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Vancouver Giants
Vancouver Giants logo
City Langley, British Columbia
League Western Hockey League
Conference Western
Division B.C.
Founded 2001
Home arena Langley Events Centre (2016-17)
Colors Black, red and silver
              
General manager Glen Hanlon
Head coach Jason McKee
Championships 2007 Memorial Cup Champions
2006 WHL Champions

The Vancouver Giants are a major junior ice hockey team playing in the Western Hockey League (WHL). Inaugurated in 2001–02, the Giants have won one President's Cup (now known as the Ed Chynoweth Cup) in 2006 and one Memorial Cup in 2007 in their 13-season history. Their home rink is the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, British Columbia, an arena previously used by the National Hockey League (NHL)'s Vancouver Canucks.

In the 2010–11 season, the Giants celebrated their tenth anniversary, a ten-year span known as the "Giant Decade."

The ownership group consists of British Columbia-based businessmen Ron Toigo and Sultan Thiara, Hockey Hall of Fame member Gordie Howe and Canadian big band singer and actor Michael Bublé. Pat Quinn was also a part-owner until his death in 2014.

The Vancouver Giants announced on Tuesday, June 30th that Lorne Molleken has been named the sixth Head Coach in the club’s history.

On December 8th, 2015, it was announced that longtime general manager Scott Bonner would leave his position with the Giants to join The Sports Corporation. Bonner would stay on until the end of the season to smooth the transition.

History[]

Led by majority owner and British Columbia-based businessman Ron Toigo, the City of Vancouver was granted a WHL franchise for the 2001–02 season. In their inaugural campaign, the Giants compiled 13 wins, 49 losses and six ties. The first goal in franchise history was scored by Tyson Mulock in a loss to the Kamloops Blazers.

The following season, the Giants went 26–37–5–4, good for fourth in the B.C. Division, and made their first playoff appearance, but lost in the first round to the eventual President's Cup champions, the Kelowna Rockets, in four games. Second-year forward Adam Courchaine led the team in scoring with 85 points. His 43 goals stood as a single-season franchise record for six years until second-year forward Evander Kane broke it in 2008–09.

In the 2003–04 season, the Giants continued to improve, posting a 33–24–9–6, which marked their first winning season. After defeating the Kamloops Blazers in the first round, the Giants lost in the second round to the expansion team Everett Silvertips in six games. Adam Courchaine led the team again in scoring, finishing ninth overall in the League. Hometown rookie Gilbert Brule, the first overall pick in the 2002 WHL Bantam Draft, scored 60 points and earned the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy as the WHL's best first-year player.

In the 2004–05 season, the Giants went 34–30–4–4 and Brule emerged as a WHL star, finishing third in League scoring with 87 points, which remained a franchise record until overager Casey Pierro-Zabotel snapped it in 2008–09.Courchaine tallied 78 points and finished seventh in League scoring, marking the first and only time thus far that the top ten WHL scorers would feature two Giants players. In the playoffs, the Giants lost in the first round to Kelowna. Despite the early exit, the Giants drew many fans to the Coliseum that year due to the NHL lockout; Game 6 against the Rockets drew 16,183 fans.

The 2005–06 season featured the Giants' most significant improvement in the standings, becoming one of the WHL's top teams. They finished the season 47–19–0–6, first in the B.C. Division and third in the League overall. In the first round of the playoffs, the Giants beat the Prince George Cougars in five games, then the Portland Winterhawks in the second round, also in five games. In the third and final round, they won eight-straight, sweeping both the Everett Silvertips and Moose Jaw Warriors en route to their first-ever President's Cup. Gilbert Brule had returned to the team midway through the season after starting 2005–06 with the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets and earned the airBC Trophy as the playoff MVP after scoring 16 goals and 30 points in 18 post-season games, including five goals and 12 points in the finals.

By winning the WHL league title, the Giants earned their first Memorial Cup appearance in Moncton, New Brunswick. The Giants finished the round-robin tied for third, then defeated the Peterborough Petes in a tie-breaker in order to move on to the playoffs, but lost to the Moncton Wildcats in the semifinal. Brule scored 12 points in five games, earning the Ed Chynoweth Trophy as tournament leading scorer. He was also named to the Memorial Cup All-Star Team along with Giants defenceman Paul Albers.

