City Osoyoos Owner(s) John Butler Arena Sun Bowl Arena Founded 2006 | Home arena SunBowl Arena General manager Ken Southwick Location Osoyoos, Canada Color Orange, Yellow, and White | |
League WHA Junior Hockey League Colors Orange, Yellow, and White | ||
The Osoyoos Spurs (also The Osoyoos Whalers) were a Junior ice hockey team based out of Osoyoos, British Columbia. They played out of the defunct WHA Junior Hockey League.
History
On September 22, 2006 during the Spurs first ever hockey game, they earned the distinction of winning the WHA Junior West Hockey League's first ever overtime game. Tied after regulation with the New Westminster Whalers, the Spurs scored to win in overtime by a final score of 6-5.
The Town of Osoyoos had a very successful Junior "B" team in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League known as the Osoyoos Storm until 2006. They moved from Osoyoos to Kamloops, British Columbia after the 2005-06 season, despite winning the Keystone Cup as Western Canadian Junior "B" Champions in 2005. The move had many people in Osoyoos in disbelief, but the Osoyoos Spurs came to town as soon as the Storm walked out the backdoor to fill the town's junior hockey void.
The teams logo is taken from the defunct World Hockey Association's Denver Spurs from the 1970s.
The Spurs finished their first season in the basement of the WHA-West. With only 12 wins in 34 games, the Spurs were entered into a playoff round robin with the Armstrong Sharks and the Lumby Fighting Saints. The Saints prevailed with a perfect record to earn a birth in the league final. Meanwhile, the Spurs did not even finish the round robin. Their third game against Lumby was supposed to be played in Osoyoos, but due to financial problems the game was played in Lumby. The fourth game was right out cancelled. There was some question as to whether the Spurs would be able to return to the WHA for 2007-08, but all team debts were paid and the team was operational for its second season.
On October 28, 2007, the Vancouver Whalers folded and were to be merged with the Spurs in November 2007. The Osoyoos Spurs were to be known as the Osoyoos Whalers, however the team never played under that name. Due to financial problems the WHA folded the Osoyoos team and later the entire League folded in 2008.