![Calgary Stampeders 1940-41](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/51/Calgary_Stampeders_1940-41.JPG)
The Calgary Stampeders were a defunct
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...
team that was based 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. The team existed from 1938 until 1972, playing in various
senior amateur and
minor professional leagues during that time. In 1946, the Stampeders captured the
Allan Cup
The Allan Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the national senior amateur men's ice hockey champions of Canada. It was donated by Sir Montagu Allan of Ravenscrag, Montreal, and has been competed for since 1909. The current champions are the ...
as Canadian senior hockey champions, the first Alberta based club to do so.
A team of this same name also played the
1978–79 season in the
Western International Hockey League
The Western International Hockey League (WIHL) was a senior level ice hockey league that featured teams from the Western United States and Western Canada. It operated from 1946–62 and 1963–88. It grew out of the West Kootenay League, which ...
.
History
Senior hockey
The 1945–46 Stampeders were a powerhouse in the
Western Canada Senior Hockey League The Western Canada Senior Hockey League was a senior ice hockey league that played six seasons in Alberta and Saskatchewan, from 1945 to 1951. The league produced the 1946 Allan Cup and the 1948 Allan Cup champions, and merged into the Pacific Coas ...
(WCSHL). Led by Ken "Red" Hunter's then senior-amateur record 81 points, the Stamps finished first overall in the WCSHL with a 28–7–1 record, earning a bye into the league championship where they quickly dispatched the
Edmonton Flyers
The Edmonton Flyers are a defunct ice hockey team that was based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The team existed from 1940 until 1963. The Flyers played in the Edmonton Gardens.
The Flyers were nominated by W. G. Hardy to represent Canada at the ...
four games to one. The Stamps then faced the
Winnipeg Orioles for the Prairie championship. While Winnipeg's coach predicted his team would sweep Calgary in three games, it was instead the Stampeders who eliminated Winnipeg in three by scores of 5–1, 10–2 and 8–2.
In the Western Canada final, the Stampeders once again easily handled their opponents, this time, the
Trail Smoke Eaters
The Trail Smoke Eaters are a junior A ice hockey team from Trail, British Columbia, Canada. They are a part of the British Columbia Hockey League.
History
The Smoke Eaters (aka ''Smokies'') have existed as both junior and senior teams since th ...
. After tying the first two games, Calgary won the next two by 7–3 and 4–2 scores to reach the Allan Cup final against the
Hamilton Tigers
The Hamilton Tigers were a professional ice hockey team based in Hamilton, Ontario. They competed in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1920 to 1925. The Tigers were formed by the sale of the Quebec Bulldogs NHL franchise to Hamilton intere ...
.
The series almost never happened. With the tournament scheduled to be held out west, the Hamilton players considered forgoing the Allan Cup final as the $6 per day they were offered for the trip was not enough to be able to take time off from their jobs. The Tigers did make the trip, however, and were easily dispatched by the Stampeders in five games, winning the fifth game by a 1–0 score in
Edmonton
Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...
before a crowd of 6,000.
In 1946-47, the Stampeders once again reached the Allan Cup final. They were defeated, however, by the
Montreal Royals
The Montreal Royals were a minor league professional baseball team in Montreal, Quebec, during 1897–1917 and 1928–1960. A member of the International League, the Royals were the top farm club (Class AAA) of the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1939; pi ...
. The deciding game was held in
Quebec City
Quebec City ( or ; french: Ville de Québec), officially Québec (), is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Communauté métrop ...
in front of over 11,000 spectators.
As occurred frequently with senior hockey, growing concerns were surfacing regarding the status of players, as many teams were using former professionals in violation of the rules laid out by the Allan Cup committee. Many teams, including the Stampeders, were facing pressure to declare whether they were professional or amateur teams.
Professional hockey
Before the start of the 1951–52 season, the Stampeders, along with their provincial cousins, the
Edmonton Flyers
The Edmonton Flyers are a defunct ice hockey team that was based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The team existed from 1940 until 1963. The Flyers played in the Edmonton Gardens.
The Flyers were nominated by W. G. Hardy to represent Canada at the ...
, officially turned professional, joining the
Pacific Coast Hockey League
The Pacific Coast Hockey League was an ice hockey minor league with teams in the western United States and western Canada that existed in several incarnations: from 1928 to 1931, from 1936 to 1941, and from 1944 to 1952.
PCHL 1928–1931
The firs ...
, which was renamed 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 ...
(WHL) by the 1952–53 season. The WHL was the top professional league in Western Canada and the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. The Stampeders became the minor-league affiliate of the
Chicago Black Hawks
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
.
The Stampeders quickly found success in the minor-pro ranks, winning the
WHL title in 1953–54, defeating the
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference, and play their home games at Rogers Arena. Bruce B ...
four games to one.
The Stampeders then went on to face the
Quebec Aces
The Quebec Aces, also known in French as Les As de Québec, were an amateur and later a professional men's ice hockey team from Quebec City, Quebec.
History
The Aces were founded in 1928 by Anglo-Canadian Pulp and Paper Mills, the name Aces stan ...
of the
Quebec Hockey League The Quebec Senior Hockey League (QSHL) was an ice hockey league that operated from 1941 to 1959 , based in Quebec, Canada. The league played senior ice hockey under the jurisdiction of the Quebec Amateur Hockey Association until 1953, when it became ...
in the
Edinburgh Trophy The Edinburgh Trophy was a trophy given to the winners of a series played between the champions of the Western Hockey League and the Quebec Hockey League professional ice hockey leagues. It was contested in the years 1954 to 1957.
