| Herder Memorial Trophy | |
| Sport: | Ice hockey |
| Givenfor: | Senior ice hockey champions of Newfoundland and Labrador |
| First: | 1935 |
| Firstwinner: | Corner Brook (10 wins) |
| Mostwins: | St. John's (20 wins) |
| Mostrecent: | St. John's RoofTech Senior Caps |
The Herder Memorial Trophy, or Herder, is the championship trophy to be awarded annually to the senior ice hockey champions of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The original cast silver trophy was donated in 1935 by The Evening Telegram newspaper on behalf of the Herder family,[1] as a memorial to five brothers who played hockey in St. John's.
First awarded in 1935, the Herder Memorial Trophy has been won 85 times. The Herder was not awarded in 1942, 1943, 1991, 2020 and 2021. The first winners of the Herder trophy was a team from Corner Brook that won the inaugural all-Newfoundland ice hockey championship on March 22, 1935. Teams from St. John's have won the Herder Trophy 20 times. The most recent winners were the St. John's RoofTech Senior Caps on April 6, 2024.
As the game of hockey developed across the island, and hockey teams started to travel and compete in regional championships, the idea of a competition to decide the ice hockey champions of Newfoundland gained momentum in early 1935. During a meeting of the St. John's Hockey League on March 5, 1935, it was announced that a trophy, for a championship competition, was to be donated by The Evening Telegram newspaper to be perpetually awarded to Newfoundland's best hockey team.[2] The Herder would become emblematic of ice hockey supremacy in Newfoundland and Labrador.The Evening Telegram was published by a member of the Herder family since the founding of the paper in 1879 up until the retirement of Stephen Herder in 1993. Telegram has played an integral role in the promotion and sponsorship of the Herder Championships.
The inaugural all-Newfoundland championships took place in St. John's at the Prince of Wales Rink on March 21 and 22, 1935 between Corner Brook, the western hockey champions, and the Guards from the St. John's Senior League that won the Avalon hockey championship.[3] This was the beginning of a new chapter in the history of Newfoundland hockey. The winning team would have the distinction of being the first holder of the Herder Memorial Trophy.
The St. John's Guards earned the right to represent the Avalon Peninsula by first defeating St. Bon's in a 2-game series to become St. John's city champions, and then by toppling the Bay Roberts Rovers in a 2-game, total goal series. The All-Newfoundland championship match-up was then set; the Guards of St. John's would play host to the Corner Brook All-Star Team. Fans in St. John's eagerly awaited the arrival of the Corner Brook team. Tickets to the 2 games were sold out quickly. Corner Brook edged the Guards 1–0 in Game 1, and wAS victorious in Game 2 by a 4–2 margin to become the island's top team, and first Herder Trophy Champions.
The Herder trophy was the brainchild of Ralph Herder, then president of The Evening Telegram. The trophy was a memorial to his five late brothers, Arthur, William, Douglas, Augustus and Hubert, who were all avid hockey players in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador.
Originally donated on behalf of Ralph Herder in memory of five of his late brothers, the trophy now honors the memory of seven brothers, including Ralph and his youngest brother James. In 2009, the name of Ralph's son Stephen was added to the trophy. All seven Herder brothers were fine hockey players and often played together, with four of them sometimes playing together on a championship team. James Herder coached the 1935 Guards team that lost the inaugural Herder championship to Corner Brook in March 1935.
William James Herder, born in Old Perlican, was the founder of Newfoundland's first daily newspaper, The Evening Telegram. Ralph, one of William's seven sons, became publisher of the Telegram in 1934 after the death of Augustus (Gus), who was the fifth brother to pass away. Ralph donated the Herder Trophy on behalf of the Herder Family as a memorial to his five late brothers (Douglas, Arthur, Hubert, Herbert Augustus (Gus) and William Jr.). Later the names of Ralph, his youngest brother James, and Ralph's son Stephen were added to the trophy.
The Herder is now a memorial to the following Herder family members:
An announcement was made on March 5, 1935, at a St. John's Hockey League meeting that the Evening Telegram, on behalf of the Herder family, will donate a trophy to be awarded to the winners of an all-Newfoundland hockey championship.[5] The trophy would not be available for the 1935 championship but arrived in St. John's from the manufacturer six months later and was sent to Corner Brook to be presented to the winning team.[6]
The Herder consisted of a cast-silver hockey player mounted on an ebony base. St. Bon's star Edward "Key" Kennedy (1911-1955) was the model for the hockey player that stands atop the original trophy. Trophy-donor Ralph Herder brought a photo of Kennedy in a hockey pose to New York where the model was made and a figure was cast in silver.[7]
Beginning in 1947 metal shields engraved with the names of winning teams were fixed to the base. In 1952 a second tier was added, third and fourth tiers in 1960, and three more tiers before the original trophy was retired in 2007. The original Herder was retired in 2007 and is now on display in the Newfoundland & Labrador Hockey Hall of Fame which is located at the Corner Brook Civic Centre. Since 2007 a replica has been awarded to the championship teams.
The Herder family attached eight conditions to their donation of the Herder Memorial Trophy to govern competition for the all-Newfoundland amateur hockey championship:[8] [9]
From 1935 though 1941 the All-Newfoundland finals were played at the former Prince's Rink in St. John's (renamed The Arena in 1937). The Herder championships were cancelled for 1942 and 1943 after the Arena was destroyed by fire on November 28, 1941, and due to depleted rosters of senior hockey teams with men serving overseas during the Second World War. After the Arena burned down in November 1941, St. John's did not have a suitable venue until the opening of Memorial Stadium in December 1954. In 1944, the Herder finals were held outside St. John's for the first time when Bell Island and Corner Brook played the all-Newfoundland final series at the Corner Brook rink. The NAHA was granted permission by Ralph Herder to hold the Herder finals outside the capital city for the first time. Since 1944 condition #2 has not been enforced and the Herder Finals location has been decided by NAHA and typically held in the arenas of the competing teams.
