The 1974–75 OMJHL season was the first season of the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League. The league operated semi-autonomously while still being part of the Ontario Hockey Association. The OMJHL inaugurated the William Hanley Trophy, awarded to the most sportsmanlike player. Eleven teams each played 70 games. The Toronto Marlboros won the J. Ross Robertson Cup, defeating the Hamilton Fincups.
League business
The Major Junior A Series of the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) was rebranded as the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League (OMJHL) in 1974.[1][2] The league began operating semi-autonomously from the OHA, and later became fully independent.[3] Tubby Schmalz was appointed the first commissioner of the OMJHL on September 23, 1974.[4]
Schmalz set about to implement a revised mandatory player contract. It included a clause in which 20 per cent of a player's earnings during his first three professional seasons would go back to the junior clubs to recuperate development costs.[5] He explained that the clause was a result of Mark Howe and Marty Howe both departing in the summer for the Houston Aeros, and there was nothing in the OHA junior contract to cover development payments by professional teams.[6] The new clause was a basis for potential legal action against the World Hockey Association (WHA) which had not made payments to the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) or OHA.[5]
Schmalz confirmed in January 1975, that development payments from the National Hockey League (NHL) were coming, and that the WHA was holding a meeting in February to discuss the issue. WCHL president Ed Chynoweth said his league's governors agreed to withdraw from the CAHA if the payment issue was not resolved, and foretold the possibility of Canada's three major junior leagues banding together under one umbrella. The NHL and WHA were delinquent in $600,000 in payments as per the existing professional-amateur agreement.[7][8] The Winnipeg Free Press reported that the WCHL was negotiating a separate deal with the WHA for development fees, and the WCHL would break away from the CAHA after the 1975 Memorial Cup. Schmalz was angered at the report and called for the three major junior league to remain unified.[9]
In February 1975, the NHL and the WHA agreed to stop drafting underage junior players. Mark Napier of the Toronto Marlboros who was not drafted, signed a professional contract with the Toronto Toros later that month to take effect in the following season. Schmalz stated he would seek legal advice on the matter, with the possibility of suspending Napier for the remainder of the junior season.[10] During a game against the Marlboros, St. Catharines Black Hawks owner Hap Emms ordered his players to wear their jerseys backwards and play with their sticks upside down in protest of Napier's contract.[11] Schmalz later ruled Napier eligible to play, and suspended Emms for the remainder of the season and fined him $1,000.[12]
| Club | City | Arena | Capacity | Head coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton Fincups | Hamilton, Ontario | Hamilton Forum | 2,800 | Bert Templeton |
| Kingston Canadians | Kingston, Ontario | Kingston Memorial Centre | 3,300 | Jack Bownass |
| Kitchener Rangers | Kitchener, Ontario | Kitchener Memorial Auditorium | 5,679 | Don McKee Jim Morrison Eddie Bush |
| London Knights | London, Ontario | London Gardens | 5,000 | Bill Long |
| Oshawa Generals | Oshawa, Ontario | Oshawa Civic Auditorium | 4,025 | Gus Bodnar |
| Ottawa 67's | Ottawa, Ontario | Ottawa Civic Centre | 9,000 | Brian Kilrea |
| Peterborough Petes | Peterborough, Ontario | Peterborough Memorial Centre | 4,000 | Roger Neilson |
| St. Catharines Black Hawks | St. Catharines, Ontario | Garden City Arena | 2,800 | Paul Emms |
| Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario | Sault Memorial Gardens | 3,390 | Angelo Bumbacco |
| Sudbury Wolves | Sudbury, Ontario | Sudbury Community Arena | 5,750 | Stu Duncan |
| Toronto Marlboros | Toronto, Ontario | Maple Leaf Gardens | 16,316 | George Armstrong |
Regular season
Standings
