Swift Current Broncos facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Swift Current Broncos
City	Swift Current, Saskatchewan
League	Western Hockey League
Conference	Eastern
Division	East
Founded	1967 (1967)
Home arena	InnovationPlex
Colours	Blue, green, white, black
General manager	Chad Leslie
Head coach	Taras McEwen
Championships	Ed Chynoweth Cup 3 (1989, 1993, 2018) Memorial Cup 1 (1989) conference championship 1 (2018)
Franchise history
1967–1974	Swift Current Broncos
1974–1986	Lethbridge Broncos
1986–present	Swift Current Broncos

The Swift Current Broncos are a major junior ice hockey team from Swift Current, Saskatchewan, Canada. The team started in 1967. In 1974, they moved to Lethbridge, Alberta, and were called the Lethbridge Broncos. They returned to Swift Current in 1986.

The Broncos play in the East Division of the Western Hockey League's Eastern Conference. Their home games are at the Innovation Credit Union iPlex. Swift Current is the smallest city with a team in the WHL. It is also the second smallest city in the entire Canadian Hockey League to host a team. The Broncos have won the WHL playoffs three times. They also won the 1989 Memorial Cup.

Team History

Starting Out

The Broncos began in 1967. They joined the new Western Canada Hockey League. The team played in the smallest city in the league. Their home arena was the new Centennial Civic Centre. For their first six seasons, the team did not win many games.

In the 1973–74 season, the Broncos finally had a winning record. They also won their first playoff series. However, the team was having financial problems. So, the owners moved the club to Lethbridge, Alberta. Lethbridge had a new arena. A new Swift Current Broncos team was then formed. This new team played in a lower junior league. But the community in Swift Current wanted a top-level junior hockey team back. By 1986, almost 200 investors worked together. They bought the Lethbridge Broncos. That team had won a league championship in 1983. They brought the team back to Swift Current as a community-owned club.

1986 Bus Accident

Just a few months after returning to Swift Current, a terrible accident happened. On December 30, 1986, the Broncos' bus crashed. This happened in icy conditions on the way to a game in Regina. Several players were hurt. Four players sadly died: Trent Kresse, Scott Kruger, Chris Mantyka, and Brent Ruff.

Because of this tragedy, the team's leaders thought about stopping play for the rest of the season. But the players and coach, Graham James, voted to keep playing. They decided to continue the season. The team did not accept professional counseling. They also turned down offers from other teams to lend them players. The team brought in new players to fill the roster. Led by star rookie Joe Sakic, who scored 60 goals, they made it to the playoffs. They lost in the first round.

Since the bus crash, the team has worn a special patch. This patch remembers the four players who died. The league also renamed its award for the best player. It is now called the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy. On December 30, 2016, 30 years after the crash, a granite memorial was put up. It stands two meters tall at the crash site.

Winning Championships

The Broncos got much better in the next two seasons. In the 1988–89 season, they won 55 games. This was their best regular season record ever. They won the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy. Key players included Brian Sakic, Dan Lambert, and Tim Tisdale. In the playoffs, they won every game. They captured the President's Cup. This win earned them a spot in the 1989 Memorial Cup tournament. It was held in Saskatoon.

The Broncos lost their first game in the tournament. They played against the Saskatoon Blades. But they met the Blades again in the final game. This was the first Memorial Cup final between two teams from the WHL. It was also the first between two teams from Saskatchewan. The Broncos lost their lead late in the game. This sent the game into overtime. Then, Tim Tisdale scored the winning goal. This gave the Broncos the national championship. This big win happened less than two and a half years after the 1986 bus crash.

The team stayed strong for several seasons. They won a second league championship in the 1992–93 season. At the 1993 Memorial Cup, the Broncos were eliminated in a tie-breaker game.

After their 1993 league title, the Broncos reached only one more Conference Final before 2018. They won only one playoff round between 2002 and 2017. The 2017–18 season was a great one. The team had its most wins since 1992–93. They also reached 100 points for the fourth time. Key players were Glenn Gawdin, Aleksi Heponiemi, and goalie Stuart Skinner. The Broncos won two tough 7-game series. They beat the Regina Pats and Moose Jaw Warriors. Then they defeated the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the Conference Final. Finally, they beat the Everett Silvertips in the Final. This earned them the Ed Chynoweth Cup. It was the Broncos' third league championship. At the 2018 Memorial Cup, held in Regina, the Broncos were eliminated. They lost all three of their round-robin matches. This included a loss to the host Pats, who got revenge for their playoff series loss.

Team Look

Logo and Jerseys

The Broncos' first logo had a bucking bronco and a horseshoe. It used blue and green colors. The team used less green starting in 1995. Then they stopped using green for a while. In 2014, they updated their original designs. They now use them full-time.

In November 2018, a special jersey was shown. It honored both the Swift Current Broncos and the Humboldt Broncos. The Humboldt Broncos are another junior team from Saskatchewan. They were also affected by a fatal bus crash in April 2018. Both teams wore this special jersey.

Like many junior teams, the Broncos often wear special jerseys. These are for limited-time events. In 2023, the team temporarily changed its name. They became the Lake Diefenbaker Slough Sharks. They showed off a new jersey with a northern pike fish logo.

Season Records

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

Championship Wins

• Memorial Cup: 1989
• Ed Chynoweth Cup (3): 1988–89, 1992–93, 2017–18
• Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy (2): 1988–89, 1992–93
• Regular Season Division Champions (6): 1988–89, 1992–93, 1995–96, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2023–24

WHL Championship Games

• 1988–89: Won, 4–0 against Portland Winter Hawks
• 1992–93: Won, 4–3 against Portland Winter Hawks
• 2017–18: Won, 4–2 against Everett Silvertips

Memorial Cup Championship Game

• 1989: Won, 4–3 (in overtime) against Saskatoon Blades

Players

Players Who Played in the NHL

Retired Jersey Numbers

The Swift Current Broncos have retired the jersey numbers of the four players. These players died in the 1986 team bus crash.

Coaches

Team Records

Awards Won by Broncos Players and Coaches

See also

• Ice hockey in Saskatchewan
• List of ice hockey teams in Saskatchewan