Mount Royal Cougars men's ice hockey

Last updated
Mount Royal Cougars men's ice hockey
Mount Royal Cougars Hockey Logo.png
University Mount Royal University
Conference Canada West
First season1964–65
Head coach Bert Gilling
Since 2014–15 season
Assistant coachesDrake Brown
Tyler Fiddler
Grant Slessor
Arena Flames Community Arena
Calgary, Alberta
ColorsBlue, Silver, and White
     
U Sports tournament appearances
2025
Conference tournament champions
1973, 1974, 1988, 1993, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2006, 2011
Conference regular season champions
1966, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2012

The Mount Royal Cougars men's ice hockey team is an ice hockey team representing the Mount Royal Cougars athletics program of Mount Royal University. The team is a member of the Canada West Universities Athletic Association conference and compete in U Sports. The Cougars play their home games at the Flames Community Arena in Calgary, Alberta. [1]

Contents

History

While operating as 'Mount Royal Junior College' in the 1950s, a team from the school competed in the Calgary Junior B Hockey League. Records from this time are spotty at best, however, in 1954 the Cougars won the league championship, eventually losing in the Alberta-British Columbia Junior B Championship to the Trail Smoke Eaters. The team disappears from league records after 1957. It's unclear whether or not the junior team was officially sanctioned by the school or if they were simply allowed to wear school colors.

In 1964, the Western Inter-College Conference (WICC) was formed for small schools in Western Canada who were looking for a way to field ice hockey teams. Mount Royal jumped at the chance, icing a varsity team for the inaugural year. Mount Royal won two league championships in the first five years, however, the school wasn't satisfied with their situation. In 1969, the Cougars left the WICC for the Highwood Hockey League. After winning the league title, they were again on the move and joined the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) in 1970. After getting knocked out in the semifinals, the Cougars won the regular season championship in 1972 but were ruled ineligible for the postseason as the team possessed overage players who did not qualify for the junior level. Instead, the team participated in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) postseason, the successor to the WICC. By winning the championship, the Cougars went on to the inaugural 4-West Championship, a tournament offered for the provincial college champions of Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Mount Royal won the first three championships.

Since they were no longer eligible for the AJHL postseason, now Mount Royal College returned to the ACAC in 1972 and won back-to-back league titles. The team then suffered a severe decline and went winless for two seasons at the end of the decade. The terrible results caused the school to suspend the program for two years but the Cougars again failed to win a single game upon their return. By 1983, however, the team was on the road to recovery and Mount Royal rebuilt its program into a champion by the late-80s. Mount Royal won its first intermediate national championship in 1988 and then captured three over the span of four years around the turn of the century. Unfortunately, their final title in 2001 was the last intermediate championship held. Afterwards, the program was only able to win conference titles, which they did in both 2006 and 2011.

In 2012, by then known as 'Mount Royal University', the school transitioned to the senior level of college hockey and joined Canada West. [2] It didn't take long for the team to grow accustomed to the higher level and they posted their first winning season in 2015. The Cougars were also able to advance in the postseason for the first time that year, however, that was where the program plateaued. As of 2024, Mount Royal had reached the conference semifinals seven times but has yet to make a championship round appearance. Additionally, they have finished as high as 3rd in the standing four times but never as one of the top two seeds. [3]

Season-by-season results

An exhibition game between the Mount Royal and Air Force in 2016 10-03-16 Air Force Hockey vs Mount Royal (2910652).jpg
An exhibition game between the Mount Royal and Air Force in 2016

Junior and intermediate hockey

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, SOL = Shootout Losses, Pts = Points

