1994–95 OHL season explained
The 1994–95 OHL season was the 15th season of the Ontario Hockey League. The Newmarket Royals relocated, and became the Sarnia Sting. The OHL realigned from two divisions, creating the east, central, and west divisions. The Bumbacco Trophy is inaugurated to be awarded to the first place team in the west division, during the regular season. The Leyden Trophy is reallocated to the east division, and the Emms Trophy to the central division. Sixteen teams each played 66 games. The Detroit Junior Red Wings won the J. Ross Robertson Cup, defeating the Guelph Storm.
Relocation
Newmarket Royals to Sarnia Sting
The Newmarket Royals relocated to Sarnia and were renamed the Sarnia Sting after two seasons in Newmarket. The club was sold to the Ciccarelli brothers at the beginning of the 1993-94 season and were relocated to Sarnia for the 1994-95 season.
The club was originally the Cornwall Royals from 1969-1992, in which the franchise won the Memorial Cup three times. Following the 1991-92, the franchise was relocated to Newmarket. In two seasons in Newmarket, the Royals made the playoffs once, losing to the Sudbury Wolves in the first round of the 1993 playoffs.
The Sting will play at the Sarnia Arena and play in the newly created West Division.
Arena Renaming
London Gardens to London Ice House
The London Knights home arena, the London Gardens, was renamed to the London Ice House after the team and arena were purchased by new owner Doug Tarry. Tarry upgraded the building, including replacing seats and add more emergency exits to bring the building up to the fire code.
Realignment
The OHL announced realignment for the 1994-95 season, as the league would now have three divisions based on geographical location. The three new divisions were the East Division, Central Division and West Division.
East Division
Six teams from the Leyden Division would form the newly created East Division. The teams are: Belleville Bulls, Kingston Frontenacs, North Bay Centennials, Oshawa Generals and Ottawa 67's. The winner of the East Division will earn the Leyden Trophy.
Central Division
Five teams would make up the newly created Central Division, four teams from the Emms Division and one from the Leyden Division. The teams were: Guelph Storm, Kitchener Rangers, Niagara Falls Thunder, Owen Sound Platers, and Sudbury Wolves. The winner of the Central Division will be awarded the Emms Trophy.
West Division
Five teams would make up the newly created West Division, four teams from the Emms Division and one from the Leyden Division. The teams are: Detroit Junior Red Wings, London Knights, Sarnia Sting, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and Windsor Spitfires. The winner of the West Division will earn the newly created Bumbacco Trophy.
Teams
| 1994-95 Ontario Hockey League |
| Division | Team | City | Arena |
|---|
| East | Belleville Bulls | Belleville, Ontario | Yardmen Arena |
|---|
| Kingston Frontenacs | Kingston, Ontario | Kingston Memorial Centre |
| North Bay Centennials | North Bay, Ontario | North Bay Memorial Gardens |
| Oshawa Generals | Oshawa, Ontario | Oshawa Civic Auditorium |
| Ottawa 67's | Ottawa, Ontario | Ottawa Civic Centre |
| Peterborough Petes | Peterborough, Ontario | Peterborough Memorial Centre |
| Central | Guelph Storm | Guelph, Ontario | Guelph Memorial Gardens |
|---|
| Kitchener Rangers | Kitchener, Ontario | Kitchener Memorial Auditorium |
| Niagara Falls Thunder | Niagara Falls, Ontario | Niagara Falls Memorial Arena |
| Owen Sound Platers | Owen Sound, Ontario | Bayshore Community Centre |
