Owen Sound Greys
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The Owen Sound Greys were a series of
junior Junior or Juniors may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * ''Junior'' (Junior Mance album), 1959 * ''Junior'' (Röyksopp album), 2009 * ''Junior'' (Kaki King album), 2010 * ''Junior'' (LaFontaines album), 2019 Films * ''Junior'' (1994 ...
ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...
teams based in
Owen Sound Owen Sound ( 2021 Census population 21,612) is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. The county seat of Grey County, it is located at the mouths of the Pottawatomi and Sydenham Rivers on an inlet of Georgian Bay. The primary tourist attract ...
,
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, Canada. They played in the Mid-Western division of the
Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League The Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League (GOJHL) is a Canadian junior ice hockey league based in Southern Ontario, Canada. The league is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Association, Ontario Hockey Federation, and Hockey Canada. The league is c ...
. The original Greys, in their early years, won the 1924 and 1927
Memorial Cup The Memorial Cup () is the national championship of the Canadian Hockey League, a consortium of three major junior ice hockey leagues operating in Canada and parts of the United States. It is a four-team round-robin tournament played between t ...
s as Dominion Junior Hockey Champions. The Greys were controversially moved to
Brampton Brampton ( or ) is a city in the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario. Brampton is a city in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and is a List of municipalities in Ontario#Lower-tier municipalities, lower-tier municipalit ...
,
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 ...
, in the summer of 2012 after years of financial trouble. The Greys had survived in three different forms over the years. The Original Greys lasted from 1913 until 1977, winning two Memorial Cups and folding in the ashes of the
Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League The Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League was a Tier II Junior "A" ice hockey that lasted from the late 1960s until 1977 in Southern Ontario, Canada. The league was swallowed by what is now called the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League ...
. The Intermediate Greys lasted from 1978 until 1982 in an effort to obtain the Hardy Cup, they departed with the fall of the
Major Intermediate A Hockey League The Major Intermediate A Hockey League was an ice hockey league in Ontario, Canada, sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Association. It existed from 1978 to 1983. Its champion was eligible to compete for the W.G. Hardy Trophy, emblematic of Canadian I ...
. The final team was the Modern Greys, who began in 1973 as a Junior D club and worked its way up to winning the
Ontario Junior A Hockey League The Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) is a Junior A ice hockey league in Ontario, Canada. It is under the supervision of the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) and the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL). The league was listed as the 7th best d ...
Championship in 1987. From 1987 until 2012 the Greys played in the Mid-Western League/Conference of OHA Junior B until being relocated to Brampton and ending a 99-year era of Greys hockey in Owen Sound in 2012.


History


The farm team (1973–1983)

The Salvagemen had been formed in 1973 as a Junior C team. Initially they were members of the Northern Junior D Hockey League but were separated from that group come playoff time. Owen Sound endured a five-week layoff between the end of the regular season and the start of what were called the "Super C" playoffs. The "Super C" Champion would be awarded the George S. Dudley Trophy. The Salvagemen finally met the
Woodstock Navy-Vets The Woodstock Navy-Vets are a junior hockey team based in Woodstock, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Provincial Junior Hockey League of the Ontario Hockey Association. The team was known as the Woodstock Renegades for three seasons fro ...
but were swept 4-0. The next season saw the Salvagemen in a true Junior C group, the
Central Junior C Hockey League The Central Ontario Junior C Hockey League was a junior ice hockey league in Ontario, Canada, sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Association. The "Central" played inter-league games with the Empire Junior "C" League. The champion of the Central c ...
. They finished sixth and last in the regular season, then began the Super C playoffs, which appear to have been established for teams with larger population bases. Owen Sound was in an eight-game round-robin with London and the Brantford Gunners; the Salvagemen and the Gunners advanced. Owen Sound met Woodstock in the final once again but fared no better, falling in four straight. When the Junior B Greys jumped to Junior A, the Salvagemen took their place in the Mid-Ontario Junior B league but couldn't pick up where the Greys had left off. They finished sixth in 1975-76 and were swept by Orillia in the first playoff round. They placed fifth and out of the playoffs the next year. A name change to the Kings didn't help, as they again wound up fifth and on the sidelines in 1977-78. The Mid-Ontario loop was wound down at this time and the Kings were placed in the
Midwestern Junior B Hockey League The Mid-Western Junior Hockey League (MWJHL) was a junior ice hockey league in Ontario, Canada, sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Association from 1973 until 2007. In 2007, the league became a division of the newly formed Greater Ontario Junior ...
. The other four teams (Orillia, Barrie, the Oak Ridges Dynes and the
Thornhill Thunderbirds The Thornhill Thunderbirds were a Canadian Junior "B" ice hockey team from Thornhill, Ontario. They played in the Central Junior B Hockey League. History The Thornhill Thunderbirds were a junior hockey team in Ontario. The team existed in two p ...
) went to the new Central league. The Owen Sound Kings changed names again in 1980, becoming the Owen Sound Rutherford Mercurys, known simply as the Mercurys. This lasted until 1983.


