Durham Thundercats
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| Durham Thundercats | |
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| City: | Durham, Ontario |
| League: | WOAA Senior Hockey League |
| Division: | North |
| Founded: | 1972 |
| Home Arena: | Durham Community Centre |
| Colors: | Black, Grey, Red, and White |
| Head Coach: | Rob Reed |
| General Manager: | Carl Schafer |
| Franchise history | |
| 1972-1988: | Durham 72's |
| 1988-Present: | Durham Thundercats |
The Durham Thundercats, originally the Durham 72's, are a senior hockey team based out of Durham, Ontario, Canada. The Thundercats date back to the early 1970s, and are an extremely successful team in the Western Ontario Athletic Association Senior "AA" Hockey League.
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[edit] The 72's
Since 1920, the Durham Huskies served as the Ontario Hockey Association representative of the town of Durham, Ontario. Originally known as the Durham Hockey Club, the team was branded the Huskies in the early 1950s. In 1972, the Huskies were promoted from the Intermediate ranks to the Western Senior B Hockey League. The town of Durham, felt it was ready for a second Senior club and applied to enter the Western Ontario Athletic Association's Northern league. The team would serve mostly as a development team for players not yet ready for the Durham Huskies.
The Durham 72's were founded as members of the Intermediate "C" loop of the WOAA. Their competition would be found in other local teams like Arthur, Wiarton, Thornbury, Elora, and Chatsworth. The 72's finished their first season winning their loop but then lost the Major Intermediate "C" Championship to the Milverton Four Wheel Drives. The next season saw them finish first overall in their loop with 14 wins 4 losses and 2 ties, but fall to Arthur in the loop final.
By the mid-1970s, the Durham Huskies found themselves and their league promoted to the Continental Senior A Hockey League. Now eligible for the Allan Cup, the Huskies took center stage in the hockey town, even while the Thundercats won 1975 WOAA Intermediate C championship. The Huskies were fighting head on battles with the Lucan-Ilderton Jets and the Stratford Indians and won the 1974 Senior B crown and the 1976 Senior A crown, but lost the Ontario Allan Cup qualifier to the Barrie Flyers who went on to lose the Cup to Spokane.
By the late 1970s, the 72's were playing at the Intermediate "B" level. Led by scoring champions Bruce Marshall, the 72's defeated Palmerston (later known as the Palmerston 81's) to win the "B" Championship. The 72's were challenged by the Intermediate "C" Champion Lion's Head Northstars for the WOAA Grand Championship and lost to a very dominant Northstars squad.
In 1981, the Durham 72's were defeated by the Mitchell Red Devils in the WOAA Intermediate "B" final. Due to a major restructuring, the WOAA was altered from Intermediate A, B, C, and D and two other leagues (Central Grey-Bruce league and the Central Ontario Hockey League) to a top tier Intermediate A, a bottom tier Intermediate D, the CGBHL, and the COHL.
In 1982, the 72's won their first ever Intermediate "A" championship. They were challenged by the Ripley Roosters, Intermediate "D" championships, and lost the Grand Championship. Randy Reay was their leading scorer. The next season saw the 72's loss the Intermediate "A" Championship to the Woodford Royals, who in turn lost the Grand Championship to Lion's Head. In 1986, the 72's were led in scoring by Bruce Marshall. In 1987, the Durham 72's won another Intermediate "A" Championship. They played in the WOAA Northern Division with Lucknow, Ripley, Kincardine, Teeswater, and Lion's Head, finishing first with 16 wins, 4 losses, and 2 ties. They again failed to win the Grand Championship.
In 1987-88, the Durham 72's had a lackluster season. They only played a total of 16 games, with 6 wins, 6 losses, and 4 ties. This marked the last season the team would be known as the Durham 72's.
[edit] The Thundercats
As the Durham 72's rose in productivity in the early 1980s, the Durham Huskies seemed to slowly burn out. After years at the Senior "A" level, in Allan Cup contention, the Huskies inexplicably dropped to the Major Intermediate A Hockey League in 1982. Although still in contention for the W. G. Hardy Trophy, this was a drop in tier by the Huskies. As the 72's slipped up to the WOAA Intermediate "A" level, the Huskies dropped to the much diminished Senior "B" loop full of former OHA Intermediate "C" teams.
In 1988, the bottom fell out on the ever-improving Durham 72's and they were given a face lift. They traded in the "72's" for the "Thundercats" and switched the Green and Yellow for the Black and Silver. The effect was instantaneous as the Thundercats would terrorize the league from that point on. The 1988-89 season had the T-Cats finish with 19 wins, 2 losses, and 2 ties.
In 1991, the T-Cats dominated the WOAA. In the Intermediate "A" finals, they were challenged by the Tavistock Royals. After a hard fought battle, the Thundercats emerged victorious. As a reward, the team took a trip to Jamaica to celebrate. Halfway through their vacation, they got word that the WOAA had been attempting to contact them to set up dates for a a Grand Championship series with the Arthur Tigers, the Intermediate "B" champions. The T-Cats reluctantly cut their vacation short and returned to Durham jet-lagged and hungover to get embarrassed by a battle hardened and ready Tigers squad.
