Hockey Leagues—Formation Years (1950-1971)

The 1960s were a time of rebellion, a time for people all across the Western world to grow their hair out, a time to embrace a new spirituality and not be hassled by the "man."

That spirit of rebellion was alive and well in Alberta, as two new leagues, designed to shake the hockey establishment, were born and began to flourish.

The Alberta Junior Hockey League was formed by officials frustrated that teams other than the Edmonton Oil Kings, who dominated Western junior hockey for nearly a decade, were being frozen out of the competitive loop.

Later, the Oil Kings were central in forming the new Western Canadian Junior Hockey League, a seven-team circuit that so enraged national hockey officials that they refused to recognize it.

In this section, we will look at those upstart leagues of the 1960s, as well as the foundation of collegiate hockey in the province.

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