Ice hockey in Saskatchewan
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.
Beginnings
Saskatchewan became a province in 1905, but Canadian settlement in the region began decades earlier and by the 1890s ice hockey was becoming established as a popular pastime in the area. The first recorded organized games occurred in 1894, and teams were soon established in communities like Saskatoon, Regina, Moose Jaw, and Prince Albert.[1] The Saskatchewan Amateur Hockey Association was established in 1906. Saskatchewan teams had some success on the early national amateur circuit with the Regina Victorias winning the 1914 Allan Cup, followed by the Melville Millionaires in 1915.[1]
Saskatchewan hockey players
Saskatchewan is notable for producing more than 500 National Hockey League (NHL) players throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, the most per capita of any Canadian province, American state, or European country.[2][3] It is common for small towns around the province to have highway signs listing local NHL players.[4] Saskatchewan hockey products include Gordie Howe from Floral, dubbed "Mr. Hockey" and widely regarded as one of the greatest hockey players of all time.[5][6] Howe played 26 seasons in the NHL, mostly with the Detroit Red Wings, won the Stanley Cup four times, and upon his retirement held league records for most career goals and points, records that were eventually broken by Wayne Gretzky. Today, there is a bridge and sports complex named after Howe in Saskatoon,[7] a statue of Howe stationed outside of the city's SaskTel Centre arena,[8] and a major bridge between Windsor and Detroit named after him under construction.[9]
Some other notable men's players from Saskatchewan include
Many prominent women's players have also come from Saskatchewan. Hayley Wickenheiser was the first female skater to play full-time professional hockey in a men's league and is regarded as one of the greatest hockey players of all time.[14] She helped lead Team Canada to five Olympic finals, winning four gold medals. Wickenheiser frequently captained the national team and became its all time leading scorer at the 2010 Olympics. She was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2019.[15] Other notable women players from Saskatchewan include three-time Olympic gold medalist Colleen Sostorics, two-time Olympic gold medalist Gina Kingsbury, and Emily Clark, who helped Canada win Olympic gold in 2022.[16] In 2023, Clark became one of the first women ever signed to a contract in the Professional Women's Hockey League, signing with PWHL Ottawa;[17] Clark would be one of four Saskatchewan women playing in the PWHL's inaugural six-team season.[18] Shannon Miller coached Canada to a gold medal at the 1997 Women's World Championship and silver at the 1998 Olympics.
Professional hockey
Early history
Professional hockey existed in Saskatchewan as early as the 1910s. The Prince Albert Mintos went professional in 1911 and lost a series against the Port Arthur Bearcats for the opportunity to challenge the Stanley Cup champion Ottawa Senators.[1] The Western Canada Hockey League was the prairie equivalent of the National Hockey League and began in the winter of 1921; its champion played the winner of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association to determine who would represent the West in the Stanley Cup finals. The Saskatoon Sheiks and Regina Capitals were among the founding franchises in the WCHL. During the league's inaugural season in 1921–22, the Sheiks moved to Moose Jaw; they returned to Saskatoon the following season under a new name, the Crescents, and then reverted to the Sheiks name ahead of the 1923–24 season. The Regina Capitals moved to Portland after the 1924–25 season, leaving the Sheiks as the only Saskatchewan team in the league. The WCHL folded after the 1925–26 season, with some of its teams and players being sold to create expansion NHL franchises. What remained of the Sheiks and Capitals, and a new team in Moose Jaw, played for two seasons in the new semi-professional Prairie Hockey League before it, too, folded, leaving Saskatchewan devoid of professional hockey for more than two decades.[19] The Sheiks, playing out of Saskatoon's Crescent Arena, won the final Prairie Hockey League title in 1928.[20]
The
Courting a team
Although no professional hockey team has operated in Saskatchewan since 1959, interest in bringing a major professional franchise to the province has persisted. Moreover, Saskatoon native "Wild"
Following the completion of the new
A number of changed circumstances in the first decade of the twenty-first century, including the introduction of a
In 2019, Regina hosted the NHL Heritage Classic game between the Winnipeg Jets and Calgary Flames at Mosaic Stadium.[4]
In January 2022, the Jets considered playing home games in Saskatoon due to COVID-19 pandemic-related restrictions in Manitoba. The team ultimately decided against the plan.[26]
The province was for a short time home to a women's professional team, the Saskatchewan Prairie Ice, which was based out of Lumsden and played from 2003–07 in the Western Women's Hockey League.
