Okotoks Bisons
| Okotoks Bisons | |
|---|---|
| File:Okotoks Bisons official logo.jpg | |
| City | Okotoks, Alberta, Canada |
| League | Heritage Junior B Hockey League |
| Division | South |
| Founded | 1985–86 |
| Home arena | Murray Arena |
| Colours | Navy Blue, red, white |
| General manager |  Ryan Rarick |
| Head coach | Chris Beston |
| Website | www.okotoksbisons.com/ |
| Franchise history | |
| 1985–1990 | Okotoks 85ers |
| 1990–2002 | Foothills Bisons |
| 2002–present | Okotoks 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
- ^ http://www.heritagejunior.com/leagues/custom_page.cfm?leagueID=3627&clientID=1749&pageID=13359
- ^ http://www.westernwheel.com/article/20130410/WHE1101/304109990/bisons-win-it-for-hanny
- ^ http://www.westernwheel.com/article/20130421/WHE1101/304219999/bisons-earn-bronze-at-keystone
- ^ http://okotoksonline.com/local-sports/27553-bisons-eliminated-championship-streak-ends
- ^ http://www.eliteprospects.com/team.php?team=5448