A History Of Victory/Continental Cup Winners (Part 1)

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With the Legion looking to become the first team since S82 to win both the Victory Cup and the Continental Cup in the same season, I thought that I'd take a look back at the teams who have done so since the league's inception. The list is sorted by the first time that the team accomplished the feat chronologically. Here are the teams:

 

Calgary Wranglers

Four times: S3, S8, S19, S62

 

The Wranglers were the first team to double dip on the big trophies in the same season, but it wasn't for a lack of trying that it didn't happen earlier. Calgary won the Victory Cup in S1 before losing in the Continental Cup Final in six games to Vasteras. The following season in S2, the Wranglers missed out on the Victory Cup, and ended up winning the Continental Cup over Vasteras in a four game sweep. In S3, they put it all together, going 61-6-5 in the regular season to win the VC, before defeating Helsinki in a seven game series to win it all. A handful of seasons later, the Wranglers did it again, posting a 57-12-3 regular season to win the VC with 117 points. They beat Riga in six games in the final to win the S8 CC. Calgary won the VC in S9, along with the CC in S18, but it would be S19 that would see them combine both in the same season again. A 56-14-2 regular season locked up the VC, and a four game sweep of Davos would crown them as CC champs in S19. A more than forty season gap would follow before Calgary won both in the same year again, a gap that included three VC's (S31, S51, S61) and three CC's (S23, S30, S44). In S62, the Wranglers did both again, finishing the regular season at 60-9-3 and 123 points to capture the VC, and followed it up by beating Quebec City in a seven game CC final.

 

Seattle Bears

Four times: S4, S5, S28, S73

 

Seattle must have been inspired by Calgary's dominance in S3, because a season after the Wranglers did it, it was the Bears turn. The Bears went 53-14-5 in the S4 regular season, not quite as many points as were required the previous season to win the VC. The Bears then cruised to a five game CC win over the Stockholm Rams to win their first title. A year after their first time winning either trophy, the Bears were right back at it in S5. This time around, it was a much more dominant regular season, as Seattle went 63-7-2 to capture the VC with 128 points. In the CC Final, they met up with Helsinki, where they dispatched the Titans in a five game series to go back to back. Seattle would win VC's in S6 and S27, as well as CC's in S12 and S17, but it wouldn't be until S28 that they doubled up again. Following a 57-14-1 regular season to clinch the VC, Seattle bested New York in six games to claim the CC as well. 45 seasons later, the Bears had won four VC's (S52, S53, S64, S65) and five CC's (S43, S59, S68, S69, S71) without doing both in the same season. In S73, those came together again, with a 49-18-5 regular season to clinch the VC at 103 points and a six game victory over Helsinki to win the CC.

 

Avangard Havoc/HC Davos Dynamo

Five times: S7, S11, S13, S20, S25

 

One of only two teams to double dip five times, the Avangard/Davos combination comes with a small asterisk due to the franchise name change, but I'll include them together. The Avangard Havoc were around from S2 to S10 before becoming the HC Davos Dynamo, but in that short run they managed to double up in S7. A 57-11-4 regular season of 118 points was enough to clinch the VC, and a six game series win over Calgary notched the CC in that season. In the first season under the rebranded Dynamo in S11, they proceeded to go 59-7-6 with 124 points to win the VC. Another six game series win, this time over Seattle picked up their second franchise double. Only two seasons later, the Dynamo did it again, going 59-10-3 in the regular season for 121 points, and beating New York in seven games to clinch the CC. There was a bit longer gap until the next time, as a whopping seven seasons had passed when Davos did it again in S20. A regular season record of 56-12-4 and 116 points locked up the VC, and a seven game series win over Toronto picked up the back half with the CC. Davos would win the VC in S23 and the CC in S24 before doubling up in S25. Finishing the regular season at 47-17-8 and 102 points, it paved the way for a five game victory over New York to mark the final time to this point that the Havoc/Dynamo would win both in the same season.

 

New York Americans

Four times: S14, S39, S41, S47

 

New York made their first Victory Cup and their first Continental Cup special, as they picked up both in S14. A record of 50-17-5 and 105 points was tops in the VHL in the regular season to secure the VC, and a six game win over Helsinki in the finals added the Americans first CC. A quarter of a century later (along with VC's in S15, S38 and a CC in S32), New York double dipped again. S39's regular season saw the Americans put up 114 points with a record of 54-12-6 to win the VC. A tidy five game series win over Davos allowed the Americans to complete the double that season. That VC was part of four in a row for New York, as they won it again in S40, but it wasn't until S41 that they doubled again. At 59-10-3, New York had 121 points with their VC, and a seven game nailbiter against Riga won them another double. Six seasons (and a movie) later, the Americans would do it once more, their fourth time in franchise history. S47's regular season saw New York put up 119 points and a record of 57-10-5 to win the VC. The playoffs ended with a five game victory over Stockholm to mark the last time that New York would double down.

 

Riga Reign

Four times: S16, S57, S58, S63

 

The Stockholm Thunder/Rams became the Riga Reign in S8. The Stockholm franchise didn't win either a Victory Cup or a Continental Cup in the seven seasons that they were in the league, only making it to one CC final that didn't end in victory. As Riga, the franchise had far more success, winning the VC in S12, and a CC in S10. They pieced together their first double in S16, compiling a record of 53-15-4 (110 points), and their second VC. The playoffs saw them defeat Toronto in a seven game series to accomplish their first franchise double. Almost a half century later, and following three VC's (S16, S32, S56) and three CC's (S33, S40, S51), the Reign doubled dipped on a double dip. S57 saw Riga go 60-7-5 in the regular season for 125 points and the VC. The playoffs wrapped up with a six game win over Quebec City to finish up the first part of their double. S58 was much of the same, as Riga was 56-11-5 in the regular season, posting 117 points and another VC. The CC Final saw them face Seattle this time, winning in six games as well. Five seasons later, and Riga added another double to their list. A 110 point season at 51-13-8 saw them clinch the VC during the regular season, and another six game series win over Calgary wrapped up the last double for the Reign.

 

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Thank you for reading Part 1 of my article! Part 2 will be up soon!

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Week 2 (1000+ words)

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Seattle