Niagara Falls Canucks
| Niagara Falls Canucks | |
|---|---|
| City | Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada |
| League | Ontario Junior Hockey League |
| Conference | Western |
| Founded | c. 1971 |
| Home arena | Gale Centre |
| Colours | Black, Red, and White |
| Owner(s) | Frank Pietrangelo |
| General manager | Jim Davidson |
| Head coach | Frank Pietrangelo |
| Franchise history | |
| 1971–1992 | Niagara Falls Canucks |
| 1992–1994 | Niagara Falls Devils |
| 1994-Present | Niagara Falls Canucks |
The Niagara Falls Canucks are a junior ice hockey team based in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Ontario Junior Hockey League which they joined in 2023. For most of the team's history they had played in the Golden Horseshoe division of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League until leaving for the OJHL.
History
[edit ]The Canucks were the successor to the Stamford Hornets in the Niagara District Junior B Hockey League. Stamford took a leave of absence in 1970-71, and the Canucks commenced play in the 1971-72 season. When the league folded in 1979, the Canucks moved to the Golden Horseshoe "B". For a short time in the 1990s, the teams was known as the Devils.
During the 2006 Playoffs, the Canucks won the GHJHL Championship, but ended up falling to the Midwestern Junior B Hockey League's Cambridge Winterhawks 4-games-to-1 in the Sutherland Cup final. The current captain of the Canucks is Ben Evans.
Current
[edit ]The Niagara Falls Canucks relocated from Niagara Falls Memorial Arena to the Gale Centre prior to the 2011 season. Niagara Falls native Cam McLean was named captain during the grand opening of the new facility.
On June 26, 2023, it was announced that the Canucks franchise had been approved to join the Junior "A" level Ontario Junior Hockey League as an expansion franchise.[1] As a result the Canucks will leave the GOJHL after over 50 years at the Junior "B" level. The Canucks were the second former GOJHL franchise to join OJHL in 2023 after the Leamington Flyers announced their move to the Junior "A" ranks in May of that year.
Season-by-season results
[edit ]13th of 26-GOJHL Won Conf. Quarter-final, 4-1 (Meteors)
Lost Conf. Semifinals, 0-4 (Corvairs)
8th of 27-GOJHL Won Conf. Quarter-final, 4-0 (Jr. Canadians)
Lost Conf. Semifinals, 2-4 (Falcons)
8th of 26-GOJHL Won Conf. Quarter-final, 4-0 (Blackhawks)
Lost Conf. Semifinal 1-4 (Corvairs)
1st of 25-GOJHL Won Conf. Quarter-final, 4-0 (Regals)
Won Conf. Semifinal 4-0 (Panthers)
Won Conf Finals 4-3 (Falcons)
Conference Champions
Lost League Semi 2-4 (Siskins
6th of 26-GOJHL Won Conf. Quarter-final, 4-1 (Meteors)
Incomplete Conf. Semifinal 2-3 (Falcons)
25th of 25-GOJHL Lost Conf. Quarter-final, 0-4 (Kilty B's)
19th of 25-GOJHL Lost Conf. Quarter-final, 2-4 (Meteors)
19th of 24-OJHL Did not qualify for Post Season
Sutherland Cup appearances
[edit ]- 1987: St. Thomas Stars defeated Niagara Falls Canucks 4-games-to-none
- 1989: St. Michael's Buzzers defeated Niagara Falls Canucks 4-games-to-1
- 1996: Niagara Falls Canucks defeated St. Thomas Stars 4-games-to-2
- 1998: Niagara Falls Canucks defeated Elmira Sugar Kings 4-games-to-3
- 2006: Cambridge Winterhawks defeated Niagara Falls Canucks 4-games-to-1
- 2011: Elmira Sugar Kings defeated Niagara Falls Canucks 4-games-to-1
References
[edit ]- ^ "OJHL ANNOUNCES NIAGARA FALLS AS NEW EXPANSION TEAM". OJHL. Retrieved 27 June 2023.