The Calgary Inferno (previously known as Team Alberta, nickname "Honeybadgers", during the 2011–12 season) was a women's ice hockey team that joined the Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL) for the 2011–12 season. The team played its home games at Joan Snyder Rink (Arena B) at WinSport Canada in Calgary, Alberta. After two seasons without an official name, in 2013 the team picked a moniker drawing from Calgary's National Hockey League franchise, the Calgary Flames, with whom they had a partnership. For the 2013-14 season, it was announced that all Inferno home-games would be streamed live by PCSN.tv.
In 2019, the CWHL ceased operations, as well as all teams that it directly operatedincluding the Inferno.
History
The Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL) announced on April 19, 2011, that it would merge with the Western Women's Hockey League (WWHL) for the 2011–12 season. The merger featured one team based in Edmonton and Calgary as a combination of the former WWHL franchises the Edmonton Chimos and Strathmore Rockies. The team would play their games in various locations around Alberta.Chimos Part of Merger With CWHL Strathmore Rockies founder, Samantha Holmes-Domagala, joined the sponsorship division of the CWHL to look after the requirements of the expansion team. On July 21, 2011, philanthropist Joan Snyder donated $2 million to WinSport Canada with the goal of ensuring priority rink access to female hockey players at all levels and help expand the CWHL with the creation of Team Alberta. Part of the donation covered the new addition to the Athletic and Ice Complex at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary and serve as the future home to Hockey Canada. It also included four hockey rinks, one of which was called the Joan Snyder Rink. Team Alberta would benefit with the allocation of free practice time, a dressing room exclusive to the club. The Joan Snyder Rink give priority to women's hockey bookings, but it also served as the Team Alberta's home rink.
The first general manager was Samantha Holmes, while the first head coach was Jason Schmidt. On July 21, 2011, the franchise participated in its first CWHL Draft. With the third overall pick in the 2011 CWHL Draft, Team Alberta selected Meaghan Mikkelson. With the first pick overall in the 2012 CWHL Draft, the team selected Hillary Pattenden. On October 28, 2011, Team Alberta played its first game in the CWHL versus the Burlington Barracudas. Laura Dostaler scored the first goal in Team Alberta history in a 4–2 victory. Other goals were scored by Meghan Hunter, Jenna Cunningham and Courtney Sawchuk.
On September 23, 2013, after two years without an official name, the team was announced as the Calgary Inferno at the Calgary Flames' arena, Scotiabank Saddledome, prior to a pre-season game between the Flames and the New York Rangers. On March 13, 2016, the Calgary Inferno defeated Les Canadiennes de Montreal in an 8–3 final to capture its first Clarkson Cup. Contested at Ottawa's Canadian Tire Centre, the first Clarkson Cup final held in an NHL arena, Blayre Turnbull, Brianne Jenner, Jessica Campbell and Rebecca Johnston each scored twice. Goaltender Delayne Brian was recognized as the Most Valuable Player of the Clarkson Cup playoffs.
On February 2, 2014, Danielle Stone broke two scoring records in Calgary Inferno franchise history. She began by topping Samantha Hunt's franchise record for most points in one season of 14 in a 2–1 shootout win against the Montreal Stars. In the same game, she set a new record for most points in one season by an Inferno rookie. In that same game, Jessica Wong logged a goal, providing her with seven points in the first five games of her CWHL career, a new franchise record for the Inferno.
At the 3rd CWHL All-Star Game in 2017, Jillian Saulnier and Jess Jones both scored a hat trick, becoming the first competitors in CWHL All-Star Game history to achieve the feat.
Season-by-season
Year GP W L OTL Pts GF GA Final standing2011–12 15 5 10 0 20 38 66 5th2012–13 24 3 21 0 6 30 86 5th2013–14 24 12 11 1 25 62 70 3rd2014–15 24 15 6 3 33 84 64 2nd2015–16 17 13 3 1 27 77 49 1st2016–17 24 20 4 0 40 100 45 1st2017–18 28 17 7 4 38 96 70 3rd2018–19 28 23 4 1 47 111 54 1st
Current roster Updated August 8, 2018.
