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 , Canada.
81-794: The Hamilton Fincups were relocated in 1978 becoming the Brantford Alexanders. The OMJHL junior team took the name of the OHA senior team which had played for two years prior, which in themselves were named for Brantford's most famous former resident, telephone pioneer Alexander Graham Bell . After two years in the OMJHL, the league changed names to the OHL and the Alexanders played four more seasons in Brantford, before moving back to Hamilton as
162-571: A 26-37-3-2 record, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2000–01. It didn't take long to turn things around with Spott at the helm, as the team rebounded with a 34-point improvement the following season, finishing with a record of 42-19-4-3. After a 4–2 series win over the Saginaw Spirit and an 8–3, Game 7 win over the favoured London Knights in Round 2, the Rangers were bounced from
243-522: A 3–3 tie in the third period to propel the Blueshirts to a 4–3 win. The Rangers were successful promoting the team in the community, drawing high attendance despite a poor first season in the standings which finished with a record of 9-41-6 (W-L-T). The Rangers struggled during their first three seasons in the OHA , finishing under .500 in the following two campaigns (6th in 1964–65, 7th in 1965–66). Despite
324-499: A 5–3 win over Laval. Similar to 1984, both Ontario-based team were undefeated after two games and faced each other in the last game of the round-robin. The game was played in front of 11,134 fans, lasting 4 hours 15 minutes into double overtime, with Oshawa winning 5–4. Kitchener then played Laval in the semi-finals, claiming a 5–4 victory. The Rangers played the Generals in the tournament final with 17,383 fans in attendance. Much like
405-467: A 9–2 win over Portland in game two. Brian Bellows scored 11 seconds into the game against Portland, setting a Memorial Cup record. In their third game, the Rangers shut out the Castors 4–0. The game was very physical, and included a bench-clearing brawl in the second period. Kitchener seemed to be a bit worn out the next night, losing 4–2 to Portland. The Rangers and the Castors made it to the finals on
486-485: A better goals for and against total, after all three teams won and lost two games each in the round-robin. The final game drew 4,091 spectators who saw Bellows score a hat trick and add two assists, propelling the Rangers to a 7–4 victory and their first Memorial Cup championship. In 1982–83, the Rangers finished with a 45-23-2 record and a second-place finish in the Emms Division. After a first round bye they faced
567-521: A club record. The Rangers' record during the 1979–80 season dropped to 17-51-0, but Paul Coffey , a young acquired defenceman from the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds , collected 71 points in 52 regular season games before being drafted sixth overall by the Edmonton Oilers in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft . The Rangers were looking to rebound from a 17-51-0 season in 1979–80, but the first half of
648-648: A first-round bye during the playoffs that year, and claimed a 7–3 win over the Sarnia Sting in Game 7 of Round 2. They fell behind, 3–1, in their third round series vs. the Oshawa Generals before winning Game 5, 5–4. But after games in three straight days and five games in their last six, the two teams had a three-day break before resuming their series. After the break, the Raiders lost 6–1 in Game 6, dropping
729-663: A group of Kitchener businessmen relocated the Guelph Royals to Kitchener and renamed them the Kitchener Rangers Junior "A" Hockey Club. The New York Rangers sponsorship of the team ended in 1967 with the expansion of the NHL's "Original Six’" Era, so George agreed to purchase the team from the New York Rangers for a sum of one dollar, but declined the opportunity for private ownership. He instead turned
