Grande Prairie Storm

Grande Prairie Storm
City Grande Prairie, Alberta
League Alberta Junior Hockey League
Division North
Founded 1966
Home arena Canada Games Arena
Colours Navy blue, yellow and white
General manager Kevin Higo (2014)
Head coach Kevin Higo (2014)
Franchise history
1966 - 19xx Grande Prairie Jr. Athletics
19xx - 1989 Grande Prairie North Stars
1991 - 1995 Grande Prairie Chiefs
1995 - present Grande Prairie Storm

The Grande Prairie Storm are an ice hockey team in the Alberta Junior Hockey League. They play in Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada at the Canada Games Arena, capacity 3228, also known as the Crystal Centre.

Founded: Circa 1975
First AJHL Season: 1996-97
Division titles won: 2003-04
League Championships won: 2004, 2009
Doyle Cup Titles: None
Royal Bank Cup Titles: None

History

The Grande Prairie North Stars were members of the Peace Junior B Hockey League in the early 1970s. When the Quesnel Millionaires and Prince George Spruce Kings joined the league in 1975, the league became the Peace-Cariboo Junior Hockey League. In 1980, the league was promoted to Junior A and the North Stars with it. The North Stars were not financially strong and ended up sitting out two years (1989-1991). They came back as the Grande Prairie Chiefs in 1991, but the league had brought in teams from the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League and reformed as the Rocky Mountain Junior Hockey League.

The Grande Prairie Storm franchise is the successor to the Grande Prairie Chiefs of the Rocky Mountain Junior Hockey League. The Storm came into being after a community led group bought the team with the goal of paying off its $150,000 in debts, and restoring junior A hockey to prominence in the Peace Country. Already having a brand new arena, the Canada Games Arena, built for the 1995 Canada Winter Games.

In 1996, the Storm jumped to the AJHL, where they have competed since. The Storm have never failed to qualify for the post season until 2014. In 2004, the Storm won their first AJHL championship. They also hosted the Royal Bank Cup tournament that season, however they failed to win the Canadian national championship.

The Storm have been a major success off the ice as well, as the franchise perennially leads the AJHL in attendance, and often leads the entire Canadian Junior A Hockey League in attendance.[1] The Storm broke the previous attendance record for the Royal Bank Cup by over 9000 fans in 2004.

