Calgary Dinosaurs

"Dinosaurs" is the name of the sports teams of the University of Calgary located in Calgary, Alberta or, for fans of the "Dinos", the Town of Bedrock. Their home arena is the Father David Bauer Arena. They are members of the Canada West Universities Athletic Association (CWUAA) and U Sports (formerly known as CIS).

Overview[]

History[]

In 1945 the University started as a campus of the University of Alberta and was variously referred to as the “University of Alberta at Calgary”, the “University of Alberta-Calgary”, and the “University of Alberta (Calgary)”. In 1966 it became its own separate university.

The Dinosaurs came back to life in 1964-65 in the old WCIAA. One difference between Calgary and many other western universities is that they never competed at the senior or junior levels prior to joining the university ranks. They did, however, play in the 1967-68 Alberta Senior Playoffs for the first half of the season.

In that 1964-65 campaign, the Dinos registered a 0-12-0 record to finish last in a four team conference behind the University of Manitoba, the University of Alberta, and the University of Saskatchewan. All of those were well-established hockey programs at the time. In fact, Manitoba won that year's University Cup. The Dinos followed with 0-12-0 in 1965-66 and 0-16-0 in 1966-67, when the University of British Columbia rejoined the league.

When the WCIAA split in two following the 1971-72 season, the University of Calgary became a founding member of the CWUAA, along with the University of Saskatchewan, University of Victoria, University of British Columbia, and University of Alberta. A GPAC merger and new programs added new opponents at the University of Manitoba, University of Regina, University of Lethbridge, Mount Royal University, Grant MacEwan University, and Trinity Western University. Victoria and Lethbridge have since departed.

Things did progress such that Calgary won the 1974 conference title. Despite growth of the CWUAA over the years, the Dinos continued to be part of the "Big Four" pretty much every year, along with Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.

Official Team Site

Other Leagues[]

Although they did not start in senior or intermediate leagues like some other universities, they did have at least three seasons where they also operated outside the CIAU set-up. As mentioned, they were in the 1967-68_Alberta_Senior_Playoffs. In 1968-69 they had a team in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference. In 1969-70 they had a team in the Highwood Hockey League. Those seasons are linked on the table.

Season-by-Season Records Table[]

