Warroad Lakers
The Warroad Lakers were an American Senior ice hockey team from Warroad, Minnesota. The Lakers played in various Manitoba AHA and Thunder Bay AHA senior and intermediate leagues and were granted special eligibility for the Allan Cup and Hardy Cup by the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association. The Lakers were three-time Allan Cup Canadian National Champions, one-time Allan Cup National Finalists, one-time Hardy Cup Canadian National Champions, and one-time Hardy Cup National Finalists.
| Warroad Lakers | |
|---|---|
 | |
| City | Warroad, Minnesota |
| League | Central Amateur Senior Hockey League |
| Operated | 1946-1997 (Warroad Lakers) 2001-2003 (Warroad Islanders) |
| Home arena | Warroad Memorial Arena (1949-1992) The Gardens Arena (1993-2003) |
| Colours | Blue, Red, and White |
| General manager | Cal Marvin |
| Head coach | Cal Marvin |
| Franchise history | |
| 1946-1998 | Warroad Lakers |
| 2001-2003 | Warroad Islanders |
History
The Lakers were Western Canada Intermediate "A" Champions in 1964, 1974, and 1977, Thunder Bay Intermediate "A" Champions in 1963 and 1964, and Manitoba Intermediate "A" Champions in at least 1971, 1974, and 1977. They were also Thunder Bay Senior "A" Champions in 1965 and Manitoba Senior "A" Champions in at least 1969, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, and 1997.
At the 1974 Hardy Cup, the Lakers faced the Ottawa District Hockey Association's Embrun Panthers. The Lakers swept them 3-games-to-none to win their only Hardy Cup. Three years later, the Lakers faced New Brunswick's Campbellton Tigers at the 1977 Hardy Cup, but fell 3-games-to-1.
The Warroad Lakers are only the second American team in Allan Cup history to be Canadian National Senior "AAA" Champions. They won the 1994 Allan Cup on home ice, the next year they won the 1995 Allan Cup in Stony Plain, Alberta, and then won the 1996 Allan Cup in Unity, Saskatchewan to become the only team in history to win three consecutive Allan Cups. A season later, the Lakers failed to defeat the Powell River Regals in the 1997 Allan Cup final, which would have given them four in a row if won.
In 1997, after finding themselves without a league to play in, the Warroad Lakers were forced to fold.
Around 2001, the team was resurrected and named the Warroad Islanders. They competed in the 2002 Allan Cup but failed to get out of the round robin. In 2003, the Islanders failed to get past the Ile des Chenes North Stars (who won the 2003 Allan Cup) in the Manitoba playdowns. Soon after, the team fell off the competitive hockey map.
All three of the Lakers' Allan Cup winning teams have been inducted into the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame.
Season-by-season results
| Season | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | P | Results | Playoffs | ||
| 1946-47 | -- | -- | - | - | -- | -- | -- | 1st States Dominion League | Won Title Game 10-2 vs. Roseau | ||
| 1947-48 | Statistics Not Available | ||||||||||
| 1948-49 | Statistics Not Available | ||||||||||
| 1949-50 | Statistics Not Available | ||||||||||
| 1950-51 | Statistics Not Available | ||||||||||
| 1951-52 | Statistics Not Available | ||||||||||
| 1952-53 | Statistics Not Available | ||||||||||
| 1953-54 | Statistics Not Available | ||||||||||
| 1954-55 | -- | -- | - | - | -- | -- | -- | 1st Northwest League | Northwest League Champions U.S. National Open Intermediate champions | ||
| 1955-56 | 28 | 21 | 6 | 1 | -- | -- | -- | 1st Northwest League | Northwest League Champions | ||