The Greys return (1983–1987)

The Mercurys organization merged with that of the Greys in 1983, leaving one top-level hockey team in Owen Sound for the first time in 15 years (see the Owen Sound Crescents). The new entity retained the name "Greys" and played two more seasons in the Midwestern league. The Greys made another move out of Junior B, stepping up to the
Ontario Junior Hockey League The Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) is a Junior A ice hockey league in Ontario, Canada. It is under the supervision of the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) and the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL). The league was listed as the 7th best ...
in 1985. They affiliated with the
Guelph Platers The Guelph Platers were a junior ice hockey team based in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. The team played in the Ontario Hockey League, Ontario Junior Hockey League, and Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League. They were originally known as the CMC's un ...
of 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 overag ...
and performed very well in their new surroundings, finishing in third place in their first season and topping the standings in their second. They also won the Frank L. Buckland Trophy as playoff champions in 1986-87, their first title since 1974-75, and advanced to the all-Ontario championship against the
Nickel Centre Power Trains The Nickel Centre Native Sons were a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Garson, Ontario, Canada. This defunct hockey team was a part of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League History The Native Sons originated in the NOHA Jr. B League. In thei ...
of the
Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League The Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL) is a Canadian Junior ice hockey league and member of the Canadian Junior Hockey League and Northern Ontario Hockey Association. The winner of the NOJHL playoffs competes for the Dudley Hewitt Cup ...
. The OHA and NOJHL had been meeting annually since 1978-79 to determine the winner of the
Dudley Hewitt Cup The Dudley-Hewitt Cup is a championship ice hockey trophy awarded to the Central Canadian Junior A champion. The trophy is currently decided by round robin tournament format, at the conclusion of the playoffs of the Ontario Junior Hockey League, ...
and the provincial representative for the
Centennial Cup The Centennial Cup is an annual ice hockey tournament organized by Hockey Canada and the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL), which determines the national champion of junior A ice hockey. It is a ten-team round robin featuring the winners of ...
national Tier II Junior A championship. Every year previously, the OHA champion had prevailed. But Nickel Centre ended the streak, upsetting the Greys 4-2 in a best-of-seven series. The OJHL folded after the season; for the second time in a decade, Owen Sound was left hanging by the collapse of its Tier II Junior A league. This time, though, the Greys were able to return to the Junior B level.


Back in "B" (1987–2012)

The team has remained in the Midwestern league ever since, by far its longest continuous stretch in any one circuit, but have only had middling success. One of the most disappointing seasons was 1992-93 when the Greys put together a powerful lineup that finished second in the standings, the first time they had ever placed so high in the Midwest. They were led by league scoring champion Bob McAskill, who had 36 goals, 69 assists and 105 points, but failed to advance beyond the semifinal playoff round. It wasn't until 1995-96 that the Greys finally advanced to a final series. They finished a lowly sixth but eliminated the
Kitchener Dutchmen The Kitchener Dutchmen were a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. They played in the Mid-Western division of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League. History The Kitchener Dutchmen franchise was founded in 195 ...
in overtime of the seventh and deciding game of their semifinal series. They met the powerful
Stratford Cullitons The Stratford Warriors are a junior ice hockey team based in Stratford, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Mid-Western division of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League. The team was originally named the Warriors but was changed to Cullitons i ...
in the final and lost 4-1. Owen Sound could not build on that success and it wasn't until 1999-2000 that the Greys returned to the playoff final. Coincidentally, it also marked the return of an Owen Sound player to the top of the league scoring parade, as Ryan Dudgeon put up 59 goals and 104 points to tie Mike Carter of the
Cambridge Winterhawks The Cambridge Winter Hawks were a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada. They played in the Mid-Western division of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League. History Created in 1982, the team was made to replace the ...
. The Greys reeled off series wins over Kitchener and Stratford—marking the first time the Cullitons had been swept from the playoffs since 1983—but fell short against Cambridge, losing 4-2. The Winterhawks did not lose again that year, rolling to their first Sutherland Cup championship. This time the Greys were able to use a final appearance as a bit of a stepping stone. In 2000-01 they earned a first-place finish for the first time since 1987 and blew past the
Guelph Dominators The Cambridge Redhawks are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada. They compete in the Midwestern division of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League (GOJHL). From 1986 to 2018, the franchise played in nearby Guelp ...
in the quarter-finals, earning a rematch with Cambridge. The Winterhawks had finished four places and 17 points behind the Greys. That didn't stop them from dumping Owen Sound 4-2, a bitter disappointment for the favoured Greys. They had to wait five years for their next final appearance, which they earned in 2004-05 despite finishing fifth in the 10-team league. Surprisingly, they were considered the favourite in the final as their opponents, the
Listowel Cyclones The Listowel Cyclones are a junior ice hockey team based in Listowel, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Mid-Western division of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League. They currently play at the Steve Kerr Memorial Complex. History and The E ...
, had only finished seventh, 12 points behind Owen Sound. Again, that didn't matter as Listowel rolled to a 4-2 series win and a berth in the Sutherland Cup final. In a sad coincidence, the sixth and final game had been played on March 28, 2005—the anniversary of the Greys' two Memorial Cup wins. Since then, there's been little for Greys fans to cheer about. The team finished ninth out of 10 teams in 2005-06 and missed the Junior B playoffs for the first time since 1978-79. It appears Owen Sound will be on the sidelines again this spring as the club is headed for a finish of ninth and last. Its record as of January 11, 2007, was 3-27-2-1. The
Owen Sound Sun Times ''The Sun Times'' is a local newspaper which services the Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound area in the Canadian province of Ontario. Its headquarters are in Owen Sound. The ''Times'' newspaper was founded in 1853 and ''The Sun'' newspaper was founded in 18 ...
newspaper reported on January 11, 2007, that leading scorer Greg Virgo has been traded to Cambridge and teammate
Mark England Jonathan Mark England OBE (born 29 April 1959) is a British sports administrator. He was awarded an OBE in 2017 for services to Sport. Early life England was born in Ystalyfera in South Wales (Neath Port Talbot). He moved to Hong Kong when he was ...
has been sent to Stratford. General manager Kevin Emke said both players had reportedly asked to be dealt to playoff-bound clubs, requests that had caused friction in the dressing room. Team captain Sean Dinsmore was also on the way out, reportedly bound for the
Collingwood Blues Collingwood, meaning "wood of disputed ownership", may refer to: Educational institutions * Collingwood College, Victoria, an Australian state Prep to Year 12 school * Collingwood College, Durham, college of Durham University, England * Collingw ...
.


