HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Toronto St. Michael's Majors were a
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 co ...
team in the
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 overa ...
, based in
Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
,
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. The most recent franchise was revived on August 15, 1996. In 2007, the team relocated to
Mississauga Mississauga ( ), historically known as Toronto Township, is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is situated on the shores of Lake Ontario in the Regional Municipality of Peel, adjoining the western border of Toronto. With a popu ...
,
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 ...
and became the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors until 2012. The hockey program was founded and operated by St. Michael's College School in 1906, and adopted the name "Majors" in 1934, and was commonly referred to as St. Mike's Majors.


History

The St. Michael's College Hockey Team was first established in 1906 when the team joined the junior division of the Ontario Hockey Association. The team was not known as the St. Michael's Majors until 1934, and also had the informal nickname of the "Irish". The school team played for 55 years until 1961 before suspending operations. St. Michael's revived the Majors (Junior A Tier I) hockey team for the 1997–98 season in the Ontario Hockey League. In total, over one hundred St. Michael's Majors alumni have gone on to play in the
National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey sports league, league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranke ...
, including 13 members of the
Hockey Hall of Fame The Hockey Hall of Fame (french: Temple de la renommée du hockey) is a museum and hall of fame located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League (NHL) rec ...
.


Early years, Allan Cup 1910

The hockey team was founded and operated by St. Michael's College School, a
Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
secondary school in uptown Toronto. The college's hockey team soon blossomed, as demand for a Catholic program was high. The school competed with their crosstown rivals, the
Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
organized Toronto Marlborough Athletic Club for Toronto's hockey supremacy. Players in the St. Michael's Majors program, were also enrolled in the school. St. Michael's were successful in recruiting players and providing a complete education at the same time. The college built a strong reputation in moulding outstanding and well-rounded young citizens. Four years after the hockey program started, St. Michael's were Canadian Amateur Champions, winning the
Allan Cup The Allan Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the national senior amateur men's ice hockey champions of Canada. It was donated by Sir Montagu Allan of Ravenscrag, Montreal, and has been competed for since 1909. The current champions are th ...
in 1910. ;Birth of the Majors In 1933, the Ontario Hockey Association's Junior division, split into 'A' and 'B' levels. St. Michael's also divided its hockey program into two teams accordingly. The Junior 'A' team became the Majors, the Junior 'B' team was known as St. Michael's Buzzers.


Memorial Cup 1934

The Majors dominated the Junior A hockey scene during the 1933–34 season. The team was undefeated in the regular season, and kept rolling through the playoffs, the Ontario Championship, Eastern Canadian Championship and 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 ...
. Also of note, in 1933-34 the Buzzers won the Sutherland Cup as Ontario Junior 'B' champions. St. Michael's featured the likes of
Bobby Bauer Robert Theodore Bauer (February 16, 1915 – September 16, 1964) was a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played 10 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Boston Bruins. He was a member of the famed " Kraut Line" ...
, Reg Hamilton, Art Jackson, Regis (Pep) Kelly, Nick Metz, Don Wilson, Mickey Drouillard, goaltenders Harvey Teno and Jack Hamilton. The Toronto team was coached by Dr. W. J. (Jerry) Laflamme, a dentist who had quite a hockey history. He refereed in the NHL in the 1920s. That was after he had played defence on the Allan Cup winners from St. Michael's in 1909-1910 and captained the Allan Cup-winning Dentals of Toronto in 1916–17. In the 1934 playoffs St. Michael's skated to 8–2, and 9-3 victories versus the Ottawa Shamrocks to win the two-game series for the Ontario title. In the following series, Toronto faced the Charlottetown Abegweits in the eastern final, played in Toronto. The Majors prevailed again in two games, by scores of 12-2 and 7–2. The Memorial Cup final was played at
Shea's Amphitheatre Shea's Amphitheatre, also known as the Winnipeg Amphitheatre, was an indoor arena located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It seated 6,000 spectators. Constructed between 1908-1909 for horse shows, the Amphitheatre was also used as an indoor ice ...
in Winnipeg, where St. Michael's faced the
Edmonton Athletic Club Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city anchor ...
in a best-of-three series for the title. The Majors picked up Turk Broda from the Winnipeg Monarchs to back up if goaltender Harvey Teno was injured. St. Mike's opened with a 5–0 victory over the Athletics on April 3. More than 4,500 fans showed up for game 2 on April 5. St. Michael's won its first Memorial Cup championship, with a 6–4 victory in overtime. ;1937 OHA Champions St. Michael's made their second trip to the OHA finals in 1937, and again faced the same opponent from in 1934, the Stratford Midgets. Toronto prevailed winning 3 games to 2. In the Ontario Championship, St. Michael's faced a familiar foe in the Copper Cliff Redmen. The Redmen previously played in Newmarket in the same league as Toronto, but switched to NOHA. Toronto lost to the northern Ontario champions, in 2 straight games.