810-777: A major junior ice hockey team based in Kitchener, Ontario , Canada. They are members of the Midwest Division of the Western Conference of the Ontario Hockey League . The Rangers have won the J. Ross Robertson Cup as OHL champions in 1981, 1982, 2003 and 2008. They have appeared in six Memorial Cups (1981, 1982, 1984, 1990, 2003 and 2008), advancing to the final game of the tournament each of those six years. They are two-time Memorial Cup champions (1982, 2003). The Rangers are one of six teams in
891-591: A profit, the Fincups moved out of town, becoming the Brantford Alexanders. Fincup was a combination of the surnames 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 did not have to go far to hire a new coach for the new regime as they hired
SECTION 10
#1732797677521972-482: A rematch of the 1982 OHL Finals , but this time the 67's won the series, 3–0, with two ties. Kitchener represented the host team in the tournament, while the 67's - including right winger Don McLaren (53 goals, 113 points in 70 games), left winger Gary Roberts (27 goals, 57 points in 48 games) and goaltender Darren Pang - represented the Ontario Hockey League as champions. The Western Hockey League
1053-776: A row they were eliminated by the Spitfires, followed by three years in a row at the hands of the Greyhounds. The Brantford Alexanders also had an official theme song recorded by County Line, called "Cowboys of the Ice". There have been 29 alumni of the Alexanders to play in the NHL . In 1982–83, Dave Gagner was awarded the Bobby Smith Trophy for the OHA's Scholastic Player of the Year. The Brantford Alexanders played home games at
1134-590: A second-round bye. They defeated the Niagara Falls Thunder in the third round, 4–1, setting up a final vs. an Oshawa Generals team which featured Eric Lindros (17 goals, 36 points in 25 games). The Rangers took a 3–1 series lead before the Generals won three straight games en route to the J. Ross Robertson Cup as OHL champions. The 1990 Memorial Cup was played at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario . The Dukes of Hamilton were slated to host
1215-619: A semi-final meeting between the two teams two nights later in which the Rangers won, 9–0. During the Kitchener-Spokane final, though, the Chiefs skated to a 4–1 win and a Memorial Cup championship on the Rangers home ice at The Aud. During the trophy presentation, the Chiefs endured an infamous gaffe which saw the Memorial Cup come apart and break while the team was passing it among themselves during their celebration. Following
1296-642: A very young Bert Templeton as the team's new coach (Bert was coaching the Junior B team in Hamilton owned by Cupido and Finochio) which had just won the Jr B championship (Sutherland cup). 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 due to conflict with ownership and replaced by Dave Draper. In
1377-875: The Barton Street Arena , 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. The Fincups were a short-lived team in the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League 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
1458-524: The Brantford Civic Centre from 1978 to 1984. The OHL All-Star game was hosted here in 1982. Hamilton Fincups The Hamilton Fincups were a Canadian 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 Hamilton Fincups played home games at
1539-538: The Canadian Hockey League ( Moose Jaw Warriors , Swift Current Broncos , Lethbridge Hurricanes , Peterborough Petes ) that are publicly owned. Since the club's inception, a 39-person Board of Directors, including a nine-person executive committee, is elected by the team's season ticket subscribers who act as trustees of the team. This Board of Directors is also comprised entirely and only of Kitchener Rangers season ticket subscribers. They are one of
1620-532: The Cornwall Royals which featured the likes of centre Dale Hawerchuk (81 goals, 183 points in 72 games), left winger Marc Crawford (42 goals, 99 points in 63 games) and centre Doug Gilmour (35 points in 51 games). Kitchener lost its first two games; 6–3 to Cornwall and 7–4 to Victoria. The Rangers then posted consecutive victories; 6–4 over the Royals in which Bellows scored a hat trick , and 4-2 vs.