| Rank | Team | GP | W | L | T | PTS | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | y-Toronto Marlboros | 70 | 48 | 13 | 9 | 105 | 469 | 303 |
| 2 | x-Peterborough Petes | 70 | 37 | 20 | 13 | 87 | 311 | 254 |
| 3 | x-Hamilton Fincups | 70 | 37 | 24 | 9 | 83 | 337 | 271 |
| 4 | x-Ottawa 67's | 70 | 33 | 30 | 7 | 73 | 379 | 382 |
| 5 | x-Sudbury Wolves | 70 | 31 | 29 | 10 | 72 | 324 | 281 |
| 6 | x-St. Catharines Black Hawks | 70 | 30 | 33 | 7 | 67 | 284 | 300 |
| 7 | x-Oshawa Generals | 70 | 28 | 33 | 9 | 65 | 288 | 306 |
| 8 | x-Kingston Canadians | 70 | 25 | 35 | 10 | 60 | 297 | 345 |
| 9 | London Knights | 70 | 26 | 37 | 7 | 59 | 296 | 368 |
| 10 | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | 70 | 25 | 36 | 9 | 59 | 312 | 367 |
| 11 | Kitchener Rangers | 70 | 17 | 47 | 6 | 40 | 239 | 351 |
Scoring leaders
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bruce Boudreau | Toronto Marlboros | 69 | 68 | 97 | 165 | 52 |
| Tim Young | Ottawa 67's | 70 | 56 | 107 | 163 | 127 |
| Dennis Maruk | London Knights | 65 | 66 | 79 | 145 | 53 |
| John Tonelli | Toronto Marlboros | 70 | 49 | 86 | 135 | 85 |
| Doug Jarvis | Peterborough Petes | 69 | 45 | 88 | 133 | 39 |
| Mark Napier | Toronto Marlboros | 61 | 66 | 64 | 130 | 106 |
| Peter Lee | Ottawa 67's | 70 | 68 | 58 | 126 | 82 |
| Dale McCourt | Hamilton Fincups | 69 | 52 | 74 | 126 | 57 |
| Cary Farelli | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | 69 | 56 | 65 | 121 | 35 |
| Paul Woods | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | 62 | 37 | 84 | 121 | 116 |
Playoffs
| League quarter-finals | League semi-finals | League finals | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Toronto | 9 | ||||||||||||
| 8 | Kingston | 7 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Toronto | 9 | ||||||||||||
| 5 | Sudbury | 7 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Ottawa | 6 | ||||||||||||
| 5 | Sudbury | 8 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Toronto | 8 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Hamilton | 6 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Peterborough Petes | 8 | ||||||||||||
| 7 | Oshawa | 2 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Peterborough | 4 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Hamilton | 8 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Hamilton | 8 | ||||||||||||
| 6 | St. Catharines | 0 | ||||||||||||
OMJHL quarter-finals
(1) Toronto Marlboros vs. (8) Kingston Canadians
| March 26 | Kingston Canadians | 1 – 5 | Toronto Marlboros | Maple Leaf Gardens | ||||
| March 28 | Toronto Marlboros | 4 – 9 | Kingston Canadians | Kingston Memorial Centre | ||||
| March 30 | Kingston Canadians | 1 – 9 | Toronto Marlboros | Maple Leaf Gardens | ||||
| April 1 | Toronto Marlboros | 7 – 9 | Kingston Canadians | Kingston Memorial Centre | ||||
| April 2 | Kingston Canadians | 6 – 6 | Toronto Marlboros | Maple Leaf Gardens | ||||
| April 5 | Toronto Marlboros | 3 – 5 | Kingston Canadians | Kingston Memorial Centre | ||||
| April 6 | Kingston Canadians | 2 – 5 | Toronto Marlboros | Maple Leaf Gardens | ||||
| April 7 | Toronto Marlboros | 9 – 7 | Kingston Canadians | Kingston Memorial Centre | ||||
| Toronto wins series 9 – 7 | |
(2) Peterborough Petes vs. (7) Oshawa Generals
| March 25 | Peterborough Petes | 6 – 4 | Oshawa Generals | Oshawa Civic Auditorium | ||||
| March 27 | Oshawa Generals | 4 – 9 | Peterborough Petes | Peterborough Memorial Centre | ||||
| March 28 | Peterborough Petes | 4 – 4 | Oshawa Generals | Oshawa Civic Auditorium | ||||
| March 29 | Oshawa Generals | 2 – 2 | Peterborough Petes | Peterborough Memorial Centre | ||||
| April 1 | Peterborough Petes | 5 – 2 | Oshawa Generals | Oshawa Civic Auditorium | ||||
| Peterborough wins series 8 – 2 | |
(3) Hamilton Fincups vs. (6) St. Catharines Black Hawks
| March 25 | St. Catharines Fincups | 1 – 10 | Hamilton Fincups | Hamilton Forum | ||||
| March 29 | Hamilton Fincups | 8 – 2 | St. Catharines Fincups | Garden City Arena | ||||
| April 1 | St. Catharines Fincups | 1 – 3 | Hamilton Fincups | Hamilton Forum | ||||
| April 3 | Hamilton Fincups | 7 – 3 | St. Catharines Fincups | Garden City Arena | ||||