U Sports Champion U Sports SemifinalistConference regular season championsConference Division ChampionsConference Playoff Champions
SeasonConferenceRegular SeasonConference Tournament ResultsNational Tournament Results
ConferenceOverall
GPWLTOTLSOLPts*FinishGPWLT%
1951–52??????????????
1952–53??????????????
1953–54AJBHL?????????????Won Championship series, 3–1 (Drumheller Miners)Lost Alberta-British Columbia Junior B Championship series, 0–2 (Trail Smoke Eaters)
1954–55AJBHL?????????????Won Championship, 16–0 (Killarney)
1955–56??????????????
1956–57CJBHL3416135––404th?????Won Semifinal series, 2–0 (Calgary Tuxedo)
Won Championship series, 3–2 (Calgary West Hillhurst)
Program Suspended
1964–65 WICC ?????????????Only exhibition games played
1965–66WICC???????1st?????
1966–67WICC?????????????
1967–68WICC12840––162nd12840.667
1968–69WICC191720––341st191720.895
School became 'Mount Royal College'
1969–70HHL201451––.7251st201451.725
1970–71 AJHL 5025187––573rd5526227.536Lost Semifinal series, 1–4 (Red Deer Rustlers)
1971–72AJHL5035130––701st5526227.536Won Alberta Provincial Championship, ? (NAIT)Won 4-West Semifinal, 12–4 (Cariboo)
Won 4-West Championship, 3–2 (Red River)
1972–73ACAC242130––421st302730.900Won Semifinal series, 2–0 (NAIT)
Won Championship series, 2–0 (Red Deer)		Won 4-West Semifinal, 4–3 (Kelsey)
Won 4-West Championship, 7–5 (Red River)
1973–74ACAC241860––362nd302460.800Won Semifinal series, 2–0 (SAIT)
Won Championship series, 2–0 (Red Deer)		Won 4-West Semifinal, 4–2 (Cariboo)
Won 4-West Championship, 5–3 (Red River)
1974–75ACAC241941––393rd261961.750Lost Semifinal series, 0–2 (Red Deer)
1975–76ACAC251690––323rd2716110.593Lost Semifinal series, 0–2 (NAIT)
1976–77ACAC241851––372nd292171.741Won Semifinal series, 2–0 (NAIT)
Lost Championship series, 1–2 (Red Deer)
1977–78ACAC246171––135th246171.271
1978–79ACAC240240––05th240240.000
1979–80ACAC240240––05th240240.000
Program Suspended
1982–83ACAC240240––05th240240.000
1983–84ACAC2512130––244th2712150.444Lost Semifinal series, 0–2 (NAIT)
1984–85ACAC256190––125th256190.240
1985–86ACAC251780––342nd3019110.633Won Semifinal series, 2–0 (Camrose Lutheran)
Lost Championship series, 0–3 (NAIT)
1986–87ACAC2512112––264th2813132.500Lost Semifinal series, 1–2 (NAIT)
1987–88ACAC241482––462nd342392.706Won Semifinal series, 2–0 (Camrose Lutheran)
Won Championship series, 3–1 (Red Deer)		Won Pool A Round-robin, 11–4 (Cariboo), 10–9 (Collège Français)
Won Semifinal, 5–3 (Humber)
Won Championship, 7–6 (2OT) (Collège Français)
1988–89ACAC2410113––233rd2610133.442Lost Semifinal series, 0–2 (NAIT)
1989–90ACAC2412111––252nd2612131.481Lost Semifinal series, 0–2 (Red Deer)
1990–91ACAC251690––323rd2716110.593Lost Semifinal series, 0–2 (NAIT)
1991–92ACAC2513111––274th2813141.482Lost Semifinal series, 0–3 (NAIT)
1992–93ACAC241851––371st302451.817Won Semifinal series, 3–0 (Augustana)
Won Championship series, 3–0 (Red Deer)
1993–94ACAC221750––341st302280.733Won Semifinal series, 3–0 (Augustana)
Lost Championship series, 2–3 (Red Deer)
1994–95ACAC251762––361st302172.733Won Semifinal series, 2–0 (Red Deer)
Won Championship series, 2–1 (NAIT)
1995–96ACAC221750––341st3222100.688Won Semifinal series, 3–2 (Red Deer)
Lost Championship series, 2–3 (NAIT)
1996–97ACAC221660––321st261790.654Lost Semifinal series, 1–3 (NAIT)
1997–98ACAC241932––401st322642.844Won Semifinal series, 2–1 (Red Deer)
Won Championship series, 2–0 (SAIT)		Won Round-robin, 9–1 (Cambrian), 9–3 (Seneca)
Won Championship, 4–3 (Cambrian)
1998–99ACAC2818100––363rd4128130.683Won Quarterfinal series, 2–1 (Augustana)
Won Semifinal series, 2–0 (SAIT)
Won Championship series, 3–2 (Red Deer)		Won Round-robin, 12–4 (Cambrian), 6–2 (Conestoga)
Won Championship, 6–0 (Conestoga)
1999–00ACAC282071––412nd302091.683Lost Semifinal series, 0–2 (NAIT)
2000–01ACAC282251––451st363051.847Won Semifinal series, 2–0 (Red Deer)
Won Championship series, 3–0 (NAIT)		Won Round-robin, 12–1 (Sault), 14–1 (Conestoga)
Won Championship, 16–1 (Conestoga)
2001–02ACAC2814842–344th3115124.548Lost Quarterfinal series, 1–2 (Augustana)
2002–03ACAC2814914–335th3014151.483Lost Quarterfinal series, 0–2 (Concordia)
2003–04ACAC28101422–246th3110192.355Lost Quarterfinal series, 0–3 (MacEwan)
2004–05ACAC2414802–304th3218140.563Won Quarterfinal series, 2–1 (Alberta Augustana)
Lost Semifinal series, 2–3 (SAIT)
2005–06ACAC2413902–282nd3419150.559Won Semifinal series, 3–2 (Alberta Augustana)
Won Championship series, 3–2 (SAIT)
2006–07ACAC2417610–352nd281891.661Lost Semifinal series, 1–3 (NAIT)
2007–08ACAC2413803–294th2915140.517Won Quarterfinal series, 2–0 (NAIT)
Lost Semifinal series, 0–3 (SAIT)
2008–09ACAC2820800–403rd4027130.675Won Quarterfinal series, 2–1 (Briercrest)
Won Semifinal series, 3–1 (NAIT)
Lost Championship series, 2–3 (SAIT)
School became 'Mount Royal University'
2009–10ACAC2821520–322nd312182.710Lost Semifinal series, 0–3 (Concordia)
2010–11ACAC2820800–403rd4028120.700Won Quarterfinal series, 2–1 (Briercrest)
Won Semifinal series, 3–1 (NAIT)
Won Championship series, 3–2 (SAIT)
2011–12ACAC2822231–481st332463.773Lost Semifinal series, 2–3 (NAIT)
TotalsGPWLT/SOL %Championships
Regular Season ? ? ? ? ?2 WICC Championships, 1 HHL Championship, 1 AJHL Championship, 9 ACAC Championships
Conference Post-season ? ? ? ? ?2 AJBHL Championships, 1 CJBHL Championship, 10 ACAC Championships
Regular Season and Postseason Record ? ? ? ? ?3 4-West Championships, 4 CCAA Championships

