Saskatoon Blades

The Saskatoon Blades are a junior ice hockey team in the Eastern Division of the Western Hockey League. They are based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, playing at the 15,195 seat Credit Union Centre.
==History==
The Saskatoon Blades were originally founded in 1964 as a team in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League and transferred leagues in 1966–67 with the foundation of the Western Hockey League. They are the only team remaining in the league from the WHL's foundation still in their original city (the Regina Pats are also still around, but they dropped out of the WHL for a few seasons early on to go back to the SJHL). The Blades spent many seasons at the old Saskatoon Arena where they built up a strong fanbase and developed many top players. In 1988, they moved to what was then known as Saskatchewan Place (now Credit Union Centre) and hosted the Memorial Cup tournament in May, 1989, where they finished the round robin with a 5–4 victory over the Swift Current Broncos who had a 14 game undefeated streak, which consisted of sweeping through the WHL playoffs and winning their 1st two round robin games. However, the Blades lost in overtime in the Memorial Cup Final to the Broncos. They also lost in the WHL league finals in 1992 and 1994 to the Kamloops Blazers in seven games. The Blades have never won the Ed Chynoweth Cup, and currently have the longest championship drought in the Canadian Hockey League.
The Blades are currently owned by the Priestner Family. They have been a huge success at the gate. Throughout their existence, the team has had a fierce rivalry with both the Regina Pats and the Prince Albert Raiders. As many of the players are still in their mid-teens, Marion M. Graham Collegiate plays host to many of the players, due to the short distance.
In the 2008–09 Season, the Saskatoon Blades made history by tying a WHL record for most road wins in a single season (28) with the 1999–00 Calgary Hitmen. In that season, the Blades went on to win their first East Division Championship since 1994.
===NHL alumni===
Bernie Federko is the only former Blade in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
*Dennis Abgrall
*Brent Ashton
*Blair Atcheynum
*Frank Banham
*Wade Belak
*Ryan Bonni
*Bob Bourne
*Dave Brown
*Murray Brumwell
*Jeff Buchanan
*Lindsay Carson
*Blair Chapman
*Kelly Chase
*Rich Chernomaz
*Tim Cheveldae
*Wendel Clark
*Pat Conacher
*Barry Cummins
*Larry DePalma
*Bruce Eakin
*Jerry Engele
*Martin Erat
*Garnet Exelby
*Bernie Federko
*Perry Ganchar
*Michael Garnett
*Randy Gilhen
*Brian Glynn
*Lee Goren
*Mike Green
*Mike Greenlay
*Marc Habscheid
*Bill Hajt
*Neil Hawryliw
*Dale Henry
*Bob Hoffmeyer
*Bill Hogaboam
*Gerry Hogue
*Doug Horbul
*Darcy Hordichuk
*Randy Ireland
*Grant Jennings
*Terry Johnson
*Kevin Kaminski
*Dean Kennedy
*Orest Kindrachuk
*Ralph Klassen
*Joe Kocur
*Roger Kortko
*Don Kozak
*Dave Kryskow
*Lane Lambert
*James Latos
*Kirby Law
*Grant Ledyard
*Curtis Leschyshyn
*Dave Lewis
*Ron Loustel
*Steve MacIntyre
*Keith Magnuson
*Norm Maracle
*Richard Matvichuk
*Chris McAllister
*Brad McCrimmon
*Todd McLellan
*Jim McTaggart
*Bill Oleschuk
*Dave Parro
*George Pesut
*Warren Peters
*Gerry Pinder
*Pat Price
*Terry Ruskowski
