Vancouver Giants

Last updated
Vancouver Giants
Vancouver Giants Logo.svg
City Langley, British Columbia
League Western Hockey League
ConferenceWestern
DivisionB.C.
Founded2001
Home arena Langley Events Centre
ColoursBlack, red, silver and white
   
General managerBarclay Parneta
Head coach Manny Viveiros
Website chl.ca/whl-giants
Championships
Playoff championships Memorial Cup
1 (2007)
Ed Chynoweth Cup
1 (2006)
Conference Championships
3 (2005–06, 2006–07, 2018–19)
Current uniform
WHL-Uniform-VAN.png

The Vancouver Giants are a Canadian major junior ice hockey team playing based in Langley, British Columbia, and playing in the Western Hockey League (WHL). Founded in 2001, the Giants won the Ed Chynoweth Cup as league champions in 2006 and the Memorial Cup as Canadian junior champions in 2007. The team was based in the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, the former arena of the National Hockey League's Vancouver Canucks, until moving to the Langley Events Centre in 2016.

Contents

History

British Columbia-based businessman Ron Toigo was granted a WHL expansion franchise for the city of Vancouver ahead of the 2001–02 season. [1] In the following years, the club's ownership group would grow to include Sultan Thiara, former Vancouver Canucks head coach Pat Quinn, the estate of Hockey Hall of Fame member Gordie Howe, and singer Michael Bublé. [2] The team was first based out of Pacific Coliseum, the former Canucks arena in downtown Vancouver; in 2016, after 15 seasons, the team moved to the Langley Events Centre. [3]

After a dismal inaugural season, typical for an expansion team, that saw the Giants win only 13 games, the team rapidly improved. In 2002, the Giants selected Gilbert Brule first overall in the WHL Bantam Draft—Brule would go on to become the team's first major star player, beginning with winning the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy as the WHL's rookie of the year in 2004. [4] That season, the team won its first playoff round, defeating the Kamloops Blazers before losing to the Everett Silvertips in the second round. Along with the Giants' improving play, the 2004–05 NHL lockout led to a boost in attendance for the club—nearly 9,000 fans attended the team's season-opener, and the team averaged 8,400 spectators that season; Toigo later stated that the lockout was a definite factor in "putting us on the map". [5] [6] The Giants capitalized by putting together a string of successful seasons that saw the team capture five consecutive B.C. Division titles between 2005 and 2010.

The run of success began with the hiring of former NHL coach Don Hay as head coach, replacing Dean Evason. [7] Then, in 2005, general manager Scott Bonner acquired a number of key players including Kenndal McArdle, Wacey Rabbit, and goaltender Dustin Slade, who, along with Brule, would lead the team to its first championship. [8] In 2006, the Giants captured their first league championship, defeating the Moose Jaw Warriors in the league final in four games, with Brule earning most valuable player honours. [9] The win advanced the Giants to their first Memorial Cup tournament, in which they were eliminated in the semifinal by the host Moncton Wildcats. [10] Despite the loss, Brule recorded 12 points in the tournament, the highest total in the tournament since 1997 and enough to secure the Ed Chynoweth Trophy as the leading scorer. [11]

With the breakthrough of second-year forward Milan Lucic helping to make up for the off-season loss of Brule, the Giants returned to the WHL championship series in 2007 in a playoff run that also featured the debut of future star Evander Kane. [12] [13] In the final, they faced the Medicine Hat Tigers, narrowly losing the series in the second overtime period of game seven. [14] However, the Giants were selected to host the 2007 Memorial Cup, which secured them a berth in the tournament despite their championship series defeat. The Giants secured a spot in the tournament final with an 8–1 semifinal win over the Plymouth Whalers, setting up a rematch with the Tigers. [15] In the final, the Giants avenged their WHL title defeat with a 3–1 victory over the Tigers to secure the team's first Memorial Cup championship. [16] Lucic was named tournament MVP. [12] In 2023, the 2007 Giants team was inducted into the B.C. Hockey Hall of Fame. [17]

The Giants would set franchise records with 57 wins 119 points in 2008–09 and make consecutive runs to the Conference finals in 2009 and 2010. However, after the 2010, the team failed to win another playoff series until they returned to the championship final in 2019. During that stretch, Bonner stepped down as manager after 15 seasons, replaced first by Glen Hanlon and then, in 2018, by Barclay Parneta, who hired Michael Dyck as head coach. [18] [19] In the 2019 final, the Giants faced the regular season champion Prince Albert Raiders; the Giants fell behind in the series three games to one before forcing a decisive game seven in Prince Albert. [20] In game seven, the Raiders won 3–2 in overtime, marking the second game seven overtime defeat in the finals in Giants history. [21]

In 2022, the Giants made history by selecting Chloe Primerano in the thirteenth round of the WHL prospects draft, making Primerano the first-ever female skater selected in a Canadian Hockey League draft. [22]

In 2023, when Michael Dyck left the organization to join the professional ranks, the Giants hired Manny Viveiros as their new head coach. [19]

The Giants hosting the Seattle Thunderbirds in 2008. SeattleThunderbirds vs VancouverGiants.jpg
The Giants hosting the Seattle Thunderbirds in 2008.

