# Bonnyville Pontiacs

The Bonnyville Pontiacs are a Junior A ice hockey team in the Alberta Junior Hockey League. They play in Bonnyville, Alberta, Canada at the R. J. Lalonde Arena.

## History

The Pontiacs entered the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) as the league's ninth team for the 1991–92 season, adopting the Pontiacs name and logo originally used by the Senior A team of the same name in the 1950s.
The franchise was awarded, along with the 1991–92 all-star game, on June 1, 1991, leaving just two months for the new organization to find staff and players before the start of the season. The short off-season hampered the team on the ice, as it finished a distant last place in the standings and missed the playoffs. The Pontiacs remained in last for two more seasons before qualifying for the postseason for the first time in 1995. The team continued to finish in the bottom half of the standings for most of the next two decades.
The Pontiacs were coached by Mario Pouliot for the 2022–23 season, and the team reached the third round of the playoffs for the second time in franchise history.

## Season-by-season record

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T/OTL = Ties/Overtime losses, SOL = Shootout losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
| Season | GP | W | L | T/OTL | SOL | Pts | GF | GA | Finish | Playoffs |
| 1991–92 | 60 | 8 | 51 | — | 1 | 17 | 186 | 399 | 9th Overall | Did not qualify |
| 1992–93 | 56 | 13 | 42 | — | 1 | 27 | 192 | 324 | 9th Overall | Did not qualify |
| 1993–94 | 56 | 15 | 37 | — | 4 | 34 | 209 | 368 | 9th Overall | Did not qualify |
| 1994–95 | 56 | 24 | 29 | — | 3 | 51 | 219 | 278 | 7th Overall | Lost Quarterfinals, 1–4 vs. Calgary Canucks |
| 1995–96 | 60 | 27 | 30 | — | 3 | 57 | 243 | 257 | 7th Overall | Lost Quarterfinals, 1–4 vs. Olds Grizzlys |
| 1996–97 | 60 | 27 | 30 | — | 3 | 57 | 242 | 270 | 8th Overall | Lost Quarterfinals, 2–4 vs. Calgary Canucks |
| 1997–98 | 60 | 20 | 36 | — | 4 | 44 | 204 | 266 | 11th Overall | Did not qualify |
| 1998–99 | 62 | 33 | 29 | — | 0 | 66 | 282 | 261 | 5th North | Lost Preliminary series, 0–2 vs. Grande Prairie Storm |
| 1999–00 | 64 | 34 | 26 | — | 4 | 72 | 251 | 230 | 5th North | Won Preliminary series, 3–0 vs. Grande Prairie Storm Lost Quarterfinals, 1–4 vs. Fort McMurray Oil Barons |
| 2000–01 | 64 | 17 | 38 | 9 | — | 43 | 194 | 307 | 8th North | Did not qualify |
| 2001–02 | 64 | 20 | 43 | 1 | — | 41 | 176 | 284 | 8th North | Did not qualify |
| 2002–03 | 64 | 27 | 29 | 8 | — | 62 | 207 | 243 | 6th North | Lost Preliminary series, 0–4 vs. Sherwood Park Crusaders |
| 2003–04 | 60 | 27 | 25 | 8 | — | 62 | 189 | 172 | 6th North | Lost Preliminary series, 2–3 vs. Fort McMurray Oil Barons |
| 2004–05 | 64 | 36 | 17 | 11 | — | 83 | 218 | 189 | 4th North | Lost Preliminary series, 1–3 vs. Grande Prairie Storm |
| 2005–06 | 60 | 38 | 19 | 3 | — | 79 | 240 | 185 | 5th North | Won Preliminary series, 3–1 vs. Grande Prairie Storm Lost Quarterfinals, 0–4 vs. Fort McMurray Oil Barons |
| 2006–07 | 60 | 24 | 29 | 7 | — | 55 | 173 | 208 | 6th North | Lost Preliminary series, 2–3 vs. Spruce Grove Saints |
