The 1979 Memorial Cup occurred May 6–13 at the Palais des Sports in

Sherbrooke Sherbrooke ( ; ) is a city in southern Quebec, Canada. It is at the confluence of the Saint-François and Magog rivers in the heart of the Estrie administrative region. Sherbrooke is also the name of a territory equivalent to a regional count ...

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

, the

Colisée de Trois-Rivières The Colisée de Trois-Rivières is an arena in Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada. It has a capacity of 3500, with 2700 seated. It opened in 1938. The Colisée was home to the Trois-Rivières Draveurs of the QMJHL The Quebec Major Junior Hockey Le ...

Trois-Rivières Trois-Rivières (, – 'Three Rivers') is a city in the Mauricie administrative region of Quebec, Canada, at the confluence of the Saint-Maurice River, Saint-Maurice and Saint Lawrence River, Saint Lawrence rivers, on the north shore of the Sain ...

and at the

Verdun Auditorium The Verdun Auditorium is an arena located in the borough of Verdun, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The building was constructed in 1938 and holds 4,114 seats. The largest arena in the west end of Montreal, the complex is also home to Arena Denis Sa ...

Verdun, Quebec Verdun (; , ) is a borough (''arrondissement'') of the city of Montreal, Quebec, located in the southwestern part of the island. Long known as a working class neighbourhood, it has experienced significant gentrification and social change in the 21 ...

. It was the 61st annual

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 ...

competition and determined the

major 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 ...

champion of the

Canadian Hockey League The Canadian Hockey League (CHL; french: Ligue canadienne de hockey ‒ LCH) is an umbrella organization that represents the three Canada-based major junior ice hockey leagues. The CHL was founded in 1975 as the Canadian Major Junior Hockey L ...

(CHL). Participating teams were the winners of the

Ontario Major Junior Hockey League In 1970, the Junior A level was divided into two more levels, Tier I (Major Junior A) and Tier II (Minor Junior A). In 1974, the "Major Junior A" division of the OHA became the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League (OMJHL) and began to operate indepe ...

Quebec Major Junior Hockey League The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (french: Ligue de hockey junior majeur du Québec; abbreviated ''QMJHL'' in English, ''LHJMQ'' in French) is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The l ...

and

Western Hockey League The Western Hockey League (WHL) is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitutes the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) as the highest level of junior h ...

which were the

Peterborough Petes The Peterborough Petes are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. The team has played at the Peterborough Memorial Centre in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, since 1956, and is the oldest continuously operating team in the league. ...

Trois-Rivières Draveurs The Trois-Rivières Draveurs ("Raftmen") were a Canadian junior ice hockey team playing in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). They played home games at the Colisée de Trois-Rivières, in Trois-Rivières, Quebec. The team was origina ...

and

Brandon Wheat Kings The Brandon Wheat Kings are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Brandon, Manitoba. They are members of the Western Hockey League (WHL) since joining the league in the 1967–68 season. Previously, they played in the Manitoba Junior Hoc ...

. Peterborough won their first Memorial Cup, defeating Brandon in the final game.

Teams

Brandon Wheat Kings

The

represented the

at the 1979 Memorial Cup. The Wheat Kings were a dominant force during the 1978-79, finishing with a record-breaking 125 points, as the team had a record of 58–5–9. The Wheat Kings led the WHL in goals with 491, while the club allowed a league-low 230 goals. Brandon was the Regular Season Champs. In the post-season, the Wheat Kings finished the round-robin portion with a 7-1 record, advancing to the East Division finals. In their division finals series against the

Saskatoon Blades The Saskatoon Blades are a major junior ice hockey team playing in the Eastern Division of the Western Hockey League, formerly the Western Canadian Hockey League (WCHL). They are based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, playing at the 15,195-seat SaskTe ...

, the Wheat Kings swept them in four games. In the WHL semi-finals, the Wheat Kings earned a 3-1 record in a round-robin tournament against the other two division winners, earning a trip to the

President's Cup The Presidents Cup is a series of men's golf matches between a team representing the United States and an International Team representing the rest of the world minus Europe. Europe competes against the United States in a similar but considerably ...

. In the final round, Brandon defeated the

Portland Winter Hawks The Portland Winterhawks are a junior ice hockey team based in Portland, Oregon, playing in the Western Hockey League (WHL), one of three leagues making up the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). Prior to the 2021-22 season, the Winterhawks split the ...

four games to two to win the WHL championship, and earning a trip to the 1979 Memorial Cup.

