Sherwood Park Crusaders


The Sherwood Park Crusaders are a junior A ice hockey team in the Alberta Junior Hockey League. They play in Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada, with home games at Sherwood Park Arena.

History

The Edmonton Crusaders joined the Alberta Junior Hockey League in 1976 playing out of the Jasper Place Arena. The AJHL franchise was revived from a dormant entry controlled by Jim McCaddie. The Edmonton Crusaders played two seasons in the AJHL.
In 1978, a group of Sherwood Park businessmen, headed by John Fisher, Frank Chase, and Al Bishop, moved the franchise to Sherwood Park. John Fisher, a Sherwood Park resident and former Alberta Oilers' player, became the first coach of the Crusaders.
During a game on February 21, 1980, twenty-year-old captain Trevor Elton was hit cleanly along the boards by a player on the St. Albert Saints in St. Albert, Alberta. Elton landed and went into convulsions and died later that night while in hospital. The 1980–81 team was coached by Gregg Pilling, and finished first place in the South Division.
During the 1985–86 season, Brett Pearce suffered a major injury which left him paralyzed. During the same season, the Crusaders capture the AJHL North Division championship. In 1986–87, the Crusaders won their first regular season championship, followed by another division title in 1989–90. The Crusaders made it the league playoff finals in 1985, 1986, and 1990, but never won the playoff championship. On July 2, 1996, Crusaders' general manager and part owner, Al McDonald died from cancer.
At the conclusion of the 1998 season, the team was purchased from Art Cox by a group of local businessmen headed by Tom Maxwell. The group has since turned the club into a non-profit society. The 1998–99 season had the team finish in last place in the North Division with a 13–44–3–2 record. In 1999, the entire team was rebuilt with mostly younger players and finished with a 7–52–3–2 record, the worst Junior A record in the 1999–2000 Canadian Junior Hockey League season.
The 2000–01 season had a new head coach in Doug Schum and qualified for the playoffs with a 20–29–6–2 record before losing to St. Albert Saints in three games. The Crusaders lost only five players going into the 2001–02 season and replaced Schum with head coach Dan Auchenberg. The team started slow in the season and then went on a 15-game winning streak to finish third in the North Division. Head coach Dan Auchenberg won the AJHL's Coach of the Year for the team's turnaround. They then swept their first round playoff series against the Lloydminster Blazers before a losing to the Drayton Valley Thunder in six games.
The team continued its improvement winning their four of their first five games before returning goaltender,Chris Denman, was injured and the team began trading for and rotating many goaltenders, including female goaltender Shannon Szabados for eight games. Szabados, who would later play for the Canadian women's national team for over a decade, earned two shutouts and a 7–1 record. The Crusaders finished the season with 43 wins, earning a first place finish in the North Division and the regular season title. In the first round of the playoffs, the Bonnyville Pontiacs were swept in four games. The playoff format for that season gave the team a second round bye and a 19-day layoff. The team then lost to the St. Albert Saints in five games in the division finals.
In the 2003–04 season, the team lost several of their veteran players, but head coach Auchenberg and goaltender Szabados returned. The team finished the season in fourth place in the North Division and were swept out of the playoffs in the first round by Drayton Valley.

