The Moose Jaw Warriors are a Canadian major

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 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 The Winnipeg Warriors were a junior ice hockey team that played in the Western Hockey League. They were founded as an expansion team in 1980, but suffered from attendance problems competing with the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League and ...

, and relocated to Moose Jaw in 1984. The Warriors won their first league championship in 2024.

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. However, after just two seasons and with the WCHL barred by the

Canadian Amateur Hockey Association The Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA; french: Association canadienne de hockey amateur) was the national governing body of amateur ice hockey in Canada from 1914 until 1994, when it merged with Hockey Canada. Its jurisdiction include ...

(CAHA) from competing for the Memorial Cup, the Canucks opted to return to the revived

Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League is a Junior 'A' ice hockey league operating in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan and one of nine member leagues of the Canadian Junior Hockey League. Open to North American-born players 20 years of ...

in 1968. When the WCHL became recognized by CAHA in 1970, Moose Jaw was left without top-level junior hockey. The Warriors franchise was established as the Winnipeg Warriors prior to the start of the

1980–81 WHL season The 1980–81 WHL season was the 15th season for the Western Hockey League. Thirteen teams completed a 72-game season. The Victoria Cougars won the President's Cup. League notes * The Spokane Flyers and Winnipeg Warriors joined the WHL as its 12 ...

, and played out of Winnipeg Arena, which they shared with the National Hockey League's Winnipeg Jets. In 1984, the franchise relocated to Moose Jaw, bringing major junior hockey back to the city for the first time since 1970. 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. 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. The team captured its first regular season division title in 2003–04. In 2005–06, led by

Troy Brouwer Troy Brouwer (born August 17, 1985) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger. He played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Washington Capitals, Calgary Flames, Florida Panthers and the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League (NHL). Th ...

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. 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 The Swift Current Broncos are a junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League. Founded during 1967 in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, the Broncos played seven seasons before relocating to Lethbridge from 1974 to 1986 as the Lethbridge Broncos ...

. 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 Jagger is an English surname. Someone who owned and/or managed a team of packhorses was known as a "jagger", so this surname probably originates from that occupation. More rarely, the name is used as a given name. Notable people with the surname ...

, Denton Mateychuk, and

Brayden Yager Brayden Yager (born January 3, 2005) 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. Early life Yager was born on Ja ...

, 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. In the final, they won four straight games versus the Portland Winterhawks to secure the championship and a berth in the

2024 Memorial Cup The 2024 Memorial Cup (branded as the 2024 Memorial Cup presented by Dow for sponsorship reasons) was a four-team round-robin format ice hockey tournament held at Dow Event Center in Saginaw, Michigan, United States. It was the 104th Memorial ...

tournament. At their first Memorial Cup, the Warriors advanced to the semi-final, where they were eliminated by the host and eventual champion Saginaw Spirit.

Logo and uniforms

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. 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. The team retained its original colour scheme featuring red, black, and white.

Season-by-season record

''Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties OTL = Overtime losses Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against''

Championship history

* Ed Chynoweth Cup (1): 2023–24 * Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy (1): 2017–18 * Regular Season Division titles (4): 2003–04, 2005–06, 2011–12, 2017–18 * Conference Championships (2): 2005–06, 2023–24

WHL Championship

* 2005–06: Loss, 0–4 vs Vancouver Giants * 2023–24: Win, 4–0 vs Portland Winterhawks

Players

NHL alumni

The following Moose Jaw Warriors alumni have played in the National Hockey League (NHL). * Chris Armstrong *

Blair Atcheynum Blair Michael Atcheynum (born April 20, 1969) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right winger. Atcheynum from Sweetgrass First Nation is of Cree descent. Playing career Atcheynum was selected in the third round, 52nd overall, by the ...

* Scott Bailey *

Lonny Bohonos Lonny W. Bohonos (born May 20, 1973) is a Canadians, Canadian former professional ice hockey winger (ice hockey), right winger. He played most notably for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League and also appeared in several games for ...

Johnny Boychuk John Paul Boychuk (born January 19, 1984) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. Drafted 61st overall in 2002 by the Colorado Avalanche, he played for the Avalanche, the Boston Bruins and New York Islanders of the National H ...

* Dustin Boyd *

Mike Brodeur Mike Brodeur (born March 30, 1983) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft and played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Ottawa Senators. Playing car ...

* Kyle Brodziak *

Curtis Brown Curtis Lee "Curt" Brown Jr. (born March 11, 1956) is a former NASA astronaut and retired United States Air Force colonel. Background Colonel Brown was born March 11, 1956. He graduated from East Bladen High School in Elizabethtown, North Caroli ...

