PENHOLD - The Central Alberta Amazons recently hosted the 2017 Alberta Junior Female Hockey League (AJFHL) All-Star event at the Penhold Regional Multiplex.
The event included a skills competition and an all-star game on Jan. 6.
"It's nice to have some fun with the league. The season gets pretty heated and it gets a little competitive, so it's nice to step back and have a friendly competition between the north and the south," said Emma Malsbury, assistant coach with the Amazons.
The annual event includes all nine teams in the AJFHL and showcases top players in both the north and south divisions. Three to five players from each team in the league competed in a skills competition and all-star game later that day.
"There's about 20 players on each all-star team and the top six goalies, three from the north division and three from the south division," explained Malsbury.
Teams from Lethbridge, Calgary, Cochrane, Penhold, Irma, Edmonton, Fort Saskatchewan and Sherwood Park participated in the event.
Derek Loomer, the head coach for the Cochrane Chaos, helped organize the day and said it was an excellent chance to highlight players’ skill and the league.
"It's a great opportunity for the girls to showcase their talent and for us to showcase the league," said Loomer, noting host teams and cities could alternate every year.
"The skills events went really well. Brad Likuski from the Calgary Titans organized the skills competition today and had all of our props, the radar guns and the targets so we could have the event.”
Loomer said in addition to the skills competition the all-star game brings the female hockey players together for a special event.
"We want to make sure we build up that repertoire and excitement so the girls keep coming back to play," he said.
Prior to the all-star game on Jan. 6, teams competed in four different events in the skills competition. They included shooting accuracy, fastest skater, hardest shot and the shootout.
"The south team won two events and the north won two events today," said Loomer. "The girls get a chance to be together, get to know other girls around the league and have fun.
"The all-star game gives us a chance to show the best talent across our league in one day and in one game," added Loomer. "It's a chance for them to see how they measure up against the best girls from the five teams in the south, against the best girls from the four teams in the north."
Derek Loomer, Cochrane Chaos head coach.
"It's a great opportunity for the girls to showcase their talent and for us to showcase the league."