Season-by-season record

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

Year GP W L T/OTL SOL Points GF GA Finish Playoffs
1975-76 39 28 11 0 - 56 217 159 1st, PC Jr. B Lost in Finals, 1-4 (Spruce Kings)
1976-77 40 17 23 0 - 34 179 216 4th, PC Jr. B
1977-78 40 21 19 0 - 42 203 164 3rd, PC Jr. B
1978-79 35 13 21 1 - 27 231 254 5th, PC Jr. B
1979-80 48 27 21 0 - 54 296 239 5th, PC Jr. B Lost in Semifinals (Golden Hawks)
1980-81 40 17 23 0 - 34 180 207 5th, PCJHL Did not qualify
1981-82 56 37 19 0 - 78 367 234 2nd, PCJHL Lost in Finals, 1-4 (Spruce Kings)
1982-83 Did Not Participate
1983-84 50 22 27 1 - 45 278 273 3rd, PCJHL Lost in Semifinals, 0-4 (Mustangs)
1984-85 48 20 27 1 - 41 248 274 4th, PCJHL Lost in Semifinals, 2-4 (Huskies)
1985-86 50 26 24 0 - 52 281 288 4th, PCJHL Lost in Semifinals, 0-4 (Spruce Kings)
1986-87 48 28 20 0 - 56 284 247 3rd, PCJHL Lost in Finals, 2-4 (Millionaires)
1987-88 50 38 12 0 - 76 346 189 1st, PCJHL PCJHL Champions, 4-3 (Spruce Kings)
1988-89 52 40 12 0 - 80 333 180 1st, PCJHL Lost in Finals, 1-4 (Mustangs)
1989-91 Did Not Participate
1991-92 52 13 37 2 - 28 211 355 5th, Peace-Cariboo Did not qualify
1992-93 52 22 30 0 - 44 260 339 3rd, Peace-Cariboo Lost in Conference Semifinals, 0-4 (Spruce Kings)
1993-94 52 34 17 1 - 69 270 223 3rd, Peace-Cariboo Lost in Conference Semifinals, 3-4 (Huskies)
1994-95 52 24 25 3 - 51 253 272 2nd, Peace-Cariboo Lost in Conference Semifinals, 2-4 (Mustangs)
1995-96 58 40 18 0 - 80 317 228 1st, Peace-Cariboo Lost in Conference Semifinals, 2-4 (Millionaires)
1996-97 60 28 27 - 5 88 236 227 5th, Overall ---
1997-98 60 42 15 - 3 87 277 205 2nd, Overall ---
1998-99 62 33 22 - 7 73 238 203 4th, North ---
1999-00 64 36 26 - 2 74 218 203 4th, North ---
2000-01 64 39 22 3 - 81 279 244 2nd, North ---
2001-02 64 34 21 9 - 77 233 214 5th, North ---
2002-03 64 40 23 1 - 81 267 193 4th, North ---
2003-04 60 40 14 6 - 86 241 139 1st, North AJHL Champions
2004-05 64 38 21 5 - 81 216 160 5th, North Lost in second round
2005-06 60 38 18 4 - 80 211 148 4th, North Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 1-3 (Pontiacs)
2006-07 60 41 15 4 - 86 247 176 2nd, North Lost in Semifinals, 2-4 (Kodiaks)
2007-08 62 38 18 6 - 82 207 161 2nd, North Lost in Quarterfinals, 3-4 (Saints)
2008-09 62 42 15 5 - 89 228 134 2nd, North AJHL Champions, 4-0 (Saints)
2009-10 60 40 17 4 - 83 233 174 2nd, North Lost in Division Semifinals, 1-4 (Oil Barons)
2010-11 60 34 22 4 - 72 188 157 4th North Lost in Div. Quarter Finals
2011-12 60 21 35 4 - 46 169 221 7th North Lost in Div. Quarter Finals
2012-13 60 35 21 4 - 74 185 156 2nd North Lost in Div. Quarter Finals
2013-14 60 21 36 3 - 45 155 220 8th North did not qualify
2014-15 60 15 41 4 - 34 119 245 8th North did not qualify
2015-1660 11 45 4 - 26 138 302 8th North did not qualify

Playoffs

PCJHL Years

Grande Prairie North Stars defeated Dawson Creek Kodiaks 4-games-to-none
Prince George Spruce Kings defeated Grande Prairie North Stars 4-games-to-1
Williams Lake Mustangs defeated Grande Prairie North Stars 4-games-to-none
Fort St. John Huskies defeated Grande Prairie North Stars 4-games-to-2
Prince George Spruce Kings defeated Grande Prairie North Stars 4-games-to-none
Grande Prairie North Stars defeated Fort St. John Huskies 4-games-to-3
Quesnel Millionaires defeated Grande Prairie North Stars 4-games-to-2
Grande Prairie North Stars defeated Williams Lake Mustangs 4-games-to-1
Grande Prairie North Stars defeated Prince George Spruce Kings 4-games-to-3 PCJHL CHAMPIONS
Vernon Lakers (BCJHL) defeated Grande Prairie North Stars 2-games-to-none
Grande Prairie North Stars defeated Prince George Spruce Kings 4-games-to-1
Williams Lake Mustangs defeated Grande Prairie North Stars 4-games-to-1

RMJHL Years

Prince George Spruce Kings defeated Grande Prairie Chiefs 4-games-to-none
Fort St. John Huskies defeated Grande Prairie Chiefs 4-games-to-3
Williams Lake Mustangs defeated Grande Prairie Chiefs 4-games-to-2
Quesnel Millionaires defeated Grande Prairie Storm 4-games-to-2

