1979-80 OMJHA Playoffs

Round 1

Hero Division

1st Barrie Admirals vs. 4th Kitchener Generals

It is a rematch between the Barrie Admirals and the Kitchener Generals from last season's Hero Division finals. In-game one, Generals Patrick Herbco scored 3 goals in the first period, but in both second and third periods, the Admirals came back scoring 4 goals and with 0:39 left in the game, Admirals Seth Samuel scored an empty netter as Barrie took game one 5-3. In-game two, the Generals' forward Dave Ward was the one that scored 3 goals. In the second period, Admirals Herb Max-Louis scored two goals to make it 3-2; with 1:48 left in the third, Admirals Adam Hunter scored his first junior career playoff goal to tie the game and then the third period came to an end with the score of 3-3, twelves minutes into overtime Herb Max-Louis scored the first hat-trick of his junior playoff career as the Admirals win game two in overtime 4-3. The Generals Patrick Herbco scored 3 goals and 7 points to win a game three over the Admirals 7-5. Before game four happened, the Generals got some bad news, both Nick Hooker and forward Mike Stanley got called up by their own representative pro hockey teams (Nick with Toronto and Mike with the Edmonton) as both those teams are making a playoff push. With two players gone, the Generals would rework the lines to keep the momentum going, but that did not happen as the Admirals took game four 5-2. Patrick Herbco may score 3 goals for the Generals, but it was not enough as the Barrie Admirals won game five 6-3 and this series 4 games to 1.

2nd Burlington Metros vs. 3rd Oshawa Diamonds

Both teams got eliminated in the first round last season, one of them will more likely advance to the second round, and both are determined to do whatever it takes to win this series. The Oshawa Diamonds drew first blood thanks to their rookie goalie Simon Gibson who stepped up big time as he made 48 saves out of 50 shots to lead them to a 4-2 game one win. The Diamonds did it again in game two, but it took 2 overtimes to win game two, 3-2, thanks to Ian Henry, who scored the O/T winner. In-game three, The Diamonds dominated the Metros with a big 8-2 winner. The Diamonds got some bad news: their goalie Simon Gibson suffered low blood sugar, that the coaches were concerned about his heath, so they put him on the IR list and used backup Johnny Barron. The Metros took it to their advantage as they beat the Diamonds 4-2 game four wins to avoid the sweep. Burlington Metros kept their momentum going as they won game five 6-2 thanks to Matthew Walton and Nick Ryan, scoring 3 goals each. In-game six, the Diamonds had a big lead, 5-2, going into the third period when Mike Mellon got his game back after going cold mid-way into the season from injuries by scoring 3 straight goals to tie the game. 12 minutes in overtime, Mike Mellon scored his fourth goal for an overtime win 6-5, and the Metros came back from being down 3 games to none to force game seven. After recovering from having a scary low blood sugar Simon Gibson is back at the net for game seven and held his ground big time as Ian Henry did not score any goals. Still, he did make 3 assists as the Oshawa Diamonds avoided a disaster at the hands of the Metros 3-1 game seven win and the series 4 games to 3.

Steel Division

1st Waterloo Maroons vs. 4th Kitchener Legionnaires

Fans got themselves a match-up that they have been waiting for. The last time that both played each other in the playoffs was the 1969 Smyth Cup championship. Since then, they have not crossed paths in the playoffs until now. The Maroons take it 4-3 despite the Legionnaires giving them a run for their money. The Maroons win game two in overtime 3-2 after blowing a 2-0 lead in the third period. In-game three, the Legionnaires finally got a win over the Maroons 5-3 thanks to forward Rick Backs 1 goal and 3 points. In-game four, the Maroons had a hard time with the Legionnaires, trailing 4-2 going into the third period forward. Adam Newhook and Larry Arsenal scored a goal to tie the game and held on until the clock hit zero to end the third period. 10 minutes in the first overtime defence Collin Mitchell scored the overtime winner for the Legionnaires to even the series two games apiece with a 5-4. In-game five, the Maroons' Larry Arsenal’s 7 points (3G, 4A) performance was just what the Maroons needed as they won it big 7-3. The Legionnaires cannot find any answer as the Maroons win game six 5-2 thanks to Larry’s 3 goals and 4 points as the Waterloo Maroons win the series 4 games to 2 and move on to the Steel Division finals.

2nd Owen Sound Arrowbirds vs. 3rd Orangeville O’s

The Owen Sound Arrowbirds coming in this year's playoffs red hot, mainly have the best chance of winning this series over the Orangeville O’s, but one problem, or make that three problems, their top three players (D – Calvin Comrie, F – Andrew Beagle, and G – Alex Myers) got called up to the pros so the Arrowbirds could have a hard time. The Arrowbirds fear came to life as they struggled big time and lost game one to the O’s 4-2. The O’s took the Arrowbirds down again, winning game two 3-1. In-game three, the Arrowbirds had the lead 3-1 after the first two periods, but everything went downhill in the third period where the O’s scored three straight unanswered goals, all made by forward Shane Lane, as the O’s won it 4-3. The Orangeville O’s goalie Jack Glenn was a brick wall all game as the O’s shut out the Arrowbirds 2-0 to complete the sweep 4 games to none.

