Cranbrook Colts

Ice hockey team in British Columbia, Canada

Cranbrook Colts

City| Cranbrook, British Columbia, Canada
League| Kootenay International Junior Hockey League
Rocky Mountain Junior Hockey League
Operated| 1971 (1971)-1998
Colours| Black and White

The Cranbrook Colts were a Junior "B" and a Junior "A" team in Cranbrook, British Columbia. They were formed in 1970 as a Junior "B" team in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League. They were immediately successful, winning the league title in their first four years. The Colts jumped to the Junior "A" Rocky Mountain Junior Hockey League in 1991, winning three league titles in their seven years in the league.

The Colts folded in 1998 and with that, the whole league (RMJHL) the year after folded, because of the forming of the Kootenay Ice in Cranbrook, British Columbia, a major junior team in the Western Hockey League. The Ice relocated to Winnipeg, Manitoba after the 2018-19 WHL season, going back once again to junior "A" in the BCHL for the 2020-21 BCHL season, as the Cranbrook Bucks.

## Championships

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* Kootenay International Junior Hockey League: 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987.
* Cyclone Taylor Cup: 1974, 1975, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987.
* Rocky Mountain Junior Hockey League: 1995, 1997, 1998.

## History

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In 1971, the Cranbrook Colts joined the KIJHL with a partial schedule. After going undefeated in nineteen games, Colts went on to win the league playoff title. For much of the 1970s, the Colts were the elite of the KIJHL and amongst the best British Columbia Junior B hockey had to offer. The Colts went on to win KIJHL playoff titles in 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, and 1976, topping this off with Cyclone Taylor Cups as Provincial Champions in 1974 and 1975.

In the early 1980s, the Colts came back to their winning ways, taking league titles in 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, and 1987. They completed this dynastic run by winning the Cyclone Taylor Cup a total of five times, first in 1982, then consecutively in 1984, 1985, 1986, and 1987.

In 1991, the Colts joined the Peace-Cariboo Junior Hockey League with a group of other KIJHL teams to form the Kootenay Division of what was to now be known as the Rocky Mountain Junior Hockey League. The PCJHL had been a tiny Junior "A" league bridging the British Columbia-Alberta North-Central border since 1980. The Southern expansion into the Kootenays was an effort to increase the talent pool and to venture into an area that British Columbia Junior Hockey League had yet to claim. The Colts would continue to dominate, even as a Junior "A" team, winning league championships in 1995, 1997, and 1998.

In 1998, the Western Hockey League's Edmonton Ice was failing and was sold and moved to Cranbrook. The Colts folded to make way for the Major Junior team.

## Season-by-season standings

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Season | GP | W | L | T | OTL | GF | GA | P | Results | Playoffs

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1971-72 | 19 | 19 | 0 | 0 | - | 193 | 48 | 38 | 3rd WKHL | Won League
1972-73 | 30 | 25 | 5 | 0 | - | 230 | 92 | 50 | 1st KIJHL-E | Won League
1973-74 | 30 | 26 | 3 | 1 | - | 245 | 116 | 53 | 1st KIJHL-E | Won League, won CTC
1974-75 | 34 | 32 | 2 | 0 | - | 237 | 111 | 64 | 1st KIJHL-E | Won League, won CTC
1975-76 | 34 | 24 | 10 | 0 | - | 207 | 139 | 48 | 1st KIJHL-E | Won League
1976-77 | 44 | 20 | 23 | 1 | - | 241 | 221 | 41 | 1st KIJHL-E |
1977-78 | 42 | 17 | 25 | 0 | - | 209 | 229 | 34 | 3rd KIJHL-E |
1978-79 | 40 | 26 | 13 | 1 | - | 264 | 205 | 53 | 2nd KIJHL-E |
1979-80 | 40 | 21 | 16 | 3 | - | 217 | 178 | 45 | 3rd KIJHL-E |
1980-81 | 40 | 36 | 3 | 1 | - | 293 | 141 | 73 | 1st KIJHL-E |
1981-82 | 42 | 37 | 5 | 0 | - | 381 | 162 | 74 | 1st KIJHL-E | Won League, won CTC
1982-83 | 42 | 36 | 6 | 0 | - | 331 | 154 | 72 | 1st KIJHL-E | Won League
1983-84 | 42 | 29 | 12 | 1 | - | 318 | 221 | 59 | 2nd KIJHL-E | Won League, won CTC
1984-85 | 42 | 34 | 8 | 0 | - | 303 | 187 | 68 | 1st KIJHL-E | Won League, won CTC
1985-86 | 39 | 32 | 7 | 0 | - | 310 | 184 | 64 | 1st KIJHL-E | Won League, won CTC
1986-87 | 42 | 33 | 8 | 1 | - | 303 | 171 | 67 | 1st KIJHL-E | Won League, won CTC
1987-88 | 42 | 33 | 9 | 0 | - | 336 | 180 | 66 | 2nd KIJHL-E |
1988-89 | 43 | 25 | 18 | 0 | - | 270 | 172 | 50 | 2nd KIJHL-E |
1989-90 | 40 | 20 | 20 | 0 | - | 226 | 215 | 40 | 2nd KIJHL-E |
1990-91 | 40 | 15 | 24 | 1 | - | 183 | 223 | 31 | 3rd KIJHL-E |
1991-92 | 52 | 29 | 20 | 3 | - | 220 | 173 | 61 | 2nd RMJHL-K | Lost semi-final
1992-93 | 52 | 31 | 20 | - | 1 | 262 | 194 | 63 | 3rd RMJHL-K | Lost final
1993-94 | 52 | 34 | 17 | - | 1 | 295 | 239 | 69 | 2nd RMJHL-K | Lost semi-final
1994-95 | 52 | 37 | 15 | - | 0 | 312 | 193 | 74 | 2nd RMJHL-K | Won League
1995-96 | 58 | 37 | 21 | - | 0 | 295 | 197 | 74 | 1st RMJHL-K | Lost quarter-final
1996-97 | 60 | 34 | 24 | - | 2 | 309 | 281 | 70 | 1st RMJHL | Won League
1997-98 | 54 | 35 | 14 | - | 5 | 311 | 202 | 75 | 2nd RMJHL | Won League

