December was a busy month for the Blackfalds Bulldogs. By the holiday break, Blackfalds had won two games and conducted a series of trades.
In total, Blackfalds made seven trades, welcoming four new players and saying goodbye to five others. Blackfalds also saw head coach Doug Quinn step down from his role. Ryan Tobler took over as the interim head coach.
The owner-coach
Quinn served as Blackfalds’ head coach from September 2021 to December 2024. He is also the franchise owner after purchasing the Calgary Mustangs and relocating them to Blackfalds.
Before bringing the Mustangs to Blackfalds, Quinn was the head coach of the Red Deer U18 AAA Chiefs. He spent part of his playing career in the Western Hockey League with the Nanaimo Islanders and New Westminster Bruins.
During Blackfalds’ first season of 2021-22, the team iced 44 different players. It’s something I mentioned in a past article. The team still made the AJHL playoffs in 2022 and was swept in the first round by the Okotoks Oilers.
The Bulldogs most successful season was 2022-23. They finished third in the Alberta Junior Hockey League and fell to the Brooks Bandits in the third round of the playoffs.
During the 2023-24 season, Blackfalds didn’t complete their season in the AJHL after joining the BCHL in January 2024. Between the AJHL and BCHL, their combined record was 39-22-0-5 last season.
Player departures in December
On Dec. 1, Blackfalds conducted a three-player trade with the Vernon Vipers. In exchange for 2004-born forward Lucas Brennan, Blackfalds sent 2006-born defender Rylan Bonkowski, 2005-born forward Layne Loomer, and future considerations to Vernon.
After winning the Fred Page Cup with the Surrey Eagles, Bonkowski now plays in the United States Hockey League with the Tri-City Storm. As for Loomer, he left Blackfalds last season to also play in the USHL. He is with the Lincoln Stars.
Four days later, Blackfalds sent Brennan to the Sherwood Park Crusaders for future considerations and he never played a game for the Bulldogs.
On Dec. 8, Blackfalds moved 2005-born forward Jack McAra to the Cowichan Valley Capitals for future considerations. McAra played 24 games for Blackfalds before being traded, posting two goals and 10 assists.
New players coming in
Although Brennan technically joined the Bulldogs at the beginning of December, he never played for them and, as noted above, they flipped him to Sherwood Park for future considerations.
Five days before Christmas, Blackfalds acquired 2005-born forward Juan Copeland from the Alberni Valley Bulldogs for future considerations. In 20 games with Alberni Valley, he had one goal and seven assists.
A day later, the Bulldogs picked up 2006-born forward Logan Peskett from the Vipers for future considerations. He started the 2024-25 season with the WHL’s Regina Pats before signing in Vernon. In three games with Vernon, Peskett put up one assist. He didn’t play a game for Blackfalds and signed with the Drumheller Dragons of the AJHL last month after being reinstated by Hockey Canada.
On Boxing Day, the Bulldogs made another deal with Alberni Valley and acquired 2005-born forward William Mitchell for future considerations. In 19 games with the Vancouver Island-based Bulldogs, he had a goal and six assists.
With two days left in 2024, Blackfalds swung a deal for 2006-born defender Jason Davenport from the Powell River Kings. In exchange, the Kings got future considerations. Davenport started the season with the West Kelowna Warriors and was scoreless. While in Powell River, he posted two goals and two assists in 27 games.
A look ahead for the Bulldogs
The 2024-25 season has not been ideal for Blackfalds. As stated above, Blackfalds only won two games before January. They won their Oct. 15 game against the Spruce Kings and their Oct. 26 game against the Bandits. As of this writing, things have gotten marginally better to start 2025 and the Bulldogs have gathered a total of six wins.
Blackfalds isn’t the first team to have a lacklustre season. In 2021-22, the Merritt Centennials finished with a record of 3-47-2-2, and during the 2015-16 season, the Surrey Eagles finished with a record of 7-48-1-2.
January was an important month for Blackfalds. Under Tobler, the team earned two wins. On Jan. 3, Blackfalds defeated the Salmon Arm Silverbacks 2-1. On Jan. 11, the Bulldogs knocked off the Silverbacks 5-3. It’s a rare set of wins for a team having a difficult season.
Finally, on Jan. 31, Blackfalds tripped the Okotoks Oilers 5-3 before extending its winning streak to two games with a 2-1 victory over the Oilers the next night to kick off February.
