The Dauphin Kings are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Dauphin, Manitoba, Canada. They are members of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL), a part of the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) and Hockey Canada. The Kings were established in 1967 and play at the Credit Union Place.
History
1967–68 In the fall of 1967 Dauphin, along with the Selkirk Steelers, Portage Terriers and Fort Garry Frontiersmen, started the Central Manitoba Junior Hockey League.
1968–69 After years of trying to secure an MJHL franchise Dauphin finally got its wish when the CMJHL and the MJHL merged for the 1968–69 season. The Kings opened the season with nine straight wins and remained undefeated for twelve games. All season long the Kings' battled with the Selkirk Steelers for first overall which came to a showdown on the very last night of the season at a head-to-head match in Dauphin. The Kings "blanked" them 4–0. The Kings were led by goaltender Ron Low loaned by the Winnipeg Jets of the Western Canada Hockey League. Bob Neufeld anchored the defense with Johnny Roy who gave the Kings an offensive flare from the blueline, Ron Boyes, Farley Hemmings and Wayne Pockett. The first line of "Captain" Dennis Schick, Jim Cahoon and Bob Leguilloux would combine to score 93 goals during the season. Schick won the Scoring Championship, Cahoon came second and Leguilloux center Bob Buchy also finished in the top ten. Other forwards included Clayton Kemp (20 goals), Dennis Clarke, John Morrison, Gary Westbury, Peter Wood and 15-year-old Blaine Stoughton. Nearing the end of the season Butch Goring and his sidekick Merv Haney quit the Winnipeg Jets and joined the Kings.
The Goring affair On Sunday February 9, 1969, the MJHL held a special emergency meeting to discuss Butch Goring leaving the Winnipeg Jets of the Western Canada Hockey League to join the Dauphin Kings. Goring had played the night before the meeting in Kenora for the Kings during a regular season game. Goring led the Kings to a win and scored 3 goals the Kings had signed Goring the Friday night after the Jets game. Learning of this MJHL president Bill Addison instructed the Kings not to use Goring in Sundays game. Another Jets forward Merv Haney also signed by the Kings and traveled to Kenora with the team but did not play in either game. The Kings won Sundays game 10–6.
At the meeting, which lasted three hours, the MJHL gave the Kings approval to use Goring in regular season and play-off games. After learning of the MJHL's approval Jets owner Ben Hatskin said "There are no ifs, ands or buts. The matter is in the hands of the lawyers and I'll likely seek an injunction to prevent him from playing in Dauphin". The WCHL president Ron Butlin said a court injunction would be sought against Goring and Haney from playing with Dauphin Kings. Butlin, also president of the Canadian Hockey Association, said the CHA would be "taking whatever action is necessary against Dauphin and the Manitoba Amateur Hockey Association for damages." Goring was leading the WCHL in goals at the time.
On Monday February 10, the MJHL approved the Kings signing of Haney. On Tuesday the Jets and the CHA filed in court seeking an injunction against Goring and Haney from playing for any club other than the Jets. On Wednesday Goring and Haney played for the Kings in an exhibition game against Weyburn Red Wings of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. In the third period Goring suffered a broken wrist. Since the injunction hearing could not be heard until June it was dropped although the lawsuit for damages was not. Goring would return for the MJHL finals wearing a special cast. It was announced on July 31, as part of an agreement between the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association and the WCHL, that all legal issues in this matter were to be dropped.
'69 playoffs Goring, with goaltender Ron Low, helped lead the Kings to the western Canadian final for the Memorial Cup to meet the Regina Pats of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL). The Pats were led by goaltender Gary Bromley and eight future NHL draft picks, including Don Saleski, won the best of seven 4–3 with Goring missing game seven with a separated shoulder. Goring was picked up by Regina for the Memorial Cup finals and was voted the Pats best player in a losing effort as the Montreal Junior Canadiens, led by Marc Tardif and Gilbert Perreault, swept the Pats four straight.
