The Heritage Junior B (HJHL) opened the 2024-2025 season Friday night (Sept. 20) with the Carstar Okotoks Bisons taking the first meeting against the High River Flyers 5-3 at Murray Arena.
With the Flyers' home rink at Bob Snodgrass Rec Plex getting renovations, High River who already played four pre-season games on the road, will continue to play on the road for the next month and a half. Many players will tell you, however, that the strongest bonds are built on road trips so it could be a blessing in disguise for the Flyers.
As for the Bisons who are coming off a three-peat as HJHL champions and Provincial champions it was business as usual. The Herd showed that they are still fully bought into head coach Brad Cobb's system as they piled on shots as they continuously do, outshooting the Flyers 55-24.
Defenceman Hunter Cobb got the first goal of the Bisons' season just under two minutes into the game. MaCallum Bakken who played for the Flyers the past two seasons but is now a part of the Herd got the second goal for the Bisons under 10 minutes later.
Eastan Robert got the first goal for the Flyers in the brand-new HJHL season just 15 seconds into the second period and cut the Bisons' lead to just one. Ethan Burgeson, another former Flyer but now playing for Okotoks got the third Bisons goal just over halfway into the second period.
In what was a theme for tonight, Brandon Jarman who once again played for High River but is now a part of the Herd made it a 4-1 game after he found the back of the net under two minutes later.
The Flyers didn't shy away from being down by three as they found the back of the net to start the third period and cut the Bisons' lead in half to make it a 4-2 hockey game with a Tiernan Rowan goal.
Sam Callahan for the Bisons got the Herd's three-goal lead back less than five minutes later with an unassisted goal. In the final minute, the Flyers showed they were going to fight until the game was over and popped in their third goal of the game thanks to Cody Steinhart.
Both the Flyers and the Bisons will be back on the ice for a game tomorrow night. High River will be visiting Rocky Mountain House at 7:30 to face the Rocky Rams, and the Bisons will be back at Murray Arena to take on the Medicine Hat Cubs at 8:30.