Location: Winnpeg, Manitoba
Arena:
Opened: 2008
Cost:
Team Colors: Blue and yellow
Owner: Nadine Ierley
President/GM: Frank Bialowas
Captain:
Retired Numbers: none
Franchise Record: 124-129-9
Playoff Record: 12-5
Home Record:
Division Championships: 0
League Championships: 1 (1992-93)
The Chiefs can trace their roots back to one of the CHL's original four teams, the Red Barons. Originally featuring Wayne Gretzky, Steve Yzerman, and Ray Bourque, the team overturned their roster frequently in order to win.
The Red Barons finished in 3rd place in 1991-92, which would be their worst finish ever. After making a key trade in the summer of 1992, acquiring C Joe Sakic and G Ed Belfour, the Red Barons romped their way to the championship, winning the points championship by 373 and beating the Blue Demons 4 games to 1 in the head-to-head championship.
They failed to defend their title successfully, losing out to the Cougars by 70 points in 1993-94. They came even closer in the lockout-shortened 1994-95 season, but again came up short to the Cougars, this time losing by only 15 points.
The team folded with the CHL in October of 1995. The franchise was reborn as the Las Vegas Tail Tuggers when the CHL restarted in October 2005. The Tail Tuggers finished in 3rd place in 2005-06, losing to Boston in 7 games in the first round of the playoffs.
The team hit bottom after that, however, finishing in last place in the Hanson Division in both 2006-07 and 2007-08.
In the summer of 2008, the CHL took control of the team and announced that it would be renamed the Chiefs. In September, the league announced that Andy Meyer, owner of the Boston Massacre, would take over the team and that it would be moved to Winnipeg for the 2008-09 season. At the beginning of the season, ownership of the team was transferred to Nadine Ierley.
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