In recent years, the Herder finals series was held at Mile One Centre (and before it was built, at Memorial Stadium) in St. John's and frequently sold out the 6,000 seat building. Games were also held in the Pepsi Centre in the city of Corner Brook, on the west coast of the island, when teams from that area were playing for the cup.
Since 2013 the Herder finalists have the right to decide the location of their home games.
In 1957 the first exception to condition #4 occurred when the Grand Falls Andcos were awarded the Herder by default. No other senior "A" hockey teams registered for the Herder playoffs that year.
Engraved plates with the names of the winning teams have been affixed to the base of the Herder Trophy since the late 1940s.[10] Beginning in 1952, additional layers have been added to the trophy base as required to accommodate successive Herder Champion nameplates.
Over the history of the championship series, NAHA has dictated a number of series formats that included the winners of divisional, local league or island-wide league playoffs. The original series featured the eastern champions versus western champions. This format continued until 1962 when an island-wide Newfoundland Senior Hockey league was formed. The champions of the provincial league were awarded the Herder trophy until 1989 when the league was disbanded. Eastern league champions played for the Herder in 1990 and in 1991 there was no Herder Championship.
Between 1991 and 2011, the format of the Herder finals reverted to a competition between the champions of local leagues. The eastern league champions played a western or central league champion in a finals series to decide the top provincial team who were awarded the Herder Trophy.
On February 25, 2015, Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador approved a request by the Central West Senior Hockey League in which they asked to play for the historic Herder Trophy because it was the only operating Senior A hockey league registered in the province.
Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador announced on March 10, 2022, that they will be awarding the Herder Memorial Trophy to the winner of the Avalon East Senior Hockey League finals.[11]
For 2023, Hockey NL announced that the champion of the Avalon East Senior Hockey League will face-off against the champion of the West Coast Senior Hockey League in a seven-game series for the Herder Memorial Championship.[12]
This is a list of Herder championship series formats since 1935.
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
| width=65px | Herder | width=600px | Format | width=600px | Teams |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1935 | Two-team Herder final, two-game total-goals series | Eastern (winner of Avalon championship) vs. Western champions (winner of Corner Brook-Grand Falls intertown series) | |||
| 1936 to 1939 | Three-team single-round robin Herder final series, top two teams in a championship game | Eastern (City League) champions, Conception Bay League Champion, Western champions | |||
| 1940 | Two-team Herder final, two-game total-goals series | Western Champions vs. All-Avalon Champions | |||
| 1941 | Two-team Herder final, best-of-three series | Eastern (City League champions) vs. Conception Bay champions (Buchans were Western Champion but chose not to enter) | |||
| 1942 | Herder championships were cancelled due to the Second World War | n/a | |||
| 1943 | Herder championships were cancelled due to the Second World War | n/a | |||
| 1944 | Two-team Herder final, best-of-three series[13] | Eastern (Avalon champions) vs. Western champions | |||
| 1945 | Two-team Herder final, best-of-three series[14] | Eastern (City League champions) vs. Conception Bay champions (a Western champion did not enter) | |||
| 1946 | Two-team Herder final, best-of-three series[15] | Eastern (Avalon champions) vs. Western champions | |||
| 1947 | Two-team Herder final, two-game total-goals series[16] | Eastern (Avalon champions) vs. Western champions | |||
| 1948 to 1954 | Two-team Herder final, best-of-three series | (Note: only Buchans and Grand Falls entered teams for Herder competition in 1953, 1954 and 1955) | |||
| 1955 to 1956 | Three-team Herder playoff series, best-of-five final series | St. Bon's Bluegolds (City League champions) vs. Buchans in best-of-three semi-final, winner vs. Grand Falls in a best-of-five final series | |||
| 1957 | No competition for the Herder | NAHA awarded the trophy to the only team entered (Grand Falls) | |||
| 1958 | Two-team Herder final, best-of-seven series | Only Corner Brook and Grand Falls entered teams for Herder competition in 1958 | |||
| 1959 | Two-team Herder final, best-of-seven series | Eastern champions (Avalon champions) vs. Western champions | |||
| 1960 to 1962 | Two-team Herder final, best-of-seven series | East Division champions vs. West Division champions | |||
| 1963 to 1970 | Best-of-seven finals series | One provincial senior league with a regular season, top four teams in semi-finals, followed by the Herder finals | |||
| 1971 to 1973 | Best-of-seven finals series | One provincial senior league with a regular season, home-and-home round robin series, followed by Herder finals | |||
