The NAIT Ooks men’s hockey team won the 2013 ACAC Championship on Saturday night with a roster that included 24 CJHL alumni. The best-of-five series between the NAIT Ooks and SAIT Trojans was dominated with CJHL talent as 48 alumni filled the rosters of the two finalists.
Ooks Captain and CJHL alumnus Andy Willigar scored the game winner six minutes into the second overtime period and lifted NAIT to a 2-1 victory over the host Trojans at the SAIT Arena. The Ooks last hoisted the Bill Henry Jr. Memorial Trophy in 1996, and had reached the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference final seven times since then.
The NAIT Ooks are based in the province’s capital city of Edmonton, Alberta and boast 21 alumni from the Alberta Junior Hockey League. The CJHL alumni on the championship roster include:
1. Andy Willigar, AJHL
2. Blaine Bokenfohr, BCHL / AJHL
3. Brennan Volcan, AJHL
4. Clinton Senkow, SIJHL / AJHL
5. Colton Yaremovich, AJHL
6. Dante Borrelli, AJHL
7. David Simpson, AJHL
8. Jesse Altheim, AJHL
9. Jesse Koch, AJHL
10. Jesse Slobodian, AJHL
11. Jordan Draper, AJHL
12. Jordan Krankowsky, AJHL
13. Jordon Abt, AJHL
14. Josh Koper, AJHL
15. Joshua Lazowski, AJHL
16. Kevin Carthy, AJHL
17. Kyle Harris, AJHL
18. Liam Darragh, BCHL / AJHL
19. Michael Westfall, AJHL
20. Mike Gudmandson, SJHL
21. Riley Marsh, SIJHL / BCHL
22. Shannon Szabados, AJHL
23. Trevor Conrad, AJHL
24. Tyler French, BCHL
On March 18th, the University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds captured the 2013 University Cup and eleven CJHL alumni became CIS National Champions. Universities and colleges on both sides of the Canada-US border continue to be a popular choice for CJHL alumni. During the 2012-2013 season, over 780 former CJHL players played in the CIS (Canadian Interuniversity Sport), Alberta Colleges Athletic Association (ACAC) and BC Intercollegiate Hockey League (BCIHL). This represents 61% of players on Canadian university and college team rosters.