1.
Saginaw, Michigan
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Saginaw /ˈsæɡ. ᵻ. nɔː/ is a city in the State of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw and Saginaw County are both located in the known as Mid-Michigan or Central Michigan. The city of Saginaw is located adjacent to Saginaw Charter Township and is considered part of the Tri-City area, along with neighboring Bay City, the Saginaw County MSA had a population of 196,542 in 2013. The city is also the largest municipality within the Saginaw, Midland, the city of Saginaw was a thriving lumber town in the 19th century and an important industrial city and manufacturing center throughout much of the 20th century. However, by the late 20th century, Saginaws industry and its once-strong manufacturing presence declined, leading to increasing unemployment, crime, currently, economic development is focused on comparative advantages in innovation, clean energy, and continued manufacturing exports. The city continues to have a proportion of manufacturing jobs in comparison to the US. The name Saginaw is widely believed to mean where the Sauk were in the Ojibwe language, another possible explanation is that it originated from Sace-nong or Sak-e-nong because the Sauk people once lived there, or from Chippewa words meaning place of the outlet from sag, and ong. However, this name may be a mistake, when Natives told Samuel de Champlain that the Sauk nation was located on the west shore of Lake Michigan, Champlain mistakenly placed them on the western shore of Lake Huron. This mistake was copied on subsequent maps, and future references identified this as the place of the Sauks, the site of what later became the city of Saginaw was originally inhabited by the Sauk people, who lived in the area and were driven out by the Ojibwe. French missionaries and traders first appeared in the area during the late 17th century, the first permanent settlement by those other than Native Americans was in 1816 when Louis Campau established a trading post on the west bank of the Saginaw River. Shortly thereafter the United States established Fort Saginaw, campaus trading post was also inhabited by Metis. During Michigans territorial period, a county and township government were organized at Saginaw, growth of the settlement was fueled rapidly during the 19th century by the lumber industry. Saginaw was the site of sawmills and served as a port for Great Lakes vessels. What is now the city of Saginaw resulted from the consolidation of the cities of East Saginaw and Saginaw City in 1889. In 1819, Lewis Cass, in the Treaty of Saginaw, negotiated the prerogative for the United States to own, in 1820, Campau attempted to expand across to the east bank of the river but was rejected by the Chippewas. In 1822, the United States Army established a fort on the west bank of the Saginaw River, two companies were stationed at the fort. A group of investors purchased land near the fort and had it platted under the name. Due to the harsh seasons and illnesses, Fort Saginaw was abandoned by 1824
2.
Ontario Hockey League
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The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 16–21, the league was formed in 1933 with the partition of Junior A and B. In 1970, the OHA Junior A League was one of five Junior A leagues operating in Ontario, the OHA was promoted to Tier I Junior A for the 1970-71 season and took up the name Ontario Major Junior Hockey League. In 1980, the league walked away from Ontario Hockey Association governance with the creation of the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League, from 1974 until 1978, Clarence Tubby Schmalz was the leagues commissioner. Then, for one season, former IHL commissioner Bill Beagan served as commissioner of the OMJHL, beginning with the 1979-80 season, David Branch has been the Commissioner of the OHL. Branch was appointed on August 11,1979, and assumed the role on September 17,1979. Since 1980 the league has grown rapidly into a marketable product, with many games broadcast on television. There are currently 20 teams in the OHL,17 are based in the Canadian province of Ontario, leagues for ice hockey in Ontario were first organized in 1890 by the newly created Ontario Hockey Association. In 1892 the OHA recognized junior hockey - referring to skill rather than age, in 1896 the OHA moved to the modern age-limited junior hockey concept, distinct from senior and intermediate divisions. Since then the evolution to the Ontario Hockey League has developed four distinct eras of junior-aged non-professional hockey in Ontario. In 1933, the division was divided into two levels, Junior A and Junior B. In 1970 the Junior A level was divided into two levels, Tier I and Tier II, in 1974 the Tier I/Major Junior A group separated from the OHA and became the independent Ontario Major Junior Hockey League. In 1980, the OMJHL became the Ontario Hockey League, the 20 OHL clubs play a 68-game unbalanced schedule, which starts in the third full week of September, running until the third week of March. Ninety percent of OHL games are scheduled between Thursday and Sunday to minimize the number of school days missed for its players. Approximately 20% of players on active rosters in the National Hockey League have come from the OHL, the J. Ross Robertson Cup is awarded annually to the winner of the Championship Series. The Cup is named for John Ross Robertson, who was president of the Ontario Hockey Association from 1901 to 1905, the OHL playoffs consist of the top 16 teams in the league,8 from each conference. The teams play a game series, and the winner of each series advances to the next round. The final two teams compete for the J. Ross Robertson Cup
3.