Hero Division Finals

1st Barrie Admirals vs. 3rd Oshawa Diamonds

Both teams entered their sixth season in the OMJHA, and one could win this series and head to their first ever Smyth Cup Championship appearance. The Barrie Admirals are determined to go to the championship, but the Diamonds have other ideas as they take game one 4-1 in front of a sell-out Barrie Forum. The Admirals bounce back from their loss in game one with a big game two wins 5-1 to even the series one game apiece. The Admirals kept their game going in game three with a 4-2-win led by forward Dylan Bouchard 3 goals and 4 points. In-game four, the Admirals had a 4-1 lead, but at 10:29 left in the third period, Diamonds forward Ian Henry made 3 points (1 G, 2 A) to tie the game, and the Diamonds held on until the clock hit zero and headed into overtime. Admirals forward Michael Campbell scored the winner with 3:44 into the overtime as Barrie Admirals are one away from punching the ticket to the championship with the game four 5-4 win. In-game five in Barrie, the Admirals goalie Jake Wilson let just one goal behind him early in the first period, but after that, he made saves, and defence James Colby scored a goal to tie the game in the second period. In the third period, Michael Campbell scored the game-winner as the Admirals won game five 2-1 and made their first Smyth Cup Championship appearance with 4 games to 1 series win.

Steel Division Finals

1st Waterloo Maroons vs. 3rd Orangeville O’s

The Waterloo Maroons got a chance of a lifetime to advance to the Smyth Cup finals for the first time since 1974, where they lost to the Burlington Metros. While the Orangeville O’s, in their 3rd season part of the league, have odds against them as the Maroons swept them in the season series, all four games the O’s lost to the Maroons were blowouts. Game number one, the Maroons Larry Arsenal made 5 points (1 G, 4 A) to give the team a big win over the O’s 6-2. Larry Arsenal did it again but only 4 points (2 G, 2 A) in a 5-3 game two win in Waterloo. In Orangeville, the Maroons got terrible news, Adam Newhook hurt his right shoulder and is out for game three, which the O’s took full advantage of as Shane Lane made 5 points (2 G, 3 A) as the O’s take game three with a 6-2 win. In-game four, the O’s did it again, this time winning it 4-2 and 3-2 in game five. Game six, however, was all Maroons as Adam Newhook came back from his shoulder injury that took longer than he expected and made a big 6 points (2 G, 4 A) as the Maroons beat the O’s 7-2 to even the series and force a game seven. Waterloo is where the chance of going to the Smyth Cup championship is on the line; through the first and second periods, both went back and forth as the score was 4-4 going into the third period. The O’s scored early to take the lead, but with 0:12 seconds left in the third period, Larry Arsenal scored to tie the game, the clock hit zero, and both the Maroons and the O’s headed to overtime. The first overtime had many close ones, but goals were made as the horn sounded off to end the first overtime. In the second overtime, with 5:33 left, the O’s Ron Green got a penalty for elbowing which the Maroons believed that this was it they were going to win, but out of nowhere, the O’s Will Stell took the puck, got the breakaway and scored the overtime winner with the score of 6-3, winning the series 4 games to 3 as the Orangeville O’s in their 3rd year in the OMJHA are going to 1980 Smyth Cup championship.

1980 OMJHA Smyth Cup Championship

Barrie Admirals vs. Orangeville O’s

This year's finals were hugely different; with no Legionnaires nor Generals, it was the Admirals and the O’s, as many did not expect one of those two to be in the finals. In-game one at Barrie, the Admirals did not take the O’s lightly as Michael Campbell scored two key goals to give the Admirals wins 3-1. In-game two, the Admirals goalie Jake Wilson made 56 saves out of 58 shots to provide the admirals with a 5-2 win to keep the series in their hands. The Orangeville O’s showed some life in game three with a 4-2 lead going into the third period when the Admirals Dylan Bouchard who was on a cold streak since game four of the Hero Division finals, went hot as he scored two straight goals to tie the game up and send it into overtime. Dylan would score his third goal of the game with 6:23 into the first overtime to give Barrie a 5-4 win and have the chance to win it all in game four. In Orangeville, the Admirals kept their foot on the gas pedal as they blanked the O’s 5-0 game four wins as the Barrie Admirals won the series 4 games to 0 and received the Smyth Cup. The Admirals would celebrate in Barrie the next day, rest up the following day, and get ready to head over to Nanaimo B.C. for the 1980 Valor Cup tournament.