JR. RAIDERS PROGRAM
St. Albert Minor Hockey Association
St. Albert Minor Hockey is committed to providing a comprehensive development program for players who want to reach elite hockey and stay within their hockey community.
The Jr. Raiders program introduces athletes to competitive-stream programming.
What is competitive-stream hockey?
Competitive stream hockey is characterized by its focus on skill development, competition, and opportunities for advancement to higher levels of play. It involves tryouts for team selection, higher levels of training and practice, and participation in competitive leagues or tournaments. Being a member of a Jr. Raiders team will place an increased demand on your time and financial obligation.
U11 AA / A
Players interested in trying out for U11 AA and U11 A will attend tryouts. Tryouts start at Spring ID Camp and commence again at the end of August (Main Camp).
Dates: August 29 - September 4
Minimum of three one-hour ice times.
Total Cost: $149
U11 A - FEMALE
Players interested in trying out for U11 Female A will attend tryouts.
Dates: Sept 3 - September 5
Minimum of three one-hour ice times.
Total Cost: $149
Learn more about the Jr Raiders Female A Program.
U9
Players who rank in the top 40 during U9 evaluations will be offered a place in the U9 Tier 1 Jr Raiders program. There is no formal tryout process and players are not selected by coaches.
The evaluation process consists of two components:
- Timed Skill Skate – All age-eligible players will participate in this session, which will take place from March 14-17.
- Scrimmage Evaluations – Scheduled for September 6 and 7, these will be assessed by third-party evaluators.
ABOUT
The Jr Raiders program was formed in 2021 to support the development of young athletes aspiring to play elite-level hockey for the St. Albert Raiders.
This program prioritizes player development, with the aim of steadily advancing players' skills and understanding of the game throughout the season. Our focus is on establishing a solid foundation that will support the long-term success of players within our program for the next eight years and beyond.
The program has two core principles that guide decision-making, program planning and player selection: Community and Resilience.
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COMMUNITY
The St. Albert Raiders elite hockey program provides a unique opportunity to become part of a passionate hockey community with a rich history of excellence. The sense of pride and identity that comes with being a part of the Raiders program is ever-present within our community. We embrace this philosophy and firmly believe that our players will advance within this dynamic environment.We aim for players to gain meaningful experience in hockey through our hockey community as a whole. Players in the Jr Raiders will be introduced to the St. Albert Raiders hockey community. Teams will partner with one of the program's St. Albert Raiders teams and have the opportunity to participate in on-ice practice with their partner team and off-ice activities. -
RESILIENCE
Our goal is to help our players cultivate the skills that are essential to excel in the years ahead as players advance in AAA and AA hockey. The Jr Raiders program involves a tryout process. We are looking for players who possess the necessary skill set to play at a higher level of hockey and who can effectively manage adversity. Adversity in hockey can take many forms, such as playing with unfamiliar teammates, being coached by someone new, or not experiencing sustained success on the ice. These experiences serve as valuable building blocks for our players' overall growth and equip them with the skills to advance as they move through Elite Minor Hockey and eventually into Junior hockey. -
DEMONSTRATED SUCCCESS
2022 & 2023: EFHL U11 AA - League Championship
2022 & 2023: Minor Hockey Week Championship
2023: Eleven Jr Raiders U11 AA players played U13 AA as a first year; twice the provincial average.
In 2023, two Junior Raiders players were selected for Team Brick Alberta and played in the Brick Invitational Tournament.In 2024, seven former Jr. Raiders players were selected to participate in the Hockey Alberta Prospects Cup event. The Prospects Cup is the first step in Hockey Alberta's Development program.This season...For the first time, players from the inaugural season of the Jr Raiders are in U15.14 former Jr Raiders are first-year players in U15 AA.4 of the 14 are active affiliates for the U15 AAA Sabres playing a combined total of nine games this season.1 former Jr Raiders player is playing U15 AAA as a first-year.12 former Jr Raiders players now play U13 AAA.11 former Jr Raiders players are in U13 AA. -
TEAM FEES
Being a member of a Jr Raider team will place an increased demand on your time and financial obligations. This program's Team Fees are expected to cost $2000 per player.Players can anticipate receiving additional practice ice and enhanced player development opportunities. The program requires participants to purchase a team apparel package that includes Jr. Raiders apparel and customized jerseys.
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COACHES
Coaches selected for this program will have exceptional leadership skills previously exemplified in the hockey community. They will be progressive in their coaching philosophies and possess the ability to develop players to their full potential.
It is expected that Jr Raiders Coaches complete Hockey Canada NCCP Development 1.
Coaches who successfully complete this program will learn:
- The importance of creating a season plan; what components it should include.
- How to Identify and assess the athletic abilities that your athletes will need to succeed in competitive hockey.
- Set and monitor progress goals.
- How to effectively communicate team and individual progress with your athletes and their guardians.
