Overview[]
"Wolfpack" is the name of the sports teams from Thompson Rivers University (TRU), located in Kamloops, British Columbia. It was formerly known as "Cariboo College" (those teams were called the "Cariboo Chiefs") then in 1992 became "University College of the Cariboo" (and its teams were called the "UCC Sun Demons"). It became TRU in 2005. TRU is a member of the Canada West Universities Athletic Association (CWUAA) and U Sports (formerly known as CIS), however have never participated in the men's or women's hockey leagues.
History[]
The hockey team started in the Pacific Intercollegiate Hockey League (PIHL) in 1971, where they competed against Selkirk College, Simon Fraser University, the University of British Columbia, the B.C. Institute of Technology, Gonzaga University, Notre Dame University, and Alaska Methodist of Anchorage.
In 1972 they joined the Totem Conference or Totem Colleges Athletic Association (TCAA), {which changed names to British Columbia Colleges Athletic Association (BCCAA) in 1987-88 and the Pacific West Athletic Association (PWAA) in 2011-12}, which is governed by the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association (CCAA). The BCCAA discontinued its hockey competition after 1988-89 and the CCAA has not held a national championship since 2001.
The Wolfpack operated in the British Columbia Intercollegiate Hockey League (BCIHL) from 2009-10 to 2013-14, when the program folded.
Starting in 2022-23 players from Thompson Rivers University became eligible to play on a BCIHL independent collegiate transfer team called the Logan Lake Miners with players from Thompson Rivers University and Nicola Valley Institute of Technology. The Logan Lake Miners replaced a proposed team called the Thompson Okanagan Pioneers that never got off the ground.
Season-by-Season Records[]
PIHL/TCAA/BCCAA Seasons: 1971-1989[]
Note: No season records are available on Wikia for the TCAA or BCCAA seasons.
BCIHL Seasons: 2009-10 to 2013-14[]
| Year/Comp. | GP | W | L | T | F | A | Pts | Placing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 unofficial | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | 1st |
| 2010 BCIHL | 24 | 16 | 8 | 0 | 139 | 110 | 32 | 2nd |
| 2010 playoffs | 3 | 2 | 1 | - | 19 | 11 | 4 | finalist |
| 2011 BCIHL | 24 | 19 | 4 | 1 | 130 | 64 | 39 | 1st |
| 2011 playoffs | 3 | 2 | 1 | - | 11 | 8 | 4 | finalist |
| 2012 BCIHL | 24 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 108 | 86 | 28 | 3rd |
| 2012 playoffs | 3 | 1 | 2 | - | 4 | 7 | 2 | 4th |
| Year/Comp. | GP | W | L | OL | GF | GA | Pts | Placing |
| 2013 BCIHL | 24 | 10 | 11 | 3 | 104 | 117 | 23 | 3rd |
| 2013 playoffs | 2 | 0 | 2 | - | 3 | 11 | 0 | semi-finals |
| 2014 BCIHL | 24 | 9 | 14 | 1 | 79 | 85 | 19 | 4th |
| 2014 playoffs | 2 | 0 | 2 | - | 5 | 9 | 0 | semi-finals |
- Note: Until 2011-12 there were tie games in the regular season and a playoff tournament was held.
- Note: From 2012-13 onwards the top 4 teams qualified for best-of-three semi-finals and all tied regular season games were decided by overtime or shootout.
Commemorations[]
Championships[]
- TCAA: 1972, 1973, 1974, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985
- BCCAA: 1986, 1987, 1988
- BCIHL: 2004 - unofficial title before the league was founded
CCAA Nationals/Westerns[]
- 1972 4-West Championship
- 1973 4-West Championship
- 1974 4-West Championship
- 1977 4-West Championship
- 1978 4-West Championship
- 1979 4-West Championship
- 1984 CCAA Championship Bowl
- 1985 CCAA Championship Bowl
- 1986 CCAA Championship Bowl
- 1987 CCAA Championship Bowl
- 1988 CCAA Championship Bowl
- Source: CCAA Hockey Info
- Source: ACAC Hockey Info
Pictures[]
1973 Cariboo College Chiefs
1978 Cariboo College Chiefs
1986 Cariboo College Chiefs
1988 Cariboo College Chiefs
Alternate Logos[]
Cariboo College
Cariboo College Chiefs 1971
Cariboo College Chiefs 1988
UCC Sun Demons - 1992
Thompson Rivers University
Also see[]
College links[]
- Canadian Colleges Athletic Association
- 4-West Championship
- British Columbia Intercollegiate Hockey League
- Pacific West Athletic Association
- Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference
- Prairie Athletic Conference (Saskatchewan)
- Manitoba Colleges Athletic Conference
- Ontario Colleges Athletic Association
- RSEQ College League
- Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association
BCIHL Teams[]
Current Teams[]
- Simon Fraser Red Leafs (GNAC - NCAA)
- Vancouver Island Mariners (PWAA - CCAA)
- Victoria Vikings (CWUAA - USports)
- Okanagan Lakers (independent collegiate transfer team, starting 2021-22)
- Logan Lake Miners (independent collegiate transfer team, starting 2022-23)
Former Teams[]
- Eastern Washington Eagles (2011-2018) (Big Sky - NCAA)
- Selkirk College Saints (2006-2020) (PWAA - CCAA)
- Trinity Western Spartans (2005-2020) (CWUAA - CIS)
- UNBC Timberwolves (2006) (CWUAA - USports)
- Fraser Valley Brigade (proposed independent collegiate transfer team, never started)
- Thompson Okanagan Pioneers (independent collegiate transfer team, never started)
Former Teams now in Independent Collegiate Transfer Program[]
- Fraser Valley Cascades (2006-2011) (CWUAA - USports)
- Okanagan College Coyotes (2010-2012) (PWAA - CCAA)
- Thompson Rivers Wolfpack (2010-2014) (CWUAA - USports)
Independent Collegiate Transfer Program[]
- Columbia Bible College Bearcats (PWAA - CCAA)
- UBC Okanagan Heat (CWUAA - USports)
- Ashton College (none)
- CDI College (none)
- Nicola Valley Institute of Technology (none)
- Summit Pacific College (none)
University Links[]
External Links[]
Terry Bangen[]
Terry Bangen coached many of the Chiefs teams. Bangen, after the College folded the hockey program, joined the Kamloops Blazers (WHL) as an assistant coach where he won three Memorial Cup rings. Bangen would also serve as the head coach of the McGill Redmen before going to the Vancouver Canucks (NHL) as an assistant coach. He also was an assistant coach for the Canadian National Junior Team, winning a gold medal in 1996.