Memorial Cup 1945

Joe Primeau returned to coach the 1945 Memorial Cup St. Michael's team, after being runners-up in the OHA finals in 1944. In 1945, Toronto won the J. Ross Robertson Cup, defeating the Galt Black Hawks in four games straight. The Majors advanced further by eliminating the Montreal Royals in six games in the eastern final. They won the sixth game 7-4 behind Joe Sadler's three goals in front of 10,548 fans at Maple Leaf Gardens on April 11. The Memorial Cup final was played in its entirety at Maple Leaf Gardens. The Majors' opponents were the
Moose Jaw Canucks The Moose Jaw Canucks were a junior ice hockey team based in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada. They were one of the founding members of the ''Western Canada Junior Hockey League'' (known today as the Western Hockey League) in 1966 following a rebell ...
coached by Roy Bentley. Toronto won game one 8–5 on April 14, then Moose Jaw turned the tables on April 16 with a 5–3 victory to even the series. The Majors won each of the next three games by scores of 6–3, 4-3 and 7–2 in the deciding game. Trail, B.C. native Frank Turik scored three hat tricks in the five games to become the tournament's leading goal scorer. Paid attendance for the five games was 65,437, which exceeded the Maple Leaf Gardens junior record for five games (59,301) that had been set in 1943 when the Winnipeg Rangers tangled with the Oshawa Generals. That 1943 series still held the six-game record of 73,867.


Memorial Cup 1946

St. Michael's returned to the Memorial Cup for a second consecutive year in 1946. The Majors defeated the Oshawa Generals in a six-game, coming back from two games behind for the OHA championship. St. Michael's then swept the
Montreal Junior Canadiens The Montreal Junior Canadiens were a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Junior Hockey League from 1933 to 1961, and the Ontario Hockey Association from 1961 to 1972. They played out of the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. History T ...
in three games straight in the eastern finals. The Majors met up with the Winnipeg Monarchs at Maple Leaf Gardens on April 13 to start the best-of-seven series for the national championship. Winnipeg won the first game 3 to 2, then Toronto rallied to win the next two games 5 to 3, and 7 to 3, before the Monarchs even the series in game four, winning 4 to 3. Toronto scored a 7 to 4 victory in game five, needing only one more win to be the second team to repeat as Memorial Cup champions. Winnipeg spoiled the plans, winning consecutive 4 to 2 victories to take the cup back west in 1946.


Memorial Cup 1947

The 1947 cup would be a rematch of the 1945 Memorial Cup final versus the Moose Jaw Canucks. This series however, was not played at Maple Leaf Gardens, but rather played in Winnipeg, Moose Jaw and Regina. On the road to their third consecutive Memorial Cup appearance, St. Michael's repeated their sweep of the Galt Black Hawks in the OHA finals from two 1945, and the previous year's sweep on the Montreal Jr. Canadiens in the eastern finals. The Memorial Cup's best-of-seven final opened in Winnipeg on April 15 with Toronto hammering Moose Jaw 12 to 3. The teams then headed for Moose Jaw, where game two was to be played on April 17, at the newly constructed arena. Toronto St. Michael's won that game 6 to 1. Game three was played in Regina, which Toronto kept up its momentum, winning 8 to 1. Game three ended with seven minutes to play in the third period, when the ice was littered for a second time with broken bottles thrown from the stands. Three nights later in Regina, St. Michael's finished the series with a 3 to 2 victory, for their third Memorial Cup title.


