Twinning hockey players AJ & Ali Macaulay preparing for next season

Ali Macaulay, left, and AJ Macaulay, right, have been patrolling collegiate bluelines for the past two seasons. Image credits: MacEwan Griffins, UAF.

While the Macaulay’s are back home for the summer, relaxing and enjoying time away for school, training for the next hockey season, change is in the air for each of them.

Twins AJ and Ali Macaulay from Bonnyville are at different points of their collegiate careers, but have new challenges upcoming next season.

It’s a change of scenery for AJ. The 22-year-old defenceman entered the transfer portal at season’s end after two years with the University of Alaska-Fairbanks in the NCAA. He was picked up by Bemidji State in Minnesota.

“It was a little bit of a stressful process. The transfer portal is kind of like free agency,” he told Lakeland Connect. 

“If you enter, you might not get picked up. And then you’re kind of hooped. But I had all the right people in my corner and made sure that I landed in a spot that would be good for me. And not only hockey, but academically as well.” 

In AJ’s latest season, he scored 5 goals, while collecting 10 assists for a sharp campaign as a regular on the backend for the Nanooks. The opportunity to play with a conference team, as well as location, played heavily in his decision.

“Going into my junior year, there’s already going to be a lot of responsibility for myself. And I think that if I just put the work in this summer and do what I can here, I shouldn’t have a problem.”

Ali has experience making a move herself.

After two seasons with Olds College in the ACAC, she hopped over to the MacEwan Griffins last season to play U-Sports, the top flight of Canadian university sports.

She hopes to help bring that program to a stronger result in 2024-25 as part of the leadership group, while being comfortable in her surroundings.

“We’re kind of just transitioning. We had a tough go, but we’re hoping things are gonna look up next season,” she said.  

“But living in the moment and just seen where things go. I had surgery last summer, so I didn’t get to train as well as I wanted to come into the year, so I had a little bit of a hard time adjusting and training throughout the winter. 

“This year, I’ll be able to fully prepare myself and hopefully see some more success.” 

The growth of women’s hockey is particularly encouraging for Ali, with the success of the PWHL, and the expansion of minor hockey opportunities for females.

“Growing up the girls hockey for me wasn’t such a big thing. I grew up playing with the guys when I was younger, and just to see like how big its transitioned and how far it’s come, it’s honestly incredible.” 

Getting the chance to decompress and just be young people too is what the summer affords each of them.

The tight-knit pair don’t get the chance to watch each other during the season very often, nor are they willing to answer when someone poses the question of who’s better.

But one thing remains true with the twins: when one gets body-checked to the ice, the other one doesn’t feel it.

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