Niagara Falls Flyers

Niagara Falls Flyers
founding	1960
resolution	1982
history	Part I: Barrie Flyers 1945–1960 Niagara Falls Flyers 1960–1972 Sudbury Wolves since 1972 Part II: St. Catharines Falcons 1943–1947 St. Catharines Teepees 1947–1962 St. Catharines Black Hawks 1962–1976 Niagara Falls Flyers 1976–1982 North Bay Centennials 1982–2002 Saginaw Spirit since 2002
Stadion	Niagara Falls Memorial Arena
Location	Niagara Falls , Ontario
Team colors	black, gold, white
league	Ontario Hockey League or its predecessor
Memorial Cups	1965 and 1968
J. Ross Robertson Cups	1963, 1965 and 1968

Under the name Niagara Falls Flyers , two Canadian junior ice hockey teams from Niagara Falls ( Ontario ) took part in the game operations of the Ontario Hockey Association . The first franchise to win two Memorial Cups existed from 1960 to 1972 and is now known as Sudbury Wolves . A second franchise was called the Flyers from 1976 to 1982 and is now active as Saginaw Spirit . Both teams played their home games in the Niagara Falls Memorial Arena , which offered around 3000 spectators.

history

The first Niagara Falls Flyers were formed when the Barrie Flyers moved to Niagara Falls in 1960 . At that time, junior teams also functioned as farm teams ; The Flyers' cooperation partners were the Boston Bruins . Shortly after the franchise was relocated, the first sporting successes emerged, so in the 1962/63 season they won the Hamilton Spectator Trophy as the team with the highest points in the regular season and then became champions of the Ontario Hockey Association ( J. Ross Robertson Cup ). Equivalent to the championship was participation in the Memorial Cup 1963, in the final, however, the Flyers were subject to the Edmonton Oil Kings . Just two years later, the Flyers won the Hamilton Spectator Trophy and the J. Ross Robertson Cup again and met the Oil Kings again in the Memorial Cup final, which they defeated this time and thus won their first Memorial Cup. The Flyers won all three trophies again in 1968 and for the last time in each case, as the franchise was sold by owner, general manager and trainer Hap Emms in 1972 and the new owner moved the team to Greater Sudbury , where it has since been known as Sudbury Wolves .

In the same year, Hap Emms acquired the St. Catharines Black Hawks , which he then relocated to Niagara Falls four years later, thus creating the second Flyers team. Again he acted as general manager and trainer, but only two years until he sold the franchise again in 1978. For the past four years, two seasons of which the team played in the newly formed Ontario Hockey League , a different coach has been behind the gang every year. Apart from the Emms Trophy for first place in the Emms Division and reaching the J. Ross Robertson Cup Final (3: 4 against the Peterborough Petes ), there was no further success of the team worth mentioning. In 1982 the team was relocated to North Bay , where it took part in gaming operations from then on under the name North Bay Centennials .

successes

Memorial Cup Canadian Junior Champions 1965 - against the Edmonton Oil Kings 1968 - against the Estevan Bruins

Hamilton Spectator Trophy OHA regular season champion 1963 - 69 points 1965 - 81 points

J. Ross Robertson Cup Champion of the OHA 1963 1965 1968

Emms Trophy winner of the Emms Division 1979

Franchise records

Selected player records over the entire period of the first and second franchise.

First franchise category Surname number Most games Rick Ley 197 Most of the points Derek Sanderson 269 Most goals Derek Sanderson 105 Most templates Derek Sanderson 164 Most points as a defender Rick Ley 128 Most penalty minutes Derek Sanderson 431

Second franchise category Surname number Most games Mark Renaud 202 Most of the points Steve Ludzik 358 Most goals Steve Larmer 137 Most templates Steve Ludzik 233 Most points as a defender Mark Renaud 128 Most penalty minutes John Gibson 549

player

Award winners

Seven Flyers players were honored with individual trophies from the Ontario Hockey Association and Ontario Hockey League during their time in Niagara Falls.

• 1962/63: Wayne Maxner - Red Tilson Trophy and Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy
• 1963/64: Bernie Parent - Dave Pinkney Trophy
• 1964/65: Bernie Parent - Dave Pinkney Trophy
• 1966/67: Derek Sanderson - Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy
• 1967/68: Tom Webster - Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy and William Hanley Trophy
• 1976/77: Mike Gartner - Emms Family Award
• 1978/79: Nick Ricci - FW "Dinty" Moore Trophy
• 1981/82: Ron Meighan - Max Kaminsky Trophy

Hockey Hall of Fame

With Bernie Parent and Mike Gartner , two former Niagara Falls Flyers players are represented in the Hockey Hall of Fame .

