The Barrie Flyers were a

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

team in the

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

from 1945 to 1960, from

Barrie Barrie is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada, about north of Toronto. The city is within Simcoe County and located along the shores of Kempenfelt Bay, the western arm of Lake Simcoe. Although physically in Simcoe County, Barrie is politically i ...

, Ontario. The Flyers played home games at the

Barrie Arena The Barrie Arena, sometimes also called the Dunlop Arena, was a 3,000 seat arena located in Barrie, Ontario, at the intersection of Dunlop Street West and Eccles Avenue. It was built in 1932 and served as the main ice hockey venue in the city unti ...

from 1945 to 1960.

History

The Barrie Flyers junior team was founded in 1945 by Leighton "Hap" Emms. The franchise was soon affiliated with 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 ...

of the

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 ...

. Barrie quickly became a powerhouse in the OHA. They appeared in the

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 ...

three times, losing the first time in 1948, then winning twice, in 1951 and 1953. The Emms family relocated the team to Niagara Falls in 1960 where the team continued to win and played for 12 seasons, then relocated to Sudbury to become the Sudbury Wolves.

1948 Memorial Cup

Barrie won the right to play for the cup by defeating the

Windsor Spitfires The Windsor Spitfires are a Canadian junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). The team is based in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1971, the franchise was promoted to the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League for the 1975� ...

for the OHA championship, and the Montreal Nationales to win the Richardson Trophy as eastern Canadian representatives. The Flyers were runners up for the

in 1948 played at

Maple Leaf Gardens Maple Leaf Gardens is a historic building located at the northwest corner of Carlton Street and Church Street in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The building was initially constructed in 1931 as an arena to host ice hockey games, though it has sinc ...

. They were swept by the

Port Arthur West End Bruins A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...

(now Thunder Bay) in a best-of-seven series. The series was very physical and bitter between the teams. After the third game, Emms threatened that the Flyers would not continue to play without a change in referees. The series ultimately continued with the same referees. Game 1 Port Arthur 10 vs. Barrie 8 Game 2 Port Arthur 8 vs. Barrie 1 Game 3 Port Arthur 5 vs. Barrie 4 Game 4 Port Arthur 9 vs. Barrie 8 (OT)

1951 Memorial Cup

Barrie won the OHA championship defeating the

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

Canadian Amateur Hockey Association The Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA; french: Association canadienne de hockey amateur) was the national governing body of amateur ice hockey in Canada from 1914 until 1994, when it merged with Hockey Canada. Its jurisdiction include ...

vice-president W. B. George oversaw the Flyers versus Quebec Citadels series for the

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

, to represent Eastern Canada in the

1951 Memorial Cup The 1951 Memorial Cup final was the 33rd junior ice hockey championship of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association. The George Richardson Memorial Trophy champions Barrie Flyers of the Ontario Hockey Association in Eastern Canada competed agains ...

playoffs. When the Citadels refused to play game five in Barrie, George gave them an ultimatum to play or forfeit the series. Quebec decided to play too late to arrive by train, but arrived half an hour late after flying. George scheduled game seven on neutral ice at

, despite protests from Flyers' coach Hap Emms who claimed that his team only agreed to resume the series if game seven was played in Barrie. The Flyers won the

in 1951 played at Winnipeg and Brandon, Manitoba. They swept the

Winnipeg Monarchs Winnipeg Monarchs is a name used by several Canadian ice hockey teams in Winnipeg, Manitoba and may refer to: *Winnipeg Monarchs (senior), a defunct ice hockey team, 1935 World Ice Hockey Champions *Winnipeg Monarchs (MJHL) The Winnipeg Monarch ...

in a best-of-seven series. Game 1 Barrie 5 vs. Winnipeg 1 Game 2 Barrie 5 vs. Winnipeg 1 Game 3 Barrie 4 vs. Winnipeg 3 Game 4 Barrie 9 vs. Winnipeg 5

1953 Memorial Cup

Barrie won the right to play for the cup by defeating the St. Michael's Majors for the OHA championship. The Flyers won the

in 1953 played at Winnipeg and Brandon, Manitoba. They defeated the St. Boniface Canadiens in a best-of-seven series. Game 1 Barrie 6 vs. St. Boniface 4 Game 2 Barrie 6 vs. St. Boniface 3 Game 3 Barrie 7 vs. St. Boniface 5 Game 4 Barrie 4 vs. St. Boniface 7 Game 5 Barrie 6 vs. St. Boniface 1

