief.” Esler, a five-foot-nine netminder from Okotoks, Alberta, spent the 2022-23 season with the Okotoks Oilers U15 AAA where he posted a 2.98 GAA and a .925 SV% over 21 games in net (13-6-2). He stayed steady in the playoffs, going 7-1-1 and posting a 2.56 GAA and a .936 SV%, recording a shutout. Esler was also named a 2023 Alberta Cup All-Star last month after his team, Alberta Green, won the tournament. In 3 GP, he posted a GAA of 0.34 and SV% of .987, along with two shutouts.

Prior to that, Esler went 11-7-0 in the crease through 19 games in the 2021-22 season, posting a 2.73 GAA and a .918 SV% and adding on six more wins in the playoffs (2.26 GAA; .928 SV%).

He joins recently signed forwards Brody Gillespie (1st-overall, U.S. Draft) and Mathis Preston (3rd-overall, WHL Prospects Draft) as the Chiefs’ 2008-born prospects who have signed with the team since being drafted in May.

Esler is first eligible to join the Chiefs as a full-time player during the 2024-25 season and can play up to five games as an Affiliated Player in 2023-24.

Please read the below memo regarding the recent changes to U15AAA and U18AAA.

Carter Esler (G), Round 1 - 22nd overall by Spokane

Grady Pichette (D), Round 4 - 88th overall by Lethbridge

Noah Milford (F), Round 7- 150th overall by Red Deer

Kade Pierson (F), Round 8- 172 overall by Red Deer

Tate Hanson (F), Round 9- 193 overall by Portland

Kaden Hayes (F), Round 10- 205 overall by Vancouver

OKOTOKS OILERS ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION

POSITION:           DIRECTOR OF COACH DEVELOPMENT

JOB DESCRIPTION

OOAA is looking to fill the position of Director of Coach Development starting with the 2023/2024 season. This position reports directly to the executive of the OOAA and is a key person in the overall development of the hockey operations of the association.

The Director of Coach Development is a paid position and will require engagement into an employee contract with the OOAA.

Duties of Coach Director:

• Works closely with the OOAA executive and Division Directors is all coaching matters of the association
• Coordinate the Coach Selection Committees annually for the open coach positions
• Coordinates and approves coach development
• Meets regularly with Coaching Staff and assists them with their concerns
• Observes a sample of team practices and games through the season to ensure the Policies and Procedures are being observed
• Ensure that a Head Coach performance survey is completed by Parents and Players
• Hosts a year end meeting with each Head Coach at the completion of the hockey season
• Makes recommendations to the Coach Selection Committee and the Board regarding the retention of a Head Coach for a subsequent season
• Works with the Spring Showcase committee on the format and involvement of the coaches

Interested candidates please email your resume to Rob Ellis at rellis@okotokshockey.com no later than April 1, 2023

On Nov 28, the AA and Elite Male Committee launched a survey to all AA/AAA players in the province to get a better understanding of the elements of elite sport players value most and to understand their satisfaction with those elements in their current hockey experience. The results of the survey will help guide the Committees on what elements of the AA/AAA Models need the most immediate attention and also how the AA/Elite Committee can better support AA Recruitment Area and Elite Draw Zone hosts like yourself. Attached is a summary of the results and the results for your Recruitment Area/Draw Zone. If you have any questions on these results, how to interpret them, or what to do with them please do not hesitate to reach out.

Bulletin 22-08 - AFHL U15AA and U13AA Franchises

Hockey Alberta’s Elite Female Hockey Committee has been reviewing the location and number of teams at each level of hockey within the Alberta Female Hockey League (AFHL). We are continually reviewing and identifying ways to ensure alignment within the Elite Female Hockey Model as well as establishing a progression for players within the entire hockey system. The review focused on the following areas:

• Current and historical registration numbers (within Recruitment Areas and provincially);
• Competitiveness of the teams;
• Each Host MHA’s commitment to player development;
• Each Host MHA’s commitment to growth and development of grassroots female hockey;
• Impact to existing Minor Hockey Associations.

On November 2, Hockey Alberta announced the addition of a new U13 AA division within the AFHL, as well as expansion of the U15 AA division, and officially opened an application process for Minor Hockey Associations (MHAs) to apply to host those teams.

• The addition of a U13 AA division provides a competitive all-female option for female athletes that enter the Elite system, and establishes a development pathway for athletes to progress through.
• Expansion of the number of U15 AA teams is a direct result of increasing numbers of female players entering and progressing through the Elite Female Hockey Model.

After a thorough review of all applications, Hockey Alberta’s Elite Female Hockey Committee is excited to announce the addition of the following Host MHAs, effective for the 2023-24 season:

1. U13 AA - 16 Teams
   Host MHAs: Airdrie, Bonnyville, Calgary (3), Camrose, Edmonton (2), Grande Prairie, Leduc, Lethbridge, Lloydminster, Okotoks, Red Deer, Sherwood Park, and St. Albert
2. U15 AA - Addition of 2 Teams
   1 in Calgary (3 total)
   1 in Edmonton (2 total)

The Elite Female Committee also identified the need to address the operational structure of the South Central recruitment area. The current structure included two Host MHAs separately operating teams within the same recruitment area and lacked unified leadership. After working with the Host MHAs, it was determined one Host MHA was required, and Airdrie MHA will take on the responsibility of hosting all U13 AA, U15 AA and U18 AA teams in the South Central recruitment area.

The Elite Female Hockey Committee is working with all Host MHAs to finalize details of program and league operations for the upcoming season. We will also continue to review the structure and alignment of U18 AAA and U18 AA, discussing a potential expansion in the 2024-25 season.

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