The Cambridge Redhawks are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada. They compete in the Eastern Conference of the Greater Ontario Hockey League (GOHL). From 1986 to 2018, the franchise played in nearby Guelph under various monikers such as Platers, Fire, Dominators, and Hurricanes.

History

Founded in 1960 as the Hespeler Shamrocks, the team became the Cambridge Shamrocks in 1979 due to a town amalgamation. In 1982, the Shamrocks were purchased by Joe Holody and moved to Guelph to become the farm team to the Guelph Platers (OHL). The team kept the "Platers" moniker until 1996, despite their parent club moving and stranding them to become the Owen Sound Platers in 1989. The team became known as the Fire in 1996 for four seasons before rebranding once again as the Dominators until 2009.

The team first played in the Central Junior C Hockey League, a league now known as the Western Junior C Hockey League. In 1970, they joined the Mid-Ontario Junior B Hockey League, and in 1971 joined the new Central Junior B Hockey League, the precursor to the Ontario Junior Hockey League. In 1974 they moved to the Waterloo-Wellington Junior B League, which, in 1977, became the Midwestern Junior Hockey League and have been there ever since.

During the mid to late 90s the Guelph Platers operated as the "farm team" for the Guelph Storm. They would wear the same colour scheme as the original team (with the classic lightning bolt theme) and played out of Guelph Memorial Gardens. While the team generally did not fare well on the ice during most of this period, they had several players drafted into the OHL, receive walk-on tryouts to Major Junior teams, and US college scholarships. Eventually the Platers would become the Guelph Fire. This lasted just four seasons before the team was purchased by a local pizza shop owner who rebranded the team as the Guelph Dominators. In 2009, the Dominators became the Guelph Hurricanes, calling Sleeman Centre home.

In May 2018, it was announced the Hurricanes were relocating back to Cambridge, taking over the market recently occupied by the Cambridge Winter Hawks who left the league in 2017.

In the 2025-26 season, the Cambridge Redhawks defeated the St. Marys Lincolns in five games to win the franchise's first Sutherland Cup.

