Moose Jaw Warriors facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Moose Jaw Warriors |
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| City | Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan |
| League | Western Hockey League |
| Conference | Eastern |
| Division | East |
| Founded | 1980 |
| Home arena | Moose Jaw Events Centre |
| Colours | Red, white, black |
| General manager | Jason Ripplinger |
| Head coach | Mark O'Leary |
| Championships | Ed Chynoweth Cup 1 (2024) Conference Championships 2 (2005–06, 2023–24) |
| Franchise history | |
| 1980–1984 | Winnipeg Warriors |
| 1984–present | Moose Jaw Warriors |
The Moose Jaw Warriors are a major junior ice hockey team from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada. They play in the East Division of the Western Hockey League (WHL). Their home games are held at the Moose Jaw Events Centre. The team started in 1980 as the Winnipeg Warriors. In 1984, they moved to Moose Jaw. The Warriors won their first league championship in 2024.
Contents
Team History
Early Days of Junior Hockey
The Moose Jaw Canucks were one of the first teams in the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL) in 1966. They were the league's first champions. After two seasons, the WCHL was not allowed to compete for the Memorial Cup. So, the Canucks went back to the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League in 1968. Moose Jaw did not have a top-level junior hockey team after 1970.
Warriors Arrive in Moose Jaw
The Warriors team began as the Winnipeg Warriors in the 1980–81 WHL season. They played in Winnipeg Arena, sharing it with the National Hockey League's Winnipeg Jets. In 1984, the team moved to Moose Jaw. This brought major junior hockey back to the city after many years.
The Warriors played at the Moose Jaw Civic Centre for 26 seasons. This arena was also known as "The Crushed Can." In 2011, they moved to the new Mosaic Place. This arena is now called the Moose Jaw Events Centre.
Key Players and Achievements
In their first years in Moose Jaw, Theoren Fleury became a big star. He was one of the top scorers in the WHL. With players like Fleury, Kelly Buchberger, Mike Keane, and Lyle Odelein, the Warriors reached the playoffs. This was during the 1985–86 season.
The team won its first regular season division title in 2003–04. In 2005–06, led by Troy Brouwer and Dustin Boyd, they had their best regular season. They also made it to the championship series for the first time. However, they lost to the Vancouver Giants.
In 2017–18, the Warriors won their first Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy. This award is for the best regular season team. They had 50 wins and 100 points that season. They lost in the second round of the playoffs to the Swift Current Broncos.
Winning the Championship
The 2023–24 season was the Warriors' 40th year in Moose Jaw. They won their first Ed Chynoweth Cup, which is the league championship. Key players included Jagger Firkus, Denton Mateychuk, and Brayden Yager.
They beat the Saskatoon Blades in a tough seven-game series. Six of those games went into overtime, which was a WHL record. In the final, they swept the Portland Winterhawks in four straight games. This win earned them a spot in the 2024 Memorial Cup tournament. At their first Memorial Cup, they reached the semi-final. They were eliminated by the host team, the Saginaw Spirit.
Team Logo and Uniforms
The Warriors' first logo came from their time in Winnipeg. It showed a side-profile of a head wearing an Indigenous headdress. In 2020, the team decided to review their logo. This was because of concerns about using Indigenous images in sports.
In 2022, the team showed off a new logo. It is based on Moose Jaw's history with aviation. The city has strong ties to the Royal Canadian Air Force and the Snowbirds. The new logo features a CT-114 Tutor jet with the Snowbirds logo. The team kept its original colors: red, black, and white.
Season Records
This table shows how the Moose Jaw Warriors have performed each season.
