Toronto St. Michael's Majors
Encyclopedia
The Toronto St. Michael's Majors, was a junior ice hockey
team in the Ontario Hockey League
, based in Toronto
, Ontario
, Canada
. The hockey program was founded and operated by St. Michael's College School
in 1906, and adopted the name "Majors" in 1934, and was commonly referred to as St. Mike's Majors. The most recent franchise was revived on August 15, 1996. In 2007, the team relocated to Mississauga, Ontario
, next door to Toronto, and became become the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors
.
St. Michael's revived the Majors (Junior A Tier I) hockey team for the 1997-98 season in the Ontario Hockey League. In total, over one hundred St. Michael's Majors alumni have gone on to play in the National Hockey League
, including 13 members of the Hockey Hall of Fame
.
The hockey team was founded and operated by St. Michael's College School
, an Irish Catholic
secondary school in uptown Toronto. The college's hockey team soon blossomed, as demand for a Catholic program was high. The school competed with their crosstown rivals, the Protestant organized Toronto Marlborough Athletic Club
for Toronto's hockey supremacy. Players in the St. Michael's Majors program, were also enrolled in the school.
St. Michael's were successful in recruiting players and providing a complete education at the same time. The college built a strong reputation in moulding outstanding and well-rounded young citizens. Four years after the hockey program started, St. Michael's were Canadian Amateur Champions, winning the Allan Cup
in 1910.
Birth of the Majors
In 1933, the Ontario Hockey Association's Junior division, split into 'A' and 'B' levels. St. Michael's also divided its hockey program into two teams accordingly. The Junior 'A' team became the Majors, the Junior 'B' team was known as St. Michael's Buzzers
.
. Also of note, in 1933-34 the Buzzers won the Sutherland Cup
as Ontario Junior 'B' champions.
St. Michael's featured the likes of Bobby Bauer
, Reg Hamilton, Art Jackson, Regis (Pep) Kelly, Nick Metz, Don Wilson, Mickey Drouillard, goaltenders Harvey Teno and Jack Hamilton. The Toronto team was coached by Dr. W. J. (Jerry) Laflamme, a dentist who had quite a hockey history. He refereed in the NHL in the 1920s. That was after he had played defence on the Allan Cup winners from St. Michael's in 1909-1910 and captained the Allan Cup-winning Dentals of Toronto in 1916-17.
In the 1934 playoffs St. Michael's skated to 8-2, and 9-3 victories versus the Ottawa Shamrocks to win the two game series for the Ontario title. In the following series, Toronto faced the Charlottetown Abegweits in the eastern final, played in Toronto. The Majors prevailed again in two games, by scores of 12-2 and 7-2.
The Memorial Cup final was played at Shea's Amphitheatre
in Winnipeg, where St. Michael's faced the Edmonton Athletic Club in a best-of-three series for the title. The Majors picked up Turk Broda
from the Winnipeg Monarchs
to backup if goaltender Harvey Teno was injured. St. Mike's opened with a 5-0 victory over the Athletics on April 3. More than 4,500 fans showed up for game 2 on April 5. St. Michael's won its first Memorial Cup championship, with a 6-4 victory in overtime.
1937 OHA Champions
St. Michael's made their second trip to the OHA finals in 1937, and again faced the same opponent from in 1934, the Stratford Midgets. Toronto prevailed winning 3 games to 2. In the Ontario Championship, St. Michael's faced a familiar foe in the Copper Cliff Redmen. The Redmen previously played in Newmarket in the same league as Toronto, but switched to NOHA. Toronto lost to the northern Ontario champions, in 2 straight games.
in four games straight. The Majors advanced further by eliminating the Montreal Royals in six games in eastern final. They won the sixth game 7-4 behind Joe Sadler's three goals in front of 10,548 fans at Maple Leaf Gardens on April 11.
The Memorial Cup final was played in its entirety at Maple Leaf Gardens. The Majors' opponents were the Moose Jaw Canucks
coached by Roy Bentley. Toronto won game one 8 to 5 on April 14, then Moose Jaw turned the tables on April 16, 5 to 3 victory to even the series. The Majors won each of the next three games by scores of 6 to 3, 4 to 3, and 7 to 2 in the deciding game.
Paid attendance for the five games was 65,437, which exceeded the Maple Leaf Gardens junior record for five games (59,301) that had been set in 1943 when the Winnipeg Rangers tangled with the Oshawa Generals. That 1943 series still held the six-game record of 73,867.
The Majors met up with the Winnipeg Monarchs at Maple Leaf Gardens on April 13 to start the best-of-seven series for the national championship. Winnipeg won the first game 3 to 2, then Toronto rallied to win the next two games 5 to 3, and 7 to 3, before the Monarchs even the series in game four, winning 4 to 3. Toronto scored a 7 to 4 victory in game five, needing only one more win to be the second team to repeat as Memorial Cup champions. Winnipeg spoiled the plans, winning consecutive 4 to 2 victories to take the cup back west in 1946.
The 1947 cup would be a rematch of the 1945 Memorial Cup final versus the Moose Jaw Canucks. This series however, was not played at Maple Leaf Gardens, but rather played in Winnipeg, Moose Jaw and Regina. On the road to their third consecutive Memorial Cup appearance, St. Michael's repeated their sweep of the Galt Black Hawks in the OHA finals from two 1945, and the previous year's sweep on the Montreal Jr. Canadiens in the eastern finals.
The Memorial Cup's best-of-seven final opened in Winnipeg on April 15 with Toronto hammering Moose Jaw 12 to 3. The teams then headed for Moose Jaw, where game two was to be played on April 17, at the newly constructed arena. Toronto St. Michael's won that game 6 to 1. Game three was played in Regina, which Toronto kept up its momentum, winning 8 to 1. Game three ended with seven minutes to play in the third period, when the ice was littered for a second time with broken bottles thrown from the stands. Three nights later in Regina, St. Michael's finished the series with a 3 to 2 victory, for their third Memorial Cup title.
