Kingston Canadians

Kingston Canadians
City Kingston, Ontario
League Ontario Hockey League
Conference Leyden
Founded 1973 (1973)–74
Home arena Kingston Memorial Centre
Colours Red, white and blue
Franchise history
1972–73 Kingston Frontenacs Jr. A.
1973–88 Kingston Canadians
1988–89 Kingston Raiders
1989–present Kingston Frontenacs

The Kingston Canadians were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League from 1973 to 1988. The team played home games at the Kingston Memorial Centre in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

Contents

History

The Kingston Canadians arrival in the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) for the 1973–74 OHL season, was a result of the Montreal Junior Canadiens switch to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) in 1972. During the summer of 1972, the QMJHL had threatened a lawsuit against the OHA to force the Junior Canadiens to return to the Quebec-based league. To solve the problem, the OHA granted the Junior Canadiens franchise a "one-year suspension" of operations, while team ownership transferred the team and players into the QMJHL, renaming themselves the Montreal Bleu Blanc Rouge in the process.

The OHA then reactivated the suspended franchise after a one year hiatus, under new ownership and with new players, calling the team the Kingston Canadians. The new Kingston team was essentially an expansion franchise promoted from the OHA's Tier II league, that had only common name to share with the old Junior Canadiens. However, in some OHA histories (such as the annual Media Guide) the Kingston team is still shown as the legitimate successors of the Junior Canadiens' legacy.

The Kingston Canadians used the same colours and uniforms as the NHL's Montreal Canadiens and Junior Canadiens. The Kingston logo replaced the "H" with the letter "K" for Kingston. Some sources show the name as "Kingston Canadiens", but the English "Canadians" is correct.

The team played from 1973 to 1980 in the OHA, then from 1980 to 1988 in the OHL. The Kingston Canadians franchise was sold following the 1987–88 season, and the new owner renamed the team Kingston Raiders. The following season they were again sold and renamed Kingston Frontenacs.

Notable Events

The Kingston Canadians is now a minor rep hockey team that reprsents the KAMHA league in Kingston Ontario and they are named after the old ohl team

Coaches

Jim Morrison coached the Canadians for almost half the team's tenure in the OHA & OHL. He was an NHL veteran defenceman of 704 games, as well as being a player coach with the AHL Baltimore Clippers.

Four other Canadians coaches also played in the NHL. They are, Jack Bownass, Rod Graham, Fred O'Donnell & Jim Dorey.

Jack Bownass was the recipient of the Matt Leyden Trophy as OHA Coach of the Year in 1973-1974.

List of Coaches

(Multiple years in parentheses)

  • 1973–1975 Jack Bownass (2)
  • 1975–1982 Jim Morrison (7)
  • 1982–1983 Rod Graham
  • 1983–1985 Rick Cornacchia (2)
  • 1985–1985 Jim Dorey (2)
  • 1985–1987 Fred O'Donnell (2)
  • 1987–1988 Jacques Temblay
  • 1988–1988 Jim Dorey (2)

Players

Award winners

Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy
Scoring Champion.

  • 1983–84 Tim Salmon

Max Kaminsky Trophy
Most Outstanding Defenceman.

Jack Ferguson Award
First overall draft pick.

William Hanley Trophy
Most Sportsmanlike OHL Player.

Bobby Smith Trophy
Scholastic player of the year.

Retired numbers

NONE. Four numbers have been "honoured" from the Kingston Canadians, although not retired and still in circulation. (#5 Mike O'Connell, #7 Tony McKegney, #10 Brad Rhiness, #14 Ken Linseman)

NHL alumni

In 2004 Paul Coffey became the only Kingston Canadian inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame to date. In 1977-1978 Paul was a late season addition from the North York Rangers. He played 8 regular reason games with the Canadians, and 5 playoffs games the same season.

Season-by-season results

Regular season

Season Games Won Lost Tied Points Pct % Goals
for
Goals
against
Standing
1973–74 70 20 43 7 47 0.336 256 378 10th in OHA
1974–75 70 25 35 10 60 0.429 297 345 8th in OHA
1975–76 66 33 24 9 75 0.568 357 316 3rd in Leyden
1976–77 66 32 24 10 74 0.561 295 259 3rd in Leyden
1977–78 68 27 32 9 63 0.463 288 323 4th in Leyden
1978–79 68 26 38 4 56 0.412 265 306 5th in Leyden
1979–80 68 35 26 7 77 0.566 320 298 4th in Leyden
1980–81 68 39 26 3 81 0.596 334 273 3rd in Leyden
1981–82 68 29 34 5 63 0.463 302 316 5th in Leyden
1982–83 70 24 45 1 49 0.350 351 425 7th in Leyden
1983–84 70 25 45 0 50 0.357 313 378 7th in Leyden
1984–85 66 18 47 1 37 0.280 239 380 7th in Leyden
1985–86 66 35 28 3 73 0.553 297 257 4th in Leyden
1986–87 66 26 39 1 53 0.402 287 316 4th in Leyden
1987–88 66 14 52 0 28 0.212 246 432 7th in Leyden

Playoffs

Kingston Memorial Centre

The home arena of the Canadians was the Kingston Memorial Centre with a seating capacity 3,079 seated, and 3,300 including standing room.