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.

1973 CIHA Valor Cup

 

Standings

Sherbrooke Loups: 4 W, 0 L.

Burlington Metros: 1 W, 3 L.

Nanaimo Greyhounds: 1 W, 3 L.

Story:

The Valor Cup tournament kicked off at the Toronto Forum in Toronto. Both Metros and Greyhounds had hard times in the round-robin with both finished with 1-3 record. In comparison, the Loups played comfortably with a 4-0 record. What’s rubbed both the Greyhounds and the Metros the wrong way was at a motel next door beside them was the Sherbrooke Loups room celebrating, the Loups believes that they are going to be the first Valor Cup champions chanting “PREMIERS CHAMPIONS!” which translate first champions. Unhappy with it, both teams used it as motivation.

The semi-round between the Greyhounds and Metros was a great game as Greyhounds forward Eric Dunn scored 2 goals, 2 assists to help the Greyhounds win 4-3 after coming back from being behind 3-1 after the 2nd period. 

The Greyhounds shocked the world as they beat the Sherbrooke Loups 3-1 to become the first-ever CIHA Valor cup champions lead by the first Valor Cup MVP forward Eric Dunn who had 1 goal, 2 assists.

1972-73 AQHL Season

 

1972-73 standings

1^st: Sherbrooke Loups

2^nd: Laval Tigers

3^rd: Cape Breton Warriors

4^th: Moncton Bears

5^th: Drummondville Les Rouges

6^th: Portland Clippers

7^th: Trois-Rivieres Titans

8^th: Fredericton Vikings

Story:

Paul Name had a long road trip from Moncton to Laval during the league’s season opener. At Moncton, the Bears got the win from Trois-Rivieres 4-2, while Laval lost big time by Sherbrooke 7-2.

The Playoffs format and several games for each round are the same as the WCLH, but for seeding the 8^th place team, they must have at least more than five wins to be in the playoffs. The Fredericton Vikings were in a must-win in hopes of being in the playoffs sadly; on their last game of the season, the Vikings failed to get one more win as they lost 4-3 to the Portland Clippers. The Vikings record of 5 wins, 28 losses and 7 ties. The Loups got themselves a first-round bye.

The Sherbrooke Loups is the league’s best teams as they finished with 35 wins, followed by three losses and two ties, making a total of 72 points. The Loups went on winning the Bronz cup title by beating the Laval Tigers 3 games to 1 and advanced to the Valor Cup in Toronto, Ontario.

1973 Playoffs

1^st Round (best 2 of 3 games)

1^st Sherbrooke Loups: bye

2^nd Laval Tigers: 2 - 7^th Trois-Rivieres Titans: 0

3^rd Cape Breton Warriors: 2 - 6^th Portland Clippers: 1

5^th Drummondville Les Rouges: 2 - 4^th Moncton Bears: 1

2^nd Round (best 2 of 3 games)

1st Sherbrooke Loups: 2 - 5th Drummondville Les Rouges: 0

2nd Laval Tigers: 2 - 3rd Cape Breton Warriors: 1

Bronz Cup finals (best 3 of 5 games)

1st Sherbrooke Loups: 3 - 2nd Laval Tigers: 1

1972-73 OMJHA Season

1972-73 standings

1.Kitchener Generals

2.Kitchener Legionnaires

3.Owen Sound Arrowbirds

4.Waterloo Maroons

5.Burlington Metros

6.Oakville Oaks

7.Milton Micmacs

8.Guelph Crusaders

Story:

Franklin Name attended a season opener in Burlington, Ontario, along with CIHA first President Joseph McGeorge. As they and hockey fans at the Burlington Auditorium witness, the Metros won the game over the Guelph Crusaders 4 – 2. After the game, McGeorge announced that the Toronto Forum (Toronto Pro Hockey team’s rink) would be the location for the first Valor Cup tournament.

Due to only eight teams in the league, only six teams will make it to the playoffs while the bottom two teams will be outside looking in. The playoff format in the OMJHA is the best 2 of 3 games in the wild card round, both the 2nd round and the finals are the best 3 of 5 games.