The Majors returned to the Memorial Cup in 1961 after coming close each of the two previous years. Toronto lost a very close eight game series in the 1959 OHA finals to the Peterborough Petes
, 3 games to 2, with three games tied. In 1960 the Majors lost in 6 games to the St. Catharines Teepees
.
Father David Bauer led the 1961 St. Michael's Majors to the OHA finals in 1961, where they upset the first place Guelph Royals 4 games to 2 with a tie, to win the J. Ross Robertson Cup. In the eastern championship the Majors swept the Moncton Beavers.
The 1961 Memorial Cup finals were played in the old Edmonton Gardens, with St. Michael's dominating the first two games. Toronto won the first game 4 to 0 backed by a shutout performance of goalie Gerry Cheevers. The Majors won the second game 4 to 1, with Cheevers coming within 6 minutes and 35 seconds of two consecutive shutouts. Game three was a much closer affair with Toronto holding on to win 4 to 2. Edmonton would not go down easily winning the next two games, in two grueling matches by scores of 5 to 4, and 4 to 2. St. Michael's would make history in game six, winning 4 to 2 and capturing their fourth Memorial Cup title, which stood at the record until broken by the Toronto Marlboros
.
Father David Bauer sent to letter to Conn Smythe
during the 1960-61 season, which stated:
wanted to keep the St. Michael's team in operation as a source of players, and then created the Metro Junior A League
to help alleviate the college's concerns.
The St. Michael's team finished in first place in the Metro Junior A league, and competed for the J. Ross Robertson Cup
again in 1962. Coached by Ted Flanagan, the team lost in the Cup finals to the Hamilton Red Wings
.
Despite being the league champions in the 1961-62 season, St. Michael's discontinued its program altogether, and the team was relocated to Neil McNeil Catholic Secondary School
in Scarborough, Ontario
, becoming the Toronto Neil McNeil Maroons
. Father Bauer chose to pursue building a university-educated Canadian National team instead.
in Toronto
, although some do. The team would also take part each year in the "Priority Selection" drafting new players, as opposed to relying on the student body for recruits.
Originally owned by St. Michael's College School, the team is now owned by Eugene Melnyk
, who is the current owner of the Ottawa Senators
and was fomerly, CEO of Biovail Corporation. Melnyk has pursued several deals to get a new arena for his team, but none have come to fruition. One of Melnyk's foiled plans included purchasing Maple Leaf Gardens
.
The revived Majors struggled on the ice, and missed the playoffs in each of their first three seasons. During their second season, the Majors started strong, but traded four of their best players (Sheldon Keefe
, Mike Jefferson
, Ryan Barnes and Shawn Cation) to the Barrie Colts
midway through the season, as a result of controversy surrounding David Frost
.
The Majors made breakthroughs in their fourth season. Toronto reached the conference finals four consecutive years from 2001 to 2004. Their closest point to reaching the league finals was in 2003, leading 3 games to 2 versus the Ottawa 67's
and losing game six on home ice in overtime.
The Majors played on the smallest ice surface in the OHL, which tended to have a higher average of shots on goal per game than other arenas. Fittingly, the Majors produced several noted goaltenders in their recent history, including Peter Budaj
and Andy Chiodo
.
The St. Michael's had strong rivalries with the Mississauga IceDogs
and Brampton Battalion
, both of which are local GTA
teams who came into the OHL within a year of Toronto.
On July 12, 2006, Eugene Melnyk bought the Mississauga IceDogs. After the 2006-07 season, Melnyk sold the IceDogs, and move the Majors to the Hershey Centre
in Mississauga. The IceDogs, in turn, moved to Jack Gatecliff Arena
in St. Catharines, Ontario
.
inductees listed in bold type.
Original era Majors (1906 to 1962)
Modern era Majors (1997 to present)
Legend: OTL = Overtime loss, SL = Shoot Out Loss
The primary logo for the Majors displays "St. Michael's" written in script, with a Majors underscore written in light blue. The Toronto St. Michael's Majors colours are light blue, navy blue & white. The Majors hockey uniforms feature a different logo, a large letter "M" on the front, with the school crest (inset right) on the upper left chest, and the St. Michael's cloverleaf patch on the shoulders.
Home uniforms have a white background, navy blue shoulders and arms, with light blue trim. Road uniforms have a light blue background, with navy blue shoulders, and white trim. The Majors have also used a third jersey with a stylized "M" on the front, and without the navy blue shoulders.
To celebrate the Majors 10th season back in the league, the team launched a new 3rd jersey with the shoulder cloverleaf logo on the front. The jersey is also baby blue in colour.
The St. Michael's Majors play at the school-owned St. Michael's College School Arena
. The arena is located in uptown Toronto near the intersection of Bathurst Street and St. Clair Avenue
behind St. Michael's College School
. The college arena is by far the smallest in the Ontario Hockey League in terms of both ice size and seating. The arena is also home to the St. Michael's Buzzers
of the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League
.
The St. Michael's Majors previously played at Maple Leaf Gardens
for their first three seasons from 1997 to 2000. The original Majors also played at Maple Leaf Gardens from its construction in 1931 to their folding in the early 1960s. When the Gardens was finally scheduled to close a year after the last Toronto Maple Leafs
game, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment evicted the Majors, who moved to the arena on the college campus, in spite of the fact that the major junior team had only played there rarely before.
The Majors also played selected home games during the 1999-00 season at the Air Canada Centre
vs the Mississauga IceDogs and Brampton Battalion, and also an inter-league game versus the Montreal Rocket
.
In 2003-04 and 2006-07 seasons, the Majors played two home games vs the Ottawa 67's at Scotiabank Place
in Kanata, Ontario
. This arose from the common ownership between the St. Michael's Majors and the Ottawa Senators
by Eugene Melnyk
.
