Moose Jaw Warriors

Last updated

Moose Jaw Warriors
MJWarriorsnewlogo.JPG
City Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan
League Western Hockey League
ConferenceEastern
DivisionEast
Founded1980
Home arena Moose Jaw Events Centre
ColoursRed, white, black
   
General managerJason Ripplinger
Head coachMark O'Leary
Website chl.ca/whl-warriors/
Franchise history
1980–1984 Winnipeg Warriors
1984–presentMoose Jaw Warriors
Championships
Regular season titles1 (2017–18)
Playoff championships Ed Chynoweth Cup
1 (2024)
Conference Championships
2 (2005–06, 2023–24)

The Moose Jaw Warriors are a Canadian major junior ice hockey team based in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. The Warriors play in the East Division of the Western Hockey League's Eastern Conference, hosting games at the Moose Jaw Events Centre. The team was founded in 1980 as the Winnipeg Warriors, and relocated to Moose Jaw in 1984.

Contents

History

The Moose Jaw Canucks were a founding franchise of the then-Western Canada Hockey League in 1966, and were the new league's first champion. [1] However, after just two seasons and with the WCHL barred by the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) from competing for the Memorial Cup, the Canucks opted to return to the revived Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League in 1968. [2] When the WCHL became recognized by CAHA in 1970, Moose Jaw was left without top-level junior hockey. [2]

The Warriors franchise was established as the Winnipeg Warriors prior to the start of the 1980–81 WHL season, and played out of Winnipeg Arena, which they shared with the National Hockey League's Winnipeg Jets. [3] In 1984, the franchise relocated to Moose Jaw, bringing major junior hockey back to the city for the first time since 1970. [2]

The Warriors played in the Moose Jaw Civic Centre, also known as "The Crushed Can", for 26 seasons, before moving to Mosaic Place, now the Moose Jaw Events Centre, in the city centre in 2011. [4] [5]

The team's first few seasons in Moose Jaw saw Theoren Fleury emerge as the team's primary star—Fleury finished among the top five scorers in the WHL during his tenure with the team. Led by Fleury, Kelly Buchberger, Mike Keane, and Lyle Odelein, the Warriors made the franchise's first playoff appearance after the relocation during the 1985–86 season. [6] [ non-primary source needed ] The team captured its first regular season division title in 2003–04. [6] In 2005–06, led by Troy Brouwer and Dustin Boyd, the Warriors followed their best regular season with their first ever trip to the championship series, in which they were swept by the Vancouver Giants. [7] In 2017–18, the Warriors captured their first Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy as regular season champions with their first 50-win and 100-point season, before bowing out in the second round of the playoffs to the eventual champion Swift Current Broncos. [8] [9]

In the 2023–24 season—the Warriors' 40th in Moose Jaw—the Warriors won their first Ed Chynoweth Cup as league champions. Led by Jagger Firkus, Denton Mateychuk, and Brayden Yager, the Warriors advanced to their second league final by defeating the regular-season champion Saskatoon Blades in a seven game series that featured a WHL-record six overtime games, including the seventh and deciding game. [10] In the final, they won all four games versus the Portland Winterhawks to secure the championship and a berth in the 2024 Memorial Cup tournament. [11]

Logo and uniforms

Quinton Howden with the Warriors in 2010. QuintonHowden.JPG
Quinton Howden with the Warriors in 2010.

The Warriors' original branding, based on the founding franchise in Winnipeg, featured Indigenous imagery, including a long-used logo featuring a silhouetted side-profile of a head wearing an Indigenous headdress. In 2020, in light of the Native American mascot controversy, the Warriors announced that they were reviewing their branding. [12] In 2022, the team unveiled a new brand and logo based on the city's aviation history and connection with the Royal Canadian Air Force and Snowbirds—the logo features a CT-114 Tutor jet emblazoned with the Snowbirds logo. [13] The team retained its original colour scheme featuring red, black, and white. [14]

Season-by-season record

The Warriors played out of the Moose Jaw Civic Centre--dubbed the "Crushed Can"--from 1984 until 2010. Moose Jaw Civic Centre.JPG
The Warriors played out of the Moose Jaw Civic Centre—dubbed the "Crushed Can"—from 1984 until 2010.

