The 1980–81 OHL season was the first season of the newly established Ontario Hockey League, renaming itself from the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League. The OMJHL formally severed ties with the Ontario Hockey Association over the summer, and affiliated with the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association. The OHL inaugurated the Jack Ferguson Award for the first overall draft pick in the OHL entry draft. Twelve teams each played 68 games. The Kitchener Rangers won the J. Ross Robertson Cup, defeating the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.
Regular season
Final standings Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; PTS = Points; x = clinched playoff berth; y = clinched first round bye; z = clinched division title & first round bye
Leyden Division Rank Team GP W L T PTS GF GA 1 z-Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds 68 47 19 2 96 412 290 2 y-Ottawa 67's 68 45 20 3 93 360 254 3 y-Kingston Canadians 68 39 26 3 81 334 273 4 x-Oshawa Generals 68 35 30 3 73 321 352 5 x-Peterborough Petes 68 29 36 3 61 287 290 6 Sudbury Wolves 68 20 45 3 43 284 380
Emms Division Rank Team GP W L T PTS GF GA 1 z-Kitchener Rangers 68 34 33 1 69 321 320 2 y-Brantford Alexanders 68 34 34 0 68 350 354 3 y-Windsor Spitfires 68 33 33 2 68 322 337 4 x-Niagara Falls Flyers 68 30 36 2 62 354 359 5 x-Toronto Marlboros 68 31 37 0 62 298 336 6 London Knights 68 20 48 0 40 300 388
Scoring leaders Player Team GP G A Pts PIM John Goodwin Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds 68 56 110 166 42 Ernie Godden Windsor Spitfires 68 87 66 153 185 Bernie Nicholls Kingston Canadians 65 63 89 152 109 Tony Tanti Oshawa Generals 67 81 69 150 197 Steve Ludzik Niagara Falls Flyers 58 50 92 142 108 Scott Howson Kingston Canadians 66 57 83 140 53 Steve Larmer Niagara Falls Flyers 61 55 78 133 73 Steve Gatzos Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds 68 78 50 128 114 Randy Cunneyworth Ottawa 67's 67 54 74 128 240 Doug Shedden Windsor Spitfires 66 51 72 123 78
Playoffs
Division quarter-finals
Leyden Division
(4) Oshawa Generals vs. (5) Peterborough Petes
Emms Division
(4) Niagara Falls Flyers vs. (5) Toronto Marlboros
Division semi-finals
Leyden Division
(1) Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds vs. (4) Oshawa Generals
(2) Ottawa 67's vs. (3) Kingston Canadians
Emms Division
(1) Kitchener Rangers vs. (4) Niagara Falls Flyers
(2) Brantford Alexanders vs. (3) Windsor Spitfires
Division finals
Leyden Division
(1) Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds vs. (3) Kingston Canadians
Emms Division
(1) Kitchener Rangers vs. (3) Windsor Spitfires
J. Ross Robertson Cup
(L1) Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds vs. (E1) Kitchener Rangers
Awards J. Ross Robertson Cup: Kitchener RangersHamilton Spectator Trophy: Sault Ste. Marie GreyhoundsLeyden Trophy: Sault Ste. Marie GreyhoundsEmms Trophy: Kitchener RangersRed Tilson Trophy: Ernie Godden, Windsor SpitfiresEddie Powers Memorial Trophy: John Goodwin, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds Matt Leyden Trophy: Brian Kilrea, Ottawa 67'sJim Mahon Memorial Trophy: Tony Tanti, Oshawa GeneralsMax Kaminsky Trophy: Randy Boyd, Ottawa 67'sJack Ferguson Award: Dan Quinn, Belleville BullsDave Pinkney Trophy: Jim Ralph, Ottawa 67'sEmms Family Award: Tony Tanti, Oshawa GeneralsF.W. 'Dinty' Moore Trophy: John Vanbiesbrouck, Sault Ste. Marie GreyhoundsWilliam Hanley Trophy: John Goodwin, Sault Ste. Marie GreyhoundsBobby Smith Trophy: Doug Smith, Ottawa 67's
See also List of OHA Junior A standings List of OHL seasons 1981 Memorial Cup 1981 NHL entry draft 1980 in sports 1981 in sports
References
HockeyDB