The 1995 Centennial Cup Champions Calgary Canucks are set to be inducted into the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2025.
The 2025 Induction Gala is being hosted at the Gary W. Harris Centre on Saturday, July 19, in Red Deer, Alberta.
The Canucks won the 1995 Centennial Cup with a 5-4 overtime victory against the Gloucester Rangers, thanks to a goal by Jason Abramoff.
By the 1994-1995 season, the Canucks had established themselves as a dominant force in the Alberta Junior A Hockey league. They had won several regular season titles and seven AJHL championships, but they had yet to capture the ultimate prize: the Centennial Cup.
The 1994-1995 team finished second overall in the regular season, behind the powerhouse Olds Grizzlies. In the first round of the AJHL playoffs, the Canucks faced the Bonnyville Pontiacs and won the winning the series 4-1. Calgary then faced the third-place Fort McMurray Oil Barons in the semifinals and won a hard-fought series in game seven to advance to the AJHL Finals.
In the AJHL Finals, the Canucks faced off against the first-place Olds Grizzlys. The Grizzlys were a dominant team in the AJHL during the early 1990s, winning the AJHL championship in three consecutive years (1992, 1993, and 1994) and claiming the Centennial Cup in 1994. The Canucks defeated the reigning Centennial Cup Champions four games to one, winning the franchise’s 8th AJHL Championship.
In 1995, the AJHL champion would face the BCJHL (BCHL) champion in the western regional playoffs to earn the Doyle Cup title and a chance to compete for the National Championship. That season, it was the Chilliwack Chiefs who were the BCJHL champions. This exciting series drew huge crowds, with every seat filled at the Max Bell Centre. The series went to seven games, and ultimately, the Canucks emerged victorious, capturing their second Doyle Cup in franchise history.
Next, Calgary travelled to Ottawa, Ontario, to compete for the Centennial Cup National Championship for the first time in franchise history. The format of the Centennial Cup consisted of a round-robin stage followed by a playoff series involving the top four qualifying teams. The Canucks had a challenging start, losing their first game to the Joliette Nationals of the QJHL with a score of 5-1. However, they bounced back in their second game against the Thunder Bay Flyers, securing a 6-0 victory.
The Canucks then faced the undefeated Gloucester Rangers and managed to win 5-4 in overtime, which allowed them to clinch first place in the round-robin standings. The final game of the round robin was against the Abbott Cup winners, Winnipeg South Blues, taking the game with a 6-3 win.
Calgary were then set to face the Thunder Bay Flyers in the semifinals of the Centennial Cup. The game was a back-and-forth battle. Thunder Bay scored first, but Scott Wagner tied the game with a power-play goal. Kyle Edwards then scored to put the Canucks in the lead. However, Thunder Bay fought back, tying the game before taking a 3-2 lead. Canucks forward Dion Wandler responded by tying the game again, followed by another goal from Scott Wagner, which made it 4-3 in favor of the Canucks. Ultimately, winning the semifinal by a score of 5-3.
In an interview following the semifinal, Head Coach Don Phelps was asked about his feelings heading into the Centennial Cup final.
“There is that dream of winning it, and there is that fear of losing it. Right now, I don’t know which is more predominant in my mind. You like to envision it as a win, but you just don’t want to let that loss happen,” said Phelps, “We’re going to do everything we can to win it. It’s there, our opportunity is there. That is all that we’ve asked for, and the onus is on us to go get it.”
The Gloucester Rangers were the opponents of the Canucks in the Centennial Cup final. The final game began poorly for the Canucks, as Gloucester took an early 3-0 lead. However, Mitch Ferguson broke the shutout by scoring the Canucks’ first goal.
In the 3rd period, Kyle Edwards scored to put the Canucks within one. Gloucester scored making it 4-2 Rangers, but Kyle Edwards once again managed to put one in the net and the Canucks were within one. With only 59 seconds left in the 3rd period, Trevor Murray put the puck past the Gloucester goaltender to tie the game, and the championship game went to overtime. It only took 47 seconds into overtime for Jason Abramoff to score the game-winning goal.
After 1995, the Centennial Cup was renamed the Royal Bank Cup from 1996 to 2018. The Calgary Canucks were the last team to win the “Centennial Cup Champion” title of that era.
In 2019, the National Championship was renamed the Centennial Cup.
The 2024-2025 hockey season marked the 30th anniversary of the Calgary Canucks Centennial Cup Championship.
After participating in the 2024 Centennial Cup in Oakville, ON, the Canucks not only return as hosts of the 2025 Centennial Cup Championship but also as back-to-back AJHL champions.
After a thrilling overtime victory against the Rockland Nationals, the Canucks secured the championship title in front of a sold-out home crowd, dominating the final game with a 7-2 win over the Melfort Mustangs. This marked the Canucks’ second-ever Centennial Cup Championship, almost 30 years to the day of the 1995 championship team.
1994-1995 Centennial Cup Roster:
President: Ken Bracko
Head Coach: Don Phelps
Assistant Coach: Wayne Andrews
General Manager: Morley Bengert
Assistant Manager: Bill McClure
Player Development: Al Johnson
Trainer: Darcy Bishop
Assistant Trainer: Ryan Varty
Dion Wandler
Kyle Edwards
Ryan Chaytors
Scott Wagner
Greg Eisler
Steve Wiggins
Eoin Colquhoun
Mitch Ferguson
Craig Adams
Calvin Aspholm
Trevor Murray
Jason Abramoff
Chris Jensen
Brad Tilford
Jason Rohatensky
Michael Pozzo
Terry Ferguson
Mike Lowe
Joel Bond
Mikki Lanuk
Jason Carriere
Tyler Hill
Ryan McIntosh
Andrei Dovidnyi
David Weninger
Event Details:
Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame Gala: Class of 2025: July 19, 2025, 6:00 PM
