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 ranks have been confined to the major cities of Calgary and Edmonton, partially due to geographical isolation from the major eastern and Pacific coast population centres, both junior and senior teams thrive across the province.
Alberta is home to two National Hockey League teams, five Western Hockey League teams, the 16-team Alberta Junior Hockey League, and five Junior B hockey leagues comprising over 50 teams. The Canadian Women's Hockey League is represented in Alberta, as are teams competing at the senior, university and college ranks.
This list does not include teams below the junior age group, or adult teams below Senior AA.
The Edmonton Oilers became the first National Hockey League team in Alberta as a result of the NHL–WHA merger. The Calgary Flames arrived from Atlanta the following year.
Team | City | Established | Stanley Cups [1] | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Calgary Flames | Calgary | 1980 | 1 | Founded in 1972 as the Atlanta Flames [2] |
Edmonton Oilers | Edmonton | 1979 | 5 | Founded in 1972 as a World Hockey Association franchise [3] |
The Western Canada Hockey League was the first major-professional league on the prairies. Founded in 1921, it collapsed due to escalating costs in 1926, and was reformed as the Prairie Hockey League from 1926 to 1928.
Team | City | Existed [4] | League titles [4] | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Calgary Tigers | Calgary | 1921–27 | 2* | Appeared in 1924 Stanley Cup championship [1] |
Edmonton Eskimos | Edmonton | 1921–27 | 1 | Appeared in 1923 Stanley Cup championship. [1] |
*Includes 1926–27 championship after league was renamed the Prairie Hockey League. [5]
The World Hockey Association had envisioned that franchises in Calgary and Edmonton would create an effective rivalry. When the Calgary Broncos were unable to start their inaugural season, the Oilers were briefly renamed the Alberta Oilers with the intention of splitting games between the two cities. This plan failed to materialize.
Team | City | Existed | Avco Cups [6] | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Calgary Broncos | Calgary | 1972 | 0 | Original WHA franchise, folded before playing first game [7] |
Calgary Cowboys | Calgary | 1975–77 | 0 | Founded in 1972 as the Miami Screaming Eagles [7] |
Edmonton Oilers | Edmonton | 1972–79 | 0 | Known as the Alberta Oilers 1972–73; Joined the National Hockey League in 1979 [3] |
The Edmonton Oilers brought their American Hockey League franchise to the Alberta capital during the 2004–05 NHL lockout season. The team was suspended following the resumption of the NHL, and was eventually reformed as the Oklahoma City Barons. The Calgary Wranglers, the AHL affiliate of the Calgary Flames, play at the same arena.
Team | City | Existed | Calder Cups | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Edmonton Road Runners | Edmonton | 2004–05 | 0 | Brought to Edmonton during the 2004–05 NHL lockout. [8] |
Calgary Wranglers | Calgary | 2022-23 | 0 | Played in Calgary during the 2020-21 AHL season, officially moved to Calgary in May 2022. |
The professional Western Hockey League was formed following a merger with the Pacific Coast Hockey League and the Western Canada Senior Hockey League. Both Alberta franchises lost their amateur status when they joined the new league.
Team | City | Existed [9] | Lester Patrick Cups [10] | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Calgary Stampeders | Calgary | 1951–63 | 1 | |
Edmonton Flyers | Edmonton | 1951–63 | 3 |
The Major-Junior Western Hockey League was formed in 1966 to strengthen junior hockey in the west. The Calgary Buffaloes were the only expansion team, as the other six founding members defected from existing leagues.
Current teams
Team | City | Established [11] | Ed Chynoweth Cups [12] | Memorial Cups [13] | Notes [11] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Calgary Hitmen | Calgary | 1995 | 2 | 0 | |
Edmonton Oil Kings | Edmonton | 2007 | 2 | 1 | |
Lethbridge Hurricanes | Lethbridge | 1987 | 1 | 0 | Founded in 1967 as the Winnipeg Jets; known as the Calgary Wranglers (1977–87) |
Medicine Hat Tigers | Medicine Hat | 1970 | 5 | 2 | |
Red Deer Rebels | Red Deer | 1992 | 1 | 1 |
Former teams
Team | City | Existed [11] | President's Cups [12] | Memorial Cups [13] | Notes [11] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Calgary Centennials | Calgary | 1966–77 | 0 | 0 | Known as the Buffaloes in 1966–67; became the Billings Bighorns (1977–82), Nanaimo Islanders (1982–83), New Westminster Bruins (1983–88) and Tri-City Americans (1988–present) |
Calgary Wranglers | Calgary | 1977–87 | 0 | 0 | Founded in 1967 as the Winnipeg Jets; became Lethbridge Hurricanes in 1987 |
Edmonton Oil Kings | Edmonton | 1966–76 | 2 | 2* | Founding pre-dates WHL; became the Portland Winter Hawks in 1976 |
Edmonton Oil Kings | Edmonton | 1978–79 | 0 | 0 | Founded in 1967 as the Flin Flon Bombers; became Great Falls Americans (1979) and Spokane Flyers (1980–81) |
Edmonton Ice | Edmonton | 1996–98 | 0 | 0 | Became the Kootenay Ice in 1998 |
Lethbridge Broncos | Lethbridge | 1974–86 | 1 | 0 | Founded in 1967 as the Swift Current Broncos; returned to Swift Current in 1986 |
*The Oil Kings' two Memorial Cups predate the WHL.
