Petrolia Squires

The Petrolia Squires are a Senior ice hockey team based in Petrolia, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Western Ontario Athletic Association Senior Hockey League and are two-time Allan Cup National Champions.

Petrolia Squires
CityPetrolia, Ontario
LeagueWestern Ontario Athletic Association Senior Hockey League
Founded1960s
Home arenaGreenwood Recreation Centre
ColoursGreen, Gold, Black, and White
General managerKent Helps
Head coachBrad Wright
Franchise history
1960s-1973Petrolia Chiefs
1973-PresentPetrolia Squires

History

The Petrolia Chiefs were founded in the 1960s as members of the Tri-County Intermediate League. In 1973, the Chiefs won their league, but lost the Intermediate C provincial final to a team from Bracebridge, Ontario 4-games-to-none. Also in 1973, they changed their name to the Petrolia Squires as their league became the Western Intermediate C Hockey League.

In 1976, the Western Intermediate C Hockey League merged with the Seaway Intermediate C Hockey League to create the Seaway-Western Intermediate C Hockey League. The Squires played one season with the league and then moved up to the Continental Senior A Hockey League. In that one season, the Squires won the 1977 league championship as well as the provincial championship by defeating the Bradford Comets 4-games-to-1.

In the Continental League, the Squires found strong competition, with early feuds with the Durham Huskies and the Lucan-Ilderton Jets. As well, the Continental League was in competition for the Allan Cup, the National championship. In their second season in the league, the Squires won the league championship. They went on to meet the OHA Senior A champion Thunder Bay Twins in the Ontario Hockey Association final. The Squires won the series 4-games-to-2 and also won the Eastern Canadian senior championship as well, earning them a berth into the 1979 Allan Cup final. In the National final, the Squires met the Steinbach Huskies. The Squires won game one 6-5 in overtime, then game two 7-3. The Huskies took game three 5-4, before the Squires came alive won the next two 6-1 and 7-1 to win their first national title. To top off this feat, the Squires were invited to play in the World Senior Hockey Championships. During the event, the Squires lost to HC Kladno of the CSSR 5-3 and then tied the Soviet Union powerhouse Khimik Voskresensk 3-3.

In 1980, the Squires were defeated in the league final by a new foe, the Cambridge Hornets. The Squires and Hornets would meet in five straight league championships. Three would be won by Cambridge, two would be won by Petrolia, but each would walk away with another Allan Cup. In 1980, the Continental Senior A Hockey League was renamed the OHA Senior A Hockey League, as the original folded in 1979.

In 1981, the Squires won the OHA championship by defeating the Hornets 4-games-to-1, they also gained a berth to the Allan Cup. The Squires traveled all the way to Thunder Bay, Ontario to compete in a first-time round robin tournament for the prestigious trophy. Their first game saw the Thunder Bay Twins embarrass the Squires 8-3