The Association is committed to providing supplemental educational opportunities and one-on-one mentoring. Coaches will collaborate with the St. Albert Raider Director of Hockey Development and engage in mentorship opportunities within St. Albert Minor Hockey Assocation.
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DEVELOPMENT
Players can anticipate 60 practices between September and March; 20 practices will be focused on advancing individual hockey skills.
PLAYER DEVELOPMENT - WADE BURT
Hockey skills professional Wade Burt (200 Hockey) will be working with the Jr Raiders program to deliver 24 skill and development sessions to players in the program.
Wade is a former WHL and CIS (USport) athlete with over 20 years of experience as a hockey skills coach. He played over 270 games in the WHL and won a WHL League Championship. In 1999-2000 he competed in the Memorial Cup tournament. In 2000 Wade joined the University of Alberta Golden Bears, where he played for five seasons and won five CanWest Championships. In 2004-2005 Wade was a member of the University of Alberta Golden Bears Hockey National Championship team.
Wade is a Jr. High School teacher and is the Director of St. Thomas More Junior High Hockey Academy. Wade is also the owner and founder of 200 Hockey Skills, a hockey skills development provider that services multiple players in various streams of hockey, including NCAA, Junior A, and WHL.
GOALTENDING DEVELOPMENT - DAVE RATHJEN
Dave Rathjen provides goalies with 12 development sessions. Dave has been a valued partner of the St. Albert Raiders and St. Albert Minor Hockey for four years. He had a successful junior career in the WHL, BCHL, and with the University of Alberta Golden Bears. In 2004-2005 Dave was a member of the University of Alberta Golden Bears Hockey National Championship team.
He is currently the coach for the Swift Current Broncos (WHL), the University of Alberta Golden Bears and the St. Albert Raiders U15 AAA, U17 AAA and U18 AAA programs.
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SEASONAL STRUCTURE
The St. Albert Minor Hockey Association Player Development group expects coaches in the Jr Raiders program to follow a U11 Competitive Seasonal Plan that supports the development of these young athletes in competitive stream hockey.
2025-2026
TEAM FORMED: August 31st
PRACTICES: start in early September
GAMES: September - March
Teams can anticipate playing 24 Regular Season games and playoffs in Edmonton and surrounding regions.
Jr Raiders teams typically attend between 2-3 tournaments.
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PARTNERSHIPS
Our program works with community and industry partners each season to ensure our players have every opportunity to advance in hockey.
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APPAREL PACKAGE
The Jr Raiders apparel package will be supplied by BarDown Apparel.
The Jr. Raiders program was formed in 2021-2022 to support young athletes aspiring to play competitive stream hockey in St. Albert. The Jr Raiders have been League Champions for two consecutive seasons and took home gold at the highly competitive Jr Raiders Spring Invitational.
PROGRAM COACHES
2021-2022
Peter Sinclair
Peter has been a coach with SAMHA since 2012. He has been both a Head Coach and an Assistant Coach on multiple teams. Most recently Peter was the Head Coach of a SAMHA U13 AA team and in 2019 Peter led the Atom AA Barons to a Provincial Championship. Peter has completed Coach 1, Coach 2, Safety, Checking Skills and Development 1 Coach certifications. In addition to this, Peter has been an active participant in SAMHA coach development programs.
Bryce Classen
Bryce has coached with SAMHA since 2013. He has participated as both a Head Coach and an Assistant Coach on multiple teams since then. This will be his fourth year coaching at the U11 level, 3 as a head coach. In 2018-2019 Bryce was the coach of a SAMHA Atom AA team. Bryce has completed Coach 1, Coach 2, Safety, and Checking Skills. As a former junior hockey player, CIS player and professional player; Bryce brings an enhanced technical knowledge of player development and is progressive in his coaching philosophies.
SAMHA is committed to providing a comprehensive development program for players who want to eventually reach elite hockey and stay within their own hockey community. We are confident the leaders selected for this program will provide players with the opportunity to further advance their skills.
2022-2023
Brian Brouse
Brian has coached hockey since 2013 and with SAMHA since 2021. Since then, he has participated as both a Head Coach and an Assistant Coach on multiple teams from Initiation through U13. Brian has also spent time as a Hockey Board executive; included in his duties were Coach and Player Development. Brian just completed a successful U11 year with the St. Albert Sabres. Brian has completed Coach 1, Coach 2, Safety, and Checking Skills. Brian brings with him a strong history of effective communication and team-building, which supports his goal of developing better players and kids through hockey.
Rob Parrotta
Rob first joined SAMHA as a coach in 2008. For three seasons, he was an assistant coach on the U15 AAA and AA Raiders Hockey Club teams. Most recently, Rob was a Head Coach in the SAMHA U9 Tier 1 program. Rob is an educator and was the Teacher/Lead Instructor at St. Edmund Hockey Academy for seven years. He has completed Coach 1, Coach 2 (online), and Development 1. Rob's primary focus is to create a team culture that promotes respect, development and fun.
