The Oshawa Generals are a

junior ice hockey Junior hockey is a level of competitive ice hockey generally for players between 16 and 21 years of age. Junior hockey leagues in the United States and Canada are considered amateur (with some exceptions) and operate within regions of each cou ...

team in the

Ontario Hockey League The Ontario Hockey League (OHL; french: Ligue de hockey de l'Ontario (LHO)) is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 16–19. There are exceptions for overa ...

. They are based in

Oshawa Oshawa ( , also ; 2021 population 175,383; CMA 415,311) is a city in Ontario, Canada, on the Lake Ontario shoreline. It lies in Southern Ontario, approximately east of Downtown Toronto. It is commonly viewed as the eastern anchor of the ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

, Canada. The team is named for

General Motors The General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest automaker in the United States and ...

, an early sponsor which has its Canadian headquarters in Oshawa. In November 2016, the General Motors Centre changed its name to Tribute Communities Centre. Its 184 graduates to the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey sports league, league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranke ...

are second in the OHL. The Generals have won the Memorial Cup five times, as well as a record thirteen Ontario Hockey League Championships, the J. Ross Robertson Cup. The Generals have two distinct eras in their history. The original Generals operated from 1937 to 1953. The team went on a hiatus from 1953 to 1962 due to a fire at the

Hambly Arena The Hambly Arena was an indoor ice rink in Oshawa, Ontario, also known as the Oshawa Arena. It operated from 1930 to 1953, and was primarily used as an ice hockey venue for the Oshawa Generals. The Hambly Arena was built as a replacement to the woo ...

. The team was resurrected in 1962. Famous alumni of the Generals include

Hockey Hall of Fame The Hockey Hall of Fame (french: Temple de la renommée du hockey) is a museum and hall of fame located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League (NHL) rec ...

Bobby Orr Robert Gordon Orr (born March 20, 1948) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, widely acknowledged as one of the greatest of all time. Orr used his ice skating speed, scoring, and play-making abilities to revolutionize the pos ...

, Ted Lindsay,

Alex Delvecchio Alexander Peter "Fats" Delvecchio (born December 4, 1931) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, coach, and general manager who spent his entire National Hockey League (NHL) career with the Detroit Red Wings. In a playing car ...

Dave Andreychuk David John Andreychuk (born September 29, 1963) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger who played in the NHL with the Buffalo Sabres, Toronto Maple Leafs, New Jersey Devils, Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche and Tampa Bay Light ...

and

Eric Lindros Eric Bryan Lindros (; born February 28, 1973) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Lindros was born in London, Ontario, but grew up in Toronto. He played junior hockey in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for the Oshawa Generals pr ...

History

Early years (1908–1937)

Prior to 1908, Oshawa belonged to the Midland Hockey League. It competed against other teams from

Whitby Whitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in the Scarborough borough of North Yorkshire, England. Situated on the east coast of Yorkshire at the mouth of the River Esk, Whitby has a maritime, mineral and tourist heritage. Its East Cl ...

, Bowmanville, Port Hope and

Cobourg Cobourg ( ) is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in Southern Ontario east of Toronto and east of Oshawa. It is the largest town in and seat of Northumberland County. Its nearest neighbour is Port Hope, to the west. It ...

. The first Oshawa team in the

Ontario Hockey Association The Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) is the governing body for the majority of junior and senior level ice hockey teams in the Province of Ontario. The OHA is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation along with the Northern Ontario Hockey As ...

junior division began play in the 1908–1909 season, known as the Oshawa Shamrocks. Ed Bradley, a prominent local businessman was responsible for organizing the team and bringing junior hockey to Oshawa and was the team's manager for the next 13 seasons. Success came early to the team reaching the semifinals in 1909. In the 1920s, the team enjoyed many successful years, battling against

Orillia Orillia is a city in Ontario, Canada. It is in Simcoe County between Lake Couchiching and Lake Simcoe. Although it is geographically located within Simcoe County, the city is a List of municipalities in Ontario#Single-tier municipalities, single ...

and Owen Sound. In June 1928, Bradley's Arena burnt to the ground. The team relocated to Whitby until the new Oshawa Arena was built for 1930. In the early 1930s, the team became known as the Oshawa Majors. The Majors won the OHA title in 1935 versus the

Kitchener Greenshirts The Kitchener Greenshirts name has been used by five separate ice hockey teams playing in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. These include one 'Senior A' level hockey team, two 'Junior A' level teams, and two 'Junior B' level teams. The name has also ...

