Heritage Junior B Hockey League
Encyclopedia
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
league in Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, sanctioned by Hockey Canada
Hockey Canada
Hockey Canada, formally known as the Canadian Hockey Association, is the national governing body of ice hockey in Canada and is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation. Hockey Canada controls a vast majority of ice hockey in Canada, with a few exceptions...
. The HJHL was founded in 1987 and is made up of teams from southern and central Alberta. The HJHL is the largest Junior B league in the province, with 15 teams that competed in 2006-07.
As one of the largest Junior B leagues in Alberta, both the league champion, and the losing finalist qualify for the Alberta Provincial Junior B Hockey Championship
Alberta Provincial Junior B Hockey Championship
The Russ Barnes Trophy is a trophy awarded by Hockey Alberta to the Alberta Junior B hockey champion. The winner moves on to the Keystone Cup Western Canada championship.-Tournament Organization:...
. The winner of this tournament earns the right to compete for the Western Canadian Junior "B" Crown, the Keystone Cup
Keystone Cup
The Keystone Cup is the Junior "B" ice hockey championship and trophy for Western Canada. The Championship is the culmination of the champions of 12 hockey leagues in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Northwestern Ontario.-History:...
.
The Lacombe Wranglers won the 2007 league championship over the Airdrie Thunder and Okotoks Bisons in a three team, round robin final. The Wranglers also captured the Alberta provincial title. The Wranglers chose not to participate in the Keystone Cup tournament due to scheduling conflicts.
During the 2010-2011 HJHL finals, Okotoks won the best-of-three series vs. Blackfalds (formerly Lacombe) 2-1, winning their 8th league title. Both teams advanced to the Junior 'B' Provincials in Leduc. Blackfalds won the final 2-1 over the Beaumont Chiefs to advance to the 2011 Keystone Cup in Sherwood Park. With a 4-1 record going into the final, Blackfalds defeated the host Sherwood Park 2-1 to win the Western Canadian Crown.
Current teams
The HJHL has 3 divisions for the 2010-2011 season.| Team | Centre | 2009-10 Record (W–L–T–OTL) |
Points | Finish |
| North Division | ||||
| Blackfalds Wranglers Blackfalds Wranglers The Blackfalds Wranglers are a Junior "B" Ice Hockey team based in Blackfalds, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the North Division of the Heritage Junior B Hockey League... |
Blackfalds | 32–3–1–0 | 65 | 1 |
| Red Deer Vipers | Red Deer Red Deer, Alberta Red Deer is a city in Central Alberta, Canada. It is located near the midpoint of the Calgary-Edmonton Corridor and is surrounded by Red Deer County. It is Alberta's third-most-populous city – after Calgary and Edmonton. The city is located in aspen parkland, a region of rolling hills... |
24–9–1–2 | 51 | 2 |
| Stettler Lightning | Stettler Stettler, Alberta Stettler is a town in Alberta, Canada. It is located east of Red Deer at the junction of Highway 12 and Highway 56. The town is located in the eastern region of central Alberta and nicknamed "The Heart of Alberta."- History :... |
13–21–2–0 | 28 | 3 |
| Rimbey Rock | Rimbey | 6–29–0–1 | 13 | 4 |
| Ponoka Stampeders | Ponoka Ponoka, Alberta Ponoka is a town in the province of Alberta, Canada. It is situated in the south/central parkland region of rolling hills. Industries are agriculture , and oil and gas production... |
6–29–0–0 | 12 | 5 |
| South Division | ||||
| Okotoks Bisons 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... |
Okotoks Okotoks, Alberta Okotoks is a town situated on the Sheep River, south of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The town is a member of the Calgary Regional Partnership, a cooperative of communities within the Calgary Region. Okotoks has become a popular bedroom community for the City of Calgary... |
29–2–2–3 | 63 | 1 |
| Medicine Hat Cubs | Medicine Hat Medicine Hat, Alberta Medicine Hat, known to locals as "The Hat", is a city of 61,097 people located in the southeastern part of the province of Alberta, Canada. It is enclaved within Cypress County along with the nearby Town of Redcliff, although neither is part of the county.... |
24–11–1–0 | 49 | 2 |
| Coaldale Copperheads | Coaldale Coaldale, Alberta Coaldale is a town in southern Alberta, Canada, located east of Lethbridge, along the Crowsnest Highway.- Attractions :The main attractions are the Alberta Birds of Prey Centre, the Land o' Lakes Golf Course, and the Gem of the West Museum.... |
19–14–1–2 | 41 | 3 |
| High River Flyers | High River High River, Alberta High River is a town in southwestern Alberta, Canada with a population of 10,716. It is south of the city of Calgary, at the junction of Alberta Highways 2 and 23... |
14–19–2–1 | 31 | 4 |
| Strathmore Wheatland Kings | Strathmore Strathmore, Alberta Strathmore is a town located along the Trans-Canada Highway in southern Alberta, Canada, east of the city of Calgary, within the boundaries of Wheatland County.- History :... |
7–25–1–3 | 18 | 5 |
| Central Division | ||||
| Airdrie Thunder Airdrie Thunder The Airdrie Thunder are a Junior "B" Ice Hockey team based in Airdrie, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the North Division of the Heritage Junior B Hockey League... |
Airdrie Airdrie, Alberta Airdrie is a city in Alberta, Canada, located just north of Calgary within the Calgary–Edmonton Corridor. The City of Airdrie is part of Calgary's Census Metropolitan Area and a member community of the Calgary Regional Partnership . Due to its proximity to Calgary, Airdrie's population has been... |
24–10–2–0 | 50 | 1 |
| Three Hills Thrashers | Three Hills Three Hills, Alberta Three Hills is a town located in the southern part of the province of Alberta, Canada. It is so named because of the three highly visible hills that are situated to its north.-History:... |
22–11–1–2 | 47 | 2 |
| Cochrane Generals | Cochrane Cochrane, Alberta Cochrane is a town in the Canadian province of Alberta. The town is located 18 km west of the Calgary city limits along Highway 1A. With a population of 15,424 , Cochrane is the second largest town in Alberta and one of the fastest growing communities in Canada... |
21–13–1–1 | 44 | 3 |
| Mountainview Colts Mountainview Colts The Mountainview Colts are a Junior "B" Ice Hockey team based in Didsbury, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the North Division of the Heritage Junior B Hockey League... |
Didsbury Didsbury, Alberta Didsbury is a town in central Alberta, Canada, at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.Located next to Alberta Highway 2A, near the Queen Elizabeth II Highway, Didsbury is within the Calgary-Edmonton corridor. Didsbury is approximately the half-way point between the cities of Calgary and Red... |
11–19–4–1 | 27 | 4 |
| Banff Academy Bears | Banff Banff, Alberta Banff is a town within Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. It is located in Alberta's Rockies along the Trans-Canada Highway, approximately west of Calgary and east of Lake Louise.... |
7–27–1–1 | 16 | 5 |
Champions
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- Bold denotes won Alberta provincial title
- 1League finalists Red Deer Vipers captured the Alberta Provincials and Keystone Cup championship
- 2011- Blackfalds win 2011 Provincials as HJHL finalists, and went on too win the 2011 Keystone Cup