The Cornwall Royals were a junior ice hockey team based in Cornwall, Ontario, Canada. The team played in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) from 1969 to 1981, and the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) from 1981 to 1992. They won the Memorial Cup three times as junior champions of Canada: in 1971, 1980, and 1981.

The Royals shared a common name with teams that played in the Quebec Senior Hockey League, the Central Junior A Hockey League.

History

From 1961 until 1969, the Cornwall Royals were successful members of the Central Junior A Hockey League (CJHL). As perennial CJHL champions, they represented that league at the playdowns for the 1966, 1967 and 1968 Memorial Cup national junior hockey championships, falling in the quarterfinals each year against the representatives from Quebec.

After an application to join the OHL was rejected, the franchise became one of the inaugural teams of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League in 1969. The Cornwall Royals were one of the league's premier teams during its tenure in the QMJHL, winning three Memorial Cup titles.

For the 1981–82 season, the team transferred into the Ontario Hockey League.

The Royals suffered through many tough seasons and poor attendance after moving to the OHL. The switch in leagues alienated many die-hard fans from across the Quebec border. Seeking better fortunes, the franchise moved to Newmarket, Ontario to play as the Newmarket Royals in 1992. In 1994 the team was bought by the Ciccarelli brothers and moved to Sarnia, Ontario as the Sarnia Sting.

Championships The Cornwall Royals are one of only 7 clubs to win consecutive Memorial Cup championships. They did so in 1980 and 1981. In total, the Royals won 3 Memorial Cups, 3 President's Cups, and 5 division titles while in the QMJHL. The Royals did not win any OHL championships.

CJHL Bogart Cup Championships: 1966, 1967, 1968

President's CupPlayoff Champions in the QMJHL. 1972 QMJHL Champions vs. Quebec Remparts 1980 QMJHL Champions vs. Sherbrooke Castors 1981 QMJHL Champions vs. Trois-Rivieres Draveurs

Jean Rougeau TrophyRegular season champions in the QMJHL. 1971–1972 96 points 1980–1981 90 points

West Division TrophyFirst overall in the West Division. 1973–1974 94 points

Lebel Division TrophyFirst overall in the Lebel Division. 1977–1978 100 points 1979–1980 88 points 1980–1981 90 points

Memorial Cups 1972 CHL Champions vs. Peterborough Petes 1980 CHL Champions vs. Peterborough Petes 1981 CHL Champions vs. Kitchener Rangers

Coaches Orval Tessier guided the Cornwall Royals to the Memorial Cup championship in 1972. Doug Carpenter coached the 1980 Royals, and Bob Kilger in 1981.

Marc Crawford was a former Cornwall Royals player. He won the Stanley Cup as coach of the Colorado Avalanche. He also coached the Vancouver Canucks, the Los Angeles Kings, and the Dallas Stars.

List of Coaches (Multiple years in parentheses)

1981–82 Bob Kilger 1982–83 Jocelyn Guevremont 1983–84 Jocelyn Guevremont / Floyd Crawford 1984–85 Floyd Crawford / Tony Zappia 1985–86 Tony Zappia 1986–89 Orval Tessier (3) 1989–91 Marc Crawford (2) 1991–92 John Lovell

*1982–83 coaches Bob Kilger, Bill Murphy, Gord Woods, Jocelyn Guevremont

Players Award recipients SeasonPlayerAward(s)RecognitionSource 1970–71 Bob Murphy Coaches' Trophy Rookie of the year 1971–72 Bob Murray Coaches' Trophy Rookie of the year Richard Brodeur Jacques Plante Memorial Trophy Lowest goals against average Gerry Teeple Frank J. Selke Memorial Trophy Most sportsmanlike player 1973–74 Gary MacGregor Michel Brière Memorial Trophy Most valuable player Frank J. Selke Memorial Trophy Most sportsmanlike player 1974–75 Mario Viens Michel Brière Memorial Trophy Most valuable player, regular season 1975–76 Tim Bernhardt Jacques Plante Memorial Trophy Lowest goals against average 1976–77 Tim Bernhardt Jacques Plante Memorial Trophy Lowest goals against average 1977–78 Tim Bernhardt Jacques Plante Memorial Trophy Lowest goals against average 1979–80 Dale Hawerchuk Coaches' Trophy Rookie of the year Guy Lafleur Trophy Most valuable player, playoffs 1980–81 Dale Hawerchuk Jean Béliveau Trophy Top scorer, regular season Michel Brière Memorial Trophy Most valuable player CHL Player of the Year Most valuable player Michael Bossy Trophy Best professional prospect Fred Boimistruck Emile Bouchard Trophy Defenceman of the year 1982–83 Doug Gilmour Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy OHL Top Point Scorer Red Tilson Trophy OHL Most valuable player Ian MacInnis Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy OHL Top Scoring Right Winger 1985–86 Ray Sheppard Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy OHL Top Point Scorer Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy OHL Top Scoring Right Winger Red Tilson Trophy OHL Most valuable player 1987–88 Rick Tabaracci OHL Goaltender of the Year Voted best goaltender in the OHL 1988–89 Owen Nolan Emms Family Award Rookie of the year 1989–90 Owen Nolan Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy OHL Top Scoring Right Winger John Slaney Max Kaminsky Trophy Most Outstanding Defenceman CHL Defenceman of the Year 1990–91 Nathan LaFayette Bobby Smith Trophy Scholastic player of the year 1991–92 Nathan LaFayette Bobby Smith Trophy Scholastic player of the year CHL Scholastic Player of the Year

NHL alumni Three alumni of the Cornwall Royals have been enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame, including Billy Smith, Dale Hawerchuk, and Doug Gilmour.