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 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....
, based in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, 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...
. The hockey program was founded and operated by St. Michael's College School
St. Michael's College School
St. Michael's College School is a private, all-boys Roman Catholic day school in Toronto, Canada. Currently administered by the Basilian Fathers, it is the largest school of its kind in Canada, with an enrollment of approximately 1,080 students from grades 7 to 12. St...
in 1906, and adopted the name "Majors" in 1934, and was commonly referred to as St. Mike's Majors. The most recent franchise was revived on August 15, 1996. In 2007, the team relocated to Mississauga, 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....
, next door to Toronto, and became become the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors
Mississauga St. Michael's Majors
The Mississauga St. Michael's Majors are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League, based in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. The team was originally known as the Toronto St. Michael's Majors, whose hockey program was founded and operated by St. Michael's College School in 1906...
.
History
The St. Michael's College Hockey Team was first established in 1906 when the team joined the junior division of the Ontario Hockey Association. The team was not known as the St. Michael's Majors until 1934, and also had the informal nickname of the "Irish". The school team played for 55 years until 1961 before suspending operations.St. Michael's revived the Majors (Junior A Tier I) hockey team for the 1997-98 season in the Ontario Hockey League. In total, over one hundred St. Michael's Majors alumni have gone on to play in the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
, including 13 members of the Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
.
Early years, Allan Cup 1910
St. Michael's College School
St. Michael's College School is a private, all-boys Roman Catholic day school in Toronto, Canada. Currently administered by the Basilian Fathers, it is the largest school of its kind in Canada, with an enrollment of approximately 1,080 students from grades 7 to 12. St...
, an Irish Catholic
Irish Catholic
Irish Catholic is a term used to describe people who are both Roman Catholic and Irish .Note: the term is not used to describe a variant of Catholicism. More particularly, it is not a separate creed or sect in the sense that "Anglo-Catholic", "Old Catholic", "Eastern Orthodox Catholic" might be...
secondary school in uptown Toronto. The college's hockey team soon blossomed, as demand for a Catholic program was high. The school competed with their crosstown rivals, the Protestant organized Toronto Marlborough Athletic Club
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...
for Toronto's hockey supremacy. Players in the St. Michael's Majors program, were also enrolled in the school.
St. Michael's were successful in recruiting players and providing a complete education at the same time. The college built a strong reputation in moulding outstanding and well-rounded young citizens. Four years after the hockey program started, St. Michael's were Canadian Amateur Champions, winning the Allan Cup
Allan Cup
The Allan Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the national senior amateur men’s ice hockey champions of Canada. It has been competed for since 1909. The current champion is the Clarenville Caribous hockey club of Newfoundland and Labrador.-History:...
in 1910.
Birth of the Majors
In 1933, the Ontario Hockey Association's Junior division, split into 'A' and 'B' levels. St. Michael's also divided its hockey program into two teams accordingly. The Junior 'A' team became the Majors, the Junior 'B' team was known as St. Michael's Buzzers
St. Michael's Buzzers
The St. Michael's Buzzers are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of Central Canadian Hockey League.-History:...
.
Memorial Cup 1934
The Majors dominated the Junior A hockey scene during the 1933-34 season. The team was undefeated in the regular season, and kept rolling through the playoffs, the Ontario Championship, Eastern Canadian Championship and the Memorial CupMemorial 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...
. Also of note, in 1933-34 the Buzzers won the Sutherland Cup
Sutherland Cup
The Sutherland Cup is the ice hockey Ontario Junior "B" Provincial Championship trophy. The Sutherland Cup is now the championship trophy of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League. Until 2007, the Cup served as an interleague provincial championship...
as Ontario Junior 'B' champions.
St. Michael's featured the likes of Bobby Bauer
Bobby Bauer
Robert Theodore Bauer was a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played 10 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Boston Bruins.-Playing career:...
, Reg Hamilton, Art Jackson, Regis (Pep) Kelly, Nick Metz, Don Wilson, Mickey Drouillard, goaltenders Harvey Teno and Jack Hamilton. The Toronto team was coached by Dr. W. J. (Jerry) Laflamme, a dentist who had quite a hockey history. He refereed in the NHL in the 1920s. That was after he had played defence on the Allan Cup winners from St. Michael's in 1909-1910 and captained the Allan Cup-winning Dentals of Toronto in 1916-17.
In the 1934 playoffs St. Michael's skated to 8-2, and 9-3 victories versus the Ottawa Shamrocks to win the two game series for the Ontario title. In the following series, Toronto faced the Charlottetown Abegweits in the eastern final, played in Toronto. The Majors prevailed again in two games, by scores of 12-2 and 7-2.
The Memorial Cup final was played at Shea's Amphitheatre
Shea's Amphitheatre
Shea's Amphitheatre, also known as the Winnipeg Amphitheatre, was an indoor arena located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, which seated 5,000 spectators....
in Winnipeg, where St. Michael's faced the Edmonton Athletic Club in a best-of-three series for the title. The Majors picked up Turk Broda
Turk Broda
Walter "Turk" Broda was an ice hockey goaltender, playing his entire career for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League . Broda was born in Brandon, Manitoba to a Ukrainian family; joining the Maple Leafs in 1936.-Personal:...
from the Winnipeg Monarchs
Winnipeg Monarchs
The Winnipeg Monarchs were a junior ice hockey team that played in the Western Canada Hockey League from 1967 to 1977 under three names. The team played as the Winnipeg Jets from 1967 to 1973; the Winnipeg Clubs from 1973 to 1976, and the Winnipeg Monarchs from 1976 to 1977. The Monarchs franchise...
to backup if goaltender Harvey Teno was injured. St. Mike's opened with a 5-0 victory over the Athletics on April 3. More than 4,500 fans showed up for game 2 on April 5. St. Michael's won its first Memorial Cup championship, with a 6-4 victory in overtime.
