St. Albert Saints

Lore & Background

The St. Albert Saints began as the Edmonton Western Movers in 1963, one of the original AJHL franchises. After a merger with the Edmonton Maple Leafs in 1972, the team became the Edmonton Mets, then moved to Spruce Grove as the Spruce Grove Mets in 1974. The franchise relocated to St. Albert for the 1977–78 season, becoming the St. Albert Saints. Before arriving in St. Albert, the franchise had won four AJHL championships (1967, 1968, 1975, 1976) and the 1975 national Centennial Cup.

The Saints were involved in two notable incidents. In February 1980, a clean hit by a Saints player on Sherwood Park Crusaders captain Trevor Elton resulted in Elton's death. On November 21, 1979, a bench-clearing brawl between the Saints and the Red Deer Rustlers led to suspensions of players, Saints head coach Doug Messier, and Rustlers' trainer Terry Sexsmith, who was later banned from the AJHL for life. It was reported that Messier had four affiliated Junior B players dressed and hiding in the locker room who joined the brawl as planned.

By the early 2000s, complaints grew that the Saints' arena, Akinsdale Arena, was too small (611 seats, 200 standing) and lacked amenities. The team played its final games at Edmonton's Bill Hunter Arena, drawing crowds exceeding Akinsdale's capacity. Despite rumors that St. Albert city council would approve a new 1,700-seat arena, the Saints moved to Spruce Grove for the 2004–05 season, becoming the Spruce Grove Saints.

Reader's Guide

The St. Albert Saints represent a significant chapter in Alberta junior hockey, bridging the franchise's origins in Edmonton and Spruce Grove with a 27-year stay in St. Albert. The team's legacy is defined by its remarkable NHL alumni, including Mark Messier and Ken Daneyko, who combined for nine Stanley Cup championships. The Saints' four AJHL titles in St. Albert (1981, 1982, 1996, 1998) and their participation in national tournaments underscore their competitiveness. The franchise's history also includes tragic and violent events—the death of Trevor Elton and the 1979 bench-clearing brawl—that highlight the intense nature of junior hockey. The team's departure from St. Albert was driven by inadequate facilities, as Akinsdale Arena's small capacity and poor amenities could not compete with newer venues in nearby communities. The move back to Spruce Grove, where the franchise continues as the Spruce Grove Saints, closed a chapter that saw the Saints develop future NHL talent and leave a lasting mark on the AJHL.

Did You Know?

• The St. Albert Saints produced ten NHL players, including six-time Stanley Cup champion Mark Messier and three-time champion Ken Daneyko.
• The franchise won the national Centennial Cup in 1975 as the Spruce Grove Mets.
• A February 1980 clean hit by a Saints player resulted in the death of Sherwood Park Crusaders captain Trevor Elton.
• The Saints' home arena, Akinsdale Arena, seated only 611, the smallest capacity in the AJHL.