When that team relocated to Swift Current, Saskatchewan, the city acquired the Calgary Wranglers franchise and the Hurricanes began play in 1987.

[3] The team enjoyed early success in Lethbridge, winning back-to-back division titles in their third and fourth seasons and advancing to the championship series both years.

[2] The Hurricanes advanced to the 1997 Memorial Cup tournament, where they rallied in the round robin to defeat the Hull Olympiques 7–6 in overtime after trailing 6–1 after two periods.

Then, in the 2007–08 season, the Hurricanes returned to the playoff final, which they lost to the eventual Memorial Cup champion Spokane Chiefs.

In the middle of what would become a six-year playoff drought, the team struggled on the ice and dealt with turmoil amongst the players and coaching staff.

[8] In addition to two more players requesting trades, assistant coach Brad Lukowich walked out on the team following a 3–2 victory over the Prince Albert Raiders.

[citation needed] It was revealed that the community-owned franchise was also facing financial problems, losing more than $1.25 million in a two-year period and taking out a line of credit in order to stay afloat.