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, 97, 2003, 04, 05, 06, 07, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
:League Championships won: 1996, 97, 2001, 02, 03, 05, 06, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
:Alberta Provincial entries: 1996, 97, 2001, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 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 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. Recently, the Bisons have frequently battled the Blackfalds Wranglers for dominance in the HJHL.
The Bisons were at their all-time high between 2011-2014. 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 3 consecutively.http://www.heritagejunior.com/leagues/custom_page.cfm?leagueID=3627&clientID=1749&pageID=13359 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.
The 2012-2013 season was arguably their best season overall. They won provincials and took home the Russ Barnes Trophyhttp://www.westernwheel.com/article/20130410/WHE1101/304109990/bisons-win-it-for-hanny which advanced them to the Western Canadian Championships (AKA Keystone Cup) in which they eventually took home bronze.http://www.westernwheel.com/article/20130421/WHE1101/304219999/bisons-earn-bronze-at-keystone 
In the 2014-2015 season they ended their championship streak by being knocked out early in the playoffs.http://okotoksonline.com/local-sports/27553-bisons-eliminated-championship-streak-ends They failed to take the league championship and for the first time since 2010 did not advance to provincials. 
Over those 4 years the roster included many record breaking players. Phil Dillon, Matt Howatt, and Michael Savage are the only 3 players who were with the Bisons for all 4 championship seasons. Dillon ranks #1 in franchise records including the most all-time goals(98) and games played(147). He also ranks in the top 5 for other franchise records including all-time points(193), assists(95), points per game(1.313), points per season(64), and assists per season(37). Howatt ranks in the top 5 for franchise records including all-time assists(87) and games played(133).http://www.eliteprospects.com/team.php?team=5448 
Other notable players between 2011-2014 include Dillon Loomer and Jeremy Smith who each played 3 seasons. Loomer ranks #1 in franchise records including all-time points per game(2.056), points per season(77), and goals per season(34). Loomer also ranks in the top 5 for other franchise records including all-time points(148), goals(68), and assists per season(43). Smith ranks #1 for the franchise record of all-time assists per season(47) and ranks in the top 5 for other franchise records including all-time goals per season(29), points per season(76), points per game(1.656), assists(91), penalty minutes(260), goals(63), and points(154).http://www.eliteprospects.com/team.php?team=5448
== 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 in Round Robin Finals, 1-3 (Wranglers)
2007–08	36	21	10	1	4 	47 	166	132	1225	4th, South 	Lost in HJHL Semifinals, 3-4 (Generals)
2008–09	36	19	12	2	3 	43 	194	135	1122	3rd, South 	Lost in HJHL Semifinals, 3-4 (Generals)
2009–10	36	29	2 	2	3 	63 	178	83 	1100	1st, South 	Lost in HJHL 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, ?-? (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 ChampionKeystone Cup - Bronze Medal
2013–14	36	26	9 	x	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 Division Qualifier, 0-2 (Academy Bears)Won Division Semifinals, 4-0 (Generals)tbd Division Finals, ?-? (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, South4 of 14, League	Lost Div. Semifinals, 3-4 (Copperheads)
2017–18	36	24	10	—	2 	50 	179	115	— 	2nd of 7, South3 of 13, HJHL 	Won Div. Semifinals, 3–0 (Generals)Lost Div. Finals, 1–4 (Copperheads)
2018-19	38	27	7 	-	4 	58 	171	93 	- 	2nd, South 	Lost Division Semifinals, 1-4 (Generals)
2019-20	38	35	2 	-	1 	71 	232	84 	- 	1st, South 	Won Div. Semifials, 4-0 (Flyers)Div Final cancelled with team leading 2-1 (Generals)
2020-21	2 	1 	1 	-	0 	2 	13 	8 	- 	N/A 	Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021-22	36	33	2 	-	1 	67 	248	68 	- 	1st Southern 	Won Championship
2022-23	38	35	3 	-	0 	70 	188	76 	- 	1st Southern 	won ChampionshipLost Final at 2023 Russ Barnes Trophy
2023-24	38	34	3 	-	2 	69 	185	68 	- 	1st Southern 	Won ChampionshipWon 2024 Russ Barnes Trophy
== 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, 2021-22
 
== See also ==
*List of ice hockey teams in Alberta
==References==
== External links ==
*Official website of the Okotoks Bisons
*Official website of the Heritage Junior B Hockey League
*Official website of the Keystone Cup
Category:Ice hockey teams in Alberta
Category:Canadian ice hockey teams
Category:Heritage Junior B Hockey League team
Category:Established in 1985