Three Airdrie players will suit up for Team Alberta Blue at the 2019 Alberta Cup Hockey Tournament that got underway today (April 25) in Red Deer.  

Six teams of 20 players each are involved in the tourney which began in 1986 as a program for midget-aged hockey players and ran until 1988. The event then went on hiatus until 1993 when it returned as a bantam level competition.

Through Regional Camps, players are able to measure themselves against other players of the same age and receive instruction from some of the best coaches in the province. For those selected to the regional teams, the Alberta Cup is a taste of top-level hockey competition. The bantam-aged player get a taste of the pressure of high-performance hockey and to chance to excel under that pressure.

It is not only an athlete development program, but it also encompasses development opportunities for administrators, referees, coaches, therapists and equipment managers. The competition identifies top level ‘hockey people’ for potential positions at higher level events such as the World U17 Hockey Challenge and Canada Winter Games.

The three players from Airdrie playing for Team Blue include defenseman Jaren Brinson, and forwards Josh Davies and Carter McLeod.  All three played this season with the Edge Sports School.  

Team Blue will see their first action at 2:00 pm this afternoon when they face off against Team Green.  The tournament continues through Saturday with the finals wrapping things up on Sunday.  All games go in the new Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre in Red Deer.

Questions? Comments? Story ideas? Email us at news@discoverairdrie.com