Memorial Cup 1961

The Basilian fathers lobbied for a shortened schedule for the Majors in the OHA's top tier of junior hockey after the 1958–59 season, since they believed it was too long and detrimental to academic studies for their students.''Oliver, Greg (2017),'' p. 69
Bob Goldham Robert John "Golden Boy" Goldham (May 12, 1922 – September 6, 1991) was a Canadian ice hockey defenceman and broadcaster. He played two seasons for the Toronto Marlboros earning the name "Golden Boy". He was later called the "Second Goalie" be ...
resigned as head coach of the Majors in 1960, and Father David Bauer took over as head coach for the
1960–61 OHA season This is a list of OHA standings and season-by-season summaries of the Ontario Hockey Association's Junior A division from 1933 to 1972, and its Tier I division from 1972 to 1974. ;Legend * GP = games played * W = wins * L = losses * T = ties * P ...
in addition to his role as general manager. He stressed fundamentals of defensive play without the puck and taught players how to absorb contact without getting hurt. He occasionally had his players switch positions with one another to learn an appreciation of their teammate's contributions. The Majors finished in second place during the season, then defeated the Guelph Royals in the playoffs for the OHA championship. The Majors won the Eastern Canada final defeating the
Moncton Beavers Beavers are large, semiaquatic rodents in the genus ''Castor'' native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. There are two extant species: the North American beaver (''Castor canadensis'') and the Eurasian beaver (''C. fiber''). Beavers are ...
then travelled to
Edmonton Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city an ...
to play in the
1961 Memorial Cup The 1961 Memorial Cup final was the 43rd junior ice hockey championship of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA). The George Richardson Memorial Trophy champions Toronto St. Michael's Majors of the Ontario Hockey Association in Eastern Can ...
. The Majors defeated the
Edmonton Oil Kings The Edmonton Oil Kings are a major junior ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, that play in the Western Hockey League. As of July 2008, they are owned by Daryl Katz's Oilers Entertainment Group, which also owns the Edmonton Oilers. ...
in six games and won the school's fourth Memorial Cup.


Majors cease operations

The Basilian fathers again discussed the length of the season and the amount of travel having an effect on academics. They were also concerned with increasing physical play and growing similarities with professional leagues. The Majors had played 98 games including the regular season and playoffs for the Memorial Cup. St. Michael's could no longer justify participation in the top tier of the OHA and chose to withdraw from the Ontario Hockey Association Junior A series. Bauer stated in a 1987 interview that, "We regretted very much leaving because we knew that this choolis a major recreational institution in this country". After the official announcement on June 6, 1961, Bauer placed his protégé Jim Gregory in charge of the team. The Majors operated for one more season and played a shortened 33-game schedule in the
Metro Junior A League The Metro Junior A League was a junior ice hockey league created in 1961 by Toronto Maple Leafs owner Stafford Smythe in an attempt to rival the OHA, and act as a farm system for his NHL team. The league operated for two seasons from 1961 to 19 ...
for the
1961–62 OHA season This is a list of OHA standings and season-by-season summaries of the Ontario Hockey Association's Junior A division from 1933 to 1972, and its Tier I division from 1972 to 1974. ;Legend * GP = games played * W = wins * L = losses * T = ties * P ...
. The team was transferred to Neil McNeil High School and became known as the
Toronto Neil McNeil Maroons The Toronto Neil McNeil Maroons were a junior ice hockey team in the Metro Junior A League as part of the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) Major Junior Series. The Maroons were operated by Neil McNeil High School in Scarborough, Ontario. The ...
in 1962. Conn Smythe and 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 ...
wanted to keep the St. Michael's team in operation as a source of players, and then created the
Metro Junior A League The Metro Junior A League was a junior ice hockey league created in 1961 by Toronto Maple Leafs owner Stafford Smythe in an attempt to rival the OHA, and act as a farm system for his NHL team. The league operated for two seasons from 1961 to 19 ...
to help alleviate the college's concerns. The St. Michael's team finished in first place in the Metro Junior A league, and competed for 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 ...
again in 1962. Coached by Ted Flanagan, the team lost in the Cup finals to the
Hamilton Red Wings The Hamilton Red Wings were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association from 1960 to 1974. The team was based in Hamilton, Ontario, at the Barton Street Arena, also known as the Hamilton Forum. History The Hamilton Tiger Cubs wer ...
. Despite being the league champions in the 1961–62 season, St. Michael's discontinued its program altogether, and the team was relocated to Neil McNeil Catholic Secondary School in Scarborough,
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 ...
, becoming the
Toronto Neil McNeil Maroons The Toronto Neil McNeil Maroons were a junior ice hockey team in the Metro Junior A League as part of the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) Major Junior Series. The Maroons were operated by Neil McNeil High School in Scarborough, Ontario. The ...
. Father Bauer chose to pursue building a university-educated Canadian National team instead.


