Bonnyville Pontiacs open ’17-’18 Schedule with Home and Home

The boys hit the ice August 30

The Alberta Junior Hockey League has announced their 2017-2018 schedule. The Bonnyville Pontiacs will open main camp on August 25, 2017, and begin exhibition play on August 30. Their first pre-season game will be against the Lloydminster Bobcats at home, in the RJ Lalonde Arena.

The Pontiacs will play an eight game exhibition schedule. They will battle the Bobcats four times, take on the Battlefords North Stars twice in a home and home, and play two games at the Casman Center in Fort McMurray.

“So we’ve got an eight game exhibition schedule, plus two black and whit games. So there’s ten games for us to find the right players we will take with us to start our AJHL season, so it gives us a really good test.” Head Coach Rick Swan says.

Regular Season

The regular season kicks off in Lloydminster. The 60 game schedule starts September 15. The following night, the Pontiacs will open the home schedule with the back half of the home and home against the Bobcats. Bonnyville will end their first month of play with two games at the AJHL showcase against the Calgary Mustangs, and Okotoks Oilers.

Stopping in Banff

November 21, the Pontiacs will make a lengthy road trip to Banff to play a Tuesday night game against the Canmore Eagles.

South swing + home game end 2017

The Bonnyville Pontiacs will find themselves on a three game southern Alberta road swing to wrap up the 2017 portion of the new schedule. December 15 – December 17 the Pontiacs will play the Brooks Bandits, Calgary Mustangs, and Calgary Canucks. To put a closing note on the first portion of the schedule, the Pontiacs will play their final game of 2017 at the RJ, when the Drayton Valley Thunder come to town on December 19.

Back in action

The Pontiacs make their 2018 debut a day after New Year’s day. January 2, the Spruce Grove Saints come to Bonnyville. At this point of the season, the points will begin to come at a premium. The Pontiacs have a chance to make some ground, if they need to, thanks to seven home games in January.

The Bonnyville Pontiacs final home game of the year comes on February 24 against the Grande Prairie Storm. They will play their final two games of the regular season in Drayton Valley, March 2 and 3.

Final season of North + South

This AJHL schedule will be the final one to include a North and South Division. Starting in 2018-2019, the league will move to a schedule in which each team plays every other team a total of four times. The number of games in a season will remain unchanged.