| 1974 | Best-of-seven finals series | One provincial senior league with a regular season, top four teams in semi-finals, followed by the Herder finals | |||
| 1975 | Best-of-seven finals series | Three-team provincial senior league with a 16-game regular season, 2nd & 3rd place teams in semi-final, winner played #1 in Herder final | |||
| 1976 | Best-of-seven finals series | Four-team provincial senior league with a 20-game regular season (12 games for St. John's), 3rd & 4th place teams in best-of-five Quarter-final, winner played 2nd place in semi-final, winner played 1st place in Herder final | |||
| 1977 to 1978 | Best-of-seven finals series | Eight-team provincial senior league with East and West Divisions, Winner of Eastern playoffs faced winner of Western playoffs in Herder final | |||
| 1979 to 1989 | Best-of-seven finals series | One provincial senior league with a regular season, top four teams in semi-finals, followed by the Herder finals | |||
| 1990 | Two-team Herder final, best-of-seven finals series | Eastern champions (winner of St. John's Capitals vs. Avalon East league all-stars winner played the Central league champions in the semi-final). The winner played a final series vs. the Western Champion (winner of Corner Brook vs. Stephenville) | |||
| 1991 | No Herder competition | n/a | |||
| 1992 | Two-team Herder final, best-of-five series | Avalon East League champions vs. Central League champions | |||
| 1993 | Two-team Herder final best-of-five series | Eastern champions (winner of Avalon East vs. Conception Bay South Intermediate League Herder semi-final) vs. Central League champions | |||
| 1994 | Two-team Herder final best-of-five series | Eastern champions (winner of Avalon East vs. Avalon West Herder semi-final) vs. Central League champions | |||
| 1995 to 1996 | Two-team Herder final, best-of-seven series | Avalon East League champions vs. Avalon West League champions | |||
| 1997 | Two-team Herder final, best-of-five series | Eastern champion (winner of Avalon East vs. Avalon West best-of-seven Herder semi-final) vs. Central League champions | |||
| 1998 | Two-team Herder final, best-of-seven series | Round robin semi-final between champions of Avalon East, Avalon West and the Central League. Top two teams got berth to final. | |||
| 1999 | Two-team Herder final, best-of-five series | Round robin semi-final between champions of Avalon East, Avalon West and the Central League. Top two teams got berth to final. | |||
| 2000 to 2011 | |||||
| 2012 to 2014 | Two-team Herder final, best-of-seven series | NLSHL championship final | |||
| 2015 | Two-team Herder final, best-of-seven series | Hockey NL approved a request by the Central West Senior A Hockey League to play for the Herder. The 2015 Herder Memorial championship was determined in the Central West Senior Hockey A League. final[17] | |||
| 2016 to 2017 | Two-team Herder final, best-of-five series | CWSHL champions vs. AESHL champions[18] | |||
| 2018 | Two-team Herder final, best-of-seven series | CWSHL champions vs. ECSHL champions [19] | |||
| 2019 | Two-team Herder final, best-of-seven series | NSHL Central Division champions vs. Eastern Division champions [20] | |||
| 2020 | No Herder competition | n/a | |||
| 2021 | No Herder competition | n/a | |||
| 2022 | The Herder was awarded to the Avalon East Senior Hockey League Champions | n/a | |||
| 2023 | Two-team Herder final, best-of-seven series | Avalon East Senior Hockey League champions vs. West Coast Senior Hockey League champions[21] | |||
| 2024 | Two-team Herder final, best-of-seven series | Avalon East Senior Hockey League champions vs. Central West Senior Hockey League champions[22] |
Note: After 1947 all series results are listed as games won. Most championship series before 1948 were decided on total Goals. (TG = total goals series)
| Year | Winning team | Coach | Losing team | Coach | Games | Herder-winning goal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. John's Senior Caps | Scott Bray | Deer Lake Red Wings | Darren Langdon | 4-0 | Kyle McGrath PPG (13:44, first) | ||
| Southern Shore Breakers | Josh Lunden | Deer Lake Red Wings | Darren Langdon | 4–1 | Jesse Sutton PPG (6:13, second) | ||
| Southern Shore Breakers | Josh Lunden | Clarenville Caribous | 4–0 | Andrew Brennan PPG (0:38, first) | |||
| n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | No Herder Championship | n/a | ||
| n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | No Herder Championship | n/a | ||
| Patrick Yetman (playing-coach) | Southern Shore Breakers | Josh Lunden | 4–1 | Alex Dalley (8:43, OT) | |||
| Clarenville Caribous | Rebecca Russell | St. John's Senior Caps | 4–0 | Keith Delaney (05:21, first) | |||
| Harbour Grace CeeBee Stars | Ian Moores | Clarenville Caribous | Rebecca Russell | 4–1 | Kenny King (15:59, third) | ||
| Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts | Tom Coolen | St. John's Capitals | Wally Bray | 3–0 | Rodi Short (13:23, first) | ||
| Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts | Shane Lukinchuk | Corner Brook Royals | Darren Langdon | 4–0 | Cam Fergus (14:29, OT) | ||
| Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts | Shane Lukinchuk | Clarenville Caribous | Ivan Hapgood | 4–2 | Rob Hennigar PPG (2:14, OT) | ||
