2020-21 AJHL season

This is the 2020-21 Alberta Junior Hockey League season. This is the league's 57th season dating back to its founding in 1964.
==Original Scheduling==
The league was planning on beginning its' regular season in September should Provincial health regulations allow. The League announced a tentative schedule, which included a modified schedule format for its 15 teams, in early July alongside contingency plans for a delayed season start.http://ajhl.ca/media-centre/news-archives.html?rYear=2020&nID=17383&nT=league When the schedule was released on July 10th it was written for a 58 game schedule with a predetermined block of games that could be cancelled with out throwing the schedule to much out of whack.http://ajhl.ca/media-centre/news-archives.html?nID=17427
==Revised Schedules==
The season was indefinitely paused on November 25th, February 26th was the original planned restart date, it was later moved back to a mid-March return with games to be played on Friday, Saturday, and Sundays through the end of May.http://ajhl.ca/media-centre/news-archives.html?nID=18159
On February 9th the league announced that it has received approval from the Government of Alberta to restart the 2020-21 Season under the protocols of a comprehensive Return to Play Plan.https://www.fortmcmurrayoilbarons.ca/media-centre/news-archives.html?rYear=2021&nID=18159&sL=spotlight
The league announced a restart of play for March 12th. The league will be divided into five-three team cohorts with the three teams playing two games over three days on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The cohorts will be shuffled in early April and the teams will play games over the next several weekends.http://www.ajhl.ca/media-centre/news-archives.html?nID=18218
==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 being the Blackfalds Bulldogs.http://www.ajhl.ca/media-centre/news-archives.html?nID=17197
*The Canmore Eagles last played on November 14th. The team's arena ended up being used by the Calgary Flames American Hockey League affiliate, as the Stockton Heat were relocated to Alberta temporarily to ease the need for a quarantine between the United States and Canada for the calling up and sending down of players. The Heat would play their games in Calgary at the Scotiabank Saddledome and apparently use the Canmore Recreation Centre as a practice facility.
*On February 25th the Lloydminster Bobcats were forced to suspend their season due to the public health restrictions put in place by the Saskatchewan provincial government. The team had played two games earlier in the season in Kitscoty, Alberta but were unable to get approval from the province of Saskatchewan to resume play as the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League was not able to resume play either.https://www.lloydminsterbobcats.ca/media-centre/news-archives.html?rYear=2021&nID=18203
*The Camrose Kodiaks were forced to end their season on April 21st when due to restrictions in place in Camrose, the city council opted to remove the ice from the arenas in the city.http://ajhl.ca/media-centre/news-archives.html?rYear=2021&nID=18471&sL=spotlight
*On April 28th the Fort McMurray Oil Barons announced the team would be ceasing play for the season as the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, of which Fort McMurray is part, is in a state of emergency due to a very much higher per capita number of COVID-19 cases than the provincial average, and the organization felt it was not practical to continue play.http://ajhl.ca/media-centre/news-archives.html?rYear=2021&nID=18509&tL=team
==COVID-19 Protocol shutdowns==
The following teams were forced to cease all team related activities for 14 days as a result of positive tests:
*Drayton Valley Thunder: April 1st 
*Grande Prairie Storm: April 1st 
*Whitecourt Wolverines: April 1st and 27th
*Okotoks Oilers: April 2nd and 25th
*Camrose Kodiaks April 5th (team would end season on April 21st)
*Drumheller Dragons: April 5th, 7th, and 23rd
*Bonnyville Pontiacs: April 27th
*Calgary Canucks: April 29th
==Showcase==
The league was to have its 14th annual AJHL Showcase in Camrose September 24-26, 2020. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic the league is hoping to hold the event during the second half of the season.http://ajhl.ca/media-centre/news-archives.html?rYear=2020&nID=17383&nT=league When the league announced its' planned schedule for 2020-21 it was moved to January 5-7, 2021.http://ajhl.ca/media-centre/news-archives.html?nID=17427
==Rule Changes==
The league introduces hybrid-icing, choice of face-off spot at the start of a power play and a few other situations, no substitutions when a team dislodges their own net or if a goalie freezes the puck on shots from beyond the red line. The league also adopted a stricter policy for players penalized for diving. The league will implement video review for all penalty infractions and coaches can request a review when incidents involving player safety is a concern.http://ajhl.ca/media-centre/news-archives.html?rYear=2020&nID=17383&nT=league
==Teams==
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 	Centerfire Place 	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 	Randy Rosen Rink 	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/relocating for 2021-22	On Hiatus/relocating for 2021-22	On Hiatus/relocating for 2021-22	On Hiatus/relocating for 2021-22 	On Hiatus/relocating for 2021-22	On Hiatus/relocating for 2021-22	On Hiatus/relocating for 2021-22	On Hiatus/relocating for 2021-22	On Hiatus/relocating for 2021-22	On Hiatus/relocating for 2021-22	On Hiatus/relocating for 2021-22
Team 	City 	Arena 	Joined AJHL 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Blackfalds Bulldogs 	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	%
Fort McMurray Oil Barons	16	12	1 	3 	72	39	27 	.844
Bonnyville Pontiacs 	16	8 	6 	2 	46	42	18 	.563
Grande Prairie Storm 	18	9 	8 	1 	52	57	19 	.528
Drayton Valley Thunder 	16	8 	8 	0 	51	50	16 	.500
Whitecourt Wolverines 	12	5 	6 	1 	31	40	11 	.458
Spruce Grove Saints 	21	9 	12	0 	70	94	18 	.429
Sherwood Park Crusaders 	20	7 	10	3 	54	75	17 	.425
Lloydminster Bobcats 	2 	0 	2 	0 	4 	8 	0 	.000
===South Division===
Team 	GP	W 	L 	OL	GF 	GA	Pts	%
Canmore Eagles 	2 	2 	0 	0 	10 	6 	4 	1.000
Brooks Bandits 	20	18	2 	0 	111	44	36 	.900
Okotoks Oilers 	8 	7 	1 	0 	31 	16	14 	.875
Camrose Kodiaks 	9 	5 	4 	0 	36 	29	10 	.556
Drumheller Dragons	10	5 	5 	0 	30 	34	10 	.500
Calgary Canucks 	15	3 	11	1 	35 	67	7 	.233
Olds Grizzlys 	15	2 	11	2 	31 	63	6 	.200
Note:Due to an unequal number of games played by each team point percentage was used to determine the standings
==2021 Playoffs==
Cancelled
==References==
Category:2021 in hockey
Category:Alberta Junior Hockey League