BROOKS, AB (July 10, 2020) ? The Brooks Bandits of the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) have announced their 58-game Regular Season Schedule for their 21st season, which will begin September 18th, 2020 and conclude February 27th, 2021, should provincial health regulations allow.
The Bandits will have more information on season tickets in the coming weeks. The schedule can be viewed here.
For the first time since 2016, the Bandits will begin the regular season at the Centennial Regional Arena with their Home Opener scheduled for September 18th against the Drumheller Dragons, which will open a weekend home-and-home series.
The Bandits will face each South Division team eight times, four at home, four on the road. Additionally, Brooks will have 13 Friday home games, and 10 on Saturday nights, with one Sunday afternoon game on November 8th.
The schedule also features games on Thanksgiving Monday, Remembrance Day and New Year?s Eve, all which start at 4:00 PM.
For the third straight season, the Bandits will partner with local schools for the School Day Game on December 9th, subject to change with the provincial government?s school re-entry plan. The game brings in students from Brooks and the surrounding region for a noon-start.
To cut down on travel, half of the North Division will visit Brooks; Fort McMurray on November 21st, Drayton Valley on November 27th, Spruce Grove on November 28th, and Bonnyville on December 11th.
The Bandits will make two North Division road trips, starting with a visit to Grande Prairie on October 30th, followed by a game in Whitecourt on October 31st. The other trip will see Brooks visit Lloydminster on November 13th, and a trip to Sherwood Park on November 14th.
The annual AJHL Showcase has been moved from its usual date of late September to early January in Camrose. The Bandits will face Whitecourt on January 6th and Bonnyville on January 7th at the event that sees scouts, coaches and fans watch all 15 AJHL teams compete.
The 2021 Inter Pipeline AJHL Playoffs begin Friday, March 5th and will follow the same format as the 2020 AJHL Playoffs:
North Division – Top 7 teams qualify (1st place receives a Bye, 2 vs 7, 3 vs 6, 4 vs 5)
South Division – Top 6 teams qualify (1st & 2nd place receive a Bye, 3 vs 6, 4 vs 5)
The Viterra AJHL South Division and Viterra AJHL North Division will playoff to determine a divisional champion at the conclusion of Round Three. The North Division Champion and the South Division Champion will then compete in the Inter Pipeline Cup Final.
Plans for the 2021 Doyle Cup and 2021 Centennial Cup will be determined at a later date.