*Larry Sacharuk
*Don Saleski
*Terran Sandwith
*Cory Sarich
*Bobby Schmautz
*Scott Scissons
*Devin Setoguchi
*Brent Severyn
*Todd Simpson
*Brian Skrudland
*Randy Smith
*Martin Sonnenberg
*Brent Sopel
*Lee Sorochan
*Daryl Stanley
*David Struch
*Todd Strueby
*Ken Sutton
*Ryan Tobler
*Rocky Trottier
*Tony Twist
*Shaun Van Allen
*Russ Walker
*Rhett Warrener
*Fred Williams
*Clarke Wilm
*Mark Wotton
*Trent Yawney
===Retired numbers===
*7 Gerry Pinder
*7 Brent Ashton
*10 Brian Skrudland
*15 Bob Bourne
*22 Wendel Clark
*24 Bernie Federko
==Coaches==
*Burns McDonald 1964–65
*George Agar 1964–65 to 1969–70
*George Senick 1969–70*
*Jackie McLeod 1970–71 to 1978–79
*Jerry Engele 1979–80
*Lorne Frey 1980–81
*Daryl Lubiniecki 1981–82 to 1983–84
*Marcel Comeau 1984–85 to 1988–89
*Terry Ruskowski 1989–90 to 1990–91
*Bob Hoffmeyer - 1991*
*Lorne Molleken – 1991–92 to 1994–95
*Donn Clark – 1995–96 to 1997–98
*Willie Desjardins – 1998*
*Brad McCrimmon – 1998–99 to 1999–2000
*Kevin Dickie – 2000–01 to 2003–04
*Jamie Reeve – 2003–04*
*Lorne Molleken – 2004–05 to 2012-13
*Dave Struch – 2013-14
*Bob Woods - 2014-15 to 2015-16
*Dean Brockman - 2016-17 to 2017-18
*Mitch Love - 2018-19 to Present
*interm (regular head coach fired, sick or suspended)
==Season-by-season record==
Season 	GP	W 	L 	T 	OTL	GF 	GA 	Points	Finish 	Playoffs
1966–67	56	25	24	7 	– 	288	271	57 	5th Overall	Lost quarter-final
1967–68	60	20	31	9 	– 	260	362	49 	7th Overall	Lost quarter-final
1968–69	60	24	35	1 	– 	195	271	49 	3rd West 	Lost quarter-final
1969–70	60	18	41	1 	– 	202	282	37 	4th West 	Lost quarter-final
1970–71	66	29	36	1 	– 	295	299	59 	3rd West 	Lost quarter-final
1971–72	68	37	28	3 	– 	312	258	77 	2nd East 	Lost quarter-final
1972–73	68	46	11	11 	– 	323	184	103 	1st East 	Lost final
1973–74	68	30	29	9 	– 	283	272	69 	4th East 	Lost quarter-final
1974–75	70	38	22	10 	– 	344	244	86 	1st East 	Lost final
1975–76	72	43	19	10 	– 	390	269	96 	1st East 	Lost final
1976–77	72	30	30	12 	– 	317	290	72 	2nd East 	Lost preliminary round
1977–78	72	20	50	2 	– 	340	460	42 	4th East 	Out of playoffs
1978–79	72	26	32	14 	– 	385	398	66 	2nd East 	Lost East Division final
1979–80	72	27	40	5 	– 	331	382	59 	7th East 	Out of playoffs
1980–81	72	22	47	3 	– 	297	427	47 	8th East 	Out of playoffs
1981–82	72	44	26	2 	– 	450	343	90 	3rd East 	Lost East Division quarter-final
1982–83	72	52	19	1 	– 	467	303	105 	1st East 	Lost East Division semi-final
1983–84	72	36	36	0 	– 	347	350	72 	7th East 	Out of playoffs
1984–85	72	29	41	2 	– 	309	378	60 	6th East 	Lost East Division quarter-final
1985–86	72	38	28	6 	– 	381	360	81 	4th East 	Lost East Division semi-final
1986–87	72	44	26	2 	– 	369	282	90 	2nd East 	Lost East Division final
1987–88	72	47	22	3 	– 	381	294	97 	1st East 	Lost East Division final
1988–89	72	42	28	2 	– 	366	335	86 	2nd East 	Lost East Division final; Lost Memorial Cup Final
1989–90	72	33	34	5 	– 	325	354	71 	4th East 	Lost East Division semi-final
1990–91	72	29	41	2 	– 	309	363	60 	7th East 	Out of playoffs
1991–92	72	38	29	5 	– 	315	260	81 	3rd East 	Lost WHL final
1992–93	72	42	27	3 	– 	311	236	87 	3rd East 	Lost East Division semi-final
1993–94	72	49	22	1 	– 	326	229	99 	1st East 	Lost WHL final
1994–95	72	41	23	8 	– 	324	254	90 	3rd East 	Lost East Division semi-final
