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The Brooks Bandits are a Junior ice hockey team in the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) based in Brooks, Alberta. The teams plays its home games at the Centennial Regional Arena. The team was formerly in the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL), until they joined the BCHL in February 2024.
The first coach for the Brooks Bandits was Nolan Crouse. The first franchise goal was scored by Chris Boyle just under a minute into the first regular season game against the Fort McMurray Oil Barons. The team struggled though most of its first four seasons, failing to make the playoffs. In 2004, the Crowsnest Pass Timberwolves took a leave of absence for one season, and their players were dispersed, adding Judd Blackwater and Neil to the Bandits team. Under head coach Kevin Higo and players such as Brendan Connolly, Spencer Machacek, Ben Wright, and Chad Johnson, the Bandit advanced to the AJHL playoffs for the first time.
In 2008, after three successful years, Higo accepted an assistant coaching position with the Moose Jaw Warriors in the major junior Western Hockey League. With the head coach and general manager positions vacant, the Bandits hired ECHL head coach and former NHL enforcer Brian Curran. Under Curran's leadership of a hard-hitting team, the Bandits finished in first place in the South Division before losing in the cross-over division playoff finals against the Grande Prairie Storm. On October 16, 2009, Curran was released by the Bandit and replaced by assistant Ryan Papaioannou. The Bandits finished fifth in the south division in 2009–10 and a second round playoff loss. During the season on January 20, 2010, the Bandits moved from the smaller Centennial Arena in the Lakeside Leisure Centre, to the brand new Centennial Regional Arena.
In Papaioannou's second 2010–11 season, the Bandits finished second in the division, but were eliminated in the second round by the Camrose Kodiaks in seven games. In the off-season on July 5, 2011, forward Nick Crosby was killed in a car accident returning home from a Bandits camp. After Crosby's death, the Bandits dedicated the 2011–12 season in his honour and retired his #23 jersey. The Bandits had statistically their best season to date with a record of 47–7–8. In the playoffs, they swept both the Calgary Canucks and the Olds Grizzlys in four games, advancing to their first league playoff championship series against the Fort McMurray Oil Barons. The Bandits won the series four games to two for their first league championship. In the Doyle Cup, the Bandits faced the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) champion Penticton Vees for the right to participate in the Junior A national championship tournament, the Royal Bank Cup. The Vees defeated the Bandits four games to one and went on to win the 2012 Royal Bank Cup Jr. A national championship.
The Bandits continued to dominate the AJHL at the start of the 2012–13 season going 20–0–0 before finally losing a game. The Bandits were one win short of tying the AJHL record for longest winning streak. The Bandits were led by captain Cam Maclise, Mark Reners, and Dakota Mason. The Bandits finished the regular season with a record of 53–4–3, breaking the AJHL record for wins in season, and points in a season (109). In all but one week (week 1), the Bandits were ranked as the number one team in Canada by the Canadian Junior Hockey League. In the playoffs, the Bandits defeated the Drumheller Dragons and Okotoks Oilers before winning a second straight AJHL championship over the Spruce Grove Saints. 2013 was the first year of the Western Canada Cup qualifying tournament to advance to the national championship and was held in Nanaimo, British Columbia. The Bandits finished first in the round-robin portion of the tournament, but lost to the Surrey Eagles 4–1 in the championship game. As the Western Canada Cup qualified two teams to the Royal Bank Cup, the Bandits played the Yorkton Terriers in the runner-up game the following day and won 1–0. They went 3–1 in the round-robin at the 2013 Royal Bank Cup and won their first Junior A national championship over the Summerside Western Capitals, becoming the first team to win the championship without either being the host or a regional champion.
They returned to the Western Canada Cup again in 2016 and 2017, winning the Western Junior A regional in 2017 and was the runner-up qualifier in 2016. They lost the 2017 Junior A national championship game in overtime to the Cobourg Cougars. The Western Canada Cup discontinued after the 2017 tournament and the AJHL qualified through the Doyle Cup again beginning in 2018. The Brooks Bandits were also selected as the host city for the 2019 National Junior A Championship. The Bandits then won the AJHL championship for a fifth time in 2019, but lost the Doyle Cup to the Prince George Spruce Kings in which both teams were also already qualified to advance to the national championship. Brooks then went undefeated in the championship tournament, winning the final game over the Spruce Kings 4–3, for their second Junior A national championship title. Brooks won the 2022 Centennial Cup in Estevan, SK by defeating the Pickering Panthers 4-1.
On January 20, 2024, the BCHL announced that five teams from the AJHL would join the BCHL in the 2024-25 season, namely, the Blackfalds Bulldogs, Brooks Bandits, Okotoks Oilers, Sherwood Park Crusaders, and Spruce Grove Saints. In the interim, it was decided that the five Alberta-based teams would play out the rest of the 2023-24 season as a separate division under the aegis of the BCHL, and that there would be a year-end competition with the winner of the Alberta-based teams playing the winner of the BC-based teams.
On May 25th, 2025, the Brook Bandits defeated the Chilliwack Chiefs in 6 games in the BCHL Playoffs to win their first ever Fred Page Cup in franchise history.
