Burchart, Payne and Middendorf Selected as AJHL Weekly Award Winners

Forward Jesse Burchart of the Fort McMurray Oil Barons is the Pizza 73 AJHL Player of the Week.  Burchart extended his active point streak to five games with seven points (4G, 3A) in four road games from December 12^th-18^th, 2022.

Jesse Burchart (2002) opened the scoring for Fort McMurray on December 13^th in a 6-5 overtime loss to the Lloydminster Bobcats.  On December 14^th, he scored a goal and an assist to pick up the Viterra AJHL Star of the Game award as the Oil Barons defeated the Bonnyville Pontiacs 3-2 in OT.  Jesse recorded another two-point game on December 16^th with two assists in a 5-2 loss in Spruce Grove.  He would then record his third consecutive two-point game with two goals in another overtime loss for the MOB on December 17^th versus the Sherwood Park Crusaders.  Burchart earned his second Viterra AJHL Star of the Game selection of the week.

The hometown boy has played 173 AJHL regular season games with the Oil Barons through his AJHL career over the past five seasons.  Jesse is second in team scoring with 28 points (15G, 13A) and has already surpassed his point total from each of the previous seasons.

The division’s fourth place Oil Barons will host the third place Bonnyville Pontiacs on New Year’s Day when the team resumes play after the holiday break.

Sherwood Park Crusaders defenceman Dominic Payne is the Alberta Ford Dealers AJHL Defensive Player of the Week.  The 2004-born rookie extended his five-game point streak with five points (2G, 3A) over three games last week.

Payne (Vancouver, BC) posted an assist versus the Drayton Valley Thunder on December 13^th in the only loss of the week for the Crusaders.  On December 16^th, he scored his first AJHL game winning goal and added an assist in a 6-4 win over the Whitecourt Wolverines.  The Crusaders fought back from a three-goal deficit versus the Fort McMurray Oil Barons on December 17^th to win 5-4 in overtime.  Payne scored a game tying goal to make the game 3-3 in the comeback and added his 10^th assist of the season to earn the Viterra AJHL Star of the Game.

 Sherwood Park will resume play on December 30^th versus the division leading Spruce Grove Saints.

The Inter Pipeline AJHL Rookie of the Week is Gavin Middendorf of the Drayton Valley Thunder for the second time this season.  With three multi-point games, the 2004 forward recorded seven points (4G, 3A) in three games to wrap up the season for the holidays.

Gavin Middendorf (Forest Lake, MN) scored a goal and an assist to open the week with a 5-2 win versus Sherwood Park on December 13^th.  He repeated his performance on December 16^th with a goal and an assist in a 3-2 win over the Blackfalds Bulldogs, including his fifth game winning goal of the season.  On December 17^th, Gavin scored a game tying goal and go-ahead goal versus the Whitecourt Wolverines in a comeback attempt, but the Thunder would eventually lose 5-4 to the Wolverines.  His three-point game with two goals and an assist resulted in a Viterra AJHL Star of the Game selection.

Middendorf is second in team scoring and fifth among AJHL rookies with 29 points (18G, 11A).  Whitecourt and Drayton Valley will play a home and home series on December 29^th and 30^th to wrap up 2022.

Pizza 73 AJHL Player of the Week Recipients:

• September 16^th-25^th, 2022: Brett Meerman, Blackfalds Bulldogs
• September 26^th-October 2^nd, 2022: Cody Pisarczyk, Spruce Grove Saints
• October 3^rd-9^th, 2022: Cooper Smyl, Whitecourt Wolverines
• October 10^th-16^th, 2022: Tyler Wallace, Blackfalds Bulldogs
• October 17^th-23^rd, 2022: Aiden Fink, Brooks Bandits
• October 24^th-30^th, 2022: Kayden Smith, Canmore Eagles
• October 31^st-November 6^th, 2022: Ty Daneault, Drumheller Dragons
• November 7^th-13^th, 2022: Nicolas Beaudoin, Bonnyville Pontiacs
• November 14^th-20^th, 2022: Aiden Fink, Brooks Bandits
• November 21^st-27^th, 2022: Elliot Dutil, Brooks Bandits
• November 28^th-December 4^th, 2022: Justin Barker, Calgary Canucks
• December 5^th-11^th, 2022: Luigi Benincasa, Spruce Grove Saints
• December 12^th-18^th, 2022: Jesse Burchart, Fort McMurray Oil Barons

Alberta Ford Dealers AJHL Defensive Player of the Week:

• September 16^th-25^th, 2022: Caleb MacDonald, Whitecourt Wolverines
• September 26^th-October 2^nd, 2022: Nick Wolfenberg, Okotoks Oilers
• October 3^rd-9^th, 2022: Tanner Willick, Blackfalds Bulldogs
• October 10^th-16^th, 2022: Sam Court, Brooks Bandits
• October 17^th-23^rd, 2022: Sam Court, Brooks Bandits
• October 24^th-30^th, 2022: Sam Court, Brooks Bandits
• October 31^st-November 6^th, 2022: Rylan Brown, Okotoks Oilers
• November 7^th-13^th, 2022: Nick Wolfenberg, Okotoks Oilers
• November 14^th-20^th, 2022: Connor Mackenzie, Grande Prairie Storm
• November 21^st-27^th, 2022: Jack Budd, Bonnyville Pontiacs
• November 28^th-December 4^th, 2022: Jordan MacFarlane, Calgary Canucks
• December 5^th-11^th, 2022: Matthew Hennessey, Blackfalds Bulldogs
• December 12^th-18^th, 2022: Dominic Payne, Sherwood Park Crusaders

Inter Pipeline AJHL Rookie of the Week:

• September 16^th-25^th, 2022: Ben Aucoin, Lloydminster Bobcats
• September 26^th-October 2^nd, 2022: Jacob Cossette, Spruce Grove Saints
• October 3^rd-9^th, 2022: Rhett Dekowny, Canmore Eagles
• October 10^th-16^th, 2022: Callan Budinger, Sherwood Park Crusaders
• October 17^th-23^rd, 2022: Nicolas Beaudoin, Bonnyville Pontiacs
• October 24^th-30^th, 2022: Hudson Malinoski, Brooks Bandits
• October 31^st-November 6^th, 2022: Sam Court, Brooks Bandits
• November 7^th-13^th, 2022: David Clarke, Olds Grizzlys
• November 14^th-20^th, 2022: Nicolas Beaudoin, Bonnyville Pontiacs
• November 21^st-27^th, 2022: Gavin Middendorf, Drayton Valley Thunder
• November 28^th-December 4^th, 2022: Nicolas Beaudoin, Bonnyville Pontiacs
• December 5^th-11^th, 2022: Cade Moxham, Olds Grizzlys
• December 12^th-18^th, 2022: Gavin Middendorf, Drayton Valley Thunder