Purpose of a AA / AAA programs
Our athletes wishing to play at the elite level go through the process of playing on AA and AAA teams.
AA Hockey allows for the development of athletes in the "competitive" system within Hockey Alberta at a regional level, acting as a “feeder system” for Elite hockey. Player opportunity and movement is done in recognition of the needs of the player and the MHAs involved. AA Hockey recognizes and supports that each athlete has the right to consider his/her options and should be provided the opportunity to access a level of hockey that is consistent with the skill level of each player.

PRINCIPLES OF THE AA HOCKEY MODEL
The principles of AA Hockey are as follows:

1. The best philosophy for developing players is to create an environment where similarly skilled players are able to compete together and against each other. This AA Hockey Model provides a structure where players are provided the opportunity to access the level of hockey they are capable of playing at.
2. A standardized Province-wide system of hockey that creates a competitive balance at the Peewee (U13), Bantam (U15), and Midget (U18) levels. It provides players with a "developmental" system that focuses on skill development and acts as a "feeder" system bridging the gap between grassroots hockey and Elite (AAA) hockey.
3. A "Regionalized" Hockey System that provides opportunities for players to access the "AA" level of hockey within a reasonable distance of travel from their Resident LMHA. The "AA" Hockey Model is designed to balance the needs of the player with that of the LMHA and family.
4. The AA Model uses established criteria to determine the appropriate number of teams within the Province as well as the terms and conditions under which these teams operate. Identified AA Teams provide opportunities for all the players within their "Recruitment Area".
5. The AA Hockey Model is the only system of hockey at this particular level within Alberta and is designed to provide an option for players without negatively impacting the local Minor Hockey Associations with respect to player movement of provincial categorization.

Here is the progress for hockey players registered in the Hockey Alberta system.
Non Sanctioned players are not allowed to register in the following:
 
Team Alberta Male Program
The Team Alberta Male program development path begins at the U13 age level and progresses to U18, with a goal of identifying and evaluating players in the selection process for Team Alberta. The Team Alberta Male program feeds into Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence. The overall goal is to create an environment where players, coaches, trainers and administrators can meet new friends, compete with their peers, and approach levels of commitment and excellence that each has the potential to achieve.
 
U13 Program
Athletes participate in zone selection camps, with a goal of participating in either the Peewee Prospects Cup or the Alberta Winter Games, which are held in alternate year

1. ALBERTA WINTER GAMES are held in February of even-numbered years. Athletes are chosen from each of the eight Alberta Winter Games Zones to compete in the Games. Zone camps (tryouts) are held in November prior to the Games.
   • The Alberta Winter Games provide second-year Peewee athletes, as well as coaches, trainers and administrators an opportunity to discover the qualities of competitive hockey in a well-organized regional camp and select team competition.
   • 2020 Alberta Winter Games ran February 14-17 in Airdrie.      2022, 2024, 2026…
   • The top 40 athletes from each regional camp (two teams from each camp), six coaches, two coach mentors and two directors of operations will be selected to participate in the Alberta Winter Games.

Alberta Peewee-aged males will have the unique opportunity to participate in the Hockey Alberta U12 Skills Camp, hosted by the Team Alberta program. This Skills Camp focuses on skill development, checking skills, proper training techniques, and provided athletes with information about the Team Alberta process. The 2020 U12 Skills Camp runs May 29-31 in Calgary.
 

• Occurs in the off years of Alberta Winter Games
• Select team competition for 2^nd year Peewee players
• MUST be registered with Hockey Canada / Hockey Alberta program
• 8 team tournament (20 players/team = 160 players) – 2 Calgary, 2 South, 2 Capitol, 2 North
• 2019 in Lethbridge, 2021, 2023, 2025…

 

U15 Program

The U15 Male Program is the third stage of the development and identification process to select a roster for Team Alberta to compete at either the U17 Western Challenge or the Canada Winter Games, beginning with the Alberta Cup. The Games are held every four years, with the next event set for 2019 in Red Deer. Players in the U15 Male program will be challenging for the opportunity to compete on one of the three teams that represent Canada each year at the World U15 Hockey Challenge.
  The Alberta Cup Program begins in March each year with hundreds of players trying out for a spot on one of the six regional teams. The camps include top level instruction and evaluation from Hockey Alberta officials. The teams will then compete in a tournament in April of each year, with players being evaluated for selection the Team Alberta U16 Male Summer Development Camp in July. Coaches, trainers, officials and director of operations also are evaluated to continue in the development path. The 2020 Alberta Cup will be open to 2005-born Male athletes from across Alberta.
The 2020 Alberta Cup runs April 29 - May 3 in Red Deer.
Alberta Cup Regional Camps run March 27-29 in Calgary, Red Deer and Spruce Grove.
Team training runs April 11, for those selected to an Alberta Cup team.

• The Alberta Cup is a U15 Bbantam level competition.
• Through the Regional Camps, the hockey 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 competition. The pressure felt in the Alberta Cup has been said to come close to that of the Western Hockey League. Bantams are getting a taste of the pressure of high performance hockey as well as the opportunity to excel under that pressure.
• The Alberta Cup aids in the identification and selection of potential players for Hockey Alberta’s Team Alberta program, with hundreds of players annually trying out for 120 spots (20 positions on each of the six regional teams) 2 South, 2 Central, 2 North
• Teams will then compete in a tournament in April of each year, with players being evaluated for selection the Team Alberta U15  Male Summer Development Camp in July. 

Eighty players, 12 coaches, four trainers and four administrators are identified and invited to this week-long camp in July. Through high intensity on and off ice training as well as classroom sessions, they are given the opportunity to develop their skills within the game of hockey and as people. From the U15 Provincial Camp, a shortlist is set, with the players scouted with their club teams prior to final roster decisions on the 20 players selected to comprise Team Alberta.
Provincial Camp ran July 1-7, 2019 in Red Deer.
  Twenty players will be selected to the roster of Team Alberta and will compete at either the Western Canada U15 Championships or the Canada Winter Games. The Western U16 is usually held in late-October of non-Canada Winter Games years, with Alberta competing against teams from the other three western provinces. Canada Winter Games are held every four years
 
 
U18 Program
Team Canada
Players are evaluated with their club teams early in the current season, at Canada’s national under-17 development camp in August, and during the previous season, including at three regional under-16 events: the Western Canada U16 Challenge Cup, OHL Gold Cup and QMJHL Excellence Challenge. Sixty-six players from across the country are selected to form three teams (Red, White and Black) to represent Canada at the World U17 Hockey Challenge.