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties OTL = Overtime losses Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

SeasonGP W L T OTLGF GA PointsFinishPlayoffs
1984–85 7221501–320438437th EastOut of playoffs
1985–86 7225443–294375536th EastLost East Division semi-final
1986–87 7238313–366321794th EastLost East Division semi-final
1987–88 7218522–308458388th EastOut of playoffs
1988–89 7227423–318372576th EastLost East Division semi-final
1989–90 7228413–287330598th EastOut of playoffs
1990–91 7231392–336369646th EastLost East Division semi-final
1991–92 7233363–279316696th EastLost East Division quarter-final
1992–93 7227423–277346578th EastOut of playoffs
1993–94 7221483–269361459th EastOut of playoffs
1994–95 7239321–315275794th EastLost East Division semi-final
1995–96 7218495–223331416th EastOut of playoffs
1996–97 7236297–278240794th EastLost East Division semi-final
1997–98 72233910–235281565th EastLost Eastern Conference quarter-final
1998–99 7239312–292262803rd EastLost Eastern Conference semi-final
1999–00 72253494221259633rd EastLost Eastern Conference quarter-final
2000–01 72342945287291773rd EastLost Eastern Conference quarter-final
2001–02 72303462226239683rd EastLost Eastern Conference semi-final
2002–03 723622113266208862nd EastLost Eastern Conference semi-final
2003–04 72412281209172911st EastLost Eastern Conference semi-final
2004–05 721447101182282394th EastLost Eastern Conference quarter-final
SeasonGP W L OTL SOLGF GA PointsFinishPlayoffs
2005–06 72442053278205961st EastLost final
2006–07 72284130217271595th EastOut of playoffs
2007–08 72372168229214884th EastLost Eastern Conference quarter-final
2008–09 72195012198352416th EastOut of playoffs
2009–10 72332758243247784th EastLost Eastern Conference quarter-final
2010–11 72402624245240862nd EastLost Eastern Conference quarter-final
2011–12 72451962258213981st EastLost Eastern Conference final
2012–13 72253647182249614th EastOut of playoffs
2013–14 72214236202283515th EastOut of playoffs
2014–15 72323541221266694th EastOut of playoffs
2015–16 72362772249231813rd EastLost Eastern Conference semi-final
2016–17 72422181255219932nd EastLost Eastern Conference quarter-final
2017–18 725215233262161091st EastLost Eastern Conference semi-final
2018–19 68402062234192883rd EastLost Eastern Conference quarter-final
2019–20 62144440146291326th EastCancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2020–21 24813307195196th EastNo playoffs were held
2021–22 68372443251221812nd EastLost Eastern Conference semi-final
2022–23 68412403252237853rd EastLost Eastern Conference semi-final
2023–24 68442103297228912nd EastWon Championship

Championship history

The Warriors shake hands with the Saskatoon Blades after winning the 2024 Eastern Conference Championship in overtime of game 7. Blades vs Wariors 7 May 2024 2.jpg
The Warriors shake hands with the Saskatoon Blades after winning the 2024 Eastern Conference Championship in overtime of game 7.

WHL Championship

Players

Current roster

Updated March 30, 2024. [15]

