| Saskatoon Quakers | |
|---|---|
| City | Saskatoon, Saskatchewan |
| League | WCSHL (1945–1951) PCHL/WHL (1952–1959) |
| Operated | (Professional) 1945–1956 1957–1959 |
| Home arena | Saskatoon Arena |
| Franchise history | |
| 1945–1947 | Saskatoon Elks |
| 1948–1956 | Saskatoon Quakers |
| 1955–1957 | Brandon Regals |
| 1957–58 | Saskatoon/St. Paul Regals |
| 1958–59 | Saskatoon Quakers |
The Saskatoon Quakers were a Canadian ice hockey team based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The team played in various senior and minor professional hockey leagues from the 1930s to the 1970s. The Quakers represented Canada and won gold at the 1934 World Hockey Championships held in Milan, Italy. In 1952, they captured the President's Cup as Pacific Coast Hockey League champions.
History
Senior and minor professional
The Quakers represented Canada in the 1934 World Ice Hockey Championships in Milan, Italy. The team won the gold medal, defeating the United States in the championship final, avenging Canada's loss to the US in the 1933 championship final.
From 1937, the Quakers were based out of the 3,300-seat Saskatoon Arena in downtown Saskatoon. The Quakers were a founding member of the Western Canada Senior Hockey League (WCSHL) in 1945, where they were known their first two seasons as the Saskatoon Elks. They captured the WCSHL championship in 1950–51. The following season, the Quakers joined the Calgary Stampeders and Edmonton Flyers in turning professional as the WCSHL merged with the Pacific Coast Hockey League, which renamed itself the Western Hockey League in 1952. As a result of the merger, the Quakers lost their amateur status, becoming a minor-professional team. The Quakers succumbed, after five seasons in the WHL, to the increased costs of operating a minor-professional team.
When the Quakers won the WCSHL 1950–51 championship, they became the western league's representative to the 1951 Alexander Cup for the national major ('open' to both amateur and professional leagues) senior ice hockey championship of Canada. They would lose to the Toronto St. Michaels Monarchs in the Alexander Cup's semi-finals. In 1952, they captured the President's Cup as Pacific Coast Hockey League champions.
Brief second iteration
In 1957–58, Saskatoon returned to the WHL when the Brandon Regals, who had just won the league championship, moved and opted to split home games between Saskatoon and St. Paul, Minnesota as the Saskatoon/St. Paul Regals. The two city concept last just one season, and in 1958–59, the team hosted games only in Saskatoon and adopted the name of the former Quakers. They would last only one more season before folding.
Season-by-season record
| = Denotes Minor Professional status |
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
Original iteration
| Team | Season | League | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | Points | Finish | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saskatoon Elks | 1945–46 | WCSHL | 36 | 14 | 19 | 2 | 104 | 147 | 30 | 3rd Overall | |
| Saskatoon Elks | 1946–47 | WCSHL | 40 | 15 | 23 | 2 | 151 | 210 | 32 | 4th Overall | |
| Saskatoon Quakers | 1947–48 | WCSHL | 48 | 19 | 27 | 2 | 187 | 239 | 40 | 5th Overall | |
| Saskatoon Quakers | 1948–49 | WCSHL | 48 | 8 | 38 | 2 | 144 | 307 | 18 | 5th Overall | |
| Saskatoon Quakers | 1949–50 | WCSHL | 50 | 24 | 25 | 1 | 190 | 227 | 49 | 3rd Overall | |
| Saskatoon Quakers | 1950–51 | WCSHL | 59 | 31 | 27 | 1 | 246 | 234 | 63 | 3rd Overall | Won league |
| Saskatoon Quakers | 1951–52 | PCHL | 70 | 35 | 21 | 14 | 273 | 225 | 84 | 2nd Overall | Won championship |
| Saskatoon Quakers | 1952–53 | WHL | 70 | 35 | 26 | 9 | 268 | 240 | 79 | 1st Overall | |
| Saskatoon Quakers | 1953–54 | WHL | 70 | 32 | 29 | 9 | 226 | 214 | 73 | 3rd Overall | |
| Saskatoon Quakers | 1954–55 | WHL | 70 | 19 | 41 | 11 | 207 | 273 | 49 | 6th Overall | |
| Saskatoon Quakers | 1955–56 | WHL | 70 | 27 | 35 | 8 | 208 | 249 | 2 | 3rd Prairie |
Second iteration
| Team | Season | League | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | Points | Finish | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brandon Regals | 1956–57 | WHL | 70 | 44 | 22 | 4 | 250 | 186 | 92 | 1st Overall | Won championship |
| Saskatoon/St. Paul Regals | 1957-58 | WHL | 70 | 25 | 45 | 0 | 214 | 323 | 50 | 4th Prairie | |
| Saskatoon Quakers | 1958–59 | WHL | 64 | 29 | 31 | 4 | 208 | 201 | 62 | 4th Prairie |
See also
References
- Holland, Dave (2008). Canada on Ice; The World Hockey Championships, 1920–2008. Canada On Ice productions. pp. 39–39. ISBN 978-0-9808936-0-1.
- "Saskatoon's last downtown arena". CBC News. 2016-04-07. Archived from the original on 2016-04-08. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
- Romuld, Darrell (2022-10-04). "What pro sports teams used to exist in Sask.?". CTV News Regina. Archived from the original on 2022-10-04. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
External links
- hockeyleaguehistory.com WCSHL standings
- The Old Western Hockey League PCHL/WHL standings