The Whitby Dunlops were a Canadian

senior ice hockey Senior hockey refers to amateur or semi-professional ice hockey competition. There are no age restrictions for Senior players, who typically consist of those whose junior ice hockey, Junior eligibility has expired. Senior hockey leagues operate un ...

team in the

Allan Cup Hockey Allan Cup Hockey (ACH), also known as the OHA Senior “AAA” Hockey League, is a senior ice hockey league with three teams in Southern Ontario. The league was founded in 1990 as the Southwestern Senior "A" Hockey League. It is governed by th ...

league. The team began play in 2004, and is on a leave of absence as of the 2020–21 season. Two previous teams have also played as the Whitby Dunlops. The first played in the OHA Senior A League from 1954 to 1960, winners of the

1958 World Ice Hockey Championships The 1958 Ice Hockey World Championships were held between February 28 and March 9, 1958, in Oslo, Norway at the Jordal Amfi arena. The Whitby Dunlops represented Canada, winning the World Championship for the 17th time. The Soviets lost the final ...

. The second was a

junior ice hockey Junior ice hockey is amateur-level ice hockey for 16 to 20 year-old players. National Junior teams compete annually for the IIHF World Junior Championship. The United States men's national junior ice hockey team are the defending champions from ...

team for the 1962–63 season.

Original Dunlops

The original Whitby Dunlops were founded from the remnants of the former

Oshawa Generals The Oshawa Generals are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. They are based in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. The team is named for General Motors, an early sponsor (commercial), sponsor which has its Canadian headquarters in Oshawa. ...

junior team of 1952–53. After 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 ...

fire destroyed the Generals home ice, the team was disbanded and some of the older players on the team along with coach and manager

Wren Blair Wren Alvin Blair (October 2, 1925January 2, 2013) was a Canadian ice hockey coach, scout and executive in the National Hockey League. Biography Early life Blair was born in Lindsay, Ontario, the son of Audrey and Alvin Blair. The family moved t ...

, became the Oshawa Truckmen and operated from

Bowmanville, Ontario Bowmanville is a community of approximately 40,000 people located in the Municipality of Clarington, Regional Municipality of Durham, Durham Region, Ontario, Canada. It is approximately east of Toronto, and east of Oshawa along Highway 2 (Ontar ...

for the 1953–54 season. In 1954, the Oshawa Truckmen were relocated to Whitby and were temporarily known as the Whitby Seniors, playing out of the Whitby Community Arena. The team was soon sponsored by the

Dunlop Rubber Company Dunlop Ltd. (formerly Dunlop Rubber) was a British multinational company involved in the manufacture of various natural rubber goods. Its business was founded in 1889 by Harvey du Cros and he involved John Boyd Dunlop who had re-invented and d ...

, and renamed the Whitby Dunlops. The team started as a Senior B team, winning its division the first year. The following year the Dunlops moved up to the OHA Senior A League. The Dunlops won 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, an ...

as league champions in 1957 and 1959. This Senior A team would go on to win two

Allan Cup The Allan Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the senior ice hockey champions of Canada. It was donated by Sir Montagu Allan of Ravenscrag, Montreal, and has been competed for since 1909. It was most recently won by the Wentworth Gryphins ...

s, the Canadian Senior Hockey Championship, in 1957 and 1959. Their 1957 win earned them the right to represent Canada at the

, where they won the World Championship. Notable members of the team are, former Whitby mayor Bob Attersley, former

Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. The Maple Leafs compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the A ...

captain Sid Smith and

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 (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The t ...

president

Harry Sinden Harry James Sinden (born September 14, 1932) is a Canadian former ice hockey player, coach, and executive. He served as a coach, general manager, and team president for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL), and was the coach of ...

. Harry Sinden was captain of the 1958 Dunlops, while former Leaf captain Sid Smith was a playing coach. The Town of Whitby honoured this great team for their incredible achievements with their induction into the Whitby Sports Hall of Fame. As Canada's representative to the 1958 World Championships, the team took an ocean liner to the championships in Norway because team manager

was terrified of flying. Everyone was sick for six days because of the rough waters but the chance to restore Canada's pride was worth it. After a 14-game exhibition tour of Europe the Dunlops competed at the World Championships in

Oslo, Norway Oslo ( or ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of towns and cities in Norway, most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a Counties of Norway, county and a Municipalities of Norway, municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a populat ...

. The 1958 Whitby Dunlops were inducted into the

Ontario Sports Hall of Fame The Ontario Sports Hall of Fame is an association dedicated to honouring athletes and personalities with outstanding achievement in sports in Ontario, Canada. The hall of fame was established in 1994 by Bruce Prentice, following his 15-year tenure ...

in 1997.

Season-by-season results

The Junior Dunlops

The Senior A Dunlops folded after 1960, and the void in Whitby was filled by the Whitby Mohawks, a

team for the 1960–61 season. The Mohawks played their first season as a Junior B team. After one season, they were promoted to play in the new

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 Ontario Hockey League, OHA, and act as a farm system for his NHL team. The league operated for two s ...

. In their third season, the Mohawks were renamed the Dunlops. Unlike the previous Senior A version of the Dunlops which descended in part from the Oshawa Generals, the Junior A team played against the revived Oshawa Generals during the 1962–63 season. ;Season-by-season results *''Competed in 1960 to 1962 seasons as the Whitby Mohawks''.

Current Dunlops

The current Dunlops were revived by a group of 31 local business and hockey personalities led by former

Bowmanville Eagles The Bowmanville Eagles were a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada. They were a part of the Central Canadian Hockey League. The Eagles left the OHA in 2010 when they merged with the Cobourg Cougars and left Bowmanville. H ...

owner Mike Laing who became the president. The Dunlops were granted membership 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. Founded in 1890, the OHA is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation along with the Northern ...

Eastern Ontario Senior Hockey League The Eastern Ontario Super Hockey League is a senior ice hockey league with 16 franchises based in Eastern Ontario. History The EOSHL became a sanctioned Senior "A" league in 2003. In 2005, the league was promoted to Senior "AAA" to compete ag ...

for the 2004–2005 season. The first revived season for the Dunlops was a success on the ice, finishing second overall in the league with a 25-7-0 record. The team played in the league finals versus the Norwood Vipers losing the series in 6 games. The EOSHL was elevated from AA status to AAA status after the 2004–05 season, becoming eligible to contend for the

. In their second year the Dunlops finished in first place in the EOSHL. They prevailed in a rematch versus the Norwood Vipers, winning the league championship in a 6-game series for the Re/Max Upper Canada Realty Cup. The EOSHL champion Dunlops played the

Major League Hockey Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in music ...

champion

Dundas Real McCoys The Dundas Real McCoys are a Canadian senior ice hockey team based in Dundas, Ontario. They play in the Ontario Hockey Association's Allan Cup Hockey. The Real McCoys have won four National Championships, winning the 1986 Hardy Cup as Canadian ...

defeating them 3 games to 1 in a best-of-five series for the J. Ross Robertson Cup. The Dunlops hosted the defending Allan Cup champions,

Thunder Bay Bombers The Thunder Bay Bombers were a Canadian Senior ice hockey team from Thunder Bay, Ontario. They played an independent schedule under the supervision of Hockey Northwestern Ontario. They were 2005 Allan Cup Canadian National Champions. History Th ...

in a best-of-three series for the

Renwick Cup The Gordon Renwick Cup is the trophy for the Senior "AAA" Central Canada ice hockey championship. The winning of this trophy earns the champion the right to compete in the Allan Cup, the national Senior 'AAA' Championship. It is named after former ...

played on three consecutive nights at Iroquois Park. The Dunlops defeated the Bombbers 2 games to 1 to win the Renwick Cup and the right to go to the 2006 Allan Cup, in

Powell River, British Columbia Powell River is a city on the northern Sunshine Coast (British Columbia), Sunshine Coast of southwestern British Columbia, Canada. Most of its population lives near the eastern shores of Malaspina Strait, which is part of the larger Georgia Strai ...

. After losing their first game, Whitby reached the Allan Cup finals. The Dunlops lost 7–1 in the championship game to the host team, the

Powell River Regals The Powell River Regals are a Canadian Senior AA ice hockey team from Powell River, British Columbia. The Regals played an independent schedule under the supervision of BC Hockey, also known as the BC Amateur Hockey Association. Prior to the 20 ...

