Photo Credit – Chad Goddard:
The first Pizza 73 AJHL Player of the Week for the 2022-23 season is Blackfalds Bulldogs Captain Brett Meerman. With nine points (4G, 5A), the 2002-born forward leads the AJHL after the opening games of the season from September 16th – 25th, 2022.
Brett Meerman was awarded as a Viterra AJHL Star of the Game in his first three games of the regular season after scoring in each contest. Meerman scored the lone Bulldogs goal on September 16th in a 3-1 loss to the Olds Grizzlys on opening night then recorded two goals in a 3-2 win over the Canmore Eagles the following night.
On September 23rd, the four-year AJHL veteran added a goal and an assist but the Bulldogs fell 5-4 to the Camrose Kodiaks. Once again, Blackfalds rebounded on night two of the weekend and defeated the Brooks Bandits 6-3 with Meerman contributing three assists.
Meerman and the Bulldogs will now welcome the AJHL to his hometown of Blackfalds, AB for the 2022 AJHL Showcase from September 29th – October 2nd.
The Alberta Ford Dealers AJHL Defensive Player of the Week is Whitecourt Wolverines defenceman Caleb MacDonald. The third-year Wolverine recorded six points (1G, 5A) in his first four games of the 2022-23 campaign.
The Wolverines started the season with back-to-back losses to the Lloydminster Bobcats with both games needing extra time. MacDonald (2002) was kept off the scoresheet in the 4-3 OT loss on September 16th but notched three assists in the 5-4 shootout loss on September 17th.
Whitecourt evened up their record with two consecutive wins over the Fort McMurray Oil Barons. The University of Alaska-Fairbanks commit recorded an assist in the 3-0 shutout of the Oil Barons on September 23rd followed by a goal and an assist in the 7-3 victory on the 24th.
Lloydminster Bobcats forward Ben Aucoin is the Inter Pipeline AJHL Rookie of the Week after compiling a five-game point streak (2G, 3A) to begin the season.
Aucoin (2004) scored a goal and an assist to help the Bobcats defeat the Wolverines on September 16th and 17th and steal two consecutive wins in extra time. Aucoin continued his point streak with an assist in a 4-2 midweek win over the Sherwood Park Crusaders on September 20th.
The Drayton Valley Thunder put an end to the Bobcats win streak with two 4-3 victories over the Bobcats on September 23rd & 24th. Aucoin recorded his second goal of the season in game one of the double header vs Drayton Valley and his third assist in game two. The Bobcats did take a point from the weekend after pushing the final game to OT and have compiled a 3-0-1 season opening record.
Pizza 73 AJHL Player of the Week Recipients:
- September 16th-25th, 2022: Brett Meerman, Blackfalds Bulldogs
Alberta Ford Dealers AJHL Defensive Player of the Week:
- September 16th-25th, 2022: Caleb MacDonald, Whitecourt Wolverines
Inter Pipeline AJHL Rookie of the Week:
- September 16th-25th, 2022: Ben Aucoin, Lloydminster Bobcats