# Nat Player Pos S/G AgeAcquiredBirthplaceDrafted
37 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Owen Berge C R18 2021 Edmonton, Alberta Eligible 2024
3 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Lucas Brenton D L21 2018 Winnipeg, Manitoba Undrafted
23 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Atley Calvert  ( A ) C R20 2019 Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan Undrafted
16 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Noah Degenstein C L17 2022 Airdrie, Alberta Eligible 2025
47 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Max Finley C R17 2022 Kelowna, British Columbia Eligible 2025
27 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Jagger Firkus C R20 2019 Irma, Alberta 2022, 35th Overall, SEA
33 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Dimitri Fortin G R17 2021 Winnipeg, Manitoba Eligible 2024
22 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Ethan Hughes C L17 2021 Edmonton, Alberta Eligible 2025
39 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Rilen Kovacevic RW R19 2023 Kelowna, British Columbia Undrafted
17 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Lynden Lakovic C L17 2021 Kelowna, British Columbia Eligible 2025
5 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Denton Mateychuk  ( C ) D L19 2019 Dominion City, Manitoba 2022, 12th Overall, CBJ
1 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Evan May G R19 2024 Nanaimo, British Columbia Undrafted
7 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Landen McFadden C L16 2022 Edmonton, Alberta Eligible 2025
20 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Pavel McKenzie LW L18 2023 Cumberland House, Saskatchewan Eligible 2024
2 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Brady Ness D L17 2021 Edmonton, Alberta Undrafted
8 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Kalem Parker D R19 2023 Clavet, Saskatchewan 2023, 181st Overall, MIN
44 Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Vojtech Port D R18 2023 Jihlava, Czech Republic 2023, 161st Overall, ANA
19 Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Martin Ryšavý LW R21 2020 Přerov, Czech Republic 2021, 197th Overall, CBJ
93 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Matthew Savoie RW R20 2024 St. Albert, Alberta 2022, 9th Overall, BUF
10 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Connor Schmidt D R17 2022 Sturgeon County, Alberta Eligible 2025
18 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Brayden Schuurman C R20 2023 Abbotsford, British Columbia Undrafted
14 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Ethan Semeniuk C R19 2023 Fort St. John, British Columbia Undrafted
30 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Jackson Unger G R19 2020 Calgary, Alberta Undrafted
12 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Cosmo Wilson D R19 2020 Vernon, British Columbia Undrafted
29 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Brayden Yager  ( A ) C R19 2020 Dundurn, Saskatchewan 2023, 14th Overall, PIT
21 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Aiden Ziprick D L18 2020 Russell, Manitoba Eligible 2024

Retired numbers

#Player
9 Theoren Fleury
24 Kelly Buchberger
25 Mike Keane
28 Ryan Smyth

NHL alumni

The following Moose Jaw Warriors alumni have played in the National Hockey League (NHL). [16]

NLL alumni

Warriors alumnus Kaleb Toth played thirteen seasons in the National Lacrosse League for the Calgary Roughnecks and Toronto Rock; he was inducted into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2022. [17]

Team records

Team records for a single season
StatisticTotalSeason
Most points109 2017–18
Most wins522017–18
Most goals for366 1986–87
Fewest points for32 2019–20
Fewest wins for14 2004–05/2019–20
Fewest goals for1462019–20
Fewest goals against172 2003–04
Most goals against458 1987–88
Individual player records for a single season
StatisticPlayerTotalSeason
Most goals Blair Atcheynum 70 1988–89
Most assists Theoren Fleury 92 1987–88
Most pointsTheoren Fleury1601987–88
Most points, rookie Mark MacKay 140 1984–85
Most points, defencemanScott Schoneck76 1998–99
Best GAA (goalie) Mike Brodeur 2.11 2003–04
Goalies = minimum 1500 minutes played

Awards

Bob Clarke Trophy (WHL top scorer)

Four Broncos Memorial Trophy (WHL player of the year)

WHL Playoff MVP

Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy (WHL top defenceman)

Del Wilson Trophy (WHL top goaltender)

Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy (WHL rookie of the year)

Doc Seaman Trophy (WHL scholastic player of the year)

Brad Hornung Trophy (WHL most sportsmanlike)

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western Hockey League</span> Junior ice hockey league

The Western Hockey League (WHL) is a junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitutes the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada, alongside the Ontario Hockey League and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League. Teams play for the Ed Chynoweth Cup, with the winner moving on to play for the Memorial Cup, Canada's national junior championship. WHL teams have won the Memorial Cup 19 times. The WHL is composed of 22 teams divided into two conferences of two divisions. The Eastern Conference comprises 11 teams from Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta, while the Western Conference comprises eleven teams from British Columbia and the American states of Washington and Oregon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Regina Pats</span> Western Hockey League team in Regina, Saskatchewan

The Regina Pats are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. Founded in 1917, the Pats are the world's oldest continuously operating major junior hockey franchise in its original location and using its original name. The team was originally named the Regina Patricia Hockey Club, after Princess Patricia of Connaught, the granddaughter of Queen Victoria and daughter of the Governor General, the Duke of Connaught. The team name also associates Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry–Pats sweaters bear the regimental badge and "PPCLI" flash as a shoulder patch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Theoren Fleury</span> Canadian ice hockey player (born 1968)

Theoren Wallace "Theo" Fleury is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, author and motivational speaker. Fleury played for the Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, New York Rangers, and Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL), Tappara of Finland's SM-liiga, and the Belfast Giants of the UK's Elite Ice Hockey League. He was drafted by the Flames in the 8th round, 166th overall, at the 1987 NHL Entry Draft, and played over 1,000 games in the NHL between 1989 and 2003.

The Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL), founded in 1921, was a major professional ice hockey league originally based in the prairies of Canada. It was renamed the Western Hockey League (WHL) in 1925 and disbanded in 1926.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saskatoon Blades</span> Western Hockey League team in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

The Saskatoon Blades are a Canadian major junior ice hockey team based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Founded in 1964, the Blades were a charter team of the then-Western Canada Junior Hockey League in 1966, and are the only club that has played every season in the league in its original location. Today, the team plays in the East Division of the Western Hockey League's Eastern Conference, and hosts games at the SaskTel Centre. Despite five regular season titles and five appearances in the championship series, the Blades have never won the Ed Chynoweth Cup as league playoff champions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calgary Hitmen</span> Western Hockey League team in Calgary, Alberta

The Calgary Hitmen are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta. The Hitmen play in the Central Division of the Western Hockey League (WHL), hosting their home games at the Scotiabank Saddledome. Bret "Hitman" Hart, a professional wrestler and Calgary native, was a founding owner and the inspiration for the team's name. Established in 1994, the team has been owned by the Calgary Flames hockey club since 1997. They are the third WHL team based in Calgary, after the Centennials and Wranglers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swift Current Broncos</span> Western Hockey League team in Swift Current, Saskatchewan

The Swift Current Broncos are a Canadian major junior ice hockey team based in Swift Current, Saskatchewan. Founded in 1967, the Broncos relocated to Lethbridge, Alberta in 1974, and were known as the Lethbridge Broncos, before returning to Swift Current in 1986. The team plays in the Central Division of the Western Hockey League's Eastern Conference, and hosts games at Innovation Credit Union iPlex. Swift Current is the smallest city with a team in the WHL, and the second smallest across the entire Canadian Hockey League. The Broncos are three-time WHL playoff champions, and won the 1989 Memorial Cup. Before any of their championships, the Broncos were known for a 1986 team bus crash that resulted in the deaths of four players.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prince Albert Raiders</span> Western Hockey League team in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan

The Prince Albert Raiders are a Canadian major junior ice hockey team based in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. Founded in 1971 as a member of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, the Raiders have been members of the Western Hockey League since 1982; they play in the East Division of the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games at the Art Hauser Centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kootenay Ice</span> Ice hockey team in Cranbrook, British Columbia

The Kootenay Ice were a major junior ice hockey team based in Cranbrook, British Columbia, and competed in the Western Hockey League (WHL). The team played its home games at Western Financial Place. The franchise was owned by the Chynoweth family from 1995 until it was sold to Winnipeg-based company 50 Below Sports and Entertainment in 2017. The Ice moved to Winnipeg in 2019 where they played four seasons as the Winnipeg Ice. In 2023, the team was sold and relocated to Wenatchee, Washington, where they will be known as the Wenatchee Wild.

The Prairie Hockey League (PHL) was a Canadian professional ice hockey league in Alberta and Saskatchewan that was created following the demise of the Western Hockey League in 1926. It operated for two seasons.

This is a timeline of events throughout the five decade-plus history of the Western Hockey League (WHL).

