The ownership group consists of British Columbia-based businessmen Ron Toigo and Sultan Thiara, the estate of Hockey Hall of Fame member Gordie Howe, and Michael Bublé.[3]Pat Quinn was a part-owner until his death in 2014.
History
Led by majority owner and British Columbia-based businessman Ron Toigo, the City of Vancouver was granted a WHL franchise ahead of the 2001–02 season. In their inaugural campaign, the Giants compiled 13 wins, 49 losses and six ties. The first goal in franchise history was scored by Tyson Mulock in a loss to the Kamloops Blazers.
The following season, the Giants went 26–37–5–4, good for fourth in the B.C. Division, and made their first playoff appearance, but lost in the first round to the eventual President's Cup champions, the Kelowna Rockets, in four games. Second-year forward Adam Courchaine led the team in scoring with 85 points. His 43 goals stood as a single-season franchise record for six years until second-year forward Evander Kane broke it in 2008–09.[4]
In the 2003–04 season, the Giants continued to improve, posting a 33–24–9–6, which marked their first winning season. After defeating the Kamloops Blazers in the first round, the Giants lost in the second round to the expansion team Everett Silvertips in six games. Adam Courchaine led the team again in scoring, finishing ninth overall in the League. Hometown rookie Gilbert Brule, the first overall pick in the 2002 WHL Bantam Draft, scored 60 points and earned the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy as the WHL's best first-year player.[citation needed]
In the 2004–05 season, the Giants went 34–30–4–4 and Brule emerged as a WHL star, finishing third in League scoring with 87 points, which remained a franchise record until overager Casey Pierro-Zabotel snapped it in 2008–09.[5] Courchaine tallied 78 points and finished seventh in League scoring, marking the first time that the top ten WHL scorers would feature two Giants players. In the playoffs, the Giants lost in the first round to Kelowna. Despite the early exit, the Giants drew many fans to the Coliseum that year due to the NHL lockout; Game 6 against the Rockets drew 16,183 fans.[citation needed]
The 2005–06 season featured the Giants' most significant improvement in the standings, becoming one of the WHL's top teams. They finished the season 47–19–0–6, first in the B.C. Division and third in the League overall. In the first round of the playoffs, the Giants beat the Prince George Cougars in five games, then the Portland Winterhawks in the second round, also in five games. In the third and final round, they won eight-straight, sweeping both the Everett Silvertips and Moose Jaw Warriors en route to their first-ever President's Cup. Gilbert Brule had returned to the team midway through the season after starting 2005–06 with the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets and earned the airBC Trophy as the playoff MVP after scoring 16 goals and 30 points in 18 post-season games, including five goals and 12 points in the finals.
By winning the WHL league title, the Giants earned their first Memorial Cup appearance in Moncton, New Brunswick. The Giants finished the round-robin tied for third, then defeated the Peterborough Petes in a tie-breaker in order to move on to the playoffs, but lost to the Moncton Wildcats in the semifinal. Brule scored 12 points in five games, earning the Ed Chynoweth Trophy as tournament leading scorer. He was also named to the Memorial Cup All-Star Team along with Giants defenceman Paul Albers.
The Giants were chosen by the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) prior to the 2006 Memorial Cup to host the 2007 edition. They finished the season, once again, atop their division and fourth overall in the League. The season featured a goaltending controversy in which starter Dustin Slade would begin the season splitting time with emerging goalie Tyson Sexsmith. Slade, frustrated with having to relinquish starts, would leave the team in November to pursue a professional playing career.[6] With Sexsmith, who finished first in the WHL in goals against average (GAA), as their starting goalie, and a balanced offence that included the likes of Milan Lucic, Michal Repik and mid-season acquisitions Wacey Rabbit and Kenndal McArdle, the Giants made their way once again to the WHL final. The series went the distance against the Medicine Hat Tigers, but the Giants lost the seventh and deciding game in double overtime, failing to win their second consecutive WHL title. However, due to their automatic bye into the Memorial Cup as hosts, the Giants avenged their seventh game loss against the Tigers, defeating Medicine Hat 3–1 in the Cup final, capturing their first-ever Memorial Cup title. Lucic earned the Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy as tournament MVP, while linemate Michal Repik led the tournament in scoring — edging Lucic by one goal — to capture the Ed Chynoweth Trophy. Defenceman Cody Franson also joined Lucic and Repik on the tournament All-Star Team.
As defending Memorial Cup champions the following season, the Giants won the B.C. Division for the third consecutive year and posted a franchise-record 106 points (49–15–2–6), enough for third in the League. Third-year forward Spencer Machacek, named team captain after incumbent captain Milan Lucic would play with the Boston Bruins of the NHL, led the team in scoring with 78 points, 14th overall in the League. On defence, Jonathon Blum, also a returnee from the Memorial Cup-winning team, finished second among League defencemen in scoring, tallying 63 points, a single-season franchise-record among defenceman. In goal, Sexsmith once again led the WHL with a stellar 1.89 GAA. The Giants' run for a third consecutive Memorial Cup appearance, however, was cut short; after sweeping the Chilliwack Bruins in the first round, the Giants were ousted by the Spokane Chiefs in six games.