Year/Comp.	GP	W	L	T	GF	GA	Pts	Placing
1965 WCIAA	12	0	12	0	32	109	0	4th
1966 WCIAA	12	0	12	0	25	128	0	4th
1967 WCIAA	16	0	16	0	41	97	0	5th
1968 WCIAA	16	2	14	0	43	82	4	5th
1968 ASHL	10	1	9	0	?	?	2	withdrew
1969 WCIAA	20	11	9	0	79	76	22	3rd
1969 ACAC	20	6	14	0	181	89	12	5th
1970 WCIAA	14	11	3	0	92	43	22	1st
1970 playoffs	4	2	2	0	18	13	4	finalist
1970 Highwood	20	9	10	1	-	-	.475	3rd¶
1971 WCIAA	20	13	7	0	111	68	26	3rd
1971 playoffs	3	1	2	0	9	19	2	semi-finals
1972 WCIAA	20	15	5	0	148	89	30	W 2nd
1972 playoffs	2	1	1	0	7	8	2	finalist
1973 CWUAA	24	16	8	0	122	76	32	2nd
1974 CWUAA	18	14	4	0	?	?	28	1st
1974 playoffs	2	2	0	0	8	6	4	champion ∆
1974 U Cup	4	2	2	0	23	17	4	semi-finals
1975 CWUAA	24	11	12	1	75	92	23	3rd
1976 CWUAA	24	17	7	0	112	75	34	1st
1976 playoffs	2	2	0	0	9	2	4	champion ∆
1976 U Cup	4	3	1	0	15	13	6	semi-finals
1977 CWUAA	24	8	16	0	103	122	16	3rd
1978 CWUAA	24	11	13	0	107	106	22	3rd
1979 CWUAA	24	15	9	0	110	94	30	2nd
1979 playoffs	3	1	2	0	9	12	2	finalist
1980 CWUAA	29	18	11	0	116	104	36	2nd
1980 playoffs	2	2	0	0	5	1	4	champion ∆
1980 U Cup	2	1	1	0	5	3	2	pool 2nd
1981 CWUAA	24	18	6	0	118	93	36	1st
1981 playoffs	3	1	2	0	9	12	2	finalist ∆
1981 U Cup	2	1	1	0	8	8	2	pool 2nd
1982 CWUAA	24	14	10	0	100	87	28	2nd
1982 playoffs	2	0	2	0	4	10	0	finalist
1983 CWUAA	24	10	14	0	84	104	20	3rd
1984 CWUAA	24	3	21	0	78	137	6	4th
1985 CWUAA	24	8	16	0	101	133	16	4th
1986 CWUAA	28	19	9	0	162	136	38	2nd
1986 playoffs	6	4	2	0	26	22	8	champion ∆
1986 U Cup	2	0	2	0	10	17	0	quarter-finals
1987 CWUAA	28	23	5	0	196	116	46	1st
1987 playoffs	5	3	2	0	23	22	6	finalist
1988 CWUAA	28	23	5	0	46	196	119	1st
1988 playoffs	?	4	?	0	?	?	8	champion ∆
1988 U Cup	1	0	1	0	3	4	0	semi-finals
1989 CWUAA	28	21	7	0	173	116	42	2nd
1989 playoffs	6	3	3	0	19	21	6	finalist
1990 CWUAA	28	21	6	1	135	101	43	1st
1990 playoffs	4	4	0	0	17	7	8	champion ∆
1990 U Cup	1	0	1	0	4	5	0	semi-finals
1991 CWUAA	28	22	5	1	145	95	45	1st
1991 playoffs	3	1	2	0	10	8	2	semi-finals
1992 CWUAA	28	15	11	2	121	119	32	3rd
1992 playoffs	3	1	2	0	10	12	2	semi-finals
1993 CWUAA	28	17	8	3	127	110	37	3rd
1993 playoffs	3	1	2	0	6	12	2	semi-finals
1994 CWUAA	28	17	7	4	138	113	38	2nd
1994 playoffs	5	3	2	0	13	9	6	finalist
1995 CWUAA	28	20	6	2	129	82	42	1st
1995 playoffs	4	4	0	0	19	8	8	champion ∆
1995 U Cup	1	0	1	0	1	4	0	semi-finals
1996 CWUAA	28	18	9	1	136	100	37	M 1st
1996 playoffs	4	4	0	0	18	11	8	champion ∆
1996 U Cup	1	0	1	0	1	5	0	semi-finals
1997 CWUAA	26	21	2	3	130	64	45	M 1st
1997 playoffs	2	0	2	0	6	9	0	semi-finals
1998 CWUAA	28	13	12	3	118	116	29	M 2nd
1998 playoffs	5	2	3	0	18	22	4	semi-finals
1999 CWUAA	28	13	10	5	96	105	31	M 2nd
1999 playoffs	5	2	3	0	21	27	4	semi-finals
2000 CWUAA	28	16	9	3	110	86	35	M 2nd
2000 playoffs	6	4	2	0	26	24	8	3rd ∆
2000 U Cup	2	0	2	0	4	7	0	pool 3rd
2001 CWUAA	28	13	12	3	121	100	29	M 2nd
2001 playoffs	4	2	2	0	10	22	4	semi-finals
2002 CWUAA	28	16	11	1	108	82	33	M 2nd
2002 playoffs	4	2	2	0	9	11	4	semi-finals
2003 CWUAA	28	14	12	2	90	79	30	M 2nd
2003 playoffs	5	2	3	0	14	22	4	semi-finals
2004 CWUAA	28	16	10	2	102	90	34	M 2nd
2004 playoffs	5	2	3	0	13	17	4	semi-finals
2005 CWUAA	28	12	10	6	107	87	30	M 2nd
2005 playoffs	6	2	4	0	16	21	4	4th
2006 CWUAA	28	13	13	2	85	93	28	M 2nd
2006 playoffs	5	2	3	0	17	24	4	semi-finals
Year/Comp.	GP	W	L	OL	GF	GA	Pts	Placing
2007 CWUAA	28	11	13	4	96	100	26	M 4th
2007 playoffs	5	2	3	0	8	10	4	semi-finals
2008 CWUAA	28	16	8	4	107	97	36	3rd
2008 playoffs	4	2	2	0	14	15	4	semi-finals
2009 CWUAA	28	10	16	2	85	90	22	7th
2010 CWUAA	28	13	9	6	84	91	32	4th
2010 playoffs	2	0	2	0	3	8	0	semi-finals
2011 CWUAA	28	17	8	3	82	67	37	2nd
2011 playoffs	5	2	3	0	11	17	4	finalist ∆
2011 U Cup	2	0	2	0	3	5	0	pool 3rd
2012 CWUAA	28	15	11	2	74	70	32	4th
2012 playoffs	8	4	4	0	22	19	8	finalist
2013 CWUAA	28	17	11	0	89	66	34	4th
2013 playoffs	5	2	3	0	9	12	4	semi-finals
2014 CWUAA	28	21	4	3	126	70	45	2nd
2014 playoffs	5	2	3	0	11	15	4	lost final
2015 CWUAA	28	20	8	0	91	56	40	2nd
2015 playoffs	5	2	3	0	14	17	4	finalist ∆
2015 U Cup	1	0	1	0	1	3	0	quarter-final
2016 CWUAA	28	12	12	4	85	82	28	5th
2016 playoffs	5	2	3	0	15	14	4	semi-finals
2017 CWUAA	28	18	9	1	83	77	37	3rd
2017 playoffs	4	2	2	-	16	14	4	semi-finals
2018 CWUAA	28	12	13	3	71	61	27	5th ø
2018 playoffs	6	3	3	-	18	19	6	semi-finals
2019 CWUAA	28	18	7	3	102	68	39	3rd
2019 Playoffs	4	2	2	-	13	13	4	semi-finals
2020 CWUAA	28	18	7	3	99	72	39	3rd
2020 playoffs	4	2	2	-	13	10	4	semi-finals
2021 CWUAA	season cancelled due to COVID-19
2022 CWUAA	20	12	7	1	70	63	25	5th
2022 playoffs	5	2	3	-	10	21	4	semi-finals
2023 CWUAA	28	25	3	0	132	63	50	1st
2023 Playoffs	6	4	2	-	22	16	8	champion ∆
2023 U Cup	1	0	1	0	1	3	0	quarter-final
2024 CWUAA	28	21	5	2	124	61	44	2nd
2024 playoffs	5	3	2	-	5	17	17	Finalist ∆
2024 U Cup	1	0	1	0	1	2	0	quarter-final

