2016-17 HJBHL Season

This is the 2016-17 Heritage Junior Hockey League season.  This is the league's 30th season.
==Membership changes==
*The Medicine Hat Cubs were forced to cease operations in mid-January of 2016 for the balance of the season due to a lack of players.  The league had stated in a press release after the announcement that they were expecting the team to attend the league annual general meeting in May with a plan in place to be able to restart the team for the 2016-17 season.  The team is back in the league for the 2016-17 season.
*The Banff Academy Bears appear to have withdrawn from the league after the 2016-17 season
==Current Teams (2016-17)==
The HJHL has 2 divisions for the 2016-2017 season.
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 	Red Deer Arena 	 	
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
Banff Academy Bears 	Banff 	Banff Recreation Centre 	 	
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
Mountainview Colts 	38	29	6 	3 	246	133	61
Airdrie Thunder 	38	27	8 	3 	213	131	57
Red Deer Vipers 	38	25	12	1 	171	123	51
Blackfalds Wranglers 	38	25	12	1 	172	138	51
Stettler Lightning 	38	18	17	3 	167	183	39
Ponoka Stampeders 	38	8 	26	4 	122	251	20
Three Hills Thrashers	38	7 	30	1 	87 	213	15
note: Red Deer finished ahead of Blackfalds due to Goal Differential
===Southern Division===
Team 	GP	W 	L 	OL	GF 	GA 	Pts
Cochrane Generals 	38	33	4 	1 	236	98 	67
Okotoks Bisons 	38	26	11	1 	194	135	53
Coaldale Copperheads 	38	24	12	2 	216	127	50
Strathmore Wheatland Kings	38	16	18	4 	156	175	36
Banff Academy Bears 	38	11	22	5 	118	209	27
Medicine Hat Cubs 	38	8 	24	6 	115	208	22
High River Flyers 	38	9 	27	2 	118	207	20
==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-seven division semifinal round.  The division semifinal winners meet in the best-of-seven division final round.  The division winners meet in the best-of-seven (later changed to best-of-five) 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 2017 Russ Barnes Trophy which determines the provincial champion. The winner of that tournament earns the right to compete for the Western Canadian Junior "B" Crown, the Keystone Cup.
===North Division Quarterfinals===
*Red Deer defeated Ponoka 2 games to none
*Blackfalds defeated Stettler 2 games to 1
===South Division Quarterfinals===
*Coaldale defeated Medicine Hat 2 games to none
*Banff Academy defeated Strathmore 2 games to none
===North Division Semifinals===
*Mountainview vs Blackfalds 4 games to 1
*Red Deer defeated Airdrie 4 games to 2
===South Division Semifinals===
*Cochrane defeated Banff Academy 4 games to none
*Coaldale defeated Okotoks 4 games to 3
===North Division Final===
*Red Deer defeated Mountainview 4 games to 3
===South Division Final===
*Cochrane defeated Coaldale 4 games to 2
===League Final===
*Red Deer defeated Cochrane 3 games to 1
Category:2017 in hockey
Category:Heritage Junior B Hockey League
Category:HJBHL seasons