We are on the hunt to find out who our fans think our best players have been from the past 20 years. Fans can select two goaltenders, six defensemen and 12 forwards from a pool of 50 players. Once the votes have been counted, the final roster will be announced.
VOTE HERE: https://forms.gle/xH7kVEofN3FFSojg9
Arjun Atwal
Arjun Atwal was the captain of your 2019-20 record breaking Sherwood Park Crusaders. He led by example during his four years with the Crusaders. In his final year, Atwal led the league with 35 goals and 107 points in 54 games and was named the league MVP. He was also named to the AJHL North All-League team and was a finalist for the CJHL MVP award. Atwal finished his junior career with 163 games played for the Crusaders and is second all time on the franchise points list with 223. Atwal is now playing at the University of Calgary.
Braydon Cox
Braydon Cox spent three full seasons with the Crusaders organization after graduating from the Sherwood Park minor hockey system. In those three years, Cox played 174 regular season games (4 as an affiliate) and nine playoff games in 2002. The Sherwood Park native was an offensive juggernaut for the Crusaders. In 2002, Cox put together a 92 point season which was the first 90 point year since Andrew Lucuik accomplished one in 1995. He finished his junior career with 83 goals, 124 assists and 207 points which is 5th on the franchise rankings. His 83 goals are also 9th and his 124 assists are 5th. Following his junior hockey career, Cox spent four years at Colorado College and played in 142 games for the Tigers. After college, he headed over to Germany and played for the EC Ulm and the EHC Klostersee.
Sean Dersch
Sam Dersch was with the Sherwood Park Crusaders from 2001 to 2003. He was a member of the 2003 roster that held the franchise record for most wins in a season (43) until the 2019 Crusaders broke that record. Dersch played 129 games in Sherwood Park, scoring 43 goals and 131 points. In 2002, he was voted into the AJHL North All-Rookie Team after putting together a 55 point (15 goals, 40 assists) season in 64 games. After junior hockey, Dersch attended Brown University for four years where he played 123 games scoring 20 goals and 56 points.
Jessi Hilton
Jessi Hilton played 140 games in Sherwood Park over a four year stretch. The first couple of years, Hilton split time between the AJHL and WHL; in the 2010-11 season, he became a full time member of the team playing back-to-back 60 game seasons. Hilton was named the captain of the Crusaders for his final junior season (2011-12) and went on to score 34 goals and 71 points in 60 games. The Sherwood Park native finished with 72 goals and 147 points. Hilton moved onto the University of British Colombia after his junior hockey career was over. He played 95 games for the Thunderbirds scoring 15 goals and 35 points over four seasons.
Brett Holmberg
During his time in Sherwood Park, Brett Holmberg was a fan favourite. He spent four years playing for his hometown Crusaders and has played the third most games in franchise history, 221. He scored 93 goals over that time (3rd most all time) and finished with 203 points (6th most all time). Holmberg?s best year came in his final year of junior hockey. The Sherwood Park native finished first on the team in scoring with 26 goals and 64 points.
Nick Jones
Nick Jones was with the Crusaders for two years from 2012 to 2014. He played exactly 100 games in Sherwood Park and finished with 52 goals and 96 points. In the 2014 season, Jones had a tremendous year scoring a team leading 72 points and finished third in the league scoring race. He also netted a career high 41 goals which helped him with the AJHL?s Most Goals award. That season, Jones represented Team Canada West at the World Junior A Challenge where he won a bronze medal. He was also named to the AJHL?s All-League team. In 2015, Jones moved onto the NCAA to play for Ohio State. He played 29 games there before moving onto the BCHL to join the Penticton Vees. After 100 games in Penticton, Jones went back to the NCAA to play for North Dakota. Today, Jones plays for the Hartford Wolf Pack in the AHL.
Rob Kleebaum
Another Sherwood Park native on the list is Rob Kleebaum. Kleebaum played in Sherwood Park from 2006 to 2009 before heading to Princeton University. He played in the 16th most games all time for the Crusaders with 179 to his name. Over those 179 games, Kleebaum scored 67 goals and 137 points. In his final season, the former Crusaders forward netted 31 goals and 61 points in 60 games. After spending four years at Princeton, Kleebaum had a brief professional career suiting up for both Las Vegas Wranglers and Missouri Mavericks.
