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.

Airdrie Thunder
CityAirdrie, Alberta
LeagueHeritage Junior B Hockey League
DivisionNorth
Home arenaRon Ebbesen Arena
ColoursRed, Black, White
     
General managerCanada Larry Smith[when?][citation needed]
Head coachCanada Derek Stamp[when?][citation needed]
WebsiteAirdrie Thunder website
Franchise history
?-presentAirdrie Thunder

History

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Division titles won: 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2019
League Championships won: 1997, 2000, 2019
Alberta Provincial entries: 1997, 2000, 2005, 2019
Alberta Provincial titles: 2019
Keystone Cup titles: none

The Airdrie Thunder developed an intense rivalry with their former divisional counterparts, the Okotoks Bisons.[citation needed] 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[when?] 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.

The Thunder have played in the North Division since 2011–12. In recent years[when?] the Thunder have developed a heated rivalry with the Red Deer Vipers.[citation needed] The Vipers and Thunder have now[when?] met in three consecutive playoff series. The Thunder knocked off Red Deer in seven games in the 2016 north semi-final. The Vipers have exacted revenge twice since, beating Airdrie in six games in the 2017 north semi-final and 2018 north final.

Season-by-season record

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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 Div. 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 Div. Finals, 0-4 (Bisons)
2006-07 36 24 7 3 2 53 204 116 1221 1st, Central Lost Round Robin Finals, 2-2 (Wranglers)
2007-08 36 28 8 0 0 56 212 119 1781 1st, Foothills Lost Div. Finals, 1-3 (Bisons)
2008-09 36 26 9 0 1 53 223 127 1775 2nd, South Lost Div. Finals, 2-3 (Bisons)
2009-10 36 24 10 2 0 50 182 107 1478 1st, Central Lost Semifinals, 2-3 (Wranglers)
2010-11 36 23 12 1 0 47 181 136 974 3rd, Central Lost Div. Semifinals, 2-3 (Thrashers)
2011-12 38 20 13 5 0 45 179 128 - 4th, North Lost First Round, ?-? (Colts)
2012-13 38 18 15 3 2 41 145 125 - 3rd, North Lost Div. Semifinals, 2-3 (Red Deer Vipers)
2013-14 36 15 19 - 2 32 141 145 - 6th, North Did not qualify
2014-15 38 23 13 - 2 48 152 125 - 2nd, North Lost Div. Semifinals, 2-4 (Mountainview Colts)
2015-16 38 26 10 - 2 54 193 120 - 2nd, North Won Div. Semifinals, 4-3 (Vipers)
Lost Div. Finals 0-4 (Colts)
2016-17 38 27 8 - 3 57 213 131 - 2nd of 7, Nor
3 of 14 HJHL
Lost Div. Semifinals, 2-4 (Vipers)
2017-18 38 23 9 - 4 50 193 131 - 2nd of 7, Nor
4 of 13 HJHL
Won Div. Semifinals, 3-1 (Wranglers)
Lost Div. Finals, 2-4 (Vipers)
2018-19 38 35 3 - 0 70 - - - 1st of 7, Nor
1st of 14 HJHL
Won Div. Semifinals, 4-0 (Wranglers)
Won Div. Finals, 4-2 (Colts)
Won League Finals 3-0 (Copperheads)
Heritage Jr B CHAMPIONS
Advance to Alberta Championships (see below)
2019-20 38 29 7 - 2 60 - - - 1st of 7, Nor
2nd of 14 HJHL
Lost Div. Semifinals, 2-4 (Colts)
2020-21 3 3 1 - 0 6 - - - Season lost to covid-19 pandemic
2021-22 36 17 15 - 2 36 - - - 5th of 7, Nor
8th of 14 HJHL
Won Div. Quarterfinals, 3-0 (Colts)
Lost Div. Semifinals, 1-4 (Vipers)
2022-23 38 23 13 - 2 48 150 135 - 2nd of 6, Nor
5th of 12 HJHL
Won Div. Semifinals, 4-2 (Colts)
Lost Div. Finals, 2-4 (Wranglers)
2023-24 38 11 23 - 4 26 - - - 5th of 7, Nor
11th of 13 HJHL
Won Div. Play In, 2-0 (Thrashers)
Lost Div. Quarterfinals, 0-3 (Wranglers)

Russ Barnes Trophy

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Alberta Jr B Provincial Championships

Year Round Robin Record Standing SemiFinal Bronze Medal Game Gold Medal Game
2019* W, Beverly Warriors 4–2
W, Grande Prairie Kings 5-2
W, Won CRAA Gold 7-4
3–0–0 1st of 4 Pool W, Wetaskiwin Icemen 8-0 n/a W, Wainwright Bisons 4-3 OT
Russ Barnes Champions
  • Alberta withdrew from Keystone Cup - Western Canada Jr. B Championships

See also

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