Bonnyville Pontiacs | |
City | Bonnyville, Alberta |
---|---|
League | North Central Hockey League (Alberta) |
Founded | 1952 |
Home arena | R. J. Lalonde Arena |
Colors | Blue, gold, and white |
The Bonnyville Senior Pontiacs are a men's senior AA hockey team based out of Bonnyville, Alberta. The team is presently a member of the North Central Hockey League (Alberta), which they joined in 2015, after having played for one season in the now defunct Battle River Hockey League. The team has been based out of the R. J. Lalonde Arena since it opened in 1982. In 2018, Bonnyville was crowned Alberta AA Provincial Champions. The Pontiacs celebrated their 70 year anniversary in 2023.
History[]
The Bonnyville Pontiacs organization was founded in 1952 as the host organization for the Bonnyville Senior Hockey Club. The club had previously been known as the Bonnyville Bruins, but in return for a new set of jerseys purchased by the local Pontiac car dealership, the team was renamed the Pontiacs. The team played its' first game on December 16, 1952.
In 1959 the Senior Pontiacs won their first of four consecutive Craig Cups, emblematic of the North Eastern Alberta Hockey League Championship. Back then Senior Hockey was the“big time” for most hockey players, and the N.E.A.H.L. was considered one of the top leagues in the province. Bonnyville imported and paid players as did most Senior teams. The Pontiacs consistently drew 1500-2500 people per game in the old Bonnyville Arena which had a capacity of 1200! The Senior Pontiacs went on to become one of the most successful senior hockey teams in Alberta, racking up many Provincial championships at the Senior ‘B' and later, Senior ‘A' level as well as dominating the several leagues they played in over the years. The crowning glory came in the 1980-81 season when the Pontiacs met Winnipeg in the Hardy Cup Western final, after having defeated Victoria in the Alberta/B.C. playoffs. The Pontiacs lost the series in Winnipeg, but could always be proud of the fact that this small town team from rural Alberta had reached such heights. The Senior Pontiacs put Bonnyville “on the map” in hockey circles and were largely responsible for this community's long love affair with the game of hockey!
The team lent its name to the new Alberta Junior Hockey League team when they were established in 1991. Just before the team began its 50th anniversary celebrations the Bonnyville Minor Hockey Association announced they would be renaming the teams the Ponitiacs to preserve the legacy of the name. [1]
Season-by-season record[]
- Battle River Hockey League: ?-2015
- North Central Hockey League (Alberta): 2015-Present
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T/OL = Ties/Overtime losses, SL = Shootout losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
Season | League | GP | W | L | T/OL | SL | Pts | GF | GA | Finish | Playoffs |
2014-15 | BRHL | 16 | 13 | 3 | 0 | - | 26 | 52 | 26 | 1st | Won Championship |
2015-16 | NCHL | 16 | 15 | 1 | 0 | - | 30 | 121 | 35 | 1st North | Lost Final |
2016-17 | NCHL | 18 | 14 | 3 | 1 | - | 29 | 113 | 56 | 3rd | Lost Final |
2017-18 | NCHL | 12 | 7 | 3 | 2 | - | 16 | 60 | 44 | 4th | Lost Semifinals |
2018-19 | NCHL | 16 | 3 | 13 | 0 | - | 6 | 55 | 114 | 9th | Did not qualify |
2019-20 | NCHL | 16 | 4 | 11 | 1 | - | 9 | 68 | 111 | 8th | Lost Quarterfinals |
2020-21 | NCHL | Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic | |||||||||
2021-22 | NCHL | 14 | 2 | 12 | 0 | - | 4 | 54 | 93 | 8th | Lost Quarterfinals |
2022-23 | NCHL | 14 | 5 | 9 | 0 | - | 10 | 50 | 93 | 7th | Did Not Qualify |
2023-24 | NCHL | 16 | 8 | 7 | 1 | - | 17 | 86 | 93 | 3rd North | Lost Division Finals |
Provincial Championships[]
- 2018 (host team) Finish 2-0-0 in round robin pool defeating Wainwright Rustlers 5-2 and Nanton Palominos 4-1. defeated Elk Point Elks 6-2 in championship game 2018 Alberta Senior AA playoffs champion