The Calgary Roughnecks
are a member of the National Lacrosse League based in Calgary, Alberta. The name refers to the roughnecks who work the drilling rigs in Alberta's oil and gas industry. The team is affectionately known by fans as the Riggers
.
The team mascot's name Derrick
is a reference to the tower portion of a drilling rig.
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CALGARY ROUGHNECKS TICKETS
| EVENT | DATE | AVAILABILITY |
|---|
| Calgary Roughnecks vs. Vancouver Warriors Tickets 12/28 | Dec 28, 2024
Sat, 7:00 PM |  | | Philadelphia Wings vs. Calgary Roughnecks Tickets 1/11 | Jan 11, 2025
Sat, 1:00 PM | | | Calgary Roughnecks vs. Georgia Swarm Tickets 1/18 | Jan 18, 2025
Sat, 7:00 PM | | | Calgary Roughnecks vs. Toronto Rock Tickets 1/24 | Jan 24, 2025
Fri, 7:00 PM | | | Ottawa Blackbears vs. Calgary Roughnecks Tickets 1/31 | Jan 31, 2025
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Team beginnings (2001-2002 season)
On March 28, 2001, a press conference was held in Calgary to announce the Roughnecks as the (then) tenth NLL franchise under the ownership of Calgary businessman Brad Banister. Kevin Melnyk was announced as the Head Coach and General Manager. Prior to the season getting under way some resume inaccuracies became public regarding Melnyk. Melnyk, who claimed to be a member of one of Canada's National teams, was replaced by the team with Chris Hall as Head Coach and Brad Banister as General Manager.
The Roughnecks hosted the
Montreal Express in the inaugural game for both franchises on November 24, 2001. The Roughnecks lost by a score of 32-17. This set a new league record for most combined goals scored in a game and the most goals scored by one team.
Success
In the 2002-2003 season, the Roughnecks enhanced their record to 9-7, with a very successful 6-2 record at home. Leading the team with 63 points was
Tracey Kelusky. Close behind him was
Kaleb Toth with 61 points. Before the season got going Brad Banister promised the fans the playoffs and the boys pulled it off. They travelled to Buffalo for the first playoff game in franchise history. The team lost 16-9 against the
Buffalo Bandits to get knocked out of the playoffs.
The Roughnecks continued their improvement in the 2003-2004 season with a record of 10-6.
Lewis Ratcliff lead the team with 71 points. Tracey Kelusky finished second with 69. Again Banister predicted a playoff entry and this time he predicted a home game to boot. Finishing third in the West the only way to get a home playoff game was to meet the third place team from the East. In the playoffs, the Roughnecks beat the
San Jose Stealth 15-14 on the road to advance to the conference final. Again on the road, the Roughnecks beat the
Colorado Mammoth with a final score of 13-11. On May 7, 2004, the Roughnecks hosted the championship game against the Buffalo Bandits, who had knocked them out of the playoff the previous year. Calgary won the
Champion's Cup by beating the Bandits 14-11 in front of a home crowd of 19,289 in the
Pengrowth Saddledome.
For the 2004-2005 season former Roughneck player and assistant coach Dave Bremner was hired as General Manager.
The Roughnecks hosted the
2005 NLL All Star Game on February 26, 2005. This was the first nationally televised NLL game; it was broadcast on
NBC. Roughnecks' captain Kelusky took home the
Most Valuable Player award as the East beat the West in an 11-10 overtime win. The 2005 season saw the Roughnecks come in first place in the Western Conference for the first time in franchise history. This garnered them a bye in the first round of the playoffs. On April 30, they hosted the
Arizona Sting for the conference title and lost with a score of 19-15.
Prior to the 2005-2006 season the Roughnecks hired on former Buffalo GM Kurt Silcott to replace Dave Bremner and become the fourth GM in team history.
thumb as the Roughnecks celebrate the 2009 championship.
After beginning the
2007 NLL season 4-1, the Roughnecks lost three straight games, and Silcott fired the only head coach in Roughnecks history, Chris Hall. Silcott filled in as interim head coach for one game, and then hired former Roughnecks player Jeff Dowling as the second head coach in Roughnecks history on March 9, 2007.
[1] He was replaced as Head Coach for the
2008 season by Troy Cordingley
[2], while former
Toronto Rock Head Coach
Terry Sanderson was added as Assistant Coach.
