Airdrie Thunder
Encyclopedia
The Airdrie Thunder are a Junior "B"
Ice Hockey
team based in Airdrie
, Alberta
, Canada
. They are members of the North Division of the Heritage Junior B Hockey League
(HJHL). They play their home games at Ron Ebbesen Arena.
Playing out of one of the HJHL's larger markets, the Thunder are perennially one of the top teams in the league. They have developed an intense rivalry with their divisional counterparts, the Okotoks Bisons
. The Thunder handed the Bisons their only two losses in the 2005-06 season, while the four victories for Okotoks were the only four games the Thunder lost. The Bisons eliminated the Thunder in the league semi-finals.
The two rivals also met in the 2005 HJHL finals, with Okotoks again coming out the victors in a tough five game series. Despite losing the championship, the Thunder qualified for the Alberta Provincials, held in Calgary
but failed to advance to the medal round.
Airdrie's best season to date was 1999-2000, when they captured their second league title in four years before going on to win the silver medal at the Alberta Provincial Junior B Hockey Championship
, which was also hosted by the Thunder.
Junior ice hockey
Junior hockey is a catch-all term used to describe various levels of ice hockey competition for players generally between 16 and 20 years of age...
Ice Hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team based in Airdrie
Airdrie, Alberta
Airdrie is a city in Alberta, Canada, located just north of Calgary within the Calgary–Edmonton Corridor. The City of Airdrie is part of Calgary's Census Metropolitan Area and a member community of the Calgary Regional Partnership . Due to its proximity to Calgary, Airdrie's population has been...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. They are members of the North Division of the Heritage Junior B Hockey League
Heritage Junior B Hockey League
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...
(HJHL). They play their home games at Ron Ebbesen Arena.
History
- Division titles won: 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009
- League Championships won: 1997, 2000
- Alberta ProvincialAlberta Provincial Junior B Hockey ChampionshipThe Russ Barnes Trophy is a trophy awarded by Hockey Alberta to the Alberta Junior B hockey champion. The winner moves on to the Keystone Cup Western Canada championship.-Tournament Organization:...
entries: 1997, 2000, 2005 - Alberta Provincial titles: none (best finish: Silver in 2000)
- Keystone CupKeystone CupThe Keystone Cup is the Junior "B" ice hockey championship and trophy for Western Canada. The Championship is the culmination of the champions of 12 hockey leagues in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Northwestern Ontario.-History:...
titles: none
Playing out of one of the HJHL's larger markets, the Thunder are perennially one of the top teams in the league. They have developed an intense rivalry with their divisional counterparts, the Okotoks Bisons
Okotoks Bisons
The Okotoks Bisons are a Junior "B" Ice Hockey team based in Okotoks, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the South Division of the Heritage Junior B Hockey League...
. The Thunder handed the Bisons their only two losses in the 2005-06 season, while the four victories for Okotoks were the only four games the Thunder lost. The Bisons eliminated the Thunder in the league semi-finals.
The two rivals also met in the 2005 HJHL finals, with Okotoks again coming out the victors in a tough five game series. Despite losing the championship, the Thunder qualified for the Alberta Provincials, held in Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
but failed to advance to the medal round.
Airdrie's best season to date was 1999-2000, when they captured their second league title in four years before going on to win the silver medal at the Alberta Provincial Junior B Hockey Championship
Alberta Provincial Junior B Hockey Championship
The Russ Barnes Trophy is a trophy awarded by Hockey Alberta to the Alberta Junior B hockey champion. The winner moves on to the Keystone Cup Western Canada championship.-Tournament Organization:...
, which was also hosted by the Thunder.
Season-by-season Record
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes| Season | GP | W | L | T | OTL | Pts | GF | GA | PIM | Finish | Playoffs |
| 2000-01 | 38 | 28 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 61 | 218 | 113 | 1st, North | --- | |
| 2002-03 | 36 | 27 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 55 | 181 | 100 | 2nd, South | Lost South Division Finals | |
| 2004-05 | 40 | 28 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 57 | 238 | 125 | 3rd, North | Lost Finals | |
| 2005-06 | 38 | 34 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 68 | 310 | 93 | 1415 | 2nd, South | Lost in Division Finals, 0-4 (Bisons Okotoks Bisons The Okotoks Bisons are a Junior "B" Ice Hockey team based in Okotoks, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the South Division of the Heritage Junior B Hockey League... ) |
| 2006-07 | 36 | 24 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 53 | 204 | 116 | 1221 | 1st, Central | Lost in Round Robin Finals, 2-2 (Wranglers Blackfalds Wranglers The Blackfalds Wranglers are a Junior "B" Ice Hockey team based in Blackfalds, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the North Division of the Heritage Junior B Hockey League... ) |
| 2007-08 | 36 | 28 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 56 | 212 | 119 | 1781 | 1st, Foothills | Lost in Division Finals, 1-3 (Bisons Okotoks Bisons The Okotoks Bisons are a Junior "B" Ice Hockey team based in Okotoks, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the South Division of the Heritage Junior B Hockey League... ) |
| 2008-09 | 36 | 26 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 53 | 223 | 127 | 1775 | 2nd, South | Lost in Division Finals, 2-3 (Bisons Okotoks Bisons The Okotoks Bisons are a Junior "B" Ice Hockey team based in Okotoks, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the South Division of the Heritage Junior B Hockey League... ) |
| 2009-10 | 36 | 24 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 50 | 182 | 107 | 1478 | 1st, Central | Lost in HJHL Semifinals, 2-3 (Wranglers Blackfalds Wranglers The Blackfalds Wranglers are a Junior "B" Ice Hockey team based in Blackfalds, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the North Division of the Heritage Junior B Hockey League... ) |
| 2010-11 | 36 | 23 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 47 | 181 | 136 | 974 | 3rd, Central | Lost in Division Semifinals, 2-3 (Thrashers Three Hills Thrashers The Three Hills Thrashers are a Junior "B" Ice Hockey team based in Three Hills, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the North Division of the Heritage Junior B Hockey League... ) |