Senior hockey

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, SOL = Shootout Losses, Pts = Points

U Sports Champion U Sports SemifinalistConference regular season championsConference Division ChampionsConference Playoff Champions
SeasonConferenceRegular SeasonConference Tournament ResultsNational Tournament Results
ConferenceOverall
GPWLTOTLSOLPts*FinishGPWLT%
2012–13 Canada West 28719–20167th287210.250
2013–14Canada West281114–30255th3112190.387Lost Quarterfinal series, 1–2 (Manitoba)
2014–15Canada West281710–01353rd3420131.603Won Quarterfinal series, 2–1 (Saskatchewan)
Lost Semifinal series, 1–2 (Calgary)
2015–16Canada West28178–30373rd3219130.594Won Quarterfinal series, 2–0 (British Columbia)
Lost Semifinal series, 0–2 (Alberta)
2016–17Canada West281511–20324th3217150.531Won Quarterfinal series, 2–0 (Manitoba)
Lost Semifinal series, 0–2 (Saskatchewan)
2017–18Canada West281214–11266th3214171.453Won Quarterfinal series, 2–0 (Manitoba)
Lost Semifinal series, 0–2 (Alberta)
2018–19Canada West281211–50295th3214180.438Won Quarterfinal series, 2–0 (British Columbia)
Lost Semifinal series, 0–2 (Alberta)
2019–20Canada West28188–02384th3119102.645Lost Quarterfinal series, 1–2 (British Columbia)
2020–21Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021–22Canada West20136–10273rd251690.640Won Quarterfinal series, 2–0 (Regina)
Lost Semifinal series, 1–2 (British Columbia)
2022–23Canada West28195–40424th3120110.645Lost Quarterfinal series, 1–2 (Saskatchewan)
2023–24Canada West28216–01433rd322381.734Won Quarterfinal series, 2–0 (MacEwan)
Lost Semifinal series, 0–2 (Calgary)
TotalsGPWLT/SOL %Championships
Regular Season3001621335.548
Conference Post-season4019210.475
U Sports Postseason0000–
Regular Season and Postseason Record3401811545.540

Note: Games not counted towards University Cup appearances are not included. [3]

See also

Mount Royal Cougars women's ice hockey

References

  1. ↑ "Flames Community Arenas". GEC Architecture. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  2. ↑ "History of Canada West". Canada West. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  3. 1 2 "Canada West Men's Hockey History". Canada West. Retrieved October 24, 2024.
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