The Junior A Alberta Junior Hockey League was founded to improve the level of junior hockey in Alberta, motivated by the dominance of the Edmonton Oil Kings in the early 1960s.
League | Region | Established | Provincial titles [18] | Keystone Cup titles [19] | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Calgary Junior Hockey League | Calgary | 1945 | 4 | 1 | 8 teams |
Capital Junior Hockey League | Edmonton region | 1972 | 17 | 2 | 14 teams |
Heritage Junior B Hockey League | Southern Alberta | 1987 | 3 | 1 | 15 teams |
North Eastern Alberta Junior B Hockey League | Northeast Alberta | Unknown | 5 | 2 | 9 teams |
Northwest Junior Hockey League | Peace River Country | 1995 | 1 | 0 | 7 teams (5 in Alberta) |
League | Region | Established | Provincial titles | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Calgary Junior C Hockey League | Calgary | Unknown | N/A | |
Noralta Junior Hockey League | Edmonton region | Unknown | N/A |
The Alberta Junior Female Hockey League was founded in 2009 to promote female junior hockey for players aged 18–21 in Alberta. The league has grown from its original 6 team to 10 teams throughout the province.
Team | City | Established | Titles | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Banff Academy Bears | Banff | 2012 | 0 | The Banff Academy Bears played in the AJFHL until the end of the 2013/14 season as a conditional team as they were a midget academy team. |
Calgary Titans | Calgary | 2010 | 0 | |
Calgary Warriors | Calgary | 2012 | 0 | |
Central Alberta Amazons | Red Deer | 2009 | 1 | |
Cremona/Mountain View Hurricanes | Cremona/Mountain View | 2010 | 0 | Folded in 2012 due a lack of players |
Edmonton Wolves | Edmonton | 2009 | 2 | |
Fort Saskatchewan Fury | Fort Saskatchewan | 2009 | 1 | |
Irma Chargers | Irma | 2009 | 0 | |
Lethbridge Jr. Eagles | Lethbridge | 2012 | 1 | |
Medicine Hat Hockey Hounds | Medicine Hat | 2012 | 0 | |
Sherwood Park Steele | Sherwood Park | 2009 | 0 | |
Spruce Grove Stars | Spruce Grove | 2009 | 0 | Moved to Thorsby in 2011 |
Thorsby Thunder | Thorsby | 2011 * | 0 | Founded as the Spruce Grove Stars, moved to Thorsby in 2011 |
Wainwright | Wainwright | 2009 | 0 |
Both of Alberta's elite women's teams were invited to join the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL) in 2002. In 2004, they broke away to form the Western Women's Hockey League (WWHL) due to the lack of competition in the west. They returned to the NWHL in 2006 following a merger between the two leagues. However, due to circumstances arising over scheduling between the WWHL and the NWHL, the merger was never completed. This, coupled with the collapse of the NWHL in 2007, left the Oval X-Treme and Chimos as members of the WWHL. The league announced on April 19, 2011, that it would merge with the Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL) for the 2011–12 season. The merger was to feature one team based in Edmonton and Calgary and is a combination of the former WWHL franchises, the Edmonton Chimos and Strathmore Rockies, with games in various locations around Alberta. In August 2011, the WWHL announced that there had never officially been a merger and that the WWHL would continue to compete against the CWHL, [20] but the WWHL never played another game. Team Alberta commenced play in the CWHL in 2011 before taking on the identity of the Calgary Inferno in 2013. The CWHL and the Inferno ceased operations in 2019.
Team | City | Established | Titles | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Calgary Inferno | Calgary | 2011–2019 | 2 | CWHL member known as Team Alberta from 2011 to 2013. Won the 2016 and 2019 Clarkson Cup. |
Calgary Oval X-Treme | Calgary | 2002–2009 | 5 | Members of the NWHL 2002–2004 and WWHL 2004–2009. [21] Club founded in 1995 and joined the NWHL in 2002. |
Edmonton Chimos | Edmonton | 2002–2011 | 0 | Members of the NWHL 2002–04 and WWHL 2004–2011. [22] Club founded in 1973 and joined the NWHL in 2002. |
Strathmore Rockies | Strathmore | 2006–2011 | 0 | WWHL member from 2006 to 2011. [23] |
Several teams from Alberta have gone on to capture the Allan Cup, Canada's national senior championship.
