Portage Terriers

History

The Portage Terriers were founded in 1942. During their first season, the Terriers won the Turnbull Cup as Manitoba junior champions and went on to defeat the Oshawa Generals to win the Memorial Cup. Their roster included Joe Bell, Gordon Bell, Billy Gooden, Lin Bend, Jack MacDonald, Wally Stefaniw, Bobby Love, Oliver "Bud" Ritchie, Bill Heindl Sr., Jack O'Reilly, Joe Ledoux, Lloyd Smith and Don Campbell.

A shortage of players following World War II forced the Terriers to cease operations in 1947. The Portage Terriers would be reborn twenty years later as members of the upstart Central Manitoba Junior Hockey League. The CMJHL lasted only one season before it merged with the MJHL. The Terriers became a Junior 'A' club following the reorganization of Canadian junior hockey in 1970. In 1972-73, the Terriers won the Anavet Cup as Manitoba-Saskatchewan champions and Abbott Cup as Western Canadian champions, and then defeated the Pembroke Lumber Kings to win the 1973 Centennial Cup.

The team endured some tough years following their Centennial Cup appearance and it was not until 1989 that the Terriers would recapture the league title. Since the mid-2000s, the Terriers have been one of the MJHL's most dominant franchises, a stretch that has included seven league championships, two Anavet Cup titles, and three Royal Bank Cup appearances (2005, 2011, and 2015).

During the 2014-15 season, the Terriers set a new league record by posting a winning percentage of .917 during the regular season, after which they went undefeated through the playoffs to capture the Turnbull Cup. The Terriers finished second at the Western Canada Cup and then moved on to host the 2015 Royal Bank Cup in Portage la Prairie, where they captured the national title with a victory over the Carleton Place Canadians in the championship game. The Terriers repeated as MJHL champions the following season.

The Terriers have played at Stride Place, formerly the Portage Credit Union Centre, since 2010. Prior to this, they played at the Portage Centennial Arena. The team's head coach and general manager is Blake Spiller, who has held the position since 2006. Spiller is the winningest coach in the team's history.

The 1942 and 1972-73 Portage Terriers have been inducted into the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame under the team category.

Season-by-season record

Note: GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

Playoffs

1971 Lost Quarter-final

Selkirk Steelers defeated Portage Terriers 4-games-to-2

1972 Lost Semi-final

Portage Terriers defeated Kenora Muskies 4-games-to-1Dauphin Kings defeated Portage Terriers 4-games-to-none

1973 Won League, Won Man/Sask Championship, Won Abbott Cup, Won 1973 Centennial Cup

Portage Terriers defeated Kenora Muskies 4-games-to-nonePortage Terriers defeated St. James Canadians 4-games-to-none MJHL CHAMPIONSPortage Terriers defeated Humboldt Broncos (SJHL) 3-games-to-2 and a default MAN/SASK CHAMPIONSPortage Terriers defeated Penticton Broncos (BCJHL) 4-games-to-3 ABBOTT CUP CHAMPIONSPortage Terriers defeated Pembroke Lumber Kings (CJHL) 4-games-to-1 CENTENNIAL CUP CHAMPIONS

1974 Lost Semi-final

Portage Terriers defeated Brandon Travellers 4-games-to-2Selkirk Steelers defeated Portage Terriers 4-games-to-3

1975 Lost Semi-final

Portage Terriers defeated Dauphin Kings 4-games-to-noneSelkirk Steelers defeated Portage Terriers 4-games-to-1

1976 Lost Quarter-final

Brandon Travellers defeated Portage Terriers 4-games-to-1

1977 DNQ

1978 Lost Quarter-final

Selkirk Steelers defeated Portage Terriers 4-games-to-none

1979 Lost Semi-final

Portage Terriers defeated Dauphin Kings 4-games-to-3Selkirk Steelers defeated Portage Terriers 4-games-to-none

1980 DNQ

1981 Lost Quarter-final

Dauphin Kings defeated Portage Terriers 4-games-to-none

1982 Lost Quarter-final

Selkirk Steelers defeated Portage Terriers 4-games-to-none

1983 Lost Quarter-final

Dauphin Kings defeated Portage Terriers 4-games-to-none

1984 Lost Quarter-final

Dauphin Kings defeated Portage Terriers 4-games-to-none

1985 DNQ

1986 DNQ

1987 Lost Quarter-final

Dauphin Kings defeated Portage Terriers 4-games-to-1

1988 Lost Final

Portage Terriers defeated Selkirk Steelers 4-games-to-1Portage Terriers defeated Dauphin Kings 4-games-to-1Winnipeg South Blues defeated Portage Terriers 4-games-to-none

1989 Lost Quarter-final

Selkirk Steelers defeated Portage Terriers 4-games-to-3

1990 Won League, Lost Anavet Cup

Portage Terriers defeated Winkler Flyers 4-games-to-1Portage Terriers defeated Dauphin Kings 4-games-to-1Portage Terriers defeated Kildonan North Stars 4-games-to-none MJHL CHAMPIONSNipawin Hawks (SJHL) defeated Portage Terriers 4-games-to-2

1991 Lost Quarter-final

Winkler Flyers defeated Portage Terriers 4-games-to-1

1992 Lost Semi-final

Portage Terriers defeated Dauphin Kings 4-games-to-1Winkler Flyers defeated Portage Terriers 4-games-to-1

1993 Lost Semi-final

Portage Terriers defeated Neepawa Natives 4-games-to-noneDauphin Kings defeated Portage Terriers 4-games-to-1

