Saginaw Spirit

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Saginaw Spirit
founding 2002
history 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 The Dow Event Center
Location Saginaw , Michigan
Team colors midnight blue, red, silver & yellow
league Ontario Hockey League
Conference Western Conference
division West Division
Head coach Greg Gilbert
General manager Jim Paliafito
Cooperations Leamington Flyers
Memorial Cups no
J. Ross Robertson Cups no

The Saginaw Spirit are an American junior ice hockey team from Saginaw , Michigan , which currently plays in the Ontario Hockey League , one of the three professional junior leagues in the Canadian Hockey League .

history

The team was formed in 2002 when the North Bay Centennials and their owner Dick Garber moved from the Canadian province of Ontario to Saginaw and started gaming there under their new name.

Today's franchise has its roots in St. Catharines , Ontario , where it played as Falcons , Teepees and Black Hawks from 1943 to 1976 . In 1954 and 1960 the team won the Memorial Cup , the Canadian junior championship. In 1976 , the St. Catharines Black Hawks moved to Niagara Falls , where they were on the ice as flyers until they moved to North Bay again .

Since the team has settled in Michigan , the club has done extensive advertising work, so that both the fan base and the number of season ticket holders has been greatly increased. Today, the Spirit have one of the highest averages in the Ontario Hockey League.

In the 2005/06 season, the franchise reached the OHL playoffs for the first time as Saginaw Spirit, from which, however, they were eliminated in the first round against the Guelph Storm .

Game of Spirit against the Plymouth Whalers

Trainer

player

Awards

Players, the Saginaw Spirit, who received a league-wide award:

  • 2006/07:
    • Tom Pyatt - William Hanley Trophy - Most Athletic Player of the Year
    • Craig Goslin - OHL Executive of the Year

First-round draft picks in the NHL Entry Draft

Surname year Draft position team
Matt Corrente 2006 30th New Jersey Devils

NHL player

Since 2002, the Saginaw Spirit produced some players who later played games in the National Hockey League :

Results

Regular season

season SP S. N U / PN OTN P T GT Placement division
2002/03 68 11 45 5 7th 34 158 275 5th place west
2003/04 68 16 45 3 4th 39 161 228 5th place west
2004/05 68 18th 42 4th 4th 44 150 260 4th place west
2005/06 68 36 30th 0 2 74 242 246 2nd place west
2006/07 68 44 21st 3 0 91 291 217 2nd place west
2007/08 68 33 25th 2 8th 76 234 231 4th place west
2008/09 68 36 24 4th 4th 80 235 219 2nd place west
2009/10 68 34 27 3 4th 75 240 230 4th place west
2010/11 68 40 22nd 2 4th 86 243 207 1st place west
2011/12 68 33 27 7th 1 74 259 259 3rd place west
2012/13 68 32 29 3 4th 71 250 264 4th place west
2013/14 68 33 30th 1 4th 71 254 248 3rd place west

Playoffs

  • 2002-03 did not qualify
  • 2003-04 did not qualify
  • 2004–05 did not qualify
  • 2005-06 0-4 against the Guelph Storm in the Conference quarterfinals
  • 2006–07 2-4 against Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in the conference quarterfinals
  • 2007-08 0-4 against Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in the conference quarterfinals
  • 2008-09 0-4 against the London Knights in the Conference semifinals
  • 2009-10 2-4 against the Kitchener Rangers in the Conference quarterfinals
  • 2010-11 4-2 against the Guelph Storm in the Conference quarterfinals
    2-4 against the Windsor Spitfires in the Conference semifinals
  • 2011-12 4-2 against the Sarnia Sting in the Conference quarterfinals
    2-4 against the London Knights in the Conference semifinals
  • 2012–13 0-4 against the London Knights in the Conference quarter-finals
  • 2013-14 1-4 against the Erie Otters in the Conference quarter-finals

arena

The Spirit plays its home games in the 5,527-seat Wendler Arena , which is part of The Dow Event Center complex in downtown Saginaw. On January 31, 2007 , the OHL All-Star Classic also took place in the arena. It was the first time that the league's All-Star Game was played in a US city. Previously, the stadium with an ice surface of 58.5 mx 26 m was home to the Saginaw Gears, Saginaw Generals, Saginaw Hawks, Saginaw Wheels and Saginaw Lumber Kings.

Web links