Championships

The Barrie Flyers were a dominant team during the late 1940s and early 1950s, and one of a few clubs to win multiple

championships. The Flyers won the Ontario championship 4 times, the Eastern Canadian championship 3 times, and the national championship twice.

appearances * 1948, Lost to Port Arthur West End Bruins * 1951, CAHA Champions vs. Winnipeg Monarchs * 1953, CAHA Champions vs. St. Boniface Canadiens

appearances * 1948, Champions vs. Montreal Nationales * 1949, Lost to Montreal Royals * 1951, Champions vs. Quebec Citadels * 1953, Champions vs. Quebec Citadels

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 ...

appearances * 1947–48, OHA Champions vs. Windsor Spitfires * 1948–49, OHA Champions vs. Toronto Marlboros * 1950–51, OHA Champions vs. Toronto Marlboros * 1952–53, OHA Champions vs. St. Michael's Majors * 1955–56, Lost to Toronto Marlboros

Players

Award winners

*''1948-49'' - Gil Mayer,

Red Tilson Trophy The Red Tilson Trophy is awarded annually by the Ontario Hockey League to the most outstanding player (MVP) as voted by OHL writers and broadcasters. It was donated by ''The Globe and Mail,'' and first awarded in the 1944–45 OHA season by the O ...

Most Outstanding Player *''1950-51'' - Lorne Howes,

Dave Pinkney Trophy The Dave Pinkney Trophy is awarded to the goaltenders of the Ontario Hockey League team that has the lowest goals against average. It has been awarded annually since 1949. Winners List of winners of the Dave Pinkney Trophy. See also * List of C ...

Lowest Team Goals Against

NHL alumni

List of Flyers' alumni who played 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 ...

(NHL): *

Barry Ashbee William Barry Ashbee (July 28, 1939 – May 12, 1977) was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played five seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers between 1965 and 1974. His career en ...

Bob Barlow Robert George Barlow (born June 17, 1935) is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player. He played 77 games in the National Hockey League with the Minnesota North Stars between 1969 and 1970, and 51 games in the World Hockey Association bet ...

Bob Beckett Robert Owen Beckett (April 8, 1936 – April 9, 2019) was a Canadian ice hockey centre. He played for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a profession ...

* Bob Blackburn *

Ross Brooks Donald Ross Brooks (born October 17, 1937) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played three seasons with the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL) between 1972 and 1975. His NHL debut at the age of 36 made him o ...

Kelly Burnett James Kelvin Burnett (June 16, 1926 – December 22, 2018) was a Canadian ice hockey centre. He played 3 games in the National Hockey League for the New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York ...

Dick Cherry Richard John Cherry (born February 28, 1937) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers between 1956 and 1970. He is the brother of media pe ...

Don Cherry Donald Stewart Cherry (born February 5, 1934) is a Canadian former ice hockey player, coach, and television commentator. Cherry played one game in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Boston Bruins, and later coached the team for five se ...

* Real Chevrefils * Murray Davison * Marv Edwards *

Pierre Gagne Pierre Reynald Gagne (born June 5, 1940) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger. He played 2 games in the National Hockey League with the Boston Bruins during the 1959–60 season. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1960 ...

Ray Gariepy Raymond Joseph "Rockabye Ray" Gariepy (September 4, 1928 – March 16, 2012) was a Canadian professional ice hockey hard hitting defenceman, who 36 games in the National Hockey League between 1953 and 1956 for the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple ...

Jeannot Gilbert Jeannot Gilbert (born December 29, 1940) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward who played 9 games in the National Hockey League for the Boston Bruins between 1963 and 1965. He also played 133 games in the World Hockey Association w ...

* Howie Glover *

Bill Knibbs William Arthur Knibbs (born January 24, 1942 – September 16, 2006) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played 53 games in the National Hockey League with the Boston Bruins during the 1964–65 season. The rest of his career, which ...

Leo Labine Leonard Gerald "Leo The Lion" Labine (July 22, 1931 – February 25, 2005) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. A native of Haileybury, Ontario, Labine played for teams in the NHL, WHL, EPHL, and the AHL. At 5'10", and 178 lbs ...

