Leamington Flyers

Leamington Flyers
City Leamington, Ontario, Canada
League Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League
Home arena Highbury Canco Arena
General manager Kevin Hopper
Head coach Tony Piroski

The Leamington Flyers are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Leamington, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Western division of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League.

History

Flyers goalie during 2013-14 season.

Bill Burgess, coach and general manager of the local Intermediate Flyers, formed the Junior Flyers in 1954. They were a Junior B team in the Southwestern League until 1958 when they quit the league.

The Flyers were a part of the BCJBHL 1958 until 1964. When the OHA allowed the Border Cities League to fail in 1964, the town mothballed the junior team and operated a top-notch juvenile team in its stead. In 1966, the team operated as an independent team, playing only in OHA playdowns and exhibition against local all-star, juvenile, and intermediate teams. In 1967, they joined the Western Junior B League. They entered the new Border Cities league in 1968. When the league became the Great Lakes Junior C Hockey League in 1970, the Flyers stayed on board. The Flyers were promoted to the Western Junior "B" league in 1992 and are still a charter member.

Flyers player during 2013-14 season.

On January 3, 1993, the Leamington Flyers helped set a record for the highest scoring tie in the history of the Western Ontario Hockey League by tying the London Nationals 11-11. The Flyers hold the record for the most lopsided game in the history of the WOHL. On January 20, 1995, the Flyers defeated the Windsor Bulldogs by a score of 30-3. On January 26, 2002, the Flyers set the WOHL record for largest margin in a shutout victory by defeating the Aylmer Aces by a score of 16-0.

At the beginning of the 2006-07 season, it was announced that the Flyers have officially affiliated with the Ontario Hockey League's Saginaw Spirit.

Flyers goalie during 2014-15 season on the road.

On Tuesday March 16, 2010, the Leamington Flyers hired Head Coach Tony Piroski. Previously, as coach of the Essex 73's, Piroski won seven Great Lakes Junior C Hockey League championships and three Clarence Schmalz Cups in nine seasons.

In Piroski's first season the team went from 7 wins to 26 wins, losing Game 7 in overtime to the Lasalle Vipers. In spring 2011 the Flyers brought aboard OHL scout Mike Sadler as the club's general manager.

In the 2013–14 season the Flyers won the regular-season championship with a record of 37 wins 10 losses and 2 OTL for 76 points finishing 3 points ahead of the rival Lasalle Vipers. The Flyers eliminated St.Mary's 4–0 then faced the defending Sutherland Cup Champion London Nationals. The Flyers would need a couple double overtime games but defeated London 4 games to 1. The Flyers faced the Chatham Maroons in the Finals. A maroons team that had added many pieces at the deadline and were the favourites. The Flyers in front of a record crowd 2,057 at the Heinz Arena for Game 5, on a goal from Mitch Amante in the final minutes won Game 5 by a score of 1-0 to clinch their first ever Western Conference Championship.

The 2014–15 edition of the Flyers finished the season with 38 wins 9 losses and 2 OTL good enough for the regular-season championship. The Flyers faced the number 8 seed Lambton Shores Predators in the first round, the Flyers swept the Preds, outscoring them 22-1 in the 4 games. Next up were the London Nationals who finished 7th but were coming off a huge upset of the Chatham Maroons. The Nationals would win the first 2 games on the strong goaltending from Justin Tugwell. The Flyers would find a way to solve the London netminder and win the next 4 to take the series in 6 games. Leamington would make their 2nd straight Western Conference Finals and take on their county Rival Lasalle Vipers. The Flyers would take home their 2nd straight Western Conference Title in 6 games against the Vipers in a classic series. Both the Vipers and Flyers would advance to the Sutherland Cup Playoffs. The eventual Sutherland Cup Champion Caledonia Covairs would eliminate the Flyers in 5 games in the Sutherland Cup Semi-Finals.

On May 11, 2015 General Manager Mike Sadler stepped down from the organization. Kevin Hopper takes over as the team General Manager.

