The USPHL finally makes the move out west making an Alberta division from a bunch of small, no name places with minimal junior hockey history or impact. One of the teams is a rover team set to play in several different home rinks.
I just released how long this post became so TL;DR: there are three independent, unsanctioned junior hockey leagues all trying to play this season in Alberta and there's no way all three work out.
Bit late to this party, but there is more to this story because there are also two other similar indy, unsanctioned, P2P "Jr. A" leagues trying to make a go of it in Alberta.
- There's the also new Alberta Elite Junior Hockey League or AEJHL (just because you name it that doesn't mean it's true) made up of six teams, plus two more teams for 26-27 and one of which is a Montana team.
- One of the AEJHL teams came from the also indy, unsanctioned Alberta-based Canadian-American Junior Hockey League* (just because you name it that doesn't mean it's true)
- Three more came from the also indy, unsanctioned Alberta-based National Junior Hockey League (just because you name it that doesn't mean it's true) and another one was going to leave but then was sold to new owners and is staying
- Despite losing three teams to the AEJHL, the National Junior Hockey League is still around with, doing the math on their website subtracting the AEJHL teams, maybe six teams? This league started as a West division of the GMHL in 2020-21 and went until 22-23, with various teams coming and going, when that connection was dissolved and the NJHL was formed.
- They also put out a statement in May calling out the AEJHL for moving in on their territory and taking teams/those teams breaking agreements with the NJHL, so no love lost between the two
You add on the USPHL Alberta teams, and that's 18 teams that need to fill rosters from the same pool of players. There's just not enough players for the quality of those leagues to be any good, especially considering in Alberta alone, there's the AJ, the BCHL, and a handful of Jr. B and Jr. C leagues of varying quality that are at least legitimate and/or not trying to be anything more than they are.
As for where they are at right now:
AEJHL (Hinton, Lac La Biche, Northern Alberta, Onion Lake, Vegreville, Vulcan)
- The league and teams have had a handful of camps advertised over the last month and a bit, but I would have no idea the turnout or anything
- Some teams have announced some signings but not every team and definitely not enough signings for full teams
- They have announced a schedule starting on September 26
- There's an exhibition schedule before the season starts, including a game that was scheduled for yesterday (September 7) and the league even advertised following along with the game on the website, but the website lists the game as not having happened yet and when you click on the gamesheet link, Lac La Biche is listed as having 23 players (16 F, 6 D, 1 G) and Vegreville is listed as having 6 (4 F, 2G)
- The league does keep counting the days until the season starts though
NJHL (Appears to be Crowsnest Pass, Edison, Redwater, High Prairie, Athabasca, Claresholm)
- Some teams had summer ID camps
- The league announced ID camps happening at the end of May in Edmonton and early June in Calgary, but I would have no idea the turnout or anything
- They had a ID camp in Regina in early August that looks like just over 30 players attended per the photo and then a final camp in Devon from September 19-20
- Some teams have scattered signings
- No schedule announced yet and if the final ID camp isn't until September 20, they are going to be behind the other leagues
USPHL Alberta (Bassano, Calgary, Diamond Valley, Hanna, Southern Alberta, Three Hills)
- The league had a league wide camp on August 16-17.
- The Calgary team is an extension of an existing youth program in Calgary, despite that this USPHL team is going to be playing most of their home games outside of Calgary, had a main camp on August 22-24. The Bassano team's main camp isn't until September 20-21. Southern Alberta had some ID camps from May-July, but unsure it that was when they were still in the CAJHL, but they have at least signed players post USPHL announcement. Nothing from the other three teams that I can find
- One team, Three Hills, was still looking for a GM, a head coach, and an assistant coach at the end of August, with a Facebook comment in the posting from an owner saying the first head coach had to pull out
- Three Hills and and Diamond Valley barely exist as teams, with only incomplete websites to both their names from what I can tell
- Southern Alberta and Bassano have announced some signings, but that's it as far as I can tell
- They have announced a schedule also starting on September 26
If anyone wants to potentially see a junior hockey trainwreck, pay attention to Alberta this season because there's no way all three of these leagues run successfully.
*The Canadian-American Junior Hockey League is in a weird limbo state and probably all but officially dead. They existed from 21-22 to 23-24 before going dormant in 24-25 with plans to return in 25-26. They officially announced their return in March 2025, announced the return of one single team (Southern Alberta) in April, announced a Montana expansion team for 26-27 along with a new league statement/mission in June. Southern Alberta is now part of the USPHL Alberta division and the Montana expansion team has since moved over to the AEJHL, so this league now has no teams with no updates I could find since the June announcements.
This also effects the NA3HL Nords.
