Simcoe Storm
Encyclopedia
The Simcoe Storm are a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 junior ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...

 team based in Simcoe
Simcoe, Ontario
Simcoe is an unincorporated community and former town in Southwestern Ontario, Canada located near Lake Erie. It is the county seat and largest community of Norfolk County....

, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....

, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

. They are currently members of the Niagara & District Junior C Hockey League
Niagara & District Junior C Hockey League
The Niagara & District Junior C Hockey League is a Junior "C" ice hockey league in Ontario, Canada, sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Association. The Champion of the Niagara will compete for the All-Ontario Championship and the Clarence Schmalz Cup.-History:...

, a league governed by the Ontario Hockey Association
Ontario Hockey Association
The Ontario Hockey Association is the governing body for the majority of Junior and Senior level ice hockey teams in the Province of Ontario. The OHA is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation along with the Northern Ontario Hockey Association. Other Ontario sanctioning bodies along with the...

, Ontario Hockey Federation
Ontario Hockey Federation
The Ontario Hockey Federation is the governing body of all sanctioned ice hockey in the province of Ontario in Canada, except for those portions governed by Hockey Northwestern Ontario and the Ottawa District Hockey Association...

, and Hockey Canada
Hockey Canada
Hockey Canada, formally known as the Canadian Hockey Association, is the national governing body of ice hockey in Canada and is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation. Hockey Canada controls a vast majority of ice hockey in Canada, with a few exceptions...

. The Storm are eligible to compete for the Clarence Schmalz Cup
Clarence Schmalz Cup
The Clarence Schmalz Cup is the Ontario Hockey Association's Junior "C" ice hockey championship and championship trophy. The tournament to determine the winner of the Cup is commonly called the All-Ontario Championships...

, the Ontario Hockey Association's second highest championship.

History

The Simcoe Juniors were founded in 1959 as members of the Niagara District Junior B Hockey League. A season later they took the name "Pacers".

In 1961, the Simcoe Pacers jumped to the Central Junior C Hockey League. They soon changed their names to the Simcoe Blades.

1965 championship run

The Simcoe Blades finished their sixth season, fourth in the Central Jr. C league, with a record of 26 wins and only five losses. With first place clinched, the Blades met the pesky Hespeler Shamrocks
Guelph Dominators
The Guelph Hurricanes are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Mid-Western division of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League.-History:...

 in the Central League quarter-final. The Shamrocks battled hard and at one point even led in the series, but the Blades rebounded and won the series 4-games-to-2. In the league semi-final, the Blades drew the Preston Pals
Preston Raiders
The Preston Raiders were a Canadian Junior "B" ice hockey team from the town of Preston, Ontario which later became Cambridge, Ontario.-History:...

. The Pals were out of their league and were swept in three games in a best-of-five series. They then drew the Milton Merchants
Milton Icehawks
The Milton Icehawks are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Milton, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of the Ontario Junior A Hockey League.The Icehawks have previously been known as the Milton Merchants, Milton Flyers, and Milton Steamers....

 in the league final and spanked them four games straight to win the Central League crown. With their league out of the way, they then moved into the Provincial playdowns. Their provincial semi-final opponent would end up being the Point Edward Redmen, who had defeated the Port Huron junior team to make it thus far. The best-of-five series was hard fought. In game one, the Blades led 9-1 after two periods. In the third, a vicious line-brawl broke out involving all ten skaters and one goalie. Game one was one by the Blades 11-5. Game two saw the Blades come from behind to defeat the Redmen 5-2. The third game had the Blades show the Redmen exactly how good they were, as they crushed them 13-3 to take the series. In the other provincial semi-final, the Lindsay Merchants
Lindsay Muskies
The Lindsay Muskies are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Lindsay, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of Central Division Hockey.-History:The Muskies started out in the Central Junior C Hockey League...

 took out the Penetang Hurons
Penetang Kings
The Penetang Kings are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Penetanguishene, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Georgian Mid-Ontario Junior C Hockey League of the Ontario Hockey Association.-History:...

