3 Memorial Cup Championships Of The Cornwall Royals

The Sarnia Sting have been members of the Ontario Hockey League since 1994-95. Before that, the franchise was known as the Newmarket Saints. Even before that, there was the Cornwall Royals. The Royals were in the OHL from 1981-82 but before that, they played in the QMJHL since its inception in 1969-70.

The Memorial Cup is the ultimate prize in Canadian junior hockey, pitting the best teams from the QMJHL, OHL and WHL to determine the best team in the country. The Cornwall Royals won the Memorial Cup three times as a team in the QMJHL.

In 1971-72, just their third season, the Royals finished first overall in the ten team QMJHL, ten points ahead of the next competitor, the Drummondville Rangers. Cornwall powered past the Verdun Maple Leafs, Shawinigan Bruins and Quebec Remparts to win the President’s Cup.

The 1972 Memorial Cup was held in Ottawa, Ontario and featured the Peterborough Petes and Edmonton Oil Kings, along with the Royals. Cornwall met Peterborough in the final game, winning 2-1 to become Memorial Cup champions for the first time. Cornwall goaltender Richard Brodeur was named tournament MVP, earning the Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy.

Cornwall was led by several players that went on to play in the National Hockey League, including Bob Murray, Blair MacDonald, John Wensink and Al Sims. The team was coached by Orval Tessier. Orval would lead the New Brunswick Hawks to a Calder Cup victory in the American Hockey League in 1981-82. The following season, as coach of the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks, Tessier was honoured with the Jack Adams Award as the league’s coach of the year.

In 1979-80, the Royals finished first in the Lebel Division and second overall, behind only the Sherbrooke Castors. A kid named Dale Hawerchuk played for the Royals and was named rookie of the year. Hawerchuk would go on to have a Hockey Hall of Fame worthy NHL career. Cornwall took out the Shawinigan Cataractes, Chicoutimi Sagueneens and Sherbrooke to capture the President’s Cup.

The 1980 Memorial Cup was jointly held in Brandon, Manitoba and Regina, Saskatchewan. Once again, the Peterborough Petes were the OHL representative with the Regina Pats representing the WHL. Recovering from an 11-2 loss to Regina in the round robin portion of the tournament, Cornwall recovered and met Peterborough in the final game and won 3-2 in overtime. Dave Ezard of the Royals was the Stafford Smythe recipient. Besides Dale Hawerchuk, the team was led by future NHLers Scott Arniel, Marc Crawford and Dan Daoust.

The following season, 1980-81, Cornwall finished first overall in the QMJHL. Hawerchuk was the league’s scoring leader with 81 goals and 183 points. The Royals beat the Quebec Remparts, Sherbrooke Castors and Trois Rivieres Draveurs to earn the President’s Cup.

The 1981 Memorial Cup was held in Windsor, Ontario. Joining Cornwall were the Kitchener Rangers and Victoria Cougars. The Royals easily handled the Rangers in the final game by a score of 8-2 to capture their third and final Memorial Cup. Dale Hawerchuk was the Stafford Smythe Trophy winner. The team was supported by mostly the same cast as the year before with Dan Daoust gone but Doug Gilmour in.

1980-81 was the final year in the QMJHL for the Royals. The team shifted to the OHL for 1981-82. Since, the franchise has yet to capture a Robertson Cup as the playoff champion in the Ontario Hockey League. Subsequently, the team has never returned to the Memorial Cup tournament.

 

NHL Hockey Trivia: Toronto Maple Leafs Individual Records

The Toronto Maple Leafs are one of the oldest franchises in the National Hockey League and were once one of the most successful. The individual records of the Toronto Maple Leafs may not be as flashy as other NHL teams but the players involved are often legends of the game.

Test and expand your knowledge of Toronto Maple Leafs records with these four hockey trivia questions and answers.

Q. Before Rick Vaive came along in the early 1980’s and lifted Toronto’s goal scoring record above the 50 goal plateau, the Maple Leafs record for most goals in a season had stood since the 1960-61 season. Who held Toronto’s record for most goals in a season previous to the 1981-82 NHL season?