Season-by-season record

Tyson Sexsmith and Michal Repik playing for the Giants in 2007. Sexsmith and Repik.jpg
Tyson Sexsmith and Michal Řepík playing for the Giants in 2007.
Game action between the Giants and the rival Victoria Royals in 2014. Royals vs Giants Jan 31 2014.jpg
Game action between the Giants and the rival Victoria Royals in 2014.

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties OTL = Overtime losses Pts, SOL = Shootout losses Pts, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

SeasonGPWLTOTLGFGAPointsFinishPlayoffs
2001–02 72134964198365365th B.C.Did not qualify
2002–03 72263754217292614th B.C.Lost Western Conference quarterfinal
2003–04 72332496215196812nd B.C.Lost Western Conference semifinal
2004–05 72343044212205763rd B.C.Lost Western Conference quarterfinal
2005–06 724719062521561001st B.C. Won Championship
2006–07 724517372451431001st B.C.Lost final; Won Memorial Cup
2007–08 724915262501551061st B.C.Lost Western Conference semifinal
2008–09 725710233191511191st B.C.Lost Western Conference final
2009–10 72412533267211881st B.C.Lost Western Conference final
2010–11 72353214236251752nd B.C.Lost Western Conference quarterfinal
2011–12 72402624255234862nd B.C.Lost Western Conference quarterfinal
2012–13 72214920197299445th B.C.Did not qualify
2013–14 72322974234248753rd B.C.Lost Western Conference quarterfinal
2014–15 72274122189251585th B.C.Did not qualify
2015–16 72234054199273555th B.C.Did not qualify
2016–17 72204633183296465th B.C.Did not qualify
2017–18 72362763233257813rd B.C.Lost Western Conference quarterfinal
2018–19 684815322281621011st B.C.Lost final
2019–20 62322442189166703rd B.C.Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2020–21 221210007159242nd B.C.No playoffs held due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021–22 68243950185254534th B.C.Lost Western Conference semifinal
2022–23 68283253188238643rd B.C.Lost Western Conference quarterfinal
2023–24 68323240222249683rd B.C.Lost Western Conference quarterfinal

Championship history

The Giants celebrating their Memorial Cup win on May 27, 2007. 2007 Memorial Cup celebration.JPG
The Giants celebrating their Memorial Cup win on May 27, 2007.

WHL Championship series

Memorial Cup finals

Players

NHL alumni

List of National Hockey League (NHL) alumni:[ citation needed ]

Ring of Honour

List of players on the team's Ring of Honour:[ citation needed ]

Team records

Team Records for a single season
StatisticTotalSeason
Most points119 2008–09
Fewest points36 2001–02
Most wins572008–09
Fewest wins132001–02
Most goals for3192008–09
Fewest goals for183 2016–17
Fewest goals against143 2006–07
Most goals against3652001–02
Individual player records for a single season
StatisticPlayerTotalSeason
Most goalsTy Ronning612017–18
Most assists Casey Pierro-Zabotel 792008–09
Most pointsCasey Pierro-Zabotel1152008–09
Most points, rookie Kevin Connauton 72 2009–10
Most points, defencemanKevin Connauton722009–10
Best GAA, goalie Tyson Sexsmith 1.79 2006–07
Goalies = minimum 1500 minutes played

Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game; * = current Giants player

Franchise scoring leaders [23]
PlayerPosGPGAPtsP/G
Brendan Gallagher RW2441361442801.15
Adam Courchaine C 2411261472731.13
Craig Cunningham LW295861362220.75
Ty Ronning RW285127912180.76
Mitch Bartley LW 2801071072140.76
Jonathon Blum D 248491552040.82
Darren Lynch RW213811212020.95
Jackson Houck RW268911071980.74
Gilbert Brule C16587981851.12
James Henry LW281621221840.66
Tyler Benson LW190611231840.97

Awards

WHL

Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy

Coach of the Year

CHL

See also

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References

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  18. ↑ Ewen, Steve (2018-05-22). "Giants name longtime Tri-City exec Parneta as their new GM". The Province. Archived from the original on 2018-05-26. Retrieved 2024-06-03.
  19. 1 2 Ewen, Steve (2023-08-24). "New Vancouver Giants coach Manny Viveiros is 'back to what I was' before cancer battle". The Province. Archived from the original on 2024-05-29. Retrieved 2024-06-03.
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  23. ↑ "Elite Prospects". Elite Prospects. Retrieved 2018-03-18.
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