The Calgary Wranglers were a
junior ice hockey
Junior ice hockey is amateur-level ice hockey for 16 to 20 year-old players. National Junior teams compete annually for the IIHF World Junior Championship. The United States men's national junior ice hockey team are the defending champions from ...
team that played in the
Western 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 hocke ...
from 1977 until 1987. The Wranglers played their home games in
Calgary
Calgary () is a major city in the Canadian province of Alberta. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806 making it the third-largest city and fifth-largest metropolitan area in C ...
,
Alberta
Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...
, Canada, at the
Stampede Corral
The Stampede Corral was a multi-purpose venue (ice hockey, professional wrestling, rodeo, tennis) in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Located on the grounds of Calgary Stampede#Stampede Park, Stampede Park, the arena was completed in 1950 at a cost ...
.
History
The previous Calgary WHL (at that time called the Western Canada Hockey League, or WCHL) franchise, the
Calgary Centennials, had moved south to become the
Billings Bighorns shortly after the end of the
1976–77 WCHL season
The 1976–77 WCHL season was the 11th season of the Western Canada Hockey League. It featured twelve teams and a 72-game regular season. The Brandon Wheat Kings won their first regular season title, posting 54 wins on the season. However, in t ...
. A new investor group bought the existing
Winnipeg Monarchs Winnipeg Monarchs is a name used by several Canadian ice hockey teams in Winnipeg, Manitoba and may refer to:
* Winnipeg Monarchs (senior), a defunct ice hockey team, 1935 World Ice Hockey Champions
* Winnipeg Monarchs (MJHL), a defunct junior ice ...
franchise and relocated them to Calgary before the start of the
1977–78 WCHL season. They would last 10 years in Calgary before relocating again to
Lethbridge, Alberta
Lethbridge ( ) is a city in the province of Alberta, Canada. With a population of 106,550 in the 2023 Alberta municipal censuses, 2023 municipal census, Lethbridge became the fourth Alberta city to surpass 100,000 people. The nearby Canadian ...
, becoming the
Hurricanes
A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its locat ...
. After 35 years, the
Wranglers name was revived when the
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. The ...
re-located their
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America that serves as the primary developmental league of the National Hockey League (NHL). The league comprises 32 teams, with 26 in the United States and 6 in Cana ...
affiliate to the
Scotiabank Saddledome
Scotiabank Saddledome is a multi-use indoor arena in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Located in Stampede Park in the southeast end of downtown Calgary, the Saddledome was built in 1983 to replace the Stampede Corral as the home of the Calgary Flames ...
and re-named them after the old team.
Season-by-season record
''Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against''
NHL alumni
*
Darrell Anholt
*
Murray Brumwell
*
Len Barrie
*
Dan Bourbonnais
*
Colin Chisholm
*
Ray Cote
Ray Cote (born May 31, 1961) is a former professional ice hockey forward. He spent his junior career with the Calgary Wranglers of the WHL and signed a free agent contract with the Edmonton Oilers in 1981 after going undrafted. Cote spent the ...
*
Mark Greig
*
Mike Heidt
*
Doug Houda
*
Trent Kaese
*
Darin Kimble
*
Kelly Kisio
*
Ross McKay
*
Dana Murzyn
*
Jim Playfair
James Playfair (born May 22, 1964) is a Canadian former ice hockey coach and defenceman. He was drafted in the first round, 20th overall, by the Edmonton Oilers in the 1982 NHL entry draft. Following his retirement due to an injury, Playfair coac ...
*
Ken Quinney
*
Warren Skorodenski
*
Randy Smith
*
Mark Tinordi
*
Brian Tutt
*
Mike Vernon
*
Leigh Verstraete
*
Bob Wilkie
*
Carey Wilson
*
Mike Zanier
See also
*
List of ice hockey teams in Alberta
*
Ice hockey in Calgary
References
External links
Western Hockey League website
Defunct ice hockey teams in Alberta
Wranglers, Calgary
Ice hockey clubs established in 1977
Defunct Western Hockey League teams
1977 establishments in Alberta
1987 disestablishments in Alberta
Ice hockey clubs disestablished in 1987
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