Season-by-season results

Season GP W L T OTL GF GA P Results Playoffs
1958-59 20 5 14 1 - 67 103 11 4th BCJBHL
1959-60 29 6 23 0 - 109 181 12 6th BCJBHL
1960-61 29 7 22 0 - 105 223 14 7th BCJBHL
1961-62 30 13 17 0 - 132 156 26 5th BCJBHL
1962-63 36 11 25 0 - 134 203 22 6th BCJBHL
1963-64 28 16 12 0 - 139 147 32 3rd BCJBHL
1964-67 No League, Dropped to Bluewater Juvenile
1967-68 51 5 46 0 - 160 355 10 5th WOJBHL
1968-69 30 21 8 1 - 171 119 43 2nd BCJHL
1969-70 34 23 9 2 - 159 104 48 2nd BCJHL "C" Champions
1970-71 40 30 8 2 - 247 133 62 2nd GLJHL
1971-72 36 20 12 4 - 209 169 44 2nd GLJHLWon League, Won CSC
1972-73 42 34 6 2 - 298 148 70 2nd GLJHLWon League
1973-74 43 19 20 4 - 184 193 42 6th GLJHLWon League
1974-75 42 25 9 8 - 220 129 58 2nd GLJHL
1975-76 42 26 13 3 - 235 173 55 3rd GLJHL
1976-77 42 22 16 4 - 201 166 48 2nd GLJHL
1977-78 42 21 16 5 - 204 206 47 3rd GLJHL
1978-79 40 15 19 6 - 226 223 36 6th GLJHL
1979-80 42 36 4 2 - 344 156 74 1st GLJHLWon League, Won CSC
1980-81 42 28 10 4 - 328 180 60 2nd GLJHLWon League, Lost CSC Semi Final
1981-82 39 26 10 3 - 264 192 55 2nd GLJHL
1982-83 39 29 8 2 - 331 154 62 1st GLJHLWon, League, Lost CSC Semi Final
1983-84 40 19 16 5 - 180 170 43 5th GLJHLWon League, Lost CSC Semi Final
1984-85 39 15 20 4 - 171 202 34 7th GLJHL
1985-86 40 13 20 7 - 205 252 33 7th GLJHL
1986-87 38 23 12 2 1 240 163 49 4th GLJHL
1987-88 39 26 10 3 0 247 157 55 1st GLJHL
1988-89 38 29 8 1 0 259 143 59 4th GLJHL
1989-90 40 21 13 4 2 194 176 48 4th GLJHL
1990-91 39 18 21 0 0 157 183 36 8th GLJHL
1991-92 42 13 25 2 2 163 232 30 10th GLJHL
1992-93 52 15 27 5 5 - - 40 5th WOJHL West
1993-94 52 36 14 0 2 293 213 74 1st WOJHL West
1994-95 52 37 11 0 4 320 199 78 2nd WOJHL West
1995-96 52 34 10 6 2 303 202 76 1st WOJHL West Lost Final
1996-97 52 31 13 3 5 276 198 70 1st WOJHL West Lost Final
1997-98 52 29 19 3 1 189 171 62 2nd WOJHL West
1998-99 52 44 5 0 3 276 142 91 1st WOJHL West
1999-00 54 36 14 0 4 250 183 76 3rd GOHL
2000-01 54 24 24 4 2 176 187 54 6th GOHL
2001-02 54 36 15 2 1 276 172 75 2nd WOJHL
2002-03 48 37 8 1 2 231 131 77 1st WOJHL
2003-04 48 28 18 1 1 178 151 58 4th WOJHL
2004-05 48 20 20 3 5 166 179 48 6th WOJHL
2005-06 48 10 33 1 4 110 196 25 9th WOJHLDNQ
2006-07 48 17 28 - 3 159 199 37 8th WOJHLLost Quarter-final
2007-08 48 25 21 - 2 187 191 52 6th GOJHL-W Lost Conf. Quarter-final
2008-09 52 28 19 - 5 184 170 61 5th GOJHL-WLost Conf. Quarter-final
2009-10 50 7 38 - 5 128 276 19 8th GOJHL-W Lost Conf. Quarter-final
2010-11 51 26 21 - 4 183 162 56 6th GOJHL-W Lost Conf. Quarterfinals, 3-4 (LaSalle)
2011-12 51 30 17 - 4 214 163 64 2nd GOJHL-W Lost Conf. Quarterfinals, 2-4 (Strathroy)
2012-13 51 32 16 - 3 185 152 67 2nd GOJHL-W Won Conf. Quarterfinals, 4-1 (Sarnia)
Lost Conf. Semifinal, 1-4 (London)
2013-14 49 37 10 - 2 232 120 76 1st GOJHL-W Won Conf. Quarterfinals, 4-0 (St. Marys)
Won Conf. Semifinal, 4-1 (London)
Won Conf. Finals, 4-1 (Chatham)
Lost Sutherland Cup Semifinals, 1-4 (St. Catharines)
2014-15 49 38 9 - 2 210 130 78 1st GOJHL-W Won Conf. Quarterfinals, 4-0 (Lambton Shores)
Won Conf. Semifinal, 4-2 (London)
Won Conf. Finals, 4-2 (LaSalle)
Lost Sutherland Cup Semifinals, 1-4 (Caledonia)
2015-16 50 41 8 1 0 200 95 83 1st of 9-W
3rd of 26-GOJHL 		Won Conf. Quarterfinals, 4-0 (St. Marys)
Won Conf. Semifinals 4-2 (Chatham)

Lost Conf. Finals 2-4 (London)

2016-17 50 27 16 1 6 163 140 61 4th of 9-W
12th of 27-GOJHL 		Won Conf. Quarterfinals, 4-2 (Sarnia)
Won Conf. Semifinals, 4-2 (LaSalle)
Lost Conf. Finals, 1-4 (London)

2016-2017 coaching staff

Flyers defenceman Thomas Virban during 2014-15 season on the road.

Clarence Schmalz Cup appearances

1972: Leamington Flyers defeated Cobourg Cougars 4-games-to-1
1980: Leamington Flyers defeated Bradford Blues 4-games-to-none

Notable alumni

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