1937 OHA Champions
St. Michael's made their second trip to the OHA finals in 1937, and again faced the same opponent from in 1934, the Stratford Midgets. Toronto prevailed winning 3 games to 2. In the Ontario Championship, St. Michael's faced a familiar foe in the Copper Cliff Redmen. The Redmen previously played in Newmarket in the same league as Toronto, but switched to NOHA. Toronto lost to the northern Ontario champions, in 2 straight games.
Memorial Cup 1945
Joe Primeau returned to coached the 1945 Memorial Cup St. Michael's team, after being runners-up in the OHA finals in 1944. In 1945, Toronto won the J. Ross Robertson Cup, defeating the Galt Black HawksGalt Black Hawks
The Galt Black Hawks were a junior ice hockey team based in Galt, Ontario, now a part of the city of Cambridge. They played in the Ontario Hockey Association from 1949 to 1955 and were operated as an affiliate of the Chicago Black Hawks...
in four games straight. The Majors advanced further by eliminating the Montreal Royals in six games in eastern final. They won the sixth game 7-4 behind Joe Sadler's three goals in front of 10,548 fans at Maple Leaf Gardens on April 11.
The Memorial Cup final was played in its entirety at Maple Leaf Gardens. The Majors' opponents were the Moose Jaw Canucks
Moose Jaw Canucks
The Moose Jaw Canucks were a junior ice hockey team based in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. They were one of the founding members of the Western Canada Junior Hockey League in 1966 following a rebellion within the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League...
coached by Roy Bentley. Toronto won game one 8 to 5 on April 14, then Moose Jaw turned the tables on April 16, 5 to 3 victory to even the series. The Majors won each of the next three games by scores of 6 to 3, 4 to 3, and 7 to 2 in the deciding game.
Paid attendance for the five games was 65,437, which exceeded the Maple Leaf Gardens junior record for five games (59,301) that had been set in 1943 when the Winnipeg Rangers tangled with the Oshawa Generals. That 1943 series still held the six-game record of 73,867.
Memorial Cup 1946
St. Michael's returned to the Memorial Cup for a second consecutive year in 1946. The Majors defeated the Oshawa Generals in a six game, coming back from two games behind for the OHA championship. St. Michael's then swept the Montreal Junior Canadiens in three games straight in the eastern finals.The Majors met up with the Winnipeg Monarchs at Maple Leaf Gardens on April 13 to start the best-of-seven series for the national championship. Winnipeg won the first game 3 to 2, then Toronto rallied to win the next two games 5 to 3, and 7 to 3, before the Monarchs even the series in game four, winning 4 to 3. Toronto scored a 7 to 4 victory in game five, needing only one more win to be the second team to repeat as Memorial Cup champions. Winnipeg spoiled the plans, winning consecutive 4 to 2 victories to take the cup back west in 1946.
Memorial Cup 1947
The Memorial Cup's best-of-seven final opened in Winnipeg on April 15 with Toronto hammering Moose Jaw 12 to 3. The teams then headed for Moose Jaw, where game two was to be played on April 17, at the newly constructed arena. Toronto St. Michael's won that game 6 to 1. Game three was played in Regina, which Toronto kept up its momentum, winning 8 to 1. Game three ended with seven minutes to play in the third period, when the ice was littered for a second time with broken bottles thrown from the stands. Three nights later in Regina, St. Michael's finished the series with a 3 to 2 victory, for their third Memorial Cup title.
Memorial Cup 1961
Peterborough Petes
The Peterborough Petes are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. The team has played in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, since 1956, and is the oldest continuously operating team in the league.-History:...
, 3 games to 2, with three games tied. In 1960 the Majors lost in 6 games to the St. Catharines Teepees
St. Catharines Teepees
The St. Catharines Teepees were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association from 1947 to 1962. The team was based in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada.-History:...
.
Father David Bauer led the 1961 St. Michael's Majors to the OHA finals in 1961, where they upset the first place Guelph Royals 4 games to 2 with a tie, to win the J. Ross Robertson Cup. In the eastern championship the Majors swept the Moncton Beavers.
The 1961 Memorial Cup finals were played in the old Edmonton Gardens, with St. Michael's dominating the first two games. Toronto won the first game 4 to 0 backed by a shutout performance of goalie Gerry Cheevers. The Majors won the second game 4 to 1, with Cheevers coming within 6 minutes and 35 seconds of two consecutive shutouts. Game three was a much closer affair with Toronto holding on to win 4 to 2. Edmonton would not go down easily winning the next two games, in two grueling matches by scores of 5 to 4, and 4 to 2. St. Michael's would make history in game six, winning 4 to 2 and capturing their fourth Memorial Cup title, which stood at the record until broken by the 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...
.
Majors cease operations
The 1961 Memorial Cup victory was the end of the line for the Majors in the OHA circuit. Participation was seen in an increasingly negative light by the school's administration because of the circuit's relentless grind, escalating travel, physical play, and the junior league being operated in a manner similar to the NHL.Father David Bauer sent to letter to Conn Smythe
Conn Smythe
Constantine Falkland Cary Smythe MC was a Canadian businessman, soldier and sportsman in ice hockey and horse racing. He is best known as the principal owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League from 1927 to 1961 and as the builder of Maple Leaf Gardens...
during the 1960-61 season, which stated:
"My opinion is that sooner or later, they (the college) will see fit to discontinue the Junior A series because of its growing professionalism, its long schedule and rough play which so often results in unfavourable publicity difficult for the educational institution to handle gracefully."Conn Smythe and the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
wanted to keep the St. Michael's team in operation as a source of players, and then created the Metro Junior A League
Metro Junior A League
The Metro Junior A League was a junior ice hockey league created in 1961 by Toronto Maple Leafs owner Stafford Smythe in an attempt to rival the OHA, and act as a farm system for his NHL team. The league operated for two seasons from 1961 to 1963...
to help alleviate the college's concerns.
