Swift Current Broncos

This article is about the current Western Hockey League team. For the defunct Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League team, see Swift Current Broncos (SJHL).

Swift Current Broncos
CitySwift Current, Saskatchewan
LeagueWestern Hockey League
ConferenceEastern
DivisionEast
Founded1967 (1967)
Home arenaInnovationPlex
ColoursBlue, green, white, black
       
General managerChad Leslie[1]
Head coachTaras McEwen[2]
Websitechl.ca/whl-broncos/
Franchise history
1967–1974Swift Current Broncos
1974–1986Lethbridge Broncos
1986–presentSwift Current Broncos
Championships
Regular season titles2 (1988–89, 1992–93)
Playoff championships
Current uniform

The Swift Current Broncos are a Canadian major junior ice hockey team based in Swift Current, Saskatchewan. Founded in 1967, the Broncos relocated to Lethbridge, Alberta in 1974, and were known as the Lethbridge Broncos, before returning to Swift Current in 1986. The team plays in the East Division of the Western Hockey League's Eastern Conference, and hosts games at Innovation Credit Union iPlex. Swift Current is the smallest city with a team in the WHL, and the second smallest across the entire Canadian Hockey League. The Broncos are three-time WHL playoff champions, and won the 1989 Memorial Cup. Before any of their championships, the Broncos were known for a 1986 team bus crash that resulted in the deaths of four players.

History

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Early years

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The Broncos were founded in 1967, joining the fledgling Western Canada Hockey League. The team, playing in the league's smallest city and in the brand new Centennial Civic Centre, struggled on the ice, posting losing records in its first six seasons.[3][4] The Broncos finally posted a winning record and won their first playoff series in 1973–74; however, struggling to stay afloat, the team's ownership relocated the club to Lethbridge, Alberta, home to a brand new arena, after the season.[5] A new Swift Current Broncos team was founded to play in the Tier II junior Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League starting that year. However, the community desired a return to top-flight junior hockey, and by 1986 close to 200 investors banded together to purchase the Lethbridge Broncos—who had won a league championship in 1983—and return them to Swift Current as a community-owned club.[6][7]

1986 team bus crash

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Main article: Swift Current Broncos bus crash

Only months into their first season back in Swift Current, on December 30, 1986, the Broncos' bus crashed in icy conditions on the way to a game in Regina.[8] Several players were injured and four players were killed: Trent Kresse, Scott Kruger, Chris Mantyka, and Brent Ruff.[6][9] Given the devastating tragedy, the team's board of directors discussed suspending operations for the remainder of the season. However, the players and coach, Graham James, voted to continue playing, and ultimately won out over a portion of the board that tried to suspend the team. The team refused professional counseling and turned down offers from other teams to loan players to the Broncos. The team called on prospects to fill out the roster and, led by star rookie Joe Sakic, who recorded 60 goals, earned the final playoff spot before bowing out in the first round.[9]

Since the bus crash, the team has worn a commemorative patch in remembrance of the four players killed. In memory of the players, the league renamed its annual award for best player the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy. On December 30, 2016—30 years after the crash—a two-metre tall granite memorial was unveiled at the crash site.[8]

Championships

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The Broncos rapidly improved over the following two seasons, culminating in a 55-win season in 1988–89, securing the club's first Scotty Munro Trophy for best regular season record, led by the likes of Brian Sakic, Dan Lambert, and Tim Tisdale. In the playoffs, the team went undefeated en route to capturing the President's Cup and the right to play in the 1989 Memorial Cup tournament, hosted in Saskatoon.[10] The Broncos lost their round-robin game against the Saskatoon Blades before facing the Blades in a re-match in the tournament final—it was the first ever Memorial Cup final contested between two teams from the WHL, let alone Saskatchewan.[11] Despite losing a late lead that sent the game to overtime, Tisdale scored the sudden-death winner to give the Broncos the national championship.[10] The final was played less than two-and-a-half years after the 1986 bus crash.