Modern era

The modern era of the St. Michael's Majors began on August 15, 1996, when the college was admitted to the OHL as an expansion team. Players would no longer be required to attend St. Michael's College School in
Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
, although some did. The team would also take part each year in the "Priority Selection" drafting new players, as opposed to relying on the student body for recruits. Originally owned by St. Michael's College School, the team was now owned by
Eugene Melnyk Eugene Melnyk (May 27, 1959 – March 28, 2022) was a Canadian businessman, philanthropist, and owner, governor, and chairman of the National Hockey League (NHL)'s Ottawa Senators and the AHL's Belleville Senators. He was the founder, chairman, ...
, who was the owner of the
Ottawa Senators The Ottawa Senators (french: Sénateurs d'Ottawa), officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member ...
and was formerly, CEO of
Biovail Corporation Biovail Corporation was a Canadian pharmaceutical company, operating internationally in all aspects of pharmaceutical products. Its major production facility was located in Steinbach, Manitoba. It merged with Valeant Pharmaceuticals Internationa ...
. Melnyk pursued several deals to get a new arena for his team, but none came to fruition. One of Melnyk's foiled plans included purchasing
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 ...
. The revived Majors struggled on the ice, and missed the playoffs in each of their first three seasons. During their second season, the Majors started strong, but traded four of their best players (
Sheldon Keefe Sheldon Keefe (born September 17, 1980) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player. He is the head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League. His younger brother Adam Keefe is the head coach of Elite Ice H ...
, Mike Jefferson,
Ryan Barnes Ryan Donald Barnes (born January 30, 1980) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger who played two games in the National Hockey League with the Detroit Red Wings during the 2003–04 season. The rest of his career, which last ...
and Shawn Cation) to the
Barrie Colts The Barrie Colts are a junior ice hockey team in Ontario Hockey League, based in Barrie, Ontario, Canada. Pre-OHL history There were two previous Barrie Colts teams which played Junior A & B hockey in the Ontario Hockey Association, one from 1 ...
midway through the season, as a result of controversy surrounding
David Frost Sir David Paradine Frost (7 April 1939 – 31 August 2013) was a British television host, journalist, comedian and writer. He rose to prominence during the satire boom in the United Kingdom when he was chosen to host the satirical programme ...
. The Majors made breakthroughs in their fourth season. Toronto reached the conference finals four consecutive years from 2001 to 2004. Their closest point to reaching the league finals was in 2003, leading 3 games to 2 versus the Ottawa 67's and losing game six on home ice in overtime. The Majors played on the smallest ice surface in the OHL, which tended to have a higher average of shots on goal per game than other arenas. Fittingly, the Majors produced several noted goaltenders in their recent history, including
Peter Budaj Peter Budaj ( ; born 18 September 1982) is a Slovak former professional ice hockey goaltender. He had previously played in the National Hockey League for the Colorado Avalanche, which drafted him, Montreal Canadiens, Los Angeles Kings, and Tam ...
,
Andy Chiodo Andy Chiodo (born April 25, 1983) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. Chiodo played eight games in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Pittsburgh Penguins during the 2003–04 NHL season, for whom he is presently a g ...
and
Justin Peters Justin Peters (born August 30, 1986) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He was selected in the second round, 38th overall, by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. Peters played 83 career games for the Hurri ...
. The St. Michael's had strong rivalries with the Mississauga IceDogs and
Brampton Battalion The Brampton Battalion were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. The team was based in Brampton, Ontario, Canada and started playing in 1998. As a result of consistently having among the lowest attendance in the OHL (last plac ...
, both of which are local
Greater Toronto Area The Greater Toronto Area, commonly referred to as the GTA, includes the City of Toronto and the regional municipalities of Durham, Halton, Peel, and York. In total, the region contains 25 urban, suburban, and rural municipalities. The Greater ...
teams who came into the OHL within a year of Toronto. On July 12, 2006,
Eugene Melnyk Eugene Melnyk (May 27, 1959 – March 28, 2022) was a Canadian businessman, philanthropist, and owner, governor, and chairman of the National Hockey League (NHL)'s Ottawa Senators and the AHL's Belleville Senators. He was the founder, chairman, ...
bought the Mississauga IceDogs. After the 2006–07 season, Melnyk sold the IceDogs, and moved the Majors to the
Hershey Centre The Paramount Fine Foods Centre, formerly the Hershey Centre, is a multi-purpose sports and entertainment complex located in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Its current name was adopted on July 1, 2018, following a new naming rights agreement with ...
in Mississauga. The IceDogs, in turn, moved to
Jack Gatecliff Arena The Garden City Arena Complex (formerly the "Gatorade Garden City Complex") is a sports complex in St. Catharines, Ontario. It was the main arena facility in that city from its construction in 1938 until the opening of the Meridian Centre in 2 ...
in
St. Catharines, Ontario St. Catharines is the largest city in Canada's Niagara Region and the sixth largest urban area in the province of Ontario. As of 2016, it has an area of , 136,803 residents, and a metropolitan population of 406,074. It lies in Southern Ontario ...
.