1994 Lost Quarter-final

Winkler Flyers defeated Portage Terriers 4-games-to-1

1995 Lost Quarter-final

Neepawa Natives defeated Portage Terriers 4-games-to-none

1996 Lost Quarter-final

Neepawa Natives defeated Portage Terriers 4-games-to-3

1997 Lost Quarter-final

OCN Blizzard defeated Portage Terriers 4-games-to-1

1998 Lost Quarter-final

OCN Blizzard defeated Portage Terriers 4-games-to-2

1999 Lost Quarter-final

Winkler Flyers defeated Portage Terriers 4-games-to-2

2000 Lost Quarter-final

Dauphin Kings defeated Portage Terriers 4-games-to-none

2001 Lost Quarter-final

Neepawa Natives defeated Portage Terriers 4-games-to-3

2002 Lost Semi-final

Portage Terriers defeated Neepawa Natives 4-games-to-1OCN Blizzard defeated Portage Terriers 4-games-to-3

2003 Lost Semi-final

Portage Terriers defeated Swan Valley Stampeders 4-games-to-3OCN Blizzard defeated Portage Terriers 4-games-to-1

2004 Lost Final

Portage Terriers defeated OCN Blizzard 4-games-to-nonePortage Terriers defeated Swan Valley Stampeders 4-games-to-2Selkirk Steelers defeated Portage Terriers 4-games-to-none

2005 Won League, Won Anavet Cup, Lost in 2005 Royal Bank Cup round robin

Portage Terriers defeated OCN Blizzard 4-games-to-2Portage Terriers defeated Neepawa Natives 4-games-to-1Portage Terriers defeated Selkirk Steelers 4-games-to-2 MJHL CHAMPIONSPortage Terriers defeated Yorkton Terriers (SJHL) 4-games-to-2 ANAVET CUP CHAMPIONSFifth and eliminated in 2005 Royal Bank Cup round robin (1-3)

2006 Lost Quarter-final

Dauphin Kings defeated Portage Terriers 4-games-to-2

2007 Lost Quarter-final

Neepawa Natives defeated Portage Terriers 4-games-to-3

2008 Won League, Lost Anavet Cup

Portage Terriers defeated Swan Valley Stampeders 4-games-to-3Portage Terriers defeated Dauphin Kings 4-games-to-nonePortage Terriers defeated Winnipeg Saints 4-games-to-1 MJHL CHAMPIONSHumboldt Broncos defeated Portage Terriers 4-games-to-none

2009 Won League, Lost Anavet Cup

Portage Terriers defeated Waywayseecappo Wolverines 4-games-to-nonePortage Terriers defeated Dauphin Kings 4-games-to-nonePortage Terriers defeated Selkirk Steelers 4-games-to-1 MJHL CHAMPIONSHumboldt Broncos defeated Portage Terriers 4-games-to-3

2010 Lost Quarter-final

Swan Valley Stampeders defeated Portage Terriers 4-games-to-1

2011 Won League, Won Anavet Cup, Lost in 2011 Royal Bank Cup round robin

Portage Terriers defeated Swan Valley Stampeders 4-games-to-2Portage Terriers defeated Dauphin Kings 4-games-to-2Portage Terriers defeated Selkirk Steelers 4-games-to-1 MJHL CHAMPIONSPortage Terriers defeated La Ronge Ice Wolves 4-games-to-3 ANAVET CUP CHAMPIONSFifth and eliminated from 2011 Royal Bank Cup round robin (1-3)

2012 Won League, Lost in 2012 Royal Bank Cup round robin

Portage Terriers defeated Selkirk Steelers 4-games-to-0Portage Terriers defeated Winnipeg Blues 4-games-to-2Portage Terriers defeated Winnipeg Saints 4-games-to-1 MJHL CHAMPIONSHumboldt Broncos defeated Portage Terriers 4-games-to-3Fifth and eliminated from 2012 Royal Bank Cup round robin (1-3)

2013 Lost Quarter-final

Steinbach Pistons defeated Portage Terriers 4-games-to-3

2014 Lost Quarter-final

Steinbach Pistons defeated Portage Terriers 4-games-to-3

2015 Won League, WCC Runner-up, Won Royal Bank Cup

Portage Terriers defeated Waywayseecappo Wolverines 4-games-to-nonePortage Terriers defeated Virden Oil Capitals 4-games-to-nonePortage Terriers defeated Steinbach Pistons 4-games-to-none MJHL CHAMPIONSSecond in the 2015 Western Canada Cup round robin (3-1)Penticton Vees defeated Portage Terriers 4-3 in WCC finalPortage Terriers defeated Melfort Mustangs 4-2 in WCC runner-up gameFirst in the 2015 Royal Bank Cup round robin (3-1)Portage Terriers defeated Melfort Mustangs 6-1 in semi-finalPortage Terriers defeated Carleton Place Canadians 5-2 in final ROYAL BANK CUP CHAMPIONS

2016 Won League

Portage Terriers defeated Selkirk Steelers 4-games-to-nonePortage Terriers defeated Winnipeg Blues 4-games-to-nonePortage Terriers defeated Steinbach Pistons 4-games-to-1 MJHL CHAMPIONS

Western Canada Cup

Western Canada Championships ** BCHL - AJHL- SJHL - MJHL - Host **
Round robin play with 1st vs 2nd - winner advance to National Championship & loser to Runner Up Game
3rd vs 4th in 2nd semi-final winner to Runner Up game loser eliminated.
Runner Up game determines 2nd representative to National Championship.
Competition began 2013 season.

Notable alumni

Bryan Hextall

Black Jack Stewart

Junior Lessard

J.P. Vigier

Rick Blight

Jason Kasdorf

Dave McDonald