| Saskatoon Olympics | |
|---|---|
| City | Saskatoon, Saskatchewan |
| League | SJHL |
| Founded | 1968 |
| Folded | 1982 |
| Home arena | Saskatoon Arena |
| Colours | Blue and white |
| Franchise history | |
| Saskatoon Macs (SJHL) (1968-1969) Saskatoon Olympics (1969–1978) Saskatoon J's (1978-1982) | |
The Saskatoon Olympics (also known as the Saskatoon Macs and Saskatoon J’s) were a Tier-II Junior "A" team based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, who played in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League.[1]
History
The Saskatoon Olympics were original members of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League when the league was founded in 1968, originally named the Saskatoon Macs.[2] They were eligible for the Memorial Cup playoffs for their first two seasons, then the SJHL was placed at the Tier-II Junior "A" level.[3]
After starting out with two losses in the 1969-70 season, the team won its first game as the 'Olympics' in front of 270 fans on October 21, 1969 over the Moose Jaw Canucks.
The team played at the Saskatoon Arena.[4]
Dave King coached the Olympics from 1975 to 1977.[5]
The team took on the name Saskatoon J's in 1978 before folding in 1982.[6]
Mike Babcock is one notable alumni, playing for the J's in part of the 1980-1981 season along with two games the previous season.[7] Another is Trent Yawney, who played for the J's in the team's final season in 1982, later moving onto the Saskatoon Blades and a career in the National Hockey League as both a player and later a coach. Dale Henry was also on the roster in the team's final season.[8]
Season-by-season standings
| Season | GP | W | L | T | OTL | GF | GA | P | Results | Playoffs |
| 1968-69 | 33 | 3 | 30 | 0 | - | 112 | 280 | 6 | 4th SJHL | |
| 1969-70 | 33 | 6 | 27 | 0 | - | 99 | 208 | 12 | 4th SJHL | |
| 1970-71 | 36 | 28 | 7 | 1 | - | 262 | 153 | 57 | 2nd SJHL | |
| 1971-72 | 44 | 22 | 22 | 0 | - | 219 | 183 | 40 | 4th SJHL | |
| 1972-73 | 48 | 15 | 33 | 0 | - | 237 | 158 | 30 | 5th SJHL North | |
| 1973-74 | 50 | 28 | 21 | 1 | - | 261 | 213 | 57 | 3rd SJHL North | |
| 1974-75 | 58 | 30 | 26 | 2 | - | 278 | 275 | 62 | 4th SJHL North | |
| 1975-76 | 58 | 29 | 28 | 1 | - | 283 | 278 | 59 | 5th SJHL North | |
| 1976-77 | 60 | 11 | 48 | 1 | - | 196 | 394 | 23 | 5th SJHL North | |
| 1977-78 | 60 | 12 | 46 | 2 | - | 260 | 434 | 26 | 5th SJHL North | |
| 1978-79 | 60 | 17 | 43 | 0 | - | 240 | 388 | 34 | 5th SJHL North | |
| 1979-80 | 60 | 13 | 47 | 0 | - | 290 | 414 | 26 | 5th SJHL North | DNQ |
| 1980-81 | 60 | 12 | 46 | 2 | - | 241 | 439 | 26 | 5th SJHL North | |
| 1981-82 | 60 | 33 | 27 | 0 | - | 309 | 290 | 66 | 2nd SJHL North | Lost quarter-final |
Playoffs
- 1969 Lost semi-final
- Weyburn Red Wings defeated Saskatoon Olympics 4-games-to-none
- 1970 Lost semi-final
- Regina Pats defeated Saskatoon Olympics 4-games-to-1
- 1971 Lost semi-final
- Humboldt Broncos defeated Saskatoon Olympics 4-games-to-3
- 1972 Lost semi-final
- Saskatoon Olympics defeated Notre Dame Hounds 4-games-to-none
- Humboldt Broncos defeated Saskatoon Olympics 4-games-to-none
- 1973 DNQ
- 1974 Lost semi-final
- Saskatoon Olympics defeated Yorkton Terriers 4-games-to-1
- Prince Albert Raiders defeated Saskatoon Olympics 4-games-to-none
- 1975 Lost quarter-final
- Prince Albert Raiders defeated Saskatoon Olympics 4-games-to-1
- 1976 DNQ
- 1977 DNQ
- 1978 DNQ
- 1979 DNQ
- 1980 DNQ
- 1981 DNQ
- 1982 Lost quarter-final
- Swift Current Broncos defeated Saskatoon Olympics 4-games-to-2
References
- "Saskatoon Olympics hockey team statistics and history at hockeydb.com". www.hockeydb.com. Retrieved 2025-07-22.
- Mainman, Brian (October 22, 1969). "Olympics upset Canucks for first win". The Phoenix. Retrieved May 15, 2026.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - "Historical Statistics". Retrieved 2026-05-15.
- Abraham, Doug (February 3, 1973). "Olympics sidetracked by Raiders". The Phoenix. Retrieved May 15, 2026.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - "David "Dave" King, C.M." Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2026-05-15.
- "Saskatoon J's". Vintage Ice Hockey. Retrieved 2026-05-15.
- "Mike Babcock - Head Coach, Edmonton Oilers (NHL) - Elite Prospects". www.eliteprospects.com. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
- "Dale Henry (b.1964) Hockey Stats and Profile at hockeydb.com". www.hockeydb.com. Archived from the original on 2025-11-12. Retrieved 2026-05-15.
External links