Calgary Canadians

Lore & Background

The Calgary Canadians first gained prominence in 1924 by winning the Western Canadian championship, the Abbott Cup. They then faced the Owen Sound Greys, Eastern Canada's champion, in a two-game, total-goal series held in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Greys won the first game 5–3 and tied the second 2–2, taking the Memorial Cup. Two years later, the Canadians returned to the Memorial Cup, this time facing Queen's University in a best-of-three format, again in Winnipeg. After splitting the first two games, the Canadians won the deciding game 3–2 to claim the championship. As of 2010, they remain the only Memorial Cup champion to come from Calgary.

Reader's Guide

The Calgary Canadians hold a unique place in junior hockey history as the first Alberta-based team to win the Memorial Cup, a feat they accomplished in 1926. Their earlier appearance in 1924 marked the first time a team from Alberta had played for the national junior championship, establishing a precedent for western Canadian participation. The team's legacy is further underscored by the five players from the 1926 championship roster who later played in the National Hockey League: Irv Frew, Ronnie Martin, Don McFadyen, Tony Savage, and Paul Thompson. Additionally, Hockey Hall of Famer Sweeney Schriner was a member of the Canadians in 1930 and 1931, linking the club to the highest echelons of the sport. Despite Calgary's subsequent growth as a hockey market, no other team from the city has won the Memorial Cup as of 2010, cementing the Canadians' singular achievement in local hockey lore.

Did You Know?

• The Calgary Canadians were the first team from Alberta to play for the Memorial Cup, in 1924.
• They became the first Alberta team to win the Memorial Cup in 1926.
• Five players from the 1926 Canadians later played in the NHL: Irv Frew, Ronnie Martin, Don McFadyen, Tony Savage, and Paul Thompson.