Both the Oaks and Micmacs battle each other for the 6th spot for the playoffs, both played 4 times against each other, so far the series is at 2 games apiece as they would face each other in their last game of the season both got the same record, but it’s a must-win for the Oaks as the Macs got less GAA. 

Luckily for the Oaks, their goalie Matt Allen played very well and helped the Oaks shutout the Macs 3-0 to clinch 6th place. Sadly, the Oaks would get eliminated by the Arrowbirds.

Metros forward Cliff Raymond is the top scorer of the OMJHA, and he proves it as he and the Metros outscored and beat the Kitchener Legionnaires to win the Smyth Cup 3 to 1 and headed to the Valor Cup tournament.

1973 Playoffs

Wild card round (best 2 of 3 games)

3rd Owen Sound Arrowbirds: 2 – 6th Oakville Oaks: 0

5th Burlington Metros: 2 – 4th Waterloo Maroons 1

Semi-finals (best 2 of 3 games)

5th Burlington Metros: 2 – 1st Kitchener Generals: 1

2nd Kitchener Legionnaires: 2 - 3rd Owen Sound Arrowbirds: 0

Smyth Cup finals (best 3 of 5 games)

5th Burlington Metros: 3 - 2nd Kitchener Legionnaires: 1

1972-73 WCLH Season

1972-73 standings

1. Lethbridge Cougars

2. Saskatoon Cats

3. Abbotsford Forest Kings

4. Fargo Owls

5. Medicine Hat Hawks

6. Brandon Buffalos

7. North Battleford Crusaders

8. Nanaimo Greyhounds

Story:

On October 25, 1972, all 8-team played on the day. The Cougars blew the Crusaders 6-0, both the Hawks and the Owls played a 3-3 tie game, Forest Kings beat the Buffalos 3-1, and the Cats blanked the Greyhounds 4-0.

The playoff format was the best 2 of 3 games in the 1st and 2nd round, while the finals became the best 3 of 5 games. On another note, WCLH president James Name announced that all eight teams would be in the playoffs no matter the standings.

If anybody thinks that there is no chance that the Greyhounds would give any top teams a hard time even after winning just 10 out of 40 games, in the playoffs they played as they belong in 1st place with help from Sam Scott scoring 6 goals and Paul Richards 4 goals-against average eliminated 1st seeded and favourited to win it all the Lethbridge Cougars 2 games to 1.

The Greyhounds magic would go all the way to the finals and beat the Brandon Buffalos 3 game to 5 to win the team’s first-ever Jade Trophy and qualified for the Valor Cup tournament.

1973 WCLH Playoffs

Round 1 (best 2 of 3 games)

8th Nanaimo Greyhounds: 2 – 1st Lethbridge Cougars: 1

2nd Saskatoon Cats: 2 – 7th North Battleford Crusaders: 0

6th Brandon Buffalos: 2 – 3rd Abbotsford Forest Kings: 1

4th Fargo Owls: 2 – 5th Medicine Hat Hawks: 1

Round 2 (best 2 of 3 games)

8th Nanaimo Greyhounds: 2 - 2nd Saskatoon Cats: 1

6th Brandon Buffalos: 2 - 4th Fargo Owls: 0

Jade Trophy finals (best 3 of 5 games)

8th Nanaimo Greyhounds: 3 - 6th Brandon Buffalos: 2

Welcome to the CIHA

Welcome to the Canadian International Hockey Association, a fanfic junior hockey league that I put together. Right now, I'm posting my stories at the Alternate History Sports forum site, while here is pretty much a database for my team's jerseys to show off. There are teams from three leagues, the Western Canadian League of Hockey, the Ontario Major Junior Hockey Association, and the Atlantic Quebec Hockey League, as part of one big umbrella organization league.

Just click on any team on the side to check out the jerseys.

I hope you all enjoy it as I present to you the Canadian International Hockey Association.