Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is one of three Prairie provinces in Canada. Its population is about 1,015,000 and its capital is Regina.
History of hockey in Saskatchewan
Hockey was played by clubs in Regina and Moose Jaw in 1894, when they were small towns in the District of Assiniboia, the territory of which is present-day southern Saskatchewan and south-eastern Alberta. The towns competed for the Assiniboia Championship, which was won by Regina the first year. In the District of Saskatchewan (modern northern Saskatchewan and northern Manitoba), containing Saskatoon and Prince Albert, hockey was played a bit later. Regina, Moose Jaw, and Medicine Hat (now part of Alberta) competed for the Assiniboia Championship in 1896. Moose Jaw won.
The Saskatoon Hockey Club won the Strang Cup as champions of Saskatchewan in 1904-05. By this time, there was a Saskatchewan Hockey League in place. Ernest James McMillan was president of the league in 1907. In 1908-09, the Saskatchewan Hockey League featured teams from Regina, Moose Jaw, Qu'Appelle and Weyburn. The Saskatoon Strathconas were crowned champions of Northern Saskatchewan in 1909. The following year (1909-10), the league was divided into Northern and Southern sections. The Prince Albert Mintos won the league title after the Saskatoon Strathconas were discovered to have used ineligible players. The Mintos lost the Western Canada Championship for the Fit-Reform Trophy to the Edmonton Pros of the Alberta Professional Hockey League.
The Saskatchewan League became professional for the 1910-11 season. The Mintos repeated as champions, but lost a Stanley Cup playoff qualifier 12-6 to Port Arthur Lake City. In 1912, the Saskatoon Hoo-Hoos won the league but declined to challenge for the Stanley Cup. The Saskatoon Wholesalers faced Port Arthur Lake City in a Cup elimination series, and lost 12-6. The Von Falkenberg Cup for the Saskatchewan Senior Championship was first awarded in 1911. The Saskatchewan Hockey Association was founded in 1912.
The Regina Victorias won the Allan Cup in 1914 and the Melville Millionaires took it in 1915. During World War I (1914-1918) Saskatchewan, like the rest of Canada saw many of its young men go overseas to fight, this caused a shortage of young men to play hockey and senior hockey suffered greatly.
After the war hockey in the province was disorganized and senior hockey did not get off the ground. Then came the Western Canada Hockey League in 1921 which monopolized hockey attention in the province. In 1921-22 there were only two senior teams in Saskatchewan. This situation continued through the life of the Western League and its successor the Prairie Hockey League until 1928.
Organized women's hockey has been played in Saskatchewan since at least 1912 when a women's team was set up at the University of Saskatchewan. The first recorded Provincial Junior Hockey League was organized in the 1917–18, when E.C. Corbeau donated the Corbeau Cup. The first champions were the Regina Pats, who are the oldest continuously operating junior team in Canada
Overview
| Teams |
|---|
| Major Pro (WCHL) |
| Moose Jaw Sheiks (1921-1922) |
| Regina Capitals (1921-1925) |
| Saskatoon Sheiks (1921-1926) |
| Minor Pro (WHL) |
| Saskatoon Quakers (1951-56; 58-59) |
| Saskatoon/St. Paul Regals (1957-58) |
| Major Junior (WHL) |
| Moose Jaw Warriors (1984-) |
| Prince Albert Raiders (1982-) |
| Regina Pats (1966-) |
| Saskatoon Blades (1966-) |
| Swift Current Broncos (1967-74; 1986-) |
| Estevan Bruins (1966-1971) |
| Moose Jaw Canucks (1966-1968) |
| Weyburn Red Wings (1966-1968) |
| Stanley Cup Challenge Era |
| Prince Albert Mintos |
| Saskatoon Wholesalers |
| University (CWUAA) |
| Regina Cougars (1977-) |
| Saskatchewan Huskies (1919-) |
| Leagues |
| Junior A |
| Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (1917-) |
| Junior B |
| Prairie Junior Hockey League (2006-) |
| South Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (1992-2006) |
| North Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (1966-2007) |
| Saskatchewan Junior B Championship (1927-2007) |
| Junior C |
| Qu'Appelle Valley Hockey League (2015-) |
| Regina Junior C Hockey League (1960-2015) |
| Senior |
| Saskatchewan Senior Championship (1910-) |
| Saskatchewan Intermediate Championship (1919-1971) |
| Beaver Lakes Hockey League (2006-) |
| Big Six Senior Hockey League (1959-) |
| Fort Carlton Senior Hockey League (1971-) |
| Highway Hockey League (1965-) |
| Long Lake Senior Hockey League (1978-) |
| Notekeu Senior Hockey League (1958-) |
| Qu'Appelle Valley Hockey League (1960-) |
| Saskatchewan Prairie Senior Hockey League (2010-) |
| Sask Valley Hockey League (1966-) |
| Sask West Senior Hockey League (2000-) |
| Triangle Hockey League (1965-) |
| Twin Rivers Senior Hockey League (2016-) |
| White Mud Senior Hockey League (1995-) |
| Wheatland Senior Hockey League (2004-) |
| Early Professional |
| Saskatchewan Professional Hockey League (1910-1912) |
League, regional and national championships
| Championship | Times won | Description |
|---|---|---|
| WCHL Championship | 1 | Western Canada Hockey League champion |
| Lester Patrick Cup | 1 | Western Hockey League (minor pro) champion |
| Ed Chynoweth Cup | 7‡ | Western Hockey League champion |
| Memorial Cup | 6‡ | Canadian Major-Junior national champion |
| Allan Cup | 4 | Canadian senior national champion |
| Anavet Cup | 29‡ | Saskatchewan/Manitoba Junior "A" regional championship |
| Royal Bank Cup | 9 | Canadian Junior "A" national champion |
| Keystone Cup | 10 | Western Canada Junior "B" champion |
| University Cup | 1 | CIS national university champion |
- ‡Totals do not include any championships by the Flin Flon Bombers, as the town is predominantly based in Manitoba.
| Canadian Provinces | |
 Alberta -  British Columbia -  Manitoba -  Newfoundland and Labrador -  New Brunswick
| |
 Nova Scotia -  Ontario -  Prince Edward Island -  Quebec -  Saskatchewan
| |
Territories:  Northwest Territories -  Nunavut -  Yukon
| |