Red Deer Rustlers

Hockey team
team = Red Deer Rustlers

city = Red Deer, Alberta
league = Alberta Junior Hockey League
division = South
operated = 1967-89
colours =
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The Red Deer Rustlers were a Junior A ice hockey team in the Alberta Junior Hockey League based in Red Deer, Alberta. They captured the inaugural Centennial Trophy in 1971. Their eight AJHL championships remains the second most in league history, behind the Calgary Canucks nine championships.

:Division titles won: 1982-83, 83-84, 84-85, 88-89:Regular season titles won: 1970-71, 73-74, 79-80, 84-85, 88-89:League Championships won: 1970, 71, 72, 74, 80, 85, 87, 89:Doyle Cup Titles: none (captured 3 AB/BC titles before the creation of the Doyle Cup):Centennial Trophy Titles: 1971, 80

History

The Rustlers joined the AJHL in 1967 on the orders of the Alberta Amateur Hockey Association, which blocked their attempt at joining the Western Canada Hockey League as an expansion team. [cite web |url=http://www.ajhl.ca/history/history_1960s.php |title=AJHL history: the 1960s |accessdate=2006-12-16 |work=Alberta Junior Hockey League] The Rustlers would quickly rise to the top of the AJHL, capturing four league titles in five years between 1970 and 1974. In 1971, they captured the first Centennial Trophy as Canadian Junior A national champions. [cite book |title=AJHL Annual Guide & Record Book 2006-07 |year=2006 |publisher=Hockey Now Communications Ltd. |pages=70] The Rustlers repeated that feat in 1980.

During this time, the Rustlers developed many players who would go onto play major-junior or college hockey, while 20 ultimately played in the National Hockey League. Among them were all six members of the Sutter family to play in the NHL: Brian, Darryl, Duane, Brent, Ron and Rich. [cite book |title=AJHL Annual Guide & Record Book 2006-07 |year=2006 |publisher=Hockey Now Communications Ltd. |pages=98] Gary Sutter, the seventh, and only, brother not to play in the NHL turned down an invitation to play for the Rustlers in 1972. [cite news |first=Eric |last=Francis |title=Big brother is watching |url=http://www.canoe.ca/Slam040206/col_francis-sun.html |publisher=Calgary Sun |date=2004-02-06 |accessdate=2006-12-16 ]

In 1989, after winning their eighth league championship, the Rustlers were expelled from the league for violating its by-laws. [cite web |url=http://www.ajhl.ca/history/history_1980s.php |title=AJHL history: the 1980s |accessdate=2006-12-16 |work=Alberta Junior Hockey League] The team remained suspended until 1992 when it officially folded, making room for the Red Deer Rebels, as the central Alberta city finally joined the WHL.

Season-by-season record

"Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against"

^†Team granted a one year leave of absence in 1985-86. They would re-emerge in 1986-87 under new ownership.

NHL alumni

*Darel Anholt *Clayton Beddoes *Rod Buskas *Phil Crowe *Glenn Johannesen

*Kelly Kisio *Darryl Maggs *Randy Moller *Brian Ogilvie *Ray Podloski

*Ron Shudra *Brent Sutter *Brian Sutter *Darryl Sutter *Duane Sutter

*Rich Sutter *Ron Sutter *Dixon Ward *Blake Wesley *Glen Wesley

ee also

* List of ice hockey teams in Alberta

References

General
* [http://www.ajhl.ca Alberta Junior Hockey League website]
*AJHL Annual Guide & Record Book 2006-07

Footnotes