| Conception Bay North CeeBee Stars | Corey Crocker | Clarenville Caribous | 4–0 | ||||
| Clarenville Caribous | Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts | 4–1 | |||||
| Grand Falls=Windsor Cataracts | Brian Casey | Conception Bay North CeeBee Stars | 4–0 | ||||
| Clarenville Caribous | Conception Bay North CeeBee Stars | 4–1 | |||||
| Clarenville Caribous | Conception Bay North CeeBee Stars | 4–1 | |||||
| Conception Bay North CeeBee Stars | Ed Oates | Deer Lake Red Wings | Andy Brake | 4–2 | Keith Delaney (3:31, second) | ||
| Conception Bay North CeeBee Stars | Ed Oates | Deer Lake Red Wings | Andy Brake | 4–2 | Keith Delaney (4:11, third) | ||
| Conception Bay North CeeBee Stars | Ed Oates | Deer Lake Red Wings | Andy Brake | 4–2 | |||
| Deer Lake Red Wings | Andy Brake | Conception Bay North CeeBee Stars | 4–3 | (Brian Barker, 3rd Period) | |||
| Southern Shore Breakers | Greg Smyth | Corner Brook Royals | 3–1 | (OT) | |||
| Flatrock Flyers | Corner Brook Royals | 3–0 | |||||
| Corner Brook Royals | Flatrock Flyers | 3–2 | |||||
| Deer Lake Red Wings | Andy Brake | Flatrock Flyers | 3–2 | Rob Robinson (OT) | |||
| Southern Shore Breakers | Torbay West Side Charlies | 4–0 | |||||
| Southern Shore Breakers | Don Roche | Badger Bombers | 2–1 | ||||
| Flatrock Flyers | Kevin Fagan | Southern Shore Breakers | 4–3 | Kirby Dumaresque (OT) | |||
| Flatrock Flyers | Kevin Fagan | Badger Bombers | 3–0 | ||||
| Southern Shore Breakers | Adrian Sullivan | Flatrock Flyers | 4–3 | ||||
| Southern Shore Breakers | Adrian Sullivan | Flatrock Flyers | 4–0 | ||||
| La Scie Jets | Gus Greco | Southern Shore Breakers | 3–2 | Craig Young (2nd OT) | |||
| Flatrock Flyers | Joe Maynard | Gander Flyers | Chris Conrad (playing-coach) | 3–2 | |||
| Badger Bombers | Steve Croucher | Flatrock Flyers | 3–1 | Russ Kennedy (OT) | |||
| n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | No Herder Championship | n/a | ||
| St. John's Capitals | Russ Adam (playing-coach) | Corner Brook Royals | 4–0 | ||||
| Port aux Basques Mariners | Ron Coleman | St. John's Capitals | 4–2 | Bill MacDougall | |||
| Corner Brook Royals | Gus Greco (playing-coach) | St. John's Capitals | 4–1 | Dan Cormier (OT) | |||
| St. John's Capitals | Bill Riley (playing-coach) | Stephenville Jets | 4–2 | ||||
| Corner Brook Royals | Mike Anderson | Stephenville Jets | 4–2 | Eddie Kearsey (second) | |||
| Corner Brook Royals | Mike Anderson | Stephenville Jets | 4–2 | Kirk Johnson (6:16, second) | |||
| Stephenville Jets | Larry Smith | Corner Brook Royals | 4–1 | Zane Forbes (2:21, second) | |||
| Stephenville Jets | Larry Smith | Grand Falls Cataracts | 4–3 | Darren Pickrem (17:54, second) | |||
| Grand Falls Cataracts | Joe Byrne | Gander Flyers | 4–2 | Gary Feener | |||
| Grand Falls Cataracts | Joe Byrne | Corner Brook Royals | 4–2 | Tom Coolen (2:18, first) | |||
| Gander Flyers | Jack Faulkner | St. John's Blue Caps | 4–1 | Kirk Johnson (second) | |||
| St. John's Mike's Shamrocks | Jim Byrne | Gander Flyers | Jack Faulkner | 4–3 | Ron Cadigan (4:40, 2nd OT) | ||
| St. John's Blue Caps | Bill Clarke | Gander Flyers | 4–3 | Charlie Babstock (third) | |||
| Corner Brook Royals | Frank "Danky" Dorrington | St. John's Capitals | 4–2 | Bill Perry (second) | |||
| St. John's Capitals | George Faulkner | Grand Falls Cataracts | Leo Murphy (playing-coach) | 4–1 | |||
| St. John's Capitals | Bob Badcock | Corner Brook Royals | 4–0 | Randy Pearcey (6:39, second) | |||
| St. John's Capitals | Bob Badcock | Grand Falls Cataracts | Leo Murphy | 4–1 | Randy Pearcey (10:32, first) | ||
| St. John's Capitals | Bob Badcock | Grand Falls Cataracts | 4–0 | Derek Hancock (third) | |||
| Grand Falls Cataracts | Marc Pichette | St. John's Capitals | Howie Meeker | 4–0 | Frank Finlayson (second) | ||
| Grand Falls Cataracts | Marc Pichette | St. John's Capitals | Howie Meeker | 4–3 | Frank Finlayson (4:10, first)[23] | ||
| St. John's Capitals | Howie Meeker | Gander Flyers | Jacques Allard (playing-coach) | 4–3 | Ford Metcalfe (2:10, second) | ||
| Gander Flyers | Jacques Allard (playing-coach) | Buchans Miners | Hugh Wadden (playing-coach) | 4–0 | Mike Kelly (2:10, second) | ||
| Corner Brook Royals | Frank "Danky " Dorrington (playing-coach) | Buchans Miners | Hugh Wadden (playing-coach) | 4–1 | Frank "Danky " Dorrington (5:43, OT) | ||
| Conception Bay CeeBees | George Faulkner (playing-coach) | Gander Flyers | Jacques Allard (playing-coach) | 4–1 | Gerry Lahey (16:16, second) | ||
| Corner Brook Royals | Frank "Danky " Dorrington (playing-coach) | Conception Bay CeeBees | George Faulkner (playing-coach) | 4–1 | Frank "Danky" Dorrington (8:58, second) | ||
| Conception Bay CeeBees | George Faulkner (playing-coach) | Corner Book Royals | Frank "Danky " Dorrington (playing-coach) | 4–1 | Jack Faulkner (14:08, second)[24] | ||
| Corner Brook Royals | Frank "Danky" Dorrington (playing-coach) | Buchans Miners | Neil Amadio (playing-coach) | 4–2 | Mickey Walsh (4:05, First)[25] | ||
| Buchans Miners | Neil Amadio (playing-coach) | Corner Book Royals | Frank "Danky " Dorrington (playing-coach) | 4–2 | Frank Finlayson (second)[26] | ||