, and played the Northern Ontario champion

Sudbury Cub Wolves The Sudbury Wolves are an Ontario Hockey League (OHL) ice hockey team based in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. Sudbury has had various hockey teams competing at the junior and senior ice hockey levels of the game known as the "Wolves" (or "Cub Wo ...

. In a protest by Kitchener, the title was taken away from Oshawa while games were already underway with Sudbury. In 1936, different sources name the team as the Majors, the Red Devils, and the

Junior G-Men ''Junior G-Men'' was an American boys club and popular culture phenomenon during the late 1930s and early 1940s that began with a radio program and culminated with films featuring the Dead End Kids. Origins After leaving the Federal Bureau of Inv ...

. This team coached by Bill Hancock and managed by

Matt Leyden Matthew Leyden (1904 – December 23, 1975) was a former ice hockey executive, administrator, and builder with the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA). He managed the Oshawa Generals from 1937 to 1953, and built the team which won seven consecutive ...

played the season against St. Michael's College,

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...

, Toronto Young Rangers,

Toronto Marlboros The Toronto Marlborough Athletic Club, commonly known as the Toronto Marlboros, was founded in 1903. It operated junior ice hockey and senior ice hockey teams in the Ontario Hockey Association and later the Ontario Hockey League. The Marlboros ...

Toronto Native Sons The Toronto Native Sons were a Canadian junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) from 1933 until 1942. They played at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. Prior to moving up to the OHA, the team played in the Toronto Junior Hoc ...

and the

Toronto Lions The Toronto Lions were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association from 1931 to 1939. They played at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto and were coached by Eddie Livingstone. The team was previously known as the Victorias, and changed ...

OHA dynasty (1937–1944)

In 1937, the Oshawa Generals were created and named after the sponsor, General Motors of Canada. The Generals put together an unequalled feat of seven consecutive OHA Championships, and winning three Memorial Cups in the same span. The Generals grew a reputation for treating its players well and signed many young men who would go on to

fame. Players were admitted free to theatres, dancing, wrestling, roller skating and other attractions at the arena. Sponsors gave full scholarships to school and weekly stipends. Through the whole dynasty, the team was managed by

, and its secretary was Neil Hezzlewood. Both men would be inducted in the Oshawa Sports

Hall of fame A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actual halls or muse ...

. From 1937 to 1944, Oshawa Generals graduated 20 players to become NHL alumni, and another player in David Bauer, who would be inducted into the

in the Builder's Category. NHL alumni from 1937 to 1944 include; Frank Bennett, Harvey Bennett,

Les Colvin Leslie Charles Colvin (February 8, 1919 – September 7, 2006) was a Canadian ice hockey goaltender who played in one National Hockey League game for the Boston Bruins during the 1948–49 season, on January 22, 1949 against the Montreal Can ...

, Jim Conacher,

Floyd Curry Floyd James "Busher" Curry (August 11, 1925 – September 16, 2006) was a Canadian ice hockey right winger. Curry was born in 1925 in Chapleau, Ontario and raised in Kirkland Lake by his parents Dalton and Mable Curry. He played junior hockey wit ...

, Buck Davies,

Bob Dawes Robert James "Bobby" Dawes (November 29, 1924 – May 26, 2003) was a Canadian ice hockey defenceman. He played 32 games in the National Hockey League with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens between 1947 and 1951. The rest of his care ...

, Jim Drummond,

Frank Eddolls Frank Herbert Eddolls (July 5, 1921 – August 13, 1961) was a defenceman in the National Hockey League who played for the Montreal Canadiens and New York Rangers, and coached the Chicago Black Hawks in 1954–55. He won the Stanley Cup with Mont ...

Bill Ezinicki William "Wild Bill" Ezinicki (March 11, 1924 – October 11, 2012) was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward for the Toronto Maple Leafs (1944–1950), the Boston Bruins (1950–1952), and the New York Rangers (1954–1955) of the NHL. ...

