Shortly after the school split from its parent university, the University of Saskatchewan, Regina began sponsoring varsity ice hockey. Instead of joining with the Huskies in Canada West, the Cougars became members of the more geographically-appropriate Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC). Regina hit the ground running, finishing as runners-up in their first season and then winning the league title in only their second season. In the team's first six seasons, they won four GPAC championships, however, it took the team a little longer to find success in the University Cup. The Cougars lost their first four tournament games, however, they swept through pool play in 1980 to reach their first championship match. Though they fell to perennial powerhouse Alberta, they were the only team from the GPAC to ever reach the final game.[3]
Regina declined as the 80s wore on but still remained one of the better teams in the conference. However, in 1985, the GPAC collapsed when it became reduced to just three members. The remaining schools, Regina, Brandon and Manitoba, all joined Canada West Universities Athletic Association. While it was the only move Regina could make and still have a pathway to the national tournament, the team's record suffered mightily in its new conference. The Cougars bottomed-out in 1988 but recovered by the early-90s with a few decent performances. Regina captured a regular season title in 1992 but were upset in the final round and prevented from returning to the University Cup two more finals appearances in the 90s followed but both ended with the same result.
By the beginning of the 21st century, the glory days of the program were becoming a distant memory as Regina sank towards the bottom of the standings. Over a 24-year span, the Cougars produced only two (barely) winning records in the regular season while finishing dead-last on nine occasions.[4] The Cougars returned from the COVID-imposed break with a decent performance in 2022, however, by the next season they were back at the bottom of the standings.
Season-by-season results
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, SOL = Shootout Losses, Pts = Points
