Hamilton Fincups
Encyclopedia
The Fincups were a junior ice hockey
team in the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League
for 4 years, from 1974 to 1978. The team played in Hamilton, Ontario
for three years, and in St. Catharines, Ontario
for one.
The name "Fincup" is a combination of the team's owners, Joe Finochio and the Cupido brothers, Ron and Mario. They renamed the old Hamilton Red Wings
after the 1974 season; the franchise had history in Steeltown dating back to the early 1950s. The new owners hired Bert Templeton
as the team's new coach. Templeton was voted winner of the Matt Leyden Trophy
as Coach of the Year in his first season. Templeton was let go partway through the Fincups' fourth season and replaced by Dave Draper.
In the four short seasons that the Fincups played, the team won the Memorial Cup
once, and the J. Ross Robertson Cup
once. The Fincups also represented Canada at the World Junior Tournament and came away with a silver medal.
The Fincups won the Emms Division regular season title for two consecutive years in 1975–76 and 1976–77, and the Hamilton Spectator Trophy
in 1976–77 as the first overall team in the OHA regular season.
The Fincups made the OHA finals all 3 years they played out of Hamilton, and came within one win of making it four consecutive appearances in the championship series in their only year in St. Catharines.
, Toronto Marlboros
and the Sudbury Wolves
to make to the Memorial Cup hosted at the Montreal Forum
. Their opponents for the 1976 national title would be the WHL's New Westminster Bruins
and the QMJHL's Quebec Remparts
.
Hamilton lost the first game of the round-robin to Quebec 4-3, due to the 45 save performance of the Remparts goalie Barrette. The Bruins would defeat the Remparts the next day 4-2. The third game saw the Fincups score seven power play goals to beat the Bruins 8-4 in a game with many penalties, which concluded the round-robin.
The win and the large goal differential put Hamilton directly into the final game. New Westminster would solidly beat Quebec 10-3 in the semi-final game. The next day in front of 4,350 fans at the Montreal Forum, the Fincups played a tenacious forechecking game and defeated the New Westminster Bruins 5-2 in Memorial Cup Final game. The win brought the Memorial Cup back to the "Steel City" for the first time in 14 years.
in 1977 was necessitated by the closure of the old Barton Street Arena
in Hamilton. During the 1976 Memorial Cup run, the Hamilton Spectator was filled with speculation about a possible move to Brantford, Ontario
, as the old arena in Hamilton was obviously on its last legs. However, the city of Hamilton refused to make a decision about a new arena, and debated whether to build a 5,000-seat building for the Fincups or a 16,000 seat arena in hopes of pursuing a World Hockey Association
team. In August 1976, the ice-making machinery in the dilapidated, 67-year-old barn broke down and Fincup ownership, who also owned the building, chose to demolish the battered, ancient arena rather than repair it. The team was unable to negotiate a short-term lease to use the only other semi-suitable arena in Hamilton, the Mountain Arena, due to opposition from local residents, and so the homeless team was forced to move to St. Catharines, Ontario
, about thirty minutes down the QEW, who had recently witnessed the departure of their own OMJHL team, the Black Hawks
.
Team ownership was able to negotiate a lease for Mountain Arena for the 1977-78 OHL season, but at the end of the year the city of Hamilton was still no closer to building a new arena than they had been two years earlier. Moreover, the team was losing money at the tiny, out of the way Mountain Arena. Out of long-term options in Hamilton, the team was moved at the end of that season to Brantford, where they were renamed the Brantford Alexanders
.
. He led the team to the Memorial Cup title in 1976, and the Hamilton Spectator Trophy in 1977. He was voted CHL Player of the year for his efforts. There are 21 Fincups alumni who made the NHL.
, also known as the Hamilton Forum from 1974–1976. The St. Catharines Fincups played in the Garden City Arena in downtown St. Catharines, Ontario in 1976–1977. After moving back to Hamilton, the Fincups played out of the Mountain Arena from 1977–1978.
Junior ice hockey
Junior hockey is a catch-all term used to describe various levels of ice hockey competition for players generally between 16 and 20 years of age...
team in the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League
Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....
for 4 years, from 1974 to 1978. The team played in Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
for three years, and in St. Catharines, Ontario
St. Catharines, Ontario
St. Catharines is the largest city in Canada's Niagara Region and the sixth largest urban area in Ontario, Canada, with 97.11 square kilometres of land...
for one.