, Armand (Bep) Guidolin, Nick Knott, Ted Lindsay, Jud McAtee,

Norm McAtee Norman Joseph McAtee (June 28, 1921 – August 25, 2010) was a Canadian ice hockey player who played 13 games in the National Hockey League with the Boston Bruins during the 1946–47 season. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1941 to 1 ...

, Gus Mortson,

Chuck Scherza Charles Henry Scherza (February 15, 1923 – March 16, 2014) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played 36 games in the National Hockey League with the Boston Bruins and New York Rangers between 1943 and 1945. The rest of his care ...

, Ken Smith, Billy "The Kid" Taylor and Wally Wilson.

Fire (1953)

In September 1953 a great tragedy struck in Oshawa when Hambly's Arena burned down. The city lost their arena, and their OHA team. Donations poured in from many fellow OHA teams and local businessmen. Equipment and other items were dispersed to all the players attending the training camp to cover individual losses. The Generals, homeless so close to the start of the new season, were disbanded. Salvaged from the disbanded team, General Manager Wren Blair made a Senior B team known as the Oshawa Truckmen, who played in Bowmanville for the 1953–1954 season. The year after, this team became the Whitby Dunlops. The Dunlops were

Allan Cup The Allan Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the national senior amateur men's ice hockey champions of Canada. It was donated by Sir Montagu Allan of Ravenscrag, Montreal, and has been competed for since 1909. The current champions are th ...

Champions in 1957 & 1959, and World Champions in 1958.

Rebirth of the Generals (1962)

In 1960, Wren Blair began negotiations with

Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making ...

president Weston Adams to begin building the new Oshawa Generals. The agreement was made contingent on a new arena being built in Oshawa. The

Oshawa Civic Auditorium The Oshawa Civic Auditorium was an indoor arena in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. It operated from 1964 to 2006, and was primarily used as an ice hockey venue for the Oshawa Generals. The auditorium was built as a replacement to the Hambly Arena, whi ...

would open in 1964. In the meantime, the Oshawa Generals were reactivated for the 1962–1963 as a team playing in the

Metro Junior A League The Metro Junior A League was a junior ice hockey league created in 1961 by Toronto Maple Leafs owner Stafford Smythe in an attempt to rival the OHA, and act as a farm system for his NHL team. The league operated for two seasons from 1961 to 19 ...

. For this year, the team played its home games at Maple Leaf Gardens. Fundraising for a new arena was well under way at the same time. The Generals wore red, white and blue jerseys until the 1965–66 season when they adopted the black, gold and white of their parent team, the Boston Bruins. In 1963 the Metro Junior A league was disbanded, and Oshawa was readmitted in the OHA. Since the

used Maple Leaf Gardens as a home rink, the Generals team played out of nearby Bowmanville for one full season, and part of another.

The Bobby Orr years (1962–1966)

The greatest player ever to wear an Oshawa Generals uniform,

, became a legend in the NHL and to be inducted in the

. Orr was discovered by Wren Blair as a 14-year-old while playing a game in Gananoque, Ontario. He was quickly signed to a contract and invited to training camp for the 1962–63 season. He would commute three hours from Parry Sound for all weekend games he played with the Generals that year. Even so, he was selected to the Metro Junior A League's second all-star team. During the 1963–64 season (his first full season in Junior A hockey), Bobby Orr scored 29 goals to break the record for most goals by a defenceman, previously held by Jacques Laperriere. Orr was also selected as a first team all-star

defenceman Defence or defense (in American English) in ice hockey is a player position that is primarily responsible for preventing the opposing team from scoring. They are often referred to as defencemen, D, D-men or blueliners (the latter a reference t ...

. During the 1964–65 season, the Generals moved into their new home at the

. Orr broke his own record, scoring 34 goals that season. In the 1965–66 season, Oshawa returned to the Memorial Cup after a 22-year absence. The Generals were coached that year by alumnus Armand "Bep" Guidolin, who played for Oshawa in the 1942 Memorial Cup, and subsequently made the

of the

(NHL) as a 16-year-old. Team captain Bobby Orr scored 38 goals during the season. The Generals defeated their bitter rivals, the St. Catharines Black Hawks, in the quarter-finals before eliminating the

Montreal Junior Canadiens The Montreal Junior Canadiens were a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Junior Hockey League from 1933 to 1961, and the Ontario Hockey Association from 1961 to 1972. They played out of the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. History T ...

