The Airdrie Thunder are a
Junior "B" Ice Hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...
team based in
Airdrie,
Alberta
Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
. They are members of the North Division of the
Heritage Junior B Hockey League
Heritage may refer to:
History and society
* A heritage asset is a preexisting thing of value today
** Cultural heritage is created by humans
** Natural heritage is not
* Heritage language
Biology
* Heredity, biological inheritance of physical c ...
(HJHL). They play their home games at Ron Ebbesen Arena.
History
: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
The Keystone Cup is the Junior B ice hockey championship and trophy for Western Canada. From 1983 to 2017, the championship was the culmination of the champions of 12 hockey leagues in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Northwe ...
titles: none
The Airdrie Thunder developed an intense rivalry with their former divisional counterparts, the
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 (HJHL). They play their home games at Murray Arena.
History
:Division titles ...
. 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 ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, makin ...
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
The Russ Barnes Trophy is a trophy awarded by Hockey Alberta to the Alberta Junior B Provincial champion. The gold medallist advances to the Keystone Cup Western Canada Junior B championship.
Tournament organization
Eight teams compete in the Al ...
, which was also hosted by the Thunder.
The Thunder have played in the North Division since 2011–12. In recent years the Thunder have developed a heated rivalry with the
Red Deer Vipers
The Red Deer Vipers are a Junior "B" Ice Hockey team based in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the North Division of the Heritage Junior B Hockey League (HJHL). They played their home games at Red Deer Arena until 2016 when it was to ...
. The Vipers and Thunder have now 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
''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''
Russ Barnes Trophy
Alberta Jr B Provincial Championships
*Alberta withdrew from
Keystone Cup
The Keystone Cup is the Junior B ice hockey championship and trophy for Western Canada. From 1983 to 2017, the championship was the culmination of the champions of 12 hockey leagues in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Northwe ...
- Western Canada Jr. B Championships
See also
*
List of ice hockey teams in Alberta
This is a list of ice hockey teams in Alberta. It features the leagues they have played for, and championships won.
Since hockey was introduced to Alberta, Canada, in the 1890s, teams at all levels have come and gone. While the professional rank ...
External links
Official website of the Airdrie Thunder
{{Russ Barnes Trophy
Ice hockey teams in Alberta
Airdrie, Alberta