The Alberta Ford Dealers AJHL Defensive Player of the Week is Taynton Lavender of the Drayton Valley Thunder. The 2006-born defenceman leads the Thunder with 32 points in 29 games played after adding six points (1G, 5A) in his last three games.
The Thunder battled to a one-goal game in three match ups versus teams at the top of the AJHL standings last week. Lavender and the Thunder played the Grande Prairie Storm to a 5-4 overtime loss at the AJHL Showcase on January 21st. He was awarded as the Bunge AJHL Player of the Game with a goal and two assists. On January 24th, the Thunder met the highly offensive Canmore Eagles and fell 3-2 with Lavender picking up an assist. He would once again be selected as the Bunge AJHL Player of the Game on January 25th with two assists in a 4-3 shootout loss to the Camrose Kodiaks.
Lavender was previously selected as the Alberta Ford Dealers AJHL Defensive Player of the Week in October 2025.