A. In 1960-61, Frank Mahovlich finished the season with 48 goals. The total was good for second in the NHL behind Bernie Geoffrion of the Montreal Canadiens who scored 50. It should be noted that Mahovlich did this when the Maple Leafs only played a 70 game schedule. Frank topped his personal best in 1968-69 as a member of the Detroit Red Wings, scoring 49.

Q. What Hockey Hall of Fame member holds the Toronto Maple Leafs record for most assists in a single season?

A. Doug Gilmour holds the record with 95 in 1992-93. This is the seventeenth highest single season total in NHL history. Gilmour also holds the number 2 spot in this category with 84 assists in the following season.

Gilmour totalled 964 assists over his NHL career. He played in the league from 1983-84 to 2002-03 with the St. Louis Blues, Calgary Flames, Toronto, New Jersey Devils, Chicago Blackhawks, Buffalo Sabres and Montreal Canadiens. Doug was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2011.

Q. What Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender holds the team career record for most shutouts, most wins and most losses?

A. Walter ‘Turk’ Broda played with Toronto from 1936-37 to 1951-52. Toronto was Broda’s only NHL club and finished his career with 62 shutouts, 302 wins and 224 losses. In eight of his seasons with the Maple Leafs, Broda appeared in every single regular season game. Twice, he was the recipient of the Vezina Trophy. In 1967, 15 years after retiring as a player, Turk was finally inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Q. There are four players that have scored more than 300 goals as a Toronto Maple Leaf. Who holds the record for most goals in a Maple Leafs jersey?

A. Mats Sundin left Toronto after the 2007-08 season having scored 420 goals for the Maple Leafs. Darryl Sittler had held the mark at 389 before that. Dave Keon scored 365 as a Maple Leaf and Ron Ellis scored 332 in Toronto.

Sundin scored 564 goals over his National Hockey League career. That total ties him for 21^st overall with Joe Nieuwendyk. The first overall pick at the 1989 NHL Entry Draft by the Quebec Nordiques played in the NHL from 1990-91 to 2008-09 with Quebec, Toronto and the Vancouver Canucks. Sundin entered the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2012.

6 St. Louis Blues With 100 Point Seasons

The St. Louis Blues entered the National Hockey League for the 1967-68 season along with five other teams, doubling the league in size. It took until the 1980-81 season before the Blues had a player surpass the 100 point plateau in a single season. Six different players to date have accomplished the feat in St. Louis history, two have done it four times and one has done it twice. 1993-94 was the last time a Blues player surpassed 100.

Bernie Federko

Bernie Federko was the first ever St. Louis Blues player to reach 100 points in a season. Bernie accomplished the feat a total of four times over his career with St. Louis. In 1980-81, he totalled 104 then topping that with 107 in 1983-84. He added 103 in 1984-85 and 102 the following season. In the first three years, he finished ninth in the NHL for points. In 1985-86, his 102 points weren’t good enough to make the top 10.

Federko played with St. Louis from 1976-77 to 1988-89 after being the seventh overall pick by the club at the 1976 NHL Amateur Draft. In junior hockey, he was awarded the Brownridge Trophy as the WHL’s top scorer, accumulating 187 points with the Saskatoon Blades. The Brownridge Trophy has since been renamed the Bob Clarke Trophy.

Brett Hull

Brett Hull also surpassed 100 points four times as a member of the Blues. In four consecutive seasons, starting in 1989-90, he accomplished the feat. In 1990-91, he recorded 131 points with the help of 86 goals. The point total is a St. Louis Blues record and the 86 goals is the second highest total in NHL history, behind Wayne Gretzky’s 92. In 1989-90, Hull has 113 points, in 1991-92 it was 109 and in 1992-93 he totalled 101.

Hull was originally drafted in the sixth round of the 1984 NHL Entry Draft by the Calgary Flames. He played with St. Louis from 1987-88 to 1997-98. Brett was awarded the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP in 1990-91 for his stellar performance.

