2021-22 Ranchland Hockey League season

This is the 2021-22 Ranchland Senior Hockey League season. This is the league's 48th season dating back to its founding for the 1974-75 season.
The league is planing on a 20 game per team schedule. The Innisfail Eagles will not participate in the playoffs due to Allan Cup qualifying. The Nanton Palominos announced in September that they would be playing all of their home games in High River, due to problems associated with COVID-19. 
==Membership changes==
After having to cancel their opening weekend games due to roster registration issues the Kainai Chiefs announced on October 21st that they would be taking the year off due to roster issues and restrictions on attendance for the season.http://www.ranchlandhockeyleague.ca/leagues/newsletter.cfm?clientID=6385&leagueID=27748&page=111253.
==Member Teams==
Team 	Centre 	Arena
Fort Macleod Mustangs	Fort Macleod 	Fort Macleod & District Recreation Centre
Innisfail Eagles 	Innisfail 	Innisfail Twin Arena
Kainai Chiefs 	Stand Off 	Kainai Sports Centre
Lethbridge Lightning 	Lethbridge 	ATB Centre & Nicholas Sheran Arena
Nanton Palominos 	Nanton/High River 	Tom Hornecker Recreation Centre/Bob Snodgrass Recreation Complex
Siksika Buffalos 	Siksika First Nations	Deerfoot Sportsplex
==Standings==
Team 	GP	W 	L 	T	OL	GF 	GA 	Pts
Innisfail Eagles 	15	15	0 	0	0 	107	26 	30
Lethbridge Lightning 	15	10	4 	0	1 	77 	75 	21
Nanton Palominos 	16	7 	8 	0	1 	82 	66 	15
Siksika Buffaloes 	16	5 	11	0	0 	73 	105	10
Fort Macleod Mustangs	16	2 	14	0	0 	44 	111	4
Note:one game between Innisfail and Lethbridge was rescheduled and then cancelled.
==Playoffs==
===Format===
The Innisfail Eagles are not participating in the league playoffs because they were wrongfully removed (which was against Hockey Alberta direction) from the league due to them being re-classified as a "AA" team by Hockey Alberta. It seems the other four teams will compete in two rounds of best-of-five series to determine the league champion and qualifier for the 2022 Alberta Senior AA playoffs.
LATE BREAKING UPDATE
On March 28th, Hockey Alberta announced that since the Ranchland Hockey League did not follow HA's direction about reinstating the Innisfail Eagles for the league playoffs, HA informed the league that the Nanton Palominos are required to play the Innisfail Eagles to determine who is going to the Alberta Senior AA Provincials. The series will have to be completed by April 3rd. It is not known at this time, how many games the series will be (best of 3 or best of 5). If the series does not play out, the RHL will declared ineligible for the Provincial Championship. Nanton would not play Innisfail, so on April 1, Hockey Alberta announced that the Ranchland Hockey League chose not to include the Innisfail Eagles in the league playoff process which was a violation of the Appeals Committee decision and a violation of Hockey Alberta Bylaws. As a result, the RHL is hereby suspended from all operations as a sanctioned senior hockey league of Hockey Alberta. All RHL teams are ineligible to play any further games this season, including participation at Hockey Alberta Provincial championship. 
===Semifinals===
*Lethbridge Lightning defeated Fort Macleod Mustangs 3 games to none 
*Nanton Palominos defeated Siksika Buffaloes 3 games to none 
===Final===
*Nanton Palominos defeated Lethbridge Lightning 3 games to 2 
As a result of the April 1 ruling from Hockey Alberta The RHL league playoff champion will not be eligible to play in the Alberta Hockey Provincial Championship.
==References==
Category:2022 in hockey
Category:Ranchland Senior Hockey League seasons