Fergus Devils

Fergus Devils
Georgian Mid-Ontario Junior C Hockey League
City Fergus, Ontario[1]
Founded 1971[2]
Franchise history 1971-1987: Fergus Green Machine[2]
1990-Pres: Fergus Devils[1]
Head Coach Terry Gregory[3]
General Manager Bill Murray
Arena Fergus & District Community Centre
Affiliate(s) Villanova Knights
Team Colors Red, Gray, Black, and White
League Champions NJDHL: 1980
GMOHL: 1995, 1999, 2000, and 2001

The Fergus Devils are a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in Fergus, Ontario, Canada.[1] They play in the Georgian Mid-Ontario Junior C Hockey League.[4]

History

The Fergus Green Machine were founded in 1971 in the South-Central Junior D Hockey League.[2] In 1973, the league was promoted to the Central Ontario Junior C Hockey League.[2] In 1974, the team seemed to have dropped off the map, but it turns out they had probably dropped to the fairly local Northern Junior D Hockey League.[5] In 1979-80, while in the Northern, the Green Machine picked up a 16-year-old Scottish defenseman named James Stephen Smith.[6] Smith led the team to a league championship, and all the way to the Ontario Hockey Association Cup final against the Belmont Bombers of the Western Ontario Junior D Hockey League. The Bombers knocked off the Machine 2-games-to-none in a best-of-3 series to win the All-Ontario championship.[7] Smith went on to play three seasons of Ontario Hockey League hockey with the London Knights before eventually winning three Stanley Cups with the National Hockey League's Edmonton Oilers.[6]

In 1983, the Green Machine returned to their old Junior "C" loop,[2] now known as the Mid-Ontario Junior C Hockey League. The Northern Junior D Hockey League folded two seasons later without the Fergus franchise.[8] In 1987 the Green Machine folded.[2]

In 1990, the town of Fergus resurrected the team as the Fergus Devils.[1] Still in the Mid-Ontario Junior C Hockey League, the Devils played two seasons of interlock with the Western Junior C Hockey League. Two years later, the Mid-Ontario merged with the Georgian Bay Junior C Hockey League to form the Georgian Mid-Ontario Junior C Hockey League.[1] It is unknown if the Devils won any Mid-Ontario championships. The Devils found their niche in the new league and won the league title in 1995, 1999, 2000, and 2001. The Devils have never reached the Clarence Schmalz Cup finals.[7]

The 2005-06 season saw the Devils finish in second play in the Georgian Mid-Ontario. In the league quarter-final, the Devils laid out the seventh-seeded Bradford Bulls 4 games to none. With a head of steam, the Devils played the fourth seeded Erin Shamrocks in the semi-final. The result was a 4-games-to-1 series win for the Devils. In the finals, the Devils locked horns with the first seed Penetang Kings. The Devils were no match for the Kings as Penetang swept the series 4-games-to-none to win the league championship. The Kings went on to win the Clarence Schmalz Cup.[9]

In 2006-07, a late season surge saw the Fergus Devils surpass the Alliston Hornets and Penetang Kings to gain the top seed in the league. As the Bradford Bulls had left the league to try their chances on an Independent Junior A league, the Devils received a bye in the league quarter-finals. The well rested Devils took on the fifth seeded Stayner Siskins in the league semi-final and beat them 4-games-to-1. Again in the finals, the Devils again faced the Penetang Kings. The Kings went up 2-games-to-none on the Devils with a pair of double overtime victories. The Devils came back ane won game 3 and 4 just to lose game 5 and 6. For the second straight year the Penetang Kings beat the Devils for the league title and again went on to win the Clarence Schmalz Cup.[9]

