The Smiths Falls Bears are a Junior "A" 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 from Smiths Falls

Smiths Falls, Ontario

Smiths Falls is a town in Eastern Ontario, Canada. It is in the census division for Lanark County, but is considered a separated town and does not participate in county government...

, 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 a part of the Central Canada Hockey League. They were original members, but then left Smiths Falls in 1976. The current team rejoined the league in 1985, with a short two-year stint in Lanark.

History

The Smiths Falls Bears trace back to when the Central Junior Hockey League was formed in 1961 under the act of the Montreal Canadiens. The Bears are one of the oldest franchises in Canadian Junior A hockey, despite a 9-year leave of absence from 1976 to 1985, and a 2-year absence from Smiths Falls as part of a re-location to Lanark, and being known as the Lanark Thunder from 2000-2002. When the Bears first surfaced, the team wore maroon and white - identical colours of the American Hockey League's Hershey Bears

Hershey Bears

The Hershey Bears Hockey Club is a professional ice hockey team playing in the American Hockey League, and is currently the top affiliate of the NHL Washington Capitals. The hockey club is based in the unincorporated town of Hershey, Pennsylvania, located within Derry Township some 14 miles east of...

. The Bears won their first Art Bogart Cup in 1965 as Central Junior Hockey League champions. The Bears won back-to-back CJHL championships in 1974 and 1975. In 1976, the Bears took a leave of absence from the league. In 1985, the Bears returned to the league wearing the colours black, gold, and white - identical to the Pittsburgh Penguins uniforms in the 1980s. In the early 1990s, the Bears went back to their original colours of maroon and white, but with grey. In 1998, the Bears changed their colours to teal and black, which confused CJHL supporters around the league. In February 2000, the Smiths Falls Bears lost all their equipment in a dressing room fire at the Smiths Falls Memorial Centre. The equipment was replaced through donations and charities and the Bears finished off the 1999-00 season. In the summer, the Bears announced to relocate to nearby Lanark, Ontario

Lanark, Ontario

The village of Lanark is located in the township of Lanark Highlands in eastern Ontario, Canada.-History:The village was first settled in 1820 by Scottish immigrants who named it after the town of Lanark in Scotland...

 and became the Lanark Thunder. The new owner promised to draw attendance at the Lanark Arena for the 2000-01 season. The Thunder drew a decent attendance, but attendance dropped in the 2001-02 season causing financial trouble and the Lanark Thunder folded after the 2002 playoffs. The Smiths Falls Bears returned as an expansion team for 2002-03, because the Lanark Thunder ceased operations. Most of the Lanark players went on to play for the Bears, while other players were recruited through the expansion draft. The Smiths Falls Bears missed the playoffs in their first three years back. In December 2004, a new head coach Bill Bowker was assigned to turn the team around. The Bears won just 1 game before January 2005, and fans were criticizing the team's performance and asked what was wrong with the team and how long they would be in Smiths Falls. The coaching change paid off as the Bears made the playoffs four-consecutive years. Their best post-Lanark Thunder season was 2007-08, when the Bears made the CJHL finals after knocking off arch-rivals Brockville Braves

Brockville Braves

The Brockville Braves are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Brockville, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of the Central Junior A Hockey League...

 in 6 games to compete against the other arch-rivals Pembroke Lumber Kings

Pembroke Lumber Kings

The Pembroke Lumber Kings are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Pembroke, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of the Central Canada Hockey League and are the longest running and winningest team in CJHL history as well as 2011 Royal Bank Cup National Junior A Champions...

