The Calgary Stampeders were a defunct ice hockey team that was based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The team existed from 1938 until 1972, playing in various senior amateur and minor professional leagues during that time. In 1946, the Stampeders captured the Allan Cup as Canadian senior hockey champions, the first Alberta based club to do so.

A team of this same name also played the 1978–79 season in the Western International Hockey League.

History

Senior hockey

The 1945–46 Stampeders were a powerhouse in the Western Canada Senior Hockey League (WCSHL). Led by Ken "Red" Hunter's then senior-amateur record 81 points, the Stamps finished first overall in the WCSHL with a 28–7–1 record, earning a bye into the league championship where they quickly dispatched the Edmonton Flyers four games to one. The Stamps then faced the Winnipeg Orioles for the Prairie championship. While Winnipeg's coach predicted his team would sweep Calgary in three games, it was instead the Stampeders who eliminated Winnipeg in three by scores of 5–1, 10–2 and 8–2. In the Western Canada final, the Stampeders once again easily handled their opponents, this time, the Trail Smoke Eaters. After tying the first two games, Calgary won the next two by 7–3 and 4–2 scores to reach the Allan Cup final against the Hamilton Tigers.

In 1946–47, the Stampeders once again reached the Allan Cup final. They were defeated, however, by the Montreal Royals. The deciding game was held in Quebec City in front of over 11,000 spectators.

As occurred frequently with senior hockey, growing concerns were surfacing regarding the status of players, as many teams were using former professionals in violation of the rules laid out by the Allan Cup committee. Many teams, including the Stampeders, were facing pressure to declare whether they were professional or amateur teams.

Professional hockey

Before the start of the 1951–52 season, the Stampeders, along with their provincial cousins, the Edmonton Flyers, officially turned professional, joining the Pacific Coast Hockey League, which was renamed the Western Hockey League (WHL) by the 1952–53 season. The WHL was the top professional league in Western Canada and the United States. The Stampeders became the minor-league affiliate of the Chicago Black Hawks.

The Stampeders quickly found success in the minor-pro ranks, winning the WHL title in 1953–54, defeating the Vancouver Canucks four games to one. The Stampeders then went on to face the Quebec Aces of the Quebec Hockey League in the Edinburgh Trophy for the championship of Canadian minor professional hockey. Calgary won the best-of-nine series in six games, with the clinching game held in Calgary, a 4–2 victory in front of 6,500 fans. in 1958, when they fell to the Canucks; and in 1959, falling to the Victoria Cougars. During this time, The Stampeders were one of the top draws in the league. Including all playoff games, the 1953–54 Stampeders drew over 300,000 fans in a city of 150,000. The Stampeders had also lost $90,000 during the season. Isolated in what was now a mostly Pacific coast league, Edmonton suspended operations along with Calgary. Neither team would ever resume operations, as the Flyers decided they could not be financially stable in the old Edmonton Gardens, and Calgary could not go it alone without an Edmonton team.

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  • Red Almas
  • Hub Anslow
  • Frank Ashworth
  • Doug Barkley
  • Ray Barry
  • Hank Bassen
  • Garry Bauman
  • Steve Black
  • Hank Blade
  • Chuck Blair
  • Dusty Blair
  • Gilles Boisvert
  • George Boothman
  • Harold Brown
  • Bill Burega
  • Dick Butler
  • Don Campbell
  • Hugh Coflin
  • Gerry Couture
  • Hugh Currie
  • Claude Cyr

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  • Bunny Dame
  • Tom Dewar
  • Ernie Dickens
  • Eddie Dorohoy
  • Marv Edwards
  • Roy Edwards
  • Aut Erickson
  • Sid Finney
  • Joe Fisher
  • Lee Fogolin Sr.
  • Ray Frederick
  • Howie Glover
  • Terry Gray
  • Bill Hay
  • Jack Hendrickson
  • Fred Hergerts
  • Wally Hergesheimer
  • Wayne Hicks
  • Cec Hoekstra
  • Fred Hucul
  • Ron Huston

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  • Lou Jankowski
  • Norm Johnson
  • Eddie Joyal
  • Bing Juckes
  • Alex Kaleta
  • Merv Kuryluk
  • Gus Kyle
  • Norm Larson
  • Joe Levandoski
  • Pat Lundy
  • Milan Marcetta
  • George McAvoy
  • Butch McDonald
  • Jim McFadden
  • John McKenzie
  • Jackie McLeod
  • Art Michaluk
  • John Michaluk
  • Larry Mickey
  • Jack Miller
  • Bill Moe

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  • Randy Murray
  • George Pargeter
  • Claude Pronovost
  • Max Quackenbush
  • Billy Reay
  • Gord Redahl
  • Dennis Riggin
  • Al Rollins
  • Fred Sasakamoose
  • Cliff Schmaultz
  • Enio Sclisizzi
  • Gary Simmons
  • Peter Slobodian
  • Doug Stevenson
  • Ken Stewart
  • Cy Thomas
  • Ed Van Impe
  • Don Ward
  • Arch Wilder
  • Bob Wilson
  • Steve Witiuk

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See also

  • Alberta-British Columbia Senior League
  • Ice hockey in Calgary
  • List of ice hockey teams in Alberta

References

Footnotes

General

  • Calgary Public Library article on Stampede Corral
  • Edmonton Oilers Heritage: Calgary Stampeders
  • hockeyleaguehistory.com WCSHL standings
  • hockeydb.com
  • 1946 Calgary Herald article celebrating Allan Cup victory