¶ In 1970 Calgary had a JV team in the intermediate Highwood League.

ø In 2017-18 Calgary was required to forfeit points from 6 conference games (2 each to Lethbridge, UBC, and Alberta) due to the use of an ineligible player. They lost 8 points, UBC gained 4 points, and Lethbridge gained 2 points. The games were recorded in league standings as 1-0 losses for Calgary. Goals for and goals allowed have been corrected in the table above, however the points earned by players in those games were counted in player statistics.

∆ Qualified for University Cup in 1974, 1976, 1980, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1995, 1996, and 2023 as conference champion, in 1981 as hosts, in 2000 and 2011 as national rotating wild-card, and in 2015 and 2024 as conference runner-up.

Notes:

The WCIAA played a two division format in 1971-72: West (W) and East (E).
The GPAC merged into the CWUAA in 1985-86.
The CWUAA played a two division format from 1996-97 to 2006-07: Mountain (M) and Great Plains (GP).

Commemorations[]

Championships[]

UNIVERSITY

CWUAA - 1974, 1976, 1980, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1995, 1996, 2023

University Cups[]

Dinosaurs who played in the NHL[]

International Exhibitions[]

Dec 28, 1973: Calgary Dinosaurs 4 Poland men's national ice hockey team 4
- 1973-74 Poland
- International Tours of North America

Dec 16, 1988 at Calgary: Calgary Dinosaurs 6, Team Canada Juniors 4

Dec 15, 2006 at Calgary: Calgary/Lethbridge 5, Team Canada Juniors 4
- Story/Stats

Dec 13, 2007 at Calgary: Team Canada v Calgary Dinosaurs (cancelled, mumps)

Dec 17, 2011 at Calgary: Team Canada Juniors 7, Calgary/Lethbridge 4
- UC Story

Dec 13, 2012 at Calgary: Team Canada Juniors 2, Calgary/Lethbridge/MRU 0

2020 at Edmonton and Calgary: Games against Alberta Golden Bears, Mount Royal Cougars, and Calgary Dinosaurs were cancelled due to Covid lockdowns.