Two members of the Lloydminster Bobcats were honoured last week as the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) recognized its individual award-winners for the 2025-26 season.
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Hometown defenceman Jaxan Hopko earned all-league honours for his standout performance during his 19-year-old season with the Bobcats.
Hopko was also among four finalists for the AJHL’s outstanding-defenceman award, which went to Californian overager Quentin Bourne of the Whitecourt Wolverines.
Lloydminster forward Tucker Robertson, 18, of West Kelowna, B.C., was named to the AJHL’s all-rookie team. The graduate of Okanagan Hockey Academy’s U18 prep program scored 10 goals and 35 points in 49 regular-season games with the junior A Bobcats.
John MacNeil – Meridian Source
Robertson, who turns 19 on April 24, added a goal and two points in Lloyd’s four playoff games.
In his third AJHL season, Hopko was the Bobcats’ top-scoring defenceman, netting 12 goals and 40 points in 54 games.
Along with Hopko and Bourne on defence, the North Division’s all-league team includes goaltender Brendan Gee of the Fort McMurray Oil Barons and forwards Jalen Bianchet of Whitecourt, Justin Dumais of Fort Mac and Maxwell Pendy of the Bonnyville Pontiacs.
The South Division’s all-league team consists of goaltender Alexander Scheiwiller and forward Cohen Daoust of the Canmore Eagles, defenceman Tristan Payne and forward Bradley Gallo of the Drumheller Dragons, defenceman Taynton Lavender of the Drayton Valley Thunder and forward Harper LoLacher of the Calgary Canucks.
Lloydminster’s Robertson has plenty of local company on the North Division all-rookie team, including Grande Prairie Storm defenceman Reily Pickford of Chauvin, Alta., and three Bonnyville players — goaltender Nathan Salisbury, defenceman Liam Reed and forward Gavin Harrison, the Cold Lake kid named AJHL rookie of the year. Whitecourt forward Tristan Slywka rounded out those freshmen selections. Slywka, Salisbury and Reed are all from the Edmonton area.
Pickford, who played U18 AAA in Lloydminster, joined Grande Prairie in a mid-season trade with the Camrose Kodiaks. He was a key part of the Storm’s record-setting second half.
Selected to the AJHL’s South Division all-rookie team were goaltender Connor Knorr of Camrose, defencemen Sullivan Humeniuk of Drumheller and Kale McCann of Calgary, and forwards Easton Milne of Canmore and Ryder Riedel and Jordin St. Louis of the Olds Grizzlys.
The 17-year-old Milne’s father, Andrew, is Canmore’s long-serving coach.
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