The Barrie Flyers were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association from 1945 to 1960, from Barrie, Ontario. The Flyers played home games at the Barrie Arena from 1945 to 1960.[1]
| Barrie Flyers | |
|---|---|
| City | Barrie, Ontario |
| League | Ontario Hockey Association |
| Operated | 1945–1960 |
| Home arena | Barrie Arena |
| Colours | White, black and gold |
| Parent club(s) | Boston Bruins |
| Franchise history | |
| 1945–1960 | Barrie Flyers |
| 1960–72 | Niagara Falls Flyers |
| 1972–present | Sudbury Wolves |
| Championships | |
| Playoff championships | 1951 and 1953 Memorial Cup |
History
The Barrie Flyers junior team was founded in 1945 by Leighton "Hap" Emms. The franchise was soon affiliated with the Boston Bruins of the NHL. Barrie quickly became a powerhouse in the OHA. They appeared in the Memorial Cup three times, losing the first time in 1948, then winning twice, in 1951 and 1953. The Emms family relocated the team to Niagara Falls in 1960 where the team continued to win and played for 12 seasons, then relocated to Sudbury to become the Sudbury Wolves.
1948 Memorial Cup
Barrie won the right to play for the cup by defeating the Windsor Spitfires for the OHA championship, and the Montreal Nationales to win the Richardson Trophy as eastern Canadian representatives.
The Flyers were runners up for the Memorial Cup in 1948 played at Maple Leaf Gardens. They were swept by the Port Arthur West End Bruins (now Thunder Bay) in a best-of-seven series.
The series was very physical and bitter between the teams. After the third game, Emms threatened that the Flyers would not continue to play without a change in referees. The series ultimately continued with the same referees.
Game 1 Port Arthur 10 vs. Barrie 8 Game 2 Port Arthur 8 vs. Barrie 1 Game 3 Port Arthur 5 vs. Barrie 4 Game 4 Port Arthur 9 vs. Barrie 8 (OT)
1951 Memorial Cup
Barrie won the OHA championship defeating the Toronto Marlboros.
Canadian Amateur Hockey Association vice-president W. B. George oversaw the Flyers versus Quebec Citadels series for the George Richardson Memorial Trophy, to represent Eastern Canada in the 1951 Memorial Cup playoffs. When the Citadels refused to play game five in Barrie, George gave them an ultimatum to play or forfeit the series. Quebec decided to play too late to arrive by train, but arrived half an hour late after flying.[2][3] George scheduled game seven on neutral ice at Maple Leaf Gardens, despite protests from Flyers' coach Hap Emms who claimed that his team only agreed to resume the series if game seven was played in Barrie.[4]
The Flyers won the Memorial Cup in 1951 played at Winnipeg and Brandon, Manitoba. They swept the Winnipeg Monarchs in a best-of-seven series.
Game 1 Barrie 5 vs. Winnipeg 1 Game 2 Barrie 5 vs. Winnipeg 1 Game 3 Barrie 4 vs. Winnipeg 3 Game 4 Barrie 9 vs. Winnipeg 5
1953 Memorial Cup
Barrie won the right to play for the cup by defeating the St. Michael's Majors for the OHA championship. The Flyers won the Memorial Cup in 1953 played at Winnipeg and Brandon, Manitoba. They defeated the St. Boniface Canadiens in a best-of-seven series.
Game 1 Barrie 6 vs. St. Boniface 4 Game 2 Barrie 6 vs. St. Boniface 3 Game 3 Barrie 7 vs. St. Boniface 5 Game 4 Barrie 4 vs. St. Boniface 7 Game 5 Barrie 6 vs. St. Boniface 1
Championships
The Barrie Flyers were a dominant team during the late 1940s and early 1950s, and one of a few clubs to win multiple Memorial Cup championships. The Flyers won the Ontario championship 4 times, the Eastern Canadian championship 3 times, and the national championship twice.
