Guelph Platers

Hockey team | CAN_eng = 1
team = Guelph Platers

logosize = 125px
city = Guelph, Ontario
league = Southern Ontario Junior A/
Ontario Provincial Junior A/
Ontario Hockey League
founded = 1975 (Tier II)
1982 (Tier I)
arena = Guelph Memorial Gardens
colours = Red, Yellow, and White
name1 = Guelph CMC's
dates1 = 1956-1975
name2 = Guelph Platers
dates2 = 1975-1989
name3 = Owen Sound Platers
dates3 = 1989-2000
name4 = Owen Sound Attack
dates4 = 2000-PresentThe Guelph Platers were a junior ice hockey team in the
Ontario Hockey Association from 1975 to 1982, and the Ontario Hockey League from 1982 to 1989, based in Guelph, Ontario.

History

In 1975, the Guelph CMC's of the Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League (SOJHL) were bought by Guelph, Ontario's wealthy Holody family, the owners of a local electroplating company. The Holodys changed the team name to the Guelph Holody Platers. The team remained in the SOJHL for the next two years, finishing first both times.

:OHA Junior 'A' yearsThe SOJHL folded in 1977. Two of its four teams, Guelph and the Hamilton Mountain A's, became part of the Ontario Hockey Association Junior "A" League. The Platers, featuring future Montreal Canadiens goaltender Brian Hayward, won the 1977-78 Manitoba Centennial Trophy as national Junior 'A' champions. It was the second national title for the franchise, which had also won the Centennial Cup in 1972 as the CMC's.

In 1978-79, the Platers became the first team to win the Dudley Hewitt Cup as provincial champions. In the 1980-81 season, the Platers reached the Tier II championship for southern Ontario, but were defeated by another future OHL team, the Belleville Bulls. The 1981-82 season proved to be the last season for the Platers in the OHA-A. As they won their second Dudley Hewitt Cup, they were announced as the latest expansion team of the Ontario Hockey League.

:OHL Major Junior yearsAfter being turned down as an OHL expansion team in 1981, Guelph was approved the next year for the 1982-1983 season. Guelph's first season in the OHL was dismal. The team set OHL records at the time for losing 63 of their 70 games, for most home and away losses, and most goals against in one season with 555. All of these records have since been surpassed by other teams in the Canadian Hockey League.

In 1986, the Guelph Platers caught the entire Canadian Hockey League off-guard. Led by coach Jacques Martin, the team reached the playoffs for the first time in franchise history by finishing second in the Emms Division (Western Conference). The Platers continued their hard work through the playoffs, winning the J. Ross Robertson Cup by defeating the Belleville Bulls 8 points to 4 in the final. Guelph travelled to the Memorial Cup that year, bringing home the national championship to complete their Cinderella season.

Memorial Cup 1986

The Memorial Cup championship of 1986 was hosted by the Western Hockey League, with games originally scheduled for New Westminster, British Columbia, but were switched to Portland, Oregon due to a hotel shortage caused by Expo '86. Their opponents would be the Portland Winter Hawks (hosts), Kamloops Blazers (WHL Champs) and the Hull Olympiques (QMJHL Champs.

Guelph finished first in the round-robin and took a bye to the finals, where they would play the Hull Olympiques of the QMJHL for the championship. The surprise season ended with two pairs of surprise goals 11 and 13 seconds apart respectively. The Platers won the game 5-2 to capture the Memorial Cup.

Game 1 Hull Olympiques 7 vs. Portland Winter Hawks 5 Game 2 Guelph Platers 5 vs. Kamloops Blazers 3 Game 3 Portland Winter Hawks 6 vs. Guelph Platers 4 Game 4 Hull Olympiques 5 vs. Kamloops Blazers 4 (OT) Game 5 Guelph Platers 3 vs. Hull Olympiques 1 Game 6 Kamloops Blazers 6 vs. Portland Winter Hawks 5 Tie-breaker Kamloops Blazers 8 vs. Portland Winter Hawks 1 Semi-final Hull Olympiques 9 vs. Kamloops Blazers 3 Final Guelph Platers 5 vs. Hull Olympiques 2

Fame was short-lived for the Platers however. The team suffered through more losing seasons with poor attendance. After the 1988-89 season, the Holodys moved the team to Owen Sound, Ontario, retaining the name "Platers". Alec Campagnaro was given the Bill Long Award for distinguished service to the OHL in 1989.