The St. Michael's team finished in first place in the Metro Junior A league, and competed for 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...
again in 1962. Coached by Ted Flanagan, the team lost in the Cup finals to the 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:...
.
Despite being the league champions in the 1961-62 season, St. Michael's discontinued its program altogether, and the team was relocated to Neil McNeil Catholic Secondary School
Neil McNeil Catholic Secondary School
Neil McNeil Catholic Secondary School is a private, all-boys Roman Catholic secondary school of the Toronto Catholic District School Board in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Neil McNeil is one of 31 high schools run by the TCDSB and one of four all-boys schools, and currently has an enrollment of 811...
in Scarborough, Ontario
Scarborough, Ontario
Scarborough is a dissolved municipality within the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it comprises the eastern part of Toronto. It is bordered on the south by Lake Ontario, on the west by Victoria Park Avenue, on the north by Steeles Avenue East, and on the east by the Rouge River...
, becoming the Toronto Neil McNeil Maroons
Toronto Neil McNeil Maroons
The Toronto Neil McNeil Maroons were a junior ice hockey team in the Metro Junior A League for one season in 1962-63. The Maroons were operated by Neil McNeil Catholic Secondary School in Scarborough, Ontario. When St. Michael's College discontinued its hockey program after the 1961-62 season, the...
. Father Bauer chose to pursue building a university-educated Canadian National team instead.
Modern era
The modern era of the St. Michael's Majors began on August 15, 1996, when the College was admitted to the OHL as an expansion team. Players would no longer be required to attend St. Michael's College SchoolSt. Michael's College School
St. Michael's College School is a private, all-boys Roman Catholic day school in Toronto, Canada. Currently administered by the Basilian Fathers, it is the largest school of its kind in Canada, with an enrollment of approximately 1,080 students from grades 7 to 12. St...
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, although some do. The team would also take part each year in the "Priority Selection" drafting new players, as opposed to relying on the student body for recruits.
Originally owned by St. Michael's College School, the team is now owned by Eugene Melnyk
Eugene Melnyk
Eugene Melnyk is a Ukrainian Canadian businessman who now resides in Barbados. He is the current owner, governor, and chairman of the Ottawa Senators professional ice hockey club of the National Hockey League . He also owns the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors junior-age ice hockey club...
, who is the current owner of 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...
and was fomerly, CEO of Biovail Corporation. Melnyk has pursued several deals to get a new arena for his team, but none have come to fruition. One of Melnyk's foiled plans included purchasing Maple Leaf Gardens
Maple Leaf Gardens
Maple Leaf Gardens is an indoor arena that was converted into a Loblawssupermarket and Ryerson University athletic centre in Toronto, on the northwest corner of Carlton Street and Church Street in Toronto's Garden District.One of the temples of hockey, it was home to the Toronto Maple Leafs of the...
.
The revived Majors struggled on the ice, and missed the playoffs in each of their first three seasons. During their second season, the Majors started strong, but traded four of their best players (Sheldon Keefe
Sheldon Keefe
Sheldon Keefe , is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player, principally for the Tampa Bay Lightning. He plays right wing,...
, Mike Jefferson
Mike Danton
Michael Sage Danton is a Canadian ice hockey player currently playing for the IFK Ore of the Swedish Division 1. Danton played for the New Jersey Devils and St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League between 2000 and 2004, before being imprisoned for a conspiracy to commit murder...
, Ryan Barnes and Shawn Cation) to the Barrie Colts
Barrie Colts
The Barrie Colts are a junior ice hockey team in Ontario Hockey League, based in Barrie, Ontario, Canada. There were two previous Barrie Colts team which played Junior A & B hockey in the Ontario Hockey Association, one from 1907 until 1910 and another from the 1920s to 1940s.-Original Colts:The...
midway through the season, as a result of controversy surrounding David Frost
David Frost (sports agent)
David Frost, a.k.a. Jim McCauley, was a junior ice hockey coach and NHL Players' Association sports agent, best known as the alleged target of a murder-for-hire plot by one of his clients, former St...
.
The Majors made breakthroughs in their fourth season. Toronto reached the conference finals four consecutive years from 2001 to 2004. Their closest point to reaching the league finals was in 2003, leading 3 games to 2 versus 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:...
and losing game six on home ice in overtime.
The Majors played on the smallest ice surface in the OHL, which tended to have a higher average of shots on goal per game than other arenas. Fittingly, the Majors produced several noted goaltenders in their recent history, including Peter Budaj
Peter Budaj
Peter Budaj is a Slovak professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
and Andy Chiodo
Andy Chiodo
Andy Chiodo is a professional ice hockey goaltender with the Klagenfurt AC of the Erste Bank Hockey League...
.
The St. Michael's had strong rivalries with the Mississauga IceDogs
Mississauga IceDogs
The Mississauga IceDogs are a former junior ice hockey team in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. They played in the Ontario Hockey League from 1998 to 2007. A sale relocated the team to St...
and Brampton Battalion
Brampton Battalion
The Brampton Battalion are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. The team is based in Brampton, Ontario and started playing in 1998.-History:The Brampton Battalion were granted an expansion franchise on December 3, 1996...
, both of which are local GTA
GTA
- Events :*Golden Tap Awards, an annual beer awards event held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada*Golden Ticket Awards, the most prestigious awards in the amusement industry- Media :*Grand Theft Auto , a 1977 film directed by Ron Howard...
teams who came into the OHL within a year of Toronto.
