A couple of notes from both the male and female midget elite stream in Alberta:
On the female side the AFHL concluded it's first full season in it's new form. Bantam has been changed to eliminate the AAA level and classify all elite level teams in Alberta as AA. In midget there is a AAA level (currently six teams) and a AA level (12 teams I believe, and they feed into the AAA level). St Albert won the league this year and went on to win the Esso Cup (national championship) so congratulations to them.
https://www.hockeycanada.ca/en-ca/Na...al-Midget/2017
In male midget there have been some significant changes in southern Alberta as follows:
- SE (Medicine Hat) and South (Lethbridge) draw areas have been combined at the Major Midget AAA level. The two teams will merge into one single team next season. At the Minor Midget level both draw areas will retain a AAA team.
- the area surrounding Calgary has been split into two draw areas. Okotoks has been awarded a AAA team and will join the league next year.
- Strathmore is part of the Okotoks draw area and as a result will lose their AAA team which will now be hosted in Airdrie.
So for the male model there is no net change to the number of teams but some changes to where they are located and who draws to them.