Junior hockey
Saskatchewan has a long tradition of junior hockey. The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League operated as the top level of amateur hockey in the province from 1948–1966. In 1966, half a decade before helping found the WHA, Bill Hunter was the owner, manager, and coach of the Edmonton Oil Kings; he joined forces with three SJHL owners—Scotty Munro of the Estevan Bruins, Del Murphy of the Regina Pats, and Jim Piggott of the Saskatoon Blades—to found the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League in an attempt to create a western Canadian league that could compete with the larger amateur associations in eastern Canada.[27] The Weyburn Red Wings and Moose Jaw Canucks also left the SJHL to join the fledgling league, but the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) labelled it an "outlaw league" and suspended its teams from competing for the Memorial Cup. However, the new league held together and when the CAHA reorganized Canadian junior hockey in 1971, it recognized the CMJHL, now called the Western Canada Hockey League, as one of three top tier junior leagues in the country.[28] In 1978 that league was renamed again as the Western Hockey League (WHL), which today features five Saskatchewan teams: the Blades and Pats are joined by the Moose Jaw Warriors, the Prince Albert Raiders, and the Swift Current Broncos.[27] Since the founding of the WHL, the Pats have won two league titles and one Memorial Cup; however, their history dates back to 1917, and the team has won four Memorial Cup championships overall. The Raiders and Broncos have each won one Memorial Cup title. The Memorial Cup tournament has been hosted in Saskatchewan nine times, most recently in Regina in 2018.
Saskatoon has twice hosted the
The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League was revived after the founding of the WHL as a Junior 'A' league, and today features 12 teams, including the Bruins and Red Wings, who returned after stints in the WHL.
Other hockey
University
The University of Saskatchewan and the University of Regina both ice women's and men's hockey teams that compete in the Canada West division of U Sports. The Saskatchewan Huskies have been competing nationally since 1911. The men's team has made seven appearances in the University Cup finals, winning once, in 1983. The University of Saskatchewan has hosted the competition five times, and lost in the final at home to the Alberta Golden Bears in 2014.[31] Saskatchewan is slated to host the women's final for the first time in 2024; the women's team's best national finish was third in 2014 and in 2022.[32] The Cougars men's team made one appearance in the final, losing as the host in 1980. The Cougars women's team hosted the final twice, in 2002 and 2003; the team's best finish came in 2001, when Regina lost the national final.[32]
Senior
Saskatchewan has been home to many successful senior hockey teams. Currently, the major senior league is the Qu'Appelle Valley Highway Hockey League, which currently has seven teams in the Regina area.
Saskatchewan hockey teams & events
Major junior
Club | League | Venue | Capacity | Since | City | League championships | National championships |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Regina Pats | WHL | Brandt Centre | 6,000 | 1917 | Regina | 2 (1974, 1980) | 4 (1925, 1928, 1930, 1974) |
Saskatoon Blades | WHL | SaskTel Centre | 15,195 | 1964 | Saskatoon | 0 | 0 |
Swift Current Broncos | WHL | Innovation Credit Union iPlex
|
2,879 | 1967 | Swift Current
|
3 (1989, 1993, 2018) | 1 (1989) |
Prince Albert Raiders | WHL | Art Hauser Centre | 2,580 | 1971 | Prince Albert
|
2 (1985, 2019) | 1 (1985) |
Moose Jaw Warriors | WHL | Mosaic Place | 4,500 | 1984 | Moose Jaw
|
0 | 0 |
University
The Huskies and Cougars ice both men's and women's teams.
