2019-20 AJHL season

This is the 2019-20 Alberta Junior Hockey League season. This is the league's 56th season dating back to its founding in 1964.
The regular season will run from September 13th to February 27th.
==Suspending of Play==
The Canadian Junior Hockey League announced Thursday that effective Friday, March 13, all games and hockey-related activity involving its member clubs have been cancelled, until further notice, due to the continued threat of the global COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Pandemic as well as potential exposure and contamination of its players, team staff members, on and off-ice officials, volunteers and fans.https://www.mjhlhockey.ca/mjhl-covid-19-update-2020-mjhl-playoffs
==Membership Changes==
*The Calgary Mustangs opted to take a one year leave of absence from the league after a failed attempted to move the franchise to Strathmore for 2019-20.https://calgarysun.com/news/local-news/calgary-mustangs-hockey-club-set-to-take-leave-of-absence-from-ajhl-next-season The team would be sold in October of 2019 and will relocate to the Blackfalds Multiplex Arena in Blackfalds, Alberta for the 2021-22 season.http://ajhl.ca/media-centre/news-archives.html?nID=16073 The team name was announced on April 23, 2020 as beeing the Blackfalds Bulldogs.http://www.ajhl.ca/media-centre/news-archives.html?nID=17197
*The Canmore Eagles will begin the season playing a few games out of the Banff Recreation Centre while awaiting the completion of renovations at the Canmore Recreation Centre.http://ajhl.ca/media-centre/news-archives.html?nID=15604
==Exhibition Games==
The pre-season will include 10 inter-league games against members of other CJHL leagues and 10 other games in non AJHL communities including DeWinton, Stettler, Westlock, and Cochrane.
The Grande Prairie Storm will play the Czech Republic men's national junior ice hockey team in an exhibition game on December 5th prior to the 2019 World Junior A Challenge.
==Showcase==
The league will have its 13th annual AJHL Showcase in Camrose September 26-28, 2019
==Neutral Site Game==
The Lloydminster Bobcats will take on the Fort McMurray Oil Barons on December 6th in Onion Lake, Alberta/Saskatchewan
==Team==
Viterra North Division 	Viterra North Division 	Viterra North Division 	Viterra North Division 	Viterra North Division	Viterra North Division	Viterra North Division	Viterra North Division	Viterra North Division	Viterra North Division	Viterra North Division
Team 	City 	Arena 	Joined AJHL 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Bonnyville Pontiacs 	Bonnyville, Alberta 	R. J. Lalonde Arena 	1991 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Drayton Valley Thunder 	Drayton Valley, Alberta 	Drayton Valley Omni-Plex 	1998 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Fort McMurray Oil Barons	Fort McMurray, Alberta 	Casman Centre 	1981 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Grande Prairie Storm 	Grande Prairie, Alberta 	Revolution Place 	1995 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Lloydminster Bobcats 	Lloydminster, Saskatchewan	Centennial Civic Centre 	1988 (founded in 1982 as SJHL team) 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Sherwood Park Crusaders 	Sherwood Park, Alberta 	Sherwood Park Arena 	1976 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Spruce Grove Saints 	Spruce Grove, Alberta 	Grant Fuhr Arena 	2004 (as Spruce Grove Saints, 1963 originally for franchise as Edmonton Movers)	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Whitecourt Wolverines 	Whitecourt, Alberta 	Scott Safety Centre 	2012 (as Whitecourt Wolverines, 1976 as Fort Saskatchewan Traders) 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Viterra South Division 	Viterra South Division 	Viterra South Division 	Viterra South Division 	Viterra South Division	Viterra South Division	Viterra South Division	Viterra South Division	Viterra South Division	Viterra South Division	Viterra South Division
