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List of ice hockey teams in Alberta

This is a list of ice hockey teams in Alberta. It features the leagues they have played for, and championships won.

Location of hockey teams in Alberta as of 2007
  NHL
  WHL
  AJHL

Since hockey was introduced to Alberta, Canada, in the 1890s, teams at all levels have come and gone. While the professional ranks have been confined to the major cities of Calgary and Edmonton, partially due to geographical isolation from the major eastern and Pacific coast population centres, both junior and senior teams thrive across the province.

Alberta is home to two National Hockey League teams, five Western Hockey League teams, the 16-team Alberta Junior Hockey League, and five Junior B hockey leagues comprising over 50 teams. The Canadian Women's Hockey League is represented in Alberta, as are teams competing at the senior, university and college ranks.

This list does not include teams below the junior age group, or adult teams below Senior AA.


Major professional

National Hockey League

The Edmonton Oilers became the first National Hockey League team in Alberta as a result of the NHL–WHA merger. The Calgary Flames arrived from Atlanta the following year.

TeamCityEstablishedStanley Cups[1]Notes
Calgary FlamesCalgary19801Founded in 1972 as the Atlanta Flames[2]
Edmonton OilersEdmonton19795Founded in 1972 as a World Hockey Association franchise[3]

Western Canada Hockey League

The Western Canada Hockey League was the first major-professional league on the prairies. Founded in 1921, it collapsed due to escalating costs in 1926, and was reformed as the Prairie Hockey League from 1926 to 1928.

TeamCityExisted[4]League titles[4]Notes
Calgary TigersCalgary1921–272*Appeared in 1924 Stanley Cup championship[1]
Edmonton EskimosEdmonton1921–271Appeared in 1923 Stanley Cup championship.[1]

*Includes 1926–27 championship after league was renamed the Prairie Hockey League.[5]


World Hockey Association

The World Hockey Association had envisioned that franchises in Calgary and Edmonton would create an effective rivalry. When the Calgary Broncos were unable to start their inaugural season, the Oilers were briefly renamed the Alberta Oilers with the intention of splitting games between the two cities. This plan failed to materialize.

TeamCityExistedAvco Cups[6]Notes
Calgary BroncosCalgary19720Original WHA franchise, folded before playing first game[7]
Calgary CowboysCalgary1975–770Founded in 1972 as the Miami Screaming Eagles[7]
Edmonton OilersEdmonton1972–790Known as the Alberta Oilers 1972–73; Joined the National Hockey League in 1979[3]

Minor professional

American Hockey League

The Edmonton Oilers brought their American Hockey League franchise to the Alberta capital during the 2004–05 NHL lockout season. The team was suspended following the resumption of the NHL, and was eventually reformed as the Oklahoma City Barons. The Calgary Wranglers, the AHL affiliate of the Calgary Flames, play at the same arena.

TeamCityExistedCalder CupsNotes
Edmonton Road RunnersEdmonton2004–050Brought to Edmonton during the 2004–05 NHL lockout.[8]
Calgary WranglersCalgary2022-230Played in Calgary during the 2020-21 AHL season, officially moved to Calgary in May 2022.

Western Hockey League

The professional Western Hockey League was formed following a merger with the Pacific Coast Hockey League and the Western Canada Senior Hockey League. Both Alberta franchises lost their amateur status when they joined the new league.

TeamCityExisted[9]Lester Patrick Cups[10]Notes
Calgary StampedersCalgary1951–631
Edmonton FlyersEdmonton1951–633

Junior

Western Hockey League

The Major-Junior Western Hockey League was formed in 1966 to strengthen junior hockey in the west. The Calgary Buffaloes were the only expansion team, as the other six founding members defected from existing leagues.

Current teams

TeamCityEstablished[11]Ed Chynoweth Cups[12]Memorial Cups[13]Notes[11]
Calgary HitmenCalgary199520
Edmonton Oil KingsEdmonton200721
Lethbridge HurricanesLethbridge198710Founded in 1967 as the Winnipeg Jets; known as the Calgary Wranglers (1977–87)
Medicine Hat TigersMedicine Hat197052
Red Deer RebelsRed Deer199211

Former teams

TeamCityExisted[11]President's Cups[12]Memorial Cups[13]Notes[11]
Calgary CentennialsCalgary1966–7700Known as the Buffaloes in 1966–67; became the Billings Bighorns (1977–82), Nanaimo Islanders (1982–83), New Westminster Bruins (1983–88) and Tri-City Americans (1988–present)
Calgary WranglersCalgary1977–8700Founded in 1967 as the Winnipeg Jets; became Lethbridge Hurricanes in 1987
Edmonton Oil KingsEdmonton1966–7622*Founding pre-dates WHL; became the Portland Winter Hawks in 1976
Edmonton Oil KingsEdmonton1978–7900Founded in 1967 as the Flin Flon Bombers; became Great Falls Americans (1979) and Spokane Flyers (1980–81)
Edmonton IceEdmonton1996–9800Became the Kootenay Ice in 1998
Lethbridge BroncosLethbridge1974–8610Founded in 1967 as the Swift Current Broncos; returned to Swift Current in 1986

*The Oil Kings' two Memorial Cups predate the WHL.

