Although it wasn't the finish the Cold Lake Jr. B Ice had hoped for, the 2013-14 season was still a year to be proud of, both as a member of the Ice and a fan of the team.
The Ice, made up of players and coaches from around the Lakeland, including seven players from Cold Lake and 11 from Bonnyville, and players as far away as Creighton, SK and Dawson Creek, BC, have been on an incredible run since winning the team's first league championship in 2011.
Since then, the Ice have won three more league titles, made four appearances in provincials and brought home one bronze from the province-wide tournament.
From humble beginnings, playing out of the old Cold Lake North Arena, with fans packed in tight and almost knocking down the rickety structure with the noise generated during the team's first playoff run, to playing out of the JJ Parr arena on 4 Wing, to capturing a championship in front of a ‘home crowd' at the RJ Lalonde Arena in Bonnyville, to the current and permanent home at the new Cold Lake Energy Centre arena, the Ice have had quite the journey over the past four seasons.
And though the team has a long way to go to catch up to Lloydminster's record nine straight league championships, next season is shaping up to be one of the biggest seasons for junior b hockey in the region's recent history, as the Cold Lake Ice are set to host the Keystone Cup, Western Canada's premier junior b championship.
With a strong returning squad and experienced coaching staff heading into a season with a spot in Westerns already locked up, Cold Lake Ice fans can certainly look forward to something special in 2015.
