Okotoks Oilers

Okotoks Oilers in Okotoks, Alberta, offer Alberta Junior Hockey League action that lets visitors experience fast-paced junior A hockey up close. The team’s roots trace back to the Crowsnest Pass Timberwolves franchise, which was approved for sale and relocation to Okotoks in June 2004. The franchise took a one-year leave of absence in 2004–05 to prepare for its first season in its new home, loaning players from the 2003–04 Timberwolves roster to other Alberta Junior Hockey League and British Columbia Hockey League teams. Though dormant that season, the Oilers franchise hosted the 2004–05 Alberta Junior Hockey League all-star game, giving Okotoks residents an early look at the league’s talent. The 2005–06 season marked a strong start, with a record above .500 before a close first-round playoff loss to the Brooks Bandits. That inaugural season was played at Murray Arena while construction of the team’s new facility was underway.