 4-games-to-1 to meet the Blades in the final. The All-Ontario final took place in late April and early May 1965 between Simcoe and Lindsay. Simcoe took the first three games: 7-2, 5-1, and 3-1. Each game got closer as Lindsay grew stronger. Game four in Lindsay had the Merchants prove why they made the final, taking the game 6-5 with a huge surge in the second period. Game five was back in Simcoe on May 3. Lindsay made a game of it, leading 3-2 after the second frame. In the next period, the Blades scored the equalizer halfway through, before Doug Macaulay scored the winner with 3:34 remaining in the third in front of an estimated 1,400 fans. After only six years of existence, the Simcoe junior team won its first provincial championship.

The 1966-67 season has the Central league divide up into the Intercounty Junior C Hockey League and the Western Junior C Hockey League. The Blades went to the Intercounty league.

In 1969, the Blades folded less than 20 games into the 1968-69 Intercounty Junior C season. Their final game saw them take a 14-0 drubbing against the Ingersoll Marlands. With only nine skaters and a goalie at the game, the goaltender for the Blades quit the team at the end of the second period. Ingersoll's back up goalie played the remainder for the Blades. It would be the last game the "Blades" would ever play.

The next season, the team returned as the Simcoe Chargers.

In 1972, the team became the Jets and they joined the Central Junior C Hockey League. That season they would lose a nail-biting series to the Caledonia Corvairs
Caledonia Corvairs
The Caledonia Corvairs are a Canadian junior hockey team based in Caledonia, Ontario, Canada. They are playing in the Niagara & District Junior C Hockey League.-History:...

, 3-games-to-2 in the league quarter-finals. The Corvairs would go on to win both the league and the OHA Junior C championship.

1974: Two-time Finalists

The 1973-74 proved to be a strange year for the Simcoe Jets. The Jets finished the 1973-74 season in third place with 20 wins, 10 losses, and only two ties. They entered the league quarter-finals against the Hanover Barons
Hanover Barons
The Hanover Barons are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Hanover, Ontario, Canada. They play out in the Western Junior C Hockey League. The Barons spent the 2009-10 season in the neighbouring town of Durham, Ontario while their new arena was being built in Hanover.-History:The Hanover...

. The series proved to be a 3-games-to-none sweep for the Jets. In the semi-final, the Jets drew the New Hamburg Hahns. The usually powerful Hahns were not up to the challenge provided by the Jets, as Simcoe won 3-games-to-1. This entered the Jets into the Central Junior C League's finals against the Woodstock Navy-Vets. The Vets took game one 3-1, the Jets took back game two 4-2. The Vets won game three 4-1, while the Jets returned the favour in the overtime of game four, 3-2. The Jets then put on the "jets" and took their first series lead with a game five 2-0 victory. Woodstock, with their backs to the wall, came back and won both games six and seven (6-4, 3-1) to win the Central league crown. But the Jets were not out, not because they won but because Woodstock was technically too big of a town to play in the OHA Junior C playdowns. Woodstock moved on to play the Owen Sound Salvagemen
Owen Sound Greys
The Owen Sound Greys are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Mid-Western division of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League...

 in the OHA Super C finals (Woodstock won 4-games-to-none) and Simcoe gained a birth to the OHA Junior C semi-finals. In the semi-finals they were greeted by the Leamington Flyers
Leamington Flyers
The Leamington Flyers are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Leamington, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Western division of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League.-History:...

 of the Great Lakes Junior C Hockey League
Great Lakes Junior C Hockey League
The Great Lakes Junior C Hockey League is a Junior "C" ice hockey league in Ontario, Canada, sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Association. The Champion of the Great Lakes will compete for the All-Ontario Championship and the Clarence Schmalz Cup....

. Simcoe lost game one, 4-2, but took the next four straight 6-5, 4-1, 11-7, and 5-3 to earn a berth into the OHA Finals. The other finalists were the Cobourg Cougars
Cobourg Cougars
The Cobourg Cougars are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Cobourg, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of the Ontario Junior Hockey League.-History:...

