| Team: | Niagara Falls Flyers |
| Logosize: | 125px |
| City: | Niagara Falls, Ontario |
| League: | Ontario Hockey Association |
| Operated: | –72 and 1976–82 |
| Arena: | Niagara Falls Memorial Arena |
| Colours: | Gold, white and black |
| Championships: | 1965 & 1968 Memorial Cup Champions |
| Parentclub: | Boston Bruins (1960–67) |
| Name1: | St. Catharines Falcons |
| Dates1: | 1943–47 |
| Name2: | St. Catharines Teepees |
| Dates2: | 1947–62 |
| Name3: | St. Catharines Black Hawks |
| Dates3: | 1962–76 |
| Name4: | Niagara Falls Flyers |
| Dates4: | 1976–82 |
| Name5: | North Bay Centennials |
| Dates5: | 1982–02 |
| Name6: | Saginaw Spirit |
| Dates6: | 2002–present |
| Altname1: | Barrie Flyers |
| Altdates1: | 1945–60 |
| Altname2: | Niagara Falls Flyers |
| Altdates2: | 1960–72 |
| Altname3: | Sudbury Wolves |
| Altdates3: | 1972–present |
The Niagara Falls Flyers were two junior ice hockey franchises that played in the top tier in the Ontario Hockey Association. The first, a Junior "A" team existed from 1960 until 1972, and the second in Tier I Junior "A" from 1976 until 1982.
Both teams were owned by the Emms Family, and were relocated to Niagara Falls from another city. The Niagara Falls Memorial Arena was home ice to both teams.
The first Flyers team relocated to Niagara Falls from Barrie in 1960. The team was affiliated with the Boston Bruins of the NHL. The Flyers appeared in three Memorial Cups in the 1960s, winning in 1965 and 1968.
Niagara Falls won the right to play for the Cup by defeating the Toronto Neil McNeil Maroons for the OHA championship, and the Espanola Eagles to win the George Richardson Memorial Trophy as eastern Canadian representatives.
The Flyers were runners up to the Memorial Cup in 1963 played at Edmonton's Arena Gardens. They lost in six games to the Edmonton Oil Kings in a best-of-seven series. Flyers players Dornhoefer and Harmer both suffered broken legs while on the ice.
Niagara Falls won the right to play for the Cup by defeating the defending champions Toronto Marlboros for the OHA championship. The Memorial Cup in 1965 was again played at Edmonton's Arena Gardens. They defeated the Oil Kings 4 games to 1 in a best-of-seven rematch series from two years previous. The series was filled with brawls and suspensions, as well as a heavy police presence throughout.
Niagara Falls won the right to play for the Cup by defeating the Kitchener Rangers for the OHA championship, and the Verdun Maple Leafs for the eastern championship.
The 1968 Memorial Cup featured two Boston Bruins farm teams playing one another. The Flyers would play the Estevan Bruins on home ice, except for game two at the Montreal Forum. Game 4 was the longest in Memorial Cup history, lasting into five periods. Niagara Falls defeated Estevan in a best-of-seven series in five games.
The Emms Family sold the Flyers in 1972 after it played for 12 seasons. The new owners then relocated the team to Sudbury to become the Sudbury Wolves.
Later the same year, after selling the Flyers, the Emms family bought the St. Catharines Black Hawks team who were the OHA champions the previous year. Four years after buying the Black Hawks, the Emms family relocated them to Niagara Falls in 1976, taking the same name as the previous team. The Emms family later sold this version of the Flyers in 1978.[1] [2]
The second Flyers team played for 4 seasons in the Ontario Hockey Association from 1976 to 1980, and 2 years in the Ontario Hockey League from 1980 to 1982. The Flyers appeared in the OHA finals in 1979, losing to Peterborough. Niagara Falls lost its Flyers team a second time in 1982 when they moved to North Bay to become the Centennials, who have subsequently moved to Saginaw in 2002 to become the Saginaw Spirit.
The Niagara Falls Flyers are one of a few clubs to win multiple Memorial Cup championships. Also of note, the franchise were repeat champions in different home cities, of Barrie and Niagara Falls. In total, the Flyers won the Memorial Cup twice in Niagara Falls, and twice in Barrie. and the J. Ross Robertson Cup 3 times each in Barrie and Niagara Falls. The Flyers finished first overall in 1963 & 1965 during the regular season to win the Hamilton Spectator Trophy. The second Niagara Falls Flyers team won the western conference Emms Trophy in the 1978–79 playoffs.
George Richardson Memorial Trophy
The Flyers from 1960 to 1972 were coached by Hap Emms, Bill Long and Paul Emms. The Flyers coaches from 1976 to 1982 are listed below.
A combined total of 82 players from the Niagara Falls Flyers franchises went on to play in the National Hockey League, and two of those are enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
1960 to 1972
1976 to 1982
| Games | Won | Lost | Tied | Points | Pct % | Goals for | Goals | Standing | ||
| 1960–61 | 48 | 22 | 21 | 5 | 49 | 0.510 | 165 | 166 | 4th OHA | |
| 1961–62 | 50 | 16 | 23 | 11 | 43 | 0.430 | 193 | 193 | 4th OHA | |
| 1962–63 | 50 | 31 | 12 | 7 | 69 | 0.690 | 212 | 146 | 1st OHA | |
| 1963–64 | 56 | 26 | 22 | 8 | 60 | 0.536 | 207 | 178 | 4th OHA | |
| 1964–65 | 56 | 36 | 11 | 9 | 81 | 0.723 | 236 | 168 | 1st OHA | |
| 1965–66 | 48 | 23 | 15 | 10 | 56 | 0.583 | 210 | 162 | 3rd OHA | |
| 1966–67 | 48 | 23 | 15 | 10 | 56 | 0.583 | 238 | 195 | 2nd OHA | |
| 1967–68 | 54 | 32 | 15 | 7 | 71 | 0.657 | 255 | 169 | 4th OHA | |
| 1968–69 | 54 | 28 | 24 | 2 | 58 | 0.537 | 223 | 229 | 4th OHA | |
| 1969–70 | 54 | 10 | 41 | 3 | 23 | 0.213 | 151 | 313 | 10th OHA | |
| 1970–71 | 62 | 11 | 44 | 7 | 29 | 0.234 | 193 | 350 | 10th OHA | |
| 1971–72 | 63 | 27 | 27 | 9 | 63 | 0.500 | 280 | 293 | 6th OHA |
| Season | Games | Won | Lost | Tied | Points | Pct % | Goals for | Goals | Standing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976–77 | 66 | 15 | 45 | 6 | 36 | 0.273 | 254 | 370 | 6th Emms | |
| 1977–78 | 68 | 17 | 41 | 10 | 44 | 0.324 | 261 | 340 | 6th Emms | |
| 1978–79 | 68 | 43 | 21 | 4 | 90 | 0.662 | 361 | 243 | 1st Emms | |
| 1979–80 | 68 | 29 | 39 | 0 | 58 | 0.426 | 325 | 355 | 4th Emms | |
| 68 | 30 | 36 | 2 | 62 | 0.456 | 354 | 359 | 4th Emms | ||
| 68 | 31 | 34 | 3 | 65 | 0.478 | 311 | 338 | 4th Emms |
The Niagara Falls Flyers played home games at Niagara Falls Memorial Arena from 1960 to 1972, and again from 1976 to 1982. The arena hosted Memorial Cup games in 1968.