Part-time in Port Elgin (2000–2006)

Sporting a good contingent of players from the Port Elgin area, the Greys decided to stage a handful of home games at the new Saugeen Shores Community Complex in that town during the 1999-2000 season. The games were very well attended, with average crowds of about 800 people, far more than were coming to games at the Bayshore Community Centre in Owen Sound. Starting with the 2000-01 season, the Greys played half of their home games at "The Plex," as the building became known. The team's name was also changed, first to the Owen Sound-Saugeen Greys in 2000 and then to the Owen Sound-Saugeen Shores Greys in 2001. As the number of Port Elgin-based players dwindled, so did attendance. The Greys decided in 2006 to abandon Port Elgin and return to Owen Sound on a full-time basis. The name was also changed back to the traditional Owen Sound Greys. Since the Greys had such a rough time in the past seasons they decided to take a year off for the 2009-2010 season


2009–10 season

The Greys folded their team for the 2009-2010 season, citing financial restructuring.


2010–11 season

After a year hiatus, the Greys returned with a short bench and started the rebuilding process. Not much hope of a competitive season was ever tossed Owen Sound's way. But what makes the return a success isn't the season record—it was the lack of a mass exodus of players at the Christmas Break. Players bought into the rebuilding process and stuck it out which earned a tremendous amount of respect from around the league and left the Greys in a good position with a solid nucleus to build on for next season.


2011–12 season

After a much better season performance-wise, it was announced that the Greys franchise had been awarded to David Arseneaut, the team's major sponsor, by the OHA despite the team being community owned. On April 25, 2012, the OHA announced its approval of Arseneault's plan to relocate the team to
Brampton, Ontario Brampton ( or ) is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Brampton is a city in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and is a lower-tier municipality within Peel Region. The city has a population of 656,480 as of the 2021 Census, making it th ...
. This ends the long tradition of OHA Junior hockey in Owen Sound one season shy of what would be its centennial.


Season-by-season record


The current franchise (1973–present)


Playoffs

*1986 ''Lost Semi-final'' :
Markham Waxers The Markham Waxers were an Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) Junior "A" ice hockey team based in Markham, Ontario, Canada. The Waxers name is still used by the Markham Waxers minor hockey club with the Eastern AAA Hockey League, a sub league of ...
defeated Owen Sound Greys ''4-games-to-1'' *1987 ''Won League, Lost OHA Buckland Cup'' :Owen Sound Greys defeated
Markham Waxers The Markham Waxers were an Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) Junior "A" ice hockey team based in Markham, Ontario, Canada. The Waxers name is still used by the Markham Waxers minor hockey club with the Eastern AAA Hockey League, a sub league of ...
''4-games-to-1'' :Owen Sound Greys defeated
Aurora Eagles The Aurora Tigers are a Canadian ice hockey team from Aurora, Ontario. They play in the Ontario Junior Hockey League. The team has previously played in the Metro Junior A Hockey League, Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League, and the Ontario Jun ...
''4-games-to-none'' OJHL CHAMPIONS :
Nickel Centre Power Trains The Nickel Centre Native Sons were a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Garson, Ontario, Canada. This defunct hockey team was a part of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League History The Native Sons originated in the NOHA Jr. B League. In thei ...
(
NOJHL The Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL) is a Canadian Junior ice hockey league and member of the Canadian Junior Hockey League and Northern Ontario Hockey Association. The winner of the NOJHL playoffs competes for the Dudley Hewitt Cup ...
) defeated Owen Sound Greys ''4-games-to-2''


