Calgary Inferno

Lore & Background

The Canadian Women's Hockey League announced on April 19, 2011, that it would merge with the Western Women's Hockey League for the 2011–12 season, creating a team based in Edmonton and Calgary from the former Edmonton Chimos and Strathmore Rockies. The team played games in various locations around Alberta. Philanthropist Joan Snyder donated $2 million to WinSport Canada in July 2011, ensuring priority rink access for female hockey players and helping expand the CWHL with the creation of Team Alberta. The donation covered a new addition to the Athletic and Ice Complex at Canada Olympic Park, including four hockey rinks, one named Joan Snyder Rink, which became Team Alberta's home rink and gave priority to women's hockey bookings.

Team Alberta played its first CWHL game on October 28, 2011, versus the Burlington Barracudas, winning 4–2 with Laura Dostaler scoring the first goal in team history. After two seasons without an official name, the team was announced as the Calgary Inferno on September 23, 2013, at the Scotiabank Saddledome prior to a Flames pre-season game. For the 2013–14 season, all Inferno home games were streamed live by PCSN.tv. On March 13, 2016, the Inferno captured their first Clarkson Cup with an 8–3 win over Les Canadiennes de Montreal at Ottawa's Canadian Tire Centre; Blayre Turnbull, Brianne Jenner, Jessica Campbell, and Rebecca Johnston each scored twice, and goaltender Delayne Brian was named playoff MVP.

On February 2, 2014, Danielle Stone broke two franchise scoring records in a 2–1 shootout win against the Montreal Stars, topping Samantha Hunt's record for most points in one season (14) and setting a new rookie points record. In the same game, Jessica Wong logged a goal, giving her seven points in the first five games of her CWHL career, a new franchise record. At the 3rd CWHL All-Star Game in 2017, Jillian Saulnier and Jess Jones each scored a hat trick, the first competitors in CWHL All-Star Game history to achieve that feat.

Reader's Guide

The Calgary Inferno represented a significant step in the growth of women's professional hockey in Canada, emerging from the merger of the CWHL and WWHL and benefiting from a major philanthropic donation that secured dedicated ice time and facilities. The team's partnership with the NHL's Calgary Flames, reflected in its name and branding, helped raise the profile of women's hockey in a market already passionate about the sport. The Inferno's 2016 Clarkson Cup victory, played in an NHL arena for the first time, marked a milestone for the league and showcased the talent of players like Delayne Brian, who earned playoff MVP honors. The team's history includes notable individual achievements, such as Danielle Stone's scoring records and the all-star hat tricks by Jillian Saulnier and Jess Jones. The Inferno's existence ended with the CWHL's cessation of operations in 2019, but its legacy includes contributing to the development of elite female players and demonstrating the viability of women's hockey in a major Canadian market.

Did You Know?

• The team was originally known as Team Alberta with the nickname 'Honeybadgers' during the 2011–12 season.
• Philanthropist Joan Snyder donated $2 million to WinSport Canada in 2011, which helped create the team's home rink.
• The Inferno won the Clarkson Cup in 2016, the first final held in an NHL arena.
• At the 2017 CWHL All-Star Game, Jillian Saulnier and Jess Jones each scored a hat trick, a first in all-star game history.