| Corner Brook Royals | Frank "Danky " Dorrington (playing-coach) | Conception Bay CeeBees | George Faulkner (playing-coach) | 4–1 | Willis French (1:37, second) | ||
| Conception Bay CeeBees | George Faulkner (playing-coach) | Gander Flyers | Wes Trainor | 4–0 | George Faulkner (18:36, second)[27] | ||
| Conception Bay CeeBees | George Faulkner (playing-coach) | Grand Falls Andcos | Jean Pichette (playing-coach) | 4–2 | Alex Faulkner (18:31, first)[28] | ||
| Grand Falls Andcos | Ray Lacroix (playing-coach) | Conception Bay CeeBees | George Faulkner (playing-coach) | 4–1 | Jim "Bucky" Hannaford (11:51, second) | ||
| Grand Falls Andcos | Wes Trainor | Corner Brook Royals | 4–1 | Roger Dean (14:56, second) | |||
| Grand Falls Andcos | Wes Trainor | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | ||
| Grand Falls Andcos | Wes Trainor | Buchans Miners | 3–0 | Marky Andrews(11:07, first) | |||
| Grand Falls All-Stars | Wes Trainor (playing-coach) | Buchans Miners | Frank Bowman (playing coach) | 3–1 | Jim "Bucky" Hannford(7:17, second)[29] | ||
| Buchans Miners | Frank Bowman (playing coach) | Grand Falls All-Stars | Joe Byrne | 2–1 | Gerry Casey (18:13, third) | ||
| Grand Falls All-Stars | Wes Trainor (playing-coach) | Buchans Miners | Frank Grabowski | 2–0 | Joe Byrne (14:20, first)[30] | ||
| Buchans Miners | Frank Bowman (playing-coach) | St. Bon's | 2–0 | Willie Robertson (2:26, third)[31] | |||
| Buchans Miners | Frank Bowman (playing-coach) | St. Bon's | Jack Vinicombe | 2–0 | (Carver or Joy, first) | ||
| Buchans Miners | Frank Bowman (playing-coach) | St. Bon's | Jack Vinicombe | 2–0 | Ken Joy (9:30, second) | ||
| St. Bon's | Frank "Dee" Donnelly | Corner Brook | Frank Bowman, Scotty McPhail | 2–0 | Noel Vinnicombe (15:20, second) | ||
| St. Bon's | Frank "Dee" Donnelly | Buchans | 2–0[32] | Cyril Power (19:58, third) | |||
| St. Bon's | Bill Harris (playing-coach) | Grand Falls | 12–8 (TG) | ||||
| St. Bon's | Bill Harris (playing-coach) | Grand Falls | 35–3 (TG) | Noel Vinnicombe (1:44, second)[33] | |||
| St. Bon's | Bill Harris (playing-coach) | Bell Island | 2–0 | Bill Power (6:19, second)[34] | |||
| Bell Island | Reid Proudfoot | Corner Brook | 2–0 | ||||
| n/a | n/a | n/a | No Herder Championship | n/a | |||
| n/a | n/a | n/a | No Herder Championship | n/a | |||
| Bell Island | Reid Proudfoot | Royals (St. John's) | Harold Gross | 2–1 | Gordon Normore (19.02, Third)[35] | ||
| St. Bon's | Frank "Dee" Donnelly | Buchans | 17–7 (TG) | ||||
| St. Bon's | Frank "Dee" Donnelly | Bell Island | 2–0 (TG) | Jack Vinnicombe (third) | |||
| St. Bon's | Frank "Dee" Donnelly | Grand Falls | 9–1 (TG) | ||||
| St. Bon's | Frank "Dee" Donnelly | Buchans | "Min" Moore (Manager) | 4–1 (TG) | Jack Vinnicombe (13:10, First)[36] | ||
| St. Bon's | Frank "Dee" Donnelly | Corner Brook | 14–3 (TG) | Charlie Godden (10:00, third) | |||
| Corner Brook | Ron Taffe (general manager) | St. John's Guards | 5–2 (TG) | Tony Ledrew (7:05, third)[37] |
At the conclusion of the final game, in an on-ice ceremony, the Herder Memorial Trophy is presented to the captain of the winning team. Traditionally the presenter has been a representative of the trophy donor, from the Herder family or The Evening Telegram, and/or a representative from Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador. (TG = Total-goals series)
| Year | Winning team | Final game score | Location | Final game date | Herder presentation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1935 | Corner Brook | 4–2 | The Prince's Rink (St. John's) | 22 March 1935[38] | Note: The Herder Trophy was not yet manufactured at the time of the first all-Newfoundland championship. The trophy arrived in Corner Brook in October[39] and was presented to the winning team at the Annual Meeting of the Corner Brook Sports Club on November 14, 1935.[40] | |
| 1936 | St. Bon's | 5–2 | The Prince's Rink (St. John's) | 14 March 1936 | Ralph Herder presented the Herder Memorial Trophy to Art Hamlyn, Captain of St. Bon's team. This was the first presentation of the Trophy to a championship team at the conclusion of the final game.[41] | |
| 1937 | St. Bon's | 4–1 | The Arena (formerly the Prince's Rink, St. John's) | 3 March 1937[42] | James Herder presented the Herder Trophy to Art Hamlyn, Captain of St. Bon's, at a dinner following the final game.[43] | |
| 1938 | St. Bon's | 9–1 | The Arena (St. John's) | 16 March 1938 | James Herder presented the trophy to the St. Bon's team[44] | |
| 1939 | St. Bon's | 2–0 | The Arena (St. John's) | 16 March 1939[45] | Hubert Herder presented the Herder trophy to the St. Bon 's team[46] | |
| 1940 | St. Bon's | 5–6 (17–7 TG series) | The Arena (St. John's) | 27 March 1940[47] | Ralph Herder presented the trophy to St. Bon's team | |
| 1941 | Bell Island Islanders | 6–5 | The Arena (St. John's) | 31 March 1941[48] | Ralph Herder, President of the Evening Telegram, presented the Herder Trophy to Bell Island captain Gordon Edwards[49] | |
| 1942 | Herder championship was not played | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | |
| 1943 | Herder championship was not played | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | |
| 1944 | Bell Island Islanders | 5–1 | Corner Brook Rink | 22 March 1944[50] | ||
| 1945 | St. Bon's | 9–1 | St. Bon's Forum (St. John's) | 9 March 1945 | Robert.S.Furlong, President of NAHA, to Cyril Power, St. Bon's Captain[51] | |
| 1946 | St. Bon's | 11–4 | St. Bon's Forum | 12 March 1946[52] | ||
| 1947 | St. Bon's | 4–4 (12–8 TG series)[53] | Gander Gardens (hangar 12 at the airport) | 8 March 1947[54] | ||
| 1948 | St. Bon's | 2–1 | Grand Falls Stadium | 10 March 1948[55] | Ralph Herder to Cyril Power, St. Bon's Captain[56] | |
| 1949 | St. Bon's | 8–3 | Corner Brook Rink | 10 March 1949[57] | James M. Herder to Cyril Power, St. Bon's Captain[58] | |
| 1950 | Buchans Miners | 8–2 | Grand Falls Stadium | 14 March 1950 | Ralph Herder to Arthur "Copper" Leyte, Buchans Miners[59] | |
| 1951 | Buchans Miners | 6–2 | Grand Falls Stadium | 16 March 1951 | Magistrate B.J.Abbott to George Pike, Buchans Miners[60] | |
| 1952 | Buchans Miners | 5–2 | Grand Falls Stadium | 19 March 1952 | Ralph Herder to Bill Scott, Buchans' Captain[61] | |
| 1953 | Grand Falls All-Stars | 4–1 | Grand Falls Stadium | 13 March 1953 | Ralph Herder to Dave Green, Grand Falls Captain[62] | |
| 1954 | Buchans Miners | 4–3 | Grand Falls Stadium | 13 March 1954[63] | James Herder to Bill Scott, Buchans Captain[64] | |
| 1955 | Grand Falls All-Stars | 8–1 | Grand Falls Stadium | 15 March 1955[65] | James Herder and Ralph Coyler (President NAHA) to Neil Amadio, Grand Falls Captain[66] | |
| 1956 | Grand Falls Andcos | 10–0 | Grand Falls Stadium | 15 March 1956[67] | James Herder to Jack MacKenzie, Grand Falls Captain[68] | |
| 1957 | Grand Falls Andcos | n/a | n/a (NAHA declared Grand Falls the champions by default) | n/a | n/a | |
| 1958 | Grand Falls Andcos | 9–3 | Humber Gardens (Corner Brook) | 12 April 1958[69] | Stephen Herder (Ralph's son) to Orin Carver, Grand Falls Captain[70] | |
| 1959 | Grand Falls Andcos | 8–3 | Grand Falls Stadium | 27 April 1959[71] | Hubert Herder (father was Gus) presented the Herder to Grand Falls Captain Jim "Bucky" Hannaford[72] | |
| 1960 | Conception Bay Cee Bees | 16–3 | Harbour Grace Stadium | 16 April 1960 | Dan Herder, assisted by his father Stephen, to CeeBees' Captain Jim Penney,[73] | |
| 1961 | Conception Bay Cee Bees | 10-4 | Gander Gardens (On Foss Avenue) | 4 April 1961[74] | Jimmmy Herder Jr., nephew of the six memorialized Herder brothers, to CeeBees' Captain Jim Penney[75] | |
| 1962 | Corner Brook Royals | 6–1 | Harbour Grace Stadium | 31 March 1962 | Danny Herder, 11-year-old son of Stephen R. Herder, presented the Herder to Royals' Captain Orin Carver at Harbour Grace Stadium.[76] | |
| 1963 | Buchans Miners | 6–4 | Buchans Stadium | 13 April 1963[77] | Bill Callahan to captain Hugh Wadden of the Miners[78] | |
| 1964 | Corner Brook Royals | 6-2[79] | Humber Gardens, Corner Brook | 20 March 1964 | Wallace McKay (General Manager of The Western Star) to Clobie Collins, Royals' Captain[80] | |
| 1965 | Conception Bay Cee Bees | 12–5 | Harbour Grace Stadium | 25 March 1965[81] | Stephen Herder presented the Herder to injured captain Jim Penney of the CeeBees[82] | |
| 1966 | Corner Brook Royals | 7–2 | Humber Gardens | April 7, 1966 | Wallace McKay (General Manager of The Western Star) to Clobie Collins, Royals' Captain[83] | |
| 1967 | Conception Bay Cee Bees | 5–4 | Gander Gardens (Lindbergh Road/Airport Blvd) | March 23, 1967[84] | Stephen Herder presented the Herder to Jim Penney, CeeBees captain | |
| 1968 | Corner Brook Royals | 6–4 (10min OT) | Buchans Stadium | 24 March 1968[85] | Jim Herder presented the Herder to Jim Guy, Royals captain[86] | |
| 1969 | Gander Flyers | 5–0 | Buchans Stadium | 22 March 1969[87] | Jim Herder presented the trophy to Flyers' captain Harry Katrynuk at Buchans Arena. | |
| 1970 | 7–3 | Memorial Stadium, St. John's | April 3, 1970[88] | Dan Herder presented the Trophy to Capitals' captain George Spracklin at Memorial Stadium in St. John's.[89] | ||
| 1971 | Grand Falls Cataracts | 3–0 | Memorial Stadium, St. John's | 10 April 1971[90] | Jim Herder presented trophy to Captain Leo Murphy and Alternate Captains Al Dwyer and Jim Temple. | |
| 1972 | 5–2 | Memorial Stadium, St. John's | 15 April 1972[91] | Bob Badcock, Sports Editor of the Evening Telegram, presented the trophy to Cataracts Captain Jim Beckman[92] | ||
| 1973 | St. John's Capitals | 3–1 | Grand Falls Stadium | 14 April 1973[93] | ||
| 1974 | St. John's Capitals | 6–1 | Grand Falls Stadium | 11 April 1974[94] | ||
| 1975 | St. John's Capitals | 6–2 | Humber Gardens (Corner Brook) | 15 March 1975[95] | ||
| 1976 | St. John's Capitals | 6–2 | Memorial Stadium, St. John's | 28 March 1976[96] | ||
| 1977 | Corner Brook Royals | 7–1 | Humber Gardens, Corner Brook | 1 April 1977[97] | ||
| 1978 | St. John's Blue Caps | 4–3 | Memorial Stadium, St. John's | 8 April 1978[98] | ||
| 1979 | St. John's Mike's Shamrocks | 6–5 (2nd OT) | Gander Gardens | 8 April 1979 | Stephen Herder presented to Nigel Facey, Shamrocks' Captain[99] | |
| 1980 | Gander Flyers | 5–1 | Memorial Stadium, St. John's | 5 April 1980[100] | Stephen Herder presented the Herder to Bruce Sparkes, Flyers Captain | |
| 1981 | Grand Falls Cataracts | 11–0 | Grand Falls Stadium | 11 April 1981[101] | Steve Herder to Roger Elliott, Captain | |
