Red Deer Rustlers
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| Red Deer Rustlers | |
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| City: | Red Deer, Alberta |
| League: | Alberta Junior Hockey League |
| Division: | South |
| Operated: | 1967-89 |
The Red Deer Rustlers were a Junior A ice hockey team in the Alberta Junior Hockey League based in Red Deer, Alberta. They captured the inaugural Centennial Trophy in 1971. Their eight AJHL championships remains the second most in league history, behind the Calgary Canucks nine championships.
- Division titles won: 1982-83, 83-84, 84-85, 88-89
- Regular season titles won: 1970-71, 73-74, 79-80, 84-85, 88-89
- League Championships won: 1970, 71, 72, 74, 80, 85, 87, 89
- Doyle Cup Titles: none (captured 3 AB/BC titles before the creation of the Doyle Cup)
- Centennial Trophy Titles: 1971, 80
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[edit] History
The Rustlers joined the AJHL in 1967 on the orders of the Alberta Amateur Hockey Association, which blocked their attempt at joining the Western Canada Hockey League as an expansion team.[1] The Rustlers would quickly rise to the top of the AJHL, capturing four league titles in five years between 1970 and 1974. In 1971, they captured the first Centennial Trophy as Canadian Junior A national champions.[2] The Rustlers repeated that feat in 1980.
During this time, the Rustlers developed many players who would go onto play major-junior or college hockey, while 20 ultimately played in the National Hockey League. Among them were all six members of the Sutter family to play in the NHL: Brian, Darryl, Duane, Brent, Ron and Rich.[3] Gary Sutter, the seventh, and only, brother not to play in the NHL turned down an invitation to play for the Rustlers in 1972.[4]
In 1989, after winning their eighth league championship, the Rustlers were expelled from the league for violating its by-laws.[5] The team remained suspended until 1992 when it officially folded, making room for the Red Deer Rebels, as the central Alberta city finally joined the WHL.
[edit] Season-by-season record
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
| Season | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | Points | Finish | Playoffs |
| 1967-68 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | --- | |
| 1968-69 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | --- | |
| 1969-70 | 50 | 26 | 16 | 8 | 222 | 185 | 60 | 2nd overall | Won championship |
| 1970-71 | 50 | 30 | 11 | 9 | 216 | 172 | 69 | 1st overall | Won championship and Centennial Trophy |
| 1971-72 | 48 | 33 | 15 | 0 | 264 | 174 | 66 | 2nd overall | Won championship |
| 1972-73 | 60 | 43 | 15 | 2 | 366 | 234 | 88 | 2nd overall | Lost final |
| 1973-74 | 60 | 39 | 18 | 3 | 329 | 240 | 81 | 1st overall | Won championship |
| 1974-75 | 60 | 26 | 32 | 2 | 267 | 299 | 54 | 5th overall | |
| 1975-76 | 60 | 31 | 28 | 1 | 358 | 319 | 63 | 3rd overall | |
| 1976-77 | 60 | 41 | 18 | 1 | 375 | 267 | 83 | 2nd overall | |
| 1977-78 | 60 | 28 | 32 | 0 | 309 | 308 | 56 | 5th overall | |
| 1978-79 | 60 | 16 | 44 | 0 | 243 | 352 | 32 | 6th overall | |
| 1979-80 | 60 | 49 | 9 | 2 | 392 | 214 | 100 | 1st overall | Won championship and Centennial Trophy |
| 1980-81 | 60 | 32 | 28 | 0 | 278 | 250 | 64 | 3rd North | |
| 1981-82 | 60 | 34 | 23 | 3 | 288 | 261 | 71 | 2nd South | |
| 1982-83 | 60 | 35 | 22 | 3 | 317 | 261 | 73 | 1st South | |
| 1983-84 | 60 | 34 | 25 | 1 | 300 | 266 | 69 | 1st South | Lost final |
| 1984-85 | 60 | 39 | 20 | 1 | 275 | 222 | 79 | 1st South | Won championship |
| 1985-86† | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | --- | |
| 1986-87 | 60 | 31 | 28 | 1 | 302 | 306 | 63 | 2nd South | Won championship |
| 1987-88 | 60 | 41 | 17 | 2 | 357 | 246 | 84 | 2nd South | |
| 1988-89 | 60 | 39 | 18 | 3 | 285 | 202 | 81 | 1st South | Won championship |
†Team granted a one year leave of absence in 1985-86. They would re-emerge in 1986-87 under new ownership.
[edit] NHL alumni
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[edit] See also
[edit] References
General
- Alberta Junior Hockey League website
- AJHL Annual Guide & Record Book 2006-07
Footnotes
- ^ AJHL history: the 1960s. Alberta Junior Hockey League. Retrieved on 2006-12-16.
- ^ (2006) AJHL Annual Guide & Record Book 2006-07. Hockey Now Communications Ltd., 70.
- ^ (2006) AJHL Annual Guide & Record Book 2006-07. Hockey Now Communications Ltd., 98.
- ^ Francis, Eric. "Big brother is watching", Calgary Sun, 2004-02-06. Retrieved on 2006-12-16.
- ^ AJHL history: the 1980s. Alberta Junior Hockey League. Retrieved on 2006-12-16.
| Defunct Alberta Junior Hockey League teams |
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| Calgary Buffaloes | Calgary Cowboys | Calgary Spurs | Crowsnest Pass Timberwolves | Drumheller Falcons | Edmonton Crusaders | Edmonton Maple Leafs | Edmonton Mets | Edmonton Safeway Canadians | Hobbema Hawks | Lethbridge Sugar Kings | Mount Royal College Cougars | Ponoka Stampeders | Red Deer Rustlers | St. Albert Saints | Spruce Grove Mets | The Pass Red Devils | Taber Golden Suns | |
| CJAHL | Doyle Cup | Royal Bank Cup |