Adam Oates

Adam Oates twice recorded more than 100 points in a season with the Blues, 1989-90 (102) and 1990-91 (115). He would accomplish the feat twice more with the Boston Bruins, topping out at 142 points in 1992-93. Oates was undrafted and started out his NHL career with the Detroit Red Wings. Adam played for the Blues from 1989-90 to 1991-92.

Doug Gilmour

Doug Gilmour contributed 105 points in 1986-87, finishing fifth in the NHL. Gilmour played with St. Louis from 1983-84 to 1987-88 after being a late seventh round pick by the club at the 1982 NHL Entry Draft. He topped 100 points twice more in his career, both times with Toronto, topping out at 127 points in 1992-93. Gilmour earned the Eddie Powers Trophy in the Ontario Hockey League after a 177 point performance with the Cornwall Royals.

Craig Janney

Craig Janney had a 106 point season in 1992-93. The total didn’t even place in the top ten that season, with Mark Recchi’s 123 points holding down tenth spot. Janney played with St. Louis from 1991-92 to 1994-95. He was originally a first round pick of the Boston Bruins in 1986.

Brendan Shanahan

Brendan Shanahan was the last St. Louis player to crack the 100 point plateau. In 1993-94, Shanahan reached 102 points and finished eighth in the NHL. Brendan played for the Blues from 1991-92 to 1994-95. He was originally a second overall pick by the New Jersey Devils in 1987.

Buffalo Sabres by the Numbers

The Buffalo Sabres, the most consistent National Hockey League team in the Toronto Region over the past 40 years, has enjoyed a storied history in a professional ‘small market’. Although the team has never taken home the ultimate prize, the Stanley Cup, every new year is a possibility with the product the Sabres put on the ice. Take a glance at the history of the Buffalo Sabres, by the numbers.

1 Hart Memorial Trophy winner. He did it twice. Goaltender Dominek Hasek won the Hart as the NHL’s most valuable player in two consecutive seasons, 1996-97 and 1997-98.

2 Trips to the Stanley Cup finals. Although they’ve yet to take home the hardware, the Sabres have been to the dance twice in their history. In 1974-75, just Buffalo’s fifth year in the NHL, the Sabres faced off against the Philadelphia Flyers in the finals. The Broad Street Bullies won the series in six games for their second consecutive Stanley Cup.

3 Hat Tricks by Eddie Shack in 1970-71. ‘The Entertainer’ was traded from the Los Angeles Kings eleven games into Buffalo’s inaugural season. Shack scored 25 goals for the Sabres that season, 36% of which came in just three games. Eddie’s stay in Buffalo was short. He was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins midway through the following season.

6 retired jersey numbers hang from the rafters at the First Niagara Center. The Buffalo Sabres retired numbers include: 2 – Tim Horton; 7 – Rick Martin; 11 – Gilbert Perreault; 14 – Rene Robert; 16 – Pat Lafontaine; 18 – Danny Gare.

8 players that have donned a Buffalo Sabres jersey at some point during their NHL career are now enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame. These players include: Dick Duff, Grant Fuhr, Clark Gillies, Tim Horton, Gilbert Perreault, Dale Hawerchuk, Pat Lafontaine and Doug Gilmour.

53 wins represents Buffalo’s best season in that particular category. The Sabres won 53 in 2006-07. It was the second time the team had reached the 50 win plateau after winning 52 the year before.

76 goals for Alexander Mogilny in 1992-93 remains a team single season record. The total is the fifth highest in NHL history and Mogilny is one of just eight players to reach 70 goals and beyond. Alex played for Buffalo from 1988-89 to 1994-95.

148 points by Pat Lafontaine in 1992-93 is not only a Sabres team record but the highest point total ever produced by an American born player.

512 goals were scored by Gilbert Perreault during his career with the Sabres. This total leaves Perreault at the top of Buffalo’s all-time list and the same can be said for games played, assists and points. Gil is placed 37^th all-time in the NHL for career goals scored and is one of just 41 players to reach the 500 goal plateau.

1970 was the year that saw the Buffalo Sabres play their first National Hockey League game. The team visited Pittsburgh for the first game of the 1970-71 season and walked away with a 2-1 victory over the Penguins. Buffalo entered the league that season, along with the Vancouver Canucks.