1701-598: The North Bay Centennials in Round 2 and won the series, 4–1. They would meet the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds for the third consecutive year in the playoffs but this time the Hounds won the series, 4–2 with one tie, eliminating the Blueshirts from post-season play. Even before the season began the Rangers knew they would be returning to the Memorial Cup for the third time in four seasons, as they were awarded
SECTION 20
#17327976775211782-598: 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,
1863-569: The Sarnia Sting , 4–0, but were halted by the Plymouth Whalers , 4–1, in Round 2. In May 2007, it was announced that the Rangers would host the 2008 Memorial Cup , giving the team an automatic entry into the tournament. The 2007-08 team finished with a regular season record of 53-11-1-3, which remains a franchise best in wins and points to this day. They were crowned the winners of the Hamilton Spectator Trophy as
1944-453: The Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds , but again skated to victory, this time with a 4–1 series win. The Ontario Hockey League final pitted the Rangers against the eastern conference champion Belleville Bulls . A 3-0 Rangers series lead evaporated into a 3–3 tie, but the Rangers earned their fourth Ontario Hockey League championship with a 4–1 win over the Bulls in the finale. The 2008 Memorial Cup
2025-523: The Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds , this time in Round 3, and again earned a series win this time in five games (4-1). The Rangers faced off against the Ottawa 67's , coached by Brian Kilrea , in the league final and claimed their second straight J. Ross Robertson Cup with a 4–0 series victory, including one tie. The 1982 Memorial Cup was played at Robert Guertin Arena in Hull, Quebec . Kitchener represented
2106-518: The Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds , who the Rangers beat in four straight games. The Greyhounds managed just three goals in the series, being shut out twice by goaltender Scott Dickie in Games 1 and 2. The Rangers faced the Guelph Storm in Round 2, dropping their Highway 7 rivals in five games. Round 3 saw them face the Plymouth Whalers . After skating to a 2–2 series tie through the first four games,
2187-561: The Toronto Marlboros in the semi-finals. In 1967–68, the Rangers were first again in the OHA and went on to win their second consecutive Hamilton Spectator Trophy. They played in the Finals again, but this time losing a close series 4 games to 3 with a tie, to the eventual Memorial Cup champion Niagara Falls Flyers . In 1968–69, Jim Malleck succeeded Eugene George as the team's president. In November 1968, Kitchener native Dave Weber
2268-696: The Western Hockey League champion Kelowna Rockets . The Hull Olympiques - featuring forwards Max Talbot and Jean-Michel Daoust - were the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League champions while the host Quebec Remparts were led by forwards David Masse and Josh Hennessy . Kitchener went through the round-robin undefeated, beating the Remparts 4–3 in their opener, the Olympiques, 4–1 in their second game, and
2349-443: The Western Hockey League champion Spokane Chiefs . The Gatineau Olympiques - featuring forwards Claude Giroux , Matthew Pistilli and Paul Byron - were the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League champions. Kitchener won its first game of the tournament, 6–5 in overtime, vs. Gatineau, before dropping a 2-1 decision to Spokane in the second game of the round robin. Their third game was a 4–3 overtime loss to Belleville, which set up
2430-538: The 1980-81 campaign left them in last place at Christmas. But a strong second half - culminating with eight wins in nine games to finish the season - propelled the Rangers to a first-place finish and an Emms Division title. They would see a 35-point improvement from the previous season, finishing with a mark of 34-33-1. Coached by Orval Tessier , the Rangers were led offensively by 49 goals and 116 points from right winger Brian Bellows , along with 54 goals and 108 points from left winger Jeff Larmer . Centreman Grant Martin
2511-595: The Cougars. The Rangers went on to face Cornwall in the tournament final but dropped a 5-2 decision to the Royals, who would win their second consecutive Memorial Cup. Joe Crozier took over the coaching duties after the 1980–81 season after coach/general manager Orval Tessier left the team to become head coach of the American Hockey League 's New Brunswick Hawks , who he would lead to a Calder Cup championship. Kitchener picked up where it left off from
Brantford Alexanders - Misplaced Pages Continue
2592-752: The Emms division regular season in 1976 and eliminated the Kitchener Rangers , 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
