Whitecourt Wolverines (2008–2012)

Last updated
Whitecourt Wolverines
WhitecourtWolverines.jpg
City Whitecourt, Alberta, Canada
League NWJHL
Founded2007
Home arenaScott Safety Centre [1]
ColoursBlack, Vegas Gold, White
   
General manager Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Brent Stark [2]
Head coach Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Normand Lacombe [2]
Website www.whitecourtwolverines.com
Franchise history
2008–2012Whitecourt Wolverines

The Whitecourt Wolverines were a junior "B" ice hockey team based in Whitecourt, Alberta, Canada. They were members of the North West Junior Hockey League (NWJHL) and played their home games out of the Scott Safety Centre. [1]

Contents

History

Founded in August 2007, the Wolverines played their inaugural season in 2007–08, appearing in the league finals, losing in the seventh game to the Peace River Navigators. [1]

The Wolverines have appeared in the NWJHL finals in each of its five seasons. Its four consecutive championships from 2008–09 to 2011–12 is a league record for consecutive championships by a team. [3] The team also holds the league record for most championships by a team. [3]

The Wolverines won silver medals in the 2008–09 and 2009–10 Hockey Alberta Junior "B" Provincial Championships, [1] losing to the Russ Barnes Trophy winners Lloydminster Bandits and Beaumont Chiefs respectively. After losing in the bronze medal game in 2010–11, [4] the team defeated the host Okotoks Bisons in the gold medal game in 2011–12 to win its first provincial title. [5] The team proceeded to the Keystone Cup tournament where it took home the bronze medal. [6]

On May 2, 2012, shortly after its first Keystone Cup appearance, the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) announced it approved a request to relocate the St. Albert Steel from St. Albert to Whitecourt for play in the 2012–2013 season. As a result, the junior "B" Wolverines disbanded and relinquished its team name to the relocated AJHL franchise, the Whitecourt Wolverines. [7]

Season-by-season record

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, OTL = Overtime Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes

SeasonGPWLOTLPtsGFGAPIMFinishPlayoffs
2007–08Lost in Final, 3-4 (Navigators) [1]
2008–0935323064247921,2251st, NWJHLNWJHL Champions, 4-0 (Huskies) [8]
2009–10 [9] 35341068228801,344 [10] 1st, NWJHLNWJHL Champions, 4-0 (Wheelers)
2010-11 [11] 3533206621650730 [12] 1st, NWJHLNWJHL Champions, 4-2 (Navigators)
2011–12 [13] 36278155211881,159 [14] 3rd, NWJHLNWJHL Champions, 4-0 (Navigators) [15]

Awards and trophies

NWJHL championship

Provincial championship

Keystone Cup western Canada championship

Honoured members

The number 22 was retired for Elias Lachance at the start of the 2011–12 season. [17] Lachance, who played for the Wolverines during its 2008–09 and 2009–10 seasons, [17] died in a car accident in 2011. [18]

See also

Related Research Articles

Whitecourt Town in Alberta, Canada

Whitecourt is a town in central Alberta, Canada that is surrounded by Woodlands County. It is approximately 177 km (110 mi) northwest of Edmonton and 279 km (173 mi) southeast of Grande Prairie at the junction of Highway 43 and Highway 32. It has an elevation of 690 m (2,260 ft).

Canadian Junior Hockey League

The Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) is an association of Canadian junior A ice hockey leagues and teams and was formed in November 1993, emerging from the Canada West Association of Junior 'A' Hockey. The champion of the Canadian Junior Hockey League wins the Centennial Cup.

Heritage Junior B Hockey League

The Heritage Junior B Hockey League (HJHL) is a Junior B ice hockey league in Alberta, Canada, sanctioned by Hockey Canada. The HJHL was founded in 1987 and is made up of teams from southern and central Alberta. The HJHL is the largest Junior B league in the province, with 16 teams. The top two teams qualify for the Alberta Provincial Junior B Hockey Championship, whose winner had an option to compete in the Keystone Cup.

