1978 OMJHA Playoffs

 Round 1 (best 3 of 5 games)

1st Kitchener Generals vs. 8th Owen Sound Arrowbirds: The Arrowbirds may have squeeze in the 8th place, but they are no match as the Generals took care of them in all three games with Patrick Herbco leading the way with 9 goals, 13 assists in 3 games, and the defensive duo of Neil Kelly, and Bill Walls kept the Arrowbirds offence from scoring.

2nd Kitchener Legionnaires vs. 7th Oakville Oaks: Game one was controversial as three of four goals made by the Oaks shouldn’t be counted due to numbers of Oaks players bumping, hooking, to even slashing Legionnaires goalie Ben Chandler, head coach Lenny McLeish was not happy with the referees as Legion lost 4-3. After that, the Oaks couldn’t score a goal in games 2 to 4 as the Legionnaire shut them out and sent the Oakville Oaks packing for the season in four games.

3rd Barrie Admirals vs. 6th Guelph Crusaders: The Admirals took game 1 in Barrie with a 3-1 win over the ownerless Crusaders. In-game 2, the Crusaders tie it 3-3 after being down 2-0 going into the 3rd period. In overtime, Guelph’s forward Rob Bell score it top corner as the Crusaders even the series one apiece in Guelph. Back at Barrie for game 3, it was back and forth as the game is tie 2-2. In the third period, Admirals Leo Jackson scored 3 goals straight with 12 minutes left in the game as the Admirals went on and won game 3 with a score of 5-2. Game 4 is where many believe would be the last game in Guelph as there are no local businesses interested in buying the team, so that means the league will move on to plan “B” to sell the team to relocate. In hopes to try to extend more home games, the Crusaders played their “A” game as they scored 3 unanswered goals in the 2nd period the Admirals couldn’t recover as the Guelph Crusaders wins game four 4-2, after the game the Crusaders made a salute to the fans in the  Guelph Memorial Auditorium as many felt that it is indeed the last game the Crusaders ever played in Guelph. Back in Barrie, it’s winner take all game 5, and the victor will go to the second round. In contrast, the loser goes home, Crusaders lead 2-0 after the first period, but the rest of the game was all Admirals as they score 4 goals 2 in the 2nd and 2 in the 3rd period as Barrie win both the game 4-2 and the series 3-2 as the Admirals moves on to the 2nd Round.

4th Oshawa Diamonds vs. 5th Waterloo Maroons: Despite the Maroons' swept the Diamonds in the season, Oshawa got their payback by sweeping them in the playoffs. Game one, Diamonds took the Maroons down 4-1. In-game two, the Maroons got shutout big time by the Diamonds 5-0. Game three Waterloo had a lead 2-0 going into the 3rd period until Diamonds forward Greg Banks made two goals and two assists and helped the team complete the sweep over the Maroons with a 4-2 win and moving on to the 2nd Round.

Round 2 (best 3 of 5 games)

1st Kitchener Generals vs. 4th Oshawa Diamonds: In Kitchener, both battle back and forth in game one where after the buzzer sounds off in the 3rd period, the game is tied at 4 apiece heading into overtime, with 1:39 left in the 2nd overtime, Greg Banks shot the puck top corner for his 3rd goal of the game and the Diamonds takes game one over the Generals 5-4. The rest of the series went downhill for the Diamonds as the Generals took game two 4-2, then 5-1 in game three, and in-game four, the Generals finish the Diamonds off with a 6-1 score. Once again, the Generals are heading to the Smyth Cup championship to win the series 3 to 1.

2nd Kitchener Legionnaires vs. 3rd Barrie Admirals: The Legionnaires took game number one 5-3 after being behind 3-0 after the 1st period. Game two was the same; the Admirals had the lead after the 1st period but fell apart in the 2nd period and could not come back in the 3rd as the Legionnaires win it 4-2. In-game three, the Admirals had a 4-0 lead after the 2nd period; Legionnaires John Herbco, who has been quiet for the whole series, scored 2 goals and 3 assists as they came back and swept the series 3 to none over the Barrie Admirals. The Admirals coach Leon Thomas said, “We played a good series, but we couldn’t finish the job, but next year we will be ready.” As for the Legionnaires, they are heading to the Smyth Cup championship for the third year in a row.

1978 Smyth Cup championship (best of 4 of 7 games)

1st Kitchener Generals vs. 2nd Kitchener Legionnaires: For the second year in a row, it is a battle of Kitchener as both the Generals and Legionnaires face each other for the Smyth Cup title. In-game one, the Legionnaires were all over the Generals as they win it 4-2. It was the same in game two, but it was a close game as it was 1-1 going into the 3rd period; John Herbco scored the tie-breaker goal with 3:20 left in the game as the Legionnaires take a 2 to 0 series lead. Game three is where the Generals bounce back as Patrick Herbco made 1 goal, 3 assists as the Generals take it 4-2. In game four, the Generals face against a different Legionnaires as John Herbco suffers a torn muscle on his left arm, defence Joe Harley twisted his right knee, and goalie Ben Chandler hurt his back from game three. The Generals took the chance and win it 5-2 to tie the series 2 apiece. Game five, the Generals dominated the Legionnaires with a 7-1 win to take a 3 to 2 series lead. Game six John Herbco, Joe Harley, and Ben Chandler are back from their injuries, but it would not be good enough as the Generals won game 4-1, win the series 4 games to 2, won their second straight Smyth Cup title and headed to the Valor Cup tournament.

One day after the Smyth Cup Championship, the OMJHA announced that the Crusaders hockey team got sold to Businessman Ryan Byron Sr., the founder of “Clear Honey Inc” in Buffalo, New York. Senior said that the Buffalo Falls Arena is the perfect place to house the team. For the first time in OMJHA history, the league will have an American team be part of it. As for the city of Guelph, they banned Jack Doan and his company from being in Guelph for good. “It’s a sad day that this had to end bitterly in Guelph, but a new era in Buffalo that are hungry for a hockey market to thrive in,” Said OMJHA president Franklin Name.