The original franchise


History

The Greys had gone through numerous incarnations and leagues in the nearly 100 years since they were founded, although their initial history was cut short due to
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. The team reformed after the end of the war and immediately came to prominence, winning the local playoff title in 1920 and thumping the Toronto champion 14-0. A year later, the Greys advanced to the Northern Hockey League playoff final. Many early members of the team had attended Victoria Public School in Owen Sound, where principal Henry Kelso (for whom the city's Kelso Beach was named) had established a very strong school hockey program. Two of those Victoria graduates were forward Melville "Butch" Keeling, who later went on to star with the
New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home ...
of the
National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
, and goaltender Hedley Smith. In the fall of 1923 they earned places in the Greys lineup; soon they and their team would also earn a permanent place in the history of Canadian hockey.


Memorial Cup glory

Keeling and Smith were joined by four other Owen Sound boys, including another soon-to-be NHLer named Edward "Teddy" Graham. Two others who later made the NHL, team captain Larry "Dutch" Cain and future
Hockey Hall of Fame , logo = Hockey Hall of Fame Logo.svg , logo_upright = 0.5 , image = Hockey Hall of Fame, Toronto.jpg , caption = The Hall's present location on Yonge Street since 1992 , map_type = , former_name = , established = 1943 , location = 30 Y ...
r Ralph "Cooney" Weiland, were among the three imports on the nine-player squad. The 1923-24 season began in December and would end less than four months later with the Greys crowned "Dominion Junior Hockey Champions," winners of what was then called the OHA Memorial Cup. Owen Sound first captured the
J. Ross Robertson Cup The J. Ross Robertson Cup is a Canadian ice hockey trophy. It is awarded annually in junior ice hockey to the champion of the Ontario Hockey League playoffs. It was donated by John Ross Robertson to the Ontario Hockey Association in 1910, and ...
as Ontario Hockey Association titlists by defeating 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 b ...
12-7 in a two-game, total-goals series. That followed earlier playoff series wins over Collingwood, Midland and Toronto Varsity in which the Greys were not seriously challenged. Owen Sound's next hurdles were single-game playoffs against North Bay of the
Northern Ontario Hockey Association The Northern Ontario Hockey Association (NOHA) is an ice hockey governing body for minor, junior and senior ice hockey. The NOHA is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation and Hockey Canada. The major league run by the NOHA is the Northern ...
and
Montreal Westmount Montreal Westmount, or the Westmount Amateur Athletic Association, was a Canadian amateur ice hockey team from the Montreal suburb of Westmount. The Montreal Westmount played in various amateur leagues during the first decades of the 20th century ...
. The club was then pitted against the
Kenora Thistles The Kenora Thistles, officially the Thistles Hockey Club, were a Canadian ice hockey team based in Kenora, Ontario. Founded in 1894, they were originally known as the Rat Portage Thistles. The team competed for the Stanley Cup, the ice hockey ...
in the Eastern Canadian final, a two-game, total-goals series won 15-12 by the Greys. The Greys had journeyed to Winnipeg for the first game against the Thistles (Game 2 was in Kenora) and they returned to the Manitoba capital to face the
Calgary Canadians The Calgary Canadians were a junior ice hockey team that played in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. In 1924, they became the first team from Alberta to play for the Memorial Cup, and in 1926, the first to win it. In 1924, the Canadians won the Western Ca ...
in the two-game, total-goals national final. Keeling and Weiland each scored twice and
Fred Elliott Fred Elliott is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' played by John Savident. He made his first appearance during the episode airing on 26 August 1994. Savident quit the role in 2005 and Fred died on-scree ...
scored once in the first game, won 5-3 by Owen Sound. Weiland and Elliott both scored again two days later, on March 28, 1924, but the real hero was 16-year-old netminder Hedley Smith. Calgary peppered him with 23 third-period shots but he stopped every one of them and held Calgary to a 2–2 tie. The Greys won the series 7-5 and, with it, the
Dominion The term ''Dominion'' is used to refer to one of several self-governing nations of the British Empire. "Dominion status" was first accorded to Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Newfoundland, South Africa, and the Irish Free State at the 1926 ...
title. At the time, the wire service provided the only method of transmitting the results back to Owen Sound. Bulletins were posted outside the office of the city's newspaper, which estimated that more than 5,000 fans were there during the last game. It's believed that about 8,000 people turned out to welcome the champions home four days later, a remarkable number considering Owen Sound's population was only about 12,000 at the time. The Greys went 22-2-2 during that magical season, scoring 204 goals and allowing only 69. Weiland led the club with a whopping 68 goals in 26 games while Keeling added an incredible 37 goals and 46 points in 15 playoff games, which may very well be a Canadian junior hockey record. A repeat was not to be, as Owen Sound fell to
Toronto Aura Lee The Toronto Aura Lee Hockey Club operated junior ice hockey and senior ice hockey teams in the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) from 1916 to 1926. They played at Arena Gardens in Toronto. In January 1925, the trustees of the Aura Lee Athletic Cl ...
in the 1925 OHA final. The Greys also lost the next year to Queen's University, although both Toronto and Queen's fell in their respective national final series. It remained to the Greys to bring the Memorial Cup back to Ontario; in 1927 they reclaimed it as well as the OHA, all-Ontario and Eastern Canadian crowns. Their opponents included the Newmarket Redmen, who fell 7-3 in a two-game, total-goals series to decide the OHA title. That set up a best-of-three national final in Toronto against the Port Arthur West End club. The Game 1 hero was Martin Lauder, a native of nearby
Durham, Ontario Durham is a community in the municipality of West Grey, Grey County, Ontario, Canada. Durham is located near the base of the Bruce Peninsula. Location Durham, Ontario is 44 kilometres South of Owen Sound and 89 kilometres North of Guelph on Ont ...
, and a future NHLer who scored a natural hat trick as Owen Sound won 5-4. Game 2 was tied 2-2 after regulation time, which was followed by a 10-minute, non-sudden death overtime. The Greys outscored Port Arthur 3-1 in the extra frame, won the game 5-3 and became the first team to win the Memorial Cup a second time. It happened on March 28, 1927—the third anniversary of the 1924 championship. Hedley Smith, who never went on to pro hockey, was the only holdover from that first title and thus became the first double Memorial Cup winner. The OHA divided junior hockey into separate Junior A and Junior B ranks in 1933. The Greys were placed in Junior B, where they spent the next 42 years. Artifacts from the 1924 championship have surfaced in recent years. Cufflinks presented to Cooney Weiland are part of a junior hockey exhibit at the
Hockey Hall of Fame , logo = Hockey Hall of Fame Logo.svg , logo_upright = 0.5 , image = Hockey Hall of Fame, Toronto.jpg , caption = The Hall's present location on Yonge Street since 1992 , map_type = , former_name = , established = 1943 , location = 30 Y ...
in Toronto. A gold watch given to Greys captain Dutch Cain on the team's return to Owen Sound is currently bein
auctioned online
The watch, which reportedly still keeps perfect time, is inscribed "Presented to L.J. Cain By The City of Owen Sound April 2nd 1924." The outer case has crossed hockey sticks and a puck, with "Dominion Champions" inscribed above and "Junior Hockey" below.


