It’s a new era for Midget AA hockey in Okotoks.
The Okotoks Oilers Athletic Association responded to staggering growth and hockey development by adding a second Midget AA Oilers team to the fold for the 2015-16 season in the South Central Alberta Hockey League.
“It’s all about development, the growth of our association and the quality of talent that we have coming up starting at Timbit,” said OOAA president John Wilson. “Okotoks is one of the few associations that’s growing. With the quality of players we felt the next step in our development model was to add another Midget AA team and get as many kids in that age group playing the highest level they can.”
The association already features two Peewee AA teams, the Bantam AA Oilers, Bantam AAA Rocky Mountain Raiders and M-15 Rockyview Raiders yet were facing situations where higher level players were being squeezed out of AA hockey in Midget due to a shortage of roster spots available.
“It’s about getting the kids in a spot where they can improve and continue to improve,” Wilson said. “And for us, it’s about fielding competitive teams and we think we can do that.
“We thought we could support two teams in Midget and we’re pretty happy with the talent level.”
Following evaluations, the teams were selected by the coaching staffs of the two squads, Okotoks Black and Okotoks Green, via a snake-draft system.
Midget Green remains in the South Division with traditional rivals in the Foothills Bisons, Lethbridge Hurricanes and Taber Golden Suns while Midget Black moves into the North Division alongside the likes of Red Deer, Olds and Airdrie.
Being in different divisions, the Okotoks teams will only meet once in the regular season on Feb. 5 in what’s surely a date already circled on the calendar.
“We have a number of different players coming up who have played a high level of hockey throughout their entire minor hockey career,” said OOAA Midget director Trevor McFarlane. “That would support having two AA teams and both AA teams are going to be competitive.
“It’s a sign that Okotoks Minor Hockey is growing and producing strong hockey players.”
Of the two, the Midget Green team boasts more experience at the AA level.
Chris Williams is back as head coach of the Midget AA Oilers Green. The second-year bench boss guided the Oilers to the semifinal round of the post-season in the 2014-15 campaign.
Eight players remain from last year including third-year forward Tyler Bordt, sophomores Wyatt Derksen, Tyler Coffey, Curtis Belbin as well as second-year blueliners Dawson Wade and Colby Baht. Moreover, the goaltending duo of Tanner Webster and Liam Aitken are back for another year in between the pipes for the Oil.
Green will benefit from the addition of a trio of graduates from the M-15 Rockyview Raiders program in Brandt Black, Carter Harris and Michael Lang.
Midget Green opened its season with a 10-2 trouncing over the Taber Golden Suns on Oct. 4 before bowing out 3-2 in a road date with the Medicine Hat Hounds the following day.
Both Okotoks Midget teams boast considerable winning pedigree in the minor hockey ranks, including several members of Okotoks’ back-to-back Bantam AA championship squads in the SCAHL in 2012-13 and 2013-14.
Okotoks Midget Black only has to trace back to last season to rekindle title memories.
The team is largely made up of skaters from the Okotoks Midget 1 Oilers’ championship side in the Central Alberta Hockey League in the spring.
Eleven skaters — including the goaltending pair of Cody Grobowsky and Pierre Wiederhold, defenders Jack McArdle, Noah Smith and forwards Ryan Partaker, Colt Lawson and Devyn Stewart — from the Midget 1 squad have moved onto the AA ranks with Okotoks Black.
Likewise for the men behind the bench, led by returning head coach Ted Stewart.
Midget Black features six skaters from other teams in former M-15 Raiders Coby Proctor and team captain Ty Budai along with the likes of Nicholas Vanderheyden, Hunter Maximnuk and Mitchell Wolfe – who played Midget AA last season on Williams’ team.
Midget Black took its home opener by a 5-3 count over the Foothills Bisons on Oct. 5 and own a 2-1-1 record through four games.
To keep track of both teams’ progression find the latest results on scahl.com/midget
