Swift Current Broncos

The Swift Current Broncos are a junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League. Founded during 1967 in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, the Broncos played seven seasons before relocating to Lethbridge from 1974 to 1986 as the Lethbridge Broncos. The Broncos then returned to Swift Current, and have played there since 1986, at the Credit Union iPlex.

History
The Broncos started out as the Swift Current Broncos in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, but moved to Lethbridge in 1974. The team had been losing money in tiny Swift Current and the new Lethbridge Sportsplex was beckoning for a team. The Broncos played in Lethbridge for twelve seasons, winning the President's Cup in 1982–83. In the mid 1980s, the team came up for sale, and despite a large and loyal fanbase in Lethbridge, the Broncos were bought by local interests in Swift Current and moved back to their original home. The Lethbridge Hurricanes moved in to replace the Broncos in southern Alberta.

The team won its only Memorial Cup championship two years later at the 1989 Memorial Cup. In the 1993 Memorial Cup, the Broncos were eliminated in a tie-breaker. Afterwards, the team's only head coach Graham James resigned to coach the Calgary Hitmen, but three seasons later, allegations arose that he sexually abused former player Sheldon Kennedy during their days together with the Broncos. James was convicted of sexual offenses and sentenced to three years in prison.

The Broncos play their home games at the Credit Union iPlex.

1986 Team Bus Crash
On December 30, 1986, the Broncos' bus crashed on the way to a game in Regina. Four players: Trent Kresse, Scott Kruger, Chris Mantyka and Brent Ruff (younger brother of then-player and current Dallas Stars coach Lindy Ruff) were killed. Their jersey numbers were retired by the team afterwards, and the team still wears a commemorative patch in remembrance of the four players. The rest of the team, led by future NHL star Joe Sakic, who recorded 60 goals, played out the season despite the loss. In a move to memorialize the fallen players, the WHL now awards the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy to the League's Player of the Year.

In 2013, Tri-Light Entertainment secured the rights to produce a feature film adaptation of the book Sudden Death: The Incredible Saga of the 1986 Swift Current Broncos.

First Broncos (1967–74)
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

WHL Championship history

 * 1988-89: Win, 4-0 vs Portland
 * 1992-93: Win, 4-3 vs Portland
 * 2017-18: Win, 4-2 vs Everett

Retired numbers
Those four players died in a road accident involving the team's bus on December 30th 1986.
 * 8 Scott Krueger
 * 9 Brent Ruff
 * 11 Chris Mantyka
 * 22 Trent Kresse