The Junior B years (1933–1975)

The Greys served as the farm team for the Owen Sound Trappers, who competed in the OHA's Intermediate A league in the late 1930s and early 1940s. This coincided with the team's next notable championship run, which went all the way to the OHA Junior B
Sutherland Cup The Sutherland Cup is the ice hockey Ontario Junior "B" Provincial Championship trophy. The trophy was first awarded in 1934, and named in honour of former OHA and CAHA president, James T. Sutherland. The Sutherland Cup is now the championship t ...
final in 1940. Owen Sound's opponent was the
Waterloo Siskins The Kitchener-Waterloo Siskins are a junior ice hockey team based in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Mid-Western division of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League. History Founded in 1934, the Siskins are one of the longest runni ...
, who won the best-of-five series 3-1 and claimed the first of their 11 OHA titles. It was 21 years before the Greys again made it as far in the playoffs. In 1960-61, they finished first in the Central Junior B Hockey League and rolled to the championship by defeating the Hamilton Bees and the Siskins, avenging the 1940 loss. Owen Sound then eliminated the St. Marys Lincolns in a semifinal series but ran out of gas in the Sutherland Cup final against the
St. Michael's Buzzers The St. Michael's Buzzers are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They compete in the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL). History The St. Michael's Buzzers date back to at least 1920, as future NHLer Bobby Bauer had ma ...
, losing in four straight games. To this day, the Greys have never made it back to the Sutherland Cup final. The Greys were part of the Central Junior B league throughout the 1960s. They failed to make the playoffs between 1966 and 1968 but turned things around and finished first in 1969-70. They lost a semifinal playoff series to the
Collingwood Blues Collingwood, meaning "wood of disputed ownership", may refer to: Educational institutions * Collingwood College, Victoria, an Australian state Prep to Year 12 school * Collingwood College, Durham, college of Durham University, England * Collingw ...
, who went on to win the final over the
Guelph CMC's The Guelph Platers were a junior ice hockey team based in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. The team played in the Ontario Hockey League, Ontario Junior Hockey League, and Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League. They were originally known as the CMC's un ...
, and thus began a great hockey rivalry that lasted into the 1980s and spanned four different leagues. Owen Sound and Collingwood met up again in the Central league final in 1971 and the Blues, having already disposed of the
Preston Raiders The Preston Raiders were a Canadian Junior "B" ice hockey team from the town of Preston, Ontario which later became Cambridge, Ontario. History The team started out as the Preston Pals of the Central Junior C Hockey League. They changed their ...
in a semifinal series, again prevailed. The Greys finished first for the second straight year and beat the Kitchener Ranger B's 4-3 in the other semifinal before falling to Collingwood in five games. In 1971-72, the Greys and Blues were placed in the new
Mid-Ontario Junior B Hockey League The Mid-Ontario Junior B Hockey League was a Junior "B" ice hockey league based in Southern Ontario from 1970 to 1978. They were sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Association and Canadian Amateur Hockey Association, and competed for the All-Ontari ...
, along with the
Orillia Travelways The Couchiching Terriers were a Junior A ice hockey team from Rama, Ontario, Canada from Lake Couchiching. The team originated in neighbouring Orillia, Ontario, and played in the Ontario Junior A Hockey League. The Terriers were 1985 Centennia ...
, the
Barrie Colts The Barrie Colts are a junior ice hockey team in Ontario Hockey League, based in Barrie, Ontario, Canada. Pre-OHL history There were two previous Barrie Colts teams which played Junior A & B hockey in the Ontario Hockey Association, one from 1 ...
, the Newmarket Redmen and the Bolton Bruins. Orillia finished first in schedule play but once again Owen Sound and Collingwood met in the championship round and once again the Blues came out on top, winning 4-3. The 1972-73 season saw the Greys finish in second place but they swept the league playoffs, knocking off the
