Taber Golden Suns
Encyclopedia
The Taber Golden Suns were a Junior A
ice hockey
team in the Alberta Junior Hockey League
based in Taber, Alberta
, Canada
.
. During their tenure, they reached the AJHL finals three times, losing each time.
The Golden Suns produced four NHLers
during their time: Lindy Ruff
, Rocky Saganiuk
, Gord Williams
and Earl Ingarfield, Jr.
.
Junior ice hockey
Junior hockey is a catch-all term used to describe various levels of ice hockey competition for players generally between 16 and 20 years of age...
ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team in the Alberta Junior Hockey League
Alberta Junior Hockey League
The Alberta Junior Hockey League is an Alberta-based Junior A hockey league that belongs to the Canadian Junior Hockey League . It was formed as a five-team league in 1964. There are currently 16 teams in the league. The regular season league champions receive the Dave Duchak Trophy...
based in Taber, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
History
The Golden Suns were founded in 1974 as an expansion club, lasting seven seasons before being sold and relocated to Olds, Alberta as the Olds GrizzlysOlds Grizzlys
The Olds Grizzlys are an ice hockey team in the Alberta Junior Hockey League. They play in Olds, Alberta, Canada at the Olds & District Sports Complex, capacity 2200.The Grizzlys enjoyed a dynasty in the mid 1990s that culminated in a Centennial Cup title as national champions, won on home ice, in...
. During their tenure, they reached the AJHL finals three times, losing each time.
The Golden Suns produced four NHLers
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
during their time: Lindy Ruff
Lindy Ruff
Lindy Cameron Ruff is the head coach of the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League. Ruff played in the NHL for the Sabres and New York Rangers as a left winger/defenceman. Currently, he is the longest-tenured head coach in the NHL.-Playing career:Ruff was chosen in the second round, 32nd...
, Rocky Saganiuk
Rocky Saganiuk
Rocky Ray Saganiuk is a retired professional ice hockey player who played 259 games in the National Hockey League...
, Gord Williams
Gord Williams
Gordon James Williams is a retired professional ice hockey player. He played 2 NHL games with the Philadelphia Flyers. He is the younger brother of Fred Williams.-External links:...
and Earl Ingarfield, Jr.
Earl Ingarfield, Jr.
Earl Thompson Ingarfield, Jr. is an American professional ice hockey player who played 41 National Hockey League games for the Atlanta/Calgary Flames and Detroit Red Wings between 1979 and 1981...
.
Season-by-season record
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against| Season | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | Points | Finish | Playoffs |
| 1974-75 | 60 | 28 | 31 | 1 | 338 | 308 | 57 | 4th overall | |
| 1975-76 | 60 | 29 | 31 | 0 | 322 | 280 | 58 | 4th overall | Lost final |
| 1976-77 | 60 | 36 | 23 | 1 | 353 | 296 | 73 | 3rd overall | Lost final |
| 1977-78 | 60 | 16 | 42 | 2 | 291 | 368 | 34 | 7th overall | Out of playoffs |
| 1978-79 | 60 | 34 | 26 | 0 | 302 | 284 | 68 | 4th overall | |
| 1979-80 | 59 | 26 | 33 | 0 | 260 | 295 | 52 | 5th overall | |
| 1980-81 | 60 | 26 | 33 | 1 | 285 | 393 | 53 | 3rd South | Lost final |
Playoffs
- 1975 Lost Semi-final
- Drumheller FalconsDrumheller FalconsThe Drumheller Falcons were a Junior A ice hockey team in the Alberta Junior Hockey League based in Drumheller, Alberta.The Falcons joined the AJHL 1971 as the league's seventh team after acquiring the assets of the Ponoka Stampeders franchise that ceased operations a year previous...
defeated Taber Golden Suns 4-games-to-1- 1976 Lost Final
- Taber Golden Suns defeated Calgary CanucksCalgary CanucksThe Calgary Canucks are a junior ice hockey team in the Alberta Junior Hockey League. They play in Calgary, Alberta, Canada at the Max Bell Centre, capacity 3500....
4-games-to-3 - Spruce Grove Mets defeated Taber Golden Suns 4-games-to-none
- 1977 Lost Final
- Taber Golden Suns defeated Spruce Grove Mets 4-games-to-none
- Second in semi-final round robin (2-2) vs. Calgary CanucksCalgary CanucksThe Calgary Canucks are a junior ice hockey team in the Alberta Junior Hockey League. They play in Calgary, Alberta, Canada at the Max Bell Centre, capacity 3500....
and Red Deer RustlersRed Deer RustlersThe 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... - Calgary CanucksCalgary CanucksThe Calgary Canucks are a junior ice hockey team in the Alberta Junior Hockey League. They play in Calgary, Alberta, Canada at the Max Bell Centre, capacity 3500....
defeated Taber Golden Suns 4-games-to-1- 1978 DNQ
- 1979 Lost Quarter-final
- St. Albert SaintsSt. Albert SaintsThe St. Albert Saints were a junior ice hockey franchise based in St. Albert, Alberta, for twenty-seven seasons from 1977 to 2004. Before 1977, the team played in nearby Spruce Grove as the Spruce Grove Mets, and in 2004 the team again moved to Spruce Grove where they now play as the Spruce Grove...
defeated Taber Golden Suns 4-games-to-1- 1980 Lost Quarter-final
- Calgary SpursCalgary SpursThe Calgary Spurs were a Junior A ice hockey team in the Alberta Junior Hockey League. Founded in 1972 as The Pass Red Devils and following a two year stop as the Pincher Creek Panthers, the franchise became the second AJHL franchise in Calgary in 1978 as the Calgary Chinooks...
defeated Taber Golden Suns 3-games-to-2- 1981 Lost Final
- Taber Golden Suns defeated Calgary CanucksCalgary CanucksThe Calgary Canucks are a junior ice hockey team in the Alberta Junior Hockey League. They play in Calgary, Alberta, Canada at the Max Bell Centre, capacity 3500....
3-games-to-2 - Taber Golden Suns defeated Calgary SpursCalgary SpursThe Calgary Spurs were a Junior A ice hockey team in the Alberta Junior Hockey League. Founded in 1972 as The Pass Red Devils and following a two year stop as the Pincher Creek Panthers, the franchise became the second AJHL franchise in Calgary in 1978 as the Calgary Chinooks...
4-games-to-2 - St. Albert SaintsSt. Albert SaintsThe St. Albert Saints were a junior ice hockey franchise based in St. Albert, Alberta, for twenty-seven seasons from 1977 to 2004. Before 1977, the team played in nearby Spruce Grove as the Spruce Grove Mets, and in 2004 the team again moved to Spruce Grove where they now play as the Spruce Grove...
defeated Taber Golden Suns 4-games-to-3