Red Deer Rustlers

This article is on the defunct Alberta Junior Hockey League team. For the senior team please see Red Deer Rustlers (NCHL).
The Red Deer Rustlers were the names of senior, Intermediate, Junior A ice hockey teams. The junior team played 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. 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. 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. Gary Sutter, the seventh, and only, brother not to play in the NHL turned down an invitation to play for the Rustlers in 1972.
In 1989, after winning their eighth league championship, the Rustlers were expelled from the league for violating its by-laws. 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
Season 	GP	W 	L 	T	GF 	GA 	Points	Finish 	Playoffs
1967-68 	- 	- 	- 	-	- 	- 	- 	--- 	
1968-69 	- 	- 	- 	-	- 	- 	- 	--- 	
1969-70 	50	26	16	8	222	185	60 	2nd overall	Won championship
1970-71 	50	30	11	9	216	172	69 	1st overall	Won championship and Centennial Trophy
1971-72 	48	33	15	0	264	174	66 	2nd overall	Won championship
1972-73 	60	43	15	2	366	234	88 	2nd overall	Lost final
1973-74 	60	39	18	3	329	240	81 	1st overall	Won championship
1974-75 	60	26	32	2	267	299	54 	5th overall	
1975-76 	60	31	28	1	358	319	63 	3rd overall	
1976-77 	60	41	18	1	375	267	83 	2nd overall	
1977-78 	60	28	32	0	309	308	56 	5th overall	
1978-79 	60	16	44	0	243	352	32 	6th overall	
1979-80 	60	49	9 	2	392	214	100 	1st overall	Won championship and Centennial Trophy
1980-81 	60	32	28	0	278	250	64 	3rd North 	
1981-82 	60	34	23	3	288	261	71 	2nd South 	
1982-83 	60	35	22	3	317	261	73 	1st South 	
1983-84 	60	34	25	1	300	266	69 	1st South 	Lost final
1984-85 	60	39	20	1	275	222	79 	1st South 	Won championship
1985-86†	- 	- 	- 	-	- 	- 	- 	--- 	
1986-87 	60	31	28	1	302	306	63 	2nd South 	Won championship
1987-88 	60	41	17	2	357	246	84 	2nd South 	
1988-89 	60	39	18	3	285	202	81 	1st South 	Won championship
†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
*Brent Sutter
*Brian Sutter
*Darryl Sutter
*Duane Sutter
*Rich Sutter
*Ron Sutter
*Dixon Ward
*Blake Wesley
*Glen Wesley
==Senior/Intermediate Team==
There was also a senior and intermediate team called the Rustlers in the 1950's and 1960's.
The senior team won the Alberta Senior Championship in 1957-58.
The intermediate team won the Alberta Intermediate Championship in 1963-64 and 1964-65.
A Senior team would join the North Central Hockey League (Alberta) for the 2018-19 season.
===Western Canada Senior Hockey League (1966-67)===
Season 	Games	Won	Lost	Tied	Points	Goalsfor	Goalsagainst	Standing	Playoffs
1966-67	34 	17 	16 	1 	35 	- 	- 	4th 	Lost Semi Final
==See also==
* List of ice hockey teams in Alberta
==References==
General
*Alberta Junior Hockey League website
*AJHL Annual Guide & Record Book 2006-07
Footnotes
Category:Canadian ice hockey teams
Category:Alberta Junior Hockey League
Category:Defunct Teams
Category:Established in 1967
Category:Disestablished in 1989
Category:Defunct Alberta Junior Hockey League teams
Category:Western Canada Senior Hockey League teams
Category:North Central Hockey League (Alberta) teams
Category:Central Alberta Hockey League teams