Midland Flyers The Midland Flyers are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Midland, Ontario. They play in the Provincial Junior Hockey League and were former members of the Georgian Mid-Ontario Junior C Hockey League. History In 1985, the Centennials won ...
in four straight games and finally getting past Collingwood, also in the minimum four games. This Greys team featured future
NHL The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
er Jim Roberts. Owen Sound then beat the
Burlington Mohawks The Burlington Cougars are a Canadian junior "A" ice hockey team from Burlington, Ontario. They are a part of the Ontario Junior Hockey League. History Founded in the early 1950s, the Burlington Mohawks found their footing in the Central Junior ...
of the Central league 4-2 and advanced to the OHA semifinals against the Toronto Nationals. The
Metro Junior B Hockey League The Metro Junior "A" Hockey League was a junior level ice hockey league based out of Southern Ontario. The league originated in 1956 as the Metro Junior "B" Hockey League, which lasted until 1991, when it changed its designation from Junior B to ...
champions won a hard-fought series 4-3. Owen Sound's best season in this stretch was 1973-74. The team finished first, just ahead of Collingwood, but a fifth straight playoff meeting between the rivals was not in store. The Greys instead dumped Barrie 4-1 and Midland 4-1 to claim their second straight Mid-Ontario league title, then needed six games to get past the
Elmira Sugar Kings The Elmira Sugar Kings are a junior ice hockey team based in Elmira, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Mid-Western division of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League. History The Elmira Juniors played at the Junior "C" level during the 1950s ...
of the
Southwestern Junior B Hockey League The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sepa ...
. Owen Sound was back in the Sutherland Cup semifinals against the Metro league champs but once again lost out in the seventh and deciding game, falling this time to the
Bramalea Blues The Bramalea Blues were a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Bramalea, Ontario, Canada. Their final two seasons were played in Brampton, Ontario at the Powerade Centre. They were a part of the Ontario Junior A Hockey League but also used to be a pa ...
. That didn't mean Owen Sound was necessarily out of the picture, though. Bramalea and the
Hamilton Red Wings The Hamilton Red Wings were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association from 1960 to 1974. The team was based in Hamilton, Ontario, at the Barton Street Arena, also known as the Hamilton Forum. History The Hamilton Tiger Cubs we ...
of the
Niagara District The Niagara District was a historic district in Upper Canada. Created in 1798 from the Home District, it existed until 1849. Historic evolution The District was formed by an Act of the Parliament of Upper Canada in 1798, and was described as con ...
faced off for the Ontario championship and the Blues won the first game, but the contest was marred by a donnybrook that involved players, officials and fans and resulted in 14 police officers being called to the arena. The Blues immediately forfeited the series and incoming OHA president Cliffe Phillips decided to allow the Greys to return to action and take Bramalea's place in the final against Hamilton. Phillips soon found that his notion was not a popular one and he dropped it at once; the Greys missed out on a trip to the OHA final after a 13-year absence and the Sutherland Cup was awarded to the Red Wings as Ontario champs. The Greys wrapped up their third straight Mid-Ontario crown in 1974-75, beating first-place Collingwood 4-1 in the final. But the road ended in the OHA quarter-finals, where the
Waterloo Siskins The Kitchener-Waterloo Siskins are a junior ice hockey team based in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Mid-Western division of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League. History Founded in 1934, the Siskins are one of the longest runni ...
swept Owen Sound to the side. Bramalea, back in the mix a year after its forfeit, went on to win the Sutherland Cup. More than 30 years later, the Greys are still searching for their next Junior B league championship.


