| Lethbridge Hurricanes | |
|---|---|
 | |
| City | Lethbridge,Alberta |
| League | Western Hockey League |
| Conference | Eastern |
| Division | Central |
| Founded | 1967 |
| Home arena | VisitLethbridge.com Arena |
| Colours | Red, navy, white |
| General manager | Peter Anholt |
| Head coach | Matt Anholt |
| Website | chl.ca/whl-hurricanes |
| Franchise history | |
| 1967–1973 | Winnipeg Jets |
| 1973–1976 | Winnipeg Clubs |
| 1976–1977 | Winnipeg Monarchs |
| 1977–1987 | Calgary Wranglers |
| 1987–present | Lethbridge Hurricanes |
| Championships | |
| Regular season titles | 1 (1996–97) |
| Playoff championships | Ed Chynoweth Cup 1 (1997) Conference Championships 2 (1996–97,2007–08) |
| Current uniform | |
 | |
TheLethbridge Hurricanes are a Canadianjunior ice hockey team based inLethbridge,Alberta. The Hurricanes play in the Central Division of theWestern Hockey League's Eastern Conference, and play their home games at theVisitLethbridge.com Arena. The team replaced Lethbridge's first major junior team, the Broncos, who played in the city from 1974 to 1986. When that team relocated toSwift Current,Saskatchewan, the city acquired theCalgary Wranglers franchise and the Hurricanes began play in 1987.
TheLethbridge Broncos played at the VisitLethbridge.com Arena from 1974 until 1986. Originally theSwift Current Broncos, the team returned to Swift Current in 1986 when local investors gathered enough resources to make the team a community-owned club.[1] However, neither the league nor the city wanted Lethbridge to be left without a team, and just one year later, the Calgary Wranglers were relocated to Lethbridge to become the Hurricanes, which was a community-owned team.[2][3] While the Broncos had adopted their name from the Swift Current club, the new team was named through a fan contest, with Hurricanes emerging the winner, a reference to the locally significantChinook winds.[3]
The team enjoyed early success in Lethbridge, winning back-to-back division titles in their third and fourth seasons and advancing to the championship series both years.[3] The team's best season came in1996–97, when the Hurricanes captured their first, and to date only, regular season and playoff titles.[2] The Hurricanes advanced to the1997 Memorial Cup tournament, where they rallied in the round robin to defeat theHull Olympiques 7–6 in overtime after trailing 6–1 after two periods. The final was a rematch between Lethbridge and Hull, with Hull hanging on for a 5–1 victory, leaving the Hurricanes as runners-up.[4] After that season, the Hurricanes would go ten straight seasons without a playoff series win. Then, in the2007–08 season, the Hurricanes returned to the playoff final, which they lost to the eventual Memorial Cup championSpokane Chiefs.[5][6]
Despite optimism going into the season under new coachDrake Berehowsky, who replacedRich Preston, the2013–14 season would be a record-setting one, but in the wrong categories. In the middle of what would become a six-year playoff drought, the team struggled on the ice and dealt with turmoil amongst the players and coaching staff. Veteran forwards Sam McKechnie and Jaimen Yakuboski were sent home until they were traded to theSeattle Thunderbirds in October.[7] A week later, defenceman Ryan Pilon requested a trade and left the team.[8] In addition to two more players requesting trades, assistant coachBrad Lukowich walked out on the team following a 3–2 victory over thePrince Albert Raiders. Lukowich was terminated "with cause" days later.[9] The team hit new lows by scoring a franchise-low 171 goals, allowing 358 goals, and losing two games by a combined score of 22–0, including a 10–0 loss to theVancouver Giants on January 24, 2014, followed by a 12–0 loss to theEdmonton Oil Kings on February 17. The team finished the season on a 15-game losing streak, finishing the year with 12 wins and 29 points, setting records for fewest wins and fewest points in the 46-year history of the franchise.[citation needed]
