When I hear the name Calgary Wranglers, I think of a tough team in the Western Hockey League, good goaltending, and a wild rivalry with the Lethbridge Broncos. That was the team then, in the 1980s.
In the beginning
The Calgary Wranglers were in existence for 10 seasons, from 1977 to 1987, getting their start when the Winnipeg Monarchs of the Western Canada Hockey League re-located to Calgary to become the Wranglers. They played their home games at the now-demolished Calgary Corral.
The Calgary Wranglers were in existence for 10 seasons, from 1977 to 1987, getting their start when the Winnipeg Monarchs of the Western Canada Hockey League re-located to Calgary to become the Wranglers. They played their home games at the now-demolished Calgary Corral.
Their first season they finished fourth in the Central Division and out of the playoffs.
The next season they finished third in the Central Division, and advanced to the division finals where they were eliminated by the Lethbridge Broncos four games to three.
It was a sign of things to come.
At the dawn of the decade, in the 1979-1980 season, the Wranglers finished second in the East Division, and were eliminated by Brandon in the first round.
The start of the decade
In the 1980-1981 season, the Wranglers finished second in the East Division and eliminated Billings in the first round of playoffs. They faced Lethbridge in the division semi-finals and beat the Broncos 4 games to 1. It was another sign of things to come.
In the 1980-1981 season, the Wranglers finished second in the East Division and eliminated Billings in the first round of playoffs. They faced Lethbridge in the division semi-finals and beat the Broncos 4 games to 1. It was another sign of things to come.
The Wranglers defeated Regina in the division final and lost to Grant Fuhr and the Victoria Cougars in the Western Hockey League championship.
The next season, 1981-1982, the Wranglers finished fourth in the East Division, defeating Saskatoon in the first round before losing to Regina in the division semi-final.
The rivalry
What I will always remember is the year when the Wranglers and Lethbridge Broncos hooked up for a wild playoff series, and its aftermath.
What I will always remember is the year when the Wranglers and Lethbridge Broncos hooked up for a wild playoff series, and its aftermath.
The rivalry was so intense, both in the regular season and playoffs, I would tune into 1220 CJOC and listen to Steve Falwell call the games on radio, because I had to hear what happened.
The 1982-1983 season saw the Wranglers finish third in the East Division and defeat Medicine Hat in the first round then Regina in the division semi-final. That set up a division final against my beloved Lethbridge Broncos.
The series was tough, hard fought, and I remember taking in one of the games at the Sportsplex in Lethbridge. The Broncos managed to get to Calgary’s Mike Vernon, the best goalie in the Western Hockey League, emerging with a 4 games to 2 win in the series.
The Broncos were off to the WHL championship against Portland, which the Broncos won in five games.
This is where it gets interesting.
The 1983 Memorial Cup was the first one where the host city received an automatic berth into the tournament. Portland hosted that year and lost in the league final to Lethbridge. Up until then, each league champion had the opportunity to choose a goalie from any other team in their league to play with them in the Memorial Cup.
That should have meant Mike Vernon would be suiting up with the Broncos. However, he was still choked by the way the Broncos treated him in their series with Calgary. He instead joined Portland. Lethbridge protested but the WHL had no real precedent – was it the league champion who got to choose a goalie, or the league representative, of which there were now two.
They let Vernon play with Portland, and he ended up leading them to the Memorial Cup championship.
That whole spectacle was the height of the Calgary-Lethbridge rivalry, which would soon take an ironic twist.
The rest of the story
In the 1983-1984 season, the Wranglers finished sixth in the East Division, losing to Regina in the first round.
In the 1983-1984 season, the Wranglers finished sixth in the East Division, losing to Regina in the first round.
They rebounded in the 1984-1985 season, finishing fourth in the East Division, defeating Lethbridge in the first round before losing to Prince Albert in the division semi-final.
The Wranglers finished their time in Calgary by missing the playoffs their last two years, finishing eighth in the East Division in the 1985-1986 season and seventh in the 1986-1987 season.
Isn’t it ironic
After the 1985-1986 season, the Lethbridge Broncos moved to Swift Current where they had actually moved from in 1974.
After the 1985-1986 season, the Lethbridge Broncos moved to Swift Current where they had actually moved from in 1974.
Lethbridge went a season without a team in the Western Hockey League.
Then, before the 10987-1988, a team re-located to Lethbridge, became the Hurricanes, and has been there ever since.
It was the Calgary Wranglers.
Isn’t it ironic.
Going pro
The Wranglers sent a lot of guys to the NHL that I saw come through. A few of them I have select, and sometimes odd, memories of.
Going pro
The Wranglers sent a lot of guys to the NHL that I saw come through. A few of them I have select, and sometimes odd, memories of.
Warren Skorodenski, was the first goaltender I knew and liked, but I never saw him play live as a Wrangler. The first time I saw him play was a game to remember. It was my 18th birthday present, tickets to a game between my beloved Bruins and the Oilers in Edmonton. Oiler goalie Grant Fuhr was not having a great game, and my best friend Chris Vining and I started yelling, “We want Warren, we want Warren”. Skorodenski was the back-up goalie that night. The fans around us looked at us like aliens, even muttering, “Who the heck is Warren?” Then, over the loud speaker came the announcement.”Now playing goal for the Oilers, number 35 Warren Skorodenski.” We howled and cheered.
A few years later, I actually covered Skorodenski when he came to Stavely for an NHL old-timers hockey game. Sadly, he left before I got to meet him.
Mike Vernon was just incredible in junior. He stood on his head to keep the Wranglers in games they should not have been in, and put the team on his back. He translated that into an amazing NHL career where he backstopped two different franchises to Stanley Cup championships.
Doug Houda seemed to always be buzzing around the Broncos net. I went to see a Broncos-Wranglers game with my friend Mat. When they announced Houda got a penalty, goal, or assist, I yelled out, ”Houda hell cares!”
Ray Cote was the first Wrangler I saw play pro, for the Edmonton Oilers, and I always liked the way he played. I also, in my childish wonder, noticed his name rhymes – as in Ray Cotay.
Leigh Verstraete also gave the Broncos a handful, but what I always remember is that I misheard Steve Falwell pronounce his name. Instead of Leigh Verstraete I heard Lever Straight. He ended up playing with the Torontoi Maple Leafs, but by the time I saw him on Hockey Night in Canada I knew better.
I also remember Kelly Kisio, Dana Murzyn, and Dan Bourbonnais.
Parting thoughts
Whenever I hear the name Calgary Wranglers, I think of Warren Skorodenski, Mike Vernon, Ray Cote, Leigh Verstraete and all the others who locked horns with the Lethbridge Broncos in the 1980s.
Whenever I hear the name Calgary Wranglers, I think of Warren Skorodenski, Mike Vernon, Ray Cote, Leigh Verstraete and all the others who locked horns with the Lethbridge Broncos in the 1980s.
It is nice to see the name resurrected, but for me the Calgary Wranglers will always be a storied Western Hockey League franchise that, ironically, moved to the very city it had one of its greatest rivalries with.
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