Tier II and Intermediate (1975–1982)

The club spent the next two years in the
Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League The Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League was a Tier II Junior "A" ice hockey that lasted from the late 1960s until 1977 in Southern Ontario, Canada. The league was swallowed by what is now called the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League ...
, but they were disappointing seasons. Owen Sound finished fifth and out of the playoffs in 1975-76, then placed fourth and last in 1976-77. All four teams advanced to the post-season that year but the Greys didn't last long, brushed aside in four straight games by the
Guelph Platers The Guelph Platers were a junior ice hockey team based in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. The team played in the Ontario Hockey League, Ontario Junior Hockey League, and Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League. They were originally known as the CMC's un ...
. When the SOJAHL folded in 1977, the Greys were left high and dry. They couldn't return to the Mid-Ontario Junior B league, as they had been replaced by another Owen Sound team which was called Owen Sound Grey-Bruce Salvage, popularly known as the Salvagemen. They took a one-year leave of absence, then returned to the ice in 1978-79 as a founding member of the new Georgian Bay Intermediate A Hockey League. They again failed to recapture their previous glory, never finishing higher than third place and advancing to the playoff final only once. The Greys went on another hiatus in 1982, one year before the league itself disappeared.


Season-by-season results


Playoffs

*1976 ''DNQ'' *1977 ''Lost Semi-final'' :
Guelph Platers The Guelph Platers were a junior ice hockey team based in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. The team played in the Ontario Hockey League, Ontario Junior Hockey League, and Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League. They were originally known as the CMC's un ...
defeated Owen Sound Greys ''4-games-to-2 with 1 tie''


Intermediate A


Championships

*
Memorial Cup The Memorial Cup () is the national championship of the Canadian Hockey League, a consortium of three major junior ice hockey leagues operating in Canada and parts of the United States. It is a four-team round-robin tournament played between t ...
Dominion Junior Hockey Champions: 1924, 1927 * Eastern Canadian Junior Hockey Champions: 1924, 1927 *
J. Ross Robertson Cup The J. Ross Robertson Cup is a Canadian ice hockey trophy. It is awarded annually in junior ice hockey to the champion of the Ontario Hockey League playoffs. It was donated by John Ross Robertson to the Ontario Hockey Association in 1910, and ...
OHA Junior Hockey Champions: 1924, 1927 * Frank L. Buckland Trophy OHA Junior A Hockey League Champions: 1987 *
Mid-Ontario Junior B Hockey League The Mid-Ontario Junior B Hockey League was a Junior "B" ice hockey league based in Southern Ontario from 1970 to 1978. They were sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Association and Canadian Amateur Hockey Association, and competed for the All-Ontari ...
Champions: 1973, 1974, 1975 * Central Junior B Hockey League Champions: 1961


Sutherland Cup appearances

:''1961'':
St. Michael's Buzzers The St. Michael's Buzzers are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They compete in the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL). History The St. Michael's Buzzers date back to at least 1920, as future NHLer Bobby Bauer had ma ...
defeated Owen Sound Greys ''4-games-to-none''


George S. Dudley Trophy Super "C" Appearances

:''1974'':
Woodstock Navy-Vets The Woodstock Navy-Vets are a junior hockey team based in Woodstock, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Provincial Junior Hockey League of the Ontario Hockey Association. The team was known as the Woodstock Renegades for three seasons fro ...
defeated Owen Sound Salvagemen ''4-games-to-none'' :''1975'':
Woodstock Navy-Vets The Woodstock Navy-Vets are a junior hockey team based in Woodstock, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Provincial Junior Hockey League of the Ontario Hockey Association. The team was known as the Woodstock Renegades for three seasons fro ...
defeated Owen Sound Salvagemen ''3-games-to-none''


Arenas

* Riverside Arena, 1st Avenue A West, Owen Sound (unknown-1938) * Owen Sound Arena, 2nd Avenue East, Owen Sound (1938-1982)
Owen Sound Coliseum
1400 7th Avenue East, Owen Sound (1982-1983) * J.D. McArthur Arena, Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre, 1900 3rd Avenue East, Owen Sound (1983–Present)
Saugeen Shores Community Complex
600 Tomlinson Drive, Port Elgin (2000-2006)


