As ears across southwest Saskatchewan still ring from the deafening rattle of over 2000 cowbells in the playoffs, it's a good indicating factor the 2017-18 WHL season was one to remember for Swift Current Broncos players and fans alike.

Capping off a stellar regular season where they finished second in the WHL with a record of 48-17-5-2, the Broncos one-upped that by compiling a 16-10 playoff record on their way to hoisting the Ed Chynoweth Cup as WHL champions.

"To be honest I've never had so much fun in my entire life," admitted goalie Stuart Skinner. "Going to Swift Current, getting the brothers that I have in that room, and the family - all the laughs, all the smiles that I get going to the rink every single day - I've never been so happy in my entire life."

"The season might be over and might be saying goodbye to a few guys, but we're always going to stay in contact and we're family for life now," said Skinner after Wednesday's Memorial Cup loss to the Regina Pats. "

"The things we went through - the adversity, the pain, the sweat, the tears, and obviously now this, it just makes you more of a brotherhood. I'm blessed to say that I'm a Swift Current Bronco."

It's certainly a bitter-sweet feeling for the Broncos to have their playoff run ended at the hands of the rival Regina Pats for a second-consecutive season.

But, after willing their way to that WHL championship, it's too great a feat to get stuck dwelling on a trio of one-goal losses at the Memorial Cup.

"It's a tough trophy (Ed Chynoweth Cup) to win - we know we're still champions and we won that, so definitely can't hang our heads for the season," said captain Glenn Gawdin. "It was a successful season, just didn't play out at the end."

Blueliner Colby Sissons echoed his captain's thoughts, adding even the chance to play in the Memorial Cup tournament is an honour.

"They say it's one of the hardest trophies to win in sports for a reason - we definitely learned that the hard way," said the defenceman of their run towards the Memorial Cup. "To play here was an honour, nobody can take that championship away from us - we'll always have it. But, at the end of the day we fell a little short."

The Broncos' road leading up to the Memorial Cup was among the toughest, and certainly the longest in the entire nation.

Swift Current's run started March 23 for the start of what would be a back-and-forth seven game series against the Regina Pats.

With little time to blink, the Broncos advanced to face the second-ranked team in the country in the second round. There, fans witnessed another seven-game thriller against the Moose Jaw Warriors, including a combined six overtime periods.

After defeating a pair of Trans-Canada rivals, the Broncos headed to southern Alberta for a well-noted match-up for some Broncos against their former club. The Broncos snapped the Lethbridge Hurricane's home winning streak in Game 6 of the Eastern Finals to advance once again.

Up against the Everett Silvertips and the regular season's top goalie in Carter Hart, the Broncos grinded out some key wins, including two of three on the road in the Pacific North West. In the six-game series, it was Stuart Skinner who was the most notable goaltender, as he leaned on a packed house of 2890 fans at the Innovation Credit Union iPlex.

"It's going to be really tough saying goodbye to those fans for a little bit here," said the Broncos netminder. "They've done so much for us - just the electricity that we get in the dressing room and out in the rink. They support us coming down to Regina, coming to Moose Jaw, Lethbridge, even Everett. Those are the fans you want."

Swift Current's run towards their first Memorial Cup win since 1989 was disrupted by losses to Acadie-Bathurst, Hamilton, and Regina however, as the banged-up Broncos couldn't duplicate the prior four series.

"We had a really tough road playing 26 games, going through the teams we went through - we didn't have anything easy," added Skinner. "We could talk a lot about how some other teams have a little bit more of an advantage, but I don't think those excuses really matter. I think it matters how you come and prepare - it was a tough tournament and we knew it was going to be tough. It was hard."

For a solid chunk of the current Broncos roster, Wednesday night's 6-5 loss at the Brandt Centre in Regina may have been their last game in their blue-and-green Broncos jersey.

As for over-ager Glenn Gawdin, it was an enjoyable two-month playoff run to cap off a career that started as a first-round (5th overall) bantam draft pick of the Broncos in 2012.

"It's meant a lot, I think it's helped me develop as a player and a person," said Gawdin on his time as a Bronco. "Coming here and being drafted at 14 and the transition of the organization, I can't say much better things. I think it shows - I don't think many people would have though Swift Current would win a league championship. I think we definitely put the city on the map this year."

For others on the team with the potential to return to the southwest, that will all depend on their ability to secure a spot on a roster at the professional level this fall. Among those is Colby Sissons, a prospect of the New Jersey Devils, who felt as if his WHL career passed in the blink of an eye.

"It goes by quick - I remember sitting in the room as a 16-year-old and the 20-year-olds were saying you've got to cherish every moment because it goes by quick. At the time you think 'I've got three or four more years, these guys are crazy', but it flies by," he said. "We told all the young guys in the room after the game (Wednesday) it's a privilege to play in this league and you can't take it for granted."

It's an odd feeling to wake up Friday morning knowing CHL hockey is still to be played, yet not scroll through an endless list of social media posts with #OurTeamOurTown hashtags wishing the Swift Current Broncos well on yet another gameday.

In a city that has had plenty to celebrate this hockey season however, one final party remains this evening from 5-8 p.m. at Riverside Park. The Broncos organization will be putting on a barbecue to celebrate their Ed Chynoweth Cup win with their passionate fan base.