▁senior ▁men ' s ▁Central ▁Al berta ▁Hockey ▁League . ▁ ▁The ▁team ▁was ▁required ▁to ▁defeat ▁the ▁Al berta ▁Junior ▁Hockey ▁League ▁champion ▁to ▁ear n ▁the ▁right ▁to ▁play ▁for ▁the ▁national ▁junior ▁championship . ▁They ▁were ▁also ▁cup ▁final ists ▁seven ▁different ▁years ▁between ▁ 1 9 5 4 ▁and ▁ 1 9 7 1 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 6 , ▁Bill ▁Hunter , ▁the ▁team ' s ▁General ▁Manager , ▁was ▁concerned ▁about ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁junior ▁hockey ▁in ▁western ▁Canada . ▁Each ▁of ▁the ▁west ' s ▁four ▁provinces ▁all ▁had ▁their ▁own ▁junior ▁league , ▁and ▁Hunter ▁felt ▁that ▁this ▁put ▁them ▁at ▁a ▁dis adv antage ▁when ▁compet ing ▁nation ally ▁against ▁the ▁powerful ▁le agues ▁in ▁Ontario ▁and ▁Quebec . ▁Hunter ▁hoped ▁to ▁form ▁a ▁un ified ▁western ▁league ▁to ▁comp ete . ▁ ▁Hunter ' s ▁hopes ▁became ▁reality ▁in ▁the ▁summer ▁of ▁ 1 9 6 6 , ▁when ▁a ▁revol t ▁within ▁the ▁S ask atch ew an ▁Junior ▁Hockey ▁League ▁caused ▁several ▁of ▁its ▁top ▁clubs , ▁the ▁Este van ▁Bru ins , ▁Regin a ▁P ats , ▁S ask ato on ▁Bl ades , ▁Mo ose ▁J aw ▁Can uck s ▁and ▁W ey burn ▁Red ▁W ings , ▁to ▁leave ▁the ▁league ▁and ▁join ▁Hunter ' s ▁O il ▁Kings ▁in ▁forming ▁a ▁new ▁league . ▁A ▁sevent h ▁franch ise ▁was ▁also ▁added ▁in ▁Cal g ary , ▁the ▁Cal g ary ▁Buff alo es