Heritage Junior Hockey League

Heritage Junior B Hockey League
Upcoming season or competition:
Current sports event 2024–25 HJHL season
SportIce hockey
Founded1986 (38 years ago) (1986)
Divisions2
No. of teams13
CountryCanada
HeadquartersAlberta, Canada
Most recent
champion(s)
Okotoks Bisons
(8th title)
Most titlesOkotoks Bisons
(8 titles)
Official websiteheritagejunior.com

The Heritage Junior Hockey League (HJHL), formally the Heritage Junior B Hockey League, is a Junior B ice hockey league in Alberta, Canada, sanctioned by Hockey Canada. The HJHL was founded in 1987 and is made up of teams from southern and central Alberta. The HJHL is the largest Junior B league in the province, with 13 teams. The top two teams qualify for the Alberta Provincial Junior B Hockey Championship, whose winner had an option to compete in the Keystone Cup.

History

HJHL teams have won the gold medal at the Keystone Cup twice. Red Deer Vipers were the first in 2006 defeating Campbell River Storm in the final. Blackfalds Wranglers won the gold medal in 2011.

The Lacombe Wranglers won the 2007 league championship over the Airdrie Thunder and Okotoks Bisons in a three team, round robin final. The Wranglers also captured the Alberta provincial title. The Wranglers chose not to participate in the Keystone Cup tournament due to scheduling conflicts.

During the 2011 HJHL finals Okotoks Bisons won the best-of-three series versus Blackfalds Wrangers 2–1, their eighth league title. Both teams advanced to the Junior B Provincials in Leduc. Blackfalds won the final 2–1 over the Beaumont Chiefs (CapJHL) to advance to the 2011 Keystone Cup in Sherwood Park. With a 4–1 record going into the final, Blackfalds defeated the host Sherwood Park Knights (CapJHL) 2–1 to win the Western Canadian crown.

Teams

The league has 13 teams, including seven in the Northern division and six in the Southern division.[1]

Northern division
Team Centre
Airdrie Thunder Airdrie
Mountainview Colts Didsbury
Ponoka Stampeders Ponoka
Red Deer Vipers Red Deer
Rocky Rams Rocky Mountain House
Sylvan Lake Wranglers Sylvan Lake
Three Hills Thrashers Three Hills
Southern division
Team Centre
Coaldale Copperheads Coaldale
Cochrane Generals Cochrane
High River Flyers High River
Medicine Hat Cubs Medicine Hat
Okotoks Bisons Okotoks
Strathmore Wheatland Kings Strathmore

Former teams

Champions

Bold text denotes teams that won the Alberta provincial title.

See also

References

  1. ^ Edey, Noel (25 July 2024). "Cochrane Generals release 2024-25 schedule". CochraneNow. Retrieved 5 August 2024.