On July 12, 2006, Eugene Melnyk bought the Mississauga IceDogs. After the 2006-07 season, Melnyk sold the IceDogs, and move the Majors to the Hershey Centre
Hershey Centre
The Hershey Centre is a multi-purpose sports and entertainment complex located in Mississauga, Ontario, across the street from Iceland Mississauga.-History:...
in Mississauga. The IceDogs, in turn, moved to Jack Gatecliff Arena
Jack Gatecliff Arena
The Gatorade Garden City Complex is the main arena facility in St. Catharines, Ontario. It houses two arena pads - the Jack Gatecliff Arena which is home to the Niagara IceDogs, and the smaller Rex Stimers Arena. The original section was constructed in 1938, and was named the Garden City Arena...
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...
.
Championships
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...
George Richardson Memorial Trophy George Richardson Memorial Trophy The George T. Richardson Memorial Trophy was presented annually from 1932 until 1972 by the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association to the Eastern Canadian Junior "A" Champions. The trophy is named in honour of George T. Richardson, an Allan Cup winner with Queen’s University in 1909...
Division titles
| 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...
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Coaches
List of modern era coaches with multiple seasons in parentheses.
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Award winners
- 1944-45 - Leo Gravelle Eddie Powers Memorial TrophyEddie Powers Memorial TrophyThe Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the top scorer in the Ontario Hockey League. The trophy was donated by the Toronto Marlboro Athletic Club in memory of Edward Powers, and was first awarded to Tod Sloan of St...
Scoring Champion - 1945-46 - Tod Sloan 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, Eddie Powers Memorial TrophyEddie Powers Memorial TrophyThe Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the top scorer in the Ontario Hockey League. The trophy was donated by the Toronto Marlboro Athletic Club in memory of Edward Powers, and was first awarded to Tod Sloan of St...
Scoring Champion - 1946-47 - Ed Sandford 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 - 1946-47 - Fleming Mackell Eddie Powers Memorial TrophyEddie Powers Memorial TrophyThe Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the top scorer in the Ontario Hockey League. The trophy was donated by the Toronto Marlboro Athletic Club in memory of Edward Powers, and was first awarded to Tod Sloan of St...
Scoring Champion - 1956-57 - Frank Mahovlich 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 - 1959-60 - Gerry Cheevers 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 - 1960-61 - Brucer Draper 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
- 1997 - Charlie Stephens Jack Ferguson AwardJack Ferguson AwardThe Jack Ferguson Award, or "Fergie", is awarded each year to the top draft pick in the Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection Draft. The trophy is named in honour of Jack Ferguson, a former director of OHL Central Scouting.-Winners:...
First Overall Draft Pick - 1997-98 - Bujar Amidovski Leo Lalonde Memorial TrophyLeo Lalonde Memorial TrophyThe Leo Lalonde Memorial Trophy is awarded each year to the best overage player in the Ontario Hockey League. The Leo Lalonde Memorial Trophy was donated by the trainers of the Ontario Hockey League in memory of the late Leo Lalonde, former chief scout of OHL Central Scouting.-Winners:*2010-11...
Overage Player of the Year & OHL Goaltender of the YearOHL Goaltender of the YearThe OHL Goaltender of the Year Award is given to the best goaltender in the Ontario Hockey League, as voted on by OHL coaches and general managers.-Winners:*2010-11 Mark Visentin, Niagara Ice Dogs*2009-10 Chris Carrozzi, Mississauga St... - 2000-01 - Andy Chiodo F.W. "Dinty" Moore Trophy Best Rookie GAA
- 2002-03 - Andy Chiodo OHL Goaltender of the YearOHL Goaltender of the YearThe OHL Goaltender of the Year Award is given to the best goaltender in the Ontario Hockey League, as voted on by OHL coaches and general managers.-Winners:*2010-11 Mark Visentin, Niagara Ice Dogs*2009-10 Chris Carrozzi, Mississauga St...
- 2003-04 - Scott Lehman Bobby Smith TrophyBobby Smith TrophyThe Bobby Smith Trophy is awarded annually to the OHL Scholastic Player of the Year who best combines high standards of play and academic excellence....
Scholastic Player of the Year
Honoured players
The St. Michael's Majors have not retired any numbers, but have honoured these people with banners in the rafters.
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NHL alumni
Hockey Hall of FameHockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
inductees listed in bold type.
Original era Majors (1906 to 1962)
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Modern era Majors (1997 to present)
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Team records
Records from 1997 to present.| Career records for individuals | ||
| Statistic | Total | Player |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 262 | Darryl Boyce |
| Goals | 109 | Darryl Bootland |
| Assists | 142 | Tim Brent |
| Points | 234 | Darryl Bootland |
| Penalty minutes | 519 | Darryl Bootland |
| Wins | 69 | Justin Peters |
| Shutouts | 9 | Andy Chiodo |
| Individual records for a single season | |||
| Statistic | Player | Total | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most goals | Justin Donati | 46 | 2005-06 |
| Most assists | Justin Donati | 63 | 2005-06 |
| Most points | Justin Donati | 109 | 2005-06 |
| Most penalty mins | Ryan Barnes | 215 | 1998-99 |
| Best GAA | Peter Budaj | 2.29 | 2001–2002 |
| Best save % | Peter Budaj | 0.922 | 2001–2002 |
| Goalies = minimum 1500 minutes played | |||
Regular season
- For 1962-63, see: Toronto Neil McNeil MaroonsToronto Neil McNeil MaroonsThe Toronto Neil McNeil Maroons were a junior ice hockey team in the Metro Junior A League for one season in 1962-63. The Maroons were operated by Neil McNeil Catholic Secondary School in Scarborough, Ontario. When St. Michael's College discontinued its hockey program after the 1961-62 season, the...