in the semi-finals, and winning the J. Ross Robertson Cup over the Kitchener Rangers. The Generals then outscored the Northern Ontario Junior A champion North Bay Trappers by a combined score of 43–9 to win the series in four games, and then defeated Shawinigan Bruins in three games to be the Eastern Canadian representative for the Memorial Cup. In the Memorial Cup series, Orr played injured through most games, but the team lost to the

Edmonton Oil Kings The Edmonton Oil Kings are a major junior ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, that play in the Western Hockey League. As of July 2008, they are owned by Daryl Katz's Oilers Entertainment Group, which also owns the Edmonton Oilers. ...

in six games. After the season ended, many players graduated from the team and moved on: Orr went to the Bruins, Blair became general manager of the NHL's Minnesota North Stars and head coach Guidolin returned to coaching in Thorold.

Ninth championship (1983)

After many dismal seasons through the late 1960s and 1970s, the Generals began to rebuild for a run at the Memorial Cup. In 1979, the Generals hired Head Coach Paul Theriault, who would lead the team to nine consecutive winning seasons, including two Memorial Cup appearances. In 1983, the Generals returned to the Memorial Cup after a 17-year absence, defeating the

Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds The Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (often shortened to Soo Greyhounds) are a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. The Greyhounds play home games at the GFL Memorial Gardens. The present team was founded in 1962 as a team in th ...

for their ninth J. Ross Robertson Cup. The Memorial Cup that year was played in Portland,

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

. The Generals lost in the finals to the host team, the Portland Winter Hawks, by a score of 8–3. That year's team captain, defenceman

Joe Cirella Joseph Cirella (born May 9, 1963) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played in 828 games in the National Hockey League (NHL). He has additionally served as assistant coach and assistant general manager of the Oshawa Generals o ...

, went on to play 16 years in the NHL.

Tragedy (1985)

During an early season practice, Bruce Melanson left the ice feeling very weak. Within a few minutes he collapsed, succumbing to a congenital heart disorder known as Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome. He was 18 years old at the time. The Generals wore black arm bands for the remainder of the season in memoriam of their teammate they nicknamed "Moose." In his honour, his number 9 was never worn by another member of the Generals and was later retired in 2006 for the late Red Tilson. A memorial scholarship was also set up at his former high school in

New Brunswick New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...

. The Generals now hand out an award to the most scholarly student, named the Bruce Melanson Scholactic Player of the Year Award. Melanson's hard-hitting and aggressive style led him to be selected by

New York Islanders The New York Islanders (colloquially known as the Isles) are a professional ice hockey team based in Elmont, New York. The Islanders compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conferenc ...

in the second round, 41st overall, in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft.

Hosting the Memorial Cup (1987)

In the 1986–87 season the Generals set a team record with 101 points for the season. The Generals played on home ice in the Memorial Cup, as the host city and as the OHL champions. In 1987, the OHL organized a "super series" for the right to host the Memorial Cup tournament between the Leyden Division-winning Generals and the Emms Division-winning North Bay Centennials. The super series was played before the OHL playoffs commenced, and Oshawa defeated North Bay four games to three for the right to host the Memorial Cup. Coincidentally, Oshawa also won the OHL championship series defeating North Bay four games to three. Since Oshawa won both the super series and the OHL championship, only three teams participated in the Memorial Cup. Oshawa reached the finals against the

Medicine Hat Tigers The Medicine Hat Tigers are a junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League (WHL) who play in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada. Established in 1970, the team has won two national Memorial Cups, five WHL League Championships and seven Di ...

, but lost 6–2 in the championship game.

Eric Lindros and a fourth Memorial Cup (1989–1991)

was drafted by the

, but refused to play for them, forcing the Greyhounds to trade him. After arriving in Oshawa, Lindros turned out to be the player the Generals needed to reach the Memorial Cup, in addition to the existing core of players captained by Iain Fraser. After playing for the Canadian National Team, Lindros started his rookie year with the Generals in 1989–90. Lindros would go on to score 17 goals and 19 assists in only 25 games. The same year in the playoffs, he scored 18 goals and 18 assists in only 17 games. Copps Coliseum hosted the

1990 Memorial Cup The 1990 Memorial Cup occurred May 5–13 at the Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario. It was the 72nd annual Memorial Cup competition and determined the major junior ice hockey champion of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). Participating teams ...

