Grande Prairie Kings Explained

Team:County of Grande Prairie JDA Kings
City:Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada
League:NWJHL
Founded:–95
Arena:Crosslink County Sportsplex
Colours:Black, White, Silver
Coach: Kyle Chapple
Gm: Kyle Chapple
Website:grandeprairiejdakings.com
Name1:Grande Prairie Wheelers
Dates1:1994-2011
Name2:County of Grande Prairie JDA Kings
Dates2:2011-present

The Grande Prairie Kings, formerly the Grande Prairie Wheelers until April 2011,[1] are a Junior "B" Ice Hockey team based in Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the North West Junior Hockey League (NWJHL). The Kings moved from the Coca-Cola Centre to the Crosslink Sports Centre in January 2014,[2] which has a capacity of 600.

History

The Kings (formerly the Wheelers) joined the NWJHL when the league began operations in 1994. It took the Kings nearly 20 years to capture their first league championship but did so on March 26, 2013.[3]

In the 2013-2014 NWJHL season the Kings hosted the Hockey Alberta Investors Group Junior B Provincial Championship. Despite losing the NWJHL finals to the North Peace Navigators, Grande Prairie had already secured a spot as tournament host. The Kings captured a silver medal falling 6 to 0 to the Blackfalds Wranglers in the provincial final.[4]

Season-by-season record

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, OTL = Overtime Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes

Season GP W L OTL Pts GF GA PIM Finish Playoffs
2009-10 35 19 14 2 40 153 162 1471 3rd
NWJHL
Won quarterfinals 3-0, (Vipers)
Won semifinals 4-0, (Huskies)
Lost in Finals, 0-4 (Wolverines)
2010-11 35 20 9 6 46 158 112 998 3rd
NWJHL
Won quarterfinals 3-0, (Huskies)
Lost in Semifinals, 1-4 (Navigators)
2011-12 36 30 6 0 60 228 93 941 2nd
NWJHL
Won quarterfinals 3-0, (Jr. Canucks)
Lost in semi-finals, 0-4 (Wolverines)
2012-13 35 32 3 0 64 257 98 1st
NWJHL
Won quarterfinals 3-0, (Vipers)
Won semi-finals, 4-1 (Huskies)
Won finals, 4-2 (Navigators)

League Champions
2013-14 35 27 6 2 56 228 128 1471 2nd
NWJHL
Won quarterfinals 3-0, (Vipers)
Won semifinals 1-1, (Fairview Flyers)
Lost finals, 1-4 (Navigators)
2014-15 30 24 5 1 49 - - - 2nd of 7
NWJHL
Won quarterfinals (forfeit), (Blades)
Lost semi-finals, 2-4 (Fairview Flyers)
2015-16 36 21 14 1 43 173 131 - 3rd of 7
NWJHL
Won quarterfinals 3-0, (Jr. Canucks)
Lost semi-finals, 4-1 (Navigators)
2016-17 30 13 13 4 30 104 105 - 5th of 6
NWJHL
Won quarterfinals 3-1, (Jr. Canucks)
Lost semifinals 3-4, (Fairview Flyers)
2017-18 36 21 13 2 44 146 128 - 4th of 7
NWJHL
Won quarterfinals 3-2, (Fairview Flyers)
lost semifinal 1-4 (Huskies)
2018-19 36 19 15 2 40 151 141 - 3rd of 7
NWJHL
Won quarterfinals 3-2, (Vipers)
Won semifinal 4-3 (Jr. Canucks)
Lost League Finals 2-4 (Huskies)
advance to Barnes Cup as League finalist
2019-20 40 14 21 5 33 128 161 - 5th of 7
NWJHL
Lost quarterfinals 2-3, (Fairview Flyers)
2020–21 5 5 0 0 10 32 13 Season cancelled due to covid-19 pandemic
2021-22 40 19 20 0 38 148 147 - 3rd of 7
NWJHL
Won quarterfinals 3-0, (Navigators)
Won semifinals 2-4(Kodiaks)
Lost finals, 2-4 (Huskies)
2022–23 42 32 7 3 67 148 147 - 2nd of 8
NWJHL
Won quarterfinals 3-0, (Blades)
Won semifinals 4-0(Vipers)
Lost finals, 2-4 (Huskies)
2023-24 42 18 10 4 60 181 122 - 3rd of 8
NWJHL
Lost quarterfinals 1-3, (Navigators)

Russ Barnes Trophy

Alberta Jr B Provincial Championships

Year Round Robin Record Standing Semifinal Bronze Medal Game Gold Medal Game
2013 L, Red Deer Vipers 4-6
W, Wetaskiwin Icemen 6-2
L, Cold Lake Ice 4-6
1-2-03rd of 4 Pool ? n/a n/an/a
2014
HOST
W, Blackfalds Wranglers 6-4
L, Cold Lake Ice 5-3
W, Ft. Sask Hawks 2-1
2-1-01st of Pool B W, North Peace Navigators 6-2 n/aL, Blackfalds Wranglers 6-0
2019 tbd, Calgary Royals Gold 0-0
tbd, Airdrie Thunder 0-0
tbd, Beverly Warriors 0-0
0-0-0 tbd of Pool A tbd n/an/a

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Wheelers now the Kings . Terry Farrell . Grande Prairie J.D.A. Kings . 2011-04-18 . 2012-06-15.
  2. Web site: Kings Join Crosslink Sports Centre . Jocelyn Turner . Grande Prairie J.D.A. Kings . 2014-01-13.
  3. Web site: Kings Capture First League Championship . Logan Clow . Grande Prairie J.D.A. Kings . 2013-03-26.
  4. Web site: Kings can’t capture crown . Logan Clow . Grande Prairie J.D.A. Kings . 2014-04-06.