Billings Bighorns | |
---|---|
City | Billings, Montana |
League | Western Hockey League |
Operated | 1977 | –1982
Home arena | MetraPark Arena |
Colors | Red, white, and blue |
Franchise history | |
1966–1967 | Calgary Buffaloes |
1967–1977 | Calgary Centennials |
1977–1982 | Billings Bighorns |
1982–1983 | Nanaimo Islanders |
1983–1988 | New Westminster Bruins |
1988–present | Tri-City Americans |
The Billings Bighorns were a junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League who played from 1977 to 1982. The team was originally the Calgary Centennials. They played at the MetraPark Arena in Billings, Montana. [1] The team wore uniforms based upon those then used by the Washington Capitals. They moved to Nanaimo after the 1981–82 season.
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
Season | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | Points | Finish | Playoffs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1977–78 | 72 | 32 | 31 | 9 | 342 | 336 | 73 | 2nd Central | Lost final |
1978–79 | 72 | 38 | 23 | 11 | 378 | 302 | 87 | 1st Central | Eliminated in round-robin |
1979–80 | 72 | 37 | 34 | 1 | 326 | 284 | 75 | 4th East | Lost in first round |
1980–81 | 72 | 30 | 40 | 2 | 334 | 334 | 62 | 5th East | Lost East Division quarter-final |
1981–82 | 72 | 27 | 44 | 1 | 369 | 432 | 55 | 6th East | Lost East Division quarter-final |
The Toronto Marlborough Athletic Club, commonly known as the Toronto Marlboros, was an ice hockey franchise in Toronto, Canada. Founded in 1903, it operated junior ice hockey and senior ice hockey teams in the Ontario Hockey Association and later the Ontario Hockey League. The Marlboros were a farm team to the Toronto Maple Leafs and one of the dominant junior teams in history, winning seven Memorial Cup championships. The senior team competed for the Stanley Cup in 1904, and won the Allan Cup in 1950. After decline from the late 1970s, the sale of the franchise, and a move away from Toronto, it became the Guelph Storm in 1991.
The Worcester IceCats were a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Worcester, Massachusetts, at the Worcester Centrum. In 2005 the team was renamed the Peoria Rivermen and moved to Peoria, Illinois.
The Medicine Hat Tigers are a junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League (WHL) who play in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada. Established in 1970, the team has won two national Memorial Cups, five WHL League Championships and seven Division Titles, and continues to rally for the Cup annually. Starting in the 2015–16 season, the Tigers have begun play at Co-op Place after forty-five seasons at the Medicine Hat Arena. They had a sell-out streak at The Arena dating back 197 games.
The Moose Jaw Warriors are a major junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League based in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. The Warriors play in the East Division of the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games at Moose Jaw Events Centre.
The Kootenay Ice were a major junior ice hockey team based in Cranbrook, British Columbia, and competed in the Western Hockey League (WHL). The team played its home games at Western Financial Place. The franchise was owned by the Chynoweth family from 1995 until it was sold to Winnipeg-based company 50 Below Sports and Entertainment in 2017. The Ice moved to Winnipeg in 2019 where they played four seasons as the Winnipeg Ice. In 2023, the team was sold and relocated to Wenatchee, Washington, where they will be known as the Wenatchee Wild.
The New Westminster Bruins were a major junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League. There were two franchises that carried this name:
The Cowichan Valley Capitals are a Junior "A" ice hockey team based in Duncan, British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Island Division in the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL). They play their home games at Cowichan Community Centre.
The Calgary Centennials were a junior ice hockey team that played in the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL) from 1966–1977. They played in Calgary, Alberta, Canada at the Stampede Corral.
The Victoria Cougars were a major junior ice hockey team based in Victoria, British Columbia that played in the WCHL a precursor to the Western Hockey League between 1971 and 1994. Prior to 1971, the Cougars were members of the Pacific Coast Junior Hockey League (1962–1967) and the British Columbia Junior Hockey League (1967–1971). The Cougars played their home games at the Victoria Memorial Arena, which was demolished in 2003.
The Penticton Vees are a junior "A" ice hockey team from Penticton, British Columbia, Canada. They are a part of the British Columbia Hockey League. The junior Vees were founded in 1961, sharing the name of the senior hockey team, the Penticton Vees, and since resuming full league play after Covid-19, have repeated as BCHL League Champions in 2021-22 and 2022-23.
The Calgary Wranglers were a junior ice hockey team that played in the Western Hockey League from 1977 until 1987. The Wranglers played their home games in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, at the Stampede Corral.
The Nanaimo Islanders were a junior ice hockey team based in Nanaimo, British Columbia that played one season in the Western Hockey League in 1982–83. They played at Frank Crane Arena. The team relocated to New Westminster, British Columbia before settling in Kennewick, Washington as the Tri-City Americans. The franchise was an original WCHL team, forming in 1966 as the Calgary Buffaloes, later the Centennials. It moved to Nanaimo in 1982 after spending five years as the Billings Bighorns.
The history of ice hockey in Calgary extends back well over a century to the first recorded ice hockey game in Alberta in 1893. Imported from eastern Canada, the game's popularity rapidly grew in the city, with teams at every level playing for and capturing Canada's national championships. Calgary is known today as one of Canada's best ice hockey cities with the Calgary Flames and Calgary Hitmen receiving immense support from the city. The Calgary Oval X-Treme is one of the most dominant women's ice hockey teams in the country, while Junior A ice hockey is also well supported with two teams in the city. Calgary is home to the Mac's AAA midget hockey tournament, one of the most prestigious midget hockey tournaments in the world which has seen dozens of future National Hockey League players play in this city before their professional careers began.
The Montana Magic were a minor professional ice hockey team that played in Billings, Montana, as a member of the defunct Central Hockey League (CHL) in the 1983–84 season. They filled the void left by the departure of the major junior Billings Bighorns in 1982. After their first and only season in the CHL, posting a 20–52–4 record and missing the playoffs, the league folded and the team consequently disbanded. They would be replaced in 1985 by the semi-professional Billings Marlboros of the Continental Hockey League, a league that also folded after the Billings team played in only one season in 1986.
The Ferris State Bulldogs men's ice hockey team is an NCAA Division I college ice hockey program that represents Ferris State University. The Bulldogs are a member of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA). They play at Ewigleben Arena in Big Rapids, Michigan.
The Niagara Purple Eagles men's ice hockey team is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I college ice hockey program that represents Niagara University. The Purple Eagles are a member of Atlantic Hockey. They play at the Dwyer Arena in Lewiston, New York.
The Holy Cross Crusaders men's ice hockey team is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I college ice hockey program that represents the College of the Holy Cross. The Crusaders are a member of the Atlantic Hockey Association (AHA). They play at the Hart Center in Worcester, Massachusetts.
The Michigan Tech Huskies men's ice hockey team is an NCAA Division I college ice hockey program that represents Michigan Technological University. The Huskies are a member of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA). They play at the MacInnes Student Ice Arena in Houghton, Michigan.
The Northeastern Huskies men's ice hockey team is an NCAA Division I college ice hockey program that represents Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. The team has competed in Hockey East since 1984 and has won three tournament titles, having previously played in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC), where they won one tournament championship. The Huskies play home games at the 4,666-seat Matthews Arena, the world's oldest hockey arena still in use. Jerry Keefe assumed the head coach role in 2021 after longtime coach Jim Madigan moved to athletic director.
The Billings Marlboros were a Continental Hockey League (CnHL) ice hockey team from Billings, Montana, active during the 1985–86 season. The team played at the MetraPark Arena. The CnHL and the Marlboros folded in 1986.