Alberta Junior Hockey League

The Junior A Alberta Junior Hockey League was founded to improve the level of junior hockey in Alberta, motivated by the dominance of the Edmonton Oil Kings in the early 1960s.

TeamCityEstablished[14]League titles[15]Western Canada Cups[15]National Championships[15]Notes[16]
Blackfalds BulldogsBlackfalds2021100Founded in 1972 as The Pass Red Devils; known as the Pincher Creek Panthers (1976–78), the Calgary Chinooks/Spurs (1978–90), Calgary Royals (1990–2010), and Calgary Mustangs (2010-19)
Bonnyville PontiacsBonnyville1991000
Brooks BanditsBrooks2000204
Calgary CanucksCalgary1971921
Camrose KodiaksCamrose1997551
Canmore EaglesCanmore1995000Known as the Bow Valley Eagles (1995–01)
Drayton Valley ThunderDrayton Valley1998100
Drumheller DragonsDrumheller2003000
Fort McMurray Oil BaronsFort McMurray1981311
Grande Prairie StormGrande Prairie1995100
Lloydminster BobcatsLloydminster1982000Known as the Lloydminster Blazers (1988–05). The team's arena lies one block on the Saskatchewan side of the biprovincial city.
Okotoks OilersOkotoks2005000Founded in 1998 as the Crowsnest Pass Timberwolves
Olds GrizzlysOlds1981311Founded in 1974 as the Taber Golden Suns
Sherwood Park CrusadersSherwood Park1978000Founded in 1976 as the Edmonton Crusaders
Spruce Grove SaintsSpruce Grove2004100Founded in 1963 as the Edmonton Movers; known as the Spruce Grove Mets (1974–77) and St. Albert Saints (1977–04)
Whitecourt WolverinesWhitecourt2012000Founded in 1976 as the Fort Saskatchewan Traders; known as the St. Albert Steel (2007–12)[17]

Junior B hockey leagues

LeagueRegionEstablishedProvincial titles[18]Keystone Cup titles[19]Notes
Calgary Junior Hockey LeagueCalgary1945418 teams
Capital Junior Hockey LeagueEdmonton region197217214 teams
Heritage Junior B Hockey LeagueSouthern Alberta19873115 teams
North Eastern Alberta Junior B Hockey LeagueNortheast AlbertaUnknown529 teams
Northwest Junior Hockey LeaguePeace River Country1995107 teams (5 in Alberta)

Junior C hockey leagues

LeagueRegionEstablishedProvincial titlesNotes
Calgary Junior C Hockey LeagueCalgaryUnknownN/A
Noralta Junior Hockey LeagueEdmonton regionUnknownN/A

Junior female

The Alberta Junior Female Hockey League was founded in 2009 to promote female junior hockey for players aged 18–21 in Alberta. The league has grown from its original 6 team to 10 teams throughout the province.

TeamCityEstablishedTitlesNotes
Banff Academy BearsBanff20120The Banff Academy Bears played in the AJFHL until the end of the 2013/14 season as a conditional team as they were a midget academy team.
Calgary TitansCalgary20100
Calgary WarriorsCalgary20120
Central Alberta AmazonsRed Deer20091
Cremona/Mountain View HurricanesCremona/Mountain View20100Folded in 2012 due a lack of players
Edmonton WolvesEdmonton20092
Fort Saskatchewan FuryFort Saskatchewan20091
Irma ChargersIrma20090
Lethbridge Jr. EaglesLethbridge20121
Medicine Hat Hockey HoundsMedicine Hat20120
Sherwood Park SteeleSherwood Park20090
Spruce Grove StarsSpruce Grove20090Moved to Thorsby in 2011
Thorsby ThunderThorsby2011 *0Founded as the Spruce Grove Stars, moved to Thorsby in 2011
WainwrightWainwright20090

Semi-professional, senior and amateur

Women's hockey teams

Both of Alberta's elite women's teams were invited to join the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL) in 2002. In 2004, they broke away to form the Western Women's Hockey League (WWHL) due to the lack of competition in the west. They returned to the NWHL in 2006 following a merger between the two leagues. However, due to circumstances arising over scheduling between the WWHL and the NWHL, the merger was never completed. This, coupled with the collapse of the NWHL in 2007, left the Oval X-Treme and Chimos as members of the WWHL. The league announced on April 19, 2011, that it would merge with the Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL) for the 2011–12 season. The merger was to feature one team based in Edmonton and Calgary and is a combination of the former WWHL franchises, the Edmonton Chimos and Strathmore Rockies, with games in various locations around Alberta. In August 2011, the WWHL announced that there had never officially been a merger and that the WWHL would continue to compete against the CWHL,[20] but the WWHL never played another game. Team Alberta commenced play in the CWHL in 2011 before taking on the identity of the Calgary Inferno in 2013. The CWHL and the Inferno ceased operations in 2019.