Dow Event Center
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The Dow Event Center is an indoor arena located in Saginaw, Michigan. It currently houses the Ontario Hockey Leagues Saginaw Spirit, the facility has housed a number of hockey teams in the past, such as the Saginaw Lumber Kings and both the IHL and UHL incarnations of the Saginaw Gears. The Arena At The Dow Event Center, has a capacity of 7,600 people for concerts, the Theater At The Dow Event Center has a capacity of 2,276 people. Originally built in 1972 as part of a development program. Most of the buildings were razed in the 1980s due to many problems, including health risks, foreclosure. For a time in the 1990s, the facility nearly faced foreclosure, the facility underwent a series of much-needed renovations in early 2000s, mainly in hopes for a better facility to host their newly acquired hockey team. The naming rights of the facility were transferred in September 2004 to The Dow Chemical Company, the center was used two times during the summer of 2004 as a center for Republican political rallies in support for the re-election of U. S. President George W. Bush. Voters transferred the ownership from the City of Saginaw to Saginaw County on May 8,2001, the city then closed the facility on June 30,2001, and the county reopened it on July 1. The county then appointed SMG Worldwide to manage the facility, the total cost of the renovations was tagged at $17 million, and they were completed in 2003. The center hosts many events, concerts, political rallies, trade shows also take place here, the complex has 25,000 square feet of space at Wendler Arena. It hosted the third WWF In Your House pay-per-view on September 24,1995, jehovahs Witnesses District Conventions are held annually at the Dow Event Center. Starting in mid-June, and ending in early July,3 day conventions held on weekend in that time will occur. One of the fastest sellouts in Dow Event Centers history took place in 2011, the Dow Event Center site Dow announcement to purchase naming rights Dow Event Center press release on naming rights Dow Event Center History SMG Worldwide Management Group
4.
Leamington Flyers
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The Leamington Flyers are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Leamington, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Western division of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League, bill Burgess, coach and general manager of the local Intermediate Flyers, formed the Junior Flyers in 1954. They were a Junior B team in the Southwestern League until 1958 when they quit the league, the Flyers were a part of the BCJBHL1958 until 1964. When the OHA allowed the Border Cities League to fail in 1964, in 1966, the team operated as an independent team, playing only in OHA playdowns and exhibition against local all-star, juvenile, and intermediate teams. In 1967, they joined the Western Junior B League and they entered the new Border Cities league in 1968. When the league became the Great Lakes Junior C Hockey League in 1970, the Flyers were promoted to the Western Junior B league in 1992 and are still a charter member. On January 3,1993, the Leamington Flyers helped set a record for the highest scoring tie in the history of the Western Ontario Hockey League by tying the London Nationals 11-11, the Flyers hold the record for the most lopsided game in the history of the WOHL. On January 20,1995, the Flyers defeated the Windsor Bulldogs by a score of 30-3, on January 26,2002, the Flyers set the WOHL record for largest margin in a shutout victory by defeating the Aylmer Aces by a score of 16-0. At the beginning of the 2006-07 season, it was announced that the Flyers have officially affiliated with the Ontario Hockey Leagues Saginaw Spirit, on Tuesday March 16,2010, the Leamington Flyers hired Head Coach Tony Piroski. Previously, as coach of the Essex 73s, Piroski won seven Great Lakes Junior C Hockey League championships, in Piroskis first season the team went from 7 wins to 26 wins, losing Game 7 in overtime to the Lasalle Vipers. In spring 2011 the Flyers brought aboard OHL scout Mike Sadler as the general manager. In the 2013–14 season the Flyers won the championship with a record of 37 wins 10 losses and 2 OTL for 76 points finishing 3 points ahead of the rival Lasalle Vipers. The Flyers eliminated St. Marys 4–0 then faced the defending Sutherland Cup Champion London Nationals, the Flyers would need a couple double overtime games but defeated London 4 games to 1. The Flyers faced the Chatham Maroons in the Finals, a maroons team that had added many pieces at the deadline and were the favourites. The 2014–15 edition of the Flyers finished the season with 38 wins 9 losses and 2 OTL good enough for the regular-season championship. The Flyers faced the number 8 seed Lambton Shores Predators in the first round, next up were the London Nationals who finished 7th but were coming off a huge upset of the Chatham Maroons. The Nationals would win the first 2 games on the strong goaltending from Justin Tugwell, the Flyers would find a way to solve the London netminder and win the next 4 to take the series in 6 games. Leamington would make their 2nd straight Western Conference Finals and take on their county Rival Lasalle Vipers, the Flyers would take home their 2nd straight Western Conference Title in 6 games against the Vipers in a classic series
5.