For the 1969–70 season the Kings had a major rebuild, only Low and Bushy remained. Bushy was named captain. Rookie scoring sensation Ron Chipperfield was added and Dennis Clarke returned after spending most of the previous year on the injury list, to the give Kings the best one two punch in the league. Chipperfield as a 16-year-old rookie tied for the league lead in goals, and with Clarke, and Randy Sigurdson formed the Kings 2nd line. Bushy centered the 1st, with Dan Tremblay and Dave Marin. Barry Chernos was brought in, Herb Andres was elevated from the taxi squad, and Merv Kiryluik came from the Dauphin Minor Hockey Association to make up the third line. Peter Wood, became the tenth forward, after spending the previous year on the taxi squad. Bill Gidden anchored the defense with Ron Realini, Bernie Reid, Harvey Shaw, and Dauphinite Ron Lemieux, who added offensive from the blueline. The Kings breezed through the MJHL, in the final Low recorded 2 shutouts, allowed 3 goals, as the Kings swept in four straight. For the second straight year, the Kings faced the Westfort Hurricanes of Thunder Bay Junior Hockey League. And in a bitter fought series the Kings failed in 6 games.
1970–75 1970–71, the Kings once again needed to rebuild with only 4 returnees, Andres, Marin, Realini and Tremblay. Tremblay would be named captain and led the league in scoring with 109 Points. The Kings added forwards Jeff Berke, Brad Carefoot, Don Larway, Jim Miller, Bill Murray, Darrell Novakowski, Tom Sinclair, Ed Tkachuk, defenseman Mike Korney, Dan Lemieux, Perry Robinson and Drew Trapp. The biggest hole the Kings needed fill was goal. With Ron Low going to the pros the Kings brought in the tandem of Ty Langton and Larry Budzinski. Injuries were the biggest concern for the 1970–71 Kings and the Kings' season ended early.
The Kings entered the 1971–72 season with nearly a set team and the Kings were thinking championship, Budzinski and Langton were back in goal. Dauphinites Korney, Lemieux and Trapp would return to the blueline joined by Jack Osachuk and Dauphinite Greg Kiryluik. Up front the Kings had 7 returnees and Dauphinite Jim Cruise was added to the 1st line with Miller and Murray. Cruise would score 36 goals as a rookie and the line combined for 97 goals in a 48-game schedule. The line of Tkachuk, Marin and Carefoot would score 98 goals and be the Kings' 2nd line. Scott Hetherington, another Elm Creek boy, would center the 3rd with wingers Larway and Novakowski. Dauphinite Ken Buchy was the tenth forward, a position his older brother Bob had only a few years earlier. Miller would be named captain. Half a year in Bob Windatt quit the Winnipeg Jets of the WCHL and signed with the Kings. Windatt replaced Novakowski who had been traded. The Kings would win 40 games out 48, score 304 goals and appeared to be the best of the MJHL. The Kings would meet their Waterloo in the Saskatchewan Champions Humboldt Broncos.
During the 1974–75 season Dauphinite Jim Misener established a new MJHL record of 73 goals breaking Bobby Clarke's record of 71.
1977 Rebuilding since the run of 1971–72, the Kings had a veteran lineup for 1976–77. The Kings had three 100-point men, all of whom were in the top 5 in league scoring: Jim Misener (59 goals), Bob Genoway (47 goals) and Lyle Stokotelny (33 goals). Owen Connelly chipped in with 35 goals, add fellow veterans Cam Carefoot, Martin Dupont, Dan Greening, Rich Hopfner, Vernon Jebb, Dean Murray, Duke Rodnisky, and starting goalie Jim Tkachyk, who was entering his third season, and second as #1. Three veterans from other clubs, Calven Bernard, Brad Harding, Harvey Takvam and rookies Brock Bulbuck, Rich Little, Rick Peacosh, Ron Shewchuk and Greg Vertz. The Kings prevailed winning the Turnbull Cup for the 4th time in 10 years. The Kings' achilles heel had been getting past the Saskatchewan champs and the Prince Albert Raiders were not going to change that.
1983 In 1982–83 Mike Ridley of the St. Boniface Saints shattered Jim Misener's goal scoring record by 18, netting 91 goals. Kings' Brent Sapergia also surpassed Misener to establish a new team record of 77.
The Kings went on to win the Anavet Cup in 1983 by defeating the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League's Yorkton Terriers but lost the Abbott Cup to the British Columbia Junior Hockey League's Abbotsford Flyers.
