Grand Falls Andcos

Grand Falls Andcos
City Grand Falls, NL
League Newfoundland Senior Hockey League
Founded 1954 (1954)
Home arena Grand Falls Stadium
Colours

Green, white, red

              
Franchise history
1928–48 Grand Falls
1948–55 Grand Falls All-Stars
1955–65 Grand Falls Andcos
1966-91 Grand Falls Cataracts
1991–present Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts

The Grand Falls Andcos were a senior ice hockey team based in Grand Falls, Newfoundland and Labrador in the Newfoundland Senior Hockey League that won six Herder trophies in seven years as all-Newfoundland champions. With the support of the A.N.D. Co., who were the owners of the town's pulp and paper mill and the builders of a new state-of-the-art stadium in 1947, the team that later became known as the Andcos built a strong roster with paid players and dominate Newfoundland senior hockey in the 1950s.

History

The Grand Falls Athletic Association was picking players from the local senior league to form an all-star team at least as early as 1928 and playing inter-town games with Corner Brook and Buchans before hockey was organized island-wide. In 1935, at the conclusion of the annual home and home inter-papertown series between Grand Falls and Corner Brook, it was agreed that Corner Brook would represent Western Newfoundland to play the eastern champion Guards from St. John's in a two-game series at the Prince's Rink to determine the first hockey champions of Newfoundland. Corner Brook were victorious and were awarded the first Herder Memorial Trophy.

The Newfoundland Amateur Hockey Association was formed in December 1935 and beginning in 1936 the Western division champion would travel to the capital city in March to playing the Herder Championship series.

The town of Grand Falls was company-built and administered by the Anglo Development Company Ltd (A.N.D. Co. Ltd.) until 1961 when the town was incorporated as a municipality (The mill was acquired in 1961 by Price Brothers). The Grand Falls Athletic Association (GFAA) organized and governed hockey in the town including management of the Grand Falls All-Stars hockey club.

The A.N.D. Co. funded the construction of a new stadium for Grand Falls in 1947. It was a state-of-the-art facility when it opened in the winter of 1948. The GFAA improved its entry in the race for the Herder Trophy by first hiring Moncton native and NHL Hall of famer Gordie Drillon as playing-coach for the 1948-49 season. Joseph R. Byrne was hired as head coach for the 1949-50 season and arrived in Grand Falls in early December 1949. He coached the all-stars for several seasons. In the early 1950s, Grand Falls started the practice of hiring 'import' hockey players to compete with the Buchans Miners and the strong St. John's teams. In 1953 Grand Falls won its first all-Newfoundland championship and Herder Memorial Trophy.

The all-star team was re-named the Andcos about 1954 and won five straight Herder championships from 1955 to 1959. The Andcos hockey club folded at the end of the 1964-65 season.

Seasons and records

Season by season results

Led league in pointsdagger Herder Trophy championsdouble-dagger

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, DNQ = Did not qualify

NAHA, Sr. = Newfoundland Amateur Hockey Association senior division, NAHA, Sr. A = Newfoundland Amateur Hockey Association senior Section A, NSHL = Newfoundland Senior Hockey League (1962-1989)

Grand Falls All-Stars/Andcos regular season and postseason statistics and results, 1948–1965
Season League Regular season Postseason
GP W L T GF GA PTS Finish GP W L GF GA Result
1947–48 NAHA, Sr. lost to Buchans All-Stars in western semi-finals (10-goals-to-4)
1948–49 NAHA, Sr. lost to Corner Brook All-Stars in western finals (series forfeited by Grand Falls)
1949–50 NAHA, Sr. lost to Buchans Miners in western semi-finals (26-goals-to-4).
1950–51 NAHA, Sr. lost to Buchans Miners in western semi-finals (16-goals-to-3).
1951–52 NAHA, Sr. lost in western semi-finals to Buchans, 6-28 (TG)
1952–53NAHA, Sr. A won Herder vs. Buchans Miners, 2-0double-dagger
1953–54 NAHA, Sr. A lost in Herder finals to Buchans, 1-2
1954–55 NAHA, Sr. A won Herder vs. Buchans Miners, 1-3double-dagger
1955–56 NAHA, Sr. A won Herder vs. Buchans Miners, 3-0double-dagger
1956–57 NAHA, Sr. A declared the Herder winner by NAHA. (no other teams entered)double-dagger
1957–58 NAHA, Sr. A won Herder by defeating Corner Brook Royals, 4-1double-dagger
1958–59 NAHA, Sr. A won Herder by defeating Conception Bay CeeBees, 4-1double-dagger
1959–60 NAHA, Sr. lost in Herder finals to Conception Bay CeeBees, 2-4
1960–61 NAHA, Sr. 3rd in West, DNQ for Herder playoffs
1961–62 NAHA, Sr. 4th in West, DNQ for Herder finals
1962–63 NSHL 16 7 3 6 86 72 20 3rd lost in Herder semi-finals to Buchans Miners, 2-3
1963–64 NSHL 20 6 13 1 85 112 13 5th DNQ for Herder playoffs
1964–65 NSHL 20 7 11 2 100 123 16 4th 4 0 4 11 30 lost to Corner Brook Royals in Herder semi-finals (4-games-to-0)

Note: There was no regular season scheduled games from 1947 through 1962. Teams played exhibition games followed by the Herder playoffs.

Leaders

Captains

Coaches


Trophies and awards

Team awards


Individual awards


Cliff Gorman Memorial Award (Most valuable player of the Herder Playoffs)



Honoured Members

Retired Numbers

NL Hockey Hall of Fame

The following people associated with the Andcos/All-Stars have been inducted into the Newfoundland and Labrador Hockey Hall of Fame.

References

Bibliography

  • Abbott, Bill (2000). Herder Memorial Trophy: A History of Senior Hockey in Newfoundland and Labrador. Breakwater Books. 
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