. The Generals played against the

Kamloops Blazers The Kamloops Blazers are a junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League (WHL). The team plays in the B.C. Division of the Western Conference, is based out of Kamloops, British Columbia, and play home games at Sandman Centre. The Blazers ...

Laval Titan The Laval Titan was one of the names used by a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) franchise that played in Laval, Quebec, Canada, between 1971 and 1998. History The Rosemont National began in the 1969–70 QMJ ...

and the OHL runners-up, the Kitchener Rangers. The championship game on May 13, 1990, attracted 17,383 spectators who eventually witnessed the Generals defeat the Rangers 4–3 in double overtime on a goal scored by Bill Armstrong. This was the fourth Memorial Cup in Generals history. In the subsequent off-season, Lindros was chosen first overall at the

1991 NHL Entry Draft The 1991 NHL Entry Draft was the 29th NHL Entry Draft. It was held on June 22 at the Memorial Auditorium in Buffalo, New York. A total of 264 players were drafted. The worst team in the previous 1990–91 season, the Quebec Nordiques, was g ...

by the Quebec Nordiques. Entering the 1990–91 season, the Generals were expected to repeat as OHL champions. In 57 regular season games, Lindros again led the team in points after scoring 71 goals and 78 assists. The Generals, however, lost the OHL final that year to Lindros' draft team, the Sault Ste. Marie.

Twelfth OHL Championship (1997)

The Generals set the benchmark for other OHL teams by winning their 12th J. Ross Robertson Cup in 1997. The Generals upset the first place Ottawa 67's in the OHL final, 4–2. The sixth game ended just eight seconds into the first overtime on a goal from Marc Savard. The Generals then participated in the

1997 Memorial Cup The 1997 Memorial Cup occurred May 10–18 at the Robert Guertin Centre in Hull, Quebec. It was the 79th annual Memorial Cup competition and determined the major junior ice hockey champion of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). Participating team ...

Hull, Quebec Hull is the central business district and oldest neighbourhood of the city of Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. It is located on the west bank of the Gatineau River and the north shore of the Ottawa River, directly opposite Ottawa. As part of the Canad ...

, in which they finished third in the round-robin and lost in the semi-final to the Lethbridge Hurricanes. Future NHL players from Oshawa's 1997 roster included Marc Savard, John Tripp, Ian MacNeil, Kevin Colley,

Dan Hinote Daniel Chester Hinote (born January 30, 1977) is an American former professional ice hockey player and current assistant coach for the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League. He finished his playing career playing for Modo Hockey of the ...

, Jeff Ware, Bryan Allen, Jeff MacMillan and Tyrone Garner.

New ownership, new home (2004 to present)

In 2004, John Davies purchased the team from John Humphreys. This marked the beginning of a new era for the team, as the Humphreys family had owned the team since its resurrection in 1962. In 2005, the Generals drafted 14-year-old John Tavares first overall in the OHL Priority Selection; he was previously granted Exceptional Player Status by the OHL, which allowing him to be drafted one year earlier than the norm. Following his selection, the Generals worked to build another championship team centered around Tavares. Other building blocks added to the team included Michael Del Zotto, Dale Mitchell, Cal Clutterbuck,

Brett MacLean Brett MacLean (born December 24, 1988) is a former Canadian professional ice hockey player who played for the Phoenix Coyotes and Winnipeg Jets in the National Hockey League. He was drafted 32nd overall by the Coyotes in the 2007 NHL Entry Dr ...

(then one of the youngest players in the OHL), goaltender Anthony Peters and eventually Calvin de Haan. The new ownership also brought to an end the Generals era playing in the Civic Auditorium. Led by Oshawa Mayor John Gray, the Generals were able to call a new arena in downtown Oshawa their home. The team moved into the

General Motors Centre The Tribute Communities Centre, formerly known as the General Motors Centre or GM Centre, GMC for short, is a multi-purpose arena located in downtown Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, which opened in November 2006. The arena was constructed to replace the ...

on November 1, 2006, and played the inaugural game on November 3 against the

Owen Sound Attack The Owen Sound Attack are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League based in Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada. Based in Owen Sound since 1989, and operating under the current name since 2000, the Attack play their home games at the Harry L ...

