The Humboldt Broncos are a Canadian junior "A" ice hockey team from Humboldt, Saskatchewan. Established in 1970, the Broncos play in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. The Broncos have won the SJHL ten times (1972, 1973, 1986, 1987, 1989, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012) while winning the ANAVET Cup seven times to advance to the Centennial Cup (the national championship of junior A ice hockey), which they have won on two occasions in 2003 and 2008.
The Broncos were established in 1970 by a group of local organizers. The team was originally affiliated with the Swift Current Broncos of the Western Hockey League, who supplied the team with team name, jerseys and some players. They also had a close affiliation that year with St Peter's College in nearby Muenster.[1] The Broncos originally played at the Leo Parker Arena and then move into the new Elgar Petersen Arena since 1980, which has a capacity of 1,800.[2] The team also won the 2003 and 2008 Royal Bank Cup (Canadian Junior A championship). The team's mascot is a horse named SlapShot. The team colors are green, gold black and white.
The Broncos are the most successful team in SJHL history, having won the league championship ten times, the Anavet Cup/Canalta Cup seven times, and the Royal Bank Cup twice.
In very early years under the guidance of Coach Dr. Terry Henning and GM Dr. Gerry Rooney in 1971–72, the Broncos defeated the Melville Millionaires in 5 games to win their first SJHL Championship and then went on to defeat the Dauphin Kings in 6 games to win the Anavet/Canalta Cup (Sk vs Man); eventually losing in 5 games to the Red Deer Rustlers in the Centennial Cup West Final. In 1972–73, the Broncos again were again Saskatchewan provincial Junior A champions. The Broncos were eliminated by Portage La Prairie in the controversial SK-MB cup playoffs.
The Humboldt Broncos won the league championship in 2007, defeating the Melville Millionaires 4 games to 1. The Broncos lost the Anavet Cup to the MJHL's Selkirk Steelers 4 games to 3. Game 7 was won by the Steelers 4–3 in quadruple overtime. Dean Brockman was voted Coach of the Year in 2007, 2008, and 2009.
The Humboldt Broncos won the league/Royal Bank championship twice, in 2003 and as well in 2008, defeating the Kindersley Klippers 4 games to 3. The Broncos won the Anavet Cup defeating the MJHL's Portage Terriers 4 games to 0. The last two games of the series were shutouts for the Broncos. The Broncos won the Royal Bank Cup against the AJHL's Camrose Kodiaks the final score: 1–0.
The Humboldt Broncos won the league championship in 2009 defeating the Melville Millionaires 4 games to 1. The Broncos won the Anavet Cup defeating the Portage Terriers (MJHL) 4 games to 3. The last 2 games were won in overtime at Portage. The Broncos lost in the Royal Bank Cup final by a 2–0 score to the Vernon VipersBCHL.
The Broncos won the SJHL championship in 2011–12 defeating the Weyburn Red Wings in six games. They went on to beat the Portage Terriers (MJHL) in seven games to win the last Anavet Cup Championship before losing to the Woodstock Slammers (MIJHL) on home ice in the 2012 RBC Cup semi-final 4–3 in overtime.
In 2012–13 the Broncos made it back to the SJHL finals where they lost to the Yorkton Terriers in six games losing 4–3 in the sixth game.
After the 2013–14 season longtime head coach Dean Brockman left the team to take a job as an assistant coach with the Saskatoon Blades of the Western Hockey League. The Broncos eventually hired Ryan Smith (who was the head coach of the Selkirk Steelers of the MJHL) as head coach.
In 2014–15, the Broncos lost to the Weyburn Red Wings in four games in the first round. After the season Smith left the team to take an assistant coaching position with the Swift Current Broncos of the Western Hockey League. The Broncos eventually hired Darcy Haugen (who was the head coach of The Peace River Navigators of the Alberta Junior B League and a former assistant coach with the Estevan Bruins) as head coach.
