Alberta Cup History
Leduc is host to the 2010 Alberta Cup. Following in the footsteps of the 2009 host committee in Calgary, Leduc Minor Hockey Association looks to make this event even bigger and better. With outstanding community support and dedicated volunteers, the local host committee will certainly give all participants and fans a taste of Leduc’s hospitality.
The Alberta Cup began back in 1986 as a program for midget hockey players. It was held again in 1987 and 1988 then it disappeared until 1993 when it re-emerged as a bantam level competition. The Alberta Cup aids in the preparation, evaluation and identification of potential players for Hockey Alberta’s Team Alberta Program (formerly known as the Program of Excellence). On an annual base approximately 1000 players try out for 160 spots in the Alberta Cup.
Over the years, the Alberta Cup has evolved into an event known for its professionalism and grassroots approach. Jerrold Lemko, Vice-Chair, Hockey Development Committee has been involved with the Alberta Cup program for many years. He started out as the Director of Operations for the Northeast Panthers, a position which he held for three years, before being named Provincial Coordinator for the Alberta Cup Program in 1999 and POE Provincial Coordinator in 2001. “I have seen the program develop and advance over the past eight years. It is not only an athlete development program, but it also encompasses development opportunities for administrators, referees, coaches and most recently trainers. The Alberta Cup is a very comprehensive and unique program, which is strongly grounded in its philosophies, objectives and guiding principles.
Howard Wurban, Hockey Alberta's former General Manager, was the Northwest Zone Director of Operations for the first Alberta Cup in 1986. He highlights one of the unique qualities of the program saying, “The Alberta Cup is an absolute grassroots program where every bantam age player has the opportunity to try out for the Zone team." This means that players are eligible to try out whether they are on a bantam AAA or D level team.
The Alberta Cup goes beyond player evaluation and identification. This is also an opportunity for administrators, coaches, referees and trainers to be evaluated, as Jerrold Lemko mentioned earlier. The competition identifies top level ‘hockey people’ for potential positions at higher level events such as the World U17 Hockey Challenge and Canada Winter Games.
"Although the quality of the Alberta Cup program is in many ways credited to the people we have involved, the volunteers and coaches are not the only reason for such success” stated Tim Leer, Senior Manager - Hockey Development for Hockey Alberta. Says Leer, "the Western Hockey League is a great partner in the Alberta Cup and in our U17 program and without the financial and human resource support we receive from our partners and sponsors, such as ASRPWF and CCM/RBK, we wouldn’t be able to run such high level programs."
For players, the advantages of being involved in the Alberta Cup begin not just at the tournament, but at the Zone Camps. Through the Zone 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 zone 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.
Regardless of the end results, players are treated fairly and are given the opportunity to excel in the Alberta Cup Program in all situations. With the focus on overall personal development, all athletes who enter the program from the Zone Camps to Team Alberta benefit from this professionally run prestigious program.
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