ENTERING A NEW CENTURY

SUTHERBY STANDS OUT (2000-2001)

A new scoring leader emerged in Brian Sutherby with 77 points. Shawn Limpright lit up the score board with 74 points. Jason Weitsel had 66 points. Nathan Paetsch, Brooks Laich and Kyle Brodziak stood out as young talent. Sean Connors and Tim Barlow split the time in the crease for the Warriors. The Warriors 34-29-4-5 record led them to a 3rd place East division finish and a first round match up with Kootenay.

A DAZZELING FUTURE (2001-2002)

30-34-6-2 was the record. Future NHLers was the name of the game. David Bararuk led with 62 points. Nathan Paetsch, Brian Sutheby, Kyle Brodziak, Brooks Laich and Troy Brower were all on this year’s roster. A first round match up was with none other than the Regina Pats. The Warriors would take them in six. The tribe would fall in six to Red Deer, who would go onto the finals and lose to Kootenay.

THE BEGINNING (2002-2003)

This welcomed Curtis Hunt as Head Coach and with him came a ton of celebrated players. Future NHLers David Bararuk, Thomas Fleishmann, Kyle Brodziak, Nathan Paetsch, Dustin Boyd, Johnny Boychuk, Troy Brouwer, Ashton Rome and Kenndal McArdle all went onto successful professional careers.

The team had a 36-22-11-3 record and a first round match up with the Blades. Taking Saskatoon in six, the Warriors looked onto Brandon—who would knock them off in a game seven.

FORTY ONE WINS (2003-2004)

The best Warriors season up to this point in history was topped with a 41-22-8-1 record and a first place finish in the Eastern Division. Brodziak and Fleishmann topped the WHL scoring list. Brouwer, Boyd, Rome and Boychuk followed up the scoring leaders. Lane Manson, a beast on the blue line wracked up 253 PIM’s. Joey Perricone made his Warriors debut in 15 games. Mike Brodeur held down the fort for 41 games. The Warriors knocked off the Pats in 4 straight wins. Next up, the Red Deer Rebels would defeat the Warriors in 6 games.

BUILDING (2004-2005)

This season could be looked upon as the season that built the best team the Warriors ever created. Kenndal McArdle led the team as a 17 year old with 74 points. Dustin Boyd and Troy Brouwer followed close behind in scoring. The Warriors acquired Blair Jones from Red Deer in exchange for Ashton Rome. Josh Lepp was acquired from Seattle. Joey Perricone played in 34 games this season. The Warriors were defeated by Brandon in the first round in five games.

HISTORY IS MADE (2005-2006)

History would be written. A 44-20-5-3 season led to a first place finish in the Eastern Division. A record setting four Warriors topped the regular season scoring charts. Brouwer led the league with 102 points. Dustin Boyd came in with 90 points, Blair Jones had 85 points and Kenndal McArdle had 71 points. With an outstanding regular season, the team looked to Joey Perricone to continue the stand in net.

The home team faced Brandon in the opening round. Taking the Wheaties in six games, the next opponent would be the Calgary Hitmen. A game seven win catapulted the Warriors into the Conference Final with Medicine Hat. Winning the series in 5 games, the tribe had never seen the Conference Final, let alone the WHL Championship. The Vancouver Giants would sweep the Warriors in the series.

With their best season to date and Steve Young as the bench boss, the Warriors would break all previous records for the franchise.

THE AFTERMATH (2006-2007)

Riley Holzapfel was one of the only remaining big guns this season. Steven Gillen added 63 points and an acquisition of Jason Reese added another 46 points. Jason Bast had 39 points in his first full season with the tribe. Ryan Stanton, Chad Suer, Travis Hamonic and Kevin Smith had their first taste of Warriors hockey.

Some major trades would see Kenndal McArdle go to Vancouver, Jesse Zetariuk & Carter Smith to Everett, and Ian McKenzie to Seattle. Joey Perricone would remain as the main man between the iron. The Warriors would fall short of playoffs this season.