Team | City | Existence | Allan Cups [24] | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Calgary Stampeders | Calgary | 1938–1951 | 1 | Turned professional in 1951 by joining the WPHL [25] |
Drumheller Miners | Drumheller | 1936–1939, 1960s | 1 | [26] |
Edmonton Flyers | Edmonton | 1941–1951 | 1 | Turned professional in 1951 by joining the WPHL [27] |
Edmonton Mercurys | Edmonton | Unknown | Won 1950 World Hockey Championship and 1952 Olympic gold medal [28] | |
Lloydminster Border Kings | Lloydminster | unknown–present | 1 | Member of the Wild Goose Hockey League [29] |
Stony Plain Eagles | Stony Plain | 1930s–present | 1 | Member of the Chinook Hockey League [30] |
Nanton Palominos | Nanton | 1930s–present | 0 | Member of the Ranchland Hockey League [31] |
Bonnyville Pontiacs | Bonnyville | 1952–present | 0 | Member of the North Central Senior Hockey League [32] |
Bentley Generals | Bentley | 1999–present | 2 | Member of the Chinook Hockey League [33] |
The Canada West Universities Athletic Association was founded in 1919, representing schools across Western Canada.
Team | City | Established | Conference titles [34] [35] [36] | University Cups [37] | Women's Titles [38] | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alberta Golden Bears | Edmonton | 1913 | 53 | 15 | 7 | |
Calgary Dinos | Calgary | 1964 | 8 | 0 | 0 | Women's Hockey team played in ACAC from 2002–03 to 2008–09 |
Lethbridge Pronghorns | Lethbridge | 1980 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
The Alberta Colleges Athletics Conference organizes sport at the collegiate level.
Team | City | Established | ACAC men's titles [39] | CCAA men's national titles [39] | ACAC women's titles [40] | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Augustana Vikings | Camrose | 1971 | 1 | 1 | N/A | Does not play ACAC women's hockey, only men's |
Calgary Dinos | Calgary | 1 | Women's Hockey team played in ACAC from 2002–03 to 2008–09 | |||
Concordia Thunder | Edmonton | 1992 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
MacEwan Gryphons | Edmonton | 1998 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
Mount Royal Cougars | Calgary | 1968 | 11 | 4 | 4 | |
NAIT Ooks | Edmonton | 1965 | 13 | 7 | 0 | |
Portage Voyageurs | Lac La Biche | 2008 | 0 | 0 | Does not play ACAC women's hockey, only men's | |
Red Deer Queens | Red Deer | 2 | Does not play ACAC men's hockey, only women's | |||
SAIT Trojans | Calgary | 1965 | 9 | 2 | 2 |
Teams from Alberta have captured titles at all levels of hockey.
Championship | Times won | Description |
Stanley Cup | 6 | National Hockey League champion [1] |
WCHL Championship | 3† | Western Canada Hockey League champion [4] |
Lester Patrick Cup | 4 | Western Hockey League champion [10] |
President's Cup | 11 | Western Hockey League champion [12] |
Memorial Cup | 6 | Canadian Major-Junior national champion [13] |
Allan Cup | 4‡ | Canadian senior national champion [24] |
Doyle Cup | 24 | Alberta/B.C. Junior "A" regional championship [15] |
Royal Bank Cup | 7 | Canadian Junior "A" national champion [15] |
Keystone Cup | 8 | Western Canada Junior "B" champion [19] |
NWHL Championship Cup | 2 | National Women's Hockey League championship [21] |
WWHL Championship Cup | 3 | Western Women's Hockey League championship [21] |
University Cup | 16 | CIS national men's university champion [37] |
CIS Women's Championship | 7 | CIS national women's university champion [38] |
CCHA Championship | 14 | CCAA national college champion [39] |
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 hockey in Canada, alongside the Ontario Hockey League and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League. Teams play for the Ed Chynoweth Cup, with the winner moving on to play for the Memorial Cup, Canada's national junior championship. WHL teams have won the Memorial Cup 19 times. Many players have been drafted from WHL teams, and have found success at various levels of professional hockey, including the National Hockey League (NHL).
The National Women's Hockey League (NWHL) was a women's ice hockey league established in Canada in service from 1999 to 2007. In its final season the league was run by the Ontario Women's Hockey Association.