Season-by-season record

Season GP W L T OTL Pts GF GA Finish Playoffs1961–62 30 9 18 3 —21 108 147 4th CJCHL1962–63 28 20 5 3 —43 203 114 1st CJCHL1963–64 30 25 5 0 —50 241 101 1st CJCHL Won League Won Schmalz Cup1964–65 32 21 10 1 —43 187 141 3rd CJCHL1965–66 32 4 27 1 —9 111 204 12th CJCHL1966–67 24 8 16 0 —16 81 138 7th WJCHL1967–68 Statistics not available1968–69 30 12 16 2 —26 103 123 5th WJCHL1969–70 25 20 4 1 —41 ——1st WJCHL Won League Lost Schmalz Cup Final1970–71 34 18 12 4 —40 193 139 3rd MOJBHL1971–72 42 27 11 4 — 58 237 170 2nd CJBHL1972–73 42 15 20 7 —37 192 199 5th CJBHL1973–74 42 12 25 5 —29 192 232 6th CJBHL 1974–75 40 23 13 4 —50 216 187 3rd WWJHL1975–76 41 3 37 1 —7 118 372 7th WWJHL 1976–77 40 20 19 1 —41 252 241 4th WWJHL Lost Semifinals1977–78 40 18 18 4 —40 217 195 3rd MWJBHL Lost Semifinals1978–79 42 2 36 4 —8 153 338 7th MWJBHL Did not qualify1979–80 42 15 25 2 —32 183 229 7th MWJBHL Did not qualify1980–81 42 16 26 0 —32 203 236 7th MWJBHL Did not qualify1981–82 42 30 11 1 —61 246 173 2nd MWJBHL Lost Semifinals1982–83 42 26 15 1 —53 253 196 3rd MWJBHL Lost Semifinals1983–84 42 11 30 1 —23 179 289 7th MWJBHL Did not qualify1984–85 42 9 32 1 —19 174 307 7th MWJBHL Did not qualify1985–86 Did not participate1986–87 41 3 38 0 —6 128 353 7th MWJBHL Did not qualify1987–88 48 11 37 0 —22 184 327 8th MWJBHL Lost Quarterfinals1988–89 48 9 36 3 —21 175 306 9th MWJBHL Did not qualify1989–90 48 13 35 0 —26 180 347 8th MWJBHL Lost Quarterfinals1990–91 48 14 34 0 —28 188 266 7th MWJBHL Lost Quarterfinals1991–92 48 11 36 1 —23 136 266 8th MWJBHL Lost Quarterfinals1992–93 48 20 26 2 —42 224 253 6th MWJBHL Lost Quarterfinals1993–94 48 12 36 0 —24 201 291 8th MWJBHL Lost Quarterfinals1994–95 48 3 45 0 —6 128 375 10th MWJBHL Did not qualify1995–96 48 4 44 0 —8 158 398 10th MWJBHL Did not qualify1996–97 48 7 40 1 —15 159 314 10th MWJBHL Did not qualify1997–98 48 11 35 2 —24 146 255 9th MWJBHL Did not qualify1998–99 48 10 37 1 —21 79 268 9th MWJBHL Did not qualify1999–00 48 10 35 3 —23 152 259 9th MWJBHL Did not qualify2000–01 48 16 31 1 —33 206 262 8th MWJBHL Lost Quarterfinals2001–02 48 21 24 3 —45 223 207 6th MWJBHL2002–03 48 25 19 4 2 56 212 189 4th MWJBHL2003–04 48 16 28 3 1 36 156 218 9th MWJBHL Did not qualify2004–05 48 7 38 1 2 17 150 258 9th MWJBHL Did not qualify2005–06 48 27 20 1 —55 177 161 3rd MWJBHL Lost Semifinals2006–07 48 24 21 2 1 51 192 182 4th MWJBHL Lost Semifinals2007–08 48 20 23 4 1 45 145 174 7th GOJHL-MW 2008–09 52 19 30 —3 41 168 240 8th GOJHL-MW Lost Quarterfinals2009–10 51 16 29 —6 38 157 231 7th GOJHL-MW Lost Conf. Quarterfinals2010–11 51 34 12 —5 73 259 156 1st GOJHL-MW Lost Conf. Semifinals2011–12 51 23 24 —4 50 183 223 5th GOJHL-MW Lost Conf. Quarterfinals2012–13 51 9 42 —0 18 129 276 9th GOJHL-MW Did not qualify2013–14 49 20 24 —5 45 163 196 6th GOJHL-MW Lost Conf. Quarterfinals2014–15 49 28 17 —4 60 190 163 5th GOJHL-MW Lost Conf. Quarterfinals, 0–4 (Siskins)2015–16 50 26 14 3 7 62 185 164 4th of 9 MW11th of 26 GOJHL Lost Conf. Quarterfinals, 1–4 (Sugar Kings)2016–17 50 14 33 2 1 31 155 209 7th of 9 MW21st of 27 GOJHL Lost Conf. Quarterfinals, 0–4 (Sugar Kings)2017–18 50 12 30 1 7 32 102 179 8th of 8 MW21st of 26 GOJHL Lost Conf. Quarterfinals, 0–4 (Cyclones)2018–19 48 19 27 0 2 40 133 178 6th of 8 MW18th of 26 GOJHL Lost Conf. Quarterfinals, 1–4 (Siskins)2019–20 50 32 13 0 5 69 190 128 3rd of 8 MW7th of 26 GOJHL Won Conf. Quarterfinals, 4-2 (Siskins)Incomplete Conf. Semi 0-1 (Dutchmen)playoffs cancelled due to pandemic2020–21 Season lost due to pandemic2021–22 48 33 12 3 0 69 190 127 2nd of 8 MW6th of 25 GOJHL Won Conf. Quarterfinals, 4-1 (Bombers)Won Conf. Semifinals 4-3 (Siskins)Won Conf. Finals 4-1 (Sugar Kings)Mid-West Conf. ChampionsRound Robin 1-3 (Falcons)&(Maroons)eliminated2022–23 50 34 8 6 2 76 232 130 3rd of 8 MW5th of 25 GOJHL Won Conf. Quarterfinals, 4-1 (Cyclones)Lost Conf. Semifinals 0-4 (Warriors)2023–24 50 21 25 3 1 46 148 171 6th of 8 MW15th of 23 GOJHL Lost Conf. Quarterfinals, 1-4 (Sugar Kings)2024–25 50 27 18 4 1 59 186 168 6th of 11 East Conf12th of 23 GOJHL Lost Conf. Quarterfinals, 2-4 (Meteors)2025-26 50 45 5 0 0 90 262 117 1st of 11 East Conf1st of 23 GOHL Won Conf. Quarterfinals, 4-0 (Corvairs)Won Conf. Semifinals 4-0 (Panthers)Won Conf. Finals 4-0 (Falcons)Won Sutherland Cup Finals 4-1 (Lincolns) Sutherland Cup Champions

Honours 1962–63 Central Junior C Hockey League regular season winner 1963–64 Central Junior C Hockey League regular season winner; playoff winner; Schmalz Cup winner: defeated Lindsay Lions 1969–70 Western Junior C Hockey League regular season winner; playoff winner; Schmalz Cup runner-up: defeated by Newmarket Redmen 2010–11 Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League Midwestern Conference regular season winner 2021-22 Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League Midwestern Conference playoff winner 2025-26 Greater Ontario Hockey League Regular season champions 2025-26 Greater Ontario Hockey League Eastern Conference champions 2025-26 Greater Ontario Hockey League Sutherland Cup champions

Sutherland Cup appearances 2026: Cambridge Redhawks defeated St. Marys Lincolns 4-games-to-1

Notable alumni Kirk Maltby (1988-1989) Marty Turco (1993-1994) Bryan Little (2002-2003) Todd Harvey (1989-1991) Jody Hull (1984-1985) John Cullen (1982-1983) Brian McGrattan (1997–98) Matt Moulson (2000–02) Rob Zamuner (1986) Steve McKenna (1991--92) Danny Syvret (2000-2002) Cody Bass (2002–03) Greg Jacina (1998–99) Jet Greaves Rumun Ndur (1992–93) Mark Versteeg-Lytwyn (2002–03) Bob Wren (1989–91)

References

External links Redhawks Webpage GOJHL Webpage