Memorial Cup 2011

The Majors won the right to host the 2011 Memorial Cup over the
Barrie Colts The Barrie Colts are a junior ice hockey team in Ontario Hockey League, based in Barrie, Ontario, Canada. Pre-OHL history There were two previous Barrie Colts teams which played Junior A & B hockey in the Ontario Hockey Association, one from 1 ...
,
Kingston Frontenacs The Kingston Frontenacs are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League, based in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. The Frontenacs play home games at Leon's Centre, which opened in 2008. Team history predates the OHA, back to 1945, to a ...
and
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� ...
. The Ontario Hockey League (OHL) announced on May 10, 2010 that the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors were chosen to host the 93rd 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 ...
at the
Hershey Centre The Paramount Fine Foods Centre, formerly the Hershey Centre, is a multi-purpose sports and entertainment complex located in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Its current name was adopted on July 1, 2018, following a new naming rights agreement with ...
from May 20–29, 2011. The Saint John Sea Dogs defeated the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors 3–1 in the final.


Championships

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 ...
*1934 Champions vs. Edmonton Athletic Club *1945 Champions vs. Moose Jaw Canucks *1946 Finalists vs. Winnipeg Monarchs *1947 Champions vs. Moose Jaw Canucks *1961 Champions vs. Edmonton Oil Kings *2011 Finalists vs. Saint John Sea Dogs
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 Abbott ...
*1934 Champions vs. Charlottetown Abegweits *1945 Champions vs. Montreal Royals *1946 Champions vs. Montreal Junior Canadiens *1947 Champions vs. Montreal Junior Canadiens *1961 Champions vs. Moncton Beavers Division titles *1961-62
Metro Junior A League The Metro Junior A League was a junior ice hockey league created in 1961 by Toronto Maple Leafs owner Stafford Smythe in an attempt to rival the OHA, and act as a farm system for his NHL team. The league operated for two seasons from 1961 to 19 ...
*2001-02 Emms Trophy – Central Division *2003-04 Emms Trophy – Central Division *2010-11 Emms Trophy – Central Division
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 ...
*1934 Champions vs. Stratford Midgets *1937 Champions vs. Stratford Midgets *1944 Finalists vs. Oshawa Generals *1945 Champions vs. Galt Red Wings *1946 Champions vs. Oshawa Generals *1947 Champions vs. Galt Red Wings *1953 Finalists vs. Barrie Flyers *1959 Finalists vs. Peterborough Petes *1960 Finalists vs. St. Catharines Teepees *1961 Champions vs. Guelph Royals *1962 Finalists vs. Hamilton Red Wings *2011 Finalists vs. Owen Sound Attack


Uniforms and logos

The primary logo for the Majors displays "St. Michael's" written in script, with a Majors underscore written in light blue. The Toronto St. Michael's Majors colours are light blue, navy blue & white. The Majors hockey uniforms feature a different logo, a large letter "M" on the front, with the school crest (inset right) on the upper left chest, and the St. Michael's cloverleaf patch on the shoulders. Home uniforms have a white background, navy blue shoulders and arms, with light blue trim. Road uniforms have a light blue background, with navy blue shoulders, and white trim. The Majors have also used a third jersey with a stylized "M" on the front, and without the navy blue shoulders. To celebrate the Majors 10th season back in the league, the team launched a new 3rd jersey with the shoulder cloverleaf logo on the front. The jersey is also baby blue in colour. After the move, the Majors' logo was changed slightly to a more modernized look, and new jerseys were unveiled.


Arenas

The St. Michael's Majors play at the school-owned St. Michael's College School Arena. The arena is located in uptown Toronto near the intersection of Bathurst Street and
St. Clair Avenue St. Clair Avenue is a major east-west street in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was laid out in the late 18th century by the British as a concession road (the Third Concession), north of Bloor Street and north of Queen Street. St. Clair Avenue ...
behind St. Michael's College School. The college arena is by far the smallest in the Ontario Hockey League in terms of both ice size and seating. The arena is also home to the St. Michael's Buzzers of the
Ontario Provincial 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 ...
. The St. Michael's Majors previously 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 ...
for their first three seasons from 1997 to 2000. The original Majors also played at Maple Leaf Gardens from its construction in 1931 to their folding in the early 1960s. When the Gardens was finally scheduled to close a year after the last
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 ...
game,
Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd. (MLSE) is a professional sports and commercial real estate company based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. With assets that include franchises in four of the six major professional sports leagues in the United S ...
evicted the Majors, who moved to the arena on the college campus, in spite of the fact that the major junior team had only played there rarely before. The Majors also played selected home games during the 1999–00 season at the
Air Canada Centre Scotiabank Arena (French: ''Aréna Scotiabank)'', formerly known as Air Canada Centre (ACC), is a multi-purposed arena located on Bay Street in the South Core district of Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the home of the Toronto Ra ...
vs the Mississauga IceDogs and Brampton Battalion, and also an inter-league game versus the
Montreal Rocket The Montreal Rocket were a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League for four seasons from 1999 to 2003, based out of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The team was named in honour of Montreal Canadiens great Maurice "Rocket" Ric ...
. In 2003-04 and 2006–07 seasons, the Majors played two home games vs the Ottawa 67's at
Scotiabank Place Canadian Tire Centre (french: links=no, Centre Canadian Tire) is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, located in the western suburb of Stittsville. It opened in January 1996 as the Palladium and was also known as Corel Cen ...
in
Kanata, Ontario Kanata (, ) is a suburb of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is located about west of the city's downtown core. As of 2021, Kanata had an urban population of 137,118. Before it was amalgamated into Ottawa in 2001, it was one of the fastest-growing ...
. This arose from the common ownership between the St. Michael's Majors and the
Ottawa Senators The Ottawa Senators (french: Sénateurs d'Ottawa), officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member ...
by
Eugene Melnyk Eugene Melnyk (May 27, 1959 – March 28, 2022) was a Canadian businessman, philanthropist, and owner, governor, and chairman of the National Hockey League (NHL)'s Ottawa Senators and the AHL's Belleville Senators. He was the founder, chairman, ...
. The Mississauga St. Michael's Majors played home games at the
Hershey Centre The Paramount Fine Foods Centre, formerly the Hershey Centre, is a multi-purpose sports and entertainment complex located in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Its current name was adopted on July 1, 2018, following a new naming rights agreement with ...
in northeast Mississauga, near the junction of
Highway 401 King's Highway 401, commonly referred to as Highway 401 and also known by its official name as the Macdonald–Cartier Freeway or colloquially referred to as the four-oh-one, is a controlled-access 400-series highway in the Canadian provin ...
& Highway 403. The Hershey Centre hosted the OHL All-Star Game in 2000. The arena also hosted the
2011 Memorial Cup The 2011 Memorial Cup was a four-team round-robin format ice hockey tournament played from May 20–29, 2011 in Mississauga, Ontario. It was the 93rd annual Memorial Cup competition and determined the major junior ice hockey champion of the C ...
from May 19–29.St. Michael's Majors - The OHL Arena & Travel Guide
/ref>


Coaches

List of modern era coaches with multiple seasons in parentheses.


Players


Award winners

*''1944-45'' - Leo Gravelle
Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy The Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy is awarded annually by the Ontario Hockey League to the player scoring the most points in the regular season. The trophy was donated by the Toronto Marlboro Athletic Club in memory of athlete and coach Eddie Power ...
Scoring Champion *''1945-46'' - Tod Sloan Red Tilson Trophy Most Outstanding Player,
Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy The Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy is awarded annually by the Ontario Hockey League to the player scoring the most points in the regular season. The trophy was donated by the Toronto Marlboro Athletic Club in memory of athlete and coach Eddie Power ...
Scoring Champion *''1946-47'' - Ed Sandford Red Tilson Trophy Most Outstanding Player *''1946-47'' - Fleming Mackell
Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy The Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy is awarded annually by the Ontario Hockey League to the player scoring the most points in the regular season. The trophy was donated by the Toronto Marlboro Athletic Club in memory of athlete and coach Eddie Power ...
Scoring Champion *''1956-57'' - Frank Mahovlich Red Tilson Trophy Most Outstanding Player *''1959-60'' - Gerry Cheevers Dave Pinkney Trophy Lowest Team GAA *''1960-61'' - Brucer Draper William Hanley Trophy Most Sportsmanlike Player *''1997'' - Charlie Stephens
Jack Ferguson Award The Jack Ferguson Award is awarded each year to the top draft pick in the Ontario Hockey League priority selection draft. The trophy is named in honour of Jack Ferguson, a former director of OHL Central Scouting. Winners List of OHL first overall ...
First Overall Draft Pick *''1997-98'' - Bujar Amidovski
Leo Lalonde Memorial Trophy The Leo Lalonde Memorial Trophy is awarded each year to the best overage player in the Ontario Hockey League, as selected by the teams' general managers. The trophy was donated by the trainers of the league in memory of Leo Lalonde, former chief s ...
Overage Player of the Year & OHL Goaltender of the Year *''2000-01'' - Andy Chiodo F.W. "Dinty" Moore Trophy Best Rookie GAA *''2002-03'' - Andy Chiodo OHL Goaltender of the Year *''2003-04'' - Scott Lehman Bobby Smith Trophy Scholastic Player of the Year


Honoured players

The St. Michael's Majors have retired four jersey numbers: *3 -
Red Kelly Leonard Patrick "Red" Kelly (July 9, 1927 – May 2, 2019) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach. He was also a Liberal Member of Parliament for the Toronto-area riding of York West from 1962 to 1965, during which time he als ...
*5 - Ted Lindsay *9 -
Dave Keon David Michael Keon (born March 22, 1940) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre. He played professionally from 1960 to 1982, including 15 seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1986. Ke ...
*12 - Dick Duff The St. Michael's Majors have honoured the following people with banners in the rafters.