After topping scoring boards and points lists with the Generals for three and a half seasons, John Tavares and Michael Del Zotto were traded to the London Knights on January 8, 2009, and a new crop of young talent was brought onto the Generals team. Christian Thomas, Scott Valentine and Michael Zador, along with several draft picks, were part of the Tavares deal. Other additions included Tony DeHart and

Lucas Lessio Lucas Lessio (born January 23, 1993) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He is currently under contract with EC KAC of the ICE Hockey League (ICEHL). Lessio was selected 56th overall by the Phoenix Coyotes in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft ...

, a result of one of London's draft picks that was traded to Oshawa. In July 2008, the Generals' executive team announced a change of ownership structure, with Rocco Tullio of Windsor, Ontario, agreeing to terms and conditions with John Davies to acquire his remaining shares of the Generals. In January 2010, Tullio welcomed two new partners as owners – former NHL star and

Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup (french: La Coupe Stanley) is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, an ...

champion

Adam Graves Adam Scott Graves (born April 12, 1968) is a Canadian former professional hockey player. He served 10 seasons with the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He also played for the Detroit Red Wings, Edmonton Oilers and San Jose Sh ...

and former championship OHL coach and manager Peter DeBoer.

2015: Return to the Memorial Cup

Memorial Cup at the Oshawa Sports Hall of Fame

For the first time since 1997, the Oshawa Generals made it back to the Memorial Cup in 2015. They ended up winning all three of their round robin games, and clinched a spot in the

2015 Memorial Cup The 2015 Memorial Cup (branded as the 2015 Mastercard Memorial Cup for sponsorship reasons) was a four-team round-robin format tournament that began on 22 May and ended on 31 May, 2015. It was the 97th Memorial Cup championship and determined the ...

final. They defeated the Kelowna Rockets in the final after

Anthony Cirelli Anthony Cirelli (, ; born July 15, 1997) is a Canadian professional ice hockey center who is currently playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the Lightning in the third round (72nd overall) of ...

scored the game-winning goal in overtime. In the 2014–15 season, the Generals won their 13th J. Ross Robertson Cup, defeating the Erie Otters. They went undefeated at the Memorial Cup in Quebec City to take home their fifth Memorial Cup in club history.

Championships

The Generals have won 13 J. Ross Robertson Cup championships, the most of the OHL's history. Oshawa also has won five Memorial Cup championships. J. Ross Robertson Cup
''Ontario Hockey League Championship''

George Richardson Memorial Trophy The George Richardson Memorial Trophy was presented annually from 1932 until 1971, by the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association. It represented the Eastern Canada junior hockey championship, and a berth in the Memorial Cup final versus the Abbott ...

''Eastern Canadian Championship'' Memorial Cup
''Canadian Hockey League Championship''

Coaches

The Generals have had several head coaches who have also coached at the NHL level as head and/or assistant coaches including

Charlie Conacher Charles William "The Big Bomber" Conacher, Sr. (December 20, 1909 – December 30, 1967) was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings and New York Americans in the National Hockey Leagu ...

, Armand "Bep" Guidolin, Paul Theriault, Bill LaForge, Bill Stewart, George Burnett,

Brad Selwood Bradley Wayne Selwood (born March 18, 1948) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and the former General Manager and head coach of the Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey League. Selwood played junior ice hockey for the 1968 ...

, and

Randy Ladouceur Randall Ladouceur (born June 30, 1960) is a Canadian ice hockey coach and former player, who last served as an assistant coach of the San Antonio Rampage. He previously served as an assistant coach for the Montreal Canadiens, Hamilton Bulldogs and ...

. ;Coaches of the year;

Matt Leyden Trophy The Matt Leyden Trophy is awarded annually to the Ontario Hockey League Coach of the Year. The award is chosen by fellow OHL general managers. Teams were not permitted to vote for a coach from their own hockey club. Coaches receive five points for ...

winners. *1971–72

Gus Bodnar August "Gus" Bodnar (April 24, 1923 – July 1, 2005) was a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who was the Calder Memorial Trophy winner as the National Hockey League's rookie of the year for the 1943-44 season. He played 12 seasons in the ...

