The Toronto Nationals are a pair of defunct Tier II Junior "A" & Junior "B" ice hockey teams from Vaughan, Ontario, Canada. They were a part of the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League and the Metro Junior B Hockey League.
Jr. A Nationals In 1975, the Nationals won their one and only Junior "A" league title. They went on to the Ontario Hockey Association Championship and met the Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League Champion Guelph CMC's. Guelph came out on top 4-games-to-2. The Nationals folded in 1977.
Season-by-season results Season GP W L T GF GA P Results PlayoffsVaughan Nationals1972-73 44 29 9 6 270 189 64 1st OPJHL 1973-74 44 27 12 5 215 123 59 2nd OPJHL Toronto Nationals1974-75 44 23 15 6 235 202 52 3rd OPJHL Won League1975-76 44 16 18 10 198 180 42 7th OPJHL 1976-77 44 19 22 3 220 250 41 8th OPJHL
Playoffs 1973 Lost final Toronto Nationals defeated Aurora Tigers 4-games-to-none Toronto Nationals defeated Richmond Hill Rams 4-games-to-2 Wexford Raiders defeated Toronto Nationals 4-games-to-1 1974 Lost quarter-final North Bay Trappers defeated Toronto Nationals 4-games-to-3 1975 Won League, lost OHA Buckland Cup Toronto Nationals defeated Richmond Hill Rams 4-games-to-2 Toronto Nationals defeated Seneca Flyers 4-games-to-none Toronto Nationals defeated Wexford Raiders 4-games-to-1 OPJHL CHAMPIONS Guelph CMC's (SOJHL) defeated Toronto Nationals 4-games-to-2 1976 Lost semi-final Toronto Nationals defeated Royal York Royals 3-games-to-2 Toronto Nationals defeated Weston Dodgers 2-games-to-none North York Rangers defeated Toronto Nationals 4-games-to-1 1977 Lost quarter-final Markham Waxers defeated Toronto Nationals 4-games-to-none
Jr. B Nationals In the early 1970s, the Toronto Nationals also had an entry in the Metro Junior B Hockey League who were 1973 Metro Champions and runners up for the Sutherland Cup All-Ontario title. The 1975-76 season saw a 14-year-old Wayne Gretzky challenge the wishes of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association and sign with the Toronto Nationals. Barely 16 years old, Gretzky had played two seasons with the Nationals and scored 63 goals for 132 points in just 60 games. The Nationals won the 1977 Metro championship, led by the young Gretzky with 75 points in just 23 playoff games. The next season, he signed with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, a quick stop before going professional and starting what is considered by many hockey enthusiasts as the greatest career in hockey history.
Season-by-season results Season GP W L T GF GA P Results PlayoffsToronto Nationals1970-71 43 25 14 4 201 174 54 4th Metro B 1971-72 44 21 17 6 205 172 48 2nd Metro B 1972-73 34 21 9 4 151 197 46 2nd Metro B Won League1973-74 44 9 30 5 154 256 23 10th Metro B1974-75 38 4 33 1 119 258 9 14th Metro B1975-76 36 13 15 8 180 190 34 8th Metro BSeneca Nationals1976-77 36 17 14 5 183 181 39 3rd Metro B Won League1977-78 36 17 13 6 175 179 40 5th Metro B 1978-79 44 24 14 6 273 262 54 6th Metro B 1979-80 41 18 19 4 261 294 40 8th Metro B
Sutherland Cup appearances 1973: Sarnia Bees defeated Toronto Nationals 4-games-to-2
Notable Jr. B alumni Bill Gardner Wayne Gretzky Basil McRae Rick Middleton Dave Shand Daryl Evans Dwight Foster Rob Palmer Warren Holmes
External links OHA Website