Ryan Kruper
Ryan Kruper was a four year Crusader and each year his numbers progressively got better. Especially in his final season. In his first three years, Kruper tallied 33 goals and 65 points in 163 games. In year four, he made a big leap offensively and blew his previous numbers away. Kruper scored 30 goals for the first time, with 49 assists he led the team with 79 points. Kruper finished third in the league scoring race that season and received a scholarship to RIT in the NCAA. He currently sits 4th for most games played by a Crusader, and is the top 25 for both goals and assists.
Cody Kunyk
Since graduating from the Crusaders in 2010, Cody Kunyk has gone on to have a fantastic collegiate and now professional career. Kunyk is playing over in Finland for Karpat where he recently signed after spending time with HPK and SaiPa also in Finland. During his time in Sherwood Park, he dressed in 165 games for the Crusaders scoring 82 goals and 169 points. In 2010, Kunyk was voted in as the AJHL?s MVP, a member of the All-League team and the winner of the CJHL Player of the Year award. He then spent four years at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks before turning pro in 2014. Kunyk played one game in the NHL for the Tampa Lightning in his first year as a pro.
Tyler Maltby
Tyler Maltby really knew how to put the puck in the net during his time with the Crusaders. In 163 games, Maltby scored 95 goals which was 23 more than anybody else during that three year duration. Those 95 goals are also the second most in franchise history behind only Grant Rezewski. He finished his Crusaders career with 167 points. Maltby represented Team Canada West at the 2016 World Junior A Challenge where he won a gold medal. He then moved onto play for the University of Lethbridge and is now with the SAIT Trojans.
Dillon Massie
Dillon Massie is a Sherwood Park native who played for his hometown team from 2010 to 2014. Massie produced 48 goals and 116 points during his four year stint with the team. His 196 games played are the 15th most in franchise history. Massie also played in 32 playoff games for the Crusaders which is the second most behind only Ryan Kruper. In his final years of junior hockey, the hometown kid was an assistant captain for two seasons and then finished off his junior career as the captain of the Sherwood Park Crusaders.
Brant Middleton
After spending one season in the WHL, Brant Middleton joined the Sherwood Park Crusaders in 2000 and played 168 games until departing in 2003 to join NAIT. His best season came in 2003 when he scored 22 goals and 63 points in 56 games. Middleton tallied 66 goals, 88 assists and 154 points during his time in Sherwood Park. He currently sits in the top 15 all time in all three offensive categories for the Crusaders.
Peter Quenneville
At 26 years old, Peter Quenneville calls the Rapid City Rush of the ECHL home now. He?s now in his second year with the Rush after spending three years away from the North American professional leagues. Quenneville was a member of the Sherwood Park Crusaders for two years back in the early 2010?s. He played 107 games for the Crusaders and scored 103 points. His best season came in 2012. Queeneville scored a career high 31 goals and 81 points in 53 games. He finished third in scoring that season and was named to the AJHL North All-League team and also the AJHL?s MVP.
Ty Readman
Ty Readman is currently in his junior year with the Northern Michigan University Wildcats in the NCAA. He?s played 74 games for the Wildcats and has scored eight goals and 32 points. Before heading to the NCAA, Readman played 173 for the Crusaders and was an assistant captain in his final year with the team. He has the 5th most assists in franchise history with 116 and ranks in the top 20 in both goals and points. Readman?s best season came in 2017 when he produced 23 goals and 68 points playing in 59 games. In his rookie season, he was named to the AJHL North All-Rookie team.
Mike Ringrose
Mike Ringrose was a member of the Crusaders for four seasons from 2001 to 2005. Ringrose had a great rookie season playing in 61 games and scoring 17 goals and 38 points. He followed that up with a 81 points season and then 73 points. Ringrose had 27 points in 28 games in his final season before being moved to Drayton Valley. The Edmonton native spent one season at Grant MacEwan before becoming a full time coach with the Fort Saskatchewan Traders. Since then, Ringrose has gone on to coach with the Leduc Oil Kings, Spruce Grove Saints and now the MacEwan Griffins.