The Thundercats were unopposed WOAA Senior Grand Champions in 1992 and 1993, but were challenged in 1994 by the Ripley Wolves, who they swept for their third straight grand championship. In the background, the Durham Huskies quietly died in 1992. Going defunct as the Ontario Hockey Association's Senior league crumbled to the ground. The folding of 72-year-old Huskies obviously boosted the Thundercats and helped forge their coming WOAA dynasty. As the OHA leagues fell apart, other OHA clubs joined an exudos into the WOAA to avoid the embarrassment of folding. This prompted the league promote itself to Senior "AA", one level below Allan Cup contention. The new teams and influx of OHA talent also created a more interesting challenge for the Thundercats.
In 1995, the T-Cats suffered defeat at the hands of the Tavistock Royals in the Senior "AA" championship. They came back with a vengeance and one the 1996, 1997, and 1998 championships. Over the course of ten seasons, the Thundercats won eight league championships.
In 1999, they lost the final to the Milverton Four Wheel Drives, and in 2000 they lost the semi-final to the Palmerston 81's. In 2001, they knocked off the Hensall Sherwoods to win the Senior "AA" crown, but then lost again in 2002 to Milverton. 2003 amounted to nothing in championship category for the T-Cats, despite 22 wins and 2 losses.
In 2004, the Thundercats won another Senior "AA" championship, defeating the Clinton Radars in the league final. The T-Cats had an interesting 2004-05 season. With the 2004–05 NHL lockout looming, the Thundercats openly allowed the Ottawa Senators Chris Neil to practice with the team. With the cancellation of the season, Neil was signed and played for the Thundercats without permission from the WOAA. He played only one game, a 5-4 win over the Mildmay Monarchs where he recorded one assist. Soon after, the WOAA announced that they would not allow actively professional players compete in the WOAA regardless of the NHL lockout. For playing Neil without league permission, the win was taken away and awarded to Mildmay and Durham's coach was suspended. The T-Cats failed to win any championships in 2005, and Neil soon shipped off to the American Hockey League's Binghamton Senators.
The 2005-06 season saw the Thundercats treat the people of Durham to kind of hockey they were used to seeing in the 1990s. After edging out the Elora Rocks for first place in the WOAA with 22 wins and 3 losses, the Thundercats plowed through the playoffs to defeat the Elora Rocks 4-games-to-1 to win another WOAA Senior "AA" championship.
The 2006-07 was a winning season for the Thundercats with 15 wins, 8 losses, and a tie, but the Thundercats fell victim to a new system in the WOAA that segregates Senior "AA" from Senior "A" before the playoffs, not during the opening round. The T-Cats finished just out of reach for the Senior "AA" loop, but managed to go on and win the Senior "A" title.
[edit] Season-by-Season Record
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
| Season | GP | W | L | T | OTL | GF | GA | PTS | Finish | Playoffs |
| 1999-00 | 25 | 17 | 5 | 2 | 1 | -- | -- | 37 | 2nd WOAA North | Eliminated before FInal |
| 2000-01 | 24 | 21 | 2 | 1 | 0 | -- | -- | 43 | 1st WOAA Sr | "AA" Champions |
| 2001-02 | 24 | 21 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 179 | 79 | 44 | 1st WOAA Sr | Lost Final |
| 2002-03 | 24 | 22 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 209 | 66 | 44 | 1st WOAA Sr | Eliminated before Final |
| 2003-04 | 24 | 18 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 162 | 69 | 38 | 2nd WOAA Sr | "AA" Champions |
| 2004-05 | 25 | 15 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 129 | 88 | 34 | 9th WOAA Sr | Eliminated before Final |
| 2005-06 | 25 | 22 | 3 | - | 0 | 171 | 76 | 44 | 1st WOAA Sr | "AA" Champions |
| 2006-07 | 24 | 15 | 8 | - | 1 | 124 | 97 | 31 | 8th WOAA Sr | "A" Champions |
| 2007-08 | 26 | 12 | 13 | - | 1 | 133 | 129 | 25 | 6th WOAA North | Lost "A" Semi-final |
More information will be added as more becomes available
[edit] List of Championships
The 72's
- 1974-75 WOAA Intermediate "C" Champions
- 1978-79 WOAA Intermediate "B" Champions
- 1981-82 WOAA Intermediate "A" Champions
- 1986-87 WOAA Intermediate "A" Champions
Runner-Up in: Int. "C" 1972-73, Int. "B" 1980-81, Int. "A" 1982-83, 1983-84
The Thundercats
- 1988-89 WOAA Intermediate Grand-Champions
- 1990-91 WOAA Intermediate "A" Champions
- 1991-92 WOAA Senior Grand-Champions
- 1992-93 WOAA Senior Grand-Champions
- 1993-94 WOAA Senior Grand-Champions
- 1995-96 WOAA Senior "AA" Champions
- 1996-97 WOAA Senior "AA" Champions
- 1997-98 WOAA Senior "AA" Champions
- 2000-01 WOAA Senior "AA" Champions
- 2003-04 WOAA Senior "AA" Champions
- 2005-06 WOAA Senior "AA" Champions
- 2006-07 WOAA Senior "A" Champions
Runner-Up in: Sr. "AA" 1994-95, 1998-99, 2001-02
[edit] Related links
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