1973-74 OMJHA Season

1973-74 standings

1. Kitchener Legionnaires

2. Kitchener Generals

3. Waterloo Maroons

4. Burlington Metros

5. Oakville Oaks

6. Milton Micmacs

7. Owen Sound Arrowbirds

8. Guelph Crusaders

Story:

Once again, the OMJHA had a successful season, and once again, both the Legionnaires and the Generals top the League. The only difference is both switched places as the Generals dropped to 2nd, while the Legionnaires take 1st place.

While other teams had success with attendance but not for the Guelph Crusaders, what is worse for the team is that a Guelph Jr. B team got better attendance than the Crusaders. Jack Doan, the team’s owner, hopes that trading draft picks for some better-experienced players and a new look for next season will turn the team around.

It is official, both Barrie and Oshawa are getting their teams in time for the 1974-75 season. For Oshawa, it is their return to the OMJHA after the original team folded in 1969. The city of Barrie is happy to have an OMJHA team in their area as the Barrie Ice Arena is complete and ready to be played. The 1974 Valor Cup tournament will be the event that both teams will announce their names.

The Metros make it back to back for the first time in team history as they played all 5 games and beat the Waterloo Maroons 3 to 2.

1973-74 WCLH Season

 

1973-74 standings

1. Lethbridge Cougars

2. Nanaimo Greyhounds

3. Saskatoon Cats

4. Brandon Buffalos

5. Abbotsford Forest Kings

6. Fargo Owls

7. Medicine Hat Hawks

8. North Battleford Crusaders

Story:

1973-74 season came in strong in a big way all eight teams played very well, and a lot of scouts from the pro hockey leagues are keeping their eyes on the Cougars rookie forward Cliff Burns, a Brooks Alberta native who scored 22 goals, 61 points in 40 games including his 8 points performance on February 24, 1974, as the Cougars blew the Hawks out of the water with a 10-2 win in Lethbridge.

On March 2, 1974, the WCLH announced that Moose Jaw Saskatchewan and Kenora Ontario are the new expansion teams for the 1974-75 season. The names for both new teams will announce during the 1974 Valor Cup tournament.

Just like last year, all eight teams will be in the playoffs.

The Greyhounds made a significant improvement from last year, placing in 2nd place and went all the way to the Jade Trophy finals.

Despite a big improvement, the Greyhounds were 2 wins short as the Brandon Buffalos took the series and the Jade Trophy championship 3 to 1.

1973 CIHA Off-season

 

The League had Montreal, QC to host the 1974 Valor Cup tournament, but the arena that they were supposed to play in was purchased by the Montreal Pro Hockey Club and turning it into a practice facility, so with that, Toronto, ON will once again host the tournament come 1974. The Name brothers and CIHA president Joseph McGeorge had meetings with their leagues about changing to adding rules to adding more teams. The brothers and Joseph McGeorge have agreed to add six more teams, two in each league for the 1974-75 season.

So far in the WCLH, the possible candidates’ locations are Surrey B.C. Red Deer Alberta, Moose Jaw Saskatchewan, and too surprised everyone Kenora Ontario. The two cities not on the list are Regina, Saskatchewan due to it being a minor pro league team playing under the Minnesota Pro hockey club farm system, and Victoria B.C. is the Vancouver pro hockey club’s Minor pro league affiliate club.

In OMJHA, the only two cities that are on target for expansion are Barrie and Oshawa. Mississauga was initially on the list, but the city is more focused on getting a minor league team set shop with Toronto Pro Hockey club as their contract with Brampton is set to expire after the 1973-74 season. The cities that are not on the list are Brantford, Stratford, Woodstock and London because those cities are in their rival’s territory, the South West Ontario Hockey League (SWOHL.)

Over at AQHL, Granby QC, Verdun QC, Saint John NB, and New Glasgow NS are on the list to be part of the expansion. The league will cut down to two teams, one in Quebec and one in the Maritimes. In New Hampshire, Manchester is hungry for a hockey team as John Rome lost his minor pro league ownership as Boston pro hockey club took his team and sent them to Lowell, Massachusetts. Luckily for Rome is a good friend with the Portland Clippers, Ted Wilkens, who spoked highly about him and hopes to bring AQHL to Manchester, New Hampshire, down the road.