| Sudbury Wolves | Sudbury, Ontario | Sudbury Community Arena |
| West | Detroit Junior Red Wings | Detroit, Michigan | Joe Louis Arena |
|---|
| London Knights | London, Ontario | London Ice House |
| Sarnia Sting | Sarnia, Ontario | Sarnia Arena |
| Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario | Sault Memorial Gardens |
| Windsor Spitfires | Windsor, Ontario | Windsor Arena | |
Regular season
Final standings
Note: DIV = Division; GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; PTS = Points; x = clinched playoff berth; y = clinched division title; z = earned first round bye
East Division
| Rank | Team | GP | W | L | T | PTS | GF | GA |
|---|
| 1 | | 66 | 40 | 19 | 7 | 87 | 284 | 224 |
| 2 | | 66 | 40 | 21 | 5 | 85 | 300 | 242 |
| 3 | | 66 | 35 | 27 | 4 | 74 | 272 | 247 |
| 4 | | 66 | 32 | 31 | 3 | 67 | 295 | 287 |
| 5 | | 66 | 26 | 34 | 6 | 58 | 255 | 286 |
| | | | | | | | |
| 6 | | 66 | 22 | 38 | 6 | 50 | 232 | 276 | |
Central Division
| Rank | Team | GP | W | L | T | PTS | GF | GA |
|---|
| 1 | | 66 | 47 | 14 | 5 | 99 | 330 | 200 |
| 2 | | 66 | 43 | 17 | 6 | 92 | 314 | 208 |
| 3 | | 66 | 22 | 38 | 6 | 50 | 239 | 299 |
| 4 | | 66 | 18 | 40 | 8 | 44 | 231 | 298 |
| 5 | | 66 | 18 | 42 | 6 | 42 | 216 | 296 |
| | | | | | | | | |
West Division
| Rank | Team | GP | W | L | T | PTS | GF | GA |
|---|
| 1 | | 66 | 44 | 18 | 4 | 92 | 306 | 223 |
| 2 | | 66 | 41 | 22 | 3 | 85 | 303 | 232 |
| 3 | | 66 | 24 | 37 | 5 | 53 | 250 | 292 |
| 4 | | 66 | 18 | 44 | 4 | 40 | 210 | 309 |
| | | | | | | | |
| 5 | | 66 | 17 | 45 | 4 | 38 | 228 | 346 | |
Scoring leaders
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|
| | 66 | 43 | 96 | 139 | 78 |
| | 62 | 61 | 74 | 135 | 136 |
| | 61 | 33 | 102 | 135 | 63 |
| | 57 | 43 | 81 | 124 | 56 |
| Darryl LaFrance | | 57 | 55 | 67 | 122 | 10 |
| | 62 | 54 | 65 | 119 | 58 |
| | 66 | 55 | 59 | 114 | 180 |
| | 63 | 43 | 63 | 106 | 72 |
| | 59 | 53 | 52 | 105 | 8 |
| Lee Jinman | | 63 | 39 | 65 | 104 | 41 |
|
Playoffs
[1]
Division quarter-finals
East Division
(3) North Bay Centennials vs. (4) Belleville Bulls
Central Division
(3) Owen Sound Platers vs. (4) Niagara Falls Thunder
West Division
(2) Windsor Spitfires vs. (3) Sarnia Sting
OHL quarter-finals
(C2) Sudbury Wolves vs. (W2) Windsor Spitfires
OHL semi-finals
(W1) Detroit Junior Red Wings vs. (C2) Sudbury Wolves
J. Ross Robertson Cup
(C1) Guelph Storm vs. (W1) Detroit Junior Red Wings
Awards
| J. Ross Robertson Cup | Detroit Junior Red Wings |
| Hamilton Spectator Trophy | Guelph Storm |
| Leyden Trophy | Kingston Frontenacs |
| Emms Trophy | Guelph Storm |
| Bumbacco Trophy | Detroit Junior Red Wings |
| Red Tilson Trophy | David Ling, Kingston Frontenacs |
| Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy | |
| Matt Leyden Trophy | Craig Hartsburg, Guelph Storm |
| Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy | David Ling, Kingston Frontenacs |
| Max Kaminsky Trophy | Bryan Berard, Detroit Junior Red Wings |
| OHL Goaltender of the Year | Tyler Moss, Kingston Frontenacs |
| Jack Ferguson Award | Daniel Tkaczuk, Barrie Colts |
| Dave Pinkney Trophy | |
| OHL Executive of the Year | Mike Kelly, Guelph Storm |
| Emms Family Award | Bryan Berard, Detroit Junior Red Wings |
| F.W. 'Dinty' Moore Trophy | David MacDonald, Sudbury Wolves |
| OHL Humanitarian of the Year | Brad Brown, North Bay Centennials |
| William Hanley Trophy | |
| Leo Lalonde Memorial Trophy | Bill Bowler, Windsor Spitfires |
| Bobby Smith Trophy | Jamie Wright, Guelph Storm | |
All-Star teams
The OHL All-Star Teams were selected by the OHL's General Managers.