NHL

The following players were selected in an entry or amateur draft of the National Hockey League in the first round.

Draft year	player	position	team
1966	Steve Atkinson	6th	Detroit Red Wings
1968	Brad Selwood	10.	Toronto Maple Leafs
1969	Don Tannahill	3.	Boston Bruins
1972	Don Lever	3.	Vancouver Canucks
1972	Jim Schoenfeld	5.	Buffalo Sabers

The following Flyers players later played in the National Hockey League . The list does not claim to be complete.

1960-1972

Mike Amodeo Don Awrey Terry Crisp Gary Dornhoefer Doug Favell Bill Goldsworthy

Randy Holt Don Lever Rick Ley Jim Lorentz Bob Manno

Don Marcotte Gilles quirk Brent Meeke Wilf Paiement Bernie Parent

Jean-Paul Parisé Jean Pronovost Derek Sanderson Ron shock Jim Schoenfeld

Eric Vail Tom Webster Ed Westfall Barry Wilkins Dunc Wilson

1976-1982

Daryl Evans Lou Franceschetti Bob Froese Mike Gartner John Gibson

Paul Gillis Steve Larmer Steve Ludzik Andrew McBain Kevin McClelland

Mark Osborne Mark Renaud Nick Ricci Bill Stewart Tom Thornbury

Trainer

• 1960-1972 Hap Emms
• 1976-1988 Hap Emms
• 1978–1979 Bert Templeton
• 1979–1980 Barry Boughner & Fred Stanfield
• 1980–1981 Paul Gauthier
• 1981–1982 Bert Templeton

Playing times

season	GP	W.	L.	T	P	P%	GF	GA	placement	Play-offs
1960/61	48	22nd	21st	5	49	0.510	165	166	4. OHA
1961/62	50	16	23	11	43	0.430	193	193	4. OHA (Provincial Jr. A)
1962/63	50	31	12	7th	69	0.690	212	146	1. OHA (Provincial Jr. A)	winner
1963/64	56	26th	22nd	8th	60	0.536	207	178	4. OHA
1964/65	56	36	11	9	81	0.723	236	168	1. OHA	winner
1965/66	48	23	15th	10	56	0.583	210	162	3. OHA
1966/67	48	23	15th	10	56	0.583	238	195	3. OHA
1967/68	54	32	15th	7th	71	0.657	255	169	4. OHA	winner
1968/69	54	28	24	2	58	0.537	223	229	4. OHA
1969/70	54	10	41	3	23	0.213	151	313	10. OHA
1970/71	62	11	44	7th	29	0.234	193	350	10. OHA
1971/72	63	27	27	9	63	0.500	280	293	6. OHA
1976/77	66	15th	45	6th	36	0.273	254	370	6. OMJHL (Emms Division)	not qualified
1977/78	68	17th	41	10	44	0.324	261	340	6. OMJHL (Emms Division)	not qualified
1978/79	68	43	21st	4th	90	0.662	361	243	1. OMJHL (Emms Division)	final
1979/80	68	29	39	0	58	0.426	325	355	4. OMJHL (Emms Division)	2nd round
1980/81	68	30th	36	2	62	0.456	354	359	5th OHL (Emms Division)	2nd round
1981/82	68	31	34	3	65	0.478	311	338	4. OHL (Emms Division)	1 round

GP = games, W = wins, L = defeats, T = draws, P = points, P% = points quota, GF = goals, GA = goals conceded

Logos

• 

  Logo from 1960 to 1972

• 

  Logo from 1976 to 1980

• 

  Logo from 1980 to 1982

Web links

• First and second franchises on hockeydb.com
• Profile on eliteprospects.com

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Steve Ludzik : LUDZIK: Hap Emms will never be forgotten. niagarafallsreview.ca, November 8, 2013, accessed September 27, 2015 . 
2. ^ Bill Meltzer: Meltzer's Musings: NF Flyers, Prospect Updates, Quick Hits. hockeybuzz.com, August 31, 2014, accessed September 27, 2015 . 
3. ^ Niagara Falls Flyers 1960–1972 all-time player roster , hockeydb.com, English, accessed September 27, 2015
4. ^ Niagara Falls Flyers 1976–1982 all-time player roster , hockeydb.com, English, accessed September 27, 2015