Reese Rolheiser
Nobody has played more games in the Crusaders uniform than Reese Rolheiser. He played 286 games in Sherwood Park over a five year span which saw him score 217 points (4th all time). His best statistical year came in his final season. Rolheiser scored a career high 33 goals and 88 points to lead the team and league in points. After his time in Sherwood Park was up, he joined Quinnipiac University for four years. Over those four years, Rolheiser played in 51 games for the Bobcats.
Carter Savoie
It was only last season that Carter Savoie was skating on the ice at the Sherwood Park Arena. Savoie became a huge fan favourite in his two years with the Crusaders. In 112 games for the Crusaders, the St Albert native scored 88 goals with 53 of them coming last season. He became the first Sherwood Park player to score 50 goals in a season since Andrew Luciuk in 1995. Savoie finished his junior career with 112 points in as many games. In his rookie year, he was named to the AJHL North All-Rookie team, the AJHL North All-League team, the AJHL Rookie of the year, and the CJHL rookie of the year. Savoie then followed that up with another AJHL North All-League nod the next year and was nominated for the CJHL Top Forward award. Over the summer, Savoie played at the JCWC representing Team AJHL in Sochi, Russia. Then also played for Team Canada West at the World Junior A Challenge. He?s now playing for the University of Denver and was selected 100th overall by the Edmonton Oilers at the 2020 NHL Draft.
Danny Smith
Danny Smith called the Sherwood Park Arena home for three years. Starting in 2010, Smith joined the Crusaders from the CAC Canadians where he played his minor hockey. In his first year, the Edmonton native produced 15 goals and 31 points in 55 games. He then went on to play back-to-back 60 game seasons and scored 47 goals and 107 points. After junior, Smith moved on to play in the NCAA for the RIT Tigers. Whilst with the tigers, he won three NCAA AHA conference titles and played in 135 games. Smith is now playing in France for Cholet.
Andrew Taverner
Andrew Taverner was an Edmonton product brought in to the Crusaders organization in 2010. Taverner played 150 games in the AJHL for Sherwood Park over three years. He scored 50 goals and 106 points during his time and also played in 27 playoff games. In 2014, Taverner had nine points in a 14 game playoff run which is the most in Crusaders history. After his time in Sherwood Park was over, he moved on to play in the NCAA for the Quinnipiac University Wildcats where he would spend the next three years. Finally, Taverner won a gold medal for Team Canada West at the World Junior A Challenge in 2014.
Nik Yaremchuk
From 2006 to 2009, Nik Yaremchuk was a member of the Sherwood Park Crusaders. He produced 77 goals and 174 points in 169 games for the organization and played in 18 playoff games and scored 15 points. Yaremchuk?s best year came in the 2009 season when he scored a career high 29 goals and 68 points. He ranks in the top 15 on the all time list for goals, assists, and points. After his time in Sherwood Park was over, Yaremchuk spent four years at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks where he played in 144 games and scored 31 goals and 79 points.
Ryan Yarmuch
Ryan Yarmuch is a Vermillion native who played two seasons for Sherwood Park in the early 2000s. His first year came in 2003 when he played very close to a point per game level. Yarmuch produced 51 points (14 goals, 37 assists) in 58 games along with 155 penalty minutes. The next year, he stepped his game up another level and was second on the team in scoring with 72 points and 20 goals. After his time in junior was up, Yarmuch spent one year with the NAIT Ooks.
Will Zapernick
Will Zapernick is another star from the 2018 to 2020 era to make the list. Zapernick?s offensive game really elevated in his second year after almost doubling his points tally going from 34 to 62 points. In year three, the Edmonton native hit the 30 goal mark for the first time matching his points total in year one. He finished that season with 88 points and was third on the team in scoring. Over his three years, the former Crusader tallied 188 points which is the 7th most in franchise history. Zapernick represented the AJHL at the JCWC in Sochi, Russia, over the offseason before the 2019-20. He was named as assistant captain of the team and finished the tournament with three points. Zapernick is currently a freshman at the University of Vermont in the NCAA.