Brian Propp Brian Phillip Propp (born February 15, 1959) is a Canadian former professional Ice hockey left winger who played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1979 until 1994. Playing career Propp started his career with the Melville M ...

led the Wheat Kings offense, setting a league record with 94 goals and 194 points in 71 games, as he was the leading scorer in the league. In 22 playoff games, Propp scored 15 goals and 38 points to lead the club in scoring. Propp was a top prospect for the

1979 NHL Entry Draft The 1979 NHL Entry Draft was the 17th NHL Entry Draft. It took place on August 9, 1979, at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Quebec. The National Hockey League (NHL) teams selected 126 players eligible for entry into professional ranks, in ...

, and he was drafted fourteenth overall by the

Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games in Wells ...

Ray Allison Raymond Peter Allison (born March 4, 1959) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward who played seven seasons in the National Hockey League for the Hartford Whalers and Philadelphia Flyers. Allison was born in Cranbrook, British Colum ...

finished second in league scoring, as he scored 60 goals and 153 points in 62 games. Allison was another top prospect for the upcoming

, and was drafted by the

Hartford Whalers The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its existence in Hartford, Connecticut. The club played in the World Hockey Association (WHA) from 1972 until 1979, and in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1979 to ...

eighteenth overall.

Laurie Boschman Laurie Joseph Boschman (born June 4, 1960) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for 14 seasons for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets, New Jersey Devils and Ottawa ...

scored 66 goals and 149 points in 65 games, as he would be drafted ninth overall by the

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. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Div ...

in the

. Defenseman

Brad McCrimmon Byron Brad McCrimmon (March 29, 1959 – September 7, 2011) was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and coach. He played over 1,200 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers, Calgary Flames, ...

was another future first round draft pick in the

, as he scored 24 goals and 98 points in 66 games. McCrimmon was selected fifteenth overall by the

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 t ...

. Goaltender

Rick Knickle Richard S. Knickle (born February 26, 1960) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. Biography As a youth, Knickle played in the 1971, 1972 and 1973 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournaments with a minor ice hockey team from ...

was named WHL Goaltender of the Year after posting a record of 26-3-8 with a 3.16 GAA in 38 games.

Scott Olson Scott Olson is an American guitarist, bassist, music producer and recording engineer. He played guitar with Heart between 1995–1998 and 2002–2003, and in 1996 he performed with Alice In Chains on their ''MTV Unplugged'' concert. Olson was ...

split time with Knickle, as in 35 games, he earned a 32-2-1 record with a 3.23 GAA. The 1979 Memorial Cup was the Wheat Kings second appearance. The club lost the 1949 Memorial Cup to the

Montreal Royals The Montreal Royals were a minor league professional baseball team in Montreal, Quebec, during 1897–1917 and 1928–1960. A member of the International League, the Royals were the top farm club (Class AAA) of the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1939; pi ...

Peterborough Petes

The

represented the

at the 1979 Memorial Cup. This was the Petes second consecutive appearance at the tournament. Peterborough was the top team in the OMJHL during the 1978-79 season, earning a record of 46-19-3 for 95 points, winning the

Hamilton Spectator Trophy The Hamilton Spectator Trophy is awarded annually by the Ontario Hockey League to the team that finishes the regular season with the best record. The trophy was donated by ''The Hamilton Spectator,'' and first presented in the 1957–58 season. It ...

. The Petes 345 goals ranked fourth in the league, while their defense allowed 245 goals, ranking them second in the OMJHL. In the Leyden Division semi-finals, the Petes defeated the

Kingston Canadians The Kingston Canadians were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League from 1973 to 1988. The team played home games at the Kingston Memorial Centre in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. History The Kingston Canadians arrival in the Ontario ...

four games to two, with one game ending in a tie. In the Leyden Division finals, Peterborough defeated the

Sudbury Wolves The Sudbury Wolves are an Ontario Hockey League (OHL) ice hockey team based in Greater Sudbury, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. Sudbury has had various hockey teams competing at the Junior ice hockey, junior and senior ice hockey levels of the game k ...

four games to one, advancing to the OMJHL finals. In 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 ...

finals, the Petes faced the

Niagara Falls Flyers The Niagara Falls Flyers were two junior ice hockey franchises that played in the top tier in the Ontario Hockey Association. The first, a Junior "A" team existed from 1960 until 1972, and the second in Tier I Junior "A" from 1976 until 1982. ...