2673-492: The Emms with a 41-19-6 record in 1988–89. Goaltender Gus Morschauser was named the OHL Goaltender of the Year , but the Rangers were upset in the first round of the playoffs by the North Bay Centennials . In 1989–90, the Rangers finished second overall in the Emms Division (38-21-7) but used their experience to prevail through the playoffs. Kitchener earned a 4–1 series win over the North Bay Centennials before earning
2754-404: The Memorial Cup run of 2007–08, head coach Peter DeBoer was hired as head coach of the NHL 's Florida Panthers and assistant Steve Spott was named the new head coach of the club. After seven straight winning seasons, the team took a step back in the 2008-09 campaign after losing many graduating players from their championship squad. They finished under .500 and fifth in the Midwest Division with
2835-697: 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. The team's move to St. Catharines, Ontario in 1977 was necessitated by the closure of the old Barton Street Arena in Hamilton. During the 1976 Memorial Cup run, the Hamilton Spectator
2916-514: 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. The franchise issued a set of 18 sports cards for the 1974-75 season. 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
2997-567: The Ontario Hockey League, while left winger Gerard Gallant (34 goals, 92 points in 58 regular season games) and centre John Chabot (34 goals, 143 points in 62 games) were members of the QMJHL's Sherbrooke Castors . Centre Ken Yaremchuk (58 goals, 157 points in 72 games) and right winger Brian Shaw (56 goals, 132 points in 69 games) were members of the Western Hockey League champion Portland Winter Hawks . Kitchener lost 10-4 to Sherbrooke in their opener before rebounding with
3078-429: The Rangers and the visiting St. Catharines Black Hawks on Tuesday, October 15, 1963 which dressed the likes of league All-Stars Dennis Hull and Doug Jarrett . The first goal in team history was scored by John Beechey, assisted by Gary Sabourin and Tommy Miller, at 11:36 of the first period. The team's first captain, Alexander 'Sandy' Fitzpatrick , would score the first game-winning goal in team history, breaking open
3159-503: The Rangers finished first in the OHA for their third Hamilton Spectator Trophy in eight years in large part due to the goalkeeping of Don Edwards , who had the league's lowest goals against average. The team lost to the Peterborough Petes in the second round of the playoffs. In the 1974–75 season, the club finished last in the league and 20 points out of a playoff spot with a record of 17-47-6. Despite their last-place finish,
3240-525: The Rangers would host the Memorial Cup that season as no host team was in place. For the following season in 1975–76, there were changes at president, general manager and coach. The team improved by 17 points, rising to a fourth-place finish in the standings. In 1976–77, Foster would set the Rangers franchise record for points in a single season (143), a mark that still stands today. His total 382 points in 262 regular season games over 1973-77 also remains
3321-487: The Remparts goalie Maurice 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
Brantford Alexanders - Misplaced Pages Continue
3402-537: The Rockets, 4–2. In the championship final, the Rangers jumped out to a 1–0 lead on a goal by Andre Benoit just 1:45 into the game, and were up 2-0 after a Gregory Campbell power play goal at 3:32. Evan McGrath 's first of two second period goals made it 3-0 Kitchener, as the Rangers and Olympiques each tallied three goals a piece in the middle frame. With the Rangers holding a 5–3 lead through 40 minutes of play, David Clarkson added another with 2:38 to play to secure
3483-663: The Steelhawks. The Alexanders made the playoffs for five straight years after missing out its first year in Brantford. The team narrowly missed out on winning its division in 1980–81 by a single point. Brantford developed close rivalries with the London Knights and the Niagara Falls Flyers . Their playoff nemeses were the Windsor Spitfires and the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds . Two years in
3564-578: The Whalers claimed a 2–1 overtime win at The Aud to take a 3–2 lead. The Rangers earned a 7–4 win in Game 6 to stay alive, then skated to a berth in the OHL Final with a 3–1 win in Game 7. In the league championship they would take on the eastern conference champion Ottawa 67's . The 67's picked up a 3–2 overtime win in Game 1, but from thereon out it was all Kitchener as the Rangers won the next four games to be crowned J. Ross Robertson Cup champions for
3645-425: The club's second Memorial Cup title, defeating Hull, 6–3. The following season the Rangers finished with a modest record of 34-26-6-2 as they competed with division rivals, the London Knights and Guelph Storm , who each finished the campaign with more than 100 points. Their first round playoff match-up was against the Plymouth Whalers , but besides eking out a 5–4 win in Game 3, the Rangers were handily defeated in