History
The Fincups were a short-lived team in the Ontario Hockey Association that was very successful on the ice, but did poorly generating revenue. The club bounced around in three outdated arenas in four years. Unable to turn much of a profit, the Fincups moved out of town, becoming the Brantford Alexanders.The name "Fincup" is a combination of the team's owners, Joe Finochio and the Cupido brothers, Ron and Mario. They renamed the old Hamilton Red Wings
Hamilton Red Wings
The Hamilton Red Wings were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association from 1960 to 1974. The team was based in Hamilton, Ontario.-History:...
after the 1974 season; the franchise had history in Steeltown dating back to the early 1950s. The new owners hired Bert Templeton
Bert Templeton
Bert Templeton was a junior ice hockey coach. He worked primarily in the Ontario Hockey League from 1974 to 2003....
as the team's new coach. Templeton was voted winner of the Matt Leyden Trophy
Matt Leyden Trophy
The Matt Leyden Trophy is awarded annually to the Ontario Hockey League Coach of the Year as selected by OHL coaches and general managers. Teams were not permitted to vote for a coach from their own hockey club...
as Coach of the Year in his first season. Templeton was let go partway through the Fincups' fourth season and replaced by Dave Draper.
In the four short seasons that the Fincups played, the team won the Memorial Cup
Memorial Cup
The Memorial Cup is a junior ice hockey club championship trophy awarded annually to the Canadian Hockey League champion. It is awarded following a four-team, round robin tournament between a host team and the champions of the CHL's three member leagues: the Ontario Hockey League , Quebec Major...
once, and the J. Ross Robertson Cup
J. Ross Robertson Cup
The J. Ross Robertson Cup is an ice hockey trophy awarded annually to the winner of the Ontario Hockey League playoff championship. It was presented by and named for John Ross Robertson, the president of the Ontario Hockey Association who served from 1899 to 1905.Originally it was awarded to the...
once. The Fincups also represented Canada at the World Junior Tournament and came away with a silver medal.
The Fincups won the Emms Division regular season title for two consecutive years in 1975–76 and 1976–77, and the Hamilton Spectator Trophy
Hamilton Spectator Trophy
The Hamilton Spectator Trophy is an award given to the Ontario Hockey League team who finishes the season with the best record. It was first presented to the Ontario Hockey Association by The Hamilton Spectator. The trophy was first presented in 1957–58....
in 1976–77 as the first overall team in the OHA regular season.
The Fincups made the OHA finals all 3 years they played out of Hamilton, and came within one win of making it four consecutive appearances in the championship series in their only year in St. Catharines.
Memorial Cup 1976
The Hamilton Fincups of 1976 were a small, hard-working and determined team which practiced meticulously and strived to be top in condition. Their hard work won the Emms division regular season in 1976 and eliminated the Kitchener RangersKitchener Rangers
The Kitchener Rangers are a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League that have called Kitchener, Ontario, Canada their home since 1963. The Rangers are a publicly owned hockey team, governed by a 40-person Board of Directors made up of season ticket subscribers. The Rangers hosted...
, Toronto Marlboros
Toronto Marlboros
The Toronto Marlborough Athletic Club, commonly known as the Toronto Marlboros, was founded in 1903. It operated a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association and Ontario Hockey League from 1904 to 1989...
and the Sudbury Wolves
Sudbury Wolves
The Sudbury Wolves are the name of the ice hockey team from Sudbury, Ontario. Sudbury has had a hockey team known as the "Wolves" nearly every year since World War I. The Sudbury Wolves, the senior men's AAA team, have twice been chosen to be Canada's representatives at the Ice Hockey World...
to make to the Memorial Cup hosted at the Montreal Forum
Montreal Forum
The Montreal Forum was an indoor arena located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Called "the most storied building in hockey history" by Sporting News, it was home of the National Hockey League's Montreal Maroons from 1924 to 1938 and the Montreal Canadiens from 1926 to 1996...