2007 Memorial Cup celebration

The Giants celebrating with the Memorial Cup, May 27, 2007.

The Giants were chosen by the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) prior to the 2006 Memorial Cup to host the 2007 edition. They finished the season, once again, atop their division and fourth overall in the League. The season featured a goaltending controversy in which starter Dustin Slade would begin the season splitting time with emerging goalie Tyson Sexsmith. Slade, frustrated with having to relinquish starts, would leave the team in November to pursue a professional playing career. With Sexsmith, who finished first in the WHL in goals against average (GAA), as their starting goalie, and a balanced offence that included the likes of Milan Lucic, Michal Repik and mid-season acquisitions Wacey Rabbit and Kenndal McArdle, the Giants made their way once again to the WHL final. The series went the distance against the Medicine Hat Tigers, but the Giants lost the seventh and deciding game in double overtime, failing to win their second consecutive WHL title. However, due to their automatic bye into the Memorial Cup as hosts, the Giants avenged their seventh game loss against the Tigers, defeating Medicine Hat 3–1 in the Cup final, capturing their first-ever Memorial Cup title. Lucic earned the Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy as tournament MVP, while linemate Michal Repik led the tournament in scoring — edging Lucic by one goal — to capture the Ed Chynoweth Trophy. Defenceman Cody Franson also joined Lucic and Repik on the tournament All-Star Team.

As defending Memorial Cup champions the following season, the Giants won the B.C. Division for the third consecutive year and posted a franchise-record 106 points (49–15–2–6), enough for third in the League. Third-year forward Spencer Machacek, named team captain after incumbent captain Milan Lucic would play with the Boston Bruins of the NHL, led the team in scoring with 78 points, 14th overall in the League. On defence, Jonathon Blum, also a returnee from the Memorial Cup-winning team, finished second among League defencemen in scoring, tallying 63 points, a single-season franchise-record among defenceman. In goal, Sexsmith once again led the WHL with a stellar 1.89 GAA. The Giants' run for a third consecutive Memorial Cup appearance, however, was cut short; after sweeping the Chilliwack Bruins in the first round, the Giants were ousted by the Spokane Chiefs in six games.

A dominant 2008–09 season established several records for the Giants. The club set a WHL record by clinching a playoff berth just 46 games into the season. The mark was previously set by the Everett Silvertips, who clinched a berth after 48 games in 2006–07. Individually, overager Casey Pierro-Zabotel broke the team marks for single-season assists and points, surpassing Darren Lynch and Gilbert Brule, respectively, Finishing the season with a franchise-high 57 wins and 119 points, the Giants came within three points of their first Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy as the top regular season team, behind the Calgary Hitmen.

An  August 1, 2015 article in the Vancouver Sun put the long term future of the Giants at the Pacific Coliseum in doubt as the aritcle states the team is losing money at the Coliseum and they aren't making plans for a 20th anniversary season there (2015-16 is their 15th anniversary season). The team is apparently looking at an arena in the planning stages in South Surrey as a possible new home when it opens.  The team has seen attendance drop for about 8,700 in 2008-09 to about 5,800 for 2014-15.

On May 2, 2016 the team announced they were moving to the Langley Events Centre after spending 15 years at the 15,700 seat Pacific Coliseum The team has stated it will retain the Vancouver Giant moniker.[1] The Langley Events Centre is about 40km (25 miles) from the Pacific Coliseum.