Season-by-Season Standings

Season GP W L T OTL GF GA P Results Playoffs
1971-72 30 21 6 3 - 215 107 45 1st SCJDHL Won League, Lost OHA Cup SF
1972-73 29 21 3 5 - 214 132 49 1st SCJDHL Lost Final
1973-74 30 2 25 3 - 114 239 7 7th Central G1 DNQ
1974-75 28 10 15 3 - 158 164 25 5th NJDHL
1975-78 NJDHL Statistics Missing
1978-79 34 22 8 4 - 230 155 48 2nd NJDHL
1979-80 NJDHL Statistics Missing
1980-81 30 12 15 3 - 158 198 27 4th WOJCHL
1981-82 30 13 14 3 - 168 164 29 5th WOJCHL
1982-83 Did Not Participate
1983-84 34 12 21 1 - 166 202 25 6th MOJCHL Lost Quarter-final
1984-85 36 23 12 1 - 224 135 45 2nd MOJCHL Lost Quarter-final
1985-86 34 20 14 0 - 183 178 40 3rd MOJCHL
1986-87 33 21 11 1 - 235 166 43 2nd MOJCHL Lost Final
1987-90 Did Not Participate
1990-91 34 3 31 0 - -- -- 6 6th MOJCHL Lost Quarter-final
1991-92 34 7 24 3 - 136 220 17 6th MOJCHL Lost Semi-final
1992-93 38 19 14 4 1 200 187 43 2nd MOJCHL
1993-94 40 18 21 1 - 233 248 37 4th MOJCHL
1994-95 36 21 14 1 - -- -- 43 3rd GMOHL Won League, Lost CSC QF
1995-96 44 18 24 2 - 204 226 38 7th GMOHL
1996-97 36 16 20 0 - 171 162 32 7th GMOHL
1997-98 36 22 14 0 - 159 123 44 2nd GMOHL
1998-99 36 25 9 2 - 178 130 52 2nd GMOHL Won League
1999-00 36 31 5 0 - 226 123 62 1st GMOHL Won League
2000-01 36 22 11 1 2 185 140 45 2nd GMOHLWon League
2001-02 36 21 11 2 2 165 135 46 3rd GMOHL
2002-03 36 17 18 1 0 126 130 35 6th GMOHL Lost Quarter-final
2003-04 36 16 17 1 2 165 178 35 5th GMOHL
2004-05 40 25 10 4 1 160 117 55 2nd GMOHL
2005-06 42 25 9 5 3 170 128 58 2nd GMOHL Lost Final
2006-07 41 29 7 3 2 220 104 63 1st GMOHL Lost Final
2007-08 42 27 11 1 3 208 147 58 3rd GMOHL
2008-09 42 14 27 - 1 134 202 29 6th GMOHL
2009-10 42 13 26 - 3 133 219 29 5th GMOHLLost Quarter-final
2010-11 40 13 25 - 2 132 174 28 7th GMOHL
2011-12 40 2 38 - 0 79 267 4 8th GMOHL Lost Quarter Final
2012-13 40 12 27 - 1 89 165 25 8th GMOHL DNQ
2013-14 40 17 19 - 4 143 170 38 8th GMOHL Lost Quarters - 0-4 - (Hornets)
2014-15 40 16 20 - 4 130 169 36 8th GMOHL Lost Quarters - 0-4 - (Hornets)

Notable alumni

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 ExeterHawks
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Fergus Green Machine
  3. ↑ Fergus Devils Junior C Hockey
  4. ↑ GBMOJHL Teams | Georgian Bay Mid-Ontario Junior Hockey League | Junior C | Leagues | Ontario Hockey Association
  5. ↑ Owen Sound Sun Times Sports section, Februarys 1975, 1978, 1981
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Legends of Hockey - NHL Player Search - Player - Steve Smith
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Ontario Hockey Association 2006-2007 Constitution, Regulations and Rules of Competition by The Ontario Hockey Association (2006)
  8. ↑ AncasterShamrocks
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Home | Ontario Hockey Association
  10. ↑ http://www.ohahockey.org/ Provided by GMO League statistician
  11. ↑ Chris Driscoll's profile at hockeydb.com
  12. ↑ Fergus Devils Junior C Hockey

External links