The AJHL says they're gearing up for the start of their regular season at its regular time.

The league's board of governors wrapped up their annual general meeting over the weekend and say as long as provincial health rules allow, they plan to run a full slate of games this year, starting the regular season in early September with their 15 teams.

They'll put out a tentative schedule early next month, but will have a contingency in place in case they need to start later in the fall.

One big change has the annual "Showcase Weekend" in Camrose at the end of September, moving to the second half of the season.

In a release, the league also announced some rule changes and enhanced video review practices.

The Alberta Junior Hockey League will follow the NHL’s rulebook with the introduction of Hybrid Icing in 2020-2021.

The AJHL will also implement Side-of-Ice Face Off Choice after icing and the start of powerplays next season.

If a team has iced the puck, the non-offending team will have choice of which side of the net they would like the faceoff to take place.

When a team is going on the powerplay, with the faceoff being inside the zone of the team incurring the penalty, the coach of the team beginning the powerplay will have a choice of which side he would like the faceoff to take place.

In an effort to increase pace of play and the potential for scoring opportunities, the AJHL has modified the parameters around line changes for the defensive team.

The defensive team will not be permitted a line change when a goalie freezes the puck on any shot from outside the centre red line. Similarly, if the actions of a skater of the defensive team cause a stoppage by unintentionally dislodging the net from its moorings, the defensive team will not be permitted to make a line change. In both instances, the offensive team will have the choice of which end zone dot the face-off will take place.

Diving has been recognized as a tactic that is an unwanted aspect of our game.

As such, a player shall now receive a one-game suspension upon receiving his third penalty for diving in the same season, and an additional one-game suspension shall result for each subsequent diving penalty.

The Alberta Junior Hockey League was the first Junior A League in Canada to implement video review for all penalty infractions under the Junior A Supplement.

The video review process will be enhanced in the 2020-21 season, allowing AJHL coaches increased opportunity to request video reviews on incidents where player safety is a concern.

League Governors will get together again in November for their semi-annual meetings.