JrOilersEssoCup

EDMONTON, AB – The Edmonton Junior Oilers White U18 AAA have made history by winning the 2025 Esso Cup, marking the first time a minor hockey team from Edmonton, men's or women's, has captured a Hockey Canada national championship.

The Junior Oilers claimed gold in dominant fashion, defeating the Saskatoon Stars 7–3 in the final and cementing a landmark achievement for girls and women's hockey and the city of Edmonton. Prior to this, the closest Edmonton-based teams came to winning gold were the Edmonton Thunder, who earned silver in 2014, and an Edmonton men's team that took silver in 1967.

The Esso Cup win capped off a record-breaking year for the Junior Oilers, who finished the regular season with a near-perfect 27-0-1 record (their only blemish an overtime loss). They swept through the Alberta Female Hockey League (AFHL) U18 AAA playoffs and the Pacific regional championship without a single defeat. At nationals, the Junior Oilers outscored their opponents 31–7, delivering a commanding performance from start to finish.

In the final, assistant captain Paige Smith opened the scoring and set the tone for the game. Her standout play earned her the title of Esso Cup tournament MVP, awarded by Hockey Canada. The team's relentless forechecking, led by Keira Grant, Reanna Loberg, and Tayah Wallace, overwhelmed opponents. Offensive threats Evie Hanson and Ciara Lang both recorded multi-point games, while Ella Dunham-Fox and Taya Christie delivered elite-level goaltending throughout the tournament.

"This team has been nothing short of extraordinary," said Head Coach Joel Lenius. "From the start of the season to this moment, they’ve shown incredible drive, resilience, and unity. To win the first-ever national championship for Edmonton hockey is something they will carry with them forever."

Despite losing team captain Layla Matthew mid-season to injury, the Junior Oilers rallied and dedicated their championship run to her.

Their 2024–25 roster was stacked with top-tier talent. Eight players returned from last year's Esso Cup bronze medal team, six represented Team Alberta at the 2024 U18 women's national championship, and two players were selected to attend Hockey Canada's 2024 national women's U18 team selection camp.

Seventeen of the team's 20 players have either committed or signed to NCAA Division 1 or U SPORTS programs, with the remaining three ineligible due to age. Edmonton led the AFHL with 124 goals during the regular season – 36 more than the next closest team – and boasted eight of the league's top 10 scorers.

Leading the charge was Parker Small (11G, 20A), while rookie standout Tavia Koscielnuk added 11 goals and 26 points. On the back end, Ciara Lang (8G, 19A), Cadence Richards (8G, 18A), and Bree Prediger (9G, 14A) were offensive powerhouses.

Defensively, the Junior Oilers were just as formidable, as Christie and Dunham-Fox ranked first and second, respectively, in both goals-against average and save percentage across the AFHL.

The Junior Oilers are the first all-female team authorized by the Edmonton Oilers and the NHL to wear the iconic Oilers jersey in official, season-long competition, and they also made history as the first AFHL team to play a league-sanctioned game at Rogers Place.