Red Deer Rustlers


The Red Deer Rustlers were a Junior A ice hockey team in the Alberta Junior Hockey League based in Red Deer, Alberta. They captured the inaugural Centennial Trophy in 1971. Their eight AJHL championships remains the second most in league history, behind the Calgary Canucks nine championships.

History

The Rustlers joined the AJHL in 1967 on the orders of the Alberta Amateur Hockey Association, which blocked their attempt at joining the Western Canada Hockey League as an expansion team. The Rustlers would quickly rise to the top of the AJHL, capturing four league titles in five years between 1970 and 1974. In 1971, they captured the first Centennial Trophy as Canadian Junior A national champions. The Rustlers repeated that feat in 1980.
During this time, the Rustlers developed many players who would go on to play major-junior or college hockey, while 20 ultimately played in the National Hockey League. Among them were all six members of the Sutter family to play in the NHL: Brian, Darryl, Duane, Brent, Ron and Rich. Gary Sutter, the seventh, and only, brother not to play in the NHL turned down an invitation to play for the Rustlers in 1972.
In 1989, after winning their eighth league championship, the Rustlers were expelled from the league for violating its by-laws. The team remained suspended until 1992 when it officially folded, making room for the Red Deer Rebels, as the central Alberta city finally joined the WHL.

Season-by-season record

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
SeasonGPWLTGFGAPointsFinishPlayoffs
1967-68----------
1968-69----------
1969-705026168222185602nd overallWon championship
1970-715030119216172691st overallWon championship and Centennial Trophy
1971-724833150264174662nd overallWon championship
1972-736043152366234882nd overallLost final
1973-746039183329240811st overallWon championship
1974-756026322267299545th overall
1975-766031281358319633rd overall
1976-776041181375267832nd overall
1977-786028320309308565th overall
1978-796016440243352326th overall
1979-806049923922141001st overallWon championship and Centennial Trophy
1980-816032280278250643rd North
1981-826034233288261712nd South
1982-836035223317261731st South
1983-846034251300266691st SouthLost final
1984-856039201275222791st SouthWon championship
1985-86†----------
1986-876031281302306632nd SouthWon championship
1987-886041172357246842nd South
1988-896039183285202811st SouthWon championship

†Team granted a one-year leave of absence in 1985-86. They would re-emerge in 1986-87 under new ownership.

Playoffs