Lakehead Junior Hockey League

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Okotoks Oilers

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Brooks Bandits

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Fort Saskatchewan Traders

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Thunder Bay Northern Hawks

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Calgary Junior Hockey League

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North West Junior Hockey League

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Normand Lacombe is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right wing. He was drafted in the first round, 10th overall, by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft.

St. Albert Steel

The St. Albert Steel were an ice hockey team in the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL). They played in St. Albert, Alberta, Canada at Servus Place with a seating capacity of 2,044. The team relocated to Whitecourt in the 2012 off-season to become the Whitecourt Wolverines.

Alberta Junior Hockey League Ice hockey league in Alberta, Canada

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. There are currently 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 Doyle Cup series, which determines the Pacific region berth in the national Junior A championship, the Centennial Cup.

North Peace Navigators

The North Peace Navigators are a junior "B" ice hockey team based in Peace River, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the North West Junior Hockey League (NWJHL). They play their home games at Baytex Energy Centre.

Whitecourt Wolverines Canadian junior ice hockey team

The Whitecourt Wolverines are a junior "A" ice hockey team in North Division of the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) based in Whitecourt, Alberta, Canada. The 2012–13 season was their inaugural season in Whitecourt.

Fairview Flyers

The Fairview Flyers are a junior "B" ice hockey team based in Fairview, Alberta, Canada. The team is a member of the North West Junior Hockey League and the 2012-13 season was their inaugural season.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "About Us". Whitecourt Wolverines. Retrieved 2012-03-31.
  2. 1 2 "Front Office". Whitecourt Wolverines. Retrieved 2012-03-31.
  3. 1 2 Brigette Jobin (2012-03-28). "League records set". Whitecourt Star . Sun Media Corporation . Retrieved 2012-03-31.
  4. "Alberta Hockey provincials update". Whitecourt Wolverines. Retrieved 2012-04-08.
  5. 1 2 Remy Greer (2012-04-08). "Wolverines beat Bisons 5-1 in provincial final". Okotoks Western Wheel. Great West Newspapers LP. Retrieved 2012-04-08.
  6. 1 2 Brigette Jobin (2012-04-25). "Wolverines prove to be one of Canada's best". Whitecourt Star. Sun Media Corporation. Retrieved 2012-04-27.
  7. "AJHL Moving to Whitecourt, Alberta". Alberta Junior Hockey League. 2012-05-02. Retrieved 2012-05-03.
  8. "Wolverines win NWJHL Championship in four straight". North West Junior Hockey League. Retrieved 2012-10-24.
  9. "North West Junior Hockey League: 2009–10 Standings". North West Junior Hockey League. Retrieved 2012-10-24.
  10. "North West Junior Hockey League: Individual Team Stats, 2009–10 (Whitecourt Wolverines)". North West Junior Hockey League. Retrieved 2012-10-24.
  11. "North West Junior Hockey League: 2010-11 Standings". North West Junior Hockey League. Retrieved 2012-10-24.
  12. "North West Junior Hockey League: Individual Team Stats, 2010-11 (Whitecourt Wolverines)". North West Junior Hockey League. Retrieved 2012-10-24.
  13. "North West Junior Hockey League: 2011-12 Standings". North West Junior Hockey League. Retrieved 2012-10-24.
  14. "North West Junior Hockey League: Individual Team Stats, 2011-12 (Whitecourt Wolverines)". North West Junior Hockey League. Retrieved 2012-10-09.
  15. "Bracket". North West Junior Hockey League. Retrieved 2012-10-24.
  16. "Wolverines win N.W.J.H.L championship". Whitecourt Wolverines. 2012-03-23. Retrieved 2012-03-31.
  17. 1 2 "Team History". Whitecourt Wolverines. Retrieved 2012-10-09.
  18. Stuart Thomson (2011-09-29). "New foundation will honour former Wolverines player". Whitecourt Star. Canoe Sun Media . Retrieved 2012-10-24.