With Graham James still at the helm, the team remained competitive for several seasons, and captured a second league championship in 1992–93. At the 1993 Memorial Cup, the Broncos were eliminated in a tie-breaker.[12] After the season, James resigned and worked on establishing an expansion team, which became the Calgary Hitmen. However, three years later, allegations arose that he sexually abused Sheldon Kennedy and one other former player during their time with the Broncos in the late 1980s. James plead guilty and was ultimately convicted and sentenced to three years in prison; he would later plead guilty to sexually assaulting another Broncos player in the early 1990s, among others.[13]

After their 1993 league title, the Broncos would advance to just one more Conference Final before 2018, winning only a single playoff round between 2002 and 2017. 2017–18 saw the team post its most wins since 1992–93 and its fourth ever 100-point season. Led by Glenn Gawdin, Aleksi Heponiemi, and goaltender Stuart Skinner, the Broncos survived 7-game series against the Regina Pats and Moose Jaw Warriors, defeated the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the Conference Final, and then the Everett Silvertips in the Final for the Ed Chynoweth Cup and the Broncos' third league championship.[14] At the 2018 Memorial Cup, hosted in Regina, the Broncos were eliminated after dropping their three round-robin matches, including to the host Pats who avenged their playoff series loss.[15]

Logo and jerseys

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The Broncos' original logo featured a bucking bronco and horseshoe design with a blue and green colour scheme. The team minimized and then dropped green starting in 1995, before updating and adopting their original designs full-time in 2014.[16]

In November 2018, a jersey honouring both the Swift Current Broncos and the Humboldt Broncos—another Saskatchewan junior team deeply affected by a fatal bus crash that occurred in April of that year—was unveiled and worn by both teams.[17]

Like many junior teams, the Broncos frequently adopt limited-edition and special-event jerseys. In 2023, the team temporarily re-branded as the Lake Diefenbaker Slough Sharks, unveiling a new jersey featuring a northern pike logo.[18][19]

Season-by-season record

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

First Broncos (1967–1974)
Season GP W L T — GF GA Points Finish Playoffs
1967–68 60 16 38 6 – 242 343 38 9th Overall Did not qualify
1968–69 60 14 44 2 – 186 329 30 4th West Lost quarterfinal
1969–70 60 27 31 2 – 240 265 56 3rd West Lost quarterfinal
1970–71 66 24 40 2 – 229 290 50 4th West Lost quarterfinal
1971–72 68 25 42 1 – 242 311 51 5th East Did not qualify
1972–73 68 27 35 6 – 300 359 60 5th East Did not qualify
1973–74 68 35 24 9 – 240 306 79 3rd East Lost semifinal
Second Broncos (1986–present)
Season GP W L T OTL GF GA Points Finish Playoffs
1986–87 72 28 40 4 – 331 393 60 6th East Lost East Division quarterfinal
1987–88 72 44 26 2 – 388 312 90 4th East Lost East Division semifinal
1988–89 72 55 16 1 – 447 319 111 1st East Won Championship and Memorial Cup
1989–90 72 29 39 4 – 323 351 62 6th East Lost in first round
1990–91 72 40 29 3 – 369 351 83 3rd East Lost in first round
1991–92 72 35 33 4 – 296 313 74 5th East Lost East Division semifinal
1992–93 72 49 21 2 – 384 267 100 1st East Won Championship
1993–94 72 35 33 4 – 284 258 74 4th East Lost East Division semifinal
1994–95 72 31 34 7 – 274 284 69 6th East Lost in first round
1995–96 72 36 31 5 – 285 271 77 1st Central Lost in first round
1996–97 72 44 23 5 – 336 243 93 2nd East Lost Eastern Conference semifinal
1997–98 72 44 19 9 – 276 220 97 2nd East Lost Eastern Conference semifinal
1998–99 72 34 32 6 – 232 211 74 4th East Lost Eastern Conference quarterfinal
1999–2000 72 47 18 4 3 257 170 101 1st East Lost Eastern Conference semifinal
2000–01 72 43 20 7 2 275 215 95 1st East Lost Eastern Conference final
2001–02 72 42 17 6 7 274 218 97 2nd Central Lost Eastern Conference semifinal
2002–03 72 38 24 7 3 240 215 86 2nd Central Lost Eastern Conference quarterfinal
2003–04 72 36 29 7 0 234 209 79 4th Central Lost Eastern Conference quarterfinal
2004–05 72 22 41 6 3 135 218 53 5th Central Did not qualify
Season GP W L OTL SOL GF GA Pts Finish Playoffs
2005–06 72 24 34 6 8 175 242 62 4th Central Lost Eastern Conference quarterfinal
2006–07 72 33 36 1 2 199 241 69 3rd East Lost Eastern Conference quarterfinal
2007–08 72 41 24 1 6 244 205 89 3rd East Lost Eastern Conference semifinal
2008–09 72 42 28 1 1 258 220 86 3rd East Lost Eastern Conference quarterfinal
2009–10 72 37 30 1 4 231 232 79 3rd East Lost Eastern Conference quarterfinal
2010–11 72 26 44 0 2 181 260 54 6th East Did not qualify
2011–12 72 27 37 2 6 216 272 62 5th East Did not qualify
2012–13 72 36 29 3 4 206 193 79 3rd East Lost Eastern Conference quarterfinal
2013–14 72 38 25 3 6 248 229 85 2nd East Lost Eastern Conference quarterfinal
2014–15 72 34 33 1 4 221 245 73 3rd East Lost Eastern Conference quarterfinal
2015–16 72 24 38 7 3 189 249 58 5th East Did not qualify
2016–17 72 39 23 4 6 247 239 88 3rd East Lost Eastern Conference semifinal
2017–18 72 48 17 5 2 284 213 103 2nd East Won Championship
2018–19 68 11 51 4 2 135 301 28 6th East Did not qualify
2019–20 63 10 48 2 3 129 298 25 6th Central Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2020–21 24 6 16 2 0 72 108 14 7th East No playoffs were held due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021–22 68 26 35 5 2 181 246 59 4th Central Did not qualify
2022–23 68 31 33 1 3 227 242 66 5th Central Did not qualify
2023–24 68 40 22 4 2 286 239 86 1st Central Lost Eastern Conference semifinal