. Their opponents for the 1976 national title would be the WHL's New Westminster Bruins
New Westminster Bruins
The New Westminster Bruins were a junior ice hockey team from the Western Hockey League. There were two franchises that carried this name:* 1971–1981...
and the QMJHL's Quebec Remparts
Québec Remparts
There have been two junior ice hockey franchises known as the Quebec Remparts that played in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The first franchise played from 1969 to 1985; the current franchise has played since 1997. Both franchises were based out of Quebec City, Quebec...
.
Hamilton lost the first game of the round-robin to Quebec 4-3, due to the 45 save performance of the Remparts goalie Barrette. The Bruins would defeat the Remparts the next day 4-2. The third game saw the Fincups score seven power play goals to beat the Bruins 8-4 in a game with many penalties, which concluded the round-robin.
The win and the large goal differential put Hamilton directly into the final game. New Westminster would solidly beat Quebec 10-3 in the semi-final game. The next day in front of 4,350 fans at the Montreal Forum, the Fincups played a tenacious forechecking game and defeated the New Westminster Bruins 5-2 in Memorial Cup Final game. The win brought the Memorial Cup back to the "Steel City" for the first time in 14 years.
Instability
The team's move to St. Catharines, OntarioSt. Catharines, Ontario
St. Catharines is the largest city in Canada's Niagara Region and the sixth largest urban area in Ontario, Canada, with 97.11 square kilometres of land...
in 1977 was necessitated by the closure of the old Barton Street Arena
Barton Street Arena
Barton Street Arena, also known as the Hamilton Forum, was the main sports arena located in downtown Hamilton, Ontario, on Barton Street between Sanford Street and Wentworth Street...
in Hamilton. During the 1976 Memorial Cup run, the Hamilton Spectator was filled with speculation about a possible move to Brantford, Ontario
Brantford, Ontario
Brantford is a city located on the Grand River in Southern Ontario, Canada. While geographically surrounded by the County of Brant, the city is politically independent...
, as the old arena in Hamilton was obviously on its last legs. However, the city of Hamilton refused to make a decision about a new arena, and debated whether to build a 5,000-seat building for the Fincups or a 16,000 seat arena in hopes of pursuing a World Hockey Association
World Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
team. In August 1976, the ice-making machinery in the dilapidated, 67-year-old barn broke down and Fincup ownership, who also owned the building, chose to demolish the battered, ancient arena rather than repair it. The team was unable to negotiate a short-term lease to use the only other semi-suitable arena in Hamilton, the Mountain Arena, due to opposition from local residents, and so the homeless team was forced to move to St. Catharines, Ontario
St. Catharines, Ontario
St. Catharines is the largest city in Canada's Niagara Region and the sixth largest urban area in Ontario, Canada, with 97.11 square kilometres of land...
, about thirty minutes down the QEW, who had recently witnessed the departure of their own OMJHL team, the Black Hawks
St. Catharines Black Hawks
The St. Catharines Black Hawks were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association from 1962 to 1976. The team was based in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada.-History:...
.
Team ownership was able to negotiate a lease for Mountain Arena for the 1977-78 OHL season, but at the end of the year the city of Hamilton was still no closer to building a new arena than they had been two years earlier. Moreover, the team was losing money at the tiny, out of the way Mountain Arena. Out of long-term options in Hamilton, the team was moved at the end of that season to Brantford, where they were renamed the Brantford Alexanders
Brantford Alexanders
The Brantford Alexanders were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League and Ontario Hockey League from 1978 to 1984. The team was based in Brantford, Ontario.-History:...
.
Players
The heart and soul of the Fincups was their captain Dale McCourtDale McCourt
Dale Allen McCourt is a former NHL ice hockey forward. Dale began his junior hockey career with the Hamilton Red Wings in 1972–73. Two years later he was the team captain of the 1976 Memorial Cup champion Hamilton Fincups. In 1977 he led the team to the Hamilton Spectator Trophy...
. He led the team to the Memorial Cup title in 1976, and the Hamilton Spectator Trophy in 1977. He was voted CHL Player of the year for his efforts. There are 21 Fincups alumni who made the NHL.
Award winners
- 1974–75 - Danny Shearer, Emms Family AwardEmms Family AwardThe Emms Family Award is presented annually to the top first year player in the Ontario Hockey League.The award was donated to the OHL by Leighton "Hap" Emms, former owner of franchises in Barrie, Niagara Falls and St...
