The Moose Jaw Canucks were a junior ice hockey team based in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada. They were one of the founding members of the original Western Canada Junior Hockey League (1948–1956), and in 1966 were founding members of a new Western Canada Junior Hockey League (known since 1978 as the Western Hockey League) following a rebellion within the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. The franchise evolved from the Moose Jaw Cubs in the early 1930s.

The Canucks won the Abbott Cup in 1945 and 1947, making them the Junior "A" Champion for Western Canada and earning a playoff against the George Richardson Memorial Trophy- winning Eastern Champion for the Memorial Cup. The Canucks lost their Memorial Cup competition against the Toronto St. Michael's Majors in both years.

Franchise history The Canucks played in the following leagues in their history: Prior to 1936: Independent schedule 1936–1946: Southern Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League 1946–1948: Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League 1948–1955: Western Canada Junior Hockey League 1955–1958: dormant 1958–1966: Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League 1966–1968: Western Canada Junior Hockey League 1968–1984: Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League

In 1984, the Canucks folded to make room for the WHL's Moose Jaw Warriors, when that franchise transferred from Winnipeg. Another team, also known as the Moose Jaw Canucks, played in the South Saskatchewan Junior B Hockey League (now known as the Prairie Junior Hockey League) from 1992–94.

The Canucks legacy is survived by the Jr. C Canucks, who have played in the Saskatchewan Junior C Hockey League since 2006.

WCJHL history In the summer of 1966, the Canucks were one of five SJHL clubs that left the provincial league to join franchises in Calgary and Edmonton in the new Western Canada Junior Hockey League. The league was considered a "rebel league" by the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association, and thus denied the right to compete for Canadian junior hockey's top prize, the Memorial Cup.

In the WCJHL's inaugural season, the Canucks won the playoff championships despite finishing 4th in the overall standings. The following year, the Canucks would lose out in the playoff semi-finals after another 4th-place finish.

Concerned about the WCJHL's poor reputation with the CAHA and hoping to once again compete for the Memorial Cup, the Canucks, along with the Regina Pats and Weyburn Red Wings, would leave the WCJHL to return to the reborn SJHL. Following the reorganization of junior hockey in 1970, which saw the Western Canada Hockey League gain Tier-I status, and the SJHL being deemed Tier-II (not Memorial Cup eligible), the Canucks attempted to rejoin the WCHL but were denied. The Canucks would remain in the SJHL until the arrival of the Warriors.