, and the Jets had a good start against them with a 5-4 victory. Game two was won 6-5 in overtime by Cobourg. Game two was won 4-3 in double overtime, but was marred by a bench clearing brawl at the end of the first overtime period. Cobourg took game four in regulation 2-1 and then crushed a defeated Jets squad 9-6 in the fifth and final game. The Jets would be two-time finalists, but not champions.

In 1974, they joined the newly formed Niagara & District Junior C Hockey League
Niagara & District Junior C Hockey League
The Niagara & District Junior C Hockey League is a Junior "C" ice hockey league in Ontario, Canada, sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Association. The Champion of the Niagara will compete for the All-Ontario Championship and the Clarence Schmalz Cup.-History:...

. Then in 1976, they took another crack at Junior B with the Southwestern Junior B Hockey League. After two seasons with the SWJBHL, they then jumped to the Golden Horseshoe Junior B Hockey League
Golden Horseshoe Junior B Hockey League
The Golden Horseshoe Junior Hockey League was a junior ice hockey league in Ontario, Canada, sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Association from 1974 until 2007. As of 2007, the league has become a division of the newly formed Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League...

.

1976-1980: Back in Junior B

In 1976, the Simcoe Jets took their franchise's second stab at Junior B Hockey. Stepping on the ice with the Southwestern Junior B Hockey League, the Jets were promoted with the Brantford Penguins
Brantford Golden Eagles
The Brantford Eagles are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Brantford, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Mid-Western Conference of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League.-History:...

, Tillsonburg Mavericks
Aylmer Spitfires
The Aylmer Spitfires are a Canadian junior hockey team based in Aylmer, Ontario, Canada. They are playing in the Niagara & District Junior C Hockey League.-History:...

, Woodstock Navy-Vets
Woodstock Renegades
The Woodstock Navy Vets are a Canadian junior hockey team based in Woodstock, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Western Division of the Niagara & District Junior C Hockey League of the Ontario Hockey Association....

, London Diamonds
London Nationals Jr. B
The London Nationals are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in London, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Western division of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League....

, St. Thomas Colonels
St. Thomas Stars
The St. Thomas Stars are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Western division of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League.-History:...

. The Jets finished the 1976-77 season with a 16-21-2 record. In the league's second and final season, the Jets finished with a near-identical record of 16-22-2. The SWJBHL was divided up, and the Jets found themselves in the Golden Horseshoe Junior B Hockey League
Golden Horseshoe Junior B Hockey League
The Golden Horseshoe Junior Hockey League was a junior ice hockey league in Ontario, Canada, sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Association from 1974 until 2007. As of 2007, the league has become a division of the newly formed Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League...

. In their first season in the GHJHL, the Jets finished in sixth place with 13 wins, and in their second season they finished seventh with 14 wins. After four losing seasons, the Jets elected to return to the Niagara & District Junior C Hockey League in 1980.

Now known as the Storm and stable since 1989, prior to this Simcoe had suffered almost annual financial strife. On top of folding in 1969, the franchise sat out the 1982-83 season as well as the 1988-89 season.

2006 Niagara Champions

After finishing second overall in the Niagara District Junior C league regular season standings with 28 wins, six losses, and two losses in overtime, the Simcoe Storm seemed destined for great things in the 2006 playoffs. In the Western Division semi-final, the Storm drew the Woodstock Navy-Vets. The Storm crushed the Vets in four straight games. In the Western Division final, the Storm then were challenged by the Norwich Merchants
Norwich Merchants
The Norwich Merchants are a Canadian junior hockey team based in Norwich, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Western Division of the Niagara & District Junior C Hockey League of the Ontario Hockey Association.-Season-by-Season record:...