*1977–78 Bill White *1986–87 Paul Theriault *2013–14 D. J. Smith

List of coaches

Players

The Oshawa Generals have graduated 184 young men onto the NHL, third behind the

and the Peterborough Petes for most graduated future NHLers from the OHL. Five Generals have gone on to become honoured in the

Award winners

Retired numbers

The Oshawa Generals retired number nine in honour of Red Tilson at a pregame

Remembrance Day Remembrance Day (also known as Poppy Day owing to the tradition of wearing a remembrance poppy) is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth member states since the end of the First World War to honour armed forces members who have died in ...

ceremony on November 12, 2006. Tilson was the league's leading scorer during the 1942–43 who died during combat in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. The Red Tilson Trophy for the OHL's most outstanding player is named in his honour.

' number 88 was retired on March 6, 2008.

's number 2 was officially retired on November 27, 2008, after having been out of circulation since Orr moved on to the NHL in 1966. John Tavares' number 91 was retired on September 28, 2014. Number 27 was retired on October 2, 2016, in honour of Marc Savard. *# 2

(1963–1966) *# 9 Red Tilson (1941–1943) *# 22

Tony Tanti Anthony Tanti (born September 7, 1963) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He was a left winger and played the majority of his career in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Vancouver Canucks. Originally selected 12th overall ...

(1980-1983) *# 27 Marc Savard (1993-1997) *# 88

(1989–1992) *# 91 John Tavares (2005–2009) Honoured numbers Bruce Melanson was last player to wear number nine. It was taken out of circulation after his death, then later retired for Red Tilson. *# 9 Bruce Melanson (1983–1985) – died during season.

Hockey Hall of Fame members

NHL alumni

List of Oshawa Generals alumni to play in the National Hockey League. * Bryan Allen *

Mike Amodeo Michael Anthony Amodeo (born June 22, 1952) is a retired professional ice hockey player who played 300 games in the World Hockey Association and 19 games in the National Hockey League. He played for the Ottawa Nationals, Toronto Toros, and W ...

Andy Andreoff Andy Andreoff (born May 17, 1991) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the Bridgeport Islanders of the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League (NHL). Andreoff was s ...

Jason Arnott Jason William Arnott (born October 11, 1974) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He began his National Hockey League career with the Edmonton Oilers in 1993–94 after being selected seventh overall in the 1993 NHL Entry Dra ...

* John Arundel * Chris Beckford-Tseu * Jan Benda * Frank Bennett * Harvey Bennett * Adam Berti *

Nick Beverley Nicholas Gerald Beverley (born April 21, 1947) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and coach. Beverley played over 500 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) and later coached in both the NHL and American Hockey League (AHL). ...

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Season-by-season results

The Oshawa Generals have won three Hamilton Spectator trophies for finishing first overall in the OHL regular season standings, and five Leyden trophies for finishing first overall in the eastern division OHL regular season standings. The Oshawa Generals have won 13 J. Ross Robertson Cups as the OHL/OHA playoff champions, and won five Memorial Cups as the CHL/CAHA champions.

Uniforms and logos

The current version of the Oshawa Generals uniforms has been in use since the 1989–90 season. The team has announced an updated logo to coincide with moving into a new arena. The new logo cresting will be triple layered as opposed to the single layer. Players' names and numbers with have double cresting. The Oshawa Generals have also issued two throwback style jerseys in the recent past. During alumni week for the 2001–02 season, the Generals wore a jersey based on the 'Bruins" style worn in the 1965–66 season, when Bobby Orr skated for the club. For two seasons from 2004–05 to 2005–06 the Generals "red" jersey was replaced by a jersey based on the style worn during the 1939, 1940 and 1944 Memorial Cup winning seasons, featuring the square "GM" logo. The Generals unveiled a new mascot during a pregame ceremony on November 16, 2007, who would be named "Deke" in a naming contest in Oshawa. The previous mascot, "General Shooter," had been retired at the end of the 2006–07 season.