| Hamilton wins series 8 – 0 | |
(4) Ottawa 67's vs. (5) Sudbury Wolves
| March 25 | Ottawa 67's | 1 – 6 | Sudbury Wolves | Sudbury Community Arena | ||||
| March 27 | Ottawa 67's | 2 – 4 | Sudbury Wolves | Sudbury Community Arena | ||||
| March 28 | Sudbury Wolves | 7 – 5 | Ottawa 67's | Ottawa Civic Centre | ||||
| March 30 | Sudbury Wolves | 4 – 6 | Ottawa 67's | Ottawa Civic Centre | ||||
| April 1 | Sudbury Wolves | 4 – 5 | Ottawa 67's | Ottawa Civic Centre | ||||
| April 4 | Ottawa 67's | 4 – 4 | Sudbury Wolves | Sudbury Community Arena | ||||
| April 6 | Sudbury Wolves | 2 – 2 | Ottawa 67's | Ottawa Civic Centre | ||||
| Sudbury wins series 8 – 6 | |
OMJHL semi-finals
(1) Toronto Marlboros vs. (5) Sudbury Wolves
| April 8 | Sudbury Wolves | 1 – 8 | Toronto Marlboros | Maple Leaf Gardens | ||||
| April 11 | Toronto Marlboros | 4 – 6 | Sudbury Wolves | Sudbury Community Arena | ||||
| April 13 | Sudbury Wolves | 4 – 4 | Toronto Marlboros | Maple Leaf Gardens | ||||
| April 14 | Toronto Marlboros | 3 – 5 | Sudbury Wolves | Sudbury Community Arena | ||||
| April 15 | Sudbury Wolves | 6 – 8 | Toronto Marlboros | Maple Leaf Gardens | ||||
| April 16 | Toronto Marlboros | 1 – 5 | Sudbury Wolves | Sudbury Community Arena | ||||
| April 18 | Sudbury Wolves | 2 – 3 | Toronto Marlboros | Maple Leaf Gardens | ||||
| April 19 | Toronto Marlboros | 5 – 4 | OT | Sudbury Wolves | Sudbury Community Arena | |||
| Toronto wins series 9 – 7 | |
(2) Peterborough Petes vs. (3) Hamilton Fincups
| April 8 | Hamilton Fincups | 5 – 2 | Peterborough Petes | Peterborough Memorial Centre | ||||
| April 10 | Peterborough Petes | 0 – 9 | Hamilton Fincups | Hamilton Forum | ||||
| April 12 | Hamilton Fincups | 0 – 5 | Peterborough Petes | Peterborough Memorial Centre | ||||
| April 13 | Peterborough Petes | 2 – 5 | Hamilton Fincups | Hamilton Forum | ||||
| April 15 | Hamilton Fincups | 2 – 4 | Peterborough Petes | Peterborough Memorial Centre | ||||
| April 16 | Peterborough Petes | 1 – 4 | Hamilton Fincups | Hamilton Forum | ||||
| Hamilton wins series 8 – 4 | |
J. Ross Robertson Cup finals
(1) Toronto Marlboros vs. (3) Hamilton Fincups
| April 20 | Hamilton Fincups | 5 – 6 | Toronto Marlboros | Maple Leaf Gardens | ||||
| April 22 | Toronto Marlboros | 7 – 4 | Hamilton Fincups | Hamilton Forum | ||||
| April 24 | Hamilton Fincups | 3 – 2 | Toronto Marlboros | Maple Leaf Gardens | ||||
| April 25 | Toronto Marlboros | 4 – 5 | Hamilton Fincups | Hamilton Forum | ||||
| April 27 | Hamilton Fincups | 3 – 5 | Toronto Marlboros | Maple Leaf Gardens | ||||
| April 29 | Toronto Marlboros | 3 – 7 | Hamilton Fincups | Hamilton Forum | ||||
| April 30 | Hamilton Fincups | 3 – 8 | Toronto Marlboros | Maple Leaf Gardens | ||||
| Toronto wins series 8 – 6 | |
Awards
See also
References
- ↑ Ferguson, Bob (2005). Who's Who in Canadian Sport, Volume 4. Markham, Ontario: Fitzhenry & Whiteside Ltd. p. 394. ISBN 1-55041-855-6.
- ↑ Jackson, Jonathon (April 26, 2005). "The man behind the Tubby Schmalz Cup". Owen Sound Sun Times. Owen Sound, Ontario. p. B1.
- ↑ "Schmalz Cup Trophy". Pointstreak. Ontario Hockey Association. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
- ↑ "Schmalz Now Commissioner". Winnipeg Free Press. Winnipeg, Manitoba. September 23, 1974. p. 42.
- 1 2 "OHA Junior Players Remain Unsigned". Winnipeg Free Press. Winnipeg, Manitoba. September 25, 1974. p. 71.
- ↑ "Junior owners file suit". Winnipeg Free Press. Winnipeg, Manitoba. September 21, 1978. p. 80.
- ↑ "Junior teams to get paid". Brandon Sun. Brandon, Manitoba. January 25, 1975. p. 6.
- ↑ "No compromise says president". Medicine Hat News. Medicine Hat, Alberta. January 27, 1975. p. 11.
- ↑ "WCHL Proposal Angers Schmalz". Winnipeg Free Press. Winnipeg, Manitoba. February 12, 1975. p. 60.
- ↑ "Signing turmoil continues". Medicine Hat News. Medicine Hat, Alberta. February 26, 1975. p. 15.
- ↑ Ludzik, Steve (2013-11-08). "Hap Emms will never be forgotten". Niagara Falls Review. Archived from the original on 2017-12-23. Retrieved 2017-12-27.
- ↑ "Emms fined $1,000". Lethbridge Herald. Lethbridge, Alberta. March 6, 1975. p. 15.
- ↑ "1974-75 OHA Playoff Results at hockeydb.com". www.hockeydb.com.