. The Storm took them out, winning the series 4-games-to-1, taking the Western Division crown. Next they took on the top ranked and annual Clarence Schmalz Cup
Clarence Schmalz Cup
The Clarence Schmalz Cup is the Ontario Hockey Association's Junior "C" ice hockey championship and championship trophy. The tournament to determine the winner of the Cup is commonly called the All-Ontario Championships...

 contending Grimsby Peach Kings
Grimsby Peach Kings
The Grimsby Peach Kings are a Canadian Junior ice hockey team from Grimsby, Ontario. They play out of the Niagara & District Junior C Hockey League...

. The Storm shocked the Peach Kings by defeating them handily, 4-games-to-1, to win the Niagara League championship and gain a berth into the provincial semi-finals. In them semi-finals, the Storm drew the defending Schmalz Cup champion Essex 73's
Essex 73's
The Essex 73's are a Junior "C" ice hockey team based in Essex, Ontario, Canada. The 73's are members of the Great Lakes Junior C Hockey League and the Ontario Hockey Association.-History:...

. The 73's knocked the Storm out, sweeping them in four games.

50 Years

The 2008-09 season marked the 50th year since the founding of the franchise in 1959. The 2008-09 also marked the 20th anniversary of the "Storm" moniker.

Season-by-Season results

Season GP W L T OTL GF GA P Results Playoffs
1959-60 23 6 17 0
80 117 12 6th NDJBHL
1960-61 25 13 9 3
135 124 29 3rd NDJBHL
1961-62 30 23 6 1
149 110 47 2nd CJCHL
1962-63 30 6 16 8
128 194 20 5th CJCHL
1963-64 30 23 7 0
164 99 46 2nd CJCHL
1964-65 31 26 5 0
223 92 52 1st CJCHL Won League, Won CSC
Clarence Schmalz Cup
The Clarence Schmalz Cup is the Ontario Hockey Association's Junior "C" ice hockey championship and championship trophy. The tournament to determine the winner of the Cup is commonly called the All-Ontario Championships...

1965-66 32 17 14 1
154 147 35 5th CJCHL
1966-67 30 4 25 1
119 180 9 6th ICJCHL
1967-68 31 7 23 1
132 182 15 5th ICJCHL
1968-69 18 3 15 0
6 5th ICJCHL Folded
1969-70 30 3 27 0
98 275 6 6th SCJDHL
1970-71 30 16 14 0
155 163 32 3rd SCJDHL
1971-72 28 12 15 1
127 120 25 5th SCJDHL
1972-73 32 16 13 3
35 5th CJCHL
1973-74 32 20 10 2
208 124 42 3rd CJCHL Lost League Final
1974-75 30 23 3 4
50 2nd NJCHL
1975-76 36 20 14 2
42 3rd NJCHL
1976-77 39 16 21 2
231 250 34 4th SWJBHL
1977-78 40 16 22 2
212 248 34 4th SWJBHL Lost Semi-final
1978-79 42 13 23 6
227 275 32 6th GHJHL
1979-80 43 14 23 6
220 262 34 7th GHJHL
1980-81 32 16 13 3
35 3rd NJCHL
1981-82 32 13 18 1
27 3rd NJC-W
1982-83 Did Not Participate
1983-84 40 7 31 2
16 5th NJC-E
1984-85 30 1 28 1
81 263 3 5th SWJCHL
1985-86 36 5 29 2
12 5th NJC-W
1986-87 32 6 22 4
16 4th NJC-C
1987-88 36 8 22 6
22 5th NJC-W
1988-89 Did Not Participate
1989-90 40 4 34 2
10 6th NJC-E
1990-91 36 9 22 5
142 246 23 6th NJC-E
1991-92 36 17 14 5
167 162 39 4th NJC-E
1992-93 36 12 18 6
176 184 30 4th NJC-W
1993-94 36 9 24 3
132 214 21 6th NJC-W
1994-95 36 5 30 1
96 277 11 7th NJC-W
1995-96 40 5 33 2
147 330 12 6th NJC-W
1996-97 40 18 21 1 0 149 180 37 4th NJC-W
1997-98 38 15 18 1 4 188 210 35 4th NJC-W
1998-99 34 13 20
1
27 5th NJC-W DNQ
1999-00 36 10 26
0
20 4th NJC-W
2000-01 36 12 20 0 4
28 4th NJC-W
2001-02 36 13 19 2 2
30 3rd NJC-W
2002-03 36 20 12 |0 3 157 132 43 4th NJCHL
2003-04 36 24 9 |0 3 166 110 51 3rd NJCHL Lost Final
2004-05 36 26 9 |0 1 146 90 53 2nd NJCHL Lost Final
2005-06 36 28 6 0 2 216 124 58 2nd NJCHL Won League
2006-07 36 25 7 1 3 236 135 54 2nd NJCHL Lost Quarter-final
2007-08 36 21 12 2 1 155 123 45 4th NJCHL
2008-09 36 22 11
3 178 153 47 4th NJCHL
2009-10 36 29 5
2 206 115 60 1st NJCHL Lost Semi-final
2010-11 36 20 13
3 159 154 43 6th NJCHL

