2020-21 AJHL season

This is the '''2020-21 Alberta Junior Hockey League season. '''This is the league's 57th season dating back to its founding in 1964.

Original Scheduling
The league was planning on beginning its' regular season in September should Provincial health regulations allow. The League announced a tentative schedule, which included a modified schedule format for its 15 teams, in early July alongside contingency plans for a delayed season start. When the schedule was released on July 10th it was written for a 58 game schedule with a predetermined block of games that could be cancelled with out throwing the schedule to much out of whack.

Revised Schedules
The season was indefinitely paused on November 25th, February 26th was the original planned restart date, it was later moved back to a mid-March return with games to be played on Friday, Saturday, and Sundays through the end of May.

On February 9th the league announced that it has received approval from the Government of Alberta to restart the 2020-21 Season under the protocols of a comprehensive Return to Play Plan.

The league announced a restart of play for March 12th. The league will be divided into five-three team cohorts with the three teams playing two games over three days on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The cohorts will be shuffled in early April and the teams will play games over the next several weekends.

Membership Changes

 * The Calgary Mustangs opted to take a one year leave of absence from the league after a failed attempted to move the franchise to Strathmore for 2019-20. The team would be sold in October of 2019 and will relocate to the Blackfalds Multiplex Arena in Blackfalds, Alberta for the 2021-22 season. The team name was announced on April 23, 2020 as being the Blackfalds Bulldogs.


 * The Canmore Eagles last played on November 14th. The team's arena ended up being used by the Calgary Flames American Hockey League affiliate, as the Stockton Heat were relocated to Alberta temporarily to ease the need for a quarantine between the United States and Canada for the calling up and sending down of players. The Heat would play their games in Calgary at the Scotiabank Saddledome and apparently use the Canmore Recreation Centre as a practice facility.


 * On February 25th the Lloydminster Bobcats were forced to suspend their season due to the public health restrictions put in place by the Saskatchewan provincial government. The team had played two games earlier in the season in Kitscoty, Alberta but were unable to get approval from the province of Saskatchewan to resume play as the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League was not able to resume play either.


 * The Camrose Kodiaks were forced to end their season on April 21st when due to restrictions in place in Camrose, the city council opted to remove the ice from the arenas in the city.


 * On April 28th the Fort McMurray Oil Barons announced the team would be ceasing play for the season as the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, of which Fort McMurray is part, is in a state of emergency due to a very much higher per capita number of COVID-19 cases than the provincial average, and the organization felt it was not practical to continue play.

COVID-19 Protocol shutdowns
The following teams were forced to cease all team related activities for 14 days as a result of positive tests:
 * Drayton Valley Thunder: April 1st
 * Grande Prairie Storm: April 1st
 * Whitecourt Wolverines: April 1st and 27th
 * Okotoks Oilers: April 2nd and 25th
 * Camrose Kodiaks April 5th (team would end season on April 21st)
 * Drumheller Dragons: April 5th, 7th, and 23rd
 * Bonnyville Pontiacs: April 27th
 * Calgary Canucks: April 29th

Showcase
The league was to have its 14th annual AJHL Showcase in Camrose September 24-26, 2020. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic the league is hoping to hold the event during the second half of the season. When the league announced its' planned schedule for 2020-21 it was moved to January 5-7, 2021.

Rule Changes
The league introduces hybrid-icing, choice of face-off spot at the start of a power play and a few other situations, no substitutions when a team dislodges their own net or if a goalie freezes the puck on shots from beyond the red line. The league also adopted a stricter policy for players penalized for diving. The league will implement video review for all penalty infractions and coaches can request a review when incidents involving player safety is a concern.

South Division
Note:Due to an unequal number of games played by each team point percentage was used to determine the standings

2021 Playoffs
Cancelled