List of Championships Championship Years won Turnbull Cup 1969, 1970, 1972, 1977, 1983, 1993, 2010, 2022 Anavet Cup 1983, 2010 Western Canada Cup 2014 (runner-up)
Season-by-season record Note: GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against Season GP W L T OTL GF GA Points Finish Playoffs1967–68 23 14 8 1 - 137 91 29 2nd CMJHL1968–69 34 25 8 1 - 226 122 51 1st MJHL Won League1969–70 34 22 7 5 - 195 130 49 1st MJHL Won League1970–71 48 28 17 3 - 224 185 59 3rd MJHL1971–72 48 40 8 0 - 304 171 80 1st MJHL Won League1972–73 48 18 30 0 - 201 266 36 8th MJHL1973–74 48 15 32 1 - 206 278 31 7th MJHL1974–75 48 25 23 0 - 289 277 50 5th MJHL1975–76 52 23 29 0 - 256 268 46 8th MJHL1976–77 52 35 14 3 - 305 196 73 1st MJHL Won League1977–78 52 33 16 3 - 262 194 69 3rd MJHL1978–79 47 22 24 1 - 242 266 45 6th MJHL1979–80 47 19 25 3 - 247 269 41 7th MJHL1980–81 48 18 27 3 - 243 313 39 6th MJHL1981–82 48 28 20 0 - 257 248 56 4th MJHL1982–83 48 34 13 1 - 353 234 69 1st MJHL Won League, won AC1983–84 48 36 12 0 - 304 193 72 1st MJHL1984–85 48 24 24 0 - 254 263 48 6th MJHL1985–86 48 21 25 2 - 281 285 44 6th MJHL1986–87 47 28 19 0 - 301 249 56 3rd MJHL1987–88 48 32 16 0 - 301 233 64 1st MJHL1988–89 48 25 22 1 - 292 246 51 7th MJHL1989–90 52 35 17 0 - 310 246 70 4th MJHL1990–91 48 40 7 1 - 325 166 81 1st MJHL1991–92 48 36 10 1 1 265 169 74 2nd MJHL1992–93 48 24 22 1 1 225 220 50 5th MJHL Won League1993–94 56 27 29 0 0 -- -- 54 6th MJHL1994–95 56 28 26 1 1 203 199 58 4th MJHL1995–96 56 34 19 2 1 286 206 71 1st MJHL1996–97 55 16 37 1 1 201 285 34 9th MJHL1997–98 62 24 38 0 0 226 285 48 8th MJHL1998–99 62 18 39 4 1 236 329 41 9th MJHL1999-00 64 32 28 - 4 238 238 68 7th MJHL2000–01 64 26 31 - 7 212 249 59 11th MJHL2001–02 64 26 32 - 6 220 268 58 8th MJHL2002–03 62 32 26 - 4 240 256 68 6th MJHL2003–04 64 19 36 - 9 208 284 47 9th MJHL 2004–05 63 32 25 - 6 228 199 70 6th MJHL 2005–06 63 41 17 - 5 283 185 87 1st MJHL Lost semi-final2006–07 63 41 16 - 6 263 189 88 2nd MJHL Lost final2007–08 62 32 28 - 2 241 239 66 7th MJHL Lost semi-final2008–09 62 42 16 - 4 253 191 88 4th MJHL Lost semi-final2009–10 62 50 11 - 1 296 169 101 1st MJHL Won League2010–11 62 39 20 - 3 249 198 81 3rd MJHL Lost semi-final2011–12 62 41 16 - 5 250 196 87 2nd MJHL Lost quarter-final2012–13 60 47 11 - 2 268 151 96 1st MJHL Lost final2013–14 60 40 17 - 3 227 171 83 3rd MJHL Lost final, WCC Runner-up2014–15 60 23 31 - 6 166 216 52 9th MJHL Lost Survivor Series2015–16 60 21 33 - 6 181 246 48 9th MJHL Lost Survivor Series2016–17 60 17 36 - 7 145 221 41 10th MJHL DNQ2017–18 60 14 44 - 2 148 289 30 10th MJHL DNQ2018–19 60 29 25 - 6 186 193 64 7th MJHL Lost quarter-final2019–20 60 31 24 - 5 223 213 67 7th MJHL Cancelled2020–21 6 3 3 - 0 26 21 6 7th MJHL Cancelled2021–22 54 12 12 - 1 221 133 83 2nd MJHL Won league2022-23 58 32 21 - 5 201 189 69 7th MJHL Lost quarter-final2023-24 58 38 17 2 1 206 139 79 3rd of 6 West6th of 13 MJHL Lost Div semifinal 3-4 OCN Blizzard2024-25 58 37 18 2 1 205 150 77 1st of 6 West4th of 13 MJHL Won Div semifinal 4-1 Waywayseecappo WolverinesWon League Semifinal 4-2 Portage TerriersLost League Finals 3-4 Northern Manitoba Blizzard
Playoffs