Rookie of the Year - 1975–76 - Mark Locken, F.W. 'Dinty' Moore Trophy Best Rookie GAA
- 1975–76 - Dale McCourt, William Hanley TrophyWilliam Hanley TrophyThe William Hanley Trophy is awarded to the Ontario Hockey League's Most Sportsmanlike Player. It is named for William Hanley, a former secretary-manager of the Ontario Hockey Association who served in that capacity for twenty-five years...
Most Sportsmanlike Player - 1976–77 - Dale McCourt, William Hanley TrophyWilliam Hanley TrophyThe William Hanley Trophy is awarded to the Ontario Hockey League's Most Sportsmanlike Player. It is named for William Hanley, a former secretary-manager of the Ontario Hockey Association who served in that capacity for twenty-five years...
Most Sportsmanlike Player - 1976–77 - Dale McCourt, Red Tilson TrophyRed Tilson TrophyThe Red Tilson Trophy is an annual award given to the most outstanding player in the Ontario Hockey League. The award is voted on by OHL writers and broadcasters, and is named for Red Tilson, a former played for the Oshawa Generals who was killed in service in the Second World War...
Most Outstanding Player - 1976–77 - Dale McCourt, Canadian Hockey LeagueCanadian Hockey LeagueThe Canadian Hockey League is an umbrella organization that represents the three Canadian-based major junior ice hockey leagues for players 16 to 20 years of age. The CHL was founded in 1975 as the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League, and is composed of its three member leagues, the Western Hockey...
Player of the Year - 1977–78 - Al Jensen, Dave Pinkney TrophyDave Pinkney TrophyThe Dave Pinkney Trophy is awarded to the goaltenders of the team that has the best team goals-against-average in the Ontario Hockey League.-Winners:*2009–10 J.P. Anderson & Mickael Audette, Mississauga St. Michael's Majors...
Lowest Team GAA
NHL alumni
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Regular season
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... | City | Games | Won | Lost | Tied | Points | Pct % | Goals for | Goals against | Standing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974–75 | Hamilton | 70 | 37 | 24 | 9 | 83 | 0.593 | 337 | 271 | 3rd OMJHL |
| 1975–76 | Hamilton | 66 | 43 | 15 | 8 | 94 | 0.712 | 379 | 232 | 1st Emms |
| 1976–77 | St. Catharines | 66 | 50 | 11 | 5 | 105 | 0.795 | 438 | 242 | 1st Emms |
| 1977–78 | Hamilton | 68 | 31 | 23 | 14 | 76 | 0.559 | 273 | 223 | 3rd Emms |
Playoffs
- 1974–1975 Defeated St. Catharines Black Hawks 8 points to 0 in quarter finals.
Defeated Peterborough Petes 8 points to 4 in semi-finals.
Lost to Toronto Marlboros 8 points to 6 in OHA Finals. - 1975–1976 Defeated Kitchener Rangers in quarter-finals 8 points to 0.
Defeated Toronto Marlboros in semi-finals 9 points to 1.
Defeated Sudbury Wolves in OHA Finals 8 points to 2. OHA CHAMPIONS
Defeated New Westminster Bruins 5-2 in Memorial Cup Final. MEMORIAL CUP CHAMPIONS - 1976–1977 Defeated Windsor Spitfires in quarter-finals 4 games to 2.
Lost to London Knights in semi-finals 4 games to 3, with 1 tie. - 1977–1978 Defeated Windsor Spitfires in quarter-finals 9 points to 3.
Defeated London Knights in semi-finals 9 points to 5.
Lost to Peterborough Petes in OHA Finals 8 points to 6.
Arenas
The Hamilton Fincups played home games at the Barton Street ArenaBarton Street Arena
Barton Street Arena, also known as the Hamilton Forum, was the main sports arena located in downtown Hamilton, Ontario, on Barton Street between Sanford Street and Wentworth Street...
, also known as the Hamilton Forum from 1974–1976. The St. Catharines Fincups played in the Garden City Arena in downtown St. Catharines, Ontario in 1976–1977. After moving back to Hamilton, the Fincups played out of the Mountain Arena from 1977–1978.
- Links to The OHL Arena & Travel Guide arena profiles