The Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) has unveiled its 2026/27 schedule, featuring some international competition.
The upcoming season’s exhibition play will include four games for AJHL teams against the visiting Korea University. Those four teams are the Olds Grizzlys, Canmore Eagles, Devon Xtreme, and Drumheller Dragons.
Pre-season play, consisting of 32 games, runs from Aug. 30 to Sept. 13. It will also include three games between Lloydminster Bobcats and opponents from the SJHL.
The league’s 63rd season officially gets going Sept. 18-20. The Drayton Valley Thunder start Sept. 18 on the road in Olds… puck drop is 7 p.m. The home opener is Sept. 20 at 2 p.m. versus Calgary.
Each team’s 54-game schedule will include six games against teams within the division and four games versus each member of the opposite division.
Per the AJHL:
“Six AJHL teams will host a Hockey Hooky Game this year – an exciting opportunity for school students to experience an AJHL game in our communities! The schedule also offers holiday games on Halloween, Remembrance Day and Family Day as well as games in non-AJHL communities like Banff and Thunderchild First Nations with additional new locations to be added.
“The AJHL All-Star Game will return in January 2027 to recognize the league’s top-performing players. The All-Star Game will be a celebration of the league and create an exciting fan-focused atmosphere. The host community and further event details will be announced in the Fall.”
There will also be a new playoff format in 2027 designed to create more meaningful games.
Under the new format, the league will move to a 1-to-10 overall playoff seeding. Teams seeded 7th through 10th will compete in opening round best-of-five Play-In Series (7 vs. 10 and 8 vs. 9), while the top six teams earn a first-round bye.
According to the AJHL, following the play-in series, the remaining eight teams will be reseeded 1-to-8. All playoff rounds from round two onward will be best-of-seven series, with teams reseeded based on regular-season points. The North and South division regular season champions will receive the top two seeds in round two.
The complete AJHL schedule is available at AJHL.ca.
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