The Bonnyville Pontiacs are a
Junior A ice hockey team in the
Alberta Junior Hockey League
The Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) is an Alberta-based Junior A ice hockey league that belongs to the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL). It was formed as a five-team league in 1964. There are currently 16 teams in the league. The re ...
. They play in
Bonnyville, Alberta
Bonnyville is a town situated in east-central Alberta, Canada between Cold Lake and St. Paul. The surrounding Municipal District (MD) of Bonnyville No. 87's municipal office is located in Bonnyville.
The community derives its name from Fat ...
, Canada at the
R. J. Lalonde Arena.
History
The Bonnyville Pontiacs entered the
Alberta Junior Hockey League
The Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) is an Alberta-based Junior A ice hockey league that belongs to the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL). It was formed as a five-team league in 1964. There are currently 16 teams in the league. The re ...
(AJHL) as the league's ninth team for the 1991–92 season, adopting the Pontiacs name and logo originally used by the
Senior A team of the same name in the 1950s.
The franchise was awarded, along with the 1991–92 all-star game, on June 1, 1991, leaving just two months for the new organization to find staff and players before the start of the season. The short off-season hampered the team on the ice, as it finished a distant last place in the standings and missing the playoffs. The Pontiacs remained in last for two more seasons before qualifying for the postseason for the first time in 1995. The team continued to finish in the bottom half of the standings for most of the next two decades.
Season-by-season record
''Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T/OTL = Ties/Overtime losses, SOL = Shootout losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against''
NHL alumni
The following former Pontiacs have gone on to play in the NHL:
*
Matt Climie
*
Justin Fontaine
*
Jon Kalinski
*
Mark Letestu
*
Brinson Pasichnuk
*
Nolan Pratt
*
Grant Stevenson
*
Harry York
Harold Cameron York (born April 16, 1974) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played several seasons in the National Hockey League.
Playing career
Born in Ponoka, Alberta, York was the Alberta Junior Hockey League MVP and lea ...
The following former Pontiacs have gone on to play for the
Canada national women's ice hockey team:
*
Shannon Szabados
Shannon Lynn Szabados (; born August 6, 1986) is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender for the PWHPA and the Canada women's national ice hockey team.
Szabados had played for the MacEwan University Griffins and the NAIT Ooks men's hock ...
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 ran ...
External links
Bonnyville Pontiacs websiteAlberta Junior Hockey League website
{{Alberta Sports
Alberta Junior Hockey League teams
Ice hockey teams in Alberta
Ice hockey clubs established in 1991
1991 establishments in Alberta