Spruce Grove Saints

Spruce Grove Saints
CitySpruce Grove, Alberta
LeagueBritish Columbia Hockey League
ConferenceInterior
DivisionEast
Founded1963 (1963)
Home arenaGrant Fuhr Arena
ColoursNavy blue, white and gold
     
Owner(s)Silent Ice (Dan Leckelt, Lindsay Leckelt, Ryan Smyth)
General managerRob Sklaruk
Head coachRyan Marsh
Websitesgsaints.ca
Franchise history
1963–1965Edmonton Canadians
1965–1972Edmonton Movers
1972–1974Edmonton Mets
1974–1977Spruce Grove Mets
1977–2004St. Albert Saints
2004–presentSpruce Grove Saints
Previous franchise history
1963–1972Edmonton Maple Leafs

The Spruce Grove Saints are a Junior ice hockey team in the BCHL. They play in Spruce Grove, Alberta, Canada, with home games at the Grant Fuhr Arena. The team was originally a member of the AJHL and joined the BCHL in 2024.

History

Prior to their 2024 departure, the Saints' franchise was the only franchise remaining from the inception of the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL). The franchise began as the Edmonton Movers in 1963 before it merged with the Edmonton Maple Leafs organization to become the Edmonton Mets for the 1972–73 season. It then relocated to Spruce Grove as the Spruce Grove Mets for the 1974–75 season. During its first stint in Spruce Grove, the Mets won the 1975 Centennial Cup as Canadian Jr. A national champions and two league championships. After three years in Spruce Grove, the franchise relocated again to nearby St. Albert to become the St. Albert Saints in 1977. The franchise captured four AJHL championships during its time in St. Albert.

After 27 years in St. Albert, arena issues caused the franchise to return to Spruce Grove as the Spruce Grove Saints in 2004. Since returning to Spruce Grove, the team has won five AJHL playoff championships and five regular season titles, but have not advanced to the National Junior A Championship after failing to advance past the Doyle Cup or Western Canada Cup qualifiers.

On January 20, 2024, it was announced that the team, along with four other AJHL teams, would join the BCHL in the 2024-2025 season.[1] The AJHL responded to the announcement by cancelling most of the five teams' remaining scheduled matches except those between each other. It was then decided that the five Alberta-based teams would play out the rest of the 2023-24 season as a separate division under the aegis of the BCHL.[2]

Over 50 former Saints' players have gone on to play in the National Hockey League, including Mark Messier, Stu Barnes, Mike Comrie, and Steven Reinprecht.