3726-413: The decade, posting only two winning seasons (a 31-24-8 record in 1971–72, and 43-18-9 in 1973–74). Barber posted his first of two straight 100+ point seasons in 1970–71, scoring 46 goals and 105 points in 61 regular season games. He was one of two players to hit the 100-point milestone ( Tom Cassidy , 104 points) that year, but the Rangers were unable to get out of the first round of the playoffs. In 1973–74,
3807-433: 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
3888-405: The exception of the 3–3 tie in Game 4. Next up was a meeting with the Windsor Spitfires in Round 3, which the Rangers won 4–0 with one tie. Again the Blueshirts offense proved formidable, scoring no fewer than four goals in each contest and twice scoring seven. This set the stage for an OHL Final vs. the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds . The Hounds were favoured to win the league title, having averaged
3969-423: The first game between the two teams, the championship went into double overtime with the Generals emerging as victors, 4–3. Following the 1990 Memorial Cup run, the remainder of the decade was lackluster for Kitchener. The team managed three winning seasons (32-30-4 in 1992–93, and 35-28-3 in 1995–96) with their best season coming in 1996–97 with a Central Division title and a record of 34-22-10. The Rangers earned
4050-401: The first two games, the Knights won the next three and eliminated the Rangers in five games. Despite registering a franchise-best 47 wins the following year in 2005-06 (47–19–1–1) (W–L–OTL–SOL), the Blueshirts and their 96-point campaign was second-best to the London Knights (49 wins, 102 points) in the Midwest Division standings. But after such a successful regular season, in the first round of
4131-408: 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
SECTION 50
#17327976775214212-518: The game 9–7. Ottawa had also won its first two games. The Rangers faced the 67's in the final game of round-robin play, posting a 7–2 victory to earn a berth in the finals. Ottawa won their semi-final, 7–2, for the right to play Kitchener for the championship where they would also hand the Rangers a 7–2 defeat to win the Memorial Cup. Following the 1984 Memorial Cup , the Rangers would finish sixth (1984–85), third (1985–86), fourth (1986–87) and sixth (1987–88) in their division before reclaiming top spot in
4293-399: The highest goals per game average in the league and finishing 27 points ahead of Kitchener in the regular season standings. The Rangers, however, held the Greyhounds to 16 goals in the series six games and were undefeated in the league final. They skated to a 3–0 series win with three ties to earn their first J. Ross Robertson Cup as OHL champions in franchise history. The 1981 Memorial Cup
4374-451: The likes of Mike Richards , Derek Roy , Gregory Campbell and David Clarkson , began the season three losses and a tie in their first four games. After reaching mid-October with a record of 3-3-2-1 the team's record improved, winning eight in a row (11-3-2-1). During November and December they lost just five games, and sported a 26-8-3-1 record as the calendar year changed to 2003. It wasn't until January 12 when they lost their tenth game of
4455-506: The most successful Canadian Hockey League teams in terms of alumni with over 180 players and coaches going on to serve in the NHL including Gabriel Landeskog , Jeff Skinner , Radek Faksa , John Gibson , Nazem Kadri , Mike Richards , David Clarkson , Steve Mason , Derek Roy and Peter DeBoer . Five of their alumni have gone on to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame : Scott Stevens , Bill Barber , Paul Coffey , Larry Robinson and Al MacInnis . The Kitchener Rangers franchise
4536-413: The playoffs in the third round by the Windsor Spitfires in Game 7 after holding a 3–0 series lead. The Spitfires would go on to win their first of back-to-back Memorial Cups. On October 30, 2009, 16-year-old rookie defenceman Ben Fanelli was hit from behind by 20-year-old overage forward Michael Liambis of the Erie Otters at a high speed behind the Rangers' net. The hit, which came at the 7:52 mark of
4617-411: The playoffs the Owen Sound Attack (who finished 25 points behind Kitchener in the regular season), dropped the Rangers in five games in the opening round. The 2006–07 saw the team once again turning out another 47-win campaign (47–17–1–3, 98 points), but they again finished second in the Midwest Division to the London Knights (50–14–1–3, 104 points). The Rangers barreled out of the first round, sweeping
4698-451: The previous season, finding success while being led by top players Larry Carroll , Brian Bellows and Jeff Larmer , as well as added future NHL players Scott Stevens and Mike Hough . The Rangers won the Emms Division for the second year in a row with a much improved record (44-21-3). Kitchener earned a first round bye in the playoffs, then skated to a 4–0 series win over the Windsor Spitfires in Round 2. They once again clashed with
