Midland Flyers

Midland Flyers
City Midland, Ontario[1]
League Georgian Mid-Ontario Junior C Hockey League[2]
Founded 1980 (1980)[3]
Home arena North Simcoe Sports & Recreation Centre
Colors Black, Orange, and White
General manager John Bantten
Head coach Chris Alarie, Andrew Alarie
Franchise history
19xx-1977[7]
1980–1983[3]
Midland Athletics[3]
1983–1994[4] Midland Centennials[4]
1994–1999[5] Midland Flyers[5]
1999–2002[6] Midland Thunder[6]
2002–Present[1] Midland Flyers[1]

The Midland Flyers are a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in Midland, Ontario.[1] They play in the Georgian Mid-Ontario Junior C Hockey League.[2]

Contents

History

The Midland Athletics were formed in 1980 in the Major Intermediate A Hockey League.[3] They lasted in the league for three seasons, until in 1983 when the league was promoted to Senior "A". Instead of joining Senior, the town thought it would be better to focus on their younger players and drop the team down to the Georgian Bay Junior C Hockey League. The teams name was changed to the Midland Centennials. The gamble paid off as in their second season the Centennials won the Georgian Bay championship and wheeled their way through to the Clarence Schmalz Cup final where their ran into the Great Lakes Junior C Hockey League's Belle River Canadiens. The Canadiens took the All-Ontario final 4-games-to-1.[8]

In 1994, the Georgian Bay Junior C Hockey League merged with the Mid-Ontario Junior C Hockey League to create the Georgian Mid-Ontario Junior C Hockey League. That same year, the Midland Centennials decided to change their name to the Midland Flyers.[5]

In 1999, the team chose to change its name to the Midland Thunder.[6] The team was very competitive. Despite not winning any league championships, the Thunder maintained a winning record and kept near the top of the league.

The 2002 seasons saw two things happen. In 2002, the Midland Thunder once again became the Midland Flyers.[1] Also, 2002 was the year where the franchise's winning ways seemed to have disappeared. In the five seasons since Midland became the Flyers, the team has not won ten games in one season.

The 2005-06 season saw the team bottom out with a completely winless season. The eighth seeded Flyers drew the wrath of the first seed Penetang Kings who swept the Flyers in their first of six rounds of playoffs to win the Clarence Schmalz Cup as All-Ontario Champions.[9]

The 2006-07 was a mild improvement, but barely enough to know that the Midland Flyers are in a healthy place. For the second year in a row, the Flyers drew the Penetang Kings in the first round of the playoffs. The result was much of the same as the Kings beat the Flyers 4-games-to-none to win the league quarter-final.[9] Again, the Kings went on to win the league and another Clarence Schmalz Cup.[8]

Season-by-Season Standings

Season GP W L T OTL GF GA P Results Playoffs
1973-74 40 15 19 6 - 171 189 36 4th MOJBHL Lost Final
1974-75 40 21 11 8 - 193 161 50 3rd MOJBHL Lost Semi-final
1975-76 36 16 14 6 - 149 162 38 4th MOJBHL
1976-77 40 10 24 6 - 158 231 26 6th MOJBHL DNQ
2000-01 36 20 12 3 1 174 119 43 3rd GMOHL
2001-02 36 19 12 4 1 149 125 43 4th GMOHL
2002-03 36 7 27 1 1 146 230 16 8th GMOHL
2003-04 36 4 27 3 2 107 245 13 8th GMOHL
2004-05 40 6 31 1 2 102 212 15 8th GMOHL
2005-06 42 0 37 1 4 93 269 5 8th GMOHL Lost Quarter-final
2006-07 41 3 35 1 2 91 237 9 7th GMOHL
2007-08 42 15 21 3 3 121 179 36 5th GMOHL
2008-09 42 6 31 - 5 96 215 17 7th GMOHL
2009-10 42 10 27 - 5 102 201 25 6th GMOHL Lost Quarter-final
2010-11 40 15 22 - 3 132 187 33 5th GMOHL

Clarence Schmalz Cup Appearances

1985: Belle River Canadiens defeated Midland Centennials 4-games-to-1[8]

Notable alumni

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Midland Flyers
  2. ^ a b GBMOJHL Teams | Georgian Bay Mid-Ontario Junior Hockey League | Junior C | Leagues | Ontario Hockey Association
  3. ^ a b c d MidlandAthletics
  4. ^ a b Midland Centennials
  5. ^ a b c Midland Flyers
  6. ^ a b c MidlandThunder
  7. ^ Owen Sound Sun Times Sports section, February 1977
  8. ^ a b c Ontario Hockey Association 2006–2007 Constitution, Regulations and Rules of Competition by The Ontario Hockey Association (2006)
  9. ^ a b c Home | Ontario Hockey Association
  10. ^ Owen Sound Sun Times Sports section, final standings
  11. ^ http://www.ohahockey.org/ Provided by GMO League statistician
  12. ^ Legends of Hockey - NHL Player Search - Player - Sandy McCarthy

External links