. The Lumber Kings won the finals in 5 games. In July 2008, three Bears were chosen in the NHL Draft. Mike Bergin (Dallas Stars); Nicholas Tremblay (Boston Bruins); and Mark Borowiecki (Ottawa Senators) became the first trio of players from the same CJHL club to be chosen in the NHL Draft. Mark Borowiecki left Clarkson University

Clarkson University

-The Clarkson School:The Clarkson School, a special division of Clarkson University, was founded in 1978 as a unique educational opportunity. The School offers students an early entrance opportunity into college, replacing the typical senior year of high school with a year of college...

 after the 2010-11 season as he signed a 2-year minor league contract with the Ottawa Senators

Ottawa Senators

The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

 minor league affiliate the Binghamton Senators

Binghamton Senators

The Binghamton Senators are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League . Nicknamed the B-Sens, they play in Binghamton, New York at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena. Along with the Elmira Jackals of the ECHL, the B-Sens are minor league affiliates of the Ottawa Senators...

.

On February 27, 2010, the Smiths Falls Bears played their final game at the Smiths Falls Memorial Centre as the Bears will move to a new arena that is currently near-completion. After the 2010-11 season the Bears let go their longtime head coach and manager Bill Bowker and replaced him with the Ottawa 67's

Ottawa 67's

The Ottawa 67’s are a junior ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario. They have played in the Ontario Hockey League since 1967, Canada's centennial year. The current coach is Chris Byrne.-History:...

 former assistant coach and assistant coach of the Bears during the 2010-11 season, Mark Grady. Grady will step in and take over the coaching position for the 2011-12 season.

Season-by-Season record

Note: GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

Season	GP	W	L	T	OTL	GF	GA	Points	Finish	Playoffs
1961-62	28	10	14	4
24	6th OHDJHL	Lost Semi-final
1962-63	32	10	9	3
140	124	43	2nd OHDJHL	Lost Final
1963-64	32	13	16	3
29	6th OHDJHL	Lost Quarter-final
1964-65	36	29	5	2
175	75	60	1st CJHL	Won League
1965-66	36	20	9	7
177	123	47	4th CJHL	Lost Semi-final
1966-67	50	22	20	8
186	176	52	2nd CJHL	Lost Final
1967-68	40	21	15	4
197	143	46	2nd CJHL	Lost Final
1968-69	40	20	11	9
157	123	49	2nd CJHL	Lost Semi-final
1969-70	40	13	22	5
135	159	31	4th CJHL
1970-71	48	31	12	5
247	183	67	1st CJHL
1971-72	48	29	17	2
250	208	60	1st CJHL	Won League
1972-73	55	25	29	1
246	274	51	4th CJHL
1973-74	50	30	17	3
301	240	63	1st CJHL	Won League, Won CC Fred Page Cup The Fred Page Cup is a championship ice hockey trophy, won by tournament, conducted by the Canadian Junior Hockey League. The award is given to the winner of a round robin and playoff between the Bogart Cup champions of the Central Junior Hockey League, the Kent Cup champions of the Maritime...
1974-75	50	27	16	7
287	222	61	2nd CJHL	Won League, Won CC Fred Page Cup The Fred Page Cup is a championship ice hockey trophy, won by tournament, conducted by the Canadian Junior Hockey League. The award is given to the winner of a round robin and playoff between the Bogart Cup champions of the Central Junior Hockey League, the Kent Cup champions of the Maritime...
1975-76	50	24	20	6
223	227	54	3rd CJHL
1976-85	Did Not Participate
1985-86	60	12	44	1	3	231	389	28	7th CJHL
1986-87	54	24	25	5
218	219	55	5th CJHL
1987-88	56	4	52	0
174	441	11	8th CJHL
1988-89	55	24	30	1
269	305	52	6th CJHL
1989-90	56	17	33	1	5	225	294	40	8th CJHL
1990-91	53	13	31	3	6	285	375	35	8th CJHL
1991-92	57	9	46	1	1	206	423	20	10th CJHL
1992-93	57	8	43	2	4	184	385	22	10th CJHL
1993-94	57	33	15	4	5	293	229	75	3rd CJHL
1994-95	54	29	10	8	7	237	203	73	2nd CJHL
1995-96	54	26	26	2
253	247	54	1st Yzerman
1996-97	53	41	8	4
271	172	87	2nd Yzerman
1997-98	54	26	19	11
224	202	69	2nd Yzerman
1998-99	54	28	20	6
202	220	62	4th Yzerman
1999-00	56	25	28	3
240	256	53	4th Yzerman
2000-01	55	24	23	8	0	207	194	59	4th Yzerman
2001-02	55	16	26	15
212	260	47	4th Yzerman
2002-03	55	9	39	7	2	196	317	25	5th Yzerman
2003-04	55	11	38	5	4	196	335	28	5th Yzerman
2004-05	57	9	42	1	5	165	304	24	5th Yzerman
2005-06	59	18	31	5	5	193	250	46	4th in Yzerman	Lost quarter-final
2006-07	55	25	23	5	2	199	200	57	4th in Yzerman	Lost semi-final
2007-08	60	41	15	4	0	280	183	86	2nd CJHL	Lost final
2008-09	60	36	22
2	247	205	74	5th CJHL
2009-10	62	18	40
4	148	256	40	10th CJHL	DNQ
2010-11	62	27	29
6	191	229	60	8th CCHL	Lost Quarter-final