4779-434: The right to host the event in 1984. Tom Barrett took over coaching duties prior to the campaign, which saw Kitchener post the best record in the OHL (52-16-2) with 106 points. The Rangers were led offensively by right winger Wayne Presley (63 goals, 139 points in 70 regular season games) and centre John Tucker (40 goals, 100 points in 39 games). Tucker would go on to be named the OHL's Most Outstanding Player , while Presley
4860-412: The season, and they rebounded with their 30th win of the campaign the following game on January 17. They only lost back-to-back games once from January on; the final two games of the regular season. The Rangers finished the campaign with a record of 46-14-5-3 (W-L-T-OTL), winning the Midwest Division; those 46 wins setting a new franchise best. Their division title set up a first-round playoff matchup with
4941-401: The second period, occurred with such force that it caused Fanelli's helmet to fly off before his head struck a glass partition at the Zamboni entrance. He would suffer a fractured skull and orbital bone and was immediately airlifted to Hamilton General Hospital where he was placed in intensive care. Fanelli was released from Hamilton General Hospital a week later on November 6, 2009. Liambas
SECTION 60
#17327976775215022-413: The series, 4–1. In 2004–05, the Rangers once again finished the regular season third in the Midwest Division (35-20-9-4), but their run in the playoffs was much longer than the prior year's. After defeating the Erie Otters in six games, Kitchener went on to sweep the Owen Sound Attack in Round 2. Their third round match-up was vs. the London Knights , but after skating through a 1–1 series tie after
5103-406: The series, 4–2. The final two campaigns of the decade would see the team finish beneath .500, where they would remain until the early 2000s. After missing the playoffs for the second time in three years (1998–99 and 2000–01), the team fired general manager Jamie McDonald, who earlier released Jess Snyder of his duties as head coach. Prior to the start of the 2001–02 season, Peter DeBoer was named
5184-420: The seventh-place finish in 1965–66, the team finished the year strong and won the first two rounds of playoffs to make it to the OHA Finals, eventually falling 4–1 in a best-of-seven series to the Oshawa Generals and a young Bobby Orr . Kitchener finished in first place the next season (1966–67, 38-10-6), earning their first Hamilton Spectator Trophy in franchise history as regular season champions, but fell to
5265-458: The team moved into the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium , which had previously been home to the Kitchener Greenshirts and the Kitchener Canucks . On Tuesday, October 1, 1963, the Rangers' first coach, Steve Brklacich, welcomed a 54-player roster of training camp hopefuls just two weeks prior to the home opener. The first exhibition game took place on Sunday, October 6, 1963 against the Peterborough Petes . The team's first regular season game featured
5346-402: The team over to the community through the creation of a not-for-profit organization. The Kitchener Rangers Charter declared "no person shall be a member of the Corporation unless he is a season ticket subscriber for the current season of the home hockey games of the club, and all persons who are season ticket subscribers are automatically entitled to membership." For their debut season in 1963–64
5427-432: The team was moved at the end of that season to Brantford, where they were renamed the Brantford Alexanders . The heart and soul of the Fincups was their captain Dale McCourt . 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. Kitchener Rangers The Kitchener Rangers are
5508-413: The team with the most points (110) in the OHL through the regular season. In the opening round of the playoffs the Rangers downed the Plymouth Whalers in four straight games, outscoring their opponents, 29–13. In Round 2 it was another sweep for the Blueshirts, this time against the Sarnia Sting. The Rangers surrendered just six goals in those four games, outscoring Sarnia, 18–4. In the third round they met
5589-419: The team's new head coach. He would lead them to a 35-22-10-1 record and a third-place finish in the Midwest Division , culminating in a first round playoff matchup with division rival, the Guelph Storm . The Storm would sweep the season series, 4–0. In 2002-03 the Rangers brought in Steve Spott, a former assistant to Peter DeBoer in their days with the Plymouth Whalers , into the fold. The team, which featured
5670-432: The third time in their history. Of the five-game series, three games went to overtime including the series clinching game which was decided in double OT. Derek Roy was named the MVP of the playoffs . The 2003 Memorial Cup was played at Colisée Pepsi in Quebec City , Quebec . Kitchener represented the champions of the Ontario Hockey League, while defencemen Josh Georges , Duncan Keith and Shea Weber were members of