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses, SOL = Shootout losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
| Season | GP | W | L | T | OTL | GF | GA | Points | Finish | Playoffs |
| 1984–85 | 72 | 21 | 50 | 1 | – | 320 | 438 | 43 | 7th East | Did not qualify |
| 1985–86 | 72 | 25 | 44 | 3 | – | 294 | 375 | 53 | 6th East | Lost East Division semifinal |
| 1986–87 | 72 | 38 | 31 | 3 | – | 366 | 321 | 79 | 4th East | Lost East Division semifinal |
| 1987–88 | 72 | 18 | 52 | 2 | – | 308 | 458 | 38 | 8th East | Did not qualify |
| 1988–89 | 72 | 27 | 42 | 3 | – | 318 | 372 | 57 | 6th East | Lost East Division semifinal |
| 1989–90 | 72 | 28 | 41 | 3 | – | 287 | 330 | 59 | 8th East | Did not qualify |
| 1990–91 | 72 | 31 | 39 | 2 | – | 336 | 369 | 64 | 6th East | Lost East Division semifinal |
| 1991–92 | 72 | 33 | 36 | 3 | – | 279 | 316 | 69 | 6th East | Lost East Division quarterfinal |
| 1992–93 | 72 | 27 | 42 | 3 | – | 277 | 346 | 57 | 8th East | Did not qualify |
| 1993–94 | 72 | 21 | 48 | 3 | – | 269 | 361 | 45 | 9th East | Did not qualify |
| 1994–95 | 72 | 39 | 32 | 1 | – | 315 | 275 | 79 | 4th East | Lost East Division semifinal |
| 1995–96 | 72 | 18 | 49 | 5 | – | 223 | 331 | 41 | 6th East | Did not qualify |
| 1996–97 | 72 | 36 | 29 | 7 | – | 278 | 240 | 79 | 4th East | Lost East Division semifinal |
| 1997–98 | 72 | 23 | 39 | 10 | – | 235 | 281 | 56 | 5th East | Lost Eastern Conference quarterfinal |
| 1998–99 | 72 | 39 | 31 | 2 | – | 292 | 262 | 80 | 3rd East | Lost Eastern Conference semifinal |
| 1999–00 | 72 | 25 | 34 | 9 | 4 | 221 | 259 | 63 | 3rd East | Lost Eastern Conference quarterfinal |
| 2000–01 | 72 | 34 | 29 | 4 | 5 | 287 | 291 | 77 | 3rd East | Lost Eastern Conference quarterfinal |
| 2001–02 | 72 | 30 | 34 | 6 | 2 | 226 | 239 | 68 | 3rd East | Lost Eastern Conference semifinal |
| 2002–03 | 72 | 36 | 22 | 11 | 3 | 266 | 208 | 86 | 2nd East | Lost Eastern Conference semifinal |
| 2003–04 | 72 | 41 | 22 | 8 | 1 | 209 | 172 | 91 | 1st East | Lost Eastern Conference semifinal |
| 2004–05 | 72 | 14 | 47 | 10 | 1 | 182 | 282 | 39 | 4th East | Lost Eastern Conference quarterfinal |
| Season | GP | W | L | OTL | SOL | GF | GA | Points | Finish | Playoffs |
| 2005–06 | 72 | 44 | 20 | 5 | 3 | 278 | 205 | 96 | 1st East | Lost final |
| 2006–07 | 72 | 28 | 41 | 3 | 0 | 217 | 271 | 59 | 5th East | Did not qualify |
| 2007–08 | 72 | 37 | 21 | 6 | 8 | 229 | 214 | 88 | 4th East | Lost Eastern Conference quarterfinal |
| 2008–09 | 72 | 19 | 50 | 1 | 2 | 198 | 352 | 41 | 6th East | Did not qualify |
| 2009–10 | 72 | 33 | 27 | 5 | 8 | 243 | 247 | 78 | 4th East | Lost Eastern Conference quarterfinal |
| 2010–11 | 72 | 40 | 26 | 2 | 4 | 245 | 240 | 86 | 2nd East | Lost Eastern Conference quarterfinal |
| 2011–12 | 72 | 45 | 19 | 6 | 2 | 258 | 213 | 98 | 1st East | Lost Eastern Conference final |
| 2012–13 | 72 | 25 | 36 | 4 | 7 | 182 | 249 | 61 | 4th East | Did not qualify |
| 2013–14 | 72 | 21 | 42 | 3 | 6 | 202 | 283 | 51 | 5th East | Did not qualify |
| 2014–15 | 72 | 32 | 35 | 4 | 1 | 221 | 266 | 69 | 4th East | Did not qualify |
| 2015–16 | 72 | 36 | 27 | 7 | 2 | 249 | 231 | 81 | 3rd East | Lost Eastern Conference semifinal |
| 2016–17 | 72 | 42 | 21 | 8 | 1 | 255 | 219 | 93 | 2nd East | Lost Eastern Conference quarterfinal |
| 2017–18 | 72 | 52 | 15 | 2 | 3 | 326 | 216 | 109 | 1st East | Lost Eastern Conference semifinal |
| 2018–19 | 68 | 40 | 20 | 6 | 2 | 234 | 192 | 88 | 3rd East | Lost Eastern Conference quarterfinal |
| 2019–20 | 62 | 14 | 44 | 4 | 0 | 146 | 291 | 32 | 6th East | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic |
| 2020–21 | 24 | 8 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 71 | 95 | 19 | 6th East | No playoffs were held due to COVID-19 pandemic |
| 2021–22 | 68 | 37 | 24 | 4 | 3 | 251 | 221 | 81 | 2nd East | Lost Eastern Conference semifinal |
| 2022–23 | 68 | 41 | 24 | 0 | 3 | 252 | 237 | 85 | 3rd East | Lost Eastern Conference semifinal |
| 2023–24 | 68 | 44 | 21 | 0 | 3 | 297 | 228 | 91 | 2nd East | Won Championship |
| 2024–25 | 68 | 15 | 45 | 6 | 2 | 189 | 308 | 38 | 6th East | did not Qualify |
Championships and Trophies
The Moose Jaw Warriors have won several important titles:
- Ed Chynoweth Cup (1): 2023–24 (League Champions)
- Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy (1): 2017–18 (Best Regular Season Team)
- Regular Season Division titles (4): 2003–04, 2005–06, 2011–12, 2017–18
- Conference Championships (2): 2005–06, 2023–24
WHL Championship Series
- 2005–06: Lost 0–4 to Vancouver Giants
- 2023–24: Won 4–0 against Portland Winterhawks
Famous Players
NHL Players from the Warriors
Many players who played for the Moose Jaw Warriors later played in the National Hockey League (NHL).
