Summary
The Calgary Wranglers are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. They are members of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference of the American Hockey League (AHL). The Wranglers began play in the 2022–23 AHL season. The team plays at the Scotiabank Saddledome, the home of their National Hockey League (NHL) affiliate team, the Calgary Flames.
| Calgary Wranglers | |
|---|---|
 | |
| City | Calgary, Alberta |
| League | American Hockey League |
| Conference | Western |
| Division | Pacific |
| Founded | 1977 |
| Home arena | Scotiabank Saddledome |
| Colours | Red, yellow, white |
| Owner(s) | Calgary Sports and Entertainment |
| General manager | Brad Pascall |
| Head coach | Trent Cull |
| Captain | Brett Sutter |
| Affiliates | Calgary Flames (NHL) Rapid City Rush (ECHL) |
| Franchise history | |
| 1977–1987 | Maine Mariners |
| 1987–1993 | Utica Devils |
| 1993–2003 | Saint John Flames |
| 2005–2007 | Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights |
| 2007–2009 | Quad City Flames |
| 2009–2014 | Abbotsford Heat |
| 2014–2015 | Adirondack Flames |
| 2015–2022 | Stockton Heat |
| 2022–present | Calgary Wranglers |
| Championships | |
| Regular season titles | 1 (2022–23) |
| Division titles | 1 (2022–23) |
 Current season | |
History edit
2022–2023: First season in Calgary edit
On May 23, 2022, the Calgary Flames announced the relocation of the Stockton Heat to Calgary.[1] This followed a recent trend of Canadian NHL teams moving their AHL affiliates closer to home, principally to allow for players to be called up on a shorter notice. On August 2, 2022, the team announced its name, bringing back the "Wranglers" moniker used by the WHL team of the same name from 1977 to 1987.[2] Mitch Love, the head coach of the Heat, would remain with the team during their relocation to Calgary. Ahead of the 2022–23 AHL season's start, on October 14, 2022, former Flames draft pick Brett Sutter was named as the team's first captain, with Nick DeSimone and Matthew Phillips being named as alternate captains.[3]
The Wranglers played their first game on October 16, 2022, a 6–5 loss against the Coachella Valley Firebirds.[4][5] Despite a slow start to the season,[6] the Wranglers enjoyed significant success in their inaugural year, capturing the regular season championship with 51 wins, and being awarded the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy.[7] Their overall 51–17–4 record was the ninth-best record in AHL history.[7]
The Wranglers' dominant regular season performance would result in several members of the team winning substantial awards during the inaugural season: star goaltender Dustin Wolf would win every trophy available for his position, including being named as the league's MVP.[8] Wolf, along with forward Matthew Phillips, would be named to the First All-Star Team, with defenseman Jeremie Poirier being named to the All-Rookie team.[9] Head coach Mitch Love would be named as the AHL's coach of the year, winning the Louis A. R. Pieri Memorial Award.[10]
As a result of capturing the Pacific Division title, the Wranglers would earn a bye past the first round of the 2023 Calder Cup playoffs. During their second-round match-up against the Abbotsford Canucks, the Wranglers would win the best-of-five series three games to one.[11] Ultimately, the Wranglers would fail to live up to their regular season success during the playoffs, losing during overtime in the fifth and final game of the third round to the Coachella Valley Firebirds.[12]
2023–2024: Sophomore season edit
Following the 2022–23 season, head coach Mitch Love would earn a job as an assistant coach with the Washington Capitals.[13] Resultingly, former Vancouver Canucks assistant coach Trent Cull was hired as the Wranglers head coach for the 2023–24 season.[14] During the first half of the season the Wranglers would enjoy continued success, finishing 2023 at the top of the Pacific Division, resulting in head coach Cull being tapped as a coach for the season's All-Star Classic.[15] However, as the season wore on, many of the team's top talent was depleted, either by trades or call-ups to the Flames, and the team fell behind in a tight playoff race, not clinching their spot in the 2024 Calder Cup playoffs until March 31, 2024, nearly 3 weeks later than the previous season.[16]
Season-by-season results edit
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Games | Won | Lost | OTL | SOL | Points | PCT | GF | GA | Standing | Year | 1st Round | Div Semi-finals | Div finals | Conf. finals | Finals |
| 2022–23 | 72 | 51 | 17 | 3 | 1 | 106 | .736 | 256 | 174 | 1st, Pacific | 2023 | BYE | W, 3–1, ABB | L, 2–3, CV | — | — |
Current roster edit
Updated April 17, 2024.[17]
References edit
- ^ "Flames' AHL affiliate will move from Stockton to Calgary". The Athletic. May 23, 2022.
- ^ "Flames officially reveal Calgary Wranglers as new AHL affiliate". Sportsnet. August 2, 2022.
- ^ Gilbertson, Wes (October 14, 2022). "Brett Sutter named captain of Calgary Wranglers". Calgary Sun. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
- ^ "2022–23 AHL schedule unveiled". theahl.com. July 21, 2022. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
- ^ Saelhof, Todd (October 16, 2022). "Warm Calgary welcome for AHL Wranglers despite debut loss at Dome". Calgary Sun. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
- ^ Saelhof, Todd (November 3, 2022). "Wranglers hope time cures 'rocky start' to AHL campaign". Calgary Herald.
- ^ a b Gilbertson, Wes (April 16, 2023). "Calgary Wranglers finish regular season with best record in the AHL". Calgary Herald.
- ^ Gilbertson, Wes (April 21, 2023). "'An incredible achievement': Flames prospect Dustin Wolf voted AHL MVP". Calgary Sun. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
- ^ Pike, Ryan (April 13, 2023). "Dustin Wolf and Matthew Phillips named AHL First Team All-Stars". Flames Nation. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
- ^ Gilbertson, Wes (April 17, 2023). "Wranglers bench boss Mitch Love wins AHL's top coach award". National Post. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
- ^ Daniel, Austin (May 5, 2023). "Wranglers down Canucks, move on in Calder Cup Playoffs". Calgary Sun. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
- ^ Gilbertson, Wes. "Calgary Wranglers eliminated from playoffs in overtime heartbreaker". Calgary Sun.
- ^ "Former Calgary Wranglers coach Mitch Love joins Washington Capitals as assistant". Sportsnet. June 22, 2023. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
- ^ Sportak, Randy (July 17, 2023). "Flames hire Trent Cull to guide their AHL affiliate". The Hockey News. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
- ^ Pike, Ryan (December 30, 2023). "Calgary Wranglers head coach Trent Cull is headed to the AHL All-Star Classic". Flames Nation. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
- ^ Gilbertson, Wes (March 31, 2024). "Wranglers clinch AHL playoff berth, and that's 'a really big thing' for the Flames". Calgary Herald. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
- ^ "Calgary Wranglers 2023–24 roster". eliteprospects.com. April 17, 2024. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
External links edit
- Official website