Eagles take over top spot

Canmore Eagles now lead the Alberta Junior Hockey League’s South Division after winning their weekend games.

Canmore became the latest team to climb atop the pile of four teams vying for a divisional banner. The chasing pack of Camrose Kodiaks, Drumheller Dragons and Calgary Canucks have all spent time in first place during the first month of 2026.

Canmore (22-15-1-0) has 45 points after winning all three road games played over the weekend: defeating Camrose 5-2 on Friday (Jan. 23), Drayton Valley Thunder 3-2 on Saturday (Jan. 24) and Devon Xtreme 4-1 on Sunday (Jan. 25).

Camrose (21-16-2-0) is second at 44 points, followed by Drumheller (18-17-2-0) at 42 points with Calgary (18-16-2-1) fourth on 39 points. The Kodiaks also played three games – all on home ice – staying within touching distance of the Eagles with a 5-4 overtime win over Devon on Saturday and a 4-3 shootout victory over Drayton Valley on Sunday. The Dragons split a doubleheader on its home ice versus Olds, losing 5-2 on Friday and winning 5-2 on Saturday. The Canucks lost two games on a northeast road swing, losing 4-2 to the Bonnyville Pontiacs on Friday with a 4-3 shootout loss on Saturday.

Heading into the weekend, the Eagles introduced a new forward into the lineup. Ryder Dembo comes over from the BCHL’s Cowichan Valley Capitals where he played 33 games (5G-8A). He has made an immediate impact with four points (2G-2A) in his first three games. Canmore is the Calgary Flames graduate’s sixth junior A team over the past four seasons.

Aidan Tkachuk continues his impressive points streak through the weekend, extending it to 22 points (11G-11A) in the past 11 games. The 19-year-old forward is now seventh in league scoring with 50 points (22G-28A).

Owen Mastoianni scored once in each of the three games and now has a four-game, goal-scoring streak to his credit. The 18-year-old forward from Golden, B.C. had just five goals through his first 30 games.

Eagles’ leading scorer Cohen Daoust had a quiet weekend picking up just one assist in the three games and is now fifth in league scoring at 54 points (22G-32A).

Alex Scheiwiller has the top save percentage in the AJHL at .920, giving up just three goals during his two starts on the weekend: 28 saves on Friday against Camrose and 31 saves on Sunday versus Devon. He was named the Eagles’ star of the game in both outings, improving his record to 15-10 and lowering his goals-against average to a fifth-best 2.92 mark.

The fourth-best goals-against average belongs to Scheiwiller’s goaltending partner Hudson Sedo, who played Saturday. Sedo has a 2.86 average, is 7-6 for the season with a sixth best .912 save percentage.

The Eagles return to action this coming weekend with two games at the Canmore Recreation Centre: Devon (14-20-3-1) on Friday, Jan. 30 and the league-leading Whitecourt Wolverines (28-10-0-1) on Saturday, Jan. 31. Games times are 7 p.m.

Canmore took over first place in the South Division with its victory over Camrose.

The Kodiaks took the early lead on Owen Shadrick’s first goal – a shorthanded marker – in his fourth game for the Kodiaks after playing 28 games with the WHL Red Deer Rebels.

Canmore rallied in the second period. Tkachuk (21) tipped in a John Szabo shot for a power-play goal at 10:46. Dembo earning an assist with his pass to Szabo as the duo occupied the points on the Eagles very lethal power-play unit.

Insinger (13) gave the Eagles the lead at 15:58.

Dembo (1) gave his new club a two-goal lead at 13:37 of the third period when his wrist shot from the blue line sailed into the Camrose goal.

Camrose pulled the goaltender in the final two minutes. Landon Scott would take advantage of the situation to fire the puck 160 feet for his first goal of the season, coming in his 26th game, at 18:24.

With the goaltender back in, the Kodiaks would get a goal from Deacon Drummond (7) with 35 seconds remaining, prompting the home team to again pull the goaltender.

Mastroianni (7) scored the Eagles’ second empty net goal just before time expired to extend his goal-scoring streak.

Camrose outshot Canmore 30-29 with Carter Capton (4-6/3.46/.905) in goal for the Kodiaks.

On the power play, the Eagles were 2-for-8 and the Kodiaks went 0-for-3.

A pair of second-period goals by Canmore powered the team past Drayton Valley.

The teams exchanged first-period goals with Tkachuk (22) opening the scoring at 17:09. Antonio Bevacqua (3) tied the game with a power-play marker at 19:37.

In the second period, Carter Kowalyk, back from serving a four-game suspension, scored on a wraparound, tucking the puck inside the right-side post for his first goal of the season, at 7:23. Mastroianni (8) then slapped the puck home from above the left-wing, face-off circle for a power-play marker at 10:46.

Drayton Valley would close the gap on Bevacqua’s second goal of the game at 15:17 of the third period.

Canmore outshot Drayton Valley 36-29 with Kaden Clegg in goal for the Thunder.

On the power play, Canmore was 1-for-5 and Drayton Valley went 1-for-3.

Canmore was looking for a bit of revenge in Devon in the final game of the road trip, having lost the previous two encounters with the Xtreme this season.

Will Lutic made sure the Eagles were on the winning side of the ledger in this matinee scoring the first and fourth goals.

Canmore led 1-0 after the first period.

In the second period, Dembo would help set up Mastroianni (9) at 2:27 and score his second of the season at 6:43.

Devon Mason Maddox (1) ended Scheiwiller’s shutout bid with three minutes to play. Lutic (12) then scored into an empty net at 18:56 of seal the third win of the weekend and keep his team in first place in the South.

 OVERTIME: Canmore is 7-2-0-0 since returning from the Christmas-New Year’s break and has outscored its opposition 38-19. … Eagles’ rookie forward Miller Komarniski is eligible to return to action this coming weekend after completion of a six-game suspension. … The team is still without the services of injured players D Casey Black (shoulder), D Reid Larson (hand) and F Gus Schill (leg). … The Eagles return to Banff’s Fenlands Recreation Centre to take on the Olds Grizzlys on Tuesday, Feb. 3. Game time is 7 p.m. … Canmore Eagles are always in need of volunteers to help with game day experiences whether you are new to the game or an avid hockey supporter, email info@canmoreeagles.com for more information on opportunities and perks that come with being part of the Game Day Crew.