First team
- Jeff O'Neill, Centre, Guelph Storm
- Dave Roche, Left Wing, Windsor Spitfires
- David Ling, Right Wing, Kingston Frontenacs
- Ed Jovanovski, Defence, Windsor Spitfires
- Bryan Berard, Defence, Detroit Jr. Red Wings
- Tyler Moss, Goaltender, Kingston Frontenacs
- Craig Hartsburg, Coach, Guelph Storm
Second team
- Marc Savard, Centre, Oshawa Generals
- Larry Courville, Left Wing, Oshawa Generals
- Todd Bertuzzi, Right Wing, Guelph Storm
- Wes Swinson, Defence, Kingston Frontenacs
- Jamie Rivers, Defence, Sudbury Wolves
- Mark McArthur, Goaltender, Guelph Storm
- Paul Maurice, Coach, Detroit Jr. Red Wings
Third team
- Bill Bowler, Centre, Windsor Spitfires
- Ethan Moreau, Left Wing, Sudbury Wolves
- Vitali Yachmenev, Right Wing, North Bay Centennials
- Rory Fitzpatrick, Defence, Sudbury Wolves
- Brad Brown, Defence, North Bay Centennials
- Matt Mullin, Goaltender, Sudbury Wolves
- Stan Butler, Coach, Oshawa Generals
1995 OHL Priority Selection
The Barrie Colts held the first overall pick in the 1995 Ontario Priority Selection and selected Daniel Tkaczuk from the Mississauga Senators. Tkaczuk was awarded the Jack Ferguson Award, awarded to the top pick in the draft.
Below are the players who were selected in the first round of the 1995 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection.[2]
| Player | Nationality | OHL Team | Hometown | Minor Team |
|---|
| 1 | Daniel Tkaczuk (C) |  Canada | Barrie Colts | Mississauga, Ontario | Mississauga Senators |
|---|
| 2 | Joe Thornton (C) | Canada | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | St. Thomas, Ontario | St. Thomas Stars |
|---|
| 3 | Nick Boynton (D) | Canada | Ottawa 67's | Nobleton, Ontario | Caledon Canadians |
|---|
| 4 | Adam Colagiacomo (RW) | Canada | London Knights | Rexdale, Ontario | Royal York Rangers |
|---|
| 5 | Boyd Devereaux (C) | Canada | Kitchener Rangers | Seaforth, Ontario | Stratford Cullitons |
|---|
| 6 | Jason Ward (C) | Canada | Niagara Falls Thunder | Oshawa, Ontario | Oshawa Legionaires |
|---|
| 7 | Adam Mair (C) | Canada | Owen Sound Platers | Hamilton, Ontario | Ohsweken Golden Eagles |
|---|
| 8 | Patrick DesRochers (G) | Canada | Sarnia Sting | Penetanguishene, Ontario | Barrie Colts |
|---|
| 9 | Scott Barney (C) | Canada | Peterborough Petes | Courtice, Ontario | North York Rangers |
|---|
| 10 | Ryan Ready (LW) | Canada | Belleville Bulls | Peterborough, Ontario | Peterborough Jr. Bees |
|---|
| 11 | Luc Belliveau (D) | Canada | North Bay Centennials | Dieppe, New Brunswick | Wilcox Notre Dame |
|---|
| 12 | Jay Legault (LW) | Canada | Oshawa Generals | Peterborough, Ontario | Peterborough Bantams |
|---|
| 13 | Jeff Zehr (LW) | Canada | Windsor Spitfires | Tavistock, Ontario | Stratford Cullitons |
|---|
| 14 | Matt Price (LW) | Canada | Kingston Frontenacs | Holland Landing, Ontario | Newmarket 87's |
|---|
| 15 | Tyson Flinn (D) | Canada | Sudbury Wolves | Fredericton, New Brunswick | Fredericton Jr. Canadiens |
|---|
| 16 | Jesse Boulerice (D) |  United States | Detroit Whalers | Mooers, New York | Hawkesbury Hawks |
|---|
| 17 | Brian Willsie (RW) | Canada | Guelph Storm | Belmont, Ontario | St. Thomas Stars | |
|---|
See also
References
Notes and References
- Web site: 1994-95 OHL Playoff Results at hockeydb.com . 2022-12-07 . www.hockeydb.com.
- Web site: 1995 Ontario Hockey League Draft.
