Photo Credit – Chad Goddard Photography:
The Pizza 73 AJHL Player of the Week is Tanner Fincaryk of the Lloydminster Bobcats with a seven-point (4G, 3A) performance from December 13th-19th. The Calahoo, AB centre extended his point streak to five games and 11 points to wrap up the season for the holiday break.
Fincaryk, 20, is averaging just over a point per game through the opening 36 games of the regular season and leads the Bobcats with 38 points (16G, 22A) in his fourth AJHL season.
Tanner opened the scoring for Lloydminster on December 15th versus the Sherwood Park Crusaders then added the team’s second goal of the game and an assist to lift the Bobcats to a 6-2 victory. On December 17th, he earned the Viterra AJHL Star of the Game for the fifth time this season with a goal and an assist in the franchise’s first visit to Blackfalds, AB and left with a 4-2 win. Fincaryk scored a goal and an assist in a comeback effort the following night in Drayton Valley, but fell 5-3 to the Thunder.
Lloydminster will resume play on December 29th & 30th in a home and home series with the Bonnyville Pontiacs.
Fort McMurray Oil Barons Captain Taige Harding is the Alberta Ford Dealers AJHL Defensive Player of the Week after recording five points (2G, 3A) in three games and extending his active point streak to five games. This is Harding’s third Defensive Player of the Week selection for the 2021-22 season.
Harding (St Albert, AB) opened the week with an assist in a 6-3 loss to the Bonnyville Pontiacs on December 16th, which ended a five-game win streak for the Oil Barons. They resumed their winning ways the following night with a 5-4 comeback win versus the Sherwood Park Crusaders. Harding scored back-to-back goals in the victory including the game tying goal. In the final game before the break, Harding recorded his 22nd and 23rd assists of the season in a 6-3 loss to the Spruce Grove Saints.
The third-year Oil Baron defenceman was a third round draft pick of the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft and is committed to Providence College of the NCAA Division I.
Taige Harding, 19, is second in team scoring with 37 points (14G, 23A) in 37 games, second in scoring among AJHL defencemen, and in the Top 20 of AJHL scoring leaders. Harding and the MOB defence have allowed the fewest goals against in the Viterra AJHL North Division with just 87.
The Oil Barons are first in the North Division with a record of 29-8-0 and will restart the 2021-22 season on December 30th in Drayton Valley.
For the second time this season, Rieger Lorenz has earned the title of Inter Pipeline AJHL Rookie of the Week. The Okotoks Oilers forward led all rookies in scoring with six points (3G, 3A) last week and now sits fourth overall in the AJHL Scoring Race with 54 points (21G, 33A).
Lorenz (Calgary, AB) is enjoying a five-game point streak totaling 13 points and leads his team in scoring entering the Holidays. The 17 year-old is averaging 1.5 points per game in the regular season and is committed to the University of Denver (NCAA Division I).
Rieger scored the first Oilers goal and added two assists on December 16th in a 6-3 win over the Grande Prairie Storm on Christmas Jersey Night at the Pason Centennial Arena. He was then selected as the Viterra AJHL Star of the Game for the seventh time this season on December 17th in a 4-3 loss to the Drumheller Dragons. Lorenz had a hand in all three Okotoks goals, including two powerplay goals and an assist.
The Calgary Canucks will host the Okotoks Oilers on New Year’s Eve in their return to the Ken Bracko Arena at Max Bell Centre following a lengthy absence due to facility renovations.
Pizza 73 AJHL Player of the Week Recipients:
- September 17-19, 2021: Caiden Gault, Spruce Grove Saints
- September 20-26, 2021: Mitchell Joss, Sherwood Park Crusaders
- September 27-October 3, 2021: Christiano Aiello, Whitecourt Wolverines
- October 4-10, 2021: Noah Hackett, Olds Grizzlys
- October 11-17, 2021: Ryan McAllister, Brooks Bandits
- October 18-24, 2021: Noah Hackett, Olds Grizzlys
- October 25-31, 2021: Roc Truman, Camrose Kodiaks
- November 1-7, 2021: Ethan Strang, Grande Prairie Storm
- November 8-14, 2021: Sebastian Tamburro, Bonnyville Pontiacs
- November 15-21, 2021: Luke Fennig, Drumheller Dragons
- November 22-28, 2021: TJ Hughes, Brooks Bandits
- November 29-December 5, 2021: Tyler Mahan, Whitecourt Wolverines
- December 6-12, 2021: Mack Stewart, Lloydminster Bobcats
- December 13-19, 2021: Tanner Fincaryk, Lloydminster Bobcats
Alberta Ford Dealers AJHL Defensive Player of the Week:
- September 17-19, 2021: Brendan Kennette, Brooks Bandits
- September 20-26, 2021: Brett McKinley, Spruce Grove Saints
- September 27-October 3, 2021: Joshua Zinger, Olds Grizzlys
- October 4-10, 2021: Austin Zavoda, Okotoks Oilers
- October 11-17, 2021: Zach Bookman, Brooks Bandits
- October 18-24, 2021: Zac Onyskiw, Spruce Grove Saints
- October 25-31, 2021: Nick Traggio, Bonnyville Pontiacs
- November 1-7, 2021: Taige Harding, Fort McMurray Oil Barons
- November 8-14, 2021: Zach Bookman, Brooks Bandits
- November 15-21, 2021: Taige Harding, Fort McMurray Oil Barons
- November 22-28, 2021: Zach Bookman, Brooks Bandits
- November 29-December 5, 2021: Joshua Nadler, Fort McMurray Oil Barons
- December 6-12, 2021: Robert Kincaid, Camrose Kodiaks
- December 13-19, 2021: Taige Harding, Fort McMurray Oil Barons
Inter Pipeline AJHL Rookie of the Week:
- September 17-19, 2021: Carson Whyte, Camrose Kodiaks
- September 20-26, 2021: Logan Hauer, Sherwood Park Crusaders
- September 27-October 3, 2021 – Thomas Vela, Whitecourt Wolverines
- October 4-10, 2021: Bowden Singleton, Okotoks Oilers
- October 11-17, 2021: Ryder Matter, Brooks Bandits
- October 18-24, 2021: Rieger Lorenz, Okotoks Oilers
- October 25-31, 2021: Simon Diaz, Fort McMurray Oil Barons
- November 1-7, 2021: Zach Bookman, Brooks Bandits
- November 8-14, 2021: Vann Yuhas, Drumheller Dragons
- November 15-21, 2021: Ty Daneault, Drumheller Dragons
- November 22-28, 2021: Trey Funk, Bonnyville Pontiacs
- November 29-December 5, 2021: Vann Yuhas, Drumheller Dragons
- December 6-12, 2021: Alex Power, Bonnyville Pontiacs
- December 13-19, 2021: Rieger Lorenz, Okotoks Oilers