. The Dunlops played their third season with a strong core of returning players to finish first overall in the EOSHL, and sweep through the playoffs defeating the Norwood Vipers in four games for the Re/Max Upper Canada Realty Cup. The Dunlops played the Major League Hockey champions

Brantford Blast Brantford Blast were a Canadian senior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association's Allan Cup Hockey, from Brantford, Ontario. The team was established in 2000, and played their games at the Brantford Civic Centre. The Blast were the win ...

defeating them in 4 games, for the Robertson Cup. In the Ontario championship, Whitby downed 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 two straight games to earn a second consecutive berth in the Allan Cup. After a tie in their first game, Whitby reached the Allan Cup finals with three wins in a row. The Dunlops lost 4–3 in the championship game to the

Lloydminster Border Kings The Lloydminster Border Kings were a Senior AAA ice hockey team based in Lloydminster, Saskatchewan, Canada. The team competed in the Wild Goose League in (at least) 2007–08, then in the Chinook Hockey League (CHL) from 2008–09. The team moved ...

. The Dunlops finished first overall in the regular season in the EOSHL. In the playoffs, Whitby defeated the Norwood Vipers 4–1, and the Simcoe County Tundras 4–0 to win the league championship. The Dunlops then defeated the

4–0 to win the Robertson Cup. This series win guaranteed the Dunlops a third consecutive appearance in the Allan Cup. In the

2008 Allan Cup The 2008 Allan Cup was the Canadian championship of senior ice hockey, and the 100th year that the Allan Cup has been awarded. The 2008 tournament was hosted by the City of Brantford, Ontario, and the Brantford Blast of the Ontario Hockey Ass ...

, Whitby lost twice with one tie game. The EOSHL folded and the Dunlops joined

. On December 12, 2008, Dunlops player Don Sanderson fell without his helmet on the ice and struck his head during a fight. He had brain surgery the next day, but died on January 2, 2009. The OHA subsequently debated its rules for wearing

hockey helmet A hockey helmet is worn by players of ice hockey, inline hockey, and bandy to help protect the head from potential injury when hit by the puck, sticks, skates, boards, other players, or the ice. The shell of a hockey helmet is generally mad ...

s, to be properly worn and securely fastened. The Dunlops lost the MLH final to the

4-games-to-none.

Season-by-season results

''Note: OL= Overtime loss''

NHL alumni

Listed in chronological order from first season played, with dates in parentheses. *

(54–55, 55–56, 56–57, 57–58, 58–59, 59–60) * John Henderson (55–56, 56–57, 57–58, 58–59, 59–60) *

Charlie Burns Charles Frederick Burns (February 14, 1936 – November 5, 2021) was an American-born Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played 749 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins, Oakland Seals, Pi ...

(56–57, 57–58) * Connie Broden (57–58) * Roy Edwards (57–58) * Wally Maxwell (57–58) * Sid Smith (57–58, 58–59) *

Pete Babando Peter Joseph Babando (May 10, 1925 – February 19, 2020) was an American-born Canadian ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League with all four of the United States–based Original Six teams (Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings, Ch ...

(58–59, 59–60) *

Bob Hassard Robert Harry Hassard (March 26, 1929 – December 30, 2010) was a Canadian ice hockey player. He played 126 games in the National Hockey League with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Chicago Black Hawks between 1949 and 1954. The rest of his career, wh ...

(58–59, 59–60) *

Brent Grieve Brent J. Grieve (born May 9, 1969) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left wing and coach. He played 97 games in the National Hockey League with four teams between 1993 and 1996. Playing career As a youth, Grieve played in the 1982 Qu ...

(2004–05, 2005–06)

Other former players

* G Bob Perani (61-62)

References

External links

www.whitbydunlops.com
– Official team web site {{Defunct OHL 1954 establishments in Ontario 2020 disestablishments in Ontario Defunct Ontario Hockey League teams Eastern Ontario Senior Hockey League teams Ice hockey clubs established in 1954 Ice hockey clubs disestablished in 2020 Sport in Whitby, Ontario Ice hockey teams representing Canada internationally Defunct ice hockey teams in Ontario