The drive to a provincial gold kickstarts today for the Carstar Okotoks Bisons.
The recently minted Heritage Junior Hockey League champions open their account at the six-team Hockey Alberta Junior B Championships in Peace River on Wednesday afternoon.
Okotoks, silver medallists as hosts of last year’s provincials, take on the St. Albert Merchants in its opener on April 3 at 1 p.m.
The Bisons then clash with the La Crete Lumber Barons on April 4 and the North Peace Navigators on April 5.
The round-robin finale is a doozy.
On April 6, it’s the Battle of the Bisons with Wainwright and Okotoks meeting for the first time since last year’s provincial final.
The tournament also features Calgary’s NWCAA Stampeders, who Okotoks is not scheduled to play in the round-robin.
Okotoks and Wainwright are the only two teams who are competing at back-to-back provincials.
It's a quick return to the ice for the herd who clinched the HJHL Final in six games in Sylvan Lake on March 30, winning their third consecutive league banner.
The full tournament schedule can be accessed here.
For more information, go to okotoksbisons.com.