Arenas

The Oshawa Generals have the dubious distinction of having their home arena destroyed by fire not once, but twice in the franchise history. In June 1928 the Bradley Arena was destroyed by fire. Then 25 years later, the Hambly Arena was also destroyed by fire. From 1928 to 1930, the team played out of nearby Whitby until the Hambly Arena was constructed. When the Hambly Arena burned down in 1953, the Oshawa Generals were disbanded. When the team was resurrected in 1962, they played both at Maple Leaf Gardens and also in the Bowmanville Community Arena (now demolished) for two seasons until moving until the Civic Auditorium.

The early years

Before Oshawa joined the OHA in 1908, it was part of the Midland Hockey League. Its games were played out of the Oshawa Curling Club located by the Oshawa Creek in the vicinity of present-day Valleyview Gardens, Kinsmen Stadium and Children's Arena. Since the curling club controlled its use and thus when games could or could not be played, a new location was sought. A new outdoor rink was built four blocks away, where the present day Oshawa Armouries stand at the corner of Simcoe St. and Richmond St. This would be the team's home until 1908.

Bradley Arena 1908–1928

The Bradley Arena, nicknamed "The Big Rink," opened up in 1908 on Duke St. in downtown Oshawa. Its namesake was Ed Bradley, a prominent local businessman who was responsible for organizing the team and bringing Junior Hockey to Oshawa. The arena was packed to the rafters many nights when Oshawa played there for the 1920s League championships versus Orillia and Owen Sound. In June 1928, the predominantly wooden structure succumbed to an overnight fire.

Hambly Arena 1930–1953

The Oshawa Arena (later known as the

) opened in 1930 and was built in large part to the contributions of Colonel Robert Samuel McLaughlin. It was the first brick facade and steel support structure for hockey in Oshawa. Shortly after training camp in 1953, the arena would suffer the same demise as its predecessor and burned to the ground on September 15.

Civic Auditorium 1964–2006

The

opened in 1964, built on fundraising by citizens of Oshawa. The first scheduled OHA game was December 15, 1964 vs. the St. Catharines Black Hawks. The Generals prevailed by a score of 6 to 4 in front of 4,109 fans attending the game. In 1987 the Civic Auditorium played host to the Memorial Cup. The Generals contested for the cup against the Medicine Hat Tigers and the Longueuil Chévaliers. The last championship the Generals won was played at the Civic in May 1997. The Generals upset the 1st place Ottawa 67's in the OHL final, 4 games to 2. The sixth game ended 8 seconds into the first overtime on a goal from Marc Savard. The Generals played the first five home games of the 2006–07 season in the Civic Auditorium before moving into their new arena. The final game played was October 29, 2006, against the

Kingston Frontenacs The Kingston Frontenacs are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League, based in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. The Frontenacs play home games at Leon's Centre, which opened in 2008. Team history predates the OHA, back to 1945, to a ...

, the Generals won 8–6.

Downtown arena 2006–present

On March 10, 2005, Oshawa City Council approved what was then known as the "Downtown Sports & Entertainment Facility Project" after many years of waiting for a new arena. Groundbreaking for the new facility at the corner of Athol and Mary Streets in downtown Oshawa took place on June 22, 2005. The building is operated by Global Spectrum Facility Management. On October 5, 2006, the Oshawa Generals announced a

naming rights Naming rights are a financial transaction and form of advertising or memorialization whereby a corporation, person, or other entity purchases the right to name a facility, object, location, program, or event, typically for a defined period of ...

deal which will see the arena named the

. The inaugural game was played November 3, 2006, against the

. On May 15, 2015, the Generals won their 13th J. Ross Robertson Cup at the General Motors Centre, defeating the Erie Otters 4–1. On November 1, 2016, the General Moters Centre was renamed to the Tribute Communities Centre.

References

Bibliography

*Babe Brown, Bobby Attersley, and Bill Kurelo (1978). ''A History of the Oshawa Generals, Volume One''. Chimo Publishing; Toronto, ON, Canada. *Babe Brown, and Bill Kurelo (1993). ''A History of the Oshawa Generals, Volume Two''. General Printers; Oshawa, ON, Canada. *Richard M. Lapp and Alex Macaulay (1997) ''The Memorial Cup: Canada's National Junior Hockey Championship''. Harbour Publishing; Madeira Park, BC, Canada.

External links

* {{Defunct OHL Ontario Hockey League teams Sport in Oshawa Ice hockey clubs established in 1937 General Motors Canada 1937 establishments in Ontario