Westside Warriors

The Westside Warriors are a Tier II Junior "A" ice hockey team from Westside, British Columbia, Canada. They are a part of the British Columbia Hockey League and play in the Interior Conference.

:Langley Lords 1973-76 :Langley Thunder 1976-79 :Langley Eagles 1981-87:Langley Thunder 1994-98 :Langley Hornets 1998-2006:Westside Warriors 2006 to Present

History

The Westside Warriors are a relocated team from Langley, which was originally granted a BCJHL franchise in 1973 called the Langley Lords. The Lords played in the league for 3 seasons, ending in 1976. In those three years they had very decent regular seasons but, could not produce any playoff success.

In 1976 the Lords changed their name to the Langley Thunder. They had a dismal 3 seasons playing in the BCJHL and in 1978 ceased operations.

For the start of the 1981-82 season the Langley Eagles would provide Langley fans with their first taste of BCJHL action in 2 years. The Eagles played for 6 seasons in Langley of which 1983-84 was their dream-come-true season.

That year, with a record of 40-8-2, placing 3rd in the league, their hope for playoff success, was high. In the Quarter-Finals that year they grounded Abbotsford Flyers, 4 games to 1. They sunk the Nanaimo Clippers in the semi-finals, 4 games to 2 to advance them to the league finals. In that series they jousted with the favored Penticton Knights, who placed 1st in the league and won 4 games to 0.The Peace Caribou Junior Hockey League champions,Prince George Spruce Kings, would fair no better as Langley chopped them down, 2 games to 0, for the Mowat Cup.In the BC/Alta Championship, Fort Saskatchewan Traders were out bartered, 4 games to 2.

Alas, all good things must come to an end and that is what happened to Langley in the Abbott Cup.The Weyburn Red Wings were having a dream-come-true season of their own, clipping Langleys wings, 4 games to 0, and going on to win the Centennial Cup, emblematic of Junior "A" Hockey supremacy in Canada.That would be it for junior "A" hockey in Langley as the Eagles flew the coop (so to speak) and ceased operations in 1987.

The Langley Thunder name reappeared on the scene eight years latter in 1994. They would compete for 5 seasons with a highlight of a league finals in 1996. Which they lost to the eventual Royal Bank Cup winners Vernon Vipers, 4 games to 1.

The Thunder changed their name to the Langley Hornets which was coached by several coaches but most notably Rick Lanz. Lanz would guide the team with decent success until the 2002-03 season. In which controversy followed with the termination of his contact. He would turn a last place team in 2001-02 to a 4th place league finish and 1st round playoff exit. Rumours were afloat as the reason he was not resigned was because Rick and his staff had cut owner's son Aaron Berman. Aaron Berman would return to a last place team the next season and eventully another dismal showing for the Langley Hornets.

As the Westside Warriors they entered the BCHL playoffs in their first year and hope to continue that success in the future.

eason-by-Season Record

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

ee also

*List of ice hockey teams in British Columbia

External links

* [http://www.langleyhornets.com/ Langley Hornets Website]
* [http://www.westsidejuniorhockey.com/ Westside Warriors Website]