Championship history

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WHL Championship

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Memorial Cup Championship

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Players

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NHL alumni

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Retired numbers

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The Swift Current Broncos retired the jersey numbers of the four players who died in the 1986 team bus crash.[8]

# Player
8 Trent Kresse
9 Scott Krueger
11 Brent Ruff
22 Chris Mantyka

Coaches

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# Coach Years
1 Graham James 1986–1994
2 Todd McLellan 1994–2000
3 Brad McEwen 2000–2003
4 Randy Smith 2003–2004
5 Dean Chynoweth 2004–2009
6 Mark Lamb 2009–2016
7 Manny Viveiros 2016–2018
8 Dean Brockman 2018–2021
9 Devan Praught 2021–2023
† Taras McEwen 2023–present[20]
† Interim coach

Team records

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Team records for a single season[21]
Statistic Total Season
Most points 111 1988–89
Most wins 55 1988–89
Longest win streak 12 1988–89; 1992–93
Longest loss streak 18 2018–19
Most goals for 447 1988–89
Fewest goals for 135 2004–05
Fewest goals against 170 1999–00
Most goals against 393 1986–87
Individual player records for a single season[21]
Statistic Player Total Season
Most goals Jason Krywulak 81 1992–93
Most assists Terry Ruskowski 93 1973–74
Most points Jason Krywulak 162 1992–93
Most points, rookie Joe Sakic 133 1986–87
Most points, defenceman Dan Lambert 102 1988–89
Best GAA (goalie) Bryce Wandler 2.06 1999–00
Goalies = minimum 1500 minutes played
Career records[21]
Statistic Player Total Career
Most goals Todd Holt 216 1989–1994
Most assists Dan Lambert 244 1986–1990
Most points Todd Holt 423 1989–1994
Most penalty minutes Tiger Williams 854 1971–1974
Most games played Brent Twordik 342 1997–2002
Most saves (goalie) Kyle Moir 6,126 2002–2007
Most minutes (goalie) Kyle Moir 12,792 2002–2007

