Okotoks Bisons

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Okotoks Bisons
Okotoks Bisons official logo.jpg
CityOkotoks, Alberta, Canada
LeagueHeritage Junior B Hockey League
DivisionSouth
Founded1985 (1985)–86
Home arenaMurray Arena
ColoursNavy Blue, red, white
     
General managerCanada Ryan Rarick
Head coachCanada Brad Cobb
Websitewww.okotoksbisons.com/
Franchise history
1985–1990Okotoks 85ers
1990–2002Foothills Bisons
2002–presentOkotoks Bisons

The Okotoks Bisons are a junior "B" ice hockey team based in Okotoks, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the South Division of the Heritage Junior B Hockey League (HJHL). They play their home games at Murray Arena.

History[]

Division titles won: 1996, 1997, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
League Championships won: 1996, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
Alberta Provincial entries: 1996, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2011, 2012, 2013
Alberta Provincial titles: 2013
Keystone Cup titles: none

Founded in 1985, the Bisons were originally known as the Okotoks 85ers and played in the Southern Alberta Junior Hockey League. They moved to the Calgary Junior Hockey League in 1989 - changing to the Foothills Bisons one year later - before settling in the Heritage Junior B Hockey League (HJHL) in 1991.

The Bisons have been the most successful franchise in HJHL history, capturing ten league championships, and representing the league in the Alberta Provincials eleven times, winning in 2013 and finishing as provincial runners-up in 2001, 2002 and 2012. The Bisons have frequently battled the Blackfalds Wranglers for dominance in the HJHL.

The Bisons were at their all-time high between 2011 and 2014. They made league history by being the first team to win four consecutive league titles in the HJHL, a feat they had come close to in 2001–2003 winning three consecutively.[1] In addition the record breaking team also won their division and advanced to the Alberta Provincial Junior B Hockey Championship in each of those four consecutive years.

In the 2012–13 season, the team won the provincials and took home the Russ Barnes Trophy,[2] which advanced them to the Western Canadian Championships, the Keystone Cup, and took third place in the bronze medal game.[3]

In the 2014–15 season, they ended their championship streak being knocked out early in the playoffs.[4] They failed to take the league championship for the first time since 2010 and did not advance to provincials.

Over those four seasons, the roster included many franchise record breaking players, including Phil Dillon, Matt Howatt, and Michael Savage as the only three players who were with the Bisons for all four championship seasons. Dillon ranked first in franchise records including the most all-time goals (98) and games played (147), as well as top five in all-time points (193), assists (95), points per game (1.313), points per season (64), and assists per season (37). Howatt ranked in the top five in all-time assists (87) and games played (133).[5]

Season-by-season record[]

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes

Season GP W L T OTL Pts GF GA PIM Finish Playoffs
1995–96 37 33 3 1 — 67 304 97 — 1st, Overall HJHL Champions
1996–97 36 30 6 — — 60 233 110 — 1st, Overall HJHL Champions
1997–98 37 25 12 0 — 50 224 154 — 4th, Overall Lost in Semifinals
1998–99 37 27 8 2 — 56 214 116 — 3rd, Overall Lost in Finals
1999–00 37 32 3 2 — 66 306 122 — 2nd, Overall Lost in Semifinals
2000–01 37 30 5 2 — 62 285 115 — 2nd, Overall HJHL Champions
2001–02 38 30 7 1 — 61 231 116 — 2nd, Overall HJHL Champions
2002–03 36 30 6 0 — 60 207 76 — 1st, South HJHL Champions
2003–04 36 33 2 1 0 67 241 75 — 1st, South Lost in Finals
2004–05 37 33 3 1 0 67 314 90 — 1st, South HJHL Champions
2005–06 38 36 1 0 1 73 352 74 1406 1st, South HJHL Champions, 2–0 (Vipers)
2006–07 36 30 4 1 1 62 210 112 1486 1st, South Lost Round Robin Finals, 1–3 (Wranglers)
2007–08 36 21 10 1 4 47 166 132 1225 4th, South Lost Semifinals, 3–4 (Generals)
2008–09 36 19 12 2 3 43 194 135 1122 3rd, South Lost Semifinals, 3–4 (Generals)
2009–10 36 29 2 2 3 63 178 83 1100 1st, South Lost Semifinals, 1–3 (Vipers)
2010–11 36 25 11 0 0 50 172 103 995 1st, South HJHL Champions, 2–1 (Wranglers)
2011–12 38 31 6 1 0 63 262 130 — 1st, South HJHL Champions, vs. (Thrashers)
Russ Barnes Trophy
Alberta Silver Medal
2012–13 38 33 2 2 1 69 223 95 — 1st, South HJHL Champions, 3–0 (Vipers)
Russ Barnes Trophy – Alberta Champion
Keystone Cup – Bronze Medal
2013–14 36 26 9 — 1 53 165 116 — 1st, South HJHL Champions, 3–2 (Wranglers)
Russ Barnes Trophy
eliminated pool round
2014–15 38 23 13 — 2 48 162 123 ? 3rd, South Won Div. Qualifier, 0–2 (Academy Bears)
Won Div. Semifinals, 4–0 (Generals)
Lost Div. Finals, 0–4 (Copperheads)
2015–16 38 29 9 — 0 58 214 119 — 2nd, South Lost Div. Semifinals, 2–4 (Copperheads)
2016–17 38 26 11 — 1 53 194 135 — 2nd of 7, South
4 of 14, HJHL		 Lost Div. Semifinals, 3–4 (Copperheads)
2017–18 36 24 10 — 2 50 179 115 — 2nd of 7, South
3 of 13, HJHL		 Div. Quarterfinals — bye
Won Div. Semifinals, 3–0 (Generals)
Lost Div. Finals, 1–4 (Copperheads)

Awards and trophies[]

HJHL Championship

  • 1995–96, 1996–97, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ http://www.heritagejunior.com/leagues/custom_page.cfm?leagueID=3627&clientID=1749&pageID=13359
  2. ^ http://www.westernwheel.com/article/20130410/WHE1101/304109990/bisons-win-it-for-hanny
  3. ^ http://www.westernwheel.com/article/20130421/WHE1101/304219999/bisons-earn-bronze-at-keystone
  4. ^ http://okotoksonline.com/local-sports/27553-bisons-eliminated-championship-streak-ends
  5. ^ http://www.eliteprospects.com/team.php?team=5448

External links[]

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