Lordy lordy, look who’s 40 — it’s the Western Hockey League’s Moose Jaw Warriors.
The Warriors are celebrating their 40th season in Moose Jaw in 2023-24, and are marking the occasion with a special logo and third jersey, which were unveiled on Wednesday, August 2.
“This is an exciting time for the City of Moose Jaw and Warriors organization,” Warriors general manager Jason Ripplinger said on the team’s website. “The history of the Moose Jaw Warriors is remarkable, from starting out playing in the Civic Centre and then moving to the Events Centre, the organization has had many great memories because of the support from the community and everyone who has been part of the Warriors organization.
“This is a big milestone for the organization and community, and we are all looking forward to being a part of it.”
The 40th season logo takes the roundel from the primary logo the Warriors introduced last season and puts a large “40” in the middle, with a banner reading “YEARS” unfurling from the gap in the 4. A black block underneath contains the years 1984 and 2024.
The team was originally the Winnipeg Warriors when they started playing in the WHL in the 1980-81 season. They moved to Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, in time for the 1984-85 season. They played in the Moose Jaw Civic Centre — nicknamed the “Crushed Can” — for 26 seasons before moving to the Moose Jaw Events Centre.
The new third jersey is mostly “ruby red,” with black stripes bordered in white running down the sleeves and around the waist. This mimics the jerseys the Warriors wore during their first season in Moose Jaw in 1984-85. While the diagonal “WARRIORS” wordmark is in a modern font, it also borrows from the past; the team wore a similar diagonal wordmark on their jersey from 1984 to 1992.
The team’s 40th season logo will appear on the right shoulder, while their primary logo will appear on the left shoulder.
As part of the celebrations, the Warriors will also welcome back key members of the organization from throughout its 40 years in Moose Jaw.
The Warriors open their 2023-24 WHL season on Friday, September 22, with a visit to the Prince Albert Raiders. Their home opener is the next night against the Brandon Wheat Kings.