The St. John's Jr. 50's were a Canadian Junior

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 ...

club from

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador St. John's is the capital and largest city of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. The city spans and is the easternmost city in North America ...

. They were members of the

St. John's Junior Hockey League The St. John's Junior Hockey League is a Junior B ice hockey league in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, sanctioned by Hockey Canada. Founded in 1980, the SJJHL was a recognized Junior A league from 1989 until 1991. This stretch as a Junior A l ...

, the first ever 3-time

Don Johnson Cup The Don Johnson Memorial Cup, formerly Don Johnson Cup, is the Junior B ice hockey championship for Atlantic Canada, including Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island as of 2014. From 1982 until 1990 and 1997 until 2013, ...

Atlantic Junior B Champions and one-time Newfoundland Junior A Champions.

History

In 1980, the

was formed. Prior to 1980, there was a junior town-league that was not of a very high caliber. The SJJHL became one of the stronger Atlantic junior leagues in the 1980s, with the 50's leading the way by becoming the first 3-time Atlantic Junior B Champion. In the old city league, the team was known as the St. John's Jr. Blue Caps, but gained a sponsorship from

Labatt Breweries Labatt Brewing Company Limited (french: La Brasserie Labatt Limitée) is a Belgian-owned brewery headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1847, Labatt is the largest brewer in Canada. In 1995, it was purchased by Belgian brewer Int ...

in 1980. In 1979-80, the Jr. Blue Caps lost only once and were winners of the

Veitch Memorial Trophy The Veitch Memorial Trophy is the Junior ice hockey, Junior ice hockey Grand Championship of Newfoundland and Labrador. The trophy is awarded by Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador. History The trophy is named after Cyril Veitch a former executive of ...

as provincial champions. In the summer of 1980, new St. John's League President Danny Williams would not allow them to adopt a

beer Beer is one of the oldest and the most widely consumed type of alcoholic drink in the world, and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches, mainly derived from ce ...

sponsored name, so they were known as the St. John's Guards after the ''Guards Athletic Association'' until 1982 when they became the Jr. 50's. In their second season as the Jr. 50's, the 50's lost the final to the St. John's Jr. Shamrocks, but met them again in the

final for the right to move on to the

and beat them 6-5. By their third season, the 50's had won their first league title, their second

in a round robin against the St. John's Jr. Shamrocks, and then their first

by defeating the Northumberland Junior B Hockey League's

Antigonish Bulldogs The Valley Wildcats are a Canadian junior ice hockey franchise from the Annapolis Valley region of Nova Scotia. The team is a member of the Maritime Junior A Hockey League and plays in the EastLink Division. They play their home games in the Kings ...

in the final. In 1987, two seasons later, the 50's won their second league title, again won the Veitch Memorial Trophy as Newfoundland Junior Champions, and then the Windsor Valley Jets 9-5 in the Don Johnson Cup final to clinch their second Atlantic Championship. In 1988, they made it a third league title and Atlantic Championship to cap off a memorable run. In 1989, the St. John's Junior Hockey League was promoted to Junior A. In the process, the league shrunk from eight to an elite four team league. The 50's survived this process. The 50's won the 1991 SJJHL title to become Newfoundland Junior A champions. As they moved on into National Playdowns, they competed against the Metro Valley Junior Hockey League's

Halifax Canadians Halifax commonly refers to: *Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada *Halifax, West Yorkshire, England * Halifax (bank), a British bank Halifax may also refer to: Places Australia *Halifax, Queensland, a coastal town in the Shire of Hinchinbrook *Halifax ...

for the

J. Pius Callaghan Cup The J. Pius Callaghan Cup is a trophy that was formerly given to the ice hockey Junior A Champion of Atlantic Canada from 1981 until 1991. The trophy is named for Joseph Pius Callaghan, sports writer for the Charlottetown Guardian, school teache ...

Atlantic Junior A Championship. The Canadians swept the 50's in four games to end their Centennial Cup run. The summer of 1991 saw the SJJHL return to Junior B. The 50's won league titles in 1992 and 1993. In the summer of 1993, the 50's ceased operations and were replaced by the

St. John's Jr. Caps The St. John's Jr. Caps are a Canadian Junior ice hockey club from St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. They are members of the St. John's Junior Hockey League and are the 2024 St. John's Junior Hockey League Champions. History The St. John's ...

Season-by-season record

External links

SJJHL Website
{{Newfoundland and Labrador Sports Defunct Ice hockey teams in Newfoundland and Labrador Sport in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador 1979 establishments in Newfoundland and Labrador Ice hockey clubs established in 1979 1993 disestablishments in Newfoundland and Labrador Ice hockey clubs disestablished in 1993