The Cochrane Generals are the best team in the Heritage Junior Hockey League and have broken a franchise record for points in a single season.

After back to back wins this weekend and extending their winning streak to four games, the Generals finished the year 29-5-4 with 62 points.

"Friday night's game against Coaldale we were preparing for that to be a three period war and in my opinion we may have put together the best three periods of the season," said Evan McFeeters, Head Coach of the Generals. "To get that first round bye clinched last weekend and then to also clinch first overall in the league was a huge stepping stone for our team."

The Generals easily handled the Coaldale Copperheads 7-2 on Friday before rallying Saturday and rifling off a 7-4 win over Strathmore.

"Once we realized we could make some history for the Cochrane Generals and break a record, the guys were extremely excited to play out that final game."

Slater Ransom had the hot hand all weekend netting 2 goals and adding 3 assists against the Wheatland Kings while also scoring 2 goals and adding a helper on Friday against Coaldale - enough to earn him HJHL player of the week honours.

Breaking a franchise record and having a first round bye in the playoffs, the Generals aren't letting it get to their head.

McFeeters said all year that his team has set attainable goals and are still taking the season one step at a time even moving forward into the post-season.

"The first goal was to get home ice advantage throughout the playoffs and we accomplished that on the weekend and our next goal was to try and be first overall in the entire league and we accomplished that. We talked as a group and we want to set our sights on preparing for our first round of the playoffs as best as we can."

The regime will include the Generals typical practice times while also getting in extra skating over the weekend to simulate game situations.

"We want to keep the guys in the same routine so we're going to continue with our practices throughout the week. Then we got some more ice time that we're going to have some intense practices on Saturday and Sunday, just so they're still in the groove of playing with each other for about four or five of the seven days of the week."

Cochrane will wait to see who they play in the second round, either the High River Flyers, the Strathmore Wheatland Kings, or the Banff Academy Bears.

Whoever they play, the Generals will open up the playoffs on Tuesday, February 16th at Spray Lake Sawmills Family Sports Centre.

Bradley Jones - airdrienews@goldenwestradio.com