Team 	City 	Arena 	Joined AJHL 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Brooks Bandits 	Brooks, Alberta 	Centennial Regional Arena 	2000 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Calgary Canucks 	Calgary, Alberta 	Max Bell Centre 	1971 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Camrose Kodiaks 	Camrose, Alberta 	Edgeworth Centre (Encana Arena)	1997 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Canmore Eagles 	Canmore, Alberta 	Canmore Recreation Centre 	2001 (as Canmore Eagles, originally joined 1995 as Bow Valley Eagles) 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Drumheller Dragons 	Drumheller, Alberta 	Drumheller Memorial Arena 	2003 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Okotoks Oilers 	Okotoks, Alberta 	Pason Centennial Arena 	2005 (as Okotoks Oilers, originally joined 1998 as Crowsnest Pass Timberwolves)	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Olds Grizzlys 	Olds, Alberta 	Olds & District Sports Complex 	1981 (as Olds Grizzlys, originally joined 1974 as Taber Golden Suns) 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
On Hiatus 	On Hiatus 	On Hiatus 	On Hiatus 	On Hiatus	On Hiatus	On Hiatus	On Hiatus	On Hiatus	On Hiatus	On Hiatus
Team 	City 	Arena 	Joined AJHL 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Blackfalds franchise	Blackfalds, Alberta	Blackfalds Multiplex Arena	2010 (as Calgary Mustangs, originally joined as The Pass Red Devils in 1972)	 	 	 	 	 	 	
==Standings==
===North Division===
Team 	GP	W 	L 	OL	GF 	GA 	Pts
Sherwood Park Crusaders 	58	49	9 	0 	271	128	98
Spruce Grove Saints 	58	43	13	2 	246	155	88
Whitecourt Wolverines 	58	32	17	9 	191	163	73
Bonnyville Pontiacs 	58	33	21	4 	213	189	70
Drayton Valley Thunder 	58	26	25	7 	172	189	59
Fort McMurray Oil Barons	58	20	34	4 	149	228	44
Grande Prairie Storm 	58	18	33	7 	139	198	43
Lloydminster Bobcats 	58	11	41	6 	120	238	28
===South Division===
Team 	GP	W 	L 	OL	GF 	GA 	Pts
Okotoks Oilers 	58	47	7 	4 	256	141	98
Brooks Bandits 	58	46	10	2 	290	145	94
Drumheller Dragons	58	37	18	3 	249	168	77
Camrose Kodiaks 	58	31	24	3 	203	204	65
Canmore Eagles 	58	23	31	4 	207	248	50
Olds Grizzlys 	58	10	41	7 	157	291	27
Calgary Canucks 	58	9 	46	3 	118	299	
21
==2020 Playoffs==
The league announced on September 13, 2017 that the new title sponsor of the League championship will be Inter Pipeline Ltd. and that the playoffs will be renamed the Inter Pipeline AJHL Playoffs and the championship trophy would be renamed the Inter Pipeline Cup.http://ajhl.ca/media-centre/news-archives.html?nID=11826
===Format===
The top seven teams in North division qualify for the playoffs with the top team in the division receiving a first round bye. The 2nd place team play the 7th place team, the 3rd place play 6th, and 4th place play the 5th place team in best of seven series. Due to the reduction of one team the South Division will have the top six teams qualify for the playoffs with the the 1st and second place teams earning first round byes and 3rd place play 6th, and 4th place play the 5th place team in best of five series.
In the second round the first place team play the lowest seeded first round winner and the other two first round North Division winners play each other in best of seven series while the 2nd place team in the South Division plays the higher seeded first round winner. The division semifinal winners meet in the best of seven division final. The Viterra AJHL South Division and Viterra AJHL North Division playoff champions meet in the best of seven AJHL Inter Pipeline Cup Final.
The playoff winning team win the Inter Pipeline Cup will advance to an inter-provincial best-of-seven playoff with the British Columbia Hockey League for the Doyle Cup and the Pacific region spot in the 2020 Centennial Cup; which is being held in Portage La Prairie, Manitoba. The series is scheduled to begin in the BCHL team's rink April 24th 2020.http://ajhl.ca/media-centre/news-archives.html?nID=15604
===North Division Quarterfinals===
*Spruce Grove Saints defeated Grande Prairie Storm 4 games to 2
*Whitecourt Wolverines defeated Fort McMurray Oil Barons 4 games to 2
*Drayton Valley Thunder defeated Bonnyville Pontiacs 4 games to 2
===South Division Quarterfinals===
*Drumheller Dragons defeated Olds Grizzlys 4 games to 1
*Camrose Kodiaks defeated Canmore Eagles 4 games to 3
Playoffs were cancelled between completion of the division quarterfinal round division semifinal round
==References==
Category:2020 in hockey
Category:Alberta Junior Hockey League