The Okotoks Oilers, Brooks Bandits, Blackfalds Bulldogs, Sherwood Park Crusaders and Spruce Grove Saints have issued a prepared statement on social media in response to the AJHL announcing cancellations of games.
“Our five teams remain members in good standing of the Alberta Junior Hockey League, Canadian Junior Hockey League, Hockey Alberta, and Hockey Canada,” said the post issued late Thursday night and attributed to all five teams.
“We have not entered into any agreement to leave any of those organizations, nor have we made any announcement to that effect.
“We have full intention of fulfilling our commitments to each of those bodies for the remainder of the 2023-24 regular season and postseason.”
It’s the first commentary from the Oilers since six days ago when the BCHL announced five-Alberta-based teams had agreed to terms to join the league for the 2024-25 season.
The Oilers had no comment when asked for reaction from the Western Wheel following the BCHL’s announcement last Saturday.
The AJHL issued its own statement on Jan. 20 in reaction to the BCHL’s announcement, which included the cancellation of games involving the five teams in question against the other 11 teams in the league.
In its Jan. 25 press release, the AJHL further clarified its schedule implications, cancelling all remaining games featuring what it termed ‘the five defecting teams’ and the other 11 member teams.
“We continue to evaluate the best path forward after reviewing Saturday’s BCHL announcement that five of our teams have decided, in the middle of our current season, to leave the AJHL to play unsanctioned hockey beginning in the 2024-25 season,” reads the statement.
“We are responding by taking steps to protect the competitive integrity of the AJHL and CJHL playoff system and to ensure the safety of our players and officials. To this end, until further notice, we have cancelled all upcoming games scheduled to be played between these five defecting teams and the remaining 11 teams at the core of our league.
“Games previously scheduled among these 11 teams will continue as scheduled. Out of respect for the players on the five defecting teams, we will allow scheduled games among these clubs to proceed.”
The AJHL responded to the statement by the five teams with a release it titled 'AJHL seeks clarity on conflicting statements' on Friday, Jan. 26.
"The AJHL is aware of contradictory statements coming from the BCHL and the five defecting clubs, and the negative impact they are having on our players and their families. The denial made late Thursday night by the five clubs directly contradicts the BCHL itself, which said last Saturday that the unsanctioned league and the clubs had "committed to terms" for the teams to join the BCHL starting in the 2024-25 season.
"In addition to contradicting the BCHL, last night's statement is at odds with earlier statements from the five clubs. This includes a media comment from Bandits president Paul Seaton, who said two days ago that "nothing has been signed yet but an agreement has been reached and our board has agreed to it unanimously...The information wasn't supposed to be out until May 1."
"Given the suggestion by the five clubs that the BCHL issued a false statement, and the inconsistent and conflicting information coming from the five clubs themselves, the AJHL is calling on the BCHL and the clubs to provide immediate clarification.
"Until such time as the AJHL is satisfied that there are no plans for the five clubs to depart the league to play unsanctioned hockey, the current scheduling decisions remain in place."
As a result of the cancellations, the Oilers miss out on 10 of their final 13 games, including five home dates. The Oilers will play in Brooks on Friday, Jan. 26, travel to Sherwood Park on Feb. 17 before closing out the schedule on March 1 at home versus the Crusaders.
The statement from the five teams went on to respond to those schedule changes.
“We do not agree that any AJHL games should be cancelled or postponed. We share in the public’s disappointment in the current situation,” the post from the five team reads. “We strongly believe that our players should be back on the ice playing hockey and competing for an Inter Pipeline Cup, and we will do everything we can to bring this unfortunate situation to a positive resolution.”