In 2015–16, the Broncos missed the playoffs for the first time since the 1979–80 season, marking the end of a playoff streak longer than the Detroit Red Wings' then active streak of 25 years.
In 2016–17, the Broncos finished 5th overall in the SJHL Standings but were swept by the Nipawin Hawks in the opening round of the SJHL playoffs.
In 2018, the Broncos had advanced to the SJHL semi-finals, but were trailing in the series against the Nipawin Hawks by 3–1 heading into Game 5 on April 6.[3][4] En route to the game, the Broncos' team bus collided with a semi-truck[5] on Highway 35 near Armley; the local RCMP reported 16 fatalities as a result of the accident, and the game was cancelled.[6][7] The victims included 10 players, two coaches, a statistician, a broadcaster, the bus driver, and an athletic therapist. The remaining passengers, 13 players, received injuries, most of them serious.[8] The president of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, Bill Chow, has described the incident as tragic, heart-breaking, the league's "worst nightmare."[9]
In their first game of the 2018–19 season following the crash, the Broncos lost to the team they had been playing in the finals, the Nipawin Hawks, by a score of 2–1. The game had pre-game and post-game ceremonies for all members involved in the crash.[11] The Broncos qualified for the playoffs that season, but were eliminated in the second round.
The Broncos were in a position to qualify for the playoffs in the 2019–20 season, but the remainder of the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[12]
↑ 1st SJHL. In the 1971–72 season, teams played 1- and 2-point games, with teams playing between 42 and 44 games each. Teams could win a maximum of 8 points against another team during the season, so if they played the other team only 4 times, all games were two-point games, if they played each other 6 times, however, 4 of the games had a value of one point each, the other two games being worth 2 points each. Humboldt, Melville and Prince Albert all ended up with 32–12 records, but Humboldt won more two-point games and as a result ended with 53 points compared to 51 for Melville and Prince Albert.
↑ On the way to a semifinal game, the Broncos bus collided with a transport truck, killing 16 people.
Nipawin Hawks were leading Humboldt Broncos 3-games-to-1 when the fatal Broncos bus crash occurred on April 6, 2018 on their way to Game 5.
Retired numbers
On September 12, 2018, all the uniform numbers of the 29 players/coaches/support staff involved in the April 6, 2018 bus crash were retired by the team.
The Flin Flon Bombers are a Canadian junior ice hockey team in Flin Flon, a city located on the Manitoba–Saskatchewan provincial border. The Bombers are members of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL), which is a member of the Canadian Junior Hockey League, and they play home games at the Whitney Forum on the Manitoba side of the city. The team's history dates back to 1927 and includes a decade-long run in the major junior Western Hockey League in the late 1960s and 1970s. The team has won two national championships, including the 1957 Memorial Cup and the 1969 James Piggott National Championship.
The Prince Albert Raiders are a Canadian major junior ice hockey team based in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. Founded in 1971 as a member of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, the Raiders have been members of the Western Hockey League since 1982. They play in the East Division of the Eastern Conference and host games at the Art Hauser Centre.The Raiders are two-time Ed Chynoweth Cup winners, and won the Memorial Cup as Canadian junior champions in 1985.
The Estevan Bruins are a junior ice hockey team playing in the Junior "A" Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL). The team is based in Estevan, Saskatchewan, Canada, and plays at Affinity Place. They were founded in 1971, when a previous franchise called the Estevan Bruins, which played in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League from 1957 to 1966 and then the Major Junior Western Hockey League (WHL) from 1966 to 1971, relocated to New Westminster, British Columbia; that franchise is today known as the Kamloops Blazers.
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.
The OCN Blizzard is the former name for the NorMan Blizzard, a Junior "A" ice hockey team from The Pas, Manitoba, Canada. They are members of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, a part of the Canadian Junior Hockey League and Hockey Canada. As announced by the Blizzard in June 2024, the team is now owned by local residents Rob and Bonnie White. Blizzard games are broadcast on local radio station CJAR 102.9 FM and can also be heard online at www.thepasonline.com.