BCHL Years

Grande Prairie Storm defeated Bow Valley Eagles 4-games-to-2
Calgary Canucks defeated Grande Prairie Storm 4-games-to-1
Grande Prairie Storm defeated Bow Valley Eagles 4-games-to-1
Fort Saskatchewan Traders defeated Grande Prairie Storm 4-games-to-1
Grande Prairie Storm defeated Bonnyville Pontiacs 2-games-to-none
St. Albert Saints defeated Grande Prairie Storm 4-games-to-1
Bonnyville Pontiacs defeated Grande Prairie Storm 3-games-to-none
Grande Prairie Storm defeated Fort Saskatchewan Traders 3-games-to-2
Grande Prairie Storm defeated St. Albert Saints 4-games-to-1
Camrose Kodiaks defeated Grande Prairie Storm 4-games-to-1
Grande Prairie Storm defeated Fort McMurray Oil Barons 3-games-to-none
Grande Prairie Storm defeated St. Albert Saints 4-games-to-2
Grande Prairie Storm defeated Canmore Eagles 4-games-to-3
Drayton Valley Thunder defeated Grande Prairie Storm 4-games-to-none
Grande Prairie Storm defeated Drayton Valley Thunder 4-games-to-2
St. Albert Saints defeated Grande Prairie Storm 4-games-to-1
Grande Prairie Storm defeated Lloydminster Blazers 4-games-to-1
Grande Prairie Storm defeated Olds Grizzlys 4-games-to-2
Grande Prairie Storm defeated Fort McMurray Oil Barons 4-games-to-1 AJHL CHAMPIONS
Nanaimo Clippers (BCHL) defeated Grande Prairie Storm 4-games-to-1
First in 2004 Royal Bank Cup round robin (3-1)
Kindersley Klippers (SJHL) defeated Grande Prairie Storm 4-3 in semi-final
Grande Prairie Storm defeated Bonnyville Pontiacs 3-games-to-1
Fort McMurray Oil Barons defeated Grande Prairie Storm 4-games-to-1
Bonnyville Pontiacs defeated Grande Prairie Storm 3-games-to-1
Grande Prairie Storm defeated Sherwood Park Crusaders 3-games-to-none
Grande Prairie Storm defeated Spruce Grove Saints 4-games-to-1
Camrose Kodiaks defeated Grande Prairie Storm 4-games-to-2
Grande Prairie Storm defeated St. Albert Steel 3-games-to-2
Spruce Grove Saints defeated Grande Prairie Storm 4-games-to-3
Grande Prairie Storm defeated Lloydminster Bobcats 3-games-to-1
Grande Prairie Storm defeated Sherwood Park Crusaders 4-games-to-2
Grande Prairie Storm defeated Brooks Bandits 4-games-to-1
Grande Prairie Storm defeated Spruce Grove Saints 4-games-to-none AJHL CHAMPIONS
Vernon Vipers (BCHL) defeated Grande Prairie Storm 4-games-to-none
Grande Prairie Storm defeated Lloydminster Bobcats 3-games-to-1
Fort McMurray Oil Barons defeated Grande Prairie Storm 4-games-to-1
Lloydminster Bobcats defeated Grande Prairie Storm 3-games-to-2
Fort McMurray Oil Barons defeated Grande Prairie Storm 3-games-to-2
Sherwood Park Crusaders defeated Grande Prairie Storm 3-games-to-1

Players

Franchise scoring leaders

These are the top-ten point-scorers in franchise history. Figures are updated after each completed AJHL regular season.

Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game; * = current Storm player

Player Pos GP G A Pts P/G
Dustin Sather LW 287 120 203 323 1.13
Josh Welter C 235 96 198 294 1.25
Zahn Raubenheimer RW 251 119 122 241 0.96
Dennis Rix Forward 217 71 140 211 0.97
Chris Wilson Forward 180 100 109 209 1.16
Jordan Menzies Forward 195 73 128 201 1.03
Garrett Larson Forward 174 80 91 171 0.98
Mike Lefley Forward 179 85 85 170 0.95
Cory Pecush Forward 117 74 94 168 1.44
Blaine Bablitz Forward 120 56 100 156 1.30

NHL alumni

The following former Storm have gone on to play in the NHL:

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://ca.images.search.yahoo.com/images/view?back=http%3A%2F%2Fca.images.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3Fp%3Dcanada%2Bgames%2Barena%2B%26fr%3Dyfp-t-501%26toggle%3D1%26cop%3D%26ei%3DUTF-8&w=475&h=317&imgurl=www.gpstorm.com%2Fupl%2Fimages%2FArena%2520Board%2520Work.JPG&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gpstorm.com%2F%3Fp%3Darchives%26amp%3Bi%3D778531&size=184.7kB&name=Arena%20Board%20Work.JPG&p=canada%20games%20arena&type=JPG&oid=169653173b625cca&no=7&tt=187

External links

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