Donation
The trop ...
for the championship of Canadian minor professional hockey. Calgary won the best-of-nine series in six games, with the clinching game held in Calgary, a 4–2 victory in front of 6,500 fans.
The Stampeders would reach the WHL final three more times: in 1955, falling to the Flyers in a four-game sweep; in 1958, when they fell to the Canucks;
and in 1959, falling to the
Victoria Cougars
The Victoria Cougars were a major league professional ice hockey team that played in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) from 1911 to 1924 under various names, and (after the PCHA's merger with the Western Canada Hockey League) in the W ...
. During this time, The Stampeders were one of the top draws in the league. Including all playoff games, the 1953–54 Stampeders drew over 300,000 fans in a city of 150,000.
In 1955–56, Calgary drew 157,803 fans in the regular season, second only to 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 ...
.
In 1963, disenchanted with their affiliation with the Chicago Black Hawks, the Stampeders took a one-year leave of absence. Gordon Love, chairman of the Calgary Stampede Board, owners of the Stampeders, stated: ''"We have been treated so shabbily by Chicago, that we have no alternative...
Tommy Ivan
Thomas Nathaniel Ivan (January 31, 1911 – June 25, 1999) was a Canadian ice hockey coach and general manager. He served as a National Hockey League (NHL) head coach for the Detroit Red Wings from 1947 to 1954 where he won three Stanley Cups, a ...
simply wasn't interested in the future of hockey in Calgary, and that's all there is to it."''
The Stampeders had also lost $90,000 during the season. Isolated in what was now a mostly Pacific coast league, Edmonton suspended operations along with Calgary. Neither team would ever resume operations, as the Flyers decided they could not be financially stable in the old
Edmonton Gardens
The Edmonton Gardens was the first indoor hockey arena built in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was originally built as Edmonton Stock Pavilion in 1913, and held 5,200 spectators after its 1966 renovations.
It was home to the World Hockey Associat ...
, and Calgary could not go it alone without an Edmonton team.
Revivals
The Calgary Stampeders name was revived for teams playing amateur senior hockey in later years: three seasons in the
Alberta Senior Hockey League Alberta Senior Hockey League (ASHL) may refer to:
*Alberta Senior Hockey League (1936–1941)
*Alberta Senior Hockey League (1965–1978)
See also
*Alberta Junior Hockey League
*Alberta Midget Hockey League
The Alberta Elite Hockey League or AEH ...
, one season in the Prairie Hockey League, and one season in the
Western International Hockey League
The Western International Hockey League (WIHL) was a senior level ice hockey league that featured teams from the Western United States and Western Canada. It operated from 1946–62 and 1963–88. It grew out of the West Kootenay League, which ...
.
League membership
The Stampeders played in the following leagues:
*1938-42:
Alberta Senior Hockey League Alberta Senior Hockey League (ASHL) may refer to:
*Alberta Senior Hockey League (1936–1941)
*Alberta Senior Hockey League (1965–1978)
See also
*Alberta Junior Hockey League
*Alberta Midget Hockey League
The Alberta Elite Hockey League or AEH ...
(amateur)
*1942-45: Did not operate (
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
)
*1945-51:
Western Canada Senior Hockey League The Western Canada Senior Hockey League was a senior ice hockey league that played six seasons in Alberta and Saskatchewan, from 1945 to 1951. The league produced the 1946 Allan Cup and the 1948 Allan Cup champions, and merged into the Pacific Coas ...
(amateur)
*1951-52:
Pacific Coast Hockey League
The Pacific Coast Hockey League was an ice hockey minor league with teams in the western United States and western Canada that existed in several incarnations: from 1928 to 1931, from 1936 to 1941, and from 1944 to 1952.
PCHL 1928–1931
The firs ...
(minor pro)
*1952-63:
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 ...
(minor pro)
*1968-71:
Alberta Senior Hockey League Alberta Senior Hockey League (ASHL) may refer to:
*Alberta Senior Hockey League (1936–1941)
*Alberta Senior Hockey League (1965–1978)
See also
*Alberta Junior Hockey League
*Alberta Midget Hockey League
The Alberta Elite Hockey League or AEH ...
(amateur)
*1971-72: Prairie Hockey League (amateur)
*1978-79:
Western International Hockey League
The Western International Hockey League (WIHL) was a senior level ice hockey league that featured teams from the Western United States and Western Canada. It operated from 1946–62 and 1963–88. It grew out of the West Kootenay League, which ...
(amateur)
Season-by-season record
''Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against''
NHL alumni
Partially as a result of their affiliation with the Black Hawks, 84 former Stampeders would also play in the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
.
See also
*
Alberta-British Columbia Senior League
The Alberta-British Columbia Senior League is a defunct senior men's ice hockey league that operated for the 1941–42 season.
History
The West Kootenay League was a senior level hockey league that operated from 1922 to 1923 through 1940–41; and ...
*
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 opaq ...
*
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 ...
References
Footnotes
General
*
*{{Citation, surname=Zeman, given=Gary, year=1986, title=Alberta on Ice, isbn=0-9692320-0-4
Calgary Public Library article on Stampede CorralWCSHL standings
hockeydb.com
External links
1946 Calgary Herald article celebrating Allan Cup victory
Alberta Senior Hockey League teams
Defunct ice hockey teams in Canada
Stam
Ice hockey teams in Alberta
Ice hockey clubs established in 1938
Sports clubs disestablished in 1972
1938 establishments in Alberta
1972 disestablishments in Alberta
Western Hockey League (1952–1974) teams