The Barrie Flyers were a Canadian junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) from 1945 to 1960. Based in Barrie, Ontario, the Flyers played home games at the Barrie Arena. The team was operated by Hap Emms as a farm team of the Boston Bruins, won the J. Ross Robertson Cup four times as OHA champions, and won the Memorial Cup as junior champions of Canada in 1951 and 1953.
History The Barrie Flyers joined the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) junior A division for the 1945–46 OHA season. The Flyers were owned and managed by Hap Emms, and were established as a farm team to the St. Louis Flyers of the American Hockey League.
By the 1947–48 season, the Flyers has become a farm team for the Boston Bruins.Lapp and Macaulay (1997), p. 82 Barrie defeated the Windsor Spitfires for the J. Ross Robertson Cup. Barrie then defeated the Montreal Nationales to win the George Richardson Memorial Trophy as Eastern Canadian champions. In the 1948 Memorial Cup, the Flyers lost to the Port Arthur West End Bruins in a best-of-seven series played at Maple Leaf Gardens. The series was very physical and bitter between the teams. After the third game, Emms threatened that the Flyers would not continue to play without a change in referees. The series ultimately continued with the same referees.Lapp and Macaulay (1997), pp. 82–84
In the 1948–49 season, Barrie won the OHA championship versus the Toronto Marlboros, then lost to the Montreal Royals in the Eastern Canada final.Lapp and Macaulay (1997), pp. 84–86 Despite having won the OHA championship, Emms felt that operating the team in Barrie was not financially viable with renovations to their arena to increase capacity from 2,700 to 5,000.
In the 1950–51 season, the Bruins established a second farm team in the Waterloo Hurricanes, but gave priority to the Barrie Flyers for receiving prospects.; Barrie won the OHA championship again versus the Toronto Marlboros. Canadian Amateur Hockey Association vice-president W. B. George oversaw the Flyers versus Quebec Citadelles series for the George Richardson Memorial Trophy, to represent Eastern Canada in the 1951 Memorial Cup playoffs. When the Citadels refused to play game five in Barrie, George gave them an ultimatum to play or forfeit the series. Quebec decided to play too late to arrive by train, but arrived half an hour late after flying. George scheduled game seven on neutral ice at Maple Leaf Gardens, despite protests from Flyers' coach Hap Emms who claimed that his team only agreed to resume the series if game seven was played in Barrie. The Flyers won the 1951 Memorial Cup played at Winnipeg and Brandon, Manitoba. They swept the Winnipeg Monarchs in a best-of-seven series.Lapp and Macaulay (1997), pp. 91–93
In the 1952–53 season, Barrie won the OHA championship versus the Toronto St. Michael's Majors. The Flyers won the 1953 Memorial Cup in 1953 played at Winnipeg and Brandon, Manitoba, defeating the St. Boniface Canadiens in a best-of-seven series.Lapp and Macaulay (1997), pp. 96–98
In 1955, the Flyers received five Boston Bruins' prospect players from the defunct Galt Black Hawks. In the 1955–56 season, Barrie reached the OHA finals and lost to the Toronto Marlboros.
In 1960, the Flyers relocated to Niagara Falls, Ontario. Emms stated that it was financially impossible to operate in Barrie and that the arena's new roof would not be ready for the next season. During the 1959–60 season, the Flyers had an average attendance of 1,400 fans per game. Emms previously considered relocating the team to North Bay, Ontario, but opted for Niagara Falls based on prospective attendance figures and a larger population nearby.
Players Award winners 1948–49 – Gilles Mayer received the Red Tilson Trophy as the OHA's most outstanding junior player. 1950–51 – Don Lockhart and Lorne Howes received the Dave Pinkney Trophy with the lowest goals against average for goaltenders on n OHA junior team.
Notable alumni List of Flyers' alumni who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) or World Hockey Association:
Barry Ashbee Blake Ball Bob Barlow Bob Beckett Bob Blackburn Ross Brooks Kelly Burnett Dick Cherry Don Cherry Real Chevrefils Murray Davison Marv Edwards Pierre Gagne Ray Gariepy Jeannot Gilbert Howie Glover Bill Knibbs Leo Labine Stan Long Wayne Maxner Gilles Mayer Don McKenney Sid McNabney Paul Meger Hillary Menard Doug Mohns Jim Morrison Keke Mortson Tony Poeta Dan Poliziani George Ranieri Gerry Reid Dale Rolfe Wayne Rutledge Myron Stankiewicz Ron Stewart Alan Teal Orval Tessier Jerry Toppazzini Ed Westfall Larry Zeidel
Season-by-season results Regular season and playoffs results:
Legend: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
Memorial Cup championsMemorial Cup finalistsLeague championsLeague finalists
Season Regular season Playoffs Finish1945–4628 8182180.308 891717th OHADid not qualify1946–473517162360.5141291446th OHAWon quarterfinal (Toronto Marlboros) 2–0Lost semifinal (Galt Red Wings) 2–11947–483623130460.6391981163rd OHAWon quarterfinal (Stratford Kroehlers) 2–0Won semifinal (Galt Rockets) 3–2Won OHA final (Windsor Spitfires) 4–2Won Eastern Canada semifinal (Porcupine Combines) 3–0Won Eastern Canada final (Montreal Nationales) 3–0Lost 1948 Memorial Cup final (Port Arthur West End Bruins) 4–01948–494828164600.6252081342nd OHAWon semifinal (Windsor Spitfires) 4–0Won OHA final (Toronto Marlboros) 4–0Won Eastern Canada semifinal (Porcupine Combines) 4–0Lost Eastern Canada final (Montreal Junior Royals) 4–01949–504821243450.4691802175th OHAWon quarterfinal (Toronto St. Michael's Majors) 3–2Lost semifinal (Guelph Biltmores) 3–11950–515438142780.7222761611st OHAWon quarterfinal (Galt Black Hawks) 3–0Won semifinal (Windsor Spitfires) 3–0Won OHA final (Toronto Marlboros) 4–2Won Eastern Canada final (Quebec Citadelles) 4–3Won 1951 Memorial Cup final (Winnipeg Monarchs) 4–01951–525322301470.4252252307th OHADid not qualify1952–535637172760.6792581871st OHAWon semifinal (Toronto Marlboros) 5–2Won OHA final (Toronto St. Michael's Majors) 5–3Won Eastern Canada final (Quebec Citadelles) 4–1Won 1953 Memorial Cup final (St. Boniface Canadiens) 4–11953–545925331510.4322602857th OHADid not qualify1954–554918310360.3671692517th OHADid not qualify1955–564820253430.4481792076th OHAWon quarterfinal (Kitchener Canucks) 4–3–1Won semifinal (Toronto St. Michael's Majors) 3–2Lost OHA final (Toronto Marlboros) 4–11956–575213372280.2691472186th OHALost quarterfinal (St. Catharines Teepees) 3–01957–585118294400.3922012346th OHALost quarterfinal (Toronto St. Michael's Majors) 3–11958–595421276480.4441781925th OHALost quarterfinal (Peterborough Petes) 4–21959–604824186540.56219 1723rd OHALost quarterfinal (Peterborough Petes) 3–1–2
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