1995–96	72	29	42	1 	– 	314	351	59 	4th East 	Lost Eastern Conference quarter-final
1996–97	72	18	48	6 	– 	227	344	42 	6th East 	Out of playoffs
1997–98	72	25	39	8 	– 	263	327	58 	4th East 	Lost Eastern Conference quarter-final
1998–99	72	16	49	7 	– 	184	291	39 	6th East 	Out of playoffs
1999–00	72	34	27	8 	3 	216	223	79 	2nd East 	Lost Eastern Conference semi-final
2000–01	72	19	43	5 	5 	193	265	48 	5th East 	Out of playoffs
2001–02	72	27	37	5 	3 	216	257	62 	4th East 	Lost Eastern Conference quarter-final
2002–03	72	40	27	5 	0 	234	205	85 	3rd East 	Lost Eastern Conference quarter-final
2003–04	72	7 	52	11 	2 	140	279	27 	5th East 	Out of playoffs
2004–05	72	37	23	6 	6 	234	215	86 	2nd East 	Lost Eastern Conference Quarter Finals
Season 	GP	W 	L 	OTL	SOL	GF 	GA 	Points	Finish 	Playoffs
2005–06	72	41	25	2 	4 	232	217	88 	2nd East 	Lost Eastern Conference Semi Finals
2006–07	72	27	41	2 	2 	174	231	58 	6th East 	Out of playoffs
2007–08	72	29	34	3 	6 	182	229	67 	5th East 	Out of playoffs
2008–09	72	49	18	3 	2 	283	195	103 	1st East 	Lost Eastern Conference Quarter Finals
2009–10	72	46	19	1 	3 	258	227	99 	2nd East 	Lost Eastern Conference Semi Finals
2010–11	72	56	13	1 	2 	310	213	115 	1st East 	Lost Eastern Conference semi-final
2011–12	72	40	29	1 	2 	268	250	83 	2nd East 	Lost Eastern Conference quarter-final
2012–13	72	44	22	2 	4 	280	221	94 	1st East 	Lost Eastern Conference quarter-final; Lost Memorial Cup tie-breaker game
2013–14	72	16	51	2 	3 	207	317	37 	6th East 	Out of playoffs
2014–15	72	19	49	2 	2 	195	308	42 	6th East 	Out of playoffs
2015–16	72	26	42	4 	0 	219	318	56 	6th East 	Out of playoffs
2016–17	72	28	35	7 	2 	190	248	65 	5th East 	Out of playoffs
2017–18	72	35	33	3 	1 	237	276	74 	6th East 	Out of playoffs
2018–19	68	45	15	8 	0 	259	190	98 	2nd East 	Lost Eastern Conference semi-finals
2019–20	63	34	24	2 	3 	211	197	73 	4th East 	Playoffs cancelled
2020-21	24	16	5 	2 	1 	80 	62 	35 	3rd Hub 	Playoffs cancelled
2021-22	68	38	26	3 	1 	219	217	80 	3rd East 	Lost Eastern Conference quarter-final
2022–23	68	48	15	4 	1 	257	171	101 	2nd East 	Lost Eastern Conference final
2023-24	68	50	13	2 	3 	255	163	105 	1st East 	Lost Eastern Conference final
==Team records==
Team records for a single season
Statistic 	Total	Season
Most points 	115 	2010-11
Most wins 	56 	2010-11
Most road wins (Tied WHL record)	28 	2008–09
Most home wins 	32 	2010-11
Most goals for 	461 	1982–83
Least goals for 	140 	2003–04
Least goals against 	184 	1972–73
Most goals against 	460 	1977–78
Individual player records for a single season
Statistic 	Player 	Total 	Season
Most goals 	Frank Banham 	83 	1995–96
Most assists 	Bruce Eakin 	125 	1981–82
Most points 	Bernie Federko 	187 	1975–76
Most points, rookie 	Lane Lambert 	114 	1981–82
Most points, defenceman 	Pat Price 	95 	1973–74
Best GAA (goalie) 	Ed Humphreys 	2.57 	1972–73
Goalies = minimum 1500 minutes played	Goalies = minimum 1500 minutes played	Goalies = minimum 1500 minutes played	Goalies = minimum 1500 minutes played
==References==
==External links==
*Blades official web site
*Saskatoon Blades News Coverage (The Star Phoenix)
Category:Canadian ice hockey teams
Category:Western Hockey League (junior) team
Category:Established in 1964