.
| Season | Games | Won | Lost | Tied | Points | Pct % | Goals for |
Goals against |
Standing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1937–38 | 12 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 14 | 0.583 | 52 | 38 | 3rd OHA | |
| 1938–39 | 14 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 20 | 0.714 | 70 | 43 | 1st Group 1 | |
| 1941–42 | 24 | 10 | 14 | 0 | 20 | 0.417 | 66 | 120 | 6th OHA | |
| 1942–43 | 21 | 9 | 11 | 1 | 23 | 0.450 | 92 | 99 | 5th OHA | |
| 1943–44 | 25 | 21 | 4 | 0 | 44 | 0.840 | 169 | 69 | 2nd Group 1 | |
| 1944–45 | 19 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 36 | 0.947 | 174 | 54 | 1st OHA | |
| 1945–46 | 28 | 26 | 2 | 0 | 52 | 0.929 | 199 | 54 | 1st OHA | |
| 1946–47 | 36 | 33 | 3 | 0 | 66 | 0.917 | 234 | 59 | 1st OHA | |
| 1947–48 | 32 | 6 | 26 | 0 | 16 | 0.188 | 76 | 135 | 9th OHA | |
| 1948–49 | 48 | 13 | 31 | 4 | 30 | 0.312 | 96 | 128 | 8th OHA | |
| 1949–50 | 48 | 19 | 26 | 3 | 41 | 0.427 | 164 | 213 | 6th OHA | |
| 1950–51 | 54 | 16 | 31 | 7 | 39 | 0.361 | 189 | 244 | 9th OHA | |
| 1951–52 | 53 | 30 | 20 | 3 | 63 | 0.594 | 227 | 188 | 4th OHA | |
| 1952–53 | 56 | 31 | 18 | 7 | 69 | 0.616 | 238 | 181 | 3rd OHA | |
| 1953–54 | 59 | 30 | 26 | 3 | 63 | 0.534 | 246 | 211 | 4th OHA | |
| 1954–55 | 49 | 26 | 19 | 4 | 56 | 0.571 | 171 | 151 | 4th OHA | |
| 1955–56 | 48 | 22 | 23 | 3 | 47 | 0.490 | 181 | 197 | 5th OHA | |
| 1956–57 | 52 | 23 | 24 | 5 | 51 | 0.490 | 195 | 189 | 4th OHA | |
| 1957–58 | 52 | 23 | 22 | 7 | 53 | 0.510 | 176 | 189 | 3rd OHA | |
| 1958–59 | 48 | 19 | 24 | 5 | 51 | 0.448 | 149 | 159 | 4th OHA | |
| 1959–60 | 48 | 23 | 19 | 6 | 52 | 0.542 | 149 | 150 | 4th OHA | |
| 1960–61 | 48 | 26 | 16 | 6 | 58 | 0.604 | 160 | 160 | 2nd OHA | |
| 1961–62 | 33 | 25 | 7 | 1 | 55 | 0.773 | 170 | 91 | 1st Metro Jr.A | |
- 1997-2007 Revived OHL St. Michael's Majors
Legend: OTL = Overtime loss, SL = Shoot Out Loss
| Season | Games | Won | Lost | Tied | OTL | SL | Points | Pct % | Goals for |
Goals against |
Standing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997–98 1997–98 OHL season The 1997–98 OHL season was the 18th season of the Ontario Hockey League. Eighteen teams each played 66 games. The Guelph Storm won the J. Ross Robertson Cup, defeating the Ottawa 67's. The Toronto St. Michael's Majors name is re-activated when they are awarded a franchise, they would play in the... |
66 | 15 | 42 | 9 | |||||||
| 39 | 0.295 | 154 | 265 | 6th Eastern | |||||||
| 1998–99 1998–99 OHL season The 1998–99 OHL season was the 19th season of the Ontario Hockey League. Twenty teams each played 68 games. The Belleville Bulls won the J. Ross Robertson Cup, defeating the London Knights.... |
68 | 20 | 42 | 6 | |||||||
| 46 | 0.338 | 214 | 316 | 4th Central | |||||||
| 1999–00 1999–2000 OHL season The 1999–2000 OHL season was the 20th season of the Ontario Hockey League. Twenty teams each played 68 games. The Barrie Colts won the J. Ross Robertson Cup, defeating the Plymouth Whalers.-Eastern Conference:-Western Conference:-Scoring leaders:... |
68 | 18 | 44 | 2 | 4 | ||||||
| 42 | 0.279 | 203 | 281 | 4th Central | |||||||
| 2000–01 | 68 | 35 | 23 | 8 | 2 | ||||||
| 80 | 0.574 | 213 | 188 | 2nd Central | |||||||
| 2001–02 | 68 | 40 | 19 | 8 | 1 | ||||||
| 89 | 0.647 | 230 | 177 | 1st Central | |||||||
| 2002–03 | 68 | 32 | 24 | 7 | 5 | ||||||
| 76 | 0.522 | 207 | 214 | 2nd Central | |||||||
| 2003–04 | 68 | 38 | 21 | 7 | 2 | ||||||
| 85 | 0.610 | 210 | 187 | 1st Central | |||||||
| 2004–05 | 68 | 29 | 30 | 6 | 3 | ||||||
| 67 | 0.471 | 177 | 202 | 5th Central | |||||||
| 2005–06 | 68 | 32 | 26 | ||||||||
| 6 | 4 | 74 | 0.544 | 259 | 285 | 4th Central | |||||
| 2006–07 | 68 | 20 | 41 | ||||||||
| 4 | 3 | 47 | 0.346 | 225 | 325 | 5th Central |
Playoffs
- 1997–98 Out of playoffs.
- 1998–99 Out of playoffs.
- 1999–00 Out of playoffs.
- 2000–01 Defeated Peterborough Petes 4 games to 3 in conference quarter-finals.
Defeated Sudbury Wolves 4 games to 3 in conference semi-finals.
Lost to Ottawa 67's 4 games to 0 in conference finals. - 2001–02 Defeated North Bay Centennials 4 games to 0 in conference quarter-finals.
Defeated Ottawa 67's 4 games to 3 in conference semi-finals.
Lost to Barrie Colts 4 games to 0 in conference finals. - 2002–03 Defeated Belleville Bulls 4 games to 3 in conference quarter-finals.
