Jason La Rose
Finally.
Thirty-one seasons after joining the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL), the Canmore Eagles can finally call themselves the best of the AJHL.
The Eagles have been consistent over their three decades; only twice before have they not earned an invite to the postseason party—in their 1995-96 expansion season and again in 2011-12 (there were no playoffs in the COVID-affected 2020-21 season).
But not before this year had Canmore been the last team dancing. In fact, it had not won more than a single playoff round in any of its previous 27 playoff appearances.
And their first test this year was as tough as they come—the two-time defending AJHL champions and defending national champions, the Calgary Canucks.
A back-and-forth series was all even after four games, with both teams winning once at home and once on the road. The Eagles erased an early two-goal deficit to earn a 3-2 victory in Game 5 and closed out the Canucks in Calgary in Game 6, riding a four-goal second period to a 4-0 win.
Canmore carried that momentum the rest of the way, sweeping aside the Drumheller Dragons in a series bookended by overtime victories before downing the Whitecourt Wolverines—owners of the best regular-season record in the AJHL—in five games to punch their ticket to the 2026 Centennial Cup, presented by Tim Hortons.
The Eagles spread around the scoring in the playoffs, with four players—Hudson Landmark, Will Lutic, Bryson Insinger and Easton Milne—scoring at least seven goals, and Lutic led the charge with 19 points (7-12—19), one of six skaters to reach 14 points in 15 playoff games.
Between the pipes, Alex Scheiwiller fashioned a 2.38 goals-against average and .934 save percentage with two shutouts while starting every postseason contest.
Now it’s on to Summerside, where the Eagles will attempt to become the fifth AJHL team in the last six editions of the tournament to lay claim to Canada’s National Junior A Championship.
HOW THEY GOT TO SUMMERSIDE
Alberta Junior Hockey League Quarterfinal: defeated Calgary Canucks 4-2 (1-5, 3-2, 5-2, 5-7, 3-2, 4-0) Semifinal: defeated Drumheller Dragons 4-0 (5-4 OT, 4-0, 4-2, 4-3 OT) Final: defeated Whitecourt Wolverines 4-1 (3-1, 3-2, 2-3, 5-3, 2-1)
REGULAR SEASON
Record (W-L-OTL): 32-19-4 (4th in AJHL) Goals for: 209 (3rd in AJHL) Goals against: 170 (4th in AJHL) Power play: 63 for 254 (24.8% – 5th in AJHL) Penalty killing: 166 of 213 (77.9% – 3rd in AJHL) Longest winning streak: 4 (Dec. 19-Jan. 3)
Top 3 scorers: • Cohen Daoust (31G 44A 75P – 4th in AJHL) • Aidan Tkachuk (29G 41A 70P – 7th in AJHL) • John Szabo (23G 31A 54P – 18th in AJHL)
PLAYOFFS
Record: 12-3 Goals for: 53 Goals against: 37 Power play: 12 for 56 (21.4%) Penalty killing: 42 of 57 (73.7%)
Top 3 scorers: • Will Lutic (7G 12A 19P) • Bryson Insinger (7G 9A 16P) • Cohen Daoust (4G 12A 16P)
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY
First appearance
COLLEGE & UNIVERSITY COMMITMENTS
Carter Kowalyk – University of Alberta (2026-27) Alex Scheiwiller – Mount Royal University (2026-27)
CJHL TOP 20 RANKINGS
Sept. 29 – not ranked Oct. 6 – not ranked Oct. 13 – not ranked Oct. 20 – not ranked Oct. 27 – not ranked Nov. 3 – not ranked Nov. 10 – not ranked Nov. 17 – not ranked Nov. 24 – not ranked Dec. 1 – not ranked Dec. 8 – not ranked Dec. 15 – not ranked Dec. 22 – not ranked Jan. 5 – not ranked Jan. 12 – not ranked Jan. 19 – not ranked Jan. 26 – not ranked Feb. 2 – not ranked Feb. 9 – not ranked Feb. 16 – not ranked Feb. 23 – not ranked March 2 – not ranked March 9 – not ranked