1979 OMJHA Playoffs

 

1st Round (best 4 of 7 games)

Hero Division

1st Kitchener Generals vs. 4th Burlington Metros

After two years of missing the playoffs, the Metros would make the most of it as Matthew Walton scored 2 goals as they pulled an upset over the Generals with the score of 3-1 in Kitchener. Game one loss was a wake-up call for the Gens as Patrick Herbco made 4 assists as they took game two over the Metros 4-2. In-game 3 in Burlington, the Gens made a big win 5-1 made by Patrick Herbco 2 goals, defence Nick Hooker 3 assists, and goalie Grey Hughes made 47 saves. The Metros had the lead by 2 goals going into the second period when Nick Hooker scored 2 straight goals, then in the third period, Patrick Herbco scored with 1:21 left in the third to break the tie as the Gens won game four 4-3. Back at Kitchener, it was all Generals as they beat the Metros 4-2 to finish the series 4 games to 1.

2nd Barrie Admirals vs. 3rd Oshawa Diamonds

The Barrie Admirals took the first two games of the series with the scores of 3-2 and 4-2, thanks in large to forward Herb Max-Louis, who made 4 goals 5 points within those two games. At Oshawa, the Diamonds won those two games to tie the series up 2 apiece with the scores of 3-1 and 2-0 as Diamonds goalie David Wellington made 67 saves and one shutout. Back at Barrie, both the Admirals and the Diamonds went back and forth until the third period came to an end with a score of 2-2. Five minutes in overtime, Admirals forward Seth Samuel scored the overtime winner as Barrie takes game five 3-2. The Admirals had one goal in mind, a win in Oshawa that had never been done in three years and Herb Max-Louis made it happen as he scored a hat-trick in the third period as the Admirals wins it 5-1 and headed to the Hero Division finals with the series win 4 to 2.

Steel Division

1st Kitchener Legionnaires vs. 4th Owen Sound Arrowbirds

In Kitchener, the Legionnaires took the first two games with scores of 6-2 and 7-4. John Herbco scored only 2 goals but made 10 assists in those two games. The Owen Sound Arrowbirds had no chance in games three and four as John Herbco and the Legionnaires beat them 8-2 and 6-2 led by John’s 4 goals, 6 assists as they swept the Arrowbirds in four games.

2nd Orangeville O’s vs. 3rd Waterloo Maroons

The O’s had played well in the season against the Maroons, but in this game, they played poorly as they lost game one badly to the Maroons 8-0. After the disaster game one loss, the O’s bounced back from it and won game two over the Maroons 4-1 thanks to the O’s defence Ron Green with 3 assists and a goal. Ron Green kept his game going with 2 goals, and 4 assists as the O’s beat the Maroons 6-2 to take the series lead. Orangeville went to Waterloo with a 2-1 series lead and hoping to come out with a 3-1 series lead; that did not happen as the Maroons wins it 7-3 to tie the series 2 apiece. At Orangeville, the O’s win game five 6-2 to regain the series lead thanks to O’s forward Pat Henn with a hat-trick. The Orangeville O’s got the win they needed with the score of 5-2, O’s Ron Green’s 2 goals, and 2 assists were the reason. The Maroons' season ends, and the O’s moving on to the second round with the series-winning 4 games to 2.

2nd round (best 4 of 7 games)

Hero Division finals

1st Kitchener Generals vs. 2nd Barrie Admirals

The Admirals did not play well as the Generals beat the living daylights out of them with scores of 4-1 and 3-1. In the first two periods, the Gens was all over the Admirals goalie Lenny Ronald who is a brick wall holding up 31 shots within those two periods. In the third period, Herb Max-Louis scored 2 goals and an assist as the Barrie won game three 3-0. Both Admirals and the Gens played all the way to the end of the third period with a score of 3-3. In overtime, Gens Patrick Herbco scored the overtime winner as the Generals won game four 4-3 and were one win away from making a trip to the Smyth Cup finals for the third time in a row. After the game four overtime lost, the Admirals could not find a way to recover from it as the Generals took the game and win it 4-0 to finish the series in 4 games to 1.

Steel Division finals

1st Kitchener Legionnaires vs. 2nd Orangeville O’s

At Kitchener, the Legionnaires blew the O’s out of the water with an 8-2 victory thanks to John Herbco’s 4 goals and 4 assists performance to take game one. John Herbco made another 8 points game with 2 goals and 6 assists as the Legionnaires won game two, 8-3. At Orangeville, the O’s scored 5 goals, but the Legionnaires scored 2 more goals as they took 3 games to 0 series lead with a 7-5 win. The O’s season came to an end as they lost game four 5-2 to the Legionnaires. With the 4 games to 0 victory for the fourth year in a row, the Kitchener Legionnaires are going to the Smyth Cup Finals.

1979 Smyth Cup Finals (best 4 of 7 games)

Kitchener Legionnaires vs. Kitchener Generals

The Town of Kitchener is in a celebratory mood as the Kitchener Memorial Centre is jam-packed for the Smyth Cup Championship between the Legionnaires and the Generals for the third year in a row. The Legionnaires started good and never looked back as they took game one with a score of 5-2 John Herbco took the top star of the game with 1 goal and 4 assists. The Gens found their groove back as they took game two with the score of 4-2 thanks to the star of the game Patrick Herbco with 2 goals and 2 assists. In-game 3, the Generals started extremely hot in the first period as Patrick Herbco scored 3 goals along with Nick Hooker 1 goal to make it 4-0. In the second period, forward Keith Oats scored a goal to give the Legionnaires some life in this game to make it 4-1 as the clock hit zero to end the period. As the puck dropped to start the third, John Herbco scored 2 goals to make it 4-3; with 1:11 left in the third, Legionnaires pulled their goalie out for an extra attacker when Nick Hooker thought he dumped the puck down, but defence Jake McJack caught the puck, drop it to his stick and pass it to John Herbco and score to tie the game at 4, with that the buzzer sounds the end of the third period, this one is going overtime. Back and forth, the two teams went, but at 5:37 left in the overtime, John Herbco got the breakaway and scored the winner as the Legionnaires took the series two games to one with a 5-4 overtime win. Two days after the epic overtime win, the Legionnaires kept the momentum going as they won it 3-1 with Keith Oats 2 goals giving him the top star of the game. It’s now or never for the Generals to bounce back as Patrick Herbco scored 2 goals in game five, but his brother John Herbco made 4 assists as the Legionnaires win it 5-3 to not only win the series in 5 games but become the 1979 OMJHA Smyth Cup Champions and will head over to Ottawa for the Valor Cup tournament.