The Portage Terriers are a Canadian junior "A" ice hockey team from Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, Canada. They are members of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, a part of the Canadian Junior Hockey League.
The Dauphin Kings are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Dauphin, Manitoba, Canada. They are members of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL), a part of the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) and Hockey Canada. The Kings were established in 1967 and play at the Credit Union Place.
The Selkirk Steelers are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Selkirk, Manitoba, Canada. They are members of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, a part of the Canadian Junior Hockey League and Hockey Canada.
The Winnipeg Blues are a Manitoba Junior Hockey League team based in Oak Bluff, a suburban area of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The team was founded in 1930 as the Winnipeg Monarchs and also formerly known as the Fort Garry Blues (1978-1984) and Winnipeg South Blues (1984-2010).
The Weyburn Red Wings are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Weyburn, Saskatchewan playing in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL). They play their home games at the Crescent Point Place, which has a seating capacity of 1,750. The team colours are red and white. Radio station CHWY-FM K106 broadcasts all Red Wings road games, and select home games. All home games are webcast on HockeyTV.
The Yorkton Terriers are a team in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) based in Yorkton, Saskatchewan, Canada. The team plays their home games in the Westland Insurance Arena, which has a seating capacity of 2,300. The Terriers won the 2014 Royal Bank Cup as Junior A Champions of Canada.
The Battlefords North Stars are a Junior "A" ice hockey team based in North Battleford, Saskatchewan, Canada, that plays in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. The team was founded in 1973 as the Battlefords Barons and has been known as the North Stars since 1983. They have won four SJHL Championships, most recently in 2023.
The Kindersley Klippers are a junior "A" ice hockey team based in Kindersley, Saskatchewan, Canada.
The La Ronge Ice Wolves are a Canadian junior "A" ice hockey team based in La Ronge, Saskatchewan. They play in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League and play their homes games at the Mel Hegland Uniplex, which has a seating capacity of 1,200.
The Melville Millionaires are a Canadian junior "A" ice hockey based in Melville, Saskatchewan. They are members of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL). They play their home games in the CN Community Centre which has a seating capacity of 2,100. The Melville Millionaires and the Yorkton Terriers are archrivals. The team colours are blue and white. Games are broadcast on radio station CJGX AM 940. The Millionaires also fielded a senior hockey team in the 1910s, which won the 1915 Allan Cup.
The Nipawin Hawks are a Canadian junior "A" team based in Nipawin, Saskatchewan. They are members of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL). They play their home games at the Centennial Arena, which has a seating capacity of 1,500. The team colors are black and yellow.
The 2008 Royal Bank Cup was the 38th Junior "A" 2008 ice hockey National Championship for the Canadian Junior Hockey League. The national championship was won by the Humboldt Broncos of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League.
The 2009 Royal Bank Cup is the 39th Junior "A" 2009 ice hockey National Championship for the Canadian Junior Hockey League. 2009 marked the 14th year the Royal Bank Cup has been awarded and the 39th year of modern Junior "A" hockey.
The 2012 Royal Bank Cup was the 42nd Junior "A" 2012 ice hockey National Championship for the Canadian Junior Hockey League. The 2012 Royal Bank Cup marked the 42nd consecutive year a national championship had been awarded to this skill level since the breakaway of Major Junior hockey in 1970.
The 2022 Centennial Cup, presented by Tim Hortons was the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) championship for the 2021–22 season and the 50th Canadian junior A ice hockey national championship, played at Affinity Place in Estevan, Saskatchewan from May 18 to 29, 2022. It was the first year the event has been played since 2019. as the COVID-19 pandemic had caused the cancellation of the 2020 and 2021 championships, and also the first since its name reverted to the Centennial Cup. The Brooks Bandits defeated the Pickering Panthers in the championship game to win the national title.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
