Okotoks Bisons

Ice hockey team

Okotoks Bisons

City| Okotoks, Alberta, Canada
League| Heritage Junior B Hockey League
Division| South
Founded| 1985 (1985)–86
Home arena| Murray Arena
Colours| Navy Blue, red, white

General manager|  Ryan Rarick
Head coach|  Brad Cobb
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[edit]

Division titles won: 1996, 1997, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2022, 2023, 2024
League Championships won: 1996, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2022, 2023, 2024
Alberta Provincial entries: 1996, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2022, 2023, 2024
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 Bison’s have been the most successful franchise in HJHL history, earning 20 League Final Appearances, 17 1st Place Finishes, 14 HJHL Playoff Championships, 9 Provincial Medals and 1 Western Canadian Championship Medal. The program is also seen as one of the best across Canada with recent national rankings of #1 in 2023-24, #2 2022-23 & #4 in 2021-22.

The Bison’s were at their all-time high between 2011 and 2014 where they made league history by being the first and only team since to win four consecutive league titles in the HJHL. A feat they had come close to in 2001–2003 winning three consecutively. Today, the Bison’s look to capture their fourth consecutive league championships as they have most recently been crowned League Champs in 2022, 2023 & 2024\.

## Season-by-season record[edit]

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

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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. semi-finals, 2–4 (Copperheads)
2016–17 | 38 | 26 | 11 | — | 1 | 53 | 194 | 135 | — |  2nd of 7, South
4 of 14, HJHL |  Lost div. semi-finals, 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)
2018–19 | 38 | 27 | 7 | — | 4 | 38 | 171 | 93 | — |  2nd of 7, South
4 of 14, HJHL |  Lost div. semi-finals, 1–4 (Generals)
2019–20 | 38 | 35 | 2 | — | 1 | 71 | 232 | 84 | — |  1st of 7, South
1st of 14, HJHL |  Won Div. Semifinals, 4–0 (Flyers)
Incomplete Div. Finals, 2–1 (Generals)
2020–21 | 3 | 3 | 0 | – | 0 | 6 | 18 | 4 | – | Remaining season lost to COVID-19 pandemic
2021–22 | 36 | 33 | 2 | — | 1 | 67 | 248 | 67 | — |  1st of 7, South
1st of 14, HJHL |  Won Div. Semifinals, 4–1 (Wheat Kings)
Won Division Finals 4–2 (Cubs)
Won League Finals 3–0 (Generals)
HJBHL CHAMPIONS
Advance to Russ Barnes Championships
2022–23 | 38 | 35 | 3 | — | 0 | 70 | 188 | 76 | — |  1st of 6, South
1st of 14, HJHL |  Won Div. Semifinals, 4–0 (Wheat Kings)
Won Division Finals 4–0 (Cubs)
Won League Finals 3–0 (Wranglers)
HJBHL CHAMPIONS
Host Russ Barnes Championships
2023–24 | 38 | 34 | 3 | — | 1 | 69 | 185 | 68 | — |  1st of 6, South
1st of 13, HJHL |  Won Quarterfinals, 3-1 (Flyers)
Won Semifinals 3–0 (Rams)
Won League Finals 4-2 (Wranglers)
HJBHL CHAMPIONS
Advance to Russ Barnes Championships

## Russ Barnes Trophy[edit]

Alberta Jr B Provincial Championships

Year | Round Robin | Record | Standing | Semifinal | Bronze Medal Game | Gold Medal Game

