The Collingwood Blues were a Junior "A"

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 ...

team from Collingwood,

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 ...

, Canada. They were a part of 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 ...

and earlier the Central Junior B Hockey League.

History

Founded as a Jr ‘B’ team in 1948-49, the Greenshirts dropped down to Jr ‘C’ in 1949-50, although they played in a mixed league of B and C teams during the regular season. Collingwood junior hockey excellence can be traced back as far as 1950 where the town's Junior "C" team won four straight

Clarence Schmalz Cup The Clarence Schmalz Cup is the Ontario Hockey Association's Junior "C" ice hockey championship and championship trophy. The champions of the Provincial Junior Hockey League (PJHL) are awarded the Cup. The PJHL was formed in 2016 from the forme ...

s as All-Ontario Junior "C" Champions. Subsequently, they were named the OHA’s Jr ‘C’ Team of the Century. The Blues played in the Georgia Bay Jr.C league until 1969, when they joined the Central Ontario Jr.B league. They won the Central Junior B Hockey League playoff championship in 1970 and 1971. In 1972, after transferring to the Mid-Ontario Junior B League, they won their league title. They won that title again in 1975-76 and advanced through the Ontario playdowns all the way to the

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 ...

provincial final against the

St. Marys Lincolns The St. Marys Lincolns are a junior ice hockey team based in St. Marys, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Western division of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League. History Founded in 1956, the Lincolns have never missed a season. The te ...

of the Western Junior B Hockey League. St. Marys won the series 4-3, handing Collingwood their only home defeat of the season, in game 7 of the finals. The Blues played 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 ...

in 1976-77 and finished third out of four teams. In 1977, the Collingwood Blues informed the SOJHL that they were no longer interested in Junior A hockey and left the league to join the local Junior C loop. The folding of the Blues allowed for the folding of the SOJHL. The next season the team was called the Glassmen and compete at the Junior C level. In 1979, the team changed their name to the Shipbuilders and jumped to 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 Shipbuilder were 1982-83 Major Int. "A" Champions and second place in the province to a team from

Timmins, Ontario Timmins ( ) is a city in northeastern Ontario, Canada, located on the Mattagami River. The city is the fourth-largest city in the Northeastern Ontario region with a population of 41,145 (2021). The city's economy is based on natural resource ext ...

. In 1983, the league was promoted to Senior "A". The team left the league in 1987 and went on hiatus. In their final Senior season they dropped down to the Georgian Bay Senior A Hockey League. They finished second in the regular season behind the

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 ...

, but they won the league playoffs and the OHA Senior "A" title 4-games-to-2 against the

Dunnville Mudcats Dunnville is an unincorporated community located near the mouth of the Grand River in Haldimand County, Ontario, Canada near the historic Talbot Trail. It was formerly an incorporated town encompassing the surrounding area with a total populat ...

of the Southern Ontario league. In 1988, the Blues were voted back into the Central Junior B Hockey League. In 1993, the league was promoted to Junior A status and the Blues remained a member of that league until 2011. In 2010, the Blues changed their name to the Blackhawks. On April 3, 2011, the League announced that the franchise had ceased operations.

Season-by-season results

Original junior team

The Shipbuilders

The second junior team

Playoffs

''SOJHL Years'' *1977 ''Lost final'' :Collingwood Blues defeated

Hamilton Mountain A's The Hamilton Mountain A's are a defunct Junior "A" ice hockey team from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. They were a part of the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League. History Originating as the Hamilton Red Wing B's, the team became the Hamilton ...

''4-games-to-2'' :

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 Collingwood Blues ''4-games-to-none'' ''OPJHL Years''

Sutherland Cup appearances

:''1976'':

defeated Collingwood Blues ''4-games-to-3''

Notable alumni

Aaron Downey Aaron Douglas Downey (born August 27, 1974) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player. Downey played 13 seasons of professional ice hockey and played 243 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Montreal Canadiens, Chi ...

Kevin Colley Kevin Colley (born January 4, 1979) is an American-born Canadian former professional ice hockey right winger who played for the New York Islanders of the NHL, and was the head coach of the Arizona Sundogs of the CHL in 2013–14. He was raised in ...

Curtis Sanford Curtis Sanford (born October 5, 1979) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who last played for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He is currently a goalie coach for the Toronto Maple Leafs. He previously ...

Kerry Fraser Kerry Fraser (born May 30, 1952) is a hockey analyst, broadcaster and former senior referee in the National Hockey League. During his career, he called 1,904 regular season games, 12 Stanley Cup Finals, and over 261 Stanley Cup playoff games. ...

Matt Beleskey Matthew Beleskey (born June 7, 1988) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Anaheim Ducks, Boston Bruins and New York Rangers. Playing career Beleskey grew up in the small ...

References

External links

Blues WebsiteAaron Downey's profile at www.legendsofhockey.net
{{DEFAULTSORT:Collingwood Blues (1988-2011) Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League teams 1988 establishments in Ontario 2011 disestablishments in Ontario Ice hockey clubs established in 1988 Ice hockey clubs disestablished in 2011