The Cambridge Hornets are a Senior ice hockey team in the Allan Cup Hockey League based in Cambridge, Ontario.
History
OHA Senior A League (1960–1979)
The club traces its origins to 1960 when it was founded as the Galt Terriers of the OHA Senior A League. The Terriers won the J. Ross Robertson Cup as league champions in the 1960–61 season. The Terriers won the 1961 Allan Cup championship, concluding their first season. As the reigning Allan Cup champions, the Terriers represented Canada at the 1962 Ice Hockey World Championships finishing 2nd place, winning the silver medal. Notable players from that era include, Dave Dryden, Tod Sloan, Darryl Sly and Bill Wylie.Legends of hockey alumni search – Galt Terriers The "Terriers" named itself had been used by teams in Galt dating back to the 1920s and 1930s, before World War II. Notable players included Larry Aurie, Clarence Boucher,Clarence a.k.a. Bowcher Boucher John Brackenborough, Art Gauthier, Norman Himes, Carl Liscombe, Cliff McBride, Mickey Murray and Jean Pusie.
Following the 1961–62 season, the Galt Terriers were renamed the Galt Hornets. Gord Renwick served as president of the Hornets from 1966 to 1973. He was encouraged to revive the team's ownership group by close friend, and the team's previous coach Bill Wylie. In 1966, Renwick named Earl Balfour as the team's new playing coach, and signed Gary Collins.
Two seasons later, the 1968–69 Hornets team won 52 of 67 games played. They won a second J. Ross Robertson Cup in a four-game sweep of the Barrie Flyers. In the national playoffs, Galt defeated the Gander Flyers in five games, then the Victoriaville Tigers in six games to reach the final. Galt captured the 1969 Allan Cup winning in four consecutive games over the Calgary Stampeders.
Renwick and the team executive used a share-the-wealth philosophy, where the players saw proportion of the team's profits. Galt won another Ontario championship in the 1970–71 season, with the goaltending tandem of Harold Hurley and Ken Broderick. In the playoffs, Galt defeated the Barrie Flyers, Orillia Terriers, Sault Ste. Marie, Thunder Bay Twins, and the Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts to reach the finals. Galt captured the 1971 Allan Cup winning in four consecutive games over the same Calgary team from 1969, and played to sellout crowds at the Galt Arena Gardens. The Hornets represented Canada at the 1971 Ahearne Cup in Stockholm, finishing in third place behind teams from Russia and Sweden.
The team later changed its name to the Cambridge Hornets, when Galt was amalgamated into Cambridge.
NHL alumni List of Galt Hornets alumni who also played in the NHL.Legends of hockey alumni search – Galt Hornets Earl Balfour, Ken Broderick, Gary Collins, Mike Corbett, Dave Cressman, Norm Defelice, Dave Dryden, Cec Hoekstra, Tom McCarthy, Vic Teal
List of original era Cambridge Hornets alumni who also played in the NHL. John Brenneman, Dave Cressman, Bob Dupuis, Gerry Gray, Gary Kurt, Dave Tataryn, Vic Teal
Season-by-season record Season GP W L T GF GA Pts Finish Playoffs1960-614021136135130482nd OHA Sr. AWon League, Won Allan Cup1961-623424100178102481st OHA Sr. A1962-634013252151214285th OHA Sr. A1963-644025105195144552nd OHA Sr. ALost Final1964-654024151167135492nd OHA Sr. A1965-664218222149181435th OHA Sr. A1966-674023143188162494th OHA Sr. A1967-684027121152105551st OHA Sr. ALost Final1968-693929100243131581st OHA Sr. AWon League, Won Allan Cup1969-70402611319811455OHA Sr. ALost Final1970-714032 8024610364OHA Sr. AWon League, Won Allan Cup1971-724027121197126552nd OHA Sr. ALost Final1972-734425181200153513rd OHA Sr. A1973-744028120165132563rd OHA Sr. A1974-754016213175181355th OHA Sr. A1975-764423201190170473rd OHA Sr. A1976-773422102188145462nd OHA Sr. A1977-784027121200151551st OHA Sr. A1978-794021181179170433rd OHA Sr. A1979-804029110245144582nd CSAHLWon League1980-813733 31290119671st OHA Sr. ALost Final1981-823423110201115463rd OHA Sr. ALost Final1982-834032 80316124641st OHA Sr. AWon League, Won Allan Cup1983-843826120244139521st OHA Sr. AWon League1984-854025123210137531st OHA Sr. A1985-863623130157144462nd OHA Sr. A1986-873413210158171264th OHA Sr. AAA
Sources:
Major League Hockey (1999–2006)
The Hornets finished the 2005-06 season in third place, or so they thought. In January 2006, they signed Chris MacKenzie a former semi-pro hockey player. Despite the fact that the player's driver's licence and health card listed him as a resident of Toronto, he lived most of the time in Indianapolis, Indiana. Two other teams in the league appealed the usage of this player as a violation of the league's residency rule, which resulted in a series of late season victories being overturned to these teams' favour. The overturned victories resulted in a drop to fifth and last place for the Hornets. Irate, the ownership of the Hornets pulled their team from the league and filed a lawsuit for damages. The Cambridge Hornets have not stepped on the ice since.Major League Hockey news release – February 27, 2006
NHL alumni List of modern era Cambridge Hornets alumni who also played in the NHL.Legends of hockey alumni search – Cambridge Hornets Jamie Allison, Gilbert Dionne, Todd Harvey, Steven Rice, Mike Torchia, Scott Walker, Peter Zezel
Season-by-season record
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses, SOL = Shootout Loses*, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
Season GP W L T OTL SOL Pts GF GA Finish Playoffs2001-023227 410055221 911st OHA SrLost Final2002-033121 7120451441041st OHA SrLost Final2003-04321911200401601372nd OHA Sr2004-05321812020401491483rd OHA Sr2005-06301314012291401445th OHA Sr
Source:
Allan Cup Hockey League
In April 2025, Allan Cup Hockey announced that the team would return in the 2025–26 season.
References
Further reading
Ottawa Citizen - 2 Jan 1962