15th anniversary logo

Awards and trophies[]

Championships[]

Memorial Cup

Canadian Hockey League champion

Ed Chynoweth Cup

Western Hockey League playoff champion

Western Conference Champions
B.C. Division Champions

First place in regular season

Individual[]

WHL[]

Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy

Rookie of the year

Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy

Defenceman of the year

WHL Plus-Minus Award

Regular season plus-minus leader

Bob Clarke Trophy

Regular season scoring champion

Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy

Coach of the Year

CHL[]

Ed Chynoweth Trophy

Memorial Cup scoring leader

Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy

Memorial Cup MVP

CHL Defenceman of the Year

Players[]

NHL alumni[]


NHL draftees[]

Note that these are the players who were drafted into the NHL while playing for the Vancouver Giants

Ring of Honour[]

Franchise scoring leaders[]

These are the top-ten point-scorers in franchise history as of 2011–12.[2]


Season-by-season record[]

Season GP W L T OL GF GA Pts Finish Playoffs
2001–02 72 13 49 6 4 198 365 36 5th B.C. Out of playoffs
2002–03 72 26 37 5 4 217 292 61 4th B.C. Lost Western Conference quarter-final
2003–04 72 33 24 9 6 215 196 81 2nd B.C. Lost Western Conference semi-final
2004–05 72 34 30 4 4 212 205 76 3rd B.C. Lost Western Conference quarter-final
Season GP W L OL SL GF GA Pts Finish Playoffs
2005–06 72 47 19 0 6 252 156 100 1st B.C. Won WHL Championship; Lost Memorial Cup
2006–07 72 45 17 3 7 245 143 100 1st B.C. Lost final; Won Memorial Cup
2007–08 72 49 15 2 6 250 155 106 1st B.C. Lost Western Conference semi-final
2008–09 72 57 10 2 3 319 151 119 1st B.C. Lost Western Conference final
2009–10 72 41 25 3 3 267 211 88 1st B.C. Lost Western Conference final
2010–11 72 35 32 1 4 236 251 75 2nd B.C. Lost Western Conference quarter-final
2011–12 72 40 26 2 4 255 234 86 2nd B.C. Lost Western Conference quarter-final
2012–13 72 21 49 2 0 197 299 44 5th B.C. Out of playoffs
2013–14 72 32 29 7 4 234 248 75 3rd B.C. Lost Western Conference quarter-final
2014–15 72 27 41 2 2 189 251 58 5th B.C. Out of playoffs
2015–16 72 23 40 5 4 199 273 55 5th B.C. Out of playoffs
2016–17 72 20 46 3 3 183 296 46 5th B.C. Out of playoffs
2017-18 72 36 27 6 3 233 257 81 3rd B.C. Lost B.C. Division Semi-final
2018-19 68 36 27 6 3 233 257 81 3rd B.C. Lost Final
2019-20 62 32 24 4 2 189 166 70 3rd B.C. Playoffs cancelled
2020-21 22 12 0 0 71 59 24 3rd B.C. Playoffs cancelled

WHL Championship history[]

Memorial cup finals history[]

  • 2007: Win, 3–1 vs Medicine Hat

Team records[]

Team Records for a single season
Statistic Total Season
Most points 119 2008–09
Least points 36 2001–02
Most wins 57 2008–09
Least wins 13 2001–02
Most goals for 319 2008–09
Least goals for 198 2001–02
Least goals against 143 2006–07
Most goals against 365 2001–02
Individual player records for a single season
Statistic Player Total Season
Most goals Evander Kane 48 2008–09
Most assists Casey Pierro-Zabotel 79 2008–09
Most points Casey Pierro-Zabotel 115 2008–09
Most points, rookie Kevin Connauton 72 2009–10
Most points, defenceman Kevin Connauton 72 2009–10
Best GAA, goalie Tyson Sexsmith 1.79 2006–07
Goalies = minimum 1500 minutes played


Western Hockey League
Current teams : Brandon Wheat Kings | Calgary Hitmen | Edmonton Oil Kings | Everett Silvertips | Kamloops Blazers | Kelowna Rockets | Kootenay Ice | Lethbridge Hurricanes | Medicine Hat Tigers | Moose Jaw Warriors | Portland Winterhawks | Prince Albert Raiders | Prince George Cougars | Red Deer Rebels | Regina Pats | Saskatoon Blades | Seattle Thunderbirds | Spokane Chiefs | Swift Current Broncos | Tri-City Americans | Vancouver Giants | Victoria Royals
CHL: Memorial Cup | Ed Chynoweth Cup | WHL seasons | WHL history | Awards | OHL | QMJHL
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