Key:
NDJBHL - Niagara District Junior B Hockey League
CJCHL - Central Junior C Hockey League
ICJCHL - Intercounty Junior C Hockey League
SCJDHL - Southern Counties Junior D Hockey League
NJCHL - Niagara & District Junior C Hockey League
Niagara & District Junior C Hockey League
The Niagara & District Junior C Hockey League is a Junior "C" ice hockey league in Ontario, Canada, sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Association. The Champion of the Niagara will compete for the All-Ontario Championship and the Clarence Schmalz Cup.-History:...

SWJBHL - Southwestern Junior B Hockey League
GHJHL - Golden Horseshoe Junior B Hockey League
SWJCHL - Southwestern Junior C Hockey League

Current Roster

The roster for the 2011-12 season is as follows:
  • 6 - Josh Bint
  • 7 - Sam Barber
  • 10 - Corey Bethune
  • 11 - Steven Barati A
    Captain (ice hockey)
    In ice hockey, each team can designate an official captain for each game. The player serving as captain during the game wears a "C" on his or her jersey...

  • 12 - Zach Vanlauwe
  • 14 - Connor Robinson C
    Captain (ice hockey)
    In ice hockey, each team can designate an official captain for each game. The player serving as captain during the game wears a "C" on his or her jersey...

  • 18 - Pat Bates
  • 28 - Ricky Fergus
  • 31 - Alex Gegeny
  • 35 - Alex Stephens
  • 47 - Tristan Lysko
    Triscuit
    Triscuit is a snack cracker, made by Nabisco, which takes the form of square baked whole wheat wafers. It was invented in 1900, a patent was granted in 1902, and the Shredded Wheat Company, in Niagara Falls, New York began production the next year....

  • 55 - Marty Friedrich
  • 59 - Brad Merriott
  • 67 - Braedan Walker A
    Captain (ice hockey)
    In ice hockey, each team can designate an official captain for each game. The player serving as captain during the game wears a "C" on his or her jersey...

  • 71 - Mike Lucifora
  • 73 - Jordan Paton A
    Captain (ice hockey)
    In ice hockey, each team can designate an official captain for each game. The player serving as captain during the game wears a "C" on his or her jersey...

  • 73 - Alex Gamble A
    Captain (ice hockey)
    In ice hockey, each team can designate an official captain for each game. The player serving as captain during the game wears a "C" on his or her jersey...

  • 77 - Braden Roberts
  • 88 - Morgan Spratt
  • 90 - Evan Haga
  • 91 - Keenan Hall
  • 96 - Pat Fergus
  • 97 - Scotty Lowe

Clarence Schmalz Cup Appearances

1965: Simcoe Blades defeated Lindsay Muskies
Lindsay Muskies
The Lindsay Muskies are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Lindsay, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of Central Division Hockey.-History:The Muskies started out in the Central Junior C Hockey League...

 4-games-to-1
1974: Cobourg Cougars
Cobourg Cougars
The Cobourg Cougars are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Cobourg, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of the Ontario Junior Hockey League.-History:...

defeated Simcoe Jets 4-games-to-1

External links

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