Season-by-season record

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T/OTL = Ties/Overtime losses, SOL = Shootout losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
SeasonGPWLT/OTLSOLPtsGFGAFinishPlayoffs
1976–77605550101823767th OverallDid not qualify
1977–786030291612762604th OverallLost Quarterfinals, 3–4 vs. Fort Saskatchewan Traders
1978–796012480242303507th OverallDid not qualify
1979–805819390382533307th OverallLost Quarterfinals, 0–3 vs. Red Deer Rustlers
1980–816036231732942841st NorthWon Quarterfinals, 3–0 vs. Fort Saskatchewan Traders
Lost Semifinals, 2–4 vs. St. Albert Saints
1981–826023370462543065th NorthDid not qualify
1982–836025341512963564th NorthLost Quarterfinals, 0–4 vs. St. Albert Saints
1983–846028311572873023rd NorthLost Quarterfinals, 3–4 vs. St. Albert Saints
1984–856037203773192431st NorthWon Quarterfinals, 4–1 vs. Hobbema Hawks
Won Semifinals, 4–0 vs. Fort Saskatchewan Traders
Lost Finals, 2–4 vs. Red Deer Rustlers
1985–865230193692612062nd NorthWon Quarterfinals, 4–1 vs. Fort Saskatchewan Traders
Won Semifinals, 4–1 vs. Fort McMurray Oil Barons
Lost Finals, 3–4 vs. Calgary Canucks
1986–876043134902741921st NorthWon Quarterfinals, 4–1 vs. Fort Saskatchewan Traders
Lost Semifinals, 3–4 vs. St. Albert Saints
1987–886018411372053015th NorthDid not qualify
1988–896039193813222431st NorthWon Quarterfinals, 4–2 vs. St. Albert Saints
Lost Semifinals, 0–4 vs. Fort Saskatchewan Traders
1989–906026331532933044th NorthWon Quarterfinals, 4–0 vs. Fort McMurray Oil Barons
Won Semifinals, 4–3 vs. Lloydminster Blazers
Lost Finals, 2–4 vs. Calgary Canucks
1990–915616391332042878th OverallLost Quarterfinals, 0–4 vs. Fort Saskatchewan Traders
1991–926016404363033978th OverallLost Quarterfinals, 0–4 vs. Olds Grizzlys
1992–935617381352112938th OverallLost Quarterfinals, 4–5 vs. Fort Saskatchewan Traders
1993–945635201712472082nd OverallWon Quarterfinals, 4–0 vs. Lloydminster Blazers
Lost Semifinals, 2–4 vs. Fort McMurray Oil Barons
1994–955629261592532345th OverallWon Quarterfinals, 4–1 vs. St. Albert Saints
Lost Semifinals, 0–4 vs. Olds Grizzlys
1995–966027303572292506th OverallLost Quarterfinals, 3–4 vs. St. Albert Saints
1996–976031263642232276th OverallLost Quarterfinals, 2–4 vs. St. Albert Saints
1997–9860233524819925610th OverallDid not qualify
1998–996216442341983237th NorthDid not qualify
1999–006410522221863237th NorthDid not qualify
2000–016427298622352456th NorthLost Preliminary series, 0–3 vs. St. Albert Saints
2001–026438215812601933rd NorthWon Preliminary series, 3–0 vs. Lloydminster Blazers
Lost Quarterfinals, 2–4 vs. Drayton Valley Thunder
2002–036443138942591651st NorthWon Div. Quarterfinals, 4–0 vs. Bonnyville Pontiacs
Bye
Lost Div. Finals, 1–4 vs. St. Albert Saints
2003–046030255651841894th NorthLost Preliminary series, 0–3 vs. Drayton Valley Thunder
2004–056414437351592758th NorthDid not qualify
2005–0660153510401422158th NorthDid not qualify
2006–0760222810541501997th NorthLost Preliminary series, 0–3 vs. Grande Prairie Storm
2007–086228259651912065th NorthLost Preliminary series, 2–3 vs. Bonnyville Pontiacs
2008–096241201832231693rd NorthWon Div. Quarterfinals, 3–1 vs. St. Albert Steel
Lost Div. Semifinals, 2–4 vs. Grande Prairie Storm
2009–106033189752061814th NorthLost Div. Quarterfinals, 0–3 vs. Bonnyville Pontiacs
2010–116029256641751986th NorthLost Div. Quarterfinals, 0–3 vs. Bonnyville Pontiacs
2011–126037194782311994th NorthWon Div. Quarterfinals, 3–2 vs. Bonnyville Pontiacs
Lost Div. Semifinals, 1–4 vs. Fort McMurray Oil Barons
2012–136028257631841837th NorthWon Div. Quarterfinals, 3–1 vs. Grande Prairie Storm
Lost Div. Semifinals, 2–4 vs. Spruce Grove Saints
2013–146029283611922084th NorthWon Div. Quarterfinals, 3–0 vs. Bonnyville Pontiacs
Lost Div. Semifinals, 3–4 vs. Spruce Grove Saints
2014–156028257631731765th NorthWon Div. Quarterfinals, 3–1 vs. Fort McMurray Oil Barons
Lost Div. Semifinals, 2–4 vs. Spruce Grove Saints
2015–166039192802401945th NorthWon Div. Quarterfinals, 3–1 vs. Bonnyville Pontiacs
Lost Div. Semifinals, 0–4 vs. Spruce Grove Saints
2016–1760322531672332355th of 8, North
11th of 16, AJHL
Lost Div. Quarterfinals, 1–3 vs. Bonnyville Pontiacs
2017–186027312562092415th of 8, North
9th of 16, AJHL
Lost Div. Quarterfinals, 2–3 vs. Grande Prairie Storm
2018–196044142902541591st of 8, North
2nd of 16, AJHL
Won Div. Semifinals, 4–2 vs. Fort McMurray Oil Barons
Lost Div. Finals, 2–4 vs. Spruce Grove Saints
2019–20584999982711281st of 8, North
1st of 15, AJHL
Postseason cancelled

NHL alumni

The following former Crusaders have gone on to play in the NHL:
The following former Crusaders have gone on to play for the Canada national women's ice hockey team: