The Fergus Devils were a
Junior
Junior or Juniors may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Music
* ''Junior'' (Junior Mance album), 1959
* ''Junior'' (Röyksopp album), 2009
* ''Junior'' (Kaki King album), 2010
* ''Junior'' (LaFontaines album), 2019
Films
* ''Junior'' (1994 ...
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 based in
Fergus,
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 played in the former
Georgian Mid-Ontario Junior C Hockey League
The Georgian Mid Ontario Junior C Hockey League is a former Junior "C" ice hockey league in Ontario, Canada, sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Association. The Champion of the league competed for the All-Ontario Championship and the Clarence Schma ...
(now a part of the
PJHL),. Took a "Leave of Absence for the 2015/16 season and have not returned.
History
The Fergus Green Machine were founded in 1971 in the South-Central Junior D Hockey League.
In 1973, the league was promoted to the Central Ontario Junior C Hockey League.
In 1974, the team seemed to have dropped off the map, but it turns out they had probably dropped to the fairly local
Northern Junior D Hockey League. In 1979-80, while in the Northern, the Green Machine picked up a 16-year-old
Scottish defenseman named
James Stephen Smith
James Stephen Smith (born 30 April 1963) is a Scottish-born Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman and former assistant coach of the Buffalo Sabres, Carolina Hurricanes and Edmonton Oilers. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL ...
.
[Legends of Hockey – NHL Player Search – Player – Steve Smith](_blank)
/ref> Smith led the team to a league championship, and all the way to the Ontario Hockey Association Cup final against the Belmont Bombers of the ''Western Ontario Junior D Hockey League''. The Bombers knocked off the Machine 2-games-to-none in a best-of-3 series to win the All-Ontario championship.[Ontario Hockey Association 2006-2007 Constitution, Regulations and Rules of Competition by The Ontario Hockey Association (2006)] Smith went on to play three seasons of Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League (OHL; french: Ligue de hockey de l'Ontario (LHO)) is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 16–19. There are exceptions for overag ...
hockey with the London Knights
The London Knights are a junior ice hockey team from London, Ontario, Canada, playing in the Ontario Hockey League, one of the leagues of the Canadian Hockey League. The Knights started out in 1965 as the London Nationals but changed to their cu ...
before eventually winning three Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup (french: La Coupe Stanley) is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, an ...
s with 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 ...
's Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. They play their home games at Rogers Place, which ...
.
In 1983, the Green Machine returned to their old Junior "C" loop, now known as the Mid-Ontario Junior C Hockey League. The Northern Junior D Hockey League folded two seasons later without the Fergus franchise. In 1987 the Green Machine folded.
In 1990, the town of Fergus resurrected the team as the Fergus Devils. Still in the Mid-Ontario Junior C Hockey League, the Devils played two seasons of interlock with the Western Junior C Hockey League
The Western Ontario Junior C Hockey League was a Junior "C" ice hockey league in Ontario, Canada, sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Association. The Champion of the Western will compete for the All-Ontario Championship and the Clarence Schmalz Cu ...
. Two years later, the Mid-Ontario merged with the Georgian Bay Junior C Hockey League to form the Georgian Mid-Ontario Junior C Hockey League
The Georgian Mid Ontario Junior C Hockey League is a former Junior "C" ice hockey league in Ontario, Canada, sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Association. The Champion of the league competed for the All-Ontario Championship and the Clarence Schma ...
. It is unknown if the Devils won any Mid-Ontario championships. The Devils found their niche in the new league and won the league title in 1995, 1999, 2000, and 2001. The Devils have never reached the 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 ...
finals.
The 2005-06 season saw the Devils finish in second play in the Georgian Mid-Ontario. In the league quarter-final, the Devils laid out the seventh-seeded Bradford Bulls
The Bradford Bulls are a professional rugby league club in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, playing in the Championship. They have won five Challenge Cups, six league championships and three World Club Challenges. The team jersey is predom ...
4 games to none. With a head of steam, the Devils played the fourth seeded Erin Shamrocks
The Erin Shamrocks were a junior ice hockey team based in Erin, Ontario, Canada. They played in the Georgian Mid-Ontario Junior C Hockey League.
History
The Acton Sabres were founded in 1971 as a member of the South-Central Junior D Hockey League ...
in the semi-final. The result was a 4-games-to-1 series win for the Devils. In the finals, the Devils locked horns with the first seed Penetang Kings
The Penetang Kings are a junior ice hockey team based in Penetanguishene, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Provincial Junior Hockey League (PJHL) in the Carruthers division in the Ontario Hockey Association.
History
The first chapter of curren ...
. The Devils were no match for the Kings as Penetang swept the series 4-games-to-none to win the league championship. The Kings went on to win the 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 ...
.[Home , Ontario Hockey Association](_blank)
/ref>
In 2006-07, a late season surge saw the Fergus Devils surpass the Alliston Hornets and Penetang Kings
The Penetang Kings are a junior ice hockey team based in Penetanguishene, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Provincial Junior Hockey League (PJHL) in the Carruthers division in the Ontario Hockey Association.
History
The first chapter of curren ...
to gain the top seed in the league. As the Bradford Bulls
The Bradford Bulls are a professional rugby league club in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, playing in the Championship. They have won five Challenge Cups, six league championships and three World Club Challenges. The team jersey is predom ...
had left the league to try their chances on an Independent Junior A league, the Devils received a bye in the league quarter-finals. The well rested Devils took on the fifth seeded Stayner Siskins in the league semi-final and beat them 4-games-to-1. Again in the finals, the Devils again faced the Penetang Kings
The Penetang Kings are a junior ice hockey team based in Penetanguishene, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Provincial Junior Hockey League (PJHL) in the Carruthers division in the Ontario Hockey Association.
History
The first chapter of curren ...
. The Kings went up 2-games-to-none on the Devils with a pair of double overtime victories. The Devils came back ane won game 3 and 4 just to lose game 5 and 6. For the second straight year the Penetang Kings beat the Devils for the league title and again went on to win the 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 ...
.
Folded following the 2014/15 season.
Season-by-season standings
*2000-2004
*2004–Present
Notable alumni
*James Stephen Smith
James Stephen Smith (born 30 April 1963) is a Scottish-born Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman and former assistant coach of the Buffalo Sabres, Carolina Hurricanes and Edmonton Oilers. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL ...
*Chris Driscoll
Chris Driscoll (born September 12, 1971) is a Canadian retired lacrosse player.
Professional career
Born in Fergus, Ontario, Driscoll began his career with the Detroit Turbos in 1993. He played with the Turbos for two seasons before they disban ...
( NLL Pro lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport played with a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball. It is the oldest organized sport in North America, with its origins with the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century. The game was extensively ...
player)
*Greg Jacina
Greg Jacina (born May 22, 1982) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey Winger. He played 14 games in the National Hockey League with the Florida Panthers during the 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons, though most of his career, which laste ...
Fergus Devils Junior C Hockey
/ref>
References
External links
Devils' Webpage
{{OHA-C
Georgian Mid-Ontario Junior C Hockey League teams
Centre Wellington
1971 establishments in Ontario
Ice hockey clubs established in 1971