### Playoffs

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* 1992 Lost semi-final

Cranbrook Colts defeated Fernie Ghostriders 4-games-to-none
Trail Smoke Eaters defeated Cranbrook Colts 4-games-to-3

* 1993 Lost final

Cranbrook Colts defeated Kimberley Dynamiters 4-games-to-2
Cranbrook Colts defeated Trail Smoke Eaters 4-games-to-2
Williams Lake Mustangs defeated Cranbrook Colts 3-games-to-2

* 1994 Lost semi-final

Cranbrook Colts defeated Creston Valley Thunder 4-games-to-1
Kimberley Dynamiters defeated Cranbrook Colts 4-games-to-1

* 1995 Won League, lost Mowat Cup

Cranbrook Colts defeated Kimberley Dynamiters 4-games-to-none
Cranbrook Colts defeated Creston Valley Thunder 4-games-to-none
Cranbrook Colts defeated Prince George Spruce Kings 4-games-to-2 RMJHL CHAMPIONS
Chilliwack Chiefs (BCHL) defeated Cranbrook Colts 3-games-to-none

* 1996 Lost quarter-final

Kimberley Dynamiters defeated Cranbrook Colts 4-games-to-2

* 1997 Won League, lost Mowat Cup

Kimberley Dynamiters defeated Cranbrook Colts 4-games-to-3
Cranbrook Colts defeated Nelson Leafs 4-games-to-none
Cranbrook Colts defeated Fernie Ghostriders 4-games-to-none RMJHL CHAMPIONS
South Surrey Eagles (BCHL) defeated Cranbrook Colts 3-games-to-none

* 1998 Won League, lost Mowat Cup

Cranbrook Colts defeated Fernie Ghostriders 4-games-to-1
Cranbrook Colts defeated Kimberley Dynamiters 4-games-to-3 RMJHL CHAMPIONS
South Surrey Eagles (BCHL) defeated Cranbrook Colts 3-games-to-none

## Notable alumni

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* Jon Klemm
* Brad Lukowich
* Bob Murdoch

## External links

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* BC Hockey

* v
* t
* e

Teams and Leagues eligible for the Cyclone Taylor Cup

KIJHL|

* 100 Mile House Wranglers
* Beaver Valley Nitehawks
* Castlegar Rebels
* Chase Heat
* Columbia Valley Rockies
* Creston Valley Thunder Cats
* Fernie Ghostriders
* Golden Rockets
* Grand Forks Border Bruins
* Kamloops Storm
* Kelowna Chiefs
* Kimberley Dynamiters
* Nelson Leafs
* Osoyoos Coyotes
* Princeton Posse
* Quesnel River Rush
* Revelstoke Grizzlies
* Sicamous Eagles
* Spokane Braves
* Williams Lake Mustangs

PJHL|

* Abbotsford Pilots
* Aldergrove Kodiaks
* Chilliwack Jets
* Coastal Tsunami
* Delta Ice Hawks
* Grandview Steelers
* Langley Trappers
* Mission City Outlaws
* North Vancouver Wolf Pack
* Port Coquitlam Trailblazers
* Port Moody Panthers
* Richmond Sockeyes
* Ridge Meadows Flames
* Surrey Knights
* White Rock Whalers

* BCAHA
* PCJHL
* PJHL
* PNHL
* Cyclone Taylor Cup
* Keystone Cup

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