Coaching staff
Kristen Hagg: general manager Shannon Miller: head coach
Former staff Bob Bedier, assistant coach Tim Bothwell: head coach, 2012–14 Erin Duggan: assistant coach, 2011–12 Kevin Haller: head coach, 2014–15; assistant coach, 2012–14 Samantha Holmes-Domagala & Matt Appelt: general manager, 2011–12 Gina Kingsbury: assistant coach Jason Schmidt: coach, 2011–12 Jeff Stevenson: general manager
Scoring leaders Year-by-year Season Leader (F)GPGAPts Leader (D)GPGAPtsPPGSHGGWG2011-12 Sam Hunt 15 5 9 14 Meaghan Mikkelson 15 2 9 11 Jenna Cunningham(4) Bianca Zuber (1)Cunningham(2)2012-13 Jenna Cunningham 23 4 4 8Meaghan MikkelsonTara Watchorn 2322 33 44 77 Cunningham (2) NoneMikkelson (2)2013-14 Danielle Stone 24 15 10 25 Tegan Schroeder 24 1 9 10 Stone (5) Chelsea Purcell (1) Jenna Cunningham (3)2014-15 Rebecca Johnston 24 17 20 37 Jessica Wong 24 2 11 13 Jessica Campbell (5)2015–16 Brianne Jenner 24 10 18 28 Hayleigh Cudmore 24 2 13 15 Brittany Esposito (5) Jillian SaulnierRebecca JohnstonKristen Hagg (1) Saulnier (4)2016–17 Brianne Jenner 20 9 18 27Meaghan Mikkelson2251015
All-time
Awards and honours Delayne Brian, 2014 CWHL Goaltender of the Year Delayne Brian, 2016 Clarkson Cup Most Valuable Player Jessica Campbell, 2014–15 CWHL Leader, Game Winning Goals (5) Rebecca Johnston, 2015 Angela James Bowl winner Elana Lovell, 2016 CWHL Rookie of the Year
2011 draft picks In preparation of its first season, the Team Alberta CWHL selected several players during a special draft of the league held on July 21, 2011, in Mississauga, Ontario. Draft pick PlayerHometownFormer team 3 Meaghan Mikkelson (Defender) St. Albert, Alberta Canada women's national ice hockey team 9 Bobbi-Jo Slusar (Defender) Swift Current, Saskatchewan Canada women's national ice hockey team 15 Keely Brown (Goalie) Edmonton, Alberta Toronto Lady Blues women's ice hockey 21 Jill MacIsaac (Goalie) Timberlea, Nova Scotia Saint Mary's Huskies 27 Courtney Sawchuk (Defender) Sherwood Park, Alberta Edmonton Chimos 33 Colleen Olsen (Forward) Sherwood Park, Alberta Edmonton Chimos 39 Jill Kern 45 Brittaney Maschmeyer (Defender) Bruderheim, Alberta St. Lawrence Skating Saints women's ice hockey 51 Kaley Hall-Herman (Forward) Calgary, Alberta Strathmore Rockies (WWHL) 62 Sam Hunt (Forward) Calgary, Alberta Colgate Raiders women's ice hockey 64 Kelsey Webster (Defender) Duncan, British Columbia Strathmore Rockies (WWHL) 66 Karlee Overguard (Forward) Sundre, Alberta Cornell Big Red women's ice hockey 68 Katie Stewart (Forward) Exeter, Ontario Cornell Big Red women's ice hockey 70 Jenna Cunningham (Forward) Medicine Hat, Alberta Dartmouth Big Green women's ice hockey 72 Amber Overguard (Forward) Sundre, Alberta Cornell Big Red women's ice hockey 74 Erin Duggan (Defender) Beaumont, Alberta Yale Bulldogs women's ice hockey 76 Dana Vinge (Goalie) Edmonton, Alberta Alberta Pandas women's ice hockey 78 Ashley Cockell (Forward) Fort Assiniboine, Alberta Mercyhurst Lakers women's ice hockey 80 Carrie Olsen (Defender) Calgary, Alberta Red Deer College Queens 82 Taryn Peacock (Forward) Calgary, Alberta Strathmore Rockies (WWHL) 84 Larissa Roche (Forward) Thorhild, Alberta Dartmouth Big Green women's ice hockey 85 Kelsey MacMillan (Forward) Sherwood Park, Alberta Alberta Institute of Technology Ooks women's ice hockey 86 Lundy Day (Goalie) Calgary, Alberta Strathmore Rockies (WWHL) 87 Mia Mucci (Forward) Canmore, Alberta Alberta Pandas women's ice hockey 88 Amanda Nonis (Forward) Brampton, Ontario College Manhattanville Valiants women's ice hockey 89 Kendra Chisholm (Goalie) Sherwood Park, Alberta Neumann University Knights women's ice hockey 90 Tara Swanson (Defender) Wetaskiwin, Alberta Edmonton Chimos (WWHL) 91 Becky Irvine (Forward) Halifax, Nova Scotia Colgate Raiders women's ice hockey 92 Seyara Shwetz (Defender) Waskatenau, Alberta Saint Mary's Huskies 93 Kaley Herman (Goalie) Weyburn, Saskatchewan New Hampshire Wildcats women's ice hockey 94 Nicole Symington (Forward) Burlington, Ontario Yale Bulldogs women's ice hockey 95 Carli Clemis (Goalie) Taber, Alberta Dartmouth Big Green women's ice hockey 96 Amanda Squire (Goalie) Comox, British Columbia Mount Royal Cougars women's ice hockey 97 Jennifer Moe (Forward) Bonnyville, Alberta Calgary Dinos women's ice hockey 98 Lindsay Robinson (Forward) Edmonton, Alberta Edmonton Chimos (WWHL) 99 Kristin Miyauchi (Forward) Calgary, Alberta SAIT Polytechnic Trojans women's ice hockey 100 Lauren Chiswell (Forward) Edmonton, Alberta Edmonton Chimos (WWHL) 101 Kristen Sugiyama (Goalie) Edmonton, Alberta Grant MacEwen Griffins women's ice hockey 102 Laura Dostaler (Forward) Beaumont, Alberta Edmonton Chimos (WWHL) 103 Danielle MacDougall (Forward) Sherwood Park, Alberta Saint Mary's Huskies 104 Kelly Godel (Forward) Hythe, Alberta Alberta Pandas women's ice hockey 105 Jill Barber (Forward) Irma, Alberta Grant MacEwen Griffins women's ice hockey 106 Danielle Boyce (Forward) Summerside, Prince Edward Island Calgary Dinos women's ice hockey 107 Kendal Jurista (Forward) Kamloops, British Columbia Northern Alberta Institute of Technology Ooks women's ice hockey 108 Bret Seaton (Forward) Brooks, Alberta SAIT Polytechnic Trojans women's ice hockey 109 Georgia Moore (Forward) Melbourne, Australia SAIT Polytechnic Trojans women's ice hockey 110 Alanna McMullen (Defender) Calgary, Alberta Buffalo State College Bengals women's ice hockey 111 Christina Ashley (Defender) Stirling, Ontario Mount Allison Mounties women's ice hockey 112 Jenna Ouellette (Forward) Winnipeg, Manitoba Maine Black Bears women's ice hockey Reference
References
External links Calgary Inferno