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The Winnipeg Rangers were a Canadian Junior A hockey team from St. Boniface, Manitoba. They were members of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League for 11 seasons. The Rangers entered the MJHL in 1956 as an expansion team. They were owned and operated by Dennis Ball, and affiliated with the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League. Team colors were blue, red, and white, same as the NHL Rangers.

In the beginning, the Team was based out of west end Winnipeg. They were the only junior team in 56-57 to play out of the Winnipeg Arena. Because of ice availability the Rangers were forced to play out of Brandon at the Wheat City Arena for first half of the 57-58 season, and were called the Brandon Rangers. They moved back to the Winnipeg area with the opening of the Transcona Arena at the first of January, and were renamed the Transcona Rangers. After the 59 season, the Team returned to Winnipeg and the Winnipeg Arena, with their name reverting back to the Winnipeg Rangers. In 64, the Rangers were assigned the east area (mainly, St. Boniface and St. Vital), however, continued to play in the Winnipeg Arena because of its artificial ice.

During the fall of 1967, Ball would sell the club to Ben Hatskin. With the NHL mandating the end of professional teams sponsoring junior teams, the Manitoba Amateur Hockey Association did not want the newly created major junior to do so either. Before granting Hatskin’s Winnipeg Jets permission to play in the Western Canada Junior Hockey League, demanded he sell his three MJHL teams to community-minded sports groups. The new owners renamed the franchise the St. Boniface Saints. This ended an era of junior hockey in Manitoba.

The Rangers were crowned MJHL champions in 1961 and 1966, winning the Turnbull Cup.
In Memorial Cup play, they advanced to the Western Canada Final for the Abbott Cup in 1961.

Season-by-Season Record[]

Note: click on season for team rosters or on league for direct link to that season.

Season League GP W L T GF GA Points Finish Playoffs
1956-57 MJHL 29 7 21 1 95 203 15 3rd Lost Semi Final
1957-58 MJHL 30 10 20 0 128 190 20 4th DNQ
1958-59 MJHL 32 10 19 3 110 166 23 4th Lost Semi Final
1959-60 MJHL 31 10 20 1 100 144 21 4th Lost Final
1960-61 MJHL 32 21 11 0 157 120 42 2nd Won League
1960-61 Memorial Cup 12 5 7 - 47 47 - - Lost West Final
1961-62 MJHL 40 16 20 4 128 150 36 4th Lost Semi Final
1962-63 MJHL 40 11 25 4 141 196 26 5th DNQ
1963-64 MJHL 30 15 12 3 124 95 33 3rd Lost Semi Final
1964-65 MJHL 46 21 19 6 202 170 48 2nd Lost Semi Final
1965-66 MJHL 48 27 16 5 219 186 59 1st Won League
1965-66 Memorial Cup 4 0 4 - 9 24 - - Lost W Qtr Final
1966-67 MJHL 57 34 19 4 263 201 74 3rd Lost Semi Final

Award Winners, League Leaders, & All-Stars[]

Season Player Achievement
1957-58 Gord Labossiere MVP
Scoring Champion
Most Goals
First All-Star Team
Connie Neil First All-Star Team
1959-60 Bob Woytowich First All-Star Team
1960-61 Dave Richardson First All-Star Team
Bob Woytowich First All-Star Team
Harry Buechart Second All-Star Team
Bob Lindsay Second All-Star Team
Keith Micklash Second All-Star Team
1961-62 Bob Woytowich First All-Star Team
Dennis Toyne Second All-Star Team (tied)
Gord Pennell All-Star Team Coach
1962-63 Jim Irving Second All-Star Team
1963-64 Jim Irving Hockey Ability and Sportsmanship Award
Second All-Star Team
Terry Ball Second All-Star Team (tied)
Bob Howard Second All-Star Team (tied)
1964-65 Terry Jones Most Goals
Jim Lane First All-Star Team
Mike Kolody Second All-Star Team
1965-66 Terry Jones MVP
Scoring Champion
Most Goals
Most Assists
First All-Star Team
George Surmay Top Goaltender Award
Top Goals Against Average
First All-Star Team
Chuck Lefley Rookie of the Year
Bob Anderson First All-Star Team
Glen Beckett Second All-Star Team
Tom Freeman Second All-Star Team
Jack Bownass All-Star Team Coach
1966-67 Butch Goring Hockey Ability and Sportsmanship Award
George Surmay Second All-Star Team
Murray Klein Second All-Star Team

NHL Alumni[]

Dennis Ball Terry Ball Jack Bownass Butch Goring
Bryan Hextall Jim Johnson Gord Labossiere Bryan Lefley
Chuck Lefley Rick Newell Dave Richardson Bob Woytowich

NHL Draft Picks[]

Draft Year Player Drafted by Round Overall
1963 Terry Jones New York Rangers 2 10
1965 George Surmay New York Rangers 2 6
1969 Butch Goring Los Angeles Kings 5 51
1970 Chuck Lefley Montreal Canadiens 1 6
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