* Stan Long *

Wayne Maxner Wayne Douglas Maxner (born September 27, 1942 in Halifax, Nova Scotia) is a Canadian former hockey player for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL). He led the Ontario Hockey Association junior A league in scoring in 1962–63 as ...

Gilles Mayer Joseph Gilles Camille "Gil" Mayer (August 24, 1930 – September 29, 2015) was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. Mayer stood 5'6" tall, and weighed 128 lbs, which earned him the nickname "The Needle." During his time with the Clev ...

Don McKenney Donald Hamilton McKenney (April 30, 1934 – December 19, 2022) was a Canadian ice hockey forward and coach. He played in the National Hockey League between 1954 and 1968 with five teams, mostly with the Boston Bruins. After retiring he worked a ...

* Sid McNabney *

Paul Meger Paul Carl Meger (February 17, 1929 – August 27, 2019) was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward (ice hockey), forward. Meger played his entire National Hockey League (NHL) career with the Montreal Canadiens, winning the Stanley Cup in 1953 ...

Hillary Menard Hillary Gilbert "Minnie" Menard (born January 15, 1934) is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey left winger who played in one National Hockey League game for the Chicago Black Hawks during the 1953–54 season. The rest of his career, whi ...

Doug Mohns Douglas Allen "Diesel" Mohns (December 13, 1933 – February 7, 2014) was a professional ice hockey player who played 22 seasons in the National Hockey League from 1953–54 until 1974–75. Mohns twice won the most coveted prize in junior hocke ...

Jim Morrison James Douglas Morrison (December 8, 1943 – July 3, 1971) was an American singer, poet and songwriter who was the lead vocalist of the Rock music, rock band the Doors. Due to his wild personality, poetic lyrics, distinctive voice, unpredicta ...

Tony Poeta Anthony Joseph Poeta (March 4, 1933 – May 2, 2004) was a professional ice hockey player from 1950 to 1960. Poeta played for teams in the National Hockey League, Ontario Hockey Association, American Hockey League, International Hockey League, ...

* Dan Poliziani *

George Ranieri George Dominic Ranieri (born January 14, 1936) is a Canadian former ice hockey player who played two games in the National Hockey League with the Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins ...

Gerry Reid Gerry Reid (born June 18, 1954) was a Canadian politician and the leader of the Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador. He served as interim leader from 2005 to 2006, until Jim Bennett replaced him in February 2006. Reid was reelected as ...

Dale Rolfe Dale Roland Carl Rolfe (born April 30, 1940) is a Canadian former ice hockey defenseman. He played for four teams in the National Hockey League between 1960 and 1975. He spent his junior career with the Barrie Flyers through the 1956–57 and 1959 ...

* Wayne Rutledge *

Myron Stankiewicz Myron "Mike" Joseph Stankiewicz (born December 4, 1935) is a Canaidan retired professional ice hockey player. He played 35 games in the National Hockey League with the St. Louis Blues and Philadelphia Flyers during the 1968–69 season. The rest ...

Ron Stewart Ronald George Stewart (July 11, 1932 – March 17, 2012) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1952 to 1973, as well as a coach. He spent the first half of his career with the Toronto Maple Leafs, ...

* Alan "Skip" Teal * Orval Tessier *

Jerry Toppazzini Jerry "Topper" Toppazzini (July 29, 1931 — April 21, 2012) was a Canadian ice hockey forward who played twelve seasons in the National Hockey League, most notably for the Boston Bruins, between 1952 and 1964. A skilled defensive specialist and ...

Ed Westfall Edwin Vernon Westfall (born September 19, 1940) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League with the Boston Bruins and the New York Islanders from 1961 until 1978–79. Notable as a d ...

Larry Zeidel Lazarus "Larry The Rock" Zeidel (June 1, 1928 – June 17, 2014) was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman, most notably for the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League, for whom he played nine seasons, and in the National Hockey Leagu ...

Regular season results

References

{{Defunct OHL 1945 establishments in Ontario 1960 disestablishments in Ontario Defunct Ontario Hockey League teams Ice hockey clubs established in 1945 Sport in Barrie Sports clubs disestablished in 1960 Boston Bruins minor league affiliates