St. Catharines Falcons
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The St. Catharines Falcons were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association from 1943 to 1947. The team was based in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada, the Garden City was introduced to OHA Junior A Hockey in the fall of 1943 when the St. Catharines Falcons made their debut in the league. Rudy Pilous, a former St. Catharines Sr, Pilous would be coach & general manager of the team, and MacDonald would be secretary & treasurer. Pilous raised the capital from talking six local businessmen into investing $500 each and he then took a trip back to his home town of Winnipeg, to hire players for the 1943-44 season. The Falcons played their first game on November 13,1943, the St. Catharines Falcons name came from a naming contest for the new junior team. The winner of the contest was a boy named Jimmy Stirrett from Port Dalhousie. The team was so unsuccessful, that two years, the St. Catharines Senior A Saints folded. In 1946-47 the club didnt make the playoffs and was in financial trouble and it looked like the end of Junior hockey in the city. In January 1947, George Stauffer, President of Thompson Products Ltd. stepped into the picture and he saved Junior hockey in St. Catharines, and renamed the team the Teepees. Today there is an unrelated local Jr, B hockey team in the Golden Horseshoe Junior B Hockey League using the same name as the St. Catharines Falcons. Several Winnipeg-area players including Harvey Jessiman, Bing Juckes, Tom Pollock, Laurie Peterson and Doug McMurdy formed the nucleus of the first club, centreman Doug McMurdy was awarded the Red Tilson Trophy in 1944-45 as the Most Outstanding Player in the OHA. NHL alumni are Armand Delmonte, Val Delory, Bing Juckes, the Falcons never made it to the league finals for the J. Ross Robertson Cup, but did very well in the regular season, making the playoffs their first three years. The St. Catharines Falcons played in the Garden City Arena in downtown St. Catharines, the team shared the arena with the Sr. A. team, the St. Catharines Saints from 1943-1945
6.
St. Catharines Teepees
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The St. Catharines Teepees were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association from 1947 to 1962. The team was based in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada, during the fifteen years the Teepees played, they developed into a powerhouse in the OHA. St. Catharines finished in first place 5 years in a 6-year span, the team also produced 5 league leading scorers and 3 MVPs in the same period. The Teepees won the Memorial Cup in 1954 and 1960, in 1961-62 the Teepees, no longer owned by Thompson Products, were in financial trouble and the Chicago Black Hawks came to their rescue. In 1962-63, the Teepees became the St. Catharines Black Hawks, the Teepees won the Memorial Cup in 1954 played at Maple Leaf Gardens. They defeated the Edmonton Oil Kings 4 games to 0 with one tie game, St. Catharines was now coached by Max Kaminsky and Rudy Pilous was the team manager for the 1960 Memorial Cup rematch versus the Edmonton Oil Kings. On the road to the Cup, the Teepees defeated the Toronto St. Michaels Majors for the OHA championship, the series against Brockville was decided in the 8th game after each team had won three games each with a tie game. The 1960 Memorial Cup opened up at the Garden City Arena with remaining games played at Maple Leaf Gardens, the Teepees defeated the Edmonton Oil Kings for the second time in the Memorial Cup,4 games to 2 in a best-of-seven series. The St. Catharines Teepees are one of a few clubs to win multiple Memorial Cup championships, in total the Teepees won the Memorial Cup, the George Richardson Memorial Trophy, the J. Ross Robertson Cup and the Hamilton Spectator Trophy twice each. There have been 54 Teepees alumni play in the NHL, four of those would be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. St. Catharines also had three MVPs and five scoring champions with a six-year span, regular Season Playoffs Complete results prior to 1960 are currently unavailable. 1960-61 Lost to St. Michaels Majors 8 points to 4 in quarter-finals, 1961-62 Lost to Hamilton Red Wings 9 points to 3 in OHA semi-finals. The St. Catharines Teepees played in the Garden City Arena in downtown St. Catharines, Ontario from 1947-1962, Garden City Arena - OHL Arena & Travel Guide
7.