It was revealed that the community-owned franchise was also facing financial problems, losing more than $1.25 million in a two-year period and taking out aline of credit in order to stay afloat.[10][11] The financial situation led to rumours of the team being sold toTrue North Sports and Entertainment and relocated toWinnipeg, while former Hurricanes forward and Lethbridge nativeKris Versteeg stated his desire to purchase the team and keep it in the city.[12][13] Ultimately, the shareholders voted to raise $2 million by issuing preferred shares, keeping the team community-owned.[14]
The team returned to stability and made back-to-back runs to the conference final in 2017 and 2018. In 2018, they matched up against Swift Current after the teams swung a blockbuster trade together at the season's trade deadline, including swapping goaltenders.[15] The Broncos won the series in six games, and went on to win the league title.[16]
In 2023, the Hurricanes courted controversy by hiring former NHL head coachBill Peters as the team's new coach.[17] Peters had resigned as coach of the Calgary Flames in 2019 after allegations of racism and physical abuse surfaced against him.[18] WHL commissioner Ron Robison endorsed the hiring, stating that Peters would be undertaking anti-racism education.[17]
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The Hurricanes have gone through a number of design changes over the years, while maintaining a variation of red, blue, and white colours. For several seasons, they donned aTasmanian Devil-inspired twister logo.[19] From 2004, they began gradually simplifying the logo, until 2013, when they ran afoul of theNational Hockey LeagueWashington Capitals, who took issue with a Hurricanes logo and jerseys that were near copies of those used by the Capitals.[20] The Hurricanes were forced to change their look, and adopted their alternate logo full-time.[20] Around the same time, a third-jersey design was introduced featuring aHawker HurricaneWorld War II airplane.[19]
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
| Season | GP | W | L | T | OTL | GF | GA | Points | Finish | Playoffs |
| 1987–88 | 72 | 20 | 48 | 4 | — | 257 | 357 | 44 | 7th East | Did not qualify |
| 1988–89 | 72 | 27 | 39 | 6 | — | 356 | 380 | 60 | 5th East | Lost East Division semifinal |
| 1989–90 | 72 | 51 | 17 | 4 | — | 465 | 270 | 106 | 1st East | Lost Final |
| 1990–91 | 72 | 45 | 21 | 6 | — | 373 | 281 | 96 | 1st East | Lost Final |
| 1991–92 | 72 | 39 | 31 | 2 | — | 350 | 284 | 80 | 4th East | Lost in first round |
| 1992–93 | 72 | 33 | 36 | 3 | — | 317 | 328 | 69 | 5th East | Lost in first round |
| 1993–94 | 72 | 35 | 32 | 5 | — | 306 | 317 | 75 | 3rd East | Lost East Division semifinal |
| 1994–95 | 72 | 22 | 48 | 2 | — | 263 | 341 | 46 | 8th East | Did not qualify |
| 1995–96 | 72 | 33 | 36 | 3 | — | 259 | 270 | 69 | 2nd Central | Lost in first round |
| 1996–97 | 72 | 47 | 22 | 3 | — | 342 | 248 | 97 | 1st Central | WonChampionship;LostMemorial Cup Final |
| 1997–98 | 72 | 32 | 29 | 11 | — | 261 | 237 | 75 | 2nd Central | Lost in first round |