A NEW LOOK (2007-2008)

Dave Hunchak took over from Steve Young after a less than perfect 2006-2007 season. Jordan Knackstedt led the way with 85 points. Eighteen year old Jason Bast added 79 points. Joel Broda was aquired from Tri-City and gave the tribe 50 points. Riley Holzapfel had 41 points this season.

The Warriors added Frazer McLaren, Ty Wishart, Keaton Ellerby and Ty Ariss to the roster. Joey Perricone stayed with the team as a twenty year old goaltender. Todd Mathews backed up Perricone. Ryley Grantham led the team in PIM’s with 163.

The Warriors would go on to a 37-21-6-8 record and 8th Eastern Conference finish. The Warriors would lose out to the Hitmen in the first round of playoffs.

REBUILDING (2008-2009)

Coming off a steady season, it was time for the franchise to rebuild and recharge for what would hope to be a new start moving forward into a new facility in just 3 years. With only 19 wins, the Warriors would fall to a 6th place Eastern finish and only claim 41 points.

An entirely new look team would take to the ice after the January trade deadline. Ryley Grantham & Ian Duval would be sent to Kelowna in exchange for Dylan Hood and Jesse Paradis. Thomas Karpov & Joel Broda would be sent to Calgary for Brendan Rowinski. Todd Matthews was sent to Kootenay. Brett Ward and Evan Fuller would head to Chilliwack for Brayden Metz. One of the biggest trades the Warriors would make would be for Jeff Bosch with the Regina Pats for Neal Prokop. The Warriors would also acquire Cody Smuk from Lethbridge.

Travis Hamonic would add 40 points to the Warrior effort along with 16 year old first overall draft pick Quinton Howden who had 30 points in his rookie season. Jeff Bosch and Deven Dubyk split the season in net.

CHANGE COMES (2009-2010)

Coming off a dismal season and a finalized plan for a new facility; a new man would be added to the Warrior organization. Jeff Truitt would become the first ever Director of Hockey Operations after the release of the last General Manager, Chad Lang. A new Director of Business Corey Nyhagen would take over on the business side.

With 17 year old phoneme, Quinton Howden leading the scoring race with 65 points, Jason Bast would play out his final season as Warriors Captain and MVP. The biggest trade deal would come in January when World Junior Team Member Travis Hamonic was sent to Brandon.

A season of injuries would keep the Warriors from getting the results that they were capable of. Jason Bast suffered a facial injury, Quinton Howden would suffer a collar bone injury late in the season, Ryan Stanton would miss games after Christmas due to illness and the most talked about injury would come to Travis Hamonic in the World Junior Tournament with a separated shoulder.

An emerging young group of stars and NHL prospects emerged in Quinton Howden, Dylan McIlrath, Kendall McFaull, Antonin Honejsek and Brandon Glover. A new era has begun and the future looks very bright.

END OF AN ERA (2010-2011)

Mixed emotions were common feeling around the rink during this season, the reason? This marked the final year that the team would be playing in the historic Civic Centre, the following year the team would move into their brand new downtown facility.

There was also another change at the top, during the off-season Jeff Truitt left the team to pursue a coaching opportunity in the . His replacement, former and Sting General Manager Alan Millar.

It didn’t take Millar long to put his stamp on the franchise, before the season began he acquired Thomas Heemskerk from Everett. The overage goalie went on to have a memorable season with the tribe, posting a 36-21-2-4 record with a 2.94gaa and .908sv%. Heemskerk’s 65 games played tied Jody Lehman’s single season record, he also finished 14 saves shy of Darryl Gilmour’s mark set back in 85-86.

Up front the team was led by Dylan Hood who had 50 assists and 83 points, and Quinton Howden who had 40 goals and 79 points. Captain Spencer Edwards was third in team scoring with 66 points, and through his efforts of the “Captain’s Care” program won the WHL and CHL Humanitarian of the Year award.

The team finished fifth in the Eastern Conference with a 40-26-2-4 record. They were eliminated in the first round after six games by the eventual WHL champion Kootenay Ice.