2023-24 HJBHL season

This is the 2023-24 Heritage Junior Hockey League season. This is the league's 36th season.
==Membership changes==
*Due to the non-availability of the Lomond Community Centre due to a major renovation to the whole facility, the Lomond Lakers played their home games out of the Vulcan Arena in Vulcan, Alberta for 2021-22, which is about 50 km west of Lomond, Alberta. The team would end up sitting out the 2022-23 season as the arena in Lomond was not available and the traveling had been burdensome on the players. On May 15th the Lomond Lakers released a statement indicating they would be sitting out the 2022-23.https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=396416915827340&set=pb.100063771034338.-2207520000.. The team will not return for 2023-24.
*The Stettler Lightning, who sat out the past few seasons on one year leaves of absence, do not return.
==Teams==
Team 	Centre 	Arena 	 	
North Division 	North Division 	North Division 	North Division	North Division
Airdrie Thunder 	Airdrie 	Ron Ebbesen Arena 	 	
Mountainview Colts 	Didsbury 	Didsbury Recreation Complex 	 	
Ponoka Stampeders 	Ponoka 	Ponoka Culture & Recreation Complex	 	
Red Deer Vipers 	Red Deer 	Servus Arena 	 	
Rocky Rams 	Rocky Mountain House	Rocky Arena Complex-Bunch Arena 	 	
Sylvan Lake Wranglers 	Sylvan Lake 	Sylvan Lake NexSource Centre 	 	
Three Hills Thrashers 	Three Hills 	Three Hills Centennial Place 	 	
South Division 	South Division 	South Division 	South Division	South Division
Coaldale Copperheads 	Coaldale 	Coaldale Arena 	 	
Cochrane Generals 	Cochrane 	Cochrane Arena 	 	
High River Flyers 	High River 	Bob Snodgrass Recreation Complex 	 	
Medicine Hat Cubs 	Medicine Hat 	Kinplex 	 	
Okotoks Bisons 	Okotoks 	Murray Arena 	 	
Strathmore Wheatland Kings	Strathmore 	Strathmore Family Centre 	 	
==Standings==
===Northern Division===
Team 	GP	W 	L 	OL	GF 	GA 	Pts
Sylvan Lake Wranglers	38	33	3 	2 	217	88 	68
Mountainview Colts 	38	17	15	6 	159	147	40
Rocky Rams 	38	18	17	3 	159	151	39
Three Hills Thrashers	38	14	20	4 	129	154	32
Airdrie Thunder 	38	11	23	4 	135	155	26
Red Deer Vipers 	38	12	26	0 	96 	192	24
Ponoka Stampeders 	38	1 	36	1 	61 	371	3
===Southern Division===
Team 	GP	W 	L 	OL	GF 	GA 	Pts
Okotoks Bisons 	38	34	3 	1 	185	68 	69
Medicine Hat Cubs 	38	24	9 	5 	175	112	53
Coaldale Copperheads 	38	24	12	2 	167	139	50
Cochrane Generals 	38	21	12	5 	157	110	47
High River Flyers 	38	20	15	3 	175	134	43
Strathmore Wheatland Kings	38	18	17	3 	134	128	39
==Playoffs==
===Format===
The top five teams in each division qualify for the playoffs. The top three seeds earn a bye into the division semifinals. The 4th place team plays the 5th place team in a best-of-three qualifying round. The teams are re-seeded for the best-of-five division semifinal round. The division semifinal winners meet with the other division's opposite remaining seed in best-of-five semifinal round. The semifinal winners meet in the best-of-seven league championship series. For overtime play the league uses one ten minute overtime period followed by 20 minute overtime periods.
The champion qualifies for the 2024 Russ Barnes Trophy which determines the provincial champion.
===Division Quarterfinals===
====Northern====
*Airdrie Thunder defeated Three Hills Thrashers 2 games to none (2-0, 2-1)
====Southern====
*High River Flyers defeated Cochrane Generals 2 games to 1 (0-3, 5-2, 4-3 (ot))
===Division Semifinals===
====Northern====
*Sylvan Lake Wranglers defeated Airdrie Thunder 3 games to none (6-1, 5-1, 7-2)
*Rocky Rams defeated Mountainview Colts 3 games to 1 (5-1, 3-1, 3-6, 6-1)
====Southern==== 
*Okotoks Bisons defeated High River Flyers 3 games to 1 (1-4, 4-2, 5-2, 5-1)
*Medicine Hat Cubs defeated Coaldale Copperheads 3 games to none (5-4 (ot), 4-3 (ot), 5-2)
===Semifinals===
*Okotoks Bisons defeated Rocky Rams 3 games to none (5-2, 6-1, 7-0) 
*Sylvan Lake Wranglers defeated Medicine Hat Cubs 3 games to 1 (2-1 (ot), 3-2, 3-4, 4-2)
===League Final===
*Okotoks Bisons defeated Sylvan Lake Wranglers 4 games to 2 (3-1, 2-4, 5-3, 1-6, 3-0, 1-0)
The Okotoks Bisons advance to the 2024 Russ Barnes Trophy.
==References==
Category:2023-24 in ice hockey
Category:HJBHL seasons