| 1998–99 | 72 | 31 | 32 | 9 | — | 224 | 215 | 71 | 3rd Central | Lost in first round |
| 1999–00 | 72 | 25 | 38 | 4 | 5 | 220 | 250 | 59 | 4th Central | Did not qualify |
| 2000–01 | 72 | 29 | 35 | 4 | 4 | 200 | 229 | 66 | 4th Central | Lost in first round |
| 2001–02 | 72 | 33 | 33 | 6 | 0 | 266 | 247 | 72 | 4th Central | Lost Eastern Conference quarterfinal |
| 2002–03 | 72 | 28 | 40 | 2 | 2 | 236 | 303 | 60 | 5th Central | Did not qualify |
| 2003–04 | 72 | 27 | 28 | 10 | 7 | 196 | 203 | 71 | 5th Central | Did not qualify |
| 2004–05 | 72 | 39 | 20 | 12 | 1 | 222 | 162 | 91 | 2nd Central | Lost Eastern Conference quarterfinal |
| Season | GP | W | L | OTL | SOL | GF | GA | Points | Finish | Playoffs |
| 2005–06 | 72 | 27 | 36 | 3 | 6 | 195 | 250 | 63 | 3rd Central | Lost Eastern Conference quarterfinal |
| 2006–07 | 72 | 33 | 34 | 2 | 3 | 254 | 265 | 71 | 5th Central | Did not qualify |
| 2007–08 | 72 | 45 | 21 | 2 | 4 | 245 | 175 | 96 | 2nd Central | Lost Final |
| 2008–09 | 72 | 35 | 32 | 3 | 2 | 227 | 228 | 75 | 4th Central | Lost Eastern Conference semifinal |
| 2009–10 | 72 | 20 | 44 | 5 | 3 | 178 | 275 | 48 | 5th Central | Did not qualify |
| 2010–11 | 72 | 23 | 36 | 5 | 8 | 205 | 295 | 59 | 5th Central | Did not qualify |
| 2011–12 | 72 | 29 | 42 | 0 | 1 | 225 | 292 | 59 | 6th Central | Did not qualify |
| 2012–13 | 72 | 28 | 34 | 3 | 7 | 212 | 253 | 66 | 6th Central | Did not qualify |
| 2013–14 | 72 | 12 | 55 | 2 | 3 | 171 | 358 | 29 | 6th Central | Did not qualify |
| 2014–15 | 72 | 20 | 44 | 5 | 3 | 202 | 304 | 48 | 6th Central | Did not qualify |
| 2015–16 | 72 | 46 | 24 | 1 | 1 | 304 | 218 | 94 | 1st Central | Lost Eastern Conference quarterfinal |
| 2016–17 | 72 | 44 | 21 | 4 | 3 | 280 | 253 | 95 | 2nd Central | Lost Eastern Conference final |
| 2017–18 | 72 | 33 | 33 | 6 | 0 | 244 | 260 | 72 | 2nd Central | Lost Eastern Conference final |
| 2018–19 | 68 | 40 | 18 | 5 | 5 | 268 | 234 | 90 | 2nd Central | Lost Eastern Conference quarterfinal |
| 2019–20 | 63 | 37 | 19 | 2 | 5 | 249 | 193 | 81 | 3rd Central | Cancelled due to theCOVID-19 pandemic |
| 2020–21 | 24 | 9 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 81 | 108 | 21 | 4th Central | No playoffs due to the COVID-19 pandemic |
| 2021–22 | 68 | 33 | 30 | 4 | 1 | 216 | 238 | 71 | 3rd Central | Lost Eastern Conference quarterfinal |
| 2022–23 | 68 | 36 | 26 | 3 | 3 | 204 | 207 | 78 | 2nd Central | Lost Eastern Conference quarterfinal |
| 2023–24 | 68 | 33 | 28 | 7 | 0 | 214 | 210 | 73 | 4th Central | Lost Eastern Conference quarterfinal |
| 2024–25 | 68 | 42 | 21 | 3 | 2 | 226 | 199 | 89 | 3rd Central | Lost Eastern Conference final |
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| Statistic | Total | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Most points | 106 | 1989–90 |
| Most wins | 51 | 1989–90 |
| Fewest points | 29 | 2013–14 |
| Fewest wins | 12 | 2013–14 |
| Most goals for | 465 | 1989–90 |
| Fewest goals for | 171 | 2013–14 |
| Fewest goals against | 162 | 2004–05 |
| Most goals against | 380 | 1988–89 |
| Statistic | Player | Total | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most goals | Kevin St. Jacques | 65 | 1991–92 |
| Most assists | Bryan Bosch | 90 | 1989–90 |
| Most points | Corey Lyons | 142 | 1989–90 |
| Most points, rookie | Corey Lyons | 112 | 1988–89 |
| Most points, defenceman | Shane Peacock | 102 | 1992–93 |
| Best GAA (goalie) | Aaron Sorochan | 2.19 | 2004–05 |
| Goalies = minimum 1500 minutes played | |||