| 1982 | Grand Falls Cataracts | 3–2 | Gander Gardens | 29 March 1982[102] | Dan Herder presented the Herder to Gene Faulkner, Cataracts captain | |
| 1983 | Stephenville Jets | 4–2 | Stephenville Gardens | 3 April 1983 | Fred Jackson (sports editor, Evening Telegram) to Cal Dunville, Jets' captain[103] | |
| 1984 | Stephenville Jets | 6–1 | Stephenville Gardens | 6 April 1984 | Stephen Herder presented to Cal Dunville, Jets' captain [104] | |
| 1985 | Corner Brook Royals | 7–2 | Humber Gardens, Corner Brook | 30 March 1985[105] | Steve Herder to Terry Gillam, Royals Captain[106] | |
| 1986 | Corner Brook Royals | 7–4 | Humber Gardens, Corner Brook | 23 March 1986[107] | Freddy Jackson, representing the Herder family, to Craig Kennedy, Royals' Captain | |
| 1987 | St. John's Capitals | 12–6 | Memorial Stadium, St. John's | 24 March 1987[108] | ||
| 1988 | Corner Brook Royals | 4–3 (OT) | Humber Gardens, Corner Brook | 10 April 1988[109] | ||
| 1989 | Port aux Basques Mariners | 2–1 | Bruce Arena, Port aux Basques | 3 April 1989[110] | ||
| 1990 | St. John's Capitals | 10–3 | ||||
| 1991 | Herder championship was not played | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | |
| 1992 | Badger Bombers | 5–4 (OT) | Badger Stadium | Melvin Andrews, NAHA Senior Division Chairman presented the Herder to Hubert Hollett, Bombers Captain | ||
| 1993 | Flatrock Flyers | 7–4 | Brother O'Hehir Arena | |||
| 1994 | La Scie Jets | 7–6 (2nd OT) | Cape St. John Arena, La Scie | |||
| 1995 | Southern Shore Breakers | 7–2 | ||||
| 1996 | Southern Shore Breakers | 9–2 | Fieldian Gardens, St. John's | |||
| 1997 | Flatrock Flyers | 5–1 | Badger Stadium | |||
| 1998 | Flatrock Flyers | 4–3 (OT) | Southern Shore Arena (Mobile, NL) | |||
| 1999 | Southern Shore Breakers | 6–3 | Southern Shore Arena (Mobile, NL) | |||
| 2000 | Southern Shore Breakers | 5-4 | ||||
| 2001 | 5–4 (OT) | |||||
| 2002 | 5-4 | |||||
| 2003 | Flatrock Flyers | 6-5 | ||||
| 2004 | Southern Shore Breakers | 5-4 (OT) | ||||
| 2005 | Deer Lake Red Wings | 3–2 | ||||
| 2006 | Conception Bay North CeeBee Stars | 3–1 | ||||
| 2007 | Conception Bay North CeeBee Stars | 5–2 | Pepsi Centre (Corner Brook) | 21 April 2007 | presented to Chris Bartlett, Ceebees Captain | |
| 2008 | Conception Bay North CeeBee Stars | 4-1 | Mile One Centre, (St. John's) | 12 April 2008 | presented to Chris Bartlett, CeeBees Captain | |
| 2009 | Clarenville Caribous | 5–2 | Mile One Centre, (St. John's) | 4 April 2009 | ||
| 2010 | Clarenville Caribous | 7-4 | Mile One Centre, (St. John's) | |||
| 2011 | Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts | 4–0 | Joe Byrne Memorial Stadium (Grand Falls-Windsor) | Gerry Evans, Hockey NL presented to Brad Lewis, Cataracts captain | ||
| 2012 | Clarenville Caribous | 6-3 | Pepsi Centre (Corner Brook) | |||
| 2013 | Conception Bay North CeeBee Stars | 4–2 | S.W. Moores Memorial Stadium (Harbour Grace) | 16 March 2013[111] | ||
| 2014 | Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts | 3–2 (OT) | Joe Byrne Memorial Stadium (Grand Falls-Windsor) | 5 April 2014[112] | Kitty Dean (The Evening Telegram) and Murray Roberts (Vice -President Hockey NL) presented the Herder to Mike Brent, Cataracts captain | |
| 2015 | Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts | 3–2 (OT) | Joe Byrne Memorial Stadium (Grand Falls-Windsor) | 8 March 2015[113] | Kitty Dean (The Evening Telegram) and Murray Roberts (Vice -President Hockey NL) presented the Herder to Mike Brent, Cataracts captain | |
| 2016 | Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts | 10-1[114] | Jack Byrne Memorial Arena (Torbay) | 25 March 2016[115] | ||
| 2017 | Harbour Grace CeeBee Stars | 4–3 | Eastlink Events Centre Clarenville | 4 April 2017[116] | ||
| 2018 | Clarenville Caribous | 6-1 | Jack Byrne Memorial Arena (Torbay) | 14 April 2018[117] | Nick Herder & Dan Herder to Dustin Russell, Caribous Captain[118] | |
| 2019 | Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts | 3–2 (OT) | Joe Byrne Memorial Stadium (Grand Falls-Windsor) | 14 April 2019[119] | Gary Gale (Hockey NL) to Michael Brent, Cataracts Captain | |
| 2020 | Herder championship was not played | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | |
| 2021 | Herder championship was not played | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | |
| 2022 | Southern Shore Breakers | 3–0 | Eastlink Events Centre Clarenville | 23 April 2022 | Gary Gale, Hockey NL Chair of Senior Hockey, presented the Herder to Breakers captain Jeremy Nicholas | |
| 2023 | Southern Shore Breakers | 6–2 | Ken Williams Southern Shore Arena (Mobile, NL) | 23 April 2023 | Gary Gale, Hockey NL Chair of Senior Hockey, presented the Herder to Breakers captain Jeremy Nicholas | |
| 2024 | St. John's RoofTech Senior Caps | 5-0 | Hodder Memorial Recreation Complex, Deer Lake | 6 April 2024 | Gary Gale, Hockey NL Chair of Senior Hockey, presented the Herder to Caps' captain Mike Druken |
In the sortable table below, teams are ordered first by number of appearances, then by number of wins, and finally by alphabetical order. In the "Years of appearance" column, bold years indicate winning the Herder Trophy Finals.