Season-by-season standings Season GP W L T OTL GF GA P Results Playoffs1936–37 6 3 3 0 - 25 58 6 3rd SSJHL Lost final1937–38 6 6 0 0 - 46 11 12 1st SSJHL Won league1938–39 10 7 2 1 - 35 20 15 1st SSJHL Won league, won SAHA1939–40 12 6 5 1 - 57 50 13 2nd SSJHL Lost final1940–41 18 4 13 1 - 70 96 10 4th SSJHL DNQ1941–42 11 1 10 0 - 24 42 2 3rd SSJHL DNQ1942–43 15 6 7 2 - 54 51 16 3rd SSJHL Lost semi-final1943–44 22 10 9 3 - 91 85 26 4th SSJHL Lost semi-final1944–45 16 14 2 0 - 112 41 28 1st SSJHL Won league, won SAHA, won Abbott Cup1945–46 18 18 0 0 - 157 55 36 1st SSJHL Won league, won SAHA1946–47 30 21 9 0 - 190 111 41 2nd SJHL Won league, won Abbott Cup1947–48 28 21 6 1 - 177 94 43 1st SJHL Won league1948–49 26 17 8 1 - 139 94 35 2nd WCJHLLost final, won SAHA1949–50 40 22 18 0 - 162 180 44 2nd WCJHLLost semi-final1950–51 40 16 22 2 - 147 160 34 5th WCJHLDNQ1951–52 44 21 23 0 - 178 171 42 5th WCJHLDNQ1952–53 36 13 23 0 - 164 209 26 5th WCJHLLost semi-final1953–54 36 17 19 0 - 166 191 29 4th WCJHLLost quarter-final1954–55 40 5 35 0 - 100 264 10 5th WCJHLDNQ1955–58 Franchise Dormant1958–59 48 11 36 1 - 166 328 23 7th SJHL DNQ1959–60 59 6 52 1 - 161 378 13 7th SJHL DNQ1960–61 60 24 26 10 - 181 212 58 4th SJHL Lost semi-final1961–62 56 22 25 9 - 199 225 53 5th SJHL Won league1962–63 54 25 22 7 - 212 188 57 4th SJHL Lost quarter-final1963–64 62 26 30 6 - 290 352 58 5th SJHL Lost semi-final1964–65 56 19 34 3 - 211 286 41 7th SJHL DNQ1965–66 60 33 23 4 - 295 229 70 4th SJHL Lost semi-final1966–67 56 25 19 12 - 215 190 62 4th WCJHL Won league1967–68 60 31 24 5 - 263 243 67 4th WCJHL Lost semi-final1968–69 44 19 24 1 - 223 245 39 3rd SJHLLost semi-final1969–70 36 16 18 2 - 143 152 34 3rd SJHLLost semi-final1970–71 Did not participate1971–72 50 7 43 0 - 174 345 13 9th SJHL DNQ1972–73 48 23 25 0 - 239 242 46 4th SJHL SouthLost quarter-final1973–74 50 23 27 0 - 253 251 46 4th SJHL SouthLost quarter-final1974–75 58 16 42 0 - 278 333 32 6th SJHL SouthDNQ1975–76 58 22 33 3 - 264 299 47 6th SJHL NorthDNQ1976–77 60 42 18 0 - 362 208 84 2nd SJHL SouthLost quarter-final1977–78 60 41 19 0 - 351 262 82 1st SJHL SouthLost final1978–79 60 34 24 2 - 322 263 70 2nd SJHL SouthLost final1979–80 60 44 15 1 - 343 245 89 1st SJHL South Lost final1980–81 60 40 14 0 - 406 268 92 1st SJHL SouthLost final1981–82 60 29 29 2 - 262 248 60 2nd SJHL South Lost quarter-final1982–83 64 27 34 3 - 299 345 57 6th SJHL Lost semi-final1983–84 64 35 28 1 - 344 314 71 4th SJHL Lost quarter-final Playoffs 1969 Lost semi-final Regina Pats defeated Moose Jaw Canucks 4-games-to-none 1970 Lost semi-final Weyburn Red Wings defeated Moose Jaw Canucks 4-games-to-none 1971 Did not participate 1972 DNQ 1973 Lost quarter-final Weyburn Red Wings defeated Moose Jaw Canucks 4-games-to-1 1974 Lost quarter-final Estevan Bruins defeated Moose Jaw Canucks 4-games-to-none 1975 DNQ 1976 DNQ 1977 Lost quarter-final Melville Millionaires defeated Moose Jaw Canucks 4-games-to-2 1978 Lost final Moose Jaw Canucks defeated Weyburn Red Wings 4-games-to-1 Moose Jaw Canucks defeated Regina Blues 4-games-to-1 Prince Albert Raiders defeated Moose Jaw Canucks 4-games-to-1 1979 Lost final Moose Jaw Canucks defeated Regina Blues 4-games-to-1 Moose Jaw Canucks defeated Melville Millionaires 4-games-to-none Prince Albert Raiders defeated Moose Jaw Canucks 4-games-to-2 1980 Lost final Moose Jaw Canucks defeated Melville Millionaires 4-games-to-1 Moose Jaw Canucks defeated Estevan Bruins 4-games-to-2 Prince Albert Raiders defeated Moose Jaw Canucks 4-games-to-2 1981 Lost final Moose Jaw Canucks defeated Weyburn Red Wings 4-games-to-1 Moose Jaw Canucks defeated Estevan Bruins 4-games-to-none Prince Albert Raiders defeated Moose Jaw Canucks 4-games-to-3 1982 Lost quarter-final Weyburn Red Wings defeated Moose Jaw Canucks 4-games-to-2 1983 Lost semi-final Moose Jaw Canucks defeated Humboldt Broncos 4-games-to-none Weyburn Red Wings defeated Moose Jaw Canucks 4-games-to-3 1984 Lost quarter-final Lloydminster Lancers defeated Moose Jaw Canucks 4-games-to-1

Notable alumni Chris Chelios Willie Desjardins Al Rollins Larry Popein Fred Sasakamoose

See also List of ice hockey teams in Saskatchewan

References

External links whl.ca