In
2008, Calgary finished 3rd in the West with a 7-9 record, beat
Colorado in the division semi-final, but lost in the division final to the
Portland LumberJax. Despite this relatively successful season, general manager Kurt Silcott was fired.
[3] Team President Brad Banister gave no reason for the firing other than to say that "the team and Silcott are heading into different directions, and this move would allow both parties to succeed to their full potential" and that he would take over as interim GM.
[4]
The
2009 season was the most successful in team history. After opening the year with a record five straight wins, the Roughnecks finished the season 12-4. This allowed Calgary to take first overall in the NLL for the first time ever. They would go on to defeat the Colorado Mammoth and San Jose Stealth in the playoffs and then triumph over the
New York Titans 12-10 in the
Champion's Cup final to win their first NLL championship since
2004.
[5]
Awards & honors
| Year
| Player
| Award
|
| 2009
| Troy Cordingley
| Les Bartley Award [6]
|
| 2007
| Tracey Kelusky
| Sportsmanship Award [7]
|
| 2004
| Taylor Wray
| Rookie of the Year
|
| Taylor Wray
| Defensive Player of the Year (tie with Cam Woods)
|
| Curtis Palidwor
| Champion's Cup MVP
|
| 2003
| Brad Banister
| Executive of the Year
|
Roster
All time record
| Season
| Division
| W-L
| Finish
| Home
| Road
| GF
| GA
| Coach
| Playoffs
|
| 2002
| Northern
| 4–12
| T–3
| 2–6
| 2–6
| 224
| 264
| Kevin Melnyk*,
Chris Hall
| Missed playoffs
|
| 2003
| Northern
| 9–7
| T–2
| 6–2
| 3–5
| 209
| 207
| Chris Hall
| Lost in quarterfinals
|
| 2004
| Western
| 10–6
| 3rd
| 4–4
| 6–2
| 214
| 187
| Chris Hall
| Won Championship
|
| 2005
| Western
| 10–6
| 1st
| 6–2
| 4–4
| 216
| 208
| Chris Hall
| Lost in division finals
|
| 2006
| Western
| 9–7
| 3rd
| 4–4
| 5–3
| 183
| 178
| Chris Hall
| Lost in division semifinals
|
| 2007
| Western
| 9–7
| 2nd
| 4–4
| 5–3
| 219
| 202
| Chris Hall,
Jeff Dowling
| Lost in division semifinals
|
| 2008
| Western
| 7–9
| 3rd
| 5–3
| 2–6
| 183
| 178
| Troy Cordingley
| Lost in division finals
|
| 2009
| Western
| 12–4
| 1st
| 5–3
| 7–1
| 206
| 167
| Troy Cordingley
| Won Championship
|
| Total
| 8 seasons
| 70–58
|
| 36–28
| 34–30
| 1654
| 1591
|
|
|
| Playoff Totals
|
| 7–5
|
| 4–3
| 3–2
| 163
| 154
|
|
|
* Resigned prior to beginning of season
Playoff Results
The Roughnecks have qualified for the NLL playoffs seven times, winning the
Champion's Cup in 2004 and 2009.
| Season
| Game
| Visiting
| Home
|
| 2003
| Quarterfinals
| Calgary 9
| Buffalo 16
|
| 2004
| Division Semifinal
| Calgary 15
| San Jose 14
|
| Division Final
| Calgary 13
| Colorado 11
|
| Championship
| Buffalo 11
| Calgary 14
|
| 2005
| Division Final
| Arizona 19
| Calgary 15
|
| 2006
| Division Semifinal
| Calgary 17
| Colorado 18
|
| 2007
| Division Semifinal
| Arizona 13
| Calgary 9
|
| 2008
| Division Semifinal
| Calgary 15
| Colorado 13
|
| Division Final
| Portland 16
| Calgary 12
|
| 2009
| Division Semifinal
| Colorado 8
| Calgary 15
|
| Division Final
| San Jose 5
| Calgary 17
|
| Championship
| New York 10
| Calgary 12
|
References
- Jeff Dowling named Calgary head coach
- Bandit becomes 'Necks New Bench Boss
- Roughnecks GM Kurt Silcott Fired
- Roughnecks Release General Manager Kurt Silcott
- Roughnecks defeat Titans to win second NLL championship
- Cordingley Coach of the Year, Comeau GM
- Kelusky wins Sportsmanship Award