Championships

CJHL Bogart Cup Championships: 1965, 1972, 1974, 1975

Eastern Canadian Fred Page Cup

Fred Page Cup

The Fred Page Cup is a championship ice hockey trophy, won by tournament, conducted by the Canadian Junior Hockey League. The award is given to the winner of a round robin and playoff between the Bogart Cup champions of the Central Junior Hockey League, the Kent Cup champions of the Maritime...

 Championships: None

CJAHL Royal Bank Cup

Royal Bank Cup

The Royal Bank Cup is an annual ice hockey tournament held to determine the Canadian Junior A champion. The winner of the tournament wins the Royal Bank Cup...

 Championships: None

Notable alumni

• Fred Brathwaite
  Fred Brathwaite
  Fredrick Brathwaite is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for Adler Mannheim of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga. He previously played in the National Hockey League for the Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, St. Louis Blues, Columbus Blue Jackets and Atlanta Thrashers...
  
  
• Joe DiPenta
  Joe DiPenta
  Joseph DiPenta is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League.-Playing career:...
  
  
• Rob Dopson
  Rob Dopson
  Robert James Dopson is a retired Canadian ice hockey goaltender. He played in the NHL for the Pittsburgh Penguins.-External links:...
  
  
• Randy Pierce
  Randy Pierce
  Randy Stephen Pierce is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player in the National Hockey League from 1977 to 1985. Pierce was named head coach of the Kanata Stallions, of the Central Canada Hockey League, on July 7, 2011.-External links:...
  
  
• Steve Poapst
  Steve Poapst
  Steve Ray Poapst is a retired professional ice hockey defenceman who completed his playing career with the St. Louis Blues of the NHL after four seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks and one with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Advancing to management after his playing career was over, he was named head...
  
  
• Ken Richardson
  Ken Richardson
  Ken Richardson may refer to:*Ken Richardson , MLB player*Ken Richardson , Canadian hockey player*Ken Richardson , British racing driver...
  
  
• Billy Smith
• Steve Valiquette
• Ron Ward
  Ron Ward
  Ronald Leon "Magic" Ward was a National Hockey League player from 1970-1972 who played defence for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Vancouver Canucks. He then switched to the fledgling World Hockey Association, playing for the New York Raiders in the 72–73 season...
  
  
• Jason York
  Jason York
  Jason Andrew York , is a former professional ice hockey player in the NHL. A defenceman, he last played for the Boston Bruins in the 2006–07 season.-Playing career:...
  
  
• Rod Zaine
  Rod Zaine
  Rodney Carl Zaine is a former professional ice hockey centre. He played sixty-one games in the National Hockey League with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabres, scoring ten goals and adding six assists...
  
  

External links

• Smiths Falls Bears