List of QMJHL (1969–1981) alumni in the National Hockey League (NHL) or World Hockey Association:

Jeff Allan Dave Allison Scott Arniel Fred Arthur Reid Bailey Tim Bernhardt Fred Boimistruck Brian Bowles Richard Brodeur Eric Calder Alain Chevrier Bob Crawford Lou Crawford Marc Crawford Dan Daoust Jeff Eatough Dan Frawley Danny Geoffrion Doug Gilmour Dale Hawerchuk Blair MacDonald Gary MacGregor John Markell Corrado Micalef Bob Murray Graeme Nicolson Jim Park Rick Paterson Ron Scott Al Sims Billy Smith Ron Smith Pierre Viau Mario Viens John Wensink Rod Willard

List of OHL (1981–1992) alumni in the NHL:

Scott Arniel Bob Babcock Eric Calder Jason Cirone Larry Courville Craig Duncanson Jeff Eatough Dan Frawley Doug Gilmour Jim Kyte Nathan LaFayette Alan Letang Guy Leveque Steve Maltais Owen Nolan Mike Prokopec Rob Ray Joe Reekie Ken Sabourin Mathieu Schneider Ray Sheppard John Slaney Mike Stapleton Jeremy Stevenson Rick Tabaracci Tom Thornbury Mike Tomlak Ryan Vandenbussche Michael Ware

Season-by-season results Quebec Major Junior Hockey League season-by-season results (1969–1981): Ontario Hockey League season-by-season results (1981–1992):

Legend: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

Memorial Cup championsLeague championsLeague finalists

Season Regular season Playoffs Finish1969–70562431 1 490.4382232552nd WestLost quarterfinal (Verdun Maple Leafs) 4–21970–71622240 0 440.35526032610th QMJHLDid not qualify1971–72624713 2 960.7743611821st QMJHLWon quarterfinal (Verdun Maple Leafs) 8–0Won semifinal (Shawinigan Bruins) 8–2Won QMJHL final (Quebec Remparts) 9–5Won 1972 Memorial Cup final (Peterborough Petes) 2–1Lapp and Macaulay (1997), pp. 160–1651972–73644319 2 880.6883652532nd QMJHLWon quarterfinal (Montreal Bleu Blanc Rouge) 4–0Won semifinal (Sorel Éperviers) 4–1Lost QMJHL final (Quebec Remparts) 4–31973–74704622 2 940.6714383281st WestLost quarterfinal (Laval National) 4–11974–7572362412 840.5833222963rd WestLost quarterfinal (Montreal Bleu Blanc Rouge) 4–01975–76723924 9 870.6043492702nd WestWon quarterfinal (Montreal Juniors) 4–2Lost semifinal (Quebec Remparts) 4–01976–7772382410 860.5973452812nd LebelWon quarterfinal (Trois-Rivières Draveurs) 8–4Lost semifinal (Sherbrooke Castors) 9–01977–78724618 81000.6944042581st LebelWon quarterfinal (Hull Olympiques) 8–0Lost semifinal (Montreal Juniors) 8–21978–79722936 7 650.4513613973rd LebelLost quarterfinal (Verdun Éperviers) 8–61979–80724125 6 880.6113883331st LebelWon quarterfinal (Shawinigan Cataractes) 4–3Won semifinal (Chicoutimi Saguenéens) 4–1Won QMJHL final (Sherbrooke Castors) 4–2Won 1980 Memorial Cup final (Peterborough Petes) 3–2Lapp and Macaulay (1997), pp. 195–1991980–81724426 2 900.6254033111st LebelWon quarterfinal (Quebec Remparts) 4–3Won semifinal (Sherbrooke Castors) 4–3Won QMJHL final (Trois-Rivières Draveurs) 4–1Won 1981 Memorial Cup final (Kitchener Rangers) 5–2Lapp and Macaulay (1997), pp. 200–204Royals transferred from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League to the Ontario Hockey League1981–82682835 5 610.4493033276th LeydenLost division quarterfinal (Toronto Marlboros) 6–41982–83703633 1 730.5213703355th LeydenWon division quarterfinal (Toronto Marlboros) 7–1Lost quarterfinal (Ottawa 67's) 8–01983–84703337 0 660.4713483756th LeydenLost division quarterfinal (Peterborough Petes) 6–01984–85663430 2 700.5303553444th LeydenWon division quarterfinal (Toronto Marlboros) 8–2Lost quarterfinal (Belleville Bulls) 6–21985–86662836 2 580.4393073565th LeydenLost division quarterfinal (Belleville Bulls) 9–31986–87662340 3 490.3712613696th LeydenLost division quarterfinal (Ottawa 67's) 4–11987–88663524 7 770.5833332553rd LeydenWon division quarterfinal (Belleville Bulls) 4–2Lost quarterfinal (Ottawa 67's) 4–11988–89663130 5 670.5083503084th LeydenWon division quarterfinal (Toronto Marlboros) 4–2Won quarterfinal (Ottawa 67's) 4–2Lost semifinal (Peterborough Petes) 4–21989–90662438 4 520.3943093616th LeydenLost division quarterfinal (Oshawa Generals) 4–21990–91662342 1 470.3562813357th LeydenDid not qualify1991–92663822 6 820.6213282893rd LeydenLost division quarterfinal (Ottawa 67's) 4–2

Arenas The Royals played home games at the Water Street Arena from 1969 to 1976. Moving across the road, the Royals played at the Cornwall Civic Complex from 1976 to 1992, and hosted the 1990 All-Star game between the OHL and the QMJHL, which the OHL won by a 3–0 score.

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