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| did not qualify | ||||||||||
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| Won Quarterfinals, 4–3 vs. Calgary Canucks Lost Semifinals, 0–4 vs. Camrose Kodiaks | ||||||||||
| Won Preliminary series, 3–2 vs. Okotoks Oilers Won Quarterfinals, 4–2 vs. Canmore Eagles Lost Semifinals, 0–4 vs. Fort McMurray Oil Barons | ||||||||||
| Won Preliminary series, 3–1 vs. Calgary Royals Lost Quarterfinals, 2–4 vs. Okotoks Oilers | ||||||||||
| Lost Preliminary series, 0–3 vs. Drumheller Dragons | ||||||||||
| Won Div. Semifinals, 4–3 vs. Camrose Kodiaks Lost Div. Finals, 1–4 vs. Grande Prairie Storm | ||||||||||
| Won Div. Quarterfinals, 3–1 vs. Calgary Canucks Lost Div. Semifinals, 1–4 vs. Camrose Kodiaks | ||||||||||
| Won Div. Quarterfinals, 3–0 vs. Canmore Eagles Lost Div. Semifinals, 3–4 vs. Camrose Kodiaks | ||||||||||
| Won Div. Semifinals, 4–0 vs. Calgary Canucks Won Div. Finals, 4–0 vs. Olds Grizzlys Won AJHL Championship, 4–2 vs. Fort McMurray Oil Barons Lost Doyle Cup, 1–4 vs. Penticton Vees (BCHL) | ||||||||||
| Won Div. Semifinals, 4–1 vs. Drumheller Dragons Won Div. Finals, 4–3 vs. Okotoks Oilers Won AJHL Championship, 4–1 vs. Spruce Grove Saints Advanced to Royal Bank Cup as Western Canada Cup runner-up Won 2013 Royal Bank Cup Junior A National Championship | ||||||||||
| Won Div. Semifinals, 4–0 vs. Olds Grizzlys Lost Div. Finals, 0–4 vs. Drumheller Dragons | ||||||||||
| Won Div. Quarterfinals, 3–0 vs. Calgary Mustangs Won Div. Semifinals, 4–0 vs. Okotoks Oilers Won Div. Finals, 4–3 vs. Camrose Kodiaks Lost AJHL Finals, 1–4 vs. Spruce Grove Saints | ||||||||||
| Won Div. Semifinals, 4–0 vs. Canmore Eagles Won Div. Finals, 4–0 vs. Camrose Kodiaks Won AJHL Championship, 4–1 vs. Spruce Grove Saints Advanced to 2016 Royal Bank Cup as Western Canada Cup runner-up | ||||||||||
| Won Div. Semifinals, 4–0 vs. Olds Grizzlys Won Div. Finals, 4–1 vs. Okotoks Oilers Won AJHL Championship, 4–0 vs. Whitecourt Wolverines Advanced to Royal Bank Cup as Western Canada Cup champions | ||||||||||
| Won Div. Quarterfinals, 3–0 vs. Canmore Eagles Won Div. Semifinals, 4–2 vs. Drumheller Dragons Lost Div. Finals, 2–4 vs. Okotoks Oilers | ||||||||||
| Won Div. Semifinals, 4–1 Canmore Eagles Won Div. Finals, 4–2 Okotoks Oilers Won AJHL Championship, 4–0 Spruce Grove Saints Lost Doyle Cup, 2–4 Prince George Spruce Kings (BCHL) Won 2019 National Junior A Championship | ||||||||||
| Postseason cancelled | ||||||||||
| Remainder of season cancelled due to Covid. | ||||||||||
| Won Div. Semifinals, 4–0 Canmore Eagles Won Div. Finals, 4–0 Okotoks Oilers Won AJHL Championship, 4–1 Spruce Grove Saints Advance to National Junior A Championship | ||||||||||
| Won Div. Semifinals, 4–2 Okotoks Oilers Won Div. Finals, 4–0 Blackfalds Bulldogs Won AJHL Championship, 4–1 Spruce Grove Saints Advance to National Junior A Championship | ||||||||||
| Move to Indepentdent British Columbia Hockey League | ||||||||||
| Won Div. Semifinals, 4–3 Okotoks Oilers Won Div. Finals, 4–1 Sherwood Park Crusaders Won 2–0 Surrey Eagles BCHL Rocky Mountain Challenge | ||||||||||
| Won Conf Quarters 4-1 West Kelowna WarriorsWon Conf Semifinals, 4–0 Sherwood Park Crusaders Won Conf Finals, 4–2 Pentiction Vees Won League Finals 4-2 Chilliwack Chiefs BCHL-Fred Page Champions | ||||||||||
The tournament began with round-robin play between the five team followed by the top two teams playing in championship game and the third and fourth place teams playing in a semifinal game. The loser of the championship game then faced the winner of the semifinal game for the runner-up qualifier. The winner of the championship and the runner-up game advanced to the Royal Bank Cup.
| W, 1–0 vs. Yorkton Terriers Western Canada Cup Runner-up | |
| W, 2–1 vs. Portage Terriers Western Canada Cup Runner-up | |
| W, 6–1 vs. Chilliwack Chiefs Western Canada Cup Champion | — |
The tournament begins with round-robin play between the five teams followed by the top four teams playing a semifinal game, with the top seed facing the fourth seed and the second facing the third. The winners of the semifinals then face each other in final game for the national championship. In some years, the losers of the semifinal games face each other for a third place game.
| W, 3–1 vs. Summerside Western Capitals National Junior A Champions |
| — |
| OTL, 2–3 vs. Cobourg Cougars |
| W, 4–3 vs. Prince George Spruce Kings National Junior A Champions |
| Won -4-1 Pickering Panthers National Champions |
| Won -4-0 Battlefords North Stars National Champions |
Terri-Lea Yeaman - Office Manager (Brooks Bandits 2010-Present)
Ryan Reed - Media Services Manager (Edmonton Oilers 2023-2025; Brooks Bandits 2025-Present)
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