There’s a tendency to take for granted the success of the “other junior hockey” team in Okotoks.
Of course, there are plenty of folks who are hanging out at the Murray Arena on a Friday night that believe the Okotoks Bisons have been the main Junior game in town since about 1985.
They have a right to feel proud.
Take a gander at the Okotoks Bisons website and peruse their record book. They have a record that would rival the Montreal Canadiens, except the Bisons actually won something when Bill Clinton was president.
The Bisons won the Heritage Junior B Hockey League title nine times out of the past 17 years.
However, the Bisons have been like the Vancouver Canucks — good enough to win President’s Cups but not good enough to win the whole enchilada – the Stanley Cup.
That could change for the Bisons this year when they host the Alberta championships from April 5-8.
The Bisons were at the big dance last year, but made a somewhat surprisingly early exit and the Blackfalds Wranglers won the Heritage Junior B Hockey League championship. Ironically, the Bisons had beaten the Wranglers in the HJHL playoffs just a few weeks before.
This year, the Bisons would be considered one of the favourites for the tournament.
Not only will they be able to build off the energy of what is hopefully a full capacity Murray Arena, they have last year’s provincial experience under their belt.
And, oh yeah, the Bisons happen to be quite good.
They dominated the Heritage league with a 31-6-1 record — the best in the league — and then went through the playoffs like Sherman marching through Atlanta with a perfect 11-0 record.
Hopefully the Bisons can keep up that momentum when the provincials start on April 5.
They are also an easy group to root for. With its lighter schedule, Junior B hockey allows homegrown boys like the Bisons Dylan Griep, Tyler Hughes, Dylan Kendricks, and others to live, work or go to school while playing a high quality of hockey.
Okotoks, you have a chance to root for your own.
The Bisons have always been able to have more than a sprinkling of homegrown talent from Black Diamond to High River throughout their more than 25 years (they started out as the Okotoks 85ers in 1985) in Okotoks.
The team has been able to provide foothills area-young men a chance to play hockey after their Midget careers without turning to the older non-contact recreational league.
Hopefully, the Bisons will continue to feel right at home by winning the team’s first Alberta championship in their own barn at the provincial championships.
Hopefully, Okotoks will be out there in force to support the hometown boys when the Bison step on the ice for their opening game at provincials on April 5.