Awards

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Bob Clarke Trophy (WHL top scorer)

Four Broncos Memorial Trophy (WHL player of the year)

Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy (WHL rookie of the year)

Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy (WHL top defenceman)

Del Wilson Trophy (WHL top goaltender)

Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy (WHL coach of the year)

Doc Seaman Trophy (WHL scholastic player of the year)

Brad Hornung Trophy (WHL most smortsmanship)

WHL Playoff MVP (Awarded since 1992)

Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy (Memorial Cup MVP)

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Swift Current Broncos head coach and GM Dean Brockman steps down". CTV.ca. October 16, 2021.
  2. ^ "Broncos Remove Interim Tag from Head Coach Taras McEwen". Hockey Saskatchewan. August 28, 2024.
  3. ^ Lapp, Richard M.; White, Silas (1993). Local Heroes: A History of the Western Hockey League. Madeira Park, British Columbia: Harbour Publishing. p. 189. ISBN 1-55017-080-5.
  4. ^ Jordan, Kevin (October 14, 2019). "Swift Current Broncos". WHL Arena Guide. Archived from the original on December 9, 2022. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  5. ^ Spector, Mark (January 20, 2017). "What it takes to just not lose any money in Swift Current". Sportsnet. Archived from the original on January 22, 2017. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  6. ^ a b Culp, Leesa; Drinnan, Gregg; Wilkie, Bob (2012). Sudden Death: The Incredible Saga of the 1986 Swift Current Broncos. Toronto: Dundurn. p. 35. ISBN 978-1459705449.
  7. ^ Lapp & White. Local Heroes. pp. 191–192.
  8. ^ a b c "Memorial unveiled on 30th anniversary of crash that killed 4 Swift Current hockey players". CBC News. December 30, 2016. Archived from the original on December 31, 2016. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  9. ^ a b Joyce, Gare (December 30, 2006). "Denial of Death: Why has one small hockey town turned its back on the victims of its greatest tragedy?". E-Ticket: ESPN.com the Magazine. ESPN.
  10. ^ a b Morrison, Scott (February 6, 2019). "From Tragedy to Triumph: The story of the Swift Current Broncos". Sportsnet. Archived from the original on July 31, 2023. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  11. ^ Lapp, Richard; Macaulay, Alec (1997). The Memorial Cup: Canada's National Junior Hockey Championship. Madeira Park, B.C.: Harbour Publishing. pp. 236–239. ISBN 1-55017-170-4.
  12. ^ Lapp & Macaulay. The Memorial Cup. p. 257.
  13. ^ "Timeline of Graham James' legal history following decision to grant him full parole". CTV News. The Canadian Press. September 15, 2016. Archived from the original on September 16, 2016. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  14. ^ Nugent-Bowman, Daniel (May 19, 2018). "What winning means to teams in the CHL's tiniest markets". Sportsnet. Archived from the original on May 12, 2024. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  15. ^ McKenna, Ryan (May 24, 2018). "Nick Henry's hat trick helps Pats eliminate Broncos from Memorial Cup". CBC Sports. The Canadian Press. Archived from the original on May 27, 2018. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  16. ^ "Broncos Unveil NEW home and away Jerseys". Swift Current Broncos. June 3, 2014. Archived from the original on May 11, 2018. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  17. ^ Kepke, Cami (November 2, 2018). "'Swift and Bold': Broncos jersey designer honours players and his own Sask. roots". Global News. Archived from the original on November 2, 2018. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  18. ^ Paige, Ally (February 24, 2023). "Franchise Frenzy for Broncos limited time re-brand". Swift Current Online. Archived from the original on February 28, 2023. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  19. ^ Zammit, David (December 7, 2023). "Slough Sharks a boon for Broncos business". Swift Current Online. Archived from the original on December 8, 2023. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  20. ^ "McEwen named Broncos Interim Head Coach". chl.ca. November 29, 2021.
  21. ^ a b c "Swift Current Bronco Record Book". Swift Current Broncos. Archived from the original on November 11, 2023. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
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