* Kelly Buchberger *

Frederic Chabot Frederic may refer to: Places United States * Frederic, Wisconsin, a village in Polk County * Frederic Township, Michigan, a township in Crawford County ** Frederic, Michigan, an unincorporated community Other uses * Frederic (band), a Japanese r ...

Joel Edmundson Joel Edmundson (born June 28, 1993) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and alternate captain for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL). He previously played for the St. Louis Blues and Carolina Hurricanes. Gr ...

* Deryk Engelland * Tomas Fleischmann * Theoren Fleury *

Owen Fussey Owen Fussey (born April 2, 1983) is a Canadian-British former professional ice hockey Forward (ice hockey), forward. He was selected 90th overall in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft by the Washington Capitals and played four games in the National Hockey ...

* Noah Gregor * Travis Hamonic * Matt Higgins * Quinton Howden * Daemon Hunt *

Tanner Jeannot Tanner Jeannot (born May 29, 1997) is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League (NHL). Jeannot is known as "The Oxbow Ox" in recognition of his physical play and his hometown of Oxbo ...

Blair Jones Blair Jones (born September 27, 1986) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He was a selection of the Tampa Bay Lightning, taken 102nd overall at the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, and played five seasons within the Lightning organization b ...

* Mike Keane *

Sheldon Kennedy Sheldon Kennedy (born June 15, 1969) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played for the Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins and Calgary Flames in the National Hockey League (NHL). Kennedy was drafted by the Red Wings in the fou ...

* Paul Kruse * Pavel Kubina *

Dale Kushner Dale T. Kushner (born June 13, 1966) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the New York Islanders and Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey ...

Brooks Laich Evan Brooks Laich (; born June 23, 1983) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward. He played over 750 National Hockey League (NHL) games across four teams: the Ottawa Senators, Washington Capitals, Toronto Maple Leafs and the Los Ange ...

* Darryl Laplante * Reed Low * Jamie Lundmark * Masi Marjamaki * Jim McKenzie * Tomas Mojzis * Lyle Odelein * Nathan Paetsch *

Brayden Point Brayden Point (born March 13, 1996) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Lightning selected Point in the third round, 79th overall in the 2014 NHL Entry Draf ...

Dale Purinton Dale Purinton (born October 11, 1976) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman, known as an enforcer, who played 181 games for the New York Rangers in the National Hockey League. Playing career Purinton was drafted in the 5th ro ...

Morgan Rielly Morgan Frederick Rielly (born March 9, 1994) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and alternate captain for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted by the Maple Leafs in the first round, fift ...

* Aaron Rome * Jiri Smejkal * Kevin Smyth * Ryan Smyth * Martin Spanhel *Rastislav Staňa, Rastislav Stana *Ryan Stanton *Brian Sutherby *Dave Thomlinson *Ryan Tobler *Roman Vopat *Jason Widmer

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.

Team records

Awards

Bob Clarke Trophy (WHL top scorer) * Theoren Fleury: 1987–88 WHL season, 1987–88 (tied with Joe Sakic,

) *

: 2005–06 * Jayden Halbgewachs: 2017–18 *

: 2023–24 Four Broncos Memorial Trophy (WHL player of the year) * Dryden Hunt: 2015–16 WHL season, 2015–16 *

: 2023–24 WHL Playoff MVP * Denton Mateychuk: 2023–24 Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy (WHL top defenceman) * Kale Clague: 2017–18 * Denton Mateychuk: 2023–24 Del Wilson Trophy (WHL top goaltender) * Ken Brown (ice hockey), Ken Brown: 1966–67 CMJHL season, 1966–67 Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy (WHL rookie of the year) * Mark MacKay: 1984–85 WHL season, 1984–85 * Donovan Nunweiler: 1996–97 WHL season, 1996–97 * Brayden Tracey: 2018–19 WHL season, 2018–19 *

: 2021–22 WHL season, 2021–22 Daryl K. (Doc) Seaman Trophy, Doc Seaman Trophy (WHL scholastic player of the year) * Brennen Wray: 2005–06 Brad Hornung Trophy (WHL most sportsmanlike) *

: 1988–89 WHL season, 1988–89 * Jason Bast: 2009–10 WHL season, 2009–10 * Justin Almeida: 2018–19 WHL season, 2018–19 *

: 2022–23 WHL season, 2022–23 *

: 2023–24

References

External links

Moose Jaw Warriors website
{{Saskatchewan Sports Ice hockey teams in Saskatchewan Ice hockey clubs established in 1980 Western Hockey League teams Sport in Moose Jaw