The Carstar Okotoks Bisons are the Heritage Junior Hockey League champions for the third consecutive year.  

The Bisons blanked the Sylvan Lake Wranglers, the North Division winners, the division that includes the Airdrie Techmation Thunder, 1-0 in last night's (March 30) sixth game of the finals to take the series four games to two.  Okotoks goaltender Grady Nicholas showed why he was named the top goalie in the HJHL this season by picking up his second shutout in the finals and his third in the playoffs.  Nicholas stopped 49 shots in the series' final two games.

The Bisons have qualified for this week's Alberta Junior B Championships.  Okotoks will open the tournament on Wednesday, April 3rd when they face the St. Albert Merchants.  Other teams that have earned their spot in the championships include the La Crete Lumber Barons, the North Peace Navigators, NWCAA Stampeders, and the Wainwright Bisons.  

This season the Airdrie Techmation Thunder finished in fifth place in the HJHL North Division with an 11-23-4 record for 26 points.  They faced Three Hills in the opening round of the playoffs and swept the Thrashers in two straight games of the best-of-three series.    They then took on the Sylvan Lake Wranglers in a best-of-five second-round series and lost to the eventual league finalists in three straight.   

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