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2003 |  W, St. Paul Canadiens 5–2
W, Calgary Royal Gold 3–1
W, Spruce Grove Regals 6–3 | 3–0–0 | n/a | L, Fort St. John Huskies 1–3 |  W, Lloydminster Bandits 7–5
Bronze Medalists | n/a
2005 |  L, North Peace Navigators 2–4
W, Calgary Bruins 7–0
T, Beverly Warriors 4–4  | 1–1–1 | n/a | L, Calgary Stampeders 4–6  |  L, North Peace Navigators 1–3 | n/a
2006 |  W, N Edmonton Red Wings 5–3
W, Calgary Stampeders 6–2
T, Grande Prairie Wheelers 6–6  | 2–0–1 | n/a | L, Red Deer Vipers 2–3 |  W, N Edmonton Red Wings 5–4
Bronze Medalists | n/a
2011 |  L, North Peace Navigators 6–8
L, Beaumont Chiefs 3–6
W, Calgary Blazers 4–2 | 1–2–0 | n/a | Did not qualify | n/a | n/a
2012 |  L, Whitecourt Wolverines 3–4
W, Spruce Grove Regals 2–3
W, Killam 6–0  | 1–2–0 | n/a | W, Edmonton Royals 5–2  | n/a |  L, Whitecourt Wolverines 1–5
'Silver Medalists
2013 |  T, Wainwright Bisons, 2–2
W, Sherwood Park Knights, 6–2
W, Calgary Rangers, 7–1  | 2–0–1 | n/a |  W, Red Deer Vipers, 7–2  | n/a |  W, Sherwood Park Knights, 8–4
GOLD MEDALIST
Advance to Keystone Cup
2022 |  W, Wainwright Bisons, 4–0
T, Sherwood Park Knights, 6–6
W, CBHA Rangers, 2–0  | 2–0–1 | 1st of 4 Pool B | L, Fort St. John Huskies 2–5 | W, Sherwood Park Knights 5–2
Bronze Medalists | n/a
2023 |  W, Fort St. John Huskies, 5–4
W, Sylvan Lake Wranglers, 4–0
W, Sherwood Park Knights, 6–3
L, Wainwright Bisons 4–5  | 3–1–1 | 1st of 6 | no semi's | n/a | L, Wainwright Bisons 1–3
Silver Medalists

## Awards and trophies[edit]

HJHL Championship

* 1995–96, 1996–97, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2021–22, 2022-23, 2023-24

## See also[edit]

* List of ice hockey teams in Alberta

## References[edit]

## External links[edit]

* Official website

* v
* t
* e

Teams and Leagues eligible for the Russ Barnes Trophy

CalJHL|

CBHA Blackhawks
CBHA Rangers
CNHA Blazers
CNHA Canucks
CRAA Blue
CRAA Gold
NWCAA Bruins
NWCAA Stampeders

CapJHL|

West Division

Beverly Warriors
Edmonton Mustangs
Morinville Jets
North Edmonton Red Wings
Spruce Grove Regals
St. Albert Merchants
Stony Plain Flyers
East Division

Beaumont Chiefs
Edmonton Royals
Fort Saskatchewan Hawks
Leduc Schwab Riggers
Sherwood Park Knights
Strathcona Bruins
Wetaskiwin Icemen

HJHL|

North Division

Airdrie Thunder
Mountainview Colts
Ponoka Stampeders
Red Deer Vipers
Stettler Lightning
Sylvan Lake Wranglers
Three Hills Thrashers
South Division

Coaldale Copperheads
Cochrane Generals
High River Flyers
Lomond Lakers
Medicine Hat Cubs
Okotoks Bisons
Strathmore Wheatland Kings

NEAJBHL|

Cold Lake Ice
Frog Lake T-Birds
Killam Wheat Kings
Lloydminster Bandits
Onion Lake Border Chiefs
Saddle Lake Warriors
St. Paul Canadiens
Vegreville Rangers
Vermilion Tigers
Wainwright Bisons

NWJHL|

Dawson Creek Kodiaks
Fairview Flyers
Fort St. John Huskies
Grande Prairie Kings
North Peace Navigators
Sexsmith Vipers
Beaverlodge Blades

Defunct teams|

Slave Lake Wolves
Whitecourt Wolverines (NWJHL)

Hockey Alberta
Russ Barnes Trophy
Keystone Cup
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