. The Flyers pushed Peterborough to seven games, however, the Petes won the championship and would represent the OMJHL at the 1979 Memorial Cup. The Petes offense was led by Tim Trimper, who scored a team high 62 goals and 108 points in 66 games. Bill Gardner scored 32 goals and 103 points in 68 games to finish second in team scoring, while Chris Halyk also broke the 100-point plateau as he scored 41 goals and 100 points in 67 games. Defenseman Greg Theberge scored 20 goals and 80 points in 63 games. Theberge won the

Max Kaminsky Trophy The Max Kaminsky Trophy is awarded annually by the Ontario Hockey League to the most outstanding defenceman. The award is named in honour of Max Kaminsky, who coached the St. Catharines Teepees to the Memorial Cup in 1960 and died shortly thereaf ...

, awarded to the Top Defenseman in the OMJHL. In goal,

Ken Ellacott Kenneth George Ellacott (born March 3, 1959) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. Ellacott played in the National Hockey League for the Vancouver Canucks in 1982–83. He played 12 games in the NHL, spending most of his profess ...

posted a 3.53 GAA in 48 games as the Petes starting goaltender. Head coach Gary Green was named the winner of the

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 ...

, awarded to the Top Head Coach in the league. The 1979 Memorial Cup was the Petes fourth appearance in club history. In their previous three appearances in

1959 Events January * January 1 - Cuba: Fulgencio Batista flees Havana when the forces of Fidel Castro advance. * January 2 - Lunar probe Luna 1 was the first man-made object to attain escape velocity from Earth. It reached the vicinity of E ...

1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, me ...

, and in

1978 Events January * January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213. * January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd go ...

, the Petes lost in the finals.

Trois-Rivières Draveurs

The

represented the

at the 1979 Memorial Cup. This was the Draveurs second consecutive appearance at the tournament. The Draveurs were the top team in the league during the 1978-79 season, finishing with a record of 58-8-6, earning 122 points and winning the

Jean Rougeau Trophy The Jean Rougeau Trophy is awarded annually to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League team that records the most points in the regular season. The trophy was named for former league president Jean Rougeau. Winners See also *Hamilton Spectator Tro ...

. Trois-Rivières scored a league high 527 goals, which was more than 100 goals higher than the second place team. The Draveurs were also the top defensive team in the league, allowing a league low 233 goals and winning the

Robert Lebel Trophy The Robert Lebel Trophy is awarded annually to the team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with the lowest goals against average Goals against average (GAA) also known as "average goals against" or "AGA" is a statistic used in field hockey ...

. In the post-season, the Draveurs swept the

Shawinigan Cataractes The Shawinigan Cataractes (french: Cataractes de Shawinigan) are a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The team is based in Shawinigan, Quebec, Canada. The Cataractes have been previously known as the Shawinigan Bruin ...

in four games in the QMJHL quarter-finals. In the league semi-finals, the Draveurs stayed hot, and defeated the

Montreal Juniors The Montreal Juniors were a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League from 1975 to 1982. They played at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. History The Montreal Bleu Blanc Rouge were renamed in 1975, becoming t ...

four games to one. In the

finals, Trois-Rivières swept the

Sherbrooke Castors The Sherbrooke Castors or Beavers (in English) was the name of two different junior ice hockey teams in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and another team in the Quebec Eastern Provincial Hockey League. Both later franchises played at the Pal ...

in four games, winning the QMJHL championship for the second consecutive season, and earning a berth into the 1979 Memorial Cup. The Draveurs offense was led by J.F. Sauve, who led the league with 176 points as he scored 65 goals and 111 assists. Sauve won the

Jean Beliveau Trophy Jean may refer to: People * Jean (female given name) * Jean (male given name) * Jean (surname) Fictional characters * Jean Grey, a Marvel Comics character * Jean Valjean, fictional character in novel ''Les Misérables'' and its adaptations * Jean ...

as the Top Scorer in the QMJHL. In the post-season, Sauve scored 19 goals and 38 points in 13 games to win the

Guy Lafleur Trophy The Guy Lafleur Trophy is awarded annually to the Most Valuable Player in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoffs. It is named for Hockey Hall of Famer and QMJHL alumnus Guy Lafleur Guy Damien Lafleur (September 20, 1951 – April 22, ...

as Playoff MVP. Bob Mongrain scored a team high 66 goals, while earning 142 points to rank fourth in league scoring. Pierre Lacroix scored 37 goals and 137 points in 72 games, ranking him sixth in league scoring, and was named the winner of the Michel Briere Memorial Trophy winner as MVP of the league. Jean-Gaston Douville scored 61 goals and 116 points in 71 games, good for fourth in team scoring. Defenseman

Michel Leblanc Michel Leblanc is a Canadian entrepreneur responsible for starting up seven airlines in 20 years, including Royal Aviation (sold to Canada 3000 in 2001 and bankrupt soon after) and Jetsgo Jetsgo Corporation was a Canadian low-cost carrier based ...

