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By Josh Hall
all-star game

AJHL announces new initiatives ahead of 2026/27 season

Jun 2, 2026 | 3:24 PM

The Alberta Junior Hockey League held its AGM and Board of Governors meetings in recent days.

Following the gatherings, several new initiatives were announced for the 2026/27 season.

Regular season format

Per the league: The AJHL will maintain its structure of two divisions for the 2026-27 season – the Bunge AJHL North Division and Bunge AJHL South Division.  The regular season will feature a 54-game schedule, including six games against teams within the division and four games versus each member of the opposite division. The 2026 Exhibition Season and 2026-27 Regular Season schedules will be announced in June.

Playoff format

Per the league: The AJHL is introducing a new playoff format for the 2026-27 season designed to create more meaningful games, reward regular season success and enhance the playoff experience for players and fans. 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.

Following the Play In Series, the remaining eight teams will be reseeded 1 through 8. The North and South division regular season champions will receive the top two seeds in Round Two based on their point totals. All playoff rounds from Round Two onward will be best-of-seven series, with teams reseeded based on regular-season points.

All-Star Game

Per the league: The AJHL will reintroduce the AJHL All-Star Game in January 2027! The AJHL All-Star Game will recognize the league’s top-performing players and provide recognition for outstanding achievements throughout the season. The All-Star Game will be a celebration of the league and create an exciting fan-focused atmosphere. More event details and a host community will be announced in the Fall.

On a separate note, it was shared that the AJHL Board of Governors will hold the 2026 Semi-Annual Meeting in the AJHL community of Devon in November 2026, followed by the 2027 AGM in Whitecourt in May 2027.

The most recent meetings were held in Olds.

by Josh Hall