Graham Michael James is a former Canadian junior ice hockey coach who was convicted of sexually abusing players on his teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moose Jaw Canucks</span> Ice hockey team in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan

The Moose Jaw Canucks were a junior ice hockey team based in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada. They were one of the founding members of the original Western Canada Junior Hockey League (1948–1956), and in 1966 were founding members of a new Western Canada Junior Hockey League following a rebellion within the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. The franchise evolved from the Moose Jaw Cubs in the early 1930s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victoria Royals</span> Western Hockey League team in Victoria, British Columbia

The Victoria Royals are a Canadian major junior ice hockey team based in Victoria, British Columbia. The Royals play in the B.C. Division of the Western Conference in the Western Hockey League (WHL). The team began play during the 2011–12 season after the league announced the relocation of the Chilliwack Bruins to Victoria. It marked the return of the WHL to Vancouver Island, 17 years after the departure of the Victoria Cougars. The Royals play their home games at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ice hockey in Saskatchewan</span> Sports culture

Ice hockey is among the most popular sports in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, and the province has been notable for producing a large number of hockey figures in both men's and women's hockey. Saskatchewan does not currently have a professional hockey team of its own, but it is home to a large number of junior and senior hockey teams. The sport is governed in the province by Hockey Saskatchewan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joel Edmundson</span> Canadian ice hockey player (born 1993)

Joel Edmundson is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected in the second round, 46th overall, by the St. Louis Blues in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft and won the Stanley Cup with the Blues in 2019. Edmundson has also previously played for the Carolina Hurricanes, Montreal Canadiens, and Washington Capitals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brett Howden</span> Canadian ice hockey player (born 1998)

Brett Howden is a Canadian ice hockey centre for the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL). Howden was drafted 27th overall in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning. Howden is a Stanley Cup champion, having won with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023.

Brayden Tracey is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger currently playing for the San Diego Gulls in the American Hockey League (AHL) as a prospect to the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Matthew Savoie is a Canadian junior ice hockey centre for the Moose Jaw Warriors of the Western Hockey League (WHL) as a prospect of the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Brayden Trevor Yager is a Canadian ice hockey player for the Moose Jaw Warriors of the Western Hockey League (WHL) He was drafted 14th overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.

References

  1. ↑ Smith, Marc (September 25, 2015). "Moose Jaw Hockey History Honoured". Discover Moose Jaw. Archived from the original on May 8, 2024. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 "WHL History". Western Hockey League. Archived from the original on July 31, 2023. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Winnipeg Warriors". WHL Arena Guide. Archived from the original on December 9, 2022. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  4. ↑ "Moose Jaw Civic Centre". National Trust for Canada . Archived from the original on January 23, 2022. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  5. ↑ "Moose Jaw complex gets corporate name". CBC News . August 11, 2011. Archived from the original on October 24, 2013. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  6. 1 2 "Moose Jaw Warriors History". Moose Jaw Warriors. May 16, 2024. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023.
  7. ↑ Palmer, Randy (April 21, 2024). "Warriors looking forward to showdown with Blades in Eastern Conference final". Moose Jaw Today. Archived from the original on April 21, 2024. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  8. ↑ Smith, Marc (March 13, 2018). "Warriors Clinch Scotty Munro Trophy; Willms Breaks Record". Discover Moose Jaw. Archived from the original on May 8, 2024. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  9. ↑ McCurdy, Bruce (May 9, 2018). "Netminder Stuart Skinner the latest of Edmonton Oilers' promising 2017 draft class to bid for an NHL contract". Edmonton Journal . Archived from the original on May 10, 2018. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  10. ↑ "Warriors advance to first WHL final in 18 years with 3-2 OT win over Blades". CBC News. The Canadian Press. May 8, 2024. Archived from the original on May 12, 2024. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
  11. ↑ McLernon, Will (May 16, 2024). "Moose Jaw Warriors win first WHL championship in 40-year franchise history". CBC News. Archived from the original on May 16, 2024. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
  12. ↑ Hanna, Claire (October 1, 2020). "Moose Jaw Warriors to review use of Indigenous images in logo". CTV News . Archived from the original on October 4, 2020. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  13. ↑ "After review of logo, Moose Jaw Warriors unveil new Snowbirds inspired theme". Sportsnet . Associated Press. July 5, 2022. Archived from the original on July 5, 2022. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  14. ↑ "Warriors reveal new brand logo". Discover Moose Jaw. July 5, 2022. Archived from the original on July 5, 2022. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  15. ↑ WHL Network, Western Hockey League, retrieved March 30, 2024
  16. ↑ Legends of Hockey player search
  17. ↑ Smith, Marc (December 2, 2022). "Alumni Report: Kaleb Toth enters Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame". Canadian Hockey League. Archived from the original on May 8, 2024. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.