Affiliations

Since 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 overag ...
moved into Owen Sound in 1989, the Greys have enjoyed an almost continuous affiliation with the big club (originally the
Owen Sound Platers Owen Sound Platers was a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Owen Sound, Ontario. The team played in the Ontario Hockey League from 1989 to 2000, then was sold to new owners who renamed the team the Owen Sound Attack. History In 1989 the H ...
, now known as 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 J.D. M ...
). A disagreement in 1999 led the Platers to cancel the arrangement and affiliate instead with the OPJHL's ill-fated
Durham Huskies The Durham Huskies were an ice hockey franchise based in the town of Durham, Ontario, Canada. The team is actually a series of teams that have spanned nine decades and through an uncountable series of leagues. The Huskies have existed under of c ...
. Although that ended after one season and the Platers again latched on to the Greys, there was enough animosity between the Greys and Huskies to fuel two heated exhibition games one week apart prior to the 2000-01 season. Owen Sound won 5-1 in the first game and 5-0 in the second game, which was marred by a line brawl toward the end. The Greys had another affiliation with the
Kincardine Bulldogs The Kincardine Bulldogs are a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in Kincardine, Ontario. They play in thProvincial Junior Hockey Leaguewhich is an amalgamation of all former junior C leagues in Southern Ontario including the Bulldogs former W ...
of the
Western Junior C Hockey League The Western Ontario Junior C Hockey League was a Junior "C" ice hockey league in Ontario, Canada, sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Association. The Champion of the Western will compete for the All-Ontario Championship and the Clarence Schmalz Cu ...
. This affiliation ended when the Greys took a leave of absence in 2009. In 2010 it was announced that the Greys would return as affiliates to the
Villanova Knights The Caledon Admirals are a Junior 'A' ice hockey team based in Caledon, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of the Ontario Junior Hockey League. History Henry Carr The Admirals lineage traces back to the Henry Carr Crusaders. Like the Toronto St ...
of the
Ontario Junior Hockey League The Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) is a Junior A ice hockey league in Ontario, Canada. It is under the supervision of the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) and the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL). The league was listed as the 7th best ...
and the
Fergus Devils The Fergus Devils were a Junior ice hockey team based in Fergus, Ontario, Canada. They played in the former Georgian Mid-Ontario Junior C Hockey League (now a part of the PJHL),. Took a "Leave of Absence for the 2015/16 season and have not retur ...
of the
Georgian Mid-Ontario Junior C Hockey League The Georgian Mid Ontario Junior C Hockey League is a former Junior "C" ice hockey league in Ontario, Canada, sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Association. The Champion of the league competed for the All-Ontario Championship and the Clarence Schma ...
. Getting back to hometown roots for the 2011 season, the Greys announced their affiliation with the
Hanover Barons The Hanover Barons are a junior ice hockey team based in Hanover, Ontario, Canada., Durham, Ontario (2009-10 OnlHanover Barons/ref> They play out of the Provincial Junior Hockey League - Pollock Division.Western Ontario Junior C Hockey League The Western Ontario Junior C Hockey League was a Junior "C" ice hockey league in Ontario, Canada, sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Association. The Champion of the Western will compete for the All-Ontario Championship and the Clarence Schmalz Cu ...


In Memory

The Greys have recently mourned the deaths of their two longest-serving club presidents.


Carl Fairman

Fairman was with the Greys for 25 years, the last 20 as president, until his death on January 12, 2004, at age 68. Fundraising was his strong point and he was a regular and tireless fixture at the club's weekly bingo games.
Carl Fairman, 1935-2004


Howard Hindman

Hindman died on January 10, 2007, at age 90. A prominent city businessman, sportsman and benefactor who served at various times as chair of the local hospital board, school board and police board and as honorary chair of the hospital foundation, he still found time for heavy involvement with numerous sporting organizations, including the Greys. Hindman held the post of team president and/or manager continuously between 1946 and 1986. A team jersey with his name on it was presented to him at a home game approximately four months before his death."Hindman remembered for love of his community; Businessman was an institution," Scott Dunn, ''
Owen Sound Sun Times ''The Sun Times'' is a local newspaper which services the Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound area in the Canadian province of Ontario. Its headquarters are in Owen Sound. The ''Times'' newspaper was founded in 1853 and ''The Sun'' newspaper was founded in 18 ...
'', January 11, 2007, p. A1.

Howard Hindman being honoured, September 2006


NHL alumni

Numerous members of the Owen Sound Greys have gone on to play in the
National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
br>
*
Fred Elliott Fred Elliott is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' played by John Savident. He made his first appearance during the episode airing on 26 August 1994. Savident quit the role in 2005 and Fred died on-scree ...
*
Norm Locking Naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) and technologically enhanced naturally occurring radioactive materials (TENORM) consist of materials, usually industrial wastes or by-products enriched with radioactive elements found in the envi ...


References

Basic regular season and playoff details and statistics throughout Greys history are all listed in the pages of the
Owen Sound Sun Times ''The Sun Times'' is a local newspaper which services the Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound area in the Canadian province of Ontario. Its headquarters are in Owen Sound. The ''Times'' newspaper was founded in 1853 and ''The Sun'' newspaper was founded in 18 ...
newspaper. These pages are all on microfilm and are available for viewing at the Owen Sound & North Grey Union Public Library.


External links


Owen Sound GreysOwen Sound Sun TimesOwen Sound & North Grey Union Public Library
{{Defunct OHL Ice hockey teams in Ontario Defunct Ontario Hockey League teams Sport in Owen Sound