2017-2018 NEAJBHL schedule overview

Hockey time

The Junior B season continues to get closer! The most recent sign of the grind beginning again: the schedule being released! This year each team will play a full 40 game slate, facing each team four times. You can view the whole North Eastern Alberta Junior B Hockey League schedule here: NEAJBHL Schedule 2017-2018.

Schedule highlights

The 2017-2018 NEAJBHL season officially gets underway on September 29. Opening night features three matchups, with the Frog Lake T-Birds visiting the Cold Lake Ice. Also featured is a match up between the Saddle Lake Warriors and Onion Lake Border Chiefs. The St. Paul Canadiens, Lac La Biche Clippers will begin their seasons the following day (September 30). Lac La Biche will play their first home game against the Saddle Lake Warriors that night, and the St. Paul Canadiens will ride the bus down to Wainwright to play the Bisons.

Other highlights

Every season some teams will play a regular season game at a third party location. One that comes to mind from 2016-2017, is the Wainwright Bisons hosting a game in the Village of Irma, Alberta. This season the Bisons will once again head west on Highway 14 to play in Viking against the Vegreville Rangers on December 8th. The final weekend of the year will be February 9-11. The Cold Lake Ice will finish their season facing the Lloydminster Bandits at home on the 10th. St. Paul will finish the season the same way they will start, facing the Wainwright Bisons at home on Februrary 10th. Saddle Lake and Lac La Biche will hook play their final games on February 11th.

“Some [teams] are thinking it’s a little much, some are okay with it. My opinion is it’s not that bad. Yeah, it’s a lot of hockey, but if you look at the Heritage League down south they play pretty much an NHL schedule. 60 games plus in their league. They put up a ton of miles themselves too… Most teams up hear a ready to go!” NEAJBHL President Mark Hines says.

ONE THING WE CAN SAY

We here at Lakeland Connect are excited for another great season of Junior B Hockey in the Lakeland!