| 2007–08 | 62 | 34 | 21 | 7 | — | 75 | 211 | 166 | 4th North | Won Preliminary series, 3–2 vs. Sherwood Park Crusaders Lost Quarterfinals, 2–4 vs. Fort McMurray Oil Barons |
| 2008–09 | 62 | 35 | 22 | 5 | — | 75 | 215 | 187 | 4th North | Lost Preliminary series, 1–3 vs. Fort McMurray Oil Barons |
| 2009–10 | 60 | 27 | 29 | 4 | — | 58 | 175 | 190 | 5th North | Won Preliminary series, 3–0 vs. Sherwood Park Crusaders Lost Quarterfinals, 0–4 vs. Spruce Grove Saints |
| 2010–11 | 60 | 35 | 16 | 9 | — | 79 | 198 | 150 | 3rd North | Won Preliminary series, 3–0 vs. Sherwood Park Crusaders Lost Quarterfinals, 2–4 vs. Fort McMurray Oil Barons |
| 2011–12 | 60 | 34 | 20 | 6 | — | 74 | 187 | 158 | 5th North | Lost Div. Quarterfinals, 2–3 vs. Sherwood Park Crusaders |
| 2012–13 | 60 | 32 | 19 | — | 9 | 73 | 177 | 170 | 3rd North | Won Div. Quarterfinals, 3–1 vs. Drayton Valley Thunder Lost Div. Semifinals, 1–4 vs. Whitecourt Wolverines |
| 2013–14 | 60 | 26 | 28 | — | 6 | 58 | 182 | 212 | 5th North | Lost Div. Quarterfinals, 0–3 vs. Sherwood Park Crusaders |
| 2014–15 | 60 | 30 | 19 | — | 11 | 71 | 197 | 184 | 3rd North | Won Div. Quarterfinals, 3–0 vs. Drayton Valley Thunder Won Div. Semifinals, 4–2 vs. Lloydminster Bobcats Lost Div. Finals, 2–4 vs. Spruce Grove Saints |
| 2015–16 | 60 | 40 | 11 | — | 9 | 89 | 245 | 163 | 3rd of 8, North 5th of 16, AJHL | Lost Div. Quarterfinals, 1–3 vs. Sherwood Park Crusaders |
| 2016–17 | 60 | 37 | 19 | — | 4 | 78 | 228 | 159 | 4th of 8, North 5th of 16, AJHL | Won Div. Quarterfinals, 3–1 vs. Sherwood Park Crusaders Lost Div. Semifinals, 1–4 vs. Fort McMurray Oil Barons |
| 2017–18 | 60 | 20 | 32 | — | 8 | 48 | 179 | 216 | 7th of 8, North 13th of 16, AJHL | Lost Div. Quarterfinals, 0–3 vs. Fort McMurray Oil Barons |
| 2018–19 | 60 | 41 | 15 | 4 | — | 86 | 241 | 145 | 2nd of 8, North 3rd of 16, AJHL | Won Div. Quarterfinals, 3–0 vs. Whitecourt Wolverines Lost Div. Semifinals, 0–4 vs. Spruce Grove Saints |
| 2019–20 | 58 | 33 | 21 | 4 | — | 70 | 213 | 186 | 4th of 8, North 7th of 15, AJHL | Lost Div. Quarterfinals, 2–4 vs. Drayton Valley Thunder |
| 2020–21 | 16 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 18 | 46 | 42 | Season cancelled due to covid-19 pandemic | Season cancelled due to covid-19 pandemic |
| 2021–22 | 60 | 36 | 16 | 8 | — | 80 | 221 | 177 | 3rd of 8, North 4th of 16, AJHL | Lost Div. Quarterfinals, 2–4 vs. Whitecourt Wolverines |
| 2022–23 | 60 | 36 | 21 | 2 | 1 | 75 | 248 | 206 | 3rd of 8, North 5th of 16, AJHL | Won Div. Quarterfinals, 4-2 vs. Lloydminster Bobcats Won Div. Quarterfinals, 4-1 vs. Whitecourt Wolverines Lost Div. Finals 1-4 Spruce Grove Saints |
| 2023–24 | 57 | 30 | 23 | 4 | - | 64 | 202 | 73 | 4th of 11, AJHL | Lost Quarterfinals, 0-4 vs. Drumheller Dragons |

## NHL alumni

The following former Pontiacs have gone on to play in the NHL:
* Matt Climie
* Justin Fontaine
* Jon Kalinski
* Mark Letestu
* Bobby McMann
* Brinson Pasichnuk
* Nolan Pratt
* Spencer Foo
* Grant Stevenson
* Harry York
The following former Pontiacs have gone on to play for the Canada national women's ice hockey team:
* Shannon Szabados