St. Catharines Black Hawks
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The St. Catharines Black Hawks were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association from 1962 to 1976. The team was based in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada, in 1962 the Chicago Black Hawks sponsored the financially troubled St. Catharines Teepees, and renamed the team St. Catharines Black Hawks. Chicago continued to do so until NHL sponsorship ended in 1968, from 1968 until 1972, the Hawks were owned by Fred Muller and Ken Campbell. St. Catharines made it to the OHA finals in 1969,1971 and 1974 and they were beaten in the 1969 OHA finals by the Montreal Junior Canadiens 4 wins to 0 with 2 ties. The Black Hawks won the J. Ross Robertson Cup in 1971 versus the Toronto Marlboros &1974 versus the Peterborough Petes. The 1971 Richardson Trophy series between St. Catharines and the Quebec Remparts is one of the most storied ever, featuring riots, in the 1974 Memorial Cup tournament the Black Hawks would square up against the Regina Pats and a rematch versus the Quebec Remparts. The Eastern Canadian championship of 1971 was the most controversial of the series played for the Richardson Cup. It was also the last Eastern Canadian championship to be played before the Memorial Cup tournament began in 1972, the series that featured future NHL stars Guy Lafleur and Marcel Dionne, never lived up to the potential on ice brilliance that could have been. Disputes off the ice and erupting violence abruped the series before it was finished, the Black Hawks and Remparts series was intense on many levels. Besides the strong rivalry between Anglophone and Francophone hockey teams and Canadian citizens in general, there was unfinished business between Marcel Dionne and the Remparts coach Maurice Filion, Dionne had been coached by Filion in 1968 as a member of the Drummondville Rangers of the Quebec Junior Hockey League. When the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League formed in 1969, Dionne departed to play in the OHA, Filion vowed revenge against his OHA team. This rivalry was fueled by the desire of Francophone nationalists to have a Canadian champion from a Quebec team in a Quebec-based league. The Remparts won the first game 4-2 played in St. Catharines, despite the win, Filion complained about the referee bias against his players, calling it anti-Francophone. The Black Hawks won game 2 by a score of 8-3, game 3 was played in the Colisée de Québec to an overflow crowd, seeing the Remparts win 3-1. There were a total of 102 penalty minutes called,77 of those were against the Black Hawks, brian MacKenize of St. Catharines would be suspended for one game after confronting a linesman. The next game of the series was uglier than the last game, another overflow crowd saw the Remparts win game 4 by a score of 6-1. As the game wore on, more and more fights broke out on the ice, the St. Catharines players were escorted off the ice by police amidst the hurling of debris from Quebec fans. After the game an angry mob surrounded the St. Catharines team bus on its way to the motel, the mob circled the motel until the early hours of the morning
8.
Niagara Falls Flyers
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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, 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. The Flyers were runners up to the Memorial Cup in 1963 played at Edmontons Arena Gardens and 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 Edmontons Arena Gardens and 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 police presence throughout. Niagara Falls won the right to play for the Cup by defeating the Kitchener Rangers for the OHA 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 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, the Emms family later sold this version of the Flyers in 1978. The second Flyers team played for 4 seasons in the Ontario Hockey Association from 1976 to 1980, 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, 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, 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 season to win the Hamilton Spectator Trophy
9.
North Bay Centennials
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The North Bay Centennials were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League, who played from 1982–2002. The team was based in North Bay, Ontario, the North Bay Centennials or Cents as they were popularly known, were named after the 100th anniversary of the railroad in North Bay. The team can trace its roots back to St. Catharines, Ontario, the Centennials won back-to-back Emms division titles in 1986 and 1987. The super series was played while the first round of the playoffs was taking place, North Bay came within one game of hosting the national junior championship, losing game seven to the Oshawa Generals. In the OHL championship series that year the Centennials and Generals faced off again with the same result, Oshawa defeating North Bay 4 games to 3. Since the Oshawa Generals were both host and champion, a revision to the Memorial Cup format was made where it was reduced to a three team tournament and the North Bay Centennials eliminated. It was the first three team tournament since 1982 and to this day it is the last 3-team tournament, determined to return to the Memorial Cup, coach and general manager Bert Templeton began building his team for another championship run. In 1991–92 North Bay would return to the OHL finals, losing to their northern counterparts, Templeton was awarded the OHL Executive of the Year for the 1991–92 season. Two years later in 1994, North Bay was on top of the winning the Hamilton Spectator Trophy. They entered the playoffs as the #1 ranked junior team in Canada and this time the Centennials would prevail in the finals by defeating the Detroit Junior Red Wings in seven games. Injuries began to take their toll on the team as they headed to the 1994 Memorial Cup, played in Laval, North Bay dropped all three games on the round-robin, losing 5-4 to the Laval Titan, 3-1 to the Chicoutimi Saguenéens, and 5-1 to the Kamloops Blazers. Templeton was awarded the Ontario Hockey League and Canadian Hockey League Coach of the Year in 1994 and he asked for a raise in renegotiating his contract. When the raise was not given, Templeton and the Centennials parted ways, after Bert Templeton was let go, the Centennials fell on hard times with many losing seasons. The Cents never regained their previous form and attendance dropped off yearly, for the 1999–2000 season, the Centennials released new uniforms with an updated logo to boost retail sales. Combined with a facility, the team became unprofitable and was ultimately sold to a group of American investors in 2002. The Centennials best year was 1994, when the team was first overall in the season, won the league championship. North Bay also won three titles, and made three trips to the OHL championship series. In twenty years of operation, the North Bay Centennials had four coaches, the legendary Bert Templeton carried over from Niagara Falls and guided the team for its first twelve years in North Bay
