Edmonton Flyers

The Edmonton Flyers are a historic hockey team with origins dating back to the 1930s. The Flyers moniker was used by several teams in Edmonton, beginning with an Alberta Senior League team in 1939. It was later adopted by a Western Canada Senior League team, back when "senior" essentially referred to what is now junior hockey. Both Al Rollins and Bud MacPherson got their starts on this team, and these Flyers won the 1948 Allan Cup.

The most well-known iteration of the Flyers began in 1951 as part of the famed Western Hockey League (WHL). These Flyers won three WHL titles during their 12 seasons in the league and competed as a professional minor league team with ties to the Detroit Red Wings. They played out of Edmonton Gardens. Given their success, it’s no surprise that these Flyers saw many hockey stars pass through their ranks. Mid-century hockey greats like Al Arbour, Forbes Kennedy, Tony Leswick, Johnny Bucyk, Vic Stasiuk, and Bronco Horvath all played for the Flyers. The team folded in 1963 when the Red Wings ended their affiliation, and the cost of travel in the western league became too much to sustain the club.