Club | Competition | City | Venue | Capacity | Since | National championships |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saskatchewan Huskies | U Sports (Canada West) | Saskatoon | Merlis Belsher Place | 2,700 | 1911 | 1 ( 1983 )
|
Regina Cougars | U Sports (Canada West | Regina | The Co-operators Centre | 1,300 | 1968 | 0 |
Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (Junior A)
Team | City | Arena | Since | National championships |
---|---|---|---|---|
Weyburn Red Wings | Weyburn | Crescent Point Place | 1961 | 2 (1984, 2005) |
Humboldt Broncos | Humboldt | Elgar Peterson Arena
|
1970 | 2 (2003, 2008) |
Melville Millionaires | Melville | Horizon Credit Union Centre | 1970 | 0 |
Notre Dame Hounds | Wilcox | Duncan McNeill Arena | 1970 | 1 (1988) |
Estevan Bruins | Estevan | Affinity Place | 1971 | 0 |
Yorkton Terriers | Yorkton | Farrell Agencies Arena
|
1972 | 1 (2014) |
Battlefords North Stars | North Battleford | North Battleford Civic Centre | 1973 | 0 |
Flin Flon Bombers | Flin Flon, Manitoba | Whitney Forum | 1984 | 0 |
Nipawin Hawks | Nipawin | Centennial Arena | 1985 | 0 |
Melfort Mustangs | Melfort | Northern Lights Palace | 1988 | 0 |
Kindersley Klippers | Kindersley | West Central Events Centre
|
1991 | 0 |
La Ronge Ice Wolves | La Ronge | Mel Hegland Arena | 1998 | 0 |
Major events hosted
Event | Host community & year |
---|---|
Memorial Cup | Regina, Moose Jaw & Winnipeg (1947), Regina (1955, 2001, 2018), Regina & Flin Flon (1957),
Regina & Montreal (1969), Regina & Brandon (1980), Saskatoon (1989, 2013) |
IIHF World Junior Championship | Saskatoon (1991), Saskatoon & Regina (2010) |
CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game | 1992, 2002 |
U Sports University Cup
|
Saskatoon (1998, 1999, 2000, 2013, 2014) |
NHL Heritage Classic | Regina (2019) |
4 Nations Cup | Saskatoon (2018) |
2007 Super Series | Saskatoon (2007) |
Hockey Hall of Fame inductees
The following is a list of players from Saskatchewan inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.[33]
Name | Year inducted |
---|---|
Sid Abel | 1969 |
Doug Bentley | 1964 |
Max Bentley | 1966 |
Johnny Bower | 1976 |
Bernie Federko | 2002 |
Fernie Flaman | 1990 |
Clark Gillies | 2002 |
Glenn Hall | 1975 |
Bryan Hextall | 1969 |
Gordie Howe | 1972 |
Elmer Lach | 1966 |
Bert Olmstead | 1985 |
Chuck Rayner | 1973 |
Eddie Shore | 1947 |
Clint Smith | 1991 |
Bryan Trottier | 1997 |
Harry Watson | 1994 |
Hayley Wickenheiser | 2019 |
In 2012, Hockey Saskatchewan founded its own Hall of Fame—known as the Ted Knight Saskatchewan Hockey Hall of Fame—to honour contributions to the sport in the province.[3][34]
See also
Further reading
- Daniels, Calvin. Guts and Go: Great Saskatchewan Hockey Stories (2004). ISBN 9781894384803
- —. Guts and Go Overtime: More Great Saskatchewan Hockey Stories (2005). ISBN 9781894974028
- Davis, Darrell. Fire on Ice: Why Saskatchewan Rules the NHL (2013). ISBN 9781927097359
- Safarik, Allan (ed.). Saskatchewan Hockey: Our Passion for Canada's Game (2018). ISBN 9781772761108
- Seymour, William. Dogs on Ice: A History of Hockey at the University of Saskatchewan (2006). ISBN 9780968196588
References
- ^ a b c Chaput, John. "Hockey". The Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan. Archived from the original on 2009-02-08. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
- ^ "NHL Players Born in Saskatchewan, Canada". Hockey Reference. Archived from the original on 2021-12-20. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
- ^ a b Davis, Darrell (2023-12-18). "Why Saskatchewan is slipping as an NHL producer". Regina Leader-Post. Archived from the original on 2023-12-19. Retrieved 2023-12-20.
