It’s down to the final four in the battle for the AJHL Enerflex Cup. Two of those teams will soon be heading to the off season as the division finals wrap up.
    The division finals in the south came down to the Brooks Bandits, the favourites after dominating the southern division during the regular season, and the Olds Grizzlys.
    The Grizzlys are a surprise this year. In December, the Grizzlys were only a few points away from last place. After the Christmas break, the team pulled it together and climbed their way to fifth place.
    In their first two rounds, they were the underdogs against the Calgary Mustangs and the highly favoured Okotoks Oilers.
    As of press time, the Bandits were leading the series against the Grizzlys 3-0. The two teams played last night and if the Bandits won, they will be heading to the Enerflex Cup finals. If the Grizzlys won, it’s not over yet.
    In the north, the Spruce Grove Saints are up against their bitter rivals, the Fort McMurray Oil Barons. The two teams were separated by a mere two points in the regular season, with the Saints ahead, and occupied first and second place in the league.
    The Saints sat out during the first round, thanks to a bye, and then defeated the Drayton Valley Thunder. The Oil Barons had two rounds against the Grande Prairie Storm and the Sherwood Park Crusaders.
    The series between the two was 2-1 in favour of the Saints as of press time. The teams played last night. Either the Saints inched closer to the Enerflex Cup or the Oil Barons ruled the ice and tied the series up.
    For more information about the Enerflex Cup playoffs, visit www.ajhl.ca.

Clearly not satisfied with winning their zone championship banner a month ago, the Bertram Drilling/Sports Room Midget Raptors set their sights on the Central Alberta Hockey League (CAHL) Midget Tier 2 banner. After a hard fought playoffs, the Raptors have added another championship title to their impressive season.
    “They’re ecstatic. They’ve worked hard for it,” said head coach Darren Toffan. “Every shift was all out and they tried their hardest.”
    The Raptors were pitted against the Oyen Bees for the championship series. The first game was held in Oyen on Friday night, with the Raptors taking a close 4-3 victory.
    The Raptors were the first to break on to the scoreboard on a goal by Brandon Rowbottom at 2:05 into the game. Six minutes later, Landon Brown gave the Raptors a 2-0 lead.
    The Bees fought back and by the third period the score was 3-2 in favour of the Raptors.
    Then came the final minute of the game, when victory seemed assured, but the Bees had more sting left in them and scored at 19:35 into the third period. The game went to overtime.
    The Raptors regrouped and dispatched the Bees on a goal by Tanner Couturier at 2:14 into overtime. It was closer than they would have liked, but the Raptors secured the first win of the series.
    The next night, Saturday, the teams were in Drumheller, in front of a huge crowd, to decide if the Raptors would be champions or if there would be a game three.
    “To have kids that age see that many people in the stands, I said before the game ‘let’s win it for them’,” said Toffan.
    The Raptors were determined more than ever and squashed the Bees, winning 3-1.
    “We outskated and outworked them. We wanted it more,” said Toffan.
    Both teams came out swinging and played a high impact game. There were several hits where many in the crowd visibly cringed, for example when a Bee was struck from behind and sent flying into the boards.
    The physical play helped the Raptors gain the advantage and like their previous game, they wasted no time in getting on the scoreboard. David Pedersen scored the first goal at 3:40 into the game and went on to finish the season in style with a hat-trick.
    When the final buzzer sounded the team burst into a frenzy of celebration, having earned the championship after a long, dramatic season.
    Prior to the Christmas break, the playoff prospects of the team were in doubt.
    “In December we were in tenth, not even in the playoffs,” said Toffan. “They had a lot of adversity this season. They don’t like to lose and they pulled it together and worked as a team.”
    The key, as Toffan explained, was the team realizing that the game is not about individual effort and began to rely on each other.
    This was the last season of minor hockey for five players.  David Pedersen, Tyson Powell, Brandon Rowbottom, Carson Spitzer, and Mitchell Toffan have ended their time with the Raptors on a high, thanks to their teammates.
    Next year, it will be up to the remaining Midget Raptors and new players from the championship Bantam team to carry the torch.
    To finish off this season, the Raptors will be playing a father-son alumni game and will have an awards banquet to celebrate a fantastic year.
    Minor hockey is hanging up the skates for this season, but for more information about the teams, how to get involved, or how to sign up your kids, visit www.drumhellerminorhockey.com.