5751-536: The tournament, but due to af poor start to their season they finished last place in the league (11-49-6). They were removed from participation, and the Rangers, as league finalists, took their place. The other two opponents Kitchener would face in the Memorial Cup were the same opponents they faced the last time they played in the tournament; the QMJHL's Laval Titan (formerly Voisins) and the WHL's Kamloops Blazers (formerly Junior Oilers). Kitchener won their opener vs. Kamloops, 8–7 in overtime. They followed that up with
5832-466: The year that Les Bradley joined the team. Bradley was a mainstay on the bench as the team's trainer from 1969 to 1986, then after retiring as a trainer became an ambassador in the press room for more than 15 years. Gerry Forler became the Rangers' coach for the 1970–71 season but resigned in December, 1970 and was replaced by Ron Murphy for the remainder of the season. Kitchener struggled through most of
5913-665: Was appointed coach after Wally Kullman was relieved of his duties. But the Rangers posted just nine wins (9-40-5), finishing in 10th place after seeing 13 players from the previous season graduate to the professional ranks. In 1969, Walter (Punch) Scherer, a former scout for the Boston Bruins , became the team's general manager. The decade finished on a high note, however, as rookie Bill Barber dressed in his first of three junior seasons in Kitchener and tallied 37 goals and 86 points in just 54 regular season games. 1969 also marked
5994-401: 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
6075-637: Was inaugurated ahead of the 1947–48 Ontario Hockey Association season as the Guelph Biltmore Mad Hatters . Based in nearby Guelph , Ontario , the Biltmore Mad Hatters were a farm team for the National Hockey League 's New York Rangers . The team enjoyed considerable success in the 1950s, winning three league championships and a Memorial Cup . However, by 1960, the team was struggling financially and
6156-405: Was just two points shy of joining them in the century club, notching 41 goals and 98 points. Other standouts on the squad included Al MacInnis , Mike Eagles , Larry Carroll and goalie Wendell Young . Kitchener's playoffs began against the Niagara Falls Flyers , and they defeated them with a 4–2 series win, including one tie. The Rangers scored five or more goals in every game of the series, with
6237-698: Was played at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium in Kitchener, Ontario . Kitchener represented both the champions of the Ontario Hockey League and the host team. As league finalists, the Belleville Bulls (featuring Matt Beleskey ; 41 goals, 90 points in 62 regular season games and PK Subban ; eight goals, 46 points in 58 games) also earned a berth in the tournament as representatives of the OHL. Jared Spurgeon , Tyler Johnson , Jared Cowen and Dustin Tokarski were members of
6318-556: Was played at the Windsor Arena in Windsor, Ontario . Kitchener represented the Ontario Hockey League while centre Barry Pederson (65 goals, 147 points in 55 regular season games), right winger Rich Chernomaz (49 goals, 113 points in 72 games) and goaltender Grant Fuhr were key pieces of the Western Hockey League 's Victoria Cougars . The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League squad - and defending Memorial Cup Champions - were
6399-666: Was represented by centre Dean Evason (49 goals, 137 points in 57 games), defenceman Doug Bodger (21 goals, 98 points in 70 games) and the Kamloops Junior Oilers , while the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League champion Laval Voisins featured a 17-year-old Mario Lemieux who tallied 133 goals and 282 points in 70 regular-season games that year. Kitchener defeated Laval 8–2 in game one, holding Lemieux scoreless. In game two, Kitchener had an 8–0 lead over Kamloops but narrowly held on to win
6480-508: Was sold to new ownership. The new owners re-branded the team as the Guelph Royals to match Guelph's nickname, the "Royal City". Despite these efforts to reignite the fading brand, the team's financial struggles persisted. At the end of the 1962–63 season, Kitchener entrepreneur Eugene George was approached by the New York Rangers about moving the team to Kitchener in hopes of building a more stable junior environment. In 1963, George and
6561-460: Was the top scoring right winger. Shawn Burr (41 goals, 85 points in 68 games) was the league's Rookie of the Year . At the end of the regular season, Kitchener earned its third straight first round bye before sweeping the London Knights , 4–0, in the second round. The Rangers avenged the previous season's loss to Sault Ste. Marie by winning that series, 4–3. Kitchener then faced the Ottawa 67's in
#520479