- ^ a b Duhatschek, Eric (2019-10-24). "How the Heritage Classic in Saskatchewan is bringing outdoor hockey back to its roots". The Athletic. Archived from the original on 2021-11-20. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
- ^ Vollman, Rob (2016-06-10). "Numbers say Howe was the best ever". National Hockey League. Archived from the original on 2020-11-08. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
- ^ Burnside, Scott (2017-01-27). "Wayne Gretzky, Bobby Orr and Mario Lemieux agree Gordie Howe was best ever". ESPN. Archived from the original on 2017-01-28. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
- ^ "Saskatoon City Council unanimously votes to rename bridge after Gordie Howe". CBC News. 2016-06-27. Archived from the original on 2016-06-28. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
- Saskatoon StarPhoenix. Postmedia Network Inc. Archivedfrom the original on 2016-06-22. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
- ^ Roose, Bill (2015-05-14). "New international bridge to honor Howe". Detroit Red Wings. Archived from the original on 2015-05-17. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
- ^ Ramirez, W.G. (2021-04-19). "Patrick Marleau plays 1,768th game, overtakes Gordie Howe for most in NHL history". CBC Sports. Archived from the original on 2021-04-20. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
- ^ Heroux, Devin (2018-02-01). "Canadian Olympic hockey coaches go way back to the 'dog' days". CBC Sports. Archived from the original on 2018-02-01. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
- ^ Duthie, James (2020-12-24). "'Can You Believe It?!' Jordan Eberle and Canada's World Junior Miracle". The Sports Network (TSN). Archived from the original on 2020-12-24. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
- ^ Jones, Terry (2014-03-29). "Fred Sasakamoose was native NHL pioneer". Edmonton Sun. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
- ^ Rutherford, Kristina (2019). "No Days Off". Sportsnet. Archived from the original on 2020-01-16. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
- ^ Spencer, Donna (2019-02-06). "IIHF hustles Canada's Wickenheiser into its Hall of Fame". CBC News. The Canadian Press. Archived from the original on 2019-02-07. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
- ^ Ponticelli, Daniella (2022-02-17). "Saskatoon's Emily Clark fulfils childhood dream of winning Olympic hockey gold". CBC News. Archived from the original on 2022-02-17. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
- ^ "Jenner, Clark, Maschmeyer become PWHL's first players after signing with Ottawa". Sportsnet. The Canadian Press. 2023-09-05. Archived from the original on 2023-09-05. Retrieved 2023-12-20.
- ^ McLernon, Will (2024-01-01). "The inaugural PWHL season starts this week. Get to know some of the players from Saskatchewan". CBC News. Archived from the original on 2024-01-01. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
- ^ a b Romuld, Darrell (2022-10-04). "What pro sports teams used to exist in Sask.?". CTV News. Archived from the original on 2022-10-04. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
- ISBN 1-55050-336-7.
- ^ "Saskatoon's last downtown arena". CBC News. 2016-04-07. Archived from the original on 2016-04-08. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
- ^ a b Mitchell, Kevin (2020-04-16). "The big one that got away: Blues were bought, the deal done, but then NHL intervened". Saskatoon StarPhoenix. Archived from the original on 2020-11-07. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
- ^ Quenneville, Guy (2018-10-21). "The Great Arena Debate". CBC News. Archived from the original on 2018-10-21. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
- ^ Young, Matt (2023-05-23). "Rare Video: Saskatoon's second NHL bid that almost materialized". CTV News. Archived from the original on 2023-05-25. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
- ^ "Ice Edge withdraws bid for bankrupt Coyotes". CBC Sports. 2009-09-08. Archived from the original on 2023-07-13. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
- ^ Ghania, Yasmine (2022-01-07). "SaskTel Centre was considered for Winnipeg Jets games, but team staying put". CBC News. Archived from the original on 2022-01-07. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
- ^ a b "WHL History". Western Hockey League. Archived from the original on 2023-07-31. Retrieved 2023-10-25.
- ^ "Celebrating 100 Years: Sixth Decade, 1967-1976". Regina Pats. 2018-01-26. Archived from the original on 2023-07-31. Retrieved 2023-10-26.
- ^ Lakshman, Mihira (2009-12-27). "Saskatchewan embraces world juniors". CBC Sports. Archived from the original on 2023-07-13. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
- ^ Murphy, Bryan (2023-01-05). "Connor Bedard's historic World Juniors: Every record the Canadian forward broke at the 2023 tournament". The Sporting News. Archived from the original on 2023-01-05. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
- ^ "Alberta beats Saskatchewan to win CIS hockey championship". CBC Sports. The Canadian Press. 2014-03-23. Archived from the original on 2014-03-25. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
- ^ a b "Championships Women's Hockey - History". U Sports. Archived from the original on 2023-02-04. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
- ^ "Player Inductees – Place of Birth". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2023-01-28. Retrieved 2023-12-20.
- ^ "About the Hall". Saskatchewan Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2023-07-02. Retrieved 2023-12-20.