| 1956-57 | 21 | 18 | 3 | 0 | -- | -- | -- | 1st Northwest League | Northwest League Champions | ||
| 1957-58 | 18 | 12 | 6 | 0 | 112 | 53 | 24 | 1st MinOHL | Won League | ||
| 1958-59 | 16 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 87 | 45 | 24 | 1st MinOHL | Won League | ||
| 1959-60 | 18 | 15 | 3 | 0 | -- | -- | 30 | 1st MinOHL | Won League | ||
| 1960-61 | 39 | 25 | 13 | 1 | -- | -- | -- | 1st MinOHL | Won League | ||
| 1961-62 | 13 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 86 | 43 | 35 | 1st MinOHL | Lost Final | ||
| 1962-63 | 40 | 26 | 13 | 1 | -- | -- | -- | 1st MinOHL | Lost Final | ||
| 1963-64 | -- | -- | -- | - | -- | -- | -- | Canadian Intermediate champions | |||
| 1964-65 | 16 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 74 | 48 | -- | MIHL Exh. | Lost Western Canada Final | ||
| 1965-66 | 24 | 15 | 4 | 5 | 127 | 79 | 35 | 1st MSHL | Lost Semi-final | ||
| 1966-67 | 24 | 15 | 9 | 0 | 119 | 105 | 30 | 3rd MSHL | Lost Semi-final | ||
| 1967-68 | 24 | 8 | 15 | 1 | 88 | 88 | 17 | 4th MSHL | DNQ | ||
| 1968-69 | 23 | 13 | 10 | 0 | -- | -- | 26 | 1st MSHL | Won League | ||
| 1969-70 | 24 | 18 | 6 | 0 | 160 | 90 | 36 | 1st MSHL | Lost Final | ||
| 1970-71 | 17 | 12 | 5 | 0 | 88 | 74 | 24 | 2nd MSHL | Won League Intermediate Final | ||
| 1971-72 | 24 | 21 | 3 | 0 | 134 | 73 | 42 | 2nd CCHL | Won League Intermediate Final | ||
| 1972-73 | 30 | 23 | 7 | 0 | 172 | 84 | 60 | 2nd CCHL | Won League Intermediate Final | ||
| 1973-74 | 24 | 18 | 5 | 1 | 164 | 84 | 37 | 1st CCHL | Won League Won Hardy Cup | ||
| 1974-75 | Statistics Not Available | ||||||||||
| 1975-76 | Statistics Not Available | ||||||||||
| 1976-77 | Statistics Not Available | ||||||||||
| 1977-78 | Statistics Not Available | ||||||||||
| 1978-79 | The Manitoba Amateur Hockey Association decided in May 1979 that Warroad would no longer be allowed to represent Manitoba in intermediate AA hockey play-off competition. | ||||||||||
| 1979-80 | 32 | 20 | 12 | 0 | -- | -- | 40 | 1st CASHL | Lost Final | ||
| 1980-81 | 32 | 15 | 15 | 2 | 163 | 152 | 32 | 3rd CASHL | Lost Semi-final | ||
| 1981-82 | 29 | 9 | 20 | 0 | 128 | 157 | 18 | 4th CASHL | Lost Semi-final | ||
| 1982-83 | 32 | 11 | 20 | 1 | 169 | 182 | 23 | 5th CASHL | Lost Semi-final | ||
| 1983-84 | 34 | 15 | 18 | 1 | 182 | 195 | 35 | 5th CASHL | Lost Quarter-final | ||
| 1984-85 | Statistics Not Available | ||||||||||
| 1985-86 | Statistics Not Available | ||||||||||
| 1986-87 | Statistics Not Available | ||||||||||
| 1987-88 | Statistics Not Available | ||||||||||
| 1988-89 | Statistics Not Available | ||||||||||
| 1989-90 | Statistics Not Available | ||||||||||
| 1990-91 | Statistics Not Available | ||||||||||
| 1991-92 | Statistics Not Available | ||||||||||
| 1992-93 | 46 | 33 | 11 | 2 | -- | -- | -- | Central Amateur Senior Hockey League Manitoba-Saskatchewan Western Canada Champions | |||
| 1993-94 | Statistics Not Available | ||||||||||
| 1994-95 | 12 | 8 | 3 | 1 | -- | -- | -- | SEMHL Exh. | Won Pattison Cup Won Allan Cup | ||
| 1995-96 | 36 | 35 | 1 | 0 | -- | -- | -- | SEMHL Exh. | Won Pattison Cup Western Canada champions Won Allan Cup | ||
| 1996-97 | 16 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 187 | 47 | -- | HTHL Exh. | Won Pattison Cup Lost Allan Cup Final | ||
Notable alumni
- Robert "Badger Bob" Johnson
- Jim Henry
- Julian Klymkiw
- Dave Richardson
- Clarence Schmidt
- Art Stratton
- Roger Christian
- Bill Christian
- Dave Christian
- Henry Boucha
- Blane Comstock
- Chad Erickson
- Wyatt Smith
- Larry Olimb
- Alan Hangsleben
- Ed Kryzanowski