Defeated Brampton Battalion 4 games to 1 in conference semi-finals.
Lost to Ottawa 67's 4 games to 3 in conference finals. - 2003–04 Defeated Sudbury Wolves 4 games to 3 in conference quarter-finals.
Defeated Brampton Battalion 4 games to 1 in conference semi-finals.
Lost to Mississauga IceDogs 4 games to 2 in conference finals. - 2004–05 Defeated Mississauga IceDogs 4 games to 1 in conference quarter-finals.
Lost to Peterborough Petes 4 games to 1 in conference semi-finals. - 2005–06 Lost to Barrie Colts 4 games to 0 in conference quarter-finals.
- 2006–07 Out of playoffs.
Uniforms and logos
Home uniforms have a white background, navy blue shoulders and arms, with light blue trim. Road uniforms have a light blue background, with navy blue shoulders, and white trim. The Majors have also used a third jersey with a stylized "M" on the front, and without the navy blue shoulders.
To celebrate the Majors 10th season back in the league, the team launched a new 3rd jersey with the shoulder cloverleaf logo on the front. The jersey is also baby blue in colour.
Arenas
St. Michael's College School Arena
The St. Michael's College School Arena is a 1,600-seat hockey arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was built in 1956 on the campus of St. Michael's College School in central Toronto, and originally was an outdoor rink. A half-cylinder shape wooden roof was finally built over the ice.The arena was...
. The arena is located in uptown Toronto near the intersection of Bathurst Street and St. Clair Avenue
St. Clair Avenue
St. Clair Avenue is a major east-west street in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was laid out in the late 18th century by the British as a concession road , north of Bloor Street and north of Queen Street....
behind St. Michael's College School
St. Michael's College School
St. Michael's College School is a private, all-boys Roman Catholic day school in Toronto, Canada. Currently administered by the Basilian Fathers, it is the largest school of its kind in Canada, with an enrollment of approximately 1,080 students from grades 7 to 12. St...
. The college arena is by far the smallest in the Ontario Hockey League in terms of both ice size and seating. The arena is also home to the St. Michael's Buzzers
St. Michael's Buzzers
The St. Michael's Buzzers are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of Central Canadian Hockey League.-History:...
of the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League
Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League
The Ontario Junior Hockey League is a Junior A ice hockey league under the supervision of the Ontario Hockey Association and the Canadian Junior Hockey League. The league dates back to 1954 as the Central Junior B Hockey League. In 1993, the Central Junior B Hockey League was promoted to the...
.
- Capacity = 1,617
- Ice Size = 180' x 80'
- St Michael's College Arena - The OHL Arena & Travel Guide
The St. Michael's Majors previously played at Maple Leaf Gardens
Maple Leaf Gardens
Maple Leaf Gardens is an indoor arena that was converted into a Loblawssupermarket and Ryerson University athletic centre in Toronto, on the northwest corner of Carlton Street and Church Street in Toronto's Garden District.One of the temples of hockey, it was home to the Toronto Maple Leafs of the...
for their first three seasons from 1997 to 2000. The original Majors also played at Maple Leaf Gardens from its construction in 1931 to their folding in the early 1960s. When the Gardens was finally scheduled to close a year after the last Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
game, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment evicted the Majors, who moved to the arena on the college campus, in spite of the fact that the major junior team had only played there rarely before.
- Maple Leaf Gardens - The OHL Arena & Travel Guide
The Majors also played selected home games during the 1999-00 season at the Air Canada Centre
Air Canada Centre
The Air Canada Centre is a multi-purpose indoor sporting arena located on Bay Street in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada.The arena is popularly known as the ACC or the Hangar ....
vs the Mississauga IceDogs and Brampton Battalion, and also an inter-league game versus the Montreal Rocket
Montreal Rocket
The Montreal Rocket were a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League for four seasons from 1999 to 2003, based out of Montreal, Quebec. The team was named in honor of Montreal Canadiens great Maurice "Rocket" Richard...
.
In 2003-04 and 2006-07 seasons, the Majors played two home games vs the Ottawa 67's at Scotiabank Place
Scotiabank Place
Scotiabank Place is a multi-purpose arena, located in Kanata, a suburban district of Ottawa, Ontario. It is home to the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League. It has also hosted the Canadian University Men's Basketball Championship...
in Kanata, Ontario
Kanata, Ontario
Situated in the Ottawa Valley, Kanata is located about west-southwest of Downtown Ottawa along Highway 417 at a latitude of 45°18' North and a longitude of 75°55' West, with an area of . Its northern end is just to the west of the Ottawa River....
. This arose from the common ownership between the St. Michael's Majors and 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...
by Eugene Melnyk
Eugene Melnyk
Eugene Melnyk is a Ukrainian Canadian businessman who now resides in Barbados. He is the current owner, governor, and chairman of the Ottawa Senators professional ice hockey club of the National Hockey League . He also owns the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors junior-age ice hockey club...
.
See also
- St. Michael's College SchoolSt. Michael's College SchoolSt. Michael's College School is a private, all-boys Roman Catholic day school in Toronto, Canada. Currently administered by the Basilian Fathers, it is the largest school of its kind in Canada, with an enrollment of approximately 1,080 students from grades 7 to 12. St...
- University of St. Michael's CollegeUniversity of St. Michael's CollegeThe University of St. Michael's College is a college of the University of Toronto, founded in 1852 by the Congregation of St. Basil of Annonay, France. While mainly an undergraduate college for liberal arts and sciences, St. Michael's retains its Roman Catholic affiliation through its postgraduate...
- List of ice hockey teams in Ontario
External links
- St. Michael's Majors Official web site
- St. Michael's College School Official web site
- Ontario Hockey League Official web site
- Canadian Hockey League Official web site
- Majors Boosters Official Booster Club