Calgary Buffaloes (AJHL)

Lore & Background

The Calgary Buffaloes were among the five original teams that formed the Alberta Junior Hockey League in 1963. In their debut season, no regular season was played; the league held a playoff only to determine the champion, which the Buffaloes won. They repeated as AJHL champions in each of their next two seasons, but in all three years they were stopped by the Edmonton Oil Kings, a powerful club that denied them a chance at the Memorial Cup.

In 1965, the cross-town Calgary Cowboys withdrew from the AJHL, and most of their players moved to the Buffaloes. Prior to the 1966–67 season, the Buffaloes renamed themselves the Cowboys, as a new Western Canada Junior Hockey League team took over the Buffaloes name. The team retained the Cowboys moniker until it folded midway through the 1969–70 season, after playing only 25 games; the remaining 25 games were forfeited to the five remaining clubs.

Reader's Guide

The Calgary Buffaloes hold a foundational place in Alberta Junior Hockey League history as one of its five charter members. Their three consecutive league titles in the AJHL's early years established a standard of early success, though their inability to overcome the Edmonton Oil Kings in the provincial playoff rounds highlighted the dominance of that rival program. The team's identity shift to the Cowboys in 1966, following the absorption of players from the original Calgary Cowboys, reflects the fluid nature of junior hockey franchises in Calgary during the 1960s. The Buffaloes name itself was immediately reused by a new Western Canada Junior Hockey League team, creating a brief overlap of two clubs sharing the same name in different leagues. The franchise's eventual collapse midway through the 1969–70 season, with half its schedule forfeited, marked the end of a short but eventful run. Though statistical records from before the 1969–70 season have been lost by the AJHL, the Buffaloes' early championships and their role in the league's formation remain a recognized part of Alberta's junior hockey heritage.

Did You Know?

• The Calgary Buffaloes were one of five founding members of the AJHL in 1963.
• No regular season was played in the AJHL's inaugural 1963–64 season; only a playoff determined the champion.
• The Buffaloes renamed themselves the Calgary Cowboys prior to the 1966–67 season.
• The team folded midway through the 1969–70 season after 25 games; the remaining games were forfeited.