The Clarkson Cup is a women's ice hockey trophy, which from 2009 to 2019 was awarded to the winner of the Canadian Women's Hockey Championship. With the folding of the Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL) in 2019, the Cup has not been awarded since. Like the Stanley Cup and Canada's Jeanne Sauvé Memorial Cup, it was named after a former Governor General of Canada, Adrienne Clarkson.
The Western Women's Hockey League (WWHL) was a women's hockey league in Canada. The league was established in 2004, and consisted of teams in Canada and one from the United States. The league office was in Vancouver, British Columbia, and managed by Recreation Sports Management.
The Calgary Oval X-Treme were a professional women's ice hockey team in the Western Women's Hockey League (WWHL). The team played its home games at the Olympic Oval in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The Oval X-Treme were a member of the National Women's Hockey League for two seasons before breaking away to help form the WWHL in 2004.
The Minnesota Whitecaps were a professional ice hockey team in the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF). They played in Richfield, Minnesota, part of the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area, at the Richfield Ice Arena. Established in 2004, the Whitecaps were originally part of the Western Women's Hockey League (WWHL) from 2004 to 2011.
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 Edmonton Oil Kings are a major junior ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, that play in the Western Hockey League (WHL). As of July 2008, they are owned by Daryl Katz's Oilers Entertainment Group, which also owns the Edmonton Oilers. The 2007–08 season was the newest incarnation of the Oil Kings' inaugural season in the WHL. Some NHL alumni include Tomas Vincour, Mark Pysyk, Curtis Lazar, Keegan Lowe, Griffin Reinhart, Henrik Samuelsson, Laurent Brossoit, Tristan Jarry and David Musil. As the 2012 WHL champions, the Oil Kings played in the 2012 Memorial Cup, losing 6–1 against the eventual winning team, the Shawinigan Cataractes, in the playoff tie-breaker. The Oil Kings won the 2014 Memorial Cup, defeating the Guelph Storm in the final game.
The Edmonton Chimos were a professional women's ice hockey team in the Western Women's Hockey League (WWHL). Founded in 1973, the team closed out its 38-year existence playing its home games at River Cree Twin Arenas in Edmonton, Canada. At that time, the team owner was Arlan Maschmayer.
The Esso Women's Nationals was the Canadian women's senior ice hockey championship from 1982 to 2008. The winners of the event received the Abby Hoffman Cup. The second place team was awarded the Fran Rider Cup, while the third place was given the Maureen McTeer Trophy. Nine or ten teams qualified for the event, with two from the province hosting the event. The event was sponsored by Esso.
Shannon Lynn Szabados is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender for the PWHPA and the Canada women's national ice hockey team.
The Saskatchewan Prairie Ice were a professional women's ice hockey team in the Western Women's Hockey League (WWHL). The team played its home games in Lumsden, Saskatchewan, Canada.
The Canadian Women's Hockey League was a women's ice hockey league. Established in 2007 as a Canadian women's senior league in the Greater Toronto Area, Montreal, and Ottawa, the league expanded into Alberta (2011) and internationally in the United States (2010) and China (2017) throughout its tenure. The league discontinued operations on May 1, 2019, after 12 seasons.
The Strathmore Rockies were a professional women's ice hockey team in the Western Women's Hockey League (WWHL). The team played its home games in Strathmore Family Center Arena, in Strathmore, Alberta, Canada.
The Manitoba Maple Leafs were a professional women's ice hockey team in the Western Women's Hockey League (WWHL). The team played its home games at the MTS Iceplex in Winnipeg, Canada.
The 2004–05 WWHL season was the first season of the Western Women's Hockey League. Previously this league did not exist and the western teams were in a division of the National Women's Hockey League.
The Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) is an Alberta-based Junior A ice hockey league that belongs to the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL). It was formed as a five-team league in 1964. As of 2023 there are 16 teams in the league. The regular season league champions receive the Dave Duchak Trophy. The playoff champions receive the Inter Pipeline Cup. The winner of the AJHL playoffs continues on to play in the Centennial Cup tournament, which determines Canadian Junior A champion.
The 2011–12 CWHL season was the fifth in league history. Regular season play begun on October 22, 2011, as the defending champion Montreal Stars hosted the Brampton Thunder. The league expanded from five teams to six as Team Alberta (CWHL) joined the league for competitive play. The 2012 Clarkson Cup in Niagara Falls was also contested between the Stars and Thunder, with Montreal winning its second consecutive title.
The Calgary Inferno was a women's ice hockey team that joined the Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL) for the 2011–12 season. The team played its home games at Joan Snyder Rink at WinSport Canada in Calgary, Alberta. After two seasons without an official name, in 2013 the team picked a moniker drawing from Calgary's National Hockey League franchise, the Calgary Flames, with whom they had a partnership. For the 2013-14 season, it was announced that all Inferno home-games would be streamed live by PCSN.tv.