Tryouts U18, U17, and U16

Aug 9

4 min read

Updated: Sep 3

The St. Albert Raiders elite hockey program offers a unique opportunity to Step Forward and join a passionate hockey community with a rich legacy. Players for the U18 AAA, U17 AAA, U18 AA, and U16 AA teams will be selected after the tryout process, with the Head Coach responsible for the final selections.

Player Eligibility

Players born in 2009, 2010 and 2011 who reside permanently within the defined boundary are eligible to tryout for the St. Albert Raiders programs. Each team in the AEHL U18 AAA, U17 AAA, U18 AA, and U16 AA Leagues have a different draw zone.

New! U18 AAA

Please note the U18 AAA recruitment area has changed. Please refer to the Hockey Alberta website for the new recruitment area information.

U18 AAA

U18 AAA MAIN CAMP

Players at U18 AAA Main Camp will skate at least twice before the first player release.
The first player release will happen on Monday, September 7th.
The $399 tryout fee paid in the spring covers both the Spring Camp and Main Camp.

Jarome Iginla	Mon, Sep 7, 2026	12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Jarome Iginla	Mon, Sep 7, 2026	1:15 PM - 2:15 PM
Jarome Iginla	Mon, Sep 7, 2026	2:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Jarome Iginla	Mon, Sep 7, 2026	4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Jarome Iginla	Mon, Sep 7, 2026	5:15 PM - 6:15 PM
Jarome Iginla	Mon, Sep 7, 2026	6:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Jarome Iginla	Tue, Sep 8, 2026	4:15 PM - 5:15 PM
Jarome Iginla	Tue, Sep 8, 2026	5:30 PM - 6:30 PM
Jarome Iginla	Wed, Sep 9, 2026	6:30 PM - 8:45 PM
Jarome Iginla	Fri, Sep 11, 2026	3:45 PM - 4:45 PM

COMMITTED PLAYERS

U18 AAA Raiders Player Commitments
The U18 AAA Raiders have committed to 1 Goaltender, 2 Defencemen, and 1 Forward for the upcoming season.

U17 AAA

U17 AAA Flyers	Jarome Iginla	Thu, Sep 10, 2026	5:45 PM - 6:45 PM
U17 AAA Flyers	Jarome Iginla	Thu, Sep 10, 2026	7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
U17 AAA Flyers	Jarome Iginla	Fri, Sep 11, 2026	5:00 PM - 6:00 PM
U17 AAA Flyers	Jarome Iginla	Fri, Sep 11, 2026	6:15 PM - 7:15 PM
U17 AAA Flyers	Mark Messier	Sat, Sep 12, 2026	2:30 PM - 3:30 PM
U17 AAA Flyers	Mark Messier	Sat, Sep 12, 2026	2:30 PM - 3:30 PM
U17 AAA Flyers	Jarome Iginla	Mon, Sep 14, 2026	5:30 PM - 6:30 PM

U16 AA & U18 AA

ELIGIBLE PLAYERS

Players not selected for AAA Main Camp (2009)
Players who did not attend Spring Camp
Players wanting to start their tryout process at AA.
*Non-resident players are not accepted at the AA level.

AVAILABLE POSITIONS

Teams will have a roster of 19-20 players.

TRYOUT PASS

*Registration Rates Increase by $100 after July 8th.

**Raiders tryouts are only open to players who have paid the base registration fee for the season.

Three 1-hour sessions: 1 Small Area Skills & 2 Scrimmage

Critical Dates

U18 AAA

U18 AAA Main Camp	September 7
U18 AAA 1^st Player Release	September 7
U18 AAA – (25) Players	September 12
U18 AAA (20) Roster	September 20
Season Start	September 25

U17 AAA

U17 AAA Tryouts Start	September 10
U17 AAA 1^st Release	September 12
U17 AAA 2^nd Release	September 16
Pre-Season Tournament	September 17 – 22
U17 AAA (19/20) Roster	September 22
Season Start	October 2

U18 AA

U18 AA Tryouts Start	September 14
Pre-Season Tournament	TBC
U18 AA (19/20) Roster	September 24
U18 AA Season Start	September 25

U16 AA

U16 AA Tryouts Start	September 14
Pre-Season Tournament	September 23 – 28
U16 AA (20) Roster	September 27
U16 AA Season Start	October 2

2025/26 Raiders U18 Program

In the 2024 - 2025 season, the St. Albert Raiders U18 program will host four teams.

U18 AAA Raiders (20)

U17 AAA Raiders (19)*

U16 AA Raiders (20)*

U18 AA Raiders (20)

The St. Albert Raiders program is committed to a fair and transparent evaluation and selection process.

*To ensure the program can accept players released from Junior A and Major Junior leagues, either the U18 AA or U17 AAA team may hold one roster position open.

Both teams may roster up to 20 players, but at this time, there are too many unknowns to predetermine which team may be impacted by released players.

Please note that within our U18 program (U18 AA, U17 AAA, and U16 AA), rosters are not finalized until January 10. If a player who remains eligible for Minor Hockey is released from a Junior A or Major Junior team, the Raiders reserve the right to add that player to a roster at their discretion.

In the past, this has occasionally disrupted team rosters. Moving forward, we are committed to transparent communication with all teams as these situations arise.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Do I have to pay a second tryout fee for the Main Camp or AA tryouts?

No. The $399 tryout fee covers your full participation in Raiders tryouts, including both the Spring ID Camp and the Main Camp in August/September.

I have been invited to the Main Camp, now what?

In May, you will receive an email detailing the registration requirements. All players continuing in the tryout process are required to register for the upcoming season before August 15th. Registration opens on May 1st.

What if my player improves over the summer? Can they still be considered for U18 AAA?

The U18 AAA coaches are expected to attend the first U17 AAA tryout. If a player demonstrates they can play at the U18 AAA level, the Head Coach may extend an invitation to this player.

I only want to try out for AA. What are my next steps?

If your player is only interested in AA, tryouts registration will open on May 1st; the cost is $249. All resident players are required to register for the upcoming season before August 15th. Each player will receive a minimum of three skates at the AA tryouts in August.

*Registration rates increase on July 8th by $100.

Will the AAA team roster be confirmed after Spring Camp?

No, this is not our intention. The Head Coach does have the opportunity to extend commitments to players whom they are confident will be part of their team in the upcoming season. The number of committed players will be made public after August 1st.