- Chris Armstrong
- Blair Atcheynum
- Scott Bailey
- Lonny Bohonos
- Johnny Boychuk
- Dustin Boyd
- Mike Brodeur
- Kyle Brodziak
- Troy Brouwer
- Curtis Brown
- Kelly Buchberger
- Frederic Chabot
- Joel Edmundson
- Deryk Engelland
- Tomas Fleischmann
- Theoren Fleury
- Owen Fussey
- Noah Gregor
- Travis Hamonic
- Matt Higgins
- Brett Howden
- Quinton Howden
- Daemon Hunt
- Tanner Jeannot
- Blair Jones
- Mike Keane
- Sheldon Kennedy
- Paul Kruse
- Pavel Kubina
- Dale Kushner
- Brooks Laich
- Darryl Laplante
- Reed Low
- Jamie Lundmark
- Masi Marjamaki
- Jim McKenzie
- Tomas Mojzis
- Lyle Odelein
- Nathan Paetsch
- Brayden Point
- Dale Purinton
- Morgan Rielly
- Aaron Rome
- Jiri Smejkal
- Kevin Smyth
- Ryan Smyth
- Martin Spanhel
- Rastislav Stana
- Ryan Stanton
- Brian Sutherby
- Dave Thomlinson
- Ryan Tobler
- Roman Vopat
- Jason Widmer
NLL Players from the Warriors
Kaleb Toth, a former Warrior, played thirteen seasons in the National Lacrosse League. He played for the Calgary Roughnecks and Toronto Rock. He was added to the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2022.
Team Records
These tables show some of the best team and individual player records for the Moose Jaw Warriors.
| Statistic | Total | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Most points | 109 | 2017–18 |
| Most wins | 52 | 2017–18 |
| Most goals for | 366 | 1986–87 |
| Fewest points for | 32 | 2019–20 |
| Fewest wins for | 14 | 2004–05/2019–20 |
| Fewest goals for | 146 | 2019–20 |
| Fewest goals against | 172 | 2003–04 |
| Most goals against | 458 | 1987–88 |
| Statistic | Player | Total | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most goals | Blair Atcheynum | 70 | 1988–89 |
| Most assists | Theoren Fleury | 92 | 1987–88 |
| Most points | Theoren Fleury | 160 | 1987–88 |
| Most points, rookie | Mark MacKay | 140 | 1984–85 |
| Most points, defenceman | Scott Schoneck | 76 | 1998–99 |
| Best GAA (goalie) | Mike Brodeur | 2.11 | 2003–04 |
| Goalies = minimum 1500 minutes played | |||
Awards Won by Warriors Players
Bob Clarke Trophy (WHL top scorer)
- Theoren Fleury: 1987–88
- Troy Brouwer: 2005–06
- Jayden Halbgewachs: 2017–18
- Jagger Firkus: 2023–24
Four Broncos Memorial Trophy (WHL player of the year)
- Dryden Hunt: 2015–16
- Jagger Firkus: 2023–24
WHL Playoff MVP
- Denton Mateychuk: 2023–24
Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy (WHL top defenceman)
- Kale Clague: 2017–18
- Denton Mateychuk: 2023–24
Del Wilson Trophy (WHL top goaltender)
- Ken Brown: 1966–67
Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy (WHL rookie of the year)
- Mark MacKay: 1984–85
- Donovan Nunweiler: 1996–97
- Brayden Tracey: 2018–19
- Brayden Yager: 2021–22
Doc Seaman Trophy (WHL scholastic player of the year)
- Brennen Wray: 2005–06
Brad Hornung Trophy (WHL most sportsmanlike)
- Blair Atcheynum: 1988–89
- Jason Bast: 2009–10
- Justin Almeida: 2018–19
- Brayden Yager: 2022–23
- Brayden Yager: 2023–24
See also
- List of ice hockey teams in Saskatchewan
- CILG (broadcasts Moose Jaw Warriors games)
- Ice hockey in Saskatchewan