Memorial Cup appearances
- 1948, Lost to Port Arthur West End Bruins
- 1951, CAHA Champions vs. Winnipeg Monarchs
- 1953, CAHA Champions vs. St. Boniface Canadiens
George Richardson Memorial Trophy appearances
- 1948, Champions vs. Montreal Nationales
- 1949, Lost to Montreal Royals
- 1951, Champions vs. Quebec Citadels
- 1953, Champions vs. Quebec Citadels
J. Ross Robertson Cup appearances[5]
- 1947–48, OHA Champions vs. Windsor Spitfires
- 1948–49, OHA Champions vs. Toronto Marlboros
- 1950–51, OHA Champions vs. Toronto Marlboros
- 1952–53, OHA Champions vs. St. Michael's Majors
- 1955–56, Lost to Toronto Marlboros
Players
Award winners
- 1948-49 - Gil Mayer, Red Tilson Trophy Most Outstanding Player
- 1950-51 - Lorne Howes, Dave Pinkney Trophy Lowest Team Goals Against
NHL alumni
List of Flyers' alumni who played in the National Hockey League (NHL):[6]
- Barry Ashbee
- Bob Barlow
- Bob Beckett
- Bob Blackburn
- Ross Brooks
- Kelly Burnett
- Dick Cherry
- Don Cherry
- Real Chevrefils
- Murray Davison
- Marv Edwards
- Pierre Gagne
- Ray Gariepy
- Jeannot Gilbert
- Howie Glover
- Bill Knibbs
- Leo Labine
- Stan Long
- Wayne Maxner
- Gilles Mayer
- Don McKenney
- Sid McNabney
- Paul Meger
- Hillary Menard
- Doug Mohns
- Jim Morrison
- Tony Poeta
- Dan Poliziani
- George Ranieri
- Gerry Reid
- Dale Rolfe
- Wayne Rutledge
- Myron Stankiewicz
- Ron Stewart
- Alan "Skip" Teal
- Orval Tessier
- Jerry Toppazzini
- Ed Westfall
- Larry Zeidel
Regular season results
| Season | Games | Won | Lost | Tied | Points | Pct % | Goals For | Goals Against | Standing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1945–46 | 28 | 8 | 18 | 2 | 18 | 0.308 | 89 | 171 | 7th OHA |
| 1946–47 | 35 | 17 | 16 | 2 | 36 | 0.514 | 129 | 144 | 6th OHA |
| 1947–48 | 36 | 23 | 13 | 0 | 46 | 0.639 | 198 | 116 | 3rd OHA |
| 1948–49 | 48 | 28 | 16 | 4 | 60 | 0.625 | 208 | 134 | 2nd OHA |
| 1949–50 | 48 | 21 | 24 | 3 | 45 | 0.469 | 180 | 217 | 5th OHA |
| 1950–51 | 54 | 38 | 14 | 2 | 78 | 0.722 | 276 | 161 | 1st OHA |
| 1951–52 | 53 | 22 | 30 | 1 | 47 | 0.425 | 225 | 230 | 7th OHA |
| 1952–53 | 56 | 37 | 17 | 2 | 76 | 0.679 | 258 | 187 | 1st OHA |
| 1953–54 | 59 | 25 | 33 | 1 | 51 | 0.432 | 260 | 285 | 7th OHA |
| 1954–55 | 49 | 18 | 31 | 0 | 36 | 0.367 | 169 | 251 | 7th OHA |
| 1955–56 | 48 | 20 | 25 | 3 | 43 | 0.448 | 179 | 207 | 6th OHA |
| 1956–57 | 52 | 13 | 37 | 2 | 28 | 0.269 | 147 | 218 | 6th OHA |
| 1957–58 | 51 | 18 | 29 | 4 | 40 | 0.392 | 201 | 234 | 6th OHA |
| 1958–59 | 54 | 21 | 27 | 6 | 48 | 0.444 | 178 | 192 | 5th OHA |
| 1959–60 | 48 | 24 | 18 | 6 | 54 | 0.562 | 193 | 172 | 3rd OHA |
References
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