Championships

:SOJAHL Jack Oakes Trophy final appearances: 1976 (won), 1977 (won):OPJHL Frank L. Buckland Trophy final appearances: 1978 (won), 1979 (won), 1982 (won):Ontario Hockey Association Tier II All-Ontario final appearances: 1976 (won), 1977 (lost), 1978 (won), 1979 (won), 1982 (won):CJAHL Dudley Hewitt Cup final appearances: 1976 (lost), 1978 (won), 1979 (won), 1982 (won):CJAHL Centennial Cup final appearances: 1978 (won), 1982 (lost):J. Ross Robertson Cup final appearances: 1986 (won):Memorial Cup final appearances: 1986 (won)

Coaches

Jacques Martin was a former NCAA goalie turned coach. In his one year in Guelph, he completely turned around the franchise making them into national champions. He was awarded the Matt Leyden Trophy as OHL Coach of the year in 1986. The following year he was hired as the head coach of the NHL St. Louis Blues.

*1982-83 - Don McKee
*1983-85 - Joe Contini
*1983-85 - J.Contini, Mike Mahoney, Rob Holody
*1985-86 - Jacques Martin
*1986-87 - Gary Spoar, Rob Holody
*1987-88 - Floyd Crawford
*1988-89 - Ron Smith

Players

Award winners

*"1982" - Kirk Muller, Jack Ferguson Award (First Overall draft pick) & "1982-83" William Hanley Trophy (Most Sportsmanlike player)
*"1983" - Trevor Stienburg, Jack Ferguson Award First Overall draft pick)
*"1985-86" - Lonnie Loach, Emms Family Award (Rookie of the Year)
*"1985-86" - Steve Guenette, Leo Lalonde Memorial Trophy (Overage Player of the Year)
*"1986-87" - Kerry Huffman, Max Kaminsky Trophy (Most Outstanding Defenceman)
*"1986-87" - John McIntyre, Bobby Smith Trophy (Scholastic Player of the Year)

Retired numbers

18 - Paul Fendley, a former member of the Guelph CMC's who died in an on-ice accident at Guelph Memorial Gardens in 1972. His number has not been issued to a player since, by the Guelph CMC's, Guelph Platers, or Guelph Storm.

NHL alumni

*Brian Bradley *Paul Brydges *Steve Chiasson *Adam Creighton *Dan Gratton *Steve Guenette

*Craig Hartsburg *Brian Hayward *Todd Hlushko *Kerry Huffman *Denis Larocque *Guy Larose

*Lonnie Loach *Grant Martin *John McIntyre *Kirk Muller *Mike Murray *Gary Roberts

*Warren Rychel *David Shaw *Doug Shedden *Ron Smith *Trevor Stienburg *Sean Whyte *Rob Zamuner

Yearly results

Regular season

Playoffs

*1975-76 Defeated Owen Sound Greys 9 points to 5 in SOJAHL Semi-final.
Defeated Hamilton Mountain A's to win Jack Oakes Trophy as SOJAHL Champions.
Defeated North Bay Trappers for OHA Championship 4 games to 1.
Lost National quarter-final to Rockland Nationals 4 games to 3.
*1976-77 Won Jack Oakes Trophy as SOJAHL Champions.
Lost OHA final to North York Rangers 4 games to 1.
*1977-78 Defeated Royal York Royals 4 games to 1 to win Buckland Trophy as OPJHL Champions.
Defeated Degagne in National quarter-final.
Defeated Charlottetown in Eastern Final 4 games to 2.
Defeated Prince Albert Raiders in National final 4 games to 0. "CENTENNIAL CUP CHAMPIONS"
*1978-79 Defeated Dixie Beehives 4 games to 1 to win Buckland Trophy as OPJHL Champions.
Won Dudley Hewitt Cup
Finished 3rd Place in Centennial Cup Round Robin.
*1981-82 Won Buckland Trophy as OJHL Champions.
Defeated Onaping Falls Huskies for OHA Championship 3 games to 0.
Won Dudley Hewitt Cup and Eastern final.
Lost Centennial Cup final 4 games to 0 to Prince Albert Raiders.;Platers transfer to Ontario Hockey League.
*1982-83 Out of playoffs.
*1983-84 Out of playoffs.
*1984-85 Out of playoffs.
*1985-86 Defeated Sudbury Wolves 8 points to 0 in first round.
Won quarter-final round robin vs. North Bay Centennials & Windsor Spitfires.
Defeated Windsor Spitfires 8 points to 4 in semi-finals.
Defeated Belleville Bulls 8 points to 4 in finals. OHL CHAMPIONS
Finished first in round-robin of Memorial Cup. Earned bye to finals.
Defeated Hull Olympiques 5-2 in finals. "MEMORIAL CUP CHAMPIONS"
*1986-87 Lost to Hamilton Steelhawks 4 games to 1 in first round.
*1987-88 Out of playoffs.
*1988-89 Lost to London Knights 4 games to 3 in first round.

Arena

The Guelph Platers played at the Guelph Memorial Gardens located in downtown Guelph. The team and the arena played host to the OHL All-Star game in 1984. Demolition of the Gardens began in 2006.

* [http://www.ohlarenaguide.com/guegrdns.htm Guelph Memorial Gardens] The OHL Arena & Travel Guide