The Kingston Canadians were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League from 1973 to 1988. The team played home games at the Kingston Memorial Centre in Kingston, Ontario , Canada.
8-872: The Kingston Canadians arrival in the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) for the 1973–74 OHL season, was a result of the Montreal Junior Canadiens switch to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) in 1972. During the summer of 1972, the QMJHL had threatened a lawsuit against the OHA to force the Junior Canadiens to return to the Quebec-based league. To solve the problem, the OHA granted
16-825: A player coach with the AHL Baltimore Clippers. Four other Canadians coaches also played in the NHL. They are, Jack Bownass, Rod Graham, Fred O'Donnell & Jim Dorey . Jack Bownass was the recipient of the Matt Leyden Trophy as OHA Coach of the Year in 1973-1974. (Multiple years in parentheses) Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy Scoring Champion. Max Kaminsky Trophy Most Outstanding Defenceman. Jack Ferguson Award First overall draft pick. William Hanley Trophy Most Sportsmanlike OHL Player. Bobby Smith Trophy Scholastic player of
24-571: The Junior Canadiens franchise a "one-year suspension" of operations, while team ownership transferred the team and players into the QMJHL, renaming themselves the Montreal Bleu Blanc Rouge in the process. The OHA then reactivated the suspended franchise after a one-year hiatus, under new ownership and with new players, calling the team the Kingston Canadians. A group of Kingston business and professionals negotiated
32-465: The group shortly after the purchase was completed. The new Kingston team was essentially an expansion franchise promoted from the OHA's Tier II league, that had only common name to share with the old Junior Canadiens. However, in some OHA histories (such as the annual Media Guide) the Kingston team is still shown as the legitimate successors of the Junior Canadiens' legacy. The Kingston Canadians used
40-614: The new owner renamed the team Kingston Raiders . The following season they were again sold and renamed Kingston Frontenacs . The Kingston Canadians are now a minor rep hockey team that represents the KAMHA league in Kingston Ontario and they are named after the old OHL team. Jim Morrison coached the Canadians for almost half the team's tenure in the OHA & OHL. He was an NHL veteran defenceman of 704 games, as well as being
48-672: The purchase from the Montreal Arena Corporation. The new ownership, the Kingston Frontenacs Hockey Ltd. was made up of a combination of the owners of two local organizations, the local OHA Junior 'A' Franchise owners, James W. Magee, George 'Doc' Myles, Dr. William. A. Osborne, and Dr. Wilmer J. Nuttall and a local Minor Hockey Organization operated by Dr. Gerry Wagar, Dr. Michael Simurda, J.Douglas Cunningham Q.C ., Peter J. Radley Q.C., Ken Linseman, Hugh Bennett, and Terry French who withdrew from
56-509: The same colours and uniforms as the NHL's Montreal Canadiens and Junior Canadiens. The Kingston logo replaced the "H" with the letter "K" for Kingston. Some sources show the name as "Kingston Canadiens", but the English "Canadians" is correct. The team played from 1973 to 1980 in the OHA, then from 1980 to 1988 in the OHL. The Kingston Canadians franchise was sold following the 1987–88 season, and
64-577: The year. NONE. Five numbers have been "honoured" from the Kingston Canadians, although not retired and still in circulation. (#5 Mike O'Connell, #7 Tony McKegney, #10 Brad Rhiness, #14 Ken Linseman and #29 Chris Clifford). In 2004 Paul Coffey became the only Kingston Canadian inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame to date. In 1977-1978 Paul was a late season addition from the North York Rangers. He played 8 regular reason games with
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