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Chilliwack Bruins

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This article is about the major junior Chilliwack Bruins ice hockey team. For other uses, see Chilliwack Bruins (disambiguation).
Chilliwack Bruins
CityChilliwack, British Columbia
LeagueWestern Hockey League
ConferenceWestern
DivisionB.C.
Operated2006–2011
Home arenaProspera Centre
ColoursBlack, white, and cream
     
Franchise history
2006–11Chilliwack Bruins
2011–presentVictoria Royals

The Chilliwack Bruins were a Major Junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League (WHL) based in Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada. The 2006–07 season marked the Bruins' inaugural season in the WHL. The team played at Prospera Centre, which was expanded to 5,386 seats for the arrival of the team. The Bruins were sold after the 2010–11 season and subsequently relocated to Victoria to become the Victoria Royals.[1] [2]

History

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In 2005, the City of Chilliwack was granted a WHL expansion team after an attempt by the owners of the Tri-City Americans (Brian Burke, Glen Sather and Darryl Porter) to move the Americans to Chilliwack was voted down by the WHL directors. As a result, Burke, Sather and Porter sold their stake in the Americans and purchased the 21st franchise in the WHL. The arrival of the Bruins displaced the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL)'s Chilliwack Chiefs, who relocated to Langley to become the Langley Chiefs. In early 2011, it became apparent to fans that they had been sold to RG Properties to allow them to move the team to Victoria. The previous ownership group of the original Chilliwack Chiefs franchise before 2006 had an offer of $7.75 million from the Chiefs Development Group, including Major League Baseball player Justin Morneau and National Hockey League player Willie Mitchell. This offer was rejected by both the majority ownership of the Bruins as well as the league.

The Bruins opened their inaugural season in 2006–07 at Prospera Centre on September 21, 2006, defeating the Kelowna Rockets by a score of 3–1. Keith Voytechek scored the first goal in franchise history, while Alex Archibald earned the first win by a Bruins goaltender.[3] A month later, on October 28, Archibald became the first Bruins goaltender to record a shutout with a 3–0 win over the Tri-City Americans, which also established the first Bruins road win. Forward Josh Aspenlind established another Bruins first later in the season with the franchise's first hat-trick on February 23, 2007, against the Kamloops Blazers. General Manager Darrell May and the team's first head coach, Jim Hiller, helped the Bruins post an overall record of 25–40–5–2, the third-best overall record for a WHL expansion team, qualifying for the post-season. In the 2007 playoffs, the Bruins played the eventual Memorial Cup champion Vancouver Giants in the first round and lost the series four games to one.

Bruins forwards Mark Santorelli and Oscar Moller emerged in the team's second season in 2007–08, establishing team-highs in all statistical categories. Santorelli set team-highs with 74 assists and 101 points, earning the team's first major WHL trophy by leading the League in scoring, while Moller scored a franchise-high 39 goals. The Bruins finished in seventh place in the Western Conference and lost to Vancouver in the first round. All games were decided by one goal.

After missing the playoffs in 2008–09, the Bruins fired head coach Jim Hiller.[4] On June 3, 2009, the team named Marc Habscheid as the team's new head coach and general manager.

Season-by-season record

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Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, OTL = Overtime losses, SOL = Shootout losses, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

Season GP W L OTL SOL GF GA Points Finish Playoffs
2006–07 72 25 40 5 2 169 260 57 4th B.C. Lost Western Conference quarter-final
2007–08 72 28 35 4 5 206 241 65 3rd B.C. Lost Western Conference quarter-final
2008–09 72 19 46 2 5 154 267 45 5th B.C. Out of playoffs
2009–10 72 32 33 2 5 215 239 71 4th B.C. Lost Western Conference quarter-final
2010–11 72 33 31 4 4 227 255 74 3rd B.C. Lost Western Conference quarter-final

Team records

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Team records for a single season
Statistic Total Season
Most points 74 2010–11
Most wins 33 2010–11
Fewest points 45 2008–09
Fewest wins 19 2008–09
Most goals for 227 2010–11
Fewest goals for 154 2008–09
Fewest goals against 239 2009–10
Most goals against 267 2008–09
Individual player records for a single season
Statistic Player Total Season
Most goals Ryan Howse 51 2010-11
Most assists Mark Santorelli 74 2007–08
Most points Mark Santorelli 101 2007–08
Most points, rookie Mark Santorelli 82 2006–07
Most points, defenceman Nick Holden 60 2007–08
Best GAA (goalie) Matt Esposito 2.97 2006–07
Goalies = minimum 1500 minutes played

NHL draftees

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NHL alumni

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "WHL has approved Chilliwack Bruins move to Victoria". Archived from the original on 2011-05-15. Retrieved 2011-05-17.
  2. ^ "Victoria News - Victoria scores another chance at WHL". Archived from the original on 2011-07-13. Retrieved 2011-08-25.
  3. ^ "2006-07 Regular Season Game-by-Game". Chilliwack Bruins. Archived from the original on October 17, 2008. Retrieved 2009-02-28.
  4. ^ "Chilliwack Bruins fire head coach Hiller". Vancouver Sun. 2009-03-16. Archived from the original on 2019-12-17. Retrieved 2009-03-17.
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