Season-by-season record

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

Season GP W L T/OTL Pts GF GA Finish Playoffs
2004–05 64 42 16 6 90 208 147 2nd North Won Preliminary series, 3–0 vs. Lloydminster Blazers
Lost Quarterfinals, 2–4 vs. Drayton Valley Thunder
2005–06 60 39 18 3 81 197 160 3rd North Won Preliminary series, 3–0 vs. Fort Saskatchewan Traders
Won Quarterfinals, 4–3 vs. Drayton Valley Thunder
Lost Semifinals, 2–4 vs. Camrose Kodiaks
2006–07 60 32 20 8 72 213 186 3rd North Won Preliminary series, 3–2 vs. Bonnyville Pontiacs
Lost Quarterfinals, 1–4 vs. Grande Prairie Storm
2007–08 62 34 16 12 80 248 203 3rd North Won Preliminary series, 3–0 vs. Lloydminster Bobcats
Won Quarterfinals, 4–3 vs. Grande Prairie Storm
Lost Semifinals, 1–4 vs. Fort McMurray Oil Barons
2008–09 62 46 7 9 101 274 139 1st North Won Div. Semifinals, 4–1 vs. Fort McMurray Oil Barons
Won Div. Finals, 4–0 vs. Olds Grizzlys
Lost AJHL Finals, 0–4 vs. Grande Prairie Storm
2009–10 60 52 4 4 108 252 99 1st North Won Div. Semifinals, 4–0 vs. Bonnyville Pontiacs
Won Div. Finals, 4–1 vs. Camrose Kodiaks
Won AJHL Championship, 4–3 vs. Fort McMurray Oil Barons
Lost Doyle Cup, 3–4 vs. Vernon Vipers (BCHL)
2010–11 60 48 8 4 100 233 106 1st North Won Div. Semifinals, 4–0 vs. Lloydminster Bobcats
Won Div. Finals, 4–0 vs. Fort McMurray Oil Barons
Won AJHL Championship, 4–1 vs. Camrose Kodiaks
Lost Doyle Cup, 3–4 vs. Vernon Vipers (BCHL)
2011–12 60 46 6 8 100 214 129 1st North Won Div. Semifinals, 4–0 vs. Drayton Valley Thunder
Lost Div. Finals, 3–4 vs. Fort McMurray Oil Barons
2012–13 60 35 16 9 79 181 157 1st North Won Div. Semifinals, 4–2 vs. Sherwood Park Crusaders
Won Div. Finals, 4–1 vs. Whitecourt Wolverines
Lost AJHL Finals, 1–4 vs. Brooks Bandits
2013–14 60 47 10 3 97 235 135 1st North Won Div. Semifinals, 4–3 vs. Sherwood Park Crusaders
Won Div. Finals, 4–3 vs. Fort McMurray Oil Barons
Won AJHL Championship, 4–0 vs. Drumheller Dragons
Did not advance in 2014 Western Canada Cup
2014–15 60 48 7 5 101 254 121 1st North Won Div. Semifinals, 4–2 vs. Sherwood Park Crusaders
Won Div. Finals, 4–2 vs. Bonnyville Pontiacs
Won AJHL Championship, 4–2 vs. Brooks Bandits
Did not advance in 2015 Western Canada Cup
2015–16 60 49 7 4 101 263 123 1st North Won Div. Semifinals, 4–0 vs. Sherwood Park Crusaders
Won Div. Finals, 4–1 vs. Lloydminster Bobcats
Lost AJHL Finals, 1–4 vs. Brooks Bandits
2016–17 60 40 18 2 82 198 145 3rd North Won Div. Quarterfinals, 3–0 vs. Drayton Valley Thunder
Lost Div. Semifinals, 3–4 vs. Whitecourt Wolverines
2017–18 60 47 10 3 97 262 138 1st of 8, North
2nd of 16, AJHL		 Won Div. Semifinals, 4–0 vs. Grande Prairie Storm
Won Div. Finals, 4–0 vs. Whitecourt Wolverines
Won AJHL Championship, 4–1 vs. Okotoks Oilers
Lost Doyle Cup, 4–1 vs. Wenatchee Wild (BCHL)
2018–19 60 40 17 3 83 204 141 3rd of 8, North
4th of 16, AJHL		 Won Div. Quarterfinals, 3–1 vs. Drayton Valley Thunder
Won Div. Semifinals, 4–0 vs. Bonnyville Pontiacs
Won Div. Finals, 4–2 vs. Sherwood Park Crusaders
Lost AJHL Finals, 4–0 vs. Brooks Bandits
2019–20 58 43 13 2 88 246 155 2nd of 8, North
4th of 15, AJHL		 Won Div. Quarterfinals, 4–2 vs. Grande Prairie Storm
Postseason cancelled

Western Canada Cup

The Western Canada Cup was a postseason tournament between the playoff champions of the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL), British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL), Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL), Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL), and a previously selected host team from one of the leagues. It ran from 2013 to 2017 with the top two teams qualifying for the Royal Bank Cup Junior A national championship tournament. It replaced the Doyle Cup, which had been the qualifier for the AJHL and BCHL champions, and the ANAVET Cup, which had been the qualifier for the MJHL and SJHL champions. The qualifying system reverted the Doyle and ANAVET Cups in 2018.

The tournament began with round-robin play between the five team followed by the top two teams playing in championship game and the third and fourth place teams playing in a semifinal game. The loser of the championship game then faced the winner of the semifinal game for the runner-up qualifier. The winner of the championship and the runner-up game advanced to the Royal Bank Cup.

Year Round-robin Record Standing Semifinal Championship game Runner-up game
2014 L, 2–4 vs. Dauphin Kings (Host)
L, 1–3 vs. Coquitlam Express (BCHL)
OTW, 3–2 vs. Yorkton Terriers (SJHL)
W, 5–3 vs. Winnipeg Blues (MJHL)		 2–2–0
(W–L–OTL)		 3rd of 5 W, 5–3 vs. Coquitlam Express — L, 2–4 vs. Dauphin Kings
2015 L, 3–11 vs. Penticton Vees (BCHL)
OTL, 3–4 vs. Melfort Mustangs (SJHL)
L, 4–5 vs. Fort McMurray Oil Barons (Host)
L, 2–4 vs. Portage Terriers (MJHL)		 0–4
(W–L)		 5th of 5 Did not advance

See also

References

  1. ^ "BCHL agrees to terms with five Alberta-based teams". bchl.ca. 20 January 2024. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  2. ^ "BCHL announces finalized franchise agreements and integration with five Alberta-based teams". bchl.ca. British Columbia Hockey League. February 2024. Retrieved 2 February 2024.