Pre-game huddle before the Rebels took on Sherwood Park in the final round robin game of the 2026 U15 AAA Provincial Championship in Sherwood Park/Ardrossan. Red Deer went on to win 2-1 in overtime. (Image Credit: Rebecca Jane Photography)

By Josh Hall | @Vancan19

memories, lessons to take for madden daneault and co.

Provincial gold slips through fingers of U15 AAA Red Deer Rebels

Mar 25, 2026 | 4:06 PM

Notwithstanding a mid-season tournament, the 2025-26 edition of the U15 AAA Red Deer Rebels won an astounding 41 straight games — from day one of the regular season, through the AEHL playoffs, and into the provincial championship round robin.

Then they were finally toppled in the closer of the round robin, falling 3-1 to the St. Albert Raiders Sabres.

Then they heartbreakingly lost the championship game, 5-4 in overtime, to the Lethbridge Val Matteoti Hawks.

Provincials went down this past weekend in Ardrossan, where the Rebels, led by phenom Madden Daneault, were the considerable favourites.

For Daneault’s part, he put up a record-breaking 149 points (65G, 84) in the 34-game regular season; the 14-year-old then led the playoffs with 15 points (9G, 6A) in four games; and he added seven points (2G, 5A) in five games in the final stage.

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That’s a redonkulous grand total of 171 points in 43 non-exhibition games, or 3.98 points per game.

The final one for Daneault was a goal — his 76th this season — with one second left in regulation and the goalie pulled, to tie the winner-takes-all game at 4-4, after his team began the final period down by two.

See the tying goal HERE!

It was also Daneault’s third point of the final after he’d assisted twice.

Rebels captain Madden Daneault celebrates his game-tying goal with one second remaining in regulation, during the gold medal game against Lethbridge. Red Deer would fall 5-4 2:57 into overtime. (Image Credit: Rebecca Jane Photography)

“That’s going to be a feeling none of us will ever forget. The shot of adrenaline that rolled through everyone’s body, and the elation, that’s hard to top,” Head Coach Justin Jarmolicz said of the moment Daneault scored the equalizer.

Unfortunately, it was the team’s last truly joyous moment of the season.

“We’re going through the positives of what happened in that tournament; we outplayed every team. In the final, we were over double the shots on goal of the other team,” Jarmolicz said when asked how they’re now finding a way to reconcile with the sour taste of defeat.

“There are positives that can come from this, that we can learn from and grow with. They’re just going to have to deal with the pain of that one last goal we let in, but it’ll make them stronger in the end.”

The bench boss also gives Hawks goaltender Taj Grover his flowers.

Grover stopped 53 of 57 in the final, including 24 in the third period, but had zero to turn away in the 177 seconds of overtime the teams played.

“We give Lethbridge all the credit. They played a very good team-defense game, and they competed really hard. We hit four crossbars and a post though, so it’s just one of those things, right? Sometimes it doesn’t go your way,” he laments.

“They capitalized on their chances, so hats off to them.”

Indeed, credit to Lethbridge, who was the undeniable underdog in the final.

The Rebels and Hawks shake hands following the opening game of the U15 AAA Provincial Championship. Red Deer would take the win 4-3. It was the team’s 39th of 41 straight wins in non-exhibition play. (Image Credit: Rebecca Jane Photography)

Red Deer played Lethbridge three times in the regular season, beating them 10-2, 7-2, and 7-3. They added a 4-3 win over the Hawks in the opening game of the provincial tournament. Furthermore, Lethbridge finished sixth in the AEHL’s South Division with 41 points in the regular season, 27 behind Red Deer.

“We’re extremely proud, but it’s going to take some time before we can actually realize how special the season was. This is why you play the games though,” says Jarmolicz.

“It’s a feather in the cap of all our players and the coaching staff. They were all amazing. It’s one of those things that you can say you lived this season together forever. You just have to be able to look at yourself in the mirror and know you gave your best, and I know our guys did.”

Four Rebels finished top-11 in scoring at provincials, including Daneault.

Forward Easton Van Grinsven tallied seven points, including three goals, while blueliners Nate Lodge and Luke Pierson had six and five points, respectively.

Thomas Wright, who backstopped Red Deer in the final, finished provincials with a 2.95 GAA (fourth-best) and .885 SV% over three games; Karson Varty played twice, and finished with a 2.50 GAA (3rd-best) and .896 SV%.