Vancouver Giants

History

British Columbia-based businessman Ron Toigo was granted a WHL expansion franchise for the city of Vancouver ahead of the 2001–02 season. In the following years, the club's ownership group would grow to include Sultan Thiara, former Vancouver Canucks head coach Pat Quinn, the estate of Hockey Hall of Fame member Gordie Howe, and singer Michael Bublé. The team was first based out of Pacific Coliseum, the former Canucks arena in east Vancouver; in 2016, after 15 seasons, the team moved to the Langley Events Centre.

After a dismal inaugural season, typical for an expansion team, that saw the Giants win only 13 games, the team rapidly improved. In 2002, the Giants selected Gilbert Brule first overall in the WHL Bantam Draft—Brule would go on to become the team's first major star player, beginning with winning the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy as the WHL's rookie of the year in 2004. That season, the team won its first playoff round, defeating the Kamloops Blazers before losing to the Everett Silvertips in the second round. Along with the Giants' improving play, the 2004–05 NHL lockout led to a boost in attendance for the club—nearly 9,000 fans attended the team's season-opener, and the team averaged 8,400 spectators that season; Toigo later stated that the lockout was a definite factor in "putting us on the map". The Giants capitalized by putting together a string of successful seasons that saw the team capture five consecutive B.C. Division titles between 2005 and 2010.

The run of success began with the hiring of former NHL coach Don Hay as head coach, replacing Dean Evason. Then, in 2005, general manager Scott Bonner acquired a number of key players including Kenndal McArdle, Wacey Rabbit, and goaltender Dustin Slade, who, along with Brule, would lead the team to its first championship. In 2006, the Giants captured their first league championship, defeating the Moose Jaw Warriors in the league final in four games, with Brule earning most valuable player honours. The win advanced the Giants to their first Memorial Cup tournament, in which they were eliminated in the semifinal by the host Moncton Wildcats. Despite the loss, Brule recorded 12 points in the tournament, the highest total in the tournament since 1997 and enough to secure the Ed Chynoweth Trophy as the leading scorer.

With the breakthrough of second-year forward Milan Lucic helping to make up for the off-season loss of Brule, the Giants returned to the WHL championship series in 2007 in a playoff run that also featured the debut of future star Evander Kane. In the final, they faced the Medicine Hat Tigers, narrowly losing the series in the second overtime period of game seven. However, the Giants were selected to host the 2007 Memorial Cup, which secured them a berth in the tournament despite their championship series defeat. The Giants secured a spot in the tournament final with an 8–1 semifinal win over the Plymouth Whalers, setting up a rematch with the Tigers. In the final, the Giants avenged their WHL title defeat with a 3–1 victory over the Tigers to secure the team's first Memorial Cup championship. Lucic was named tournament MVP. In 2023, the 2007 Giants team was inducted into the B.C. Hockey Hall of Fame.

The Giants would set franchise records with 57 wins 119 points in 2008–09 and make consecutive runs to the Conference finals in 2009 and 2010. However, after the 2010, the team failed to win another playoff series until they returned to the championship final in 2019. During that stretch, Bonner stepped down as manager after 15 seasons, replaced first by Glen Hanlon and then, in 2018, by Barclay Parneta, who hired Michael Dyck as head coach. In the 2019 final, the Giants faced the regular season champion Prince Albert Raiders; the Giants fell behind in the series three games to one before forcing a decisive game seven in Prince Albert. In game seven, the Raiders won 3–2 in overtime, marking the second game seven overtime defeat in the finals in Giants history.

In 2022, the Giants made history by selecting Chloe Primerano in the thirteenth round of the WHL prospects draft, making Primerano the first-ever female skater selected in a Canadian Hockey League draft.

In 2023, when Michael Dyck left the organization to join the professional ranks, the Giants hired Manny Viveiros as their new head coach.[[File:SeattleThunderbirds vs VancouverGiants.jpg|thumb|The Giants hosting the [[Seattle Thunderbirds]] in 2008.]]

Season-by-season record

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties OTL = Overtime losses Pts, SOL = Shootout losses Pts, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

Championship history

;Memorial Cup Canadian Hockey League champion

• 2007 – Champions
• 2006 – 3rd place

;Ed Chynoweth Cup Western Hockey League playoff champion

• 2019 — Finalists
• 2007 – Finalists
• 2006 – Champions ;Western Conference Champions
• 2005–06, 2006–07, 2018–19 ;B.C. Division Champions First place in regular season
• 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2018–19

WHL Championship series

• 2005–06: Win, 4–0 vs Moose Jaw Warriors
• 2006–07: Loss, 3–4 vs Medicine Hat Tigers
• 2018–19: Loss, 3–4 vs Prince Albert Raiders

Memorial Cup finals

• 2007: Win, 3–1 vs Medicine Hat Tigers

Players

NHL alumni

List of National Hockey League (NHL) alumni:

• Tyler Benson
• Mario Bliznak
• Jonathon Blum
• Lance Bouma
• Gilbert Brule
• Bowen Byram
• Craig Cunningham
• Brendan Gallagher
• Mason Geertsen
• Triston Grant
• Brett Festerling
• Mark Fistric
• Cody Franson
• Evander Kane
• Matt Kassian
• Brett Kulak
• Andrew Ladd
• Milan Lucic
• Spencer Machacek
• Kenndal McArdle
• Jordan Martinook
• Andrej Meszaros
• Brendan Mikkelson
• David Musil
• Tristen Nielsen
• Brent Regner
• Michal Repik
• Marek Schwarz
• Justin Sourdif
• Nick Tarnasky
• Tomas Vincour
• James Wright

Ring of Honour

List of players on the team's Ring of Honour:

• Brett Festerling (inducted on December 7, 2010)
• Andrej Meszaros (inducted on December 27, 2010)
• Mark Fistric (inducted on January 23, 2011)
• Gilbert Brule (inducted on January 28, 2011)
• Milan Lucic (inducted on February 25, 2011)
• Cody Franson (inducted on February 17, 2012)
• Evander Kane (inducted on March 7, 2012)
• Brendan Gallagher (inducted on February 15, 2014)
• Lance Bouma (inducted on November 20, 2015)
• Craig Cunningham (inducted on December 2, 2018)

Team records

Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game; * = current Giants player

Awards

WHL

;Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy Rookie of the year

• Gilbert Brule – 2003–04

;Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy Defenceman of the year

• Jonathon Blum – 2008–09

;WHL Plus-Minus Award Regular season plus-minus leader

• Paul Albers – 2005–06
• Jonathon Blum – 2006–07

;Doug Wickenheiser Memorial Trophy Humanitarian of the year

• Ty Ronning – 2017–18

;Bob Clarke Trophy Regular season scoring champion

• Casey Pierro-Zabotel – 2008–09

;Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy Coach of the Year

• Don Hay – 2008–09

CHL

;Ed Chynoweth Trophy Memorial Cup scoring leader

• Gilbert Brule – 2006
• Michal Repik – 2007

;Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy Memorial Cup MVP

• Milan Lucic – 2007

;CHL Defenceman of the Year

• Jonathon Blum – 2009

References

References

1. "WHL History".
2. (2008-12-11). "Michael Bublé buys stake in Vancouver Giants". [[CBC News]].
3. Jordan, Kevin. (2020-02-14). "Vancouver Giants".
4. Wharnsby, Tim. (2018-02-05). "Hockey comes full circle for former NHLer Gilbert Brule". [[CBC Sports]].
5. Ewen, Steve. (2012-09-21). "It took some time for the Vancouver Giants to build up crowds during the last NHL lockout". [[The Province]].
6. (2012-09-24). "Lockout no business knock-out". [[Business in Vancouver]].
7. Kerr, Grant. (2004-04-28). "Giants look to make Hay latest coach". [[The Globe and Mail]].
8. Ewen, Steve. (2016-12-29). "The five best trades in Giants history". The Province.
9. (2006-05-09). "Vancouver Giants, 2006 WHL Champions, Brule Named MVP". Canadian Hockey League.
10. (2006-05-26). "Moncton in Memorial Cup final". CBC Sports.
11. (2013-05-22). "A Look Back: Memorial Cup 2006". Western Hockey League.
12. Adams, J. J.. (2017-03-09). "Then and now: Tracking down the Giants from the 2007 Memorial Cup-winning squad". The Province.
13. Landreville, Troy. (2017-06-16). "Former Giants reminisce about 2007 Memorial Cup win". [[Victoria News]].
14. (2007-05-24). "Dorsett sends Tigers to Memorial Cup final". [[CBC Sports]].
15. (2007-05-26). "Giants thump Whalers to advance to Memorial Cup final". CBC Sports.
16. (2007-05-27). "Giants capture franchise's first Memorial Cup". CBC Sports.
17. Ewen, Steve. (2023-03-01). "Vancouver Giants notebook: 2007 Memorial Cup team honoured by B.C. Hockey Hall of Fame". The Province.
18. Ewen, Steve. (2018-05-22). "Giants name longtime Tri-City exec Parneta as their new GM". The Province.
19. Ewen, Steve. (2023-08-24). "New Vancouver Giants coach Manny Viveiros is 'back to what I was' before cancer battle". The Province.
20. Provost, Kelly. (2019-05-10). "Prince Albert Raiders on the verge of a WHL championship". [[CBC News]].
21. (2019-05-14). "Raiders beat Giants in overtime to win WHL title in seven games". [[Sportsnet]].
22. Colpitts, Heather. (2022-05-19). "Vancouver Giants select first-ever female skater in WHL prospects draft". Victoria News.
23. "Elite Prospects". Elite Prospects.