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 12th-18th, 2022.
Jesse Burchart (2002) opened the scoring for Fort McMurray on December 13th in a 6-5 overtime loss to the Lloydminster Bobcats. On December 14th, 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 16th 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 17th 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 13th in the only loss of the week for the Crusaders. On December 16th, 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 17th to win 5-4 in overtime. Payne scored a game tying goal to make the game 3-3 in the comeback and added his 10th assist of the season to earn the Viterra AJHL Star of the Game.
Sherwood Park will resume play on December 30th 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 13th. He repeated his performance on December 16th 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 17th, 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 29th and 30th to wrap up 2022.
Pizza 73 AJHL Player of the Week Recipients:
- September 16th-25th, 2022: Brett Meerman, Blackfalds Bulldogs
- September 26th-October 2nd, 2022: Cody Pisarczyk, Spruce Grove Saints
- October 3rd-9th, 2022: Cooper Smyl, Whitecourt Wolverines
- October 10th-16th, 2022: Tyler Wallace, Blackfalds Bulldogs
- October 17th-23rd, 2022: Aiden Fink, Brooks Bandits
- October 24th-30th, 2022: Kayden Smith, Canmore Eagles
- October 31st-November 6th, 2022: Ty Daneault, Drumheller Dragons
- November 7th-13th, 2022: Nicolas Beaudoin, Bonnyville Pontiacs
- November 14th-20th, 2022: Aiden Fink, Brooks Bandits
- November 21st-27th, 2022: Elliot Dutil, Brooks Bandits
- November 28th-December 4th, 2022: Justin Barker, Calgary Canucks
- December 5th-11th, 2022: Luigi Benincasa, Spruce Grove Saints
- December 12th-18th, 2022: Jesse Burchart, Fort McMurray Oil Barons
Alberta Ford Dealers AJHL Defensive Player of the Week:
- September 16th-25th, 2022: Caleb MacDonald, Whitecourt Wolverines
- September 26th-October 2nd, 2022: Nick Wolfenberg, Okotoks Oilers
- October 3rd-9th, 2022: Tanner Willick, Blackfalds Bulldogs
- October 10th-16th, 2022: Sam Court, Brooks Bandits
- October 17th-23rd, 2022: Sam Court, Brooks Bandits
- October 24th-30th, 2022: Sam Court, Brooks Bandits
- October 31st-November 6th, 2022: Rylan Brown, Okotoks Oilers
- November 7th-13th, 2022: Nick Wolfenberg, Okotoks Oilers
- November 14th-20th, 2022: Connor Mackenzie, Grande Prairie Storm
- November 21st-27th, 2022: Jack Budd, Bonnyville Pontiacs
- November 28th-December 4th, 2022: Jordan MacFarlane, Calgary Canucks
- December 5th-11th, 2022: Matthew Hennessey, Blackfalds Bulldogs
- December 12th-18th, 2022: Dominic Payne, Sherwood Park Crusaders
Inter Pipeline AJHL Rookie of the Week:
- September 16th-25th, 2022: Ben Aucoin, Lloydminster Bobcats
- September 26th-October 2nd, 2022: Jacob Cossette, Spruce Grove Saints
- October 3rd-9th, 2022: Rhett Dekowny, Canmore Eagles
- October 10th-16th, 2022: Callan Budinger, Sherwood Park Crusaders
- October 17th-23rd, 2022: Nicolas Beaudoin, Bonnyville Pontiacs
- October 24th-30th, 2022: Hudson Malinoski, Brooks Bandits
- October 31st-November 6th, 2022: Sam Court, Brooks Bandits
- November 7th-13th, 2022: David Clarke, Olds Grizzlys
- November 14th-20th, 2022: Nicolas Beaudoin, Bonnyville Pontiacs
- November 21st-27th, 2022: Gavin Middendorf, Drayton Valley Thunder
- November 28th-December 4th, 2022: Nicolas Beaudoin, Bonnyville Pontiacs
- December 5th-11th, 2022: Cade Moxham, Olds Grizzlys
- December 12th-18th, 2022: Gavin Middendorf, Drayton Valley Thunder