TeamCityEstablishedTitlesNotes
Calgary InfernoCalgary2011–20192CWHL member known as Team Alberta from 2011 to 2013. Won the 2016 and 2019 Clarkson Cup.
Calgary Oval X-TremeCalgary2002–20095Members of the NWHL 2002–2004 and WWHL 2004–2009.[21] Club founded in 1995 and joined the NWHL in 2002.
Edmonton ChimosEdmonton2002–20110Members of the NWHL 2002–04 and WWHL 2004–2011.[22] Club founded in 1973 and joined the NWHL in 2002.
Strathmore RockiesStrathmore2006–20110WWHL member from 2006 to 2011.[23]

Senior

Several teams from Alberta have gone on to capture the Allan Cup, Canada's national senior championship.

TeamCityExistenceAllan Cups[24]Notes
Calgary StampedersCalgary1938–19511Turned professional in 1951 by joining the WPHL[25]
Drumheller MinersDrumheller1936–1939, 1960s1[26]
Edmonton FlyersEdmonton1941–19511Turned professional in 1951 by joining the WPHL[27]
Edmonton MercurysEdmontonUnknownWon 1950 World Hockey Championship and 1952 Olympic gold medal[28]
Lloydminster Border KingsLloydminsterunknown–present1Member of the Wild Goose Hockey League[29]
Stony Plain EaglesStony Plain1930s–present1Member of the Chinook Hockey League[30]
Nanton PalominosNanton1930s–present0Member of the Ranchland Hockey League[31]
Bonnyville PontiacsBonnyville1952–present0Member of the North Central Senior Hockey League[32]
Bentley GeneralsBentley1999–present2Member of the Chinook Hockey League[33]

University

The Canada West Universities Athletic Association was founded in 1919, representing schools across Western Canada.

TeamCityEstablishedConference titles[34][35][36]University Cups[37]Women's Titles[38]Notes
Alberta Golden BearsEdmonton191353157
Calgary DinosCalgary1964800Women's Hockey team played in ACAC from 2002–03 to 2008–09
Lethbridge PronghornsLethbridge1980110

College

The Alberta Colleges Athletics Conference organizes sport at the collegiate level.

TeamCityEstablishedACAC men's titles[39]CCAA men's national titles[39]ACAC women's titles[40]Notes
Augustana VikingsCamrose197111N/ADoes not play ACAC women's hockey, only men's
Calgary DinosCalgary1Women's Hockey team played in ACAC from 2002–03 to 2008–09
Concordia ThunderEdmonton1992100
MacEwan GryphonsEdmonton1998101
Mount Royal CougarsCalgary19681144
NAIT OoksEdmonton19651370
Portage VoyageursLac La Biche200800Does not play ACAC women's hockey, only men's
Red Deer QueensRed Deer2Does not play ACAC men's hockey, only women's
SAIT TrojansCalgary1965922

League, regional and national championships

Teams from Alberta have captured titles at all levels of hockey.

ChampionshipTimes wonDescription
Stanley Cup6National Hockey League champion[1]
WCHL Championship3†Western Canada Hockey League champion[4]
Lester Patrick Cup4Western Hockey League champion[10]
President's Cup11Western Hockey League champion[12]
Memorial Cup6Canadian Major-Junior national champion[13]
Allan Cup4‡Canadian senior national champion[24]
Doyle Cup24Alberta/B.C. Junior "A" regional championship[15]
Royal Bank Cup7Canadian Junior "A" national champion[15]
Keystone Cup8Western Canada Junior "B" champion[19]
NWHL Championship Cup2National Women's Hockey League championship[21]
WWHL Championship Cup3Western Women's Hockey League championship[21]
University Cup16CIS national men's university champion[37]
CIS Women's Championship7CIS national women's university champion[38]
CCHA Championship14CCAA national college champion[39]
†Includes Calgary's 1926-27 title after league renamed itself the Prairie Hockey League
‡Does not include win by Lloydminster Border Kings as team is primarily based in Saskatchewan

See also

References

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