| Team | Wins | Losses | Win % | Years of appearance | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. John's (Guards, St. Bon's, Royals, Capitals, Blue Caps, Mike's Shamrocks, Caps) | 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 2016, 2018, 2024 | |||||
| Grand Falls-Windsor (GF All-Stars, GF Andcos, GF/GFW Cataracts) | 1938, 1946, 1947, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1981, 1982, 1983, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019 | |||||
| Corner Brook (All-Stars, Royals) | 1935, 1936, 1944, 1949, 1958, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1975, 1977, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1990, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2015 | |||||
| Conception Bay CeeBees, CBN/HG CeeBee Stars | 1959, 1960, 1961,1962, 1965, 1966,1967, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2017 | |||||
| 1937, 1940, 1948, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1963, 1964, 1968, 1969 | ||||||
| Southern Shore Breakers | 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2004, 2019, 2022, 2023 | |||||
| Flat Rock Flyers | 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003 | |||||
| 1961, 1967, 1969, 1970, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1993 | ||||||
| Clarenville Caribous | 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2022 | |||||
| Deer Lake Red Wings | 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2023, 2024 | |||||
| Stephenville Jets | 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987 | |||||
| Bell Island | 1939, 1941, 1944, 1945 | |||||
| Badger Bombers | 1992, 1997, 1999 | |||||
| La Scie Jets | 1994 | |||||
| Port Aux Basques Mariners | 1989 | |||||
| Torbay West Side Charlies | 2000 |
In 2005 Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador established the Cliff Gorman Memorial Award to be presented annually to the most valuable player (MVP) for his team during the Herder finals series. A native of Prince Edward Island, Cliff was instrumental in promoting hockey in Corner Brook and in Newfoundland and Labrador since moving there in 1955.[120] Cliff Gorman was inducted into the Newfoundland & Labrador Hockey Hall of Fame in 1996 in the building category.[121]
| Year | Winner | Team | Position | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Joel Bishop | St. John's Senior Caps | ||
| 2023 | Stephen Oates | Southern Shore Breakers | D | |
| 2022 | Keenan Kennedy | Southern Shore Breakers | F | |
| 2021 | (no Herder finals) | |||
| 2020 | (no Herder finals) | |||
| 2019 | Michael Brent | Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts | D | |
| 2018 | Justin Pender | Clarenville Caribous | D | |
| 2017 | A.J. Whiffen | Harbour Grace Ocean Enterprise Cee Bee Stars | G | |
| 2016 | Luke Gallant | Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts | D | |
| 2015 | Cam Fergus | Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts | F | |
| 2014 | A.J. Whiffen | Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts | G | |
| 2013 | Ryan Delaney | Eastlink Cee Bee Stars | F | |
| 2012 | Dustin Russell | Clarenville Caribous | F | |
| 2011 | Mike Sibley | Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts | F | |
| 2010 | ||||
| 2009 | ||||
| 2008 | Keith Delaney | Conception Bay North CeeBee Stars | F | |
| 2007 | ||||
| 2006 | ||||
| 2005 |
The first island-wide live broadcast of a Herder championship game was on the VONF (Voice of Newfoundland) radio station on Saturday night March 23, 1935. NL Hockey Hall of Famer John (Jack) Tobin provided the play-by-play of the final game of the first all-Newfoundland hockey championships between Corner Brook and the Guards live from the Prince's Rink in St. John's.[122] In 1947, from Gander Gardens (in Hangar 12 at the airport), all Newfoundland radio stations participated in an island-wide broadcast of the Herder finals between St. Bon's and Grand Falls sponsored by Coca-Cola. Don Jamieson provided the play-by-play commentary.[123] The broadcast was carried by the stations VONF, VONH (VONF remote relay), VOCM (St. John's), VOWN (Corner Brook) and VORG (Gander).
Don Jamieson hosted the island-wide broadcast of the 1949 All-Newfoundland Finals from the Corner Brook Rink. This was made possible though the courtesy of the Division of the Dept. Posts and Telegraphs.[124]
The 1950 all-Newfoundland finals was broadcast live from Grand Falls stadium over station CBN.[125] The play-by-play commentary for the two finals games between Buchans and St. Bon's was provided by Don Jamieson. The broadcast was sponsored by Jockey Club Brewing Ltd.
The 1953 Herder finals was an island-wide hook-up, broadcast on CBC stations and CJON with Don Jamieson and Frank "Toe" Byrne providing the commentary live from Grand Falls Stadium.[126]
22-year-old Bob Cole broadcast the 1956 Herder finals on VOCM live from Grand Falls Stadium.[127]
In 2007 and 2008, Rogers Cable broadcast the Herder finals province-wide using the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly Channel.
Games three through five of the 2009 finals were streamed online at thesportspage.ca.
In 2016 all Herder finals games were webcast by Hockey NL's partner Bell Aliant TV One.[128]
Grand Falls-Windsor Broadcaster George Scott provided the play-by-play on a live webcast of the Herder Finals from 2011 to 2019.[129]
Since 2022, all Herder finals games were streamed for a fee on AO Live, an Atlantic Canadian based company.