2017-18 HJBHL Season

This is the 2017-18 Heritage Junior Hockey League season.  This is the league's 31st season.
The league's regular season included the league's first ever outdoor game on January 27 when the Red Deer Vipers hosted and defeated the Mountainview Colts at the Bower Community Centre in Red Deer.  Opening faceoff temperature -16C (3 degrees F)
==Membership changes==
*The Banff Academy Bears have withdrawn from the league after the 2016-17 season.
*The league will be adding the Lomond Lakers to the league for the 2018-19 season.
==Teams==
Team 	Centre 	Arena 	 	
North Division 	North Division	North Division 	North Division	North Division
Airdrie Thunder 	Airdrie 	Ron Ebbesen Arena 	 	
Blackfalds Wranglers 	Blackfalds 	Blackfalds Arena 	 	
Mountainview Colts 	Didsbury 	Didsbury Recreation Complex 	 	
Ponoka Stampeders 	Ponoka 	Ponoka Culture & Recreation Complex 	 	
Red Deer Vipers 	Red Deer 	Collicutt Centre (2017-18) Servus Arena (2018-19)	 	
Stettler Lightning 	Stettler 	Stettler Recreation 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 	Spray Lakes Sawmills Family Sports Centre 	 	
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
Red Deer Vipers 	36	30	5 	1 	198	96 	61
Airdrie Thunder 	36	23	9 	4 	193	131	50
Blackfalds Wranglers 	36	22	12	2 	167	116	46
Mountainview Colts 	36	16	16	4 	150	154	36
Stettler Lightning 	36	16	17	3 	174	175	35
Ponoka Stampeders 	36	11	22	3 	133	189	25
Three Hills Thrashers	36	1 	35	0 	50 	285	2
===Southern Division===
Team 	GP	W 	L 	OL	GF 	GA 	Pts
Coaldale Copperheads 	36	24	10	2 	154	113	50
Okotoks Bisons 	36	24	10	2 	179	115	50
Cochrane Generals 	36	24	11	1 	176	114	49
High River Flyers 	36	17	16	3 	146	144	37
Strathmore Wheatland Kings	36	12	21	3 	132	154	27
Medicine Hat Cubs 	36	12	22	2 	115	181	26
Note: Coaldale finished ahead of Okotoks based on Regulation and Overtime Wins 23 to 22
==Playoffs==
===Format===
The top six teams in each division qualify for the playoffs. The top two seeds earn a bye into the division semifinals. The 3rd place team plays the 6th place team and 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 in the best-of-seven division final round. The division winners meet in the best-of-three league championship series. For overtime play the league uses one ten minute overtime period followed by 20 minute overtime periods.
The league champion qualifies for the 2018 Russ Barnes Trophy which determines the provincial champion. The tournament is being held in Fort St. John, British Columbia and being hosted by the Fort St. John Huskies of the North West Junior Hockey League. The winner of the tournament earns the right to compete for the Western Canadian Junior "B" Crown, the 2018 Keystone Cup. However, Hockey Alberta has decided that the provincial champion will no longer compete in the Keystone Cup citing expenses and player safety. The three Junior B level leagues in British Columbia that play under the sanctioning of BC Hockey have decided as a group that they will also not participate in the Keystone Cup with similiar concerns to Hockey Alberta. BC Hockey does not mandate that the provincial champion play in further regional or nation play.
===Division Quarterfinals===
====North====
*Blackfalds Wranglers defeated Ponoka Stampeders 2 games to none
*Mountainview Colts defeated Stettler Lightning 2 games to 1
====South====
*Cochrane Generals defeated Medicine Hat Cubs 2 games to 1
*High River Flyers defeated Strathmore Wheatland Kings 2 games to none
===Division Semifinals===
====North====
*Red Deer Vipers defeated Mountainview Colts 3 games to 1
*Airdrie Thunder defeated Blackfalds Wranglers 3 games to 1
====South====
*Coaldale Copperheads defeated High River Flyers 3 games to 2
*Okotoks Bisons defeated Cochrane Generals 3 games to none
===Division Finals===
====North====
*Red Deer Vipers defeated Airdrie Thunder 4 games to 2
====South====
*Coaldale Copperheads defeated Okotoks Bisons 4 games to 1
===League Final===
*Red Deer Vipers defeated Coaldale Copperheads 2 games to 1
Category:2018 in hockey
Category:HJBHL seasons