scored 26 goals and 110 points in 72 games, as the Draveurs had five players with 110 or more points. Goaltender

Jacques Cloutier Jacques Cloutier (born January 3, 1960) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Buffalo Sabres, Chicago Blackhawks, and Quebec Nordiques between 1981 and 1994. He is currentl ...

won the

Jacques Plante Memorial Trophy The Jacques Plante Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the goaltender in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with the best goals-against average. It is named for Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender Jacques Plante. Winners References External ...

as the Top Goaltender in the QMJHL. In 72 games, Cloutier had a record of 58-8-6 with a 3.14 GAA and a .877 save percentage. Cloutier posted a 12-1 record with a 2.77 GAA and a .901 save percentage in the post-season. The 1979 Memorial Cup was the second appearance in Draveurs team history. At the 1978 Memorial Cup, the club finished in third place.

Round-robin standings

Scores

Round-robin *May 6 Trois-Rivières 4-3 Peterborough *May 7 Trois-Rivières 4-1 Brandon *May 8 Peterborough 7-6 Brandon (OT) *May 9 Peterborough 3-2 Trois-Rivières *May 10 Brandon 6-1 Trois-Rivières *May 11 Brandon 3-2 Peterborough Final *May 13 Peterborough 2-1 Brandon (OT)

Winning roster

Bob Attwell Robert Allan Attwell (born December 26, 1959) was an American-born Canadian professional ice hockey player who played 22 games in the National Hockey League with the Colorado Rockies between 1979 and 1981. Personal life Attwell was born in Spok ...

, Dave Beckon, Terry Bovair,

Carmine Cirella Carmine Cirella (born January 16, 1960) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Junior career Playing for the Peterborough Petes, he won the 1979 Memorial Cup. Professional career He was drafted 108th overall by the Detroit Red Wing ...

Keith Crowder Keith Scott Crowder (born January 6, 1959) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right winger who played ten seasons in the National Hockey League from 1980–81 until 1989–90. Playing career Crowder was drafted 57th overall by the Bos ...

, Dave Fenyves,

Larry Floyd Larry David Floyd (born May 1, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre and coach. Floyd played for numerous professional teams during his career from 1982 until 1984, including twelve games with the New Jersey Devils of the Nati ...

, Bill Gardner, Chris Halyk, Anssi Melametsa, Larry Murphy,

Mark Reeds Mark Allen Reeds (January 24, 1960 – April 14, 2015) was a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and a former player who had played in the National Hockey League (NHL) between 1981 and 1989. He was born in Toronto, Ontario, but grew up in Bur ...

, Brad Ryder, Stuart Smith, Greg Theberge, Tim Trimper, Jim Weimer. Coach: Gary Green

Award winners

Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy The Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy is a Canadian Hockey League (CHL) trophy, awarded to the most valuable player in the annual Memorial Cup Tournament. The trophy was first awarded in 1972 and won by Richard Brodeur of the QMJHL's Cornwall Royals. ...

(MVP):

Bart Hunter Bart is a masculine given name, usually a diminutive of Bartholomew, sometimes of Barton, Bartolomeo, etc. Bart is a Dutch and Ashkenazi Jewish surname, and derives from the name ''Bartholomäus'', a German form of the biblical name ''Barth ...

, Brandon *

George Parsons Trophy The George Parsons Trophy is awarded annually to the player judged to be the most sportsmanlike at the Memorial Cup tournament. It was first awarded in 1974. The trophy is named for George Parsons, a former Ontario Hockey Association player who ...

(Sportsmanship): Chris Halyk, Peterborough *

Hap Emms Memorial Trophy The Hap Emms Memorial Trophy is awarded to the outstanding goaltender at the Memorial Cup of the Canadian Hockey League. The award is named after Leighton "Hap" Emms, a former NHL player, who had a 33 year presence in the Ontario Hockey Associ ...

(Goaltender):

, Brandon All-star team *Goal:

, Brandon *Defence:

Normand Rochefort Normand Rochefort (born January 28, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. Biography Rochefort was born in Trois-Rivières, Quebec. As a youth, he played in the 1974 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a mi ...

, Trois-Rivières;

, Brandon *Centre:

, Brandon *Left wing:

, Brandon *Right wing: Tim Trimper, Peterborough

References

External links

Memorial Cup

Canadian Hockey League
{{DEFAULTSORT:Memorial Cup 1979 Mem Memorial Cup tournaments Sport in Sherbrooke