Anyone else watching the AJHL finals?

[CBintheNorth]

Spruce looks really strong this season.
Hopefully it's their year!!

[Hilgy]

Unfortunately all roads lead through Brooks…Don’t see anyone beating them.

[Dick284]

One of these days someone is gonna figure out why Brooks always has a top tier team, never in the dozen or so season’s I’ve followed AJHL hockey have they ever had the dreaded re-build season(s)……

I still enjoy Junior A hockey, but the Brooks thing is more than a bit of a “thing”…….

I support the North Div Champs, although I much prefer Bonnyville to triumph, but I’m pretty sure they won’t.

And yes I know the Thunder were a dumpster fire this past season…….

[CBintheNorth]

One of these days someone is gonna figure out why Brooks always has a top tier team, never in the dozen or so season’s I’ve followed AJHL hockey have they ever had the dreaded re-build season(s)……

I still enjoy Junior A hockey, but the Brooks thing is more than a bit of a “thing”…….

I support the North Div Champs, although I much prefer Bonnyville to triumph, but I’m pretty sure they won’t.

And yes I know the Thunder were a dumpster fire this past season…….

I think it's because their head coach, main scout, and GM are one guy, and he's fantastic. He was the assistant coach 11 or 12 years ago and then became their head coach. I would give him most of the credit for their last 10 or 11 year straight championships.
Then, when you have an organization that constantly puts up numbers and gets kids great scholarships, it's pretty easy to recruit some of the best players. It feeds itself.

It's too bad DV went the way they did this year. After last year I thought they had a good foundation for this season.

If you would have asked me at the end of Friday's North game I would have said Spruce in 6 against Brooks. They look that good.
Then their starting goalie got layed out by a fellow team-mate in OT and might be done for the season. That is REALLY gonna hurt them in that series if they move on...
They sure looked good on Saturday though. Total domination against a very strong Bonnyville.

[Nova]

One of these days someone is gonna figure out why Brooks always has a top tier team, never in the dozen or so season’s I’ve followed AJHL hockey have they ever had the dreaded re-build season(s)……

I still enjoy Junior A hockey, but the Brooks thing is more than a bit of a “thing”…….



Pretty straight forward, the rest of the CJHL is used as their farm team.

[Hilgy]

One of these days someone is gonna figure out why Brooks always has a top tier team, never in the dozen or so season’s I’ve followed AJHL hockey have they ever had the dreaded re-build season(s)……

I still enjoy Junior A hockey, but the Brooks thing is more than a bit of a “thing”…….

I support the North Div Champs, although I much prefer Bonnyville to triumph, but I’m pretty sure they won’t.

And yes I know the Thunder were a dumpster fire this past season…….

Being competitive in Jr A isn't all that much of a mystery. With no draft every player has a choice where to commit. Brooks has the 2 things you need the most to recruit, success and money.

The Bandits do everything right from the way they promote they players to the way run game nights and how their players are treated. Its easy as a player to look past having to live in Brooks if your team has a stick deal, skate deal, provides great travel and fills the barn for home games etc.

I expect that Blackfalds will be a team that will continue to have success as well. Quinn has the money and a top notch facility to recruit as well as "buying" players on PDFs. I dont think they will be the power house that Brooks is but i think they will always be competitive. Quinn wouldnt have it any other way.