The Calgary Wranglers were a
junior ice hockey
Junior hockey is a level of competitive ice hockey generally for players between 16 and 21 years of age. Junior hockey leagues in the United States and Canada are considered amateur (with some exceptions) and operate within regions of each cou ...
team that played in the
Western Hockey League
The Western Hockey League (WHL) is a major 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 h ...
from 1977 until 1987. The Wranglers played their home games in
Calgary
Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, makin ...
,
Alberta
Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...
, 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 Stampede Park, the arena was completed in 1950 at a cost of C$1.25 million ($ million tod ...
.
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. A new investor group bought the existing
Winnipeg Monarchs 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 101,482 in its 2019 municipal census, Lethbridge became the fourth Alberta city to surpass 100,000 people. The nearby Canadian Rocky Mountains contribute to ...
, becoming the
Hurricanes
A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...
. 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, and ...
re-located their
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary Minor league#Ice hockey, developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 AHL se ...
affiliate to the
Scotiabank Saddledome 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
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Darrell Anholt
*
Murray Brumwell
*
Len Barrie
Leonard G. Barrie (born June 4, 1969) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward who played 184 games in the National Hockey League. He played for the Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Los Angeles Kings, and Florida Panthers. ...
*
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
William Mark Greig (born January 25, 1970) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right winger who played nine seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Hartford Whalers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Calgary Flames and Philadelphia Flyers ...
*
Mike Heidt
*
Doug Houda
Douglas Harold Houda (born June 3, 1966) is a Canadian former National Hockey League (NHL) defenceman and current assistant coach of the New York Islanders. He was a former assistant coach for the Detroit Red Wings of the NHL. He was drafted in t ...
*
Trent Kaese
*
Darin Kimble
*
Kelly Kisio
Kelvin Wade Kisio (born September 18, 1959) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who currently serves as a scout for the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL). Kisio played 761 games in the NHL as a centre for th ...
*
Ross McKay
*
Dana Murzyn
Dana Trevor Murzyn (born December 9, 1966) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. Drafted out of the Western Hockey League (WHL), he was selected fifth overall by the Hartford Whalers in the 1985 NHL Entry Draft. He began his NHL ...
*
Jim Playfair
*
Ken Quinney
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Warren Skorodenski
*
Randy Smith
*
Mark Tinordi
Mark Douglas Tinordi (born May 9, 1966) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for 12 seasons between 1987–88 and 1998–99. Tinordi became the coach of the Washington Junior Na ...
*
Brian Tutt
Brian Carter Tutt (born June 9, 1962 in Swalwell, Alberta) is a former Canadian ice hockey player who played briefly for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League, playing seven games for the team during the 1989-90 NHL seaso ...
*
Mike Vernon
*
Leigh Verstraete
*
Bob Wilkie
*
Carey Wilson
*
Mike Zanier
Michael Zanier (born August 22, 1962) is a Canadian-born Italian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played extensively in Europe and in North American minor leagues.
Born in Trail, British Columbia, Zanier's junior career was spent wit ...
See also
*
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.
Since hockey was introduced to Alberta, Canada, in the 1890s, teams at all levels have come and gone. While the professional ran ...
*
Ice hockey in Calgary
Ice is water frozen into a solid state, typically forming at or below temperatures of 0 degrees Celsius or Depending on the presence of impurities such as particles of soil or bubbles of air, it can appear transparent or a more or less opaqu ...
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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