NHL alumni

Hockey Hall of Fame The Hockey Hall of Fame (french: Temple de la renommée du hockey) is a museum and hall of fame located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League (NHL) rec ...
inductees listed in bold type. ;Original era Majors (1906 to 1962) ;Modern era Majors (1997 to 2012)


Season-by-season results


Regular season


Original


Revived


Playoffs

* 1997–98 Out of playoffs. * 1998–99 Out of playoffs. * 1999–00 Out of playoffs. * 2000–01 Defeated
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. ...
4 games to 3 in conference quarter-finals.
Defeated Sudbury Wolves 4 games to 3 in conference semi-finals.
Lost to Ottawa 67's 4 games to 0 in conference finals. * 2001–02 Defeated
North Bay Centennials The North Bay Centennials were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League, who played from 1982–2002. The team was based in North Bay, Ontario. History The North Bay Centennials or "Cents" as they were popularly known, were named afte ...
4 games to 0 in conference quarter-finals.
Defeated Ottawa 67's 4 games to 3 in conference semi-finals.
Lost to
Barrie Colts The Barrie Colts are a junior ice hockey team in Ontario Hockey League, based in Barrie, Ontario, Canada. Pre-OHL history There were two previous Barrie Colts teams which played Junior A & B hockey in the Ontario Hockey Association, one from 1 ...
4 games to 0 in conference finals. * 2002–03 Defeated
Belleville Bulls The Belleville Bulls were a junior ice hockey team, founded in 1981 and based in Belleville, Ontario, Canada. The team played in the Eastern Division of the Eastern Conference of the Ontario Hockey League. The team moved to Hamilton, Ontario ...
4 games to 3 in conference quarter-finals.
Defeated
Brampton Battalion The Brampton Battalion were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. The team was based in Brampton, Ontario, Canada and started playing in 1998. As a result of consistently having among the lowest attendance in the OHL (last plac ...
4 games to 1 in conference semi-finals.
Lost to Ottawa 67's 4 games to 3 in conference finals. * 2003–04 Defeated Sudbury Wolves 4 games to 3 in conference quarter-finals.
Defeated Brampton Battalion 4 games to 1 in conference semi-finals.
Lost to Mississauga IceDogs 4 games to 2 in conference finals. * 2004–05 Defeated Mississauga IceDogs 4 games to 1 in conference quarter-finals.
Lost to Peterborough Petes 4 games to 1 in conference semi-finals. * 2005–06 Lost to Barrie Colts 4 games to 0 in conference quarter-finals. * 2006–07 Out of playoffs. Team relocated to Mississauga * 2007–08 – Lost to Niagara IceDogs 4 games to 0 in conference quarter-finals. * 2008–09 – Defeated Barrie Colts 4 games to 1 in conference quarter-finals.
Lost to Brampton Battalion 4 games to 2 in conference semi-finals. * 2009-10 - Defeated Peterborough Petes 4 games to 0 in conference quarter-finals.
Defeated Ottawa 67's 4 games to 3 in conference semi-finals.
Lost to Barrie Colts 4 games to 1 in conference finals. * 2010-11 - Defeated Belleville Bulls 4 games to 0 in conference quarter-finals.
Defeated Sudbury Wolves 4 games to 0 in conference semi-finals.
Defeated Niagara IceDogs 4 games to 1 in conference finals.
Lost to
Owen Sound Attack The Owen Sound Attack are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League based in Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada. Based in Owen Sound since 1989, and operating under the current name since 2000, the Attack play their home games at the Harry L ...
4 games to 3 in OHL finals.
Finished Memorial Cup round-robin in second place.
Defeated
Kootenay Ice The Kootenay Ice (officially stylized as ICE) were a major junior ice hockey team based in Cranbrook, British Columbia, and competed in the Western Hockey League (WHL). The team played its home games at Western Financial Place. The franchise w ...
3–1 in semi-final game.
Lost to Saint John Sea Dogs 3–1 in final game. * 2011–12 – Lost to Barrie Colts 4 games to 2 in conference quarter-finals.


Bibliography

* *


References

{{Authority control Ice hockey clubs established in 1996 Ice hockey teams in Toronto Ice hockey teams in Ontario Defunct Ontario Hockey League teams Ontario Hockey League teams Sport in Mississauga 1996 establishments in Ontario Ice hockey clubs disestablished in 2012 2012 disestablishments in Ontario