A dominant 2008–09 season established several records for the Giants. The club set a WHL record by clinching a playoff berth just 46 games into the season. The mark was previously set by the Everett Silvertips, who clinched a berth after 48 games in 2006–07.[7] Individually, overager Casey Pierro-Zabotel broke the team marks for single-season assists and points, surpassing Darren Lynch and Gilbert Brule, respectively,[5][8] while second-year forward Evander Kane bettered Adam Courchaine's single-season goals total.[4] Team captain Jonathon Blum also surpassed Courchaine to become the franchise's all-time assists leader.[9] Finishing the season with a franchise-high 57 wins and 119 points, the Giants came within three points of their first Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy as the top regular season team, behind the Calgary Hitmen.
Bryan McCabe is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played in over 1,000 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) playing for the New York Islanders, Vancouver Canucks, Chicago Blackhawks, Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers and New York Rangers.
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Gilbert Jean Marco Brulé is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre.
James Neal is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He has previously played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Dallas Stars, Pittsburgh Penguins, Nashville Predators, Vegas Golden Knights, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, and St. Louis Blues.
The 2007 MasterCard Memorial Cup was played in May 2007 in Vancouver, British Columbia, at the Pacific Coliseum. It was the 89th annual Memorial Cup competition and determined the major junior ice hockey champion of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). The tournament was competed between the WHL champion, the Medicine Hat Tigers; the OHL champion, the Plymouth Whalers; the QMJHL champion, the Lewiston Maineiacs; and the host team and tournament champion, Vancouver Giants, who were competing in their second consecutive national junior championship. The Memorial Cup tournament was a four team tournament with a round-robin format. The Giants won their first Memorial Cup, defeating Medicine Hat 3–1 in the second all-WHL final in tournament history. The tournament set a new Memorial Cup attendance record with 121,561 fans attending the nine games. The previous record of 84,686 was set at the 2003 tournament in Quebec City.
Cody Franson is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He most recently played for the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL). Franson was drafted in the third round, 79th overall by the Nashville Predators in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. Franson has also played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Buffalo Sabres and Chicago Blackhawks.
Mark I. Fistric is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He last played with the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted by the Dallas Stars 28th overall in the first round of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. He played major junior for the Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey League (WHL).
Michal Řepík is a Czech professional ice hockey left winger. He is currently under contract with HC Sparta Praha of the Czech Extraliga (ELH). Repik was selected by the Florida Panthers in the 2nd round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.
Jonathon Gregory Blum is an American professional ice hockey defenseman, currently playing with EHC Red Bull München of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL).
The 1982 Memorial Cup was held May 8–15, 1982, at the Robert Guertin Arena in Hull, Quebec. It was the 64th annual Memorial Cup competition and determined the major junior ice hockey champion of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). The champions of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) and Western Hockey League (WHL) – the Kitchener Rangers, Sherbrooke Castors and Portland Winter Hawks respectively – competed for the championship in a double round-robin tournament. The Winter Hawks became the first American-based team to compete for the trophy, while the Rangers defeated the Castors in the final to capture their first Memorial Cup championship. Sherbrooke's Sean McKenna was named tournament most valuable player.
Milan Lucic is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL). He played major junior hockey with the Vancouver Giants in the Western Hockey League (WHL) for three seasons and captured the Memorial Cup while being named tournament MVP in 2007. He was selected 50th overall in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft and made the Bruins’ roster as a 19-year-old in 2007–08. Three years later, he won a Stanley Cup with the Bruins. He spent the first eight seasons of his NHL career with Boston before being traded to the Los Angeles Kings in June 2015. After a single season in Los Angeles, Lucic signed as a free agent with the Edmonton Oilers in July 2016, playing three seasons for the Oilers before being traded to the Calgary Flames in July 2019.
Tyler Paul Myers is a Canadian-American professional ice hockey defenceman for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in the first round, 12th overall, in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. At the end of the 2009–10 season, Myers won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's best rookie. Standing at 6 ft 8 in (203 cm) tall, he is the tallest active player in the NHL and was nicknamed "The Big Easy" or "Big Tex" when he started his NHL career, because he was born in Houston. After moving to Vancouver, Myers earned the nickname "Chaos Giraffe" from fans.
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Evander Frank Kane is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has previously played for the Atlanta Thrashers, Winnipeg Jets, Buffalo Sabres, and San Jose Sharks. Kane was selected fourth overall by the Thrashers in the first round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.
Casey Pierro-Zabotel is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He most recently played for the Adirondack Thunder of the ECHL. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, 80th overall, out of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL). Playing major junior with the Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey League (WHL), he set franchise single-season records in 2008–09 with 79 assists and 115 points, en route to a Bob Clarke Trophy as the league's leading scorer.
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Lance Gordon Bouma is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who is currently playing with the Linköping HC of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). He previously played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Calgary Flames and Chicago Blackhawks. He was a third round selection of the Flames, 78th overall, in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft and made his NHL debut in January 2011. As a junior, he was a member of the Vancouver Giants team that won the 2007 Memorial Cup.
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