OHA Senior A League (1890–1979) explained

OHA Senior "A" Hockey League
Confed Title:Membership
Confed:Ontario Hockey Association
Founded:1890
Folded:1979
Assc Champ:

The Ontario Hockey Association Senior A League was a top tier Canadian senior ice hockey league in Ontario from 1890 until 1979. The league was sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Association and the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association and its clubs competed for the Allan Cup.

History

The league was founded in 1890 by the Ontario Hockey Association. At the top tier of Canadian Senior hockey, the league was eligible and often competed for the Allan Cup.

In 1975, the OHA allowed Hockey Northwestern Ontario's Thunder Bay Twins, the defending Allan Cup champions to enter the league. In 1978, the league briefly changed its name to the Canadian International League, possibly to compete with Semi-Pro leagues which were rapidly gaining popularity. The league folded in 1979, when most of its teams vacated to the Continental Senior A Hockey League and Major Intermediate A Hockey League.

Over the course of the last fifty seasons, the OHA Senior A Hockey League captured 16 Allan Cups in 26 appearances in the National final. If dated back to the beginning of the Allan Cup in 1908, the OHA had 24 champions in 38 appearances over the course of the league's history. The league's tradition was followed by the Continental Senior A Hockey League in 1979, which became the OHA Senior A Hockey League in 1980 and lasted until 1987. The torch was then passed to the Southwestern Senior A Hockey League in 1990, which today is known as Major League Hockey.

The OHA Senior A Hockey League set the groundwork for much of the current Semi-Professional hockey market. The International Hockey League that lasted from 1945 until it merged with the American Hockey League in 2001, was founded in part by both the Windsor Bulldogs and Chatham Maroons. Both teams played at least two different stretches in the league. Also, the Sarnia Sailors spent a few seasons in the International Hockey League. As well, the Thunder Bay Twins jumped between Manitoba leagues and the different Ontario Hockey Association leagues until 1991 when the team changed their name to the Thunder Bay Thunder Hawks and joined the Colonial Hockey League as a founding member. The team has since become the Rockford IceHogs of the United Hockey League. The Thunder Bay franchise won 3 Colonial Cups as CoHL champions and in Rockton they won 1 Colonial Cup as United Hockey League champions. In 2007, the UHL has changed its name and the ownership of the Rockford IceHogs has bought the old Cincinnati Mighty Ducks franchise, making the IceHogs a member of the American Hockey League for the 2007–08 season.

Allan Cups

Champions

1910

St. Michael's Majors defeated Queen's University and Sherbrooke in two games

1917

Toronto Dentals defeated Winnipeg Victorias 13-goals-to-12

1918

Kitchener Greenshirts defeated Winnipeg Ypres 6-goals-to-4

1919

Hamilton Tigers defeated Winnipeg Selkirk 7-goals-to-6

1921

University of Toronto defeated Brandon 8-goals-to-3

1922

Toronto Granites defeated Regina Victorias 13-goals-to-2

1923

Toronto Granites defeated University of Saskatchewan 11-goals-to-2

1927

University of Toronto defeated Fort William Thundering Herd 2-games-to-1 with 1 tie

1932

Toronto National Sea Fleas defeated Fort William Blues 2-games-to-none

1950

Toronto Marlboros defeated Calgary Stampeders 4-games-to-1

1951

Owen Sound Mercurys defeated Fort Frances Canadians 4-games-to-3

1953

Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen defeated Penticton Vees 4-games-to-1

1955

Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen defeated Fort William Beavers 4-games-to-1

1957

Whitby Dunlops defeated Spokane Flyers 4-games-to-none

1958

Belleville McFarlands defeated Kelowna Packers 4-games-to-3

1959

Whitby Dunlops defeated Vernon Canadians 4-games-to-1

1960

Chatham Maroons defeated Trail Smoke Eaters 4-games-to-none with 1 tie

1961

Galt Terriers defeated Winnipeg Maroons 4-games-to-1

1963

Windsor Bulldogs defeated Winnipeg Maroons 4-games-to-1

1969

Galt Hornets defeated Calgary Stampeders 4-games-to-none

1971

Galt Hornets defeated Calgary Stampeders 4-games-to-none

1973

Orillia Terriers defeated St. Boniface Mohawks 4-games-to-1

1974

Barrie Flyers defeated Cranbrook Royals 4-games-to-2

1977

Brantford Alexanders defeated Spokane Flyers 4-games-to-1Finalists

1912

Winnipeg Victorias defeated Toronto Eatons 2-games-to-none

1920

Winnipeg Falcons defeated Toronto Granites 11-goals-to-5

1925

Port Arthur Bearcats defeated University of Toronto 2-games-to-none

1926

Port Arthur Bearcats defeated University of Toronto 2-games-to-1 with 1 tie

1931

Winnipeg 'pegs defeated Hamilton Tigers 2-games-to-none

1946

Calgary Stampeders defeated Hamilton Tigers 4-games-to-1

1952

Fort Frances Canadians defeated Stratford Indians 4-games-to-2

1956

Vernon Canadians defeated Chatham Maroons 4-games-to-1

1964

Winnipeg Maroons defeated Woodstock Athletics 4-games-to-none

1970

Spokane Jets defeated Orillia Terriers 4-games-to-2

1972

Spokane Jets defeated Barrie Flyers 4-games-to-2

1975

Thunder Bay Twins defeated Barrie Flyers 4-games-to-2

1976

Spokane Flyers defeated Barrie Flyers 4-games-to-none

1978

Kimberley Dynamiters defeated Brantford Alexanders 4-games-to-1

Olympic Winter Games

The winner of the Allan Cup was named the top "amateur" team in Canada, this made them eligible to compete in the Olympic Winter Games. The list below includes all Ontario Hockey Association representatives from 1924 until 1960.

1924

Toronto Granites (6-0-0) Won Gold

1928

University of Toronto (3-0-0) Won Gold

1956

Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen (6-2-0) Won Bronze

1960

Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen (6-1-0) Won Silver

Ice Hockey World Championships

The winner of the Allan Cup was named the top "amateur" team in Canada, this made them eligible to compete in the Ice Hockey World Championships. The list below includes all Ontario Hockey Association representatives from 1930 until 1962.

1933

Toronto National Sea Fleas (4-1-0) Won Silver

1958

Whitby Dunlops (7-0-0) Won Gold

1959

Belleville McFarlands (7-1-0) Won Gold

1962

Galt Terriers (6-1-0) Won Silver

Teams

Teams listed ONLY in last decade played.

1970s

1960s

1950s

1940s

1930s

Champions

1891 Ottawa

1892 Ottawa

1893 Ottawa

1894 Osgoode Hall

1895 Queen's University

1896 Queen's University

1897 Queen's University

1898 Osgoode Hall

1899 Queen's University

1900 Toronto Wellingtons

1901 Toronto Wellingtons

1902 Toronto Wellingtons

1903 Toronto Wellingtons

1904 Toronto Marlboros

1905 Toronto Marlboros

1906 Berlin

1907 Stratford

1908 Kingston 4th Regiment

1909 St. Michael's Majors

1910 St. Michael's Majors

1911 Toronto Eatons

1912 Toronto Eatons

1913 Toronto R & AA

1914 Toronto R & AA

1915 Toronto Victorias

1916 Toronto Riversides

1917 Toronto Dentals

1918 Kitchener Greenshirts

1919 Hamilton Tigers

1920 Toronto Granites

1921 University of Toronto

1922 Toronto Granites

1923 Toronto Granites

1924 Hamilton AAA

1925 Niagara Falls Cataracts

1926 Peterborough

1927 University of Toronto

1928 Kitchener-Waterloo

1929 University of Toronto

1930 University of Toronto

1931 Hamilton Tigers

1932 Toronto Nationals

1933 Niagara Falls Cataracts

1934 Hamilton Tigers

1935 Toronto HC

1936 Hamilton Tigers

1937 Toronto Dominions

1938 Toronto Goodyears

1939 Toronto Goodyears

1940 Toronto Goodyears

1941 Toronto Marlboros

1942 Hamilton Tigers

1943 Toronto RCAF

1944 Hamilton Tigers

1945 Hamilton Tigers

1946 Hamilton Tigers

1947 Hamilton Tigers

1948 Hamilton Tigers

1949 Toronto Marlboros

1950 Toronto Marlboros

1951 Owen Sound Mercurys

1952 Stratford Indians

1953 Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen

1954 Owen Sound Mercurys

1955 Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen

1956 Chatham Maroons

1957 Whitby Dunlops

1958 Belleville McFarlands

1959 Whitby Dunlops

1960 Chatham Maroons

1961 Galt Terriers

1962 Windsor Bulldogs

1963 Windsor Bulldogs

1964 Woodstock Athletics

1965 Woodstock Athletics

1966 Guelph Regals

1967 Kingston Aces

1968 Toronto Marlboros

1969 Galt Hornets

1970 Orillia Terriers

1971 Galt Hornets

1972 Barrie Flyers

1973 Orillia Terriers

1974 Barrie Flyers

1975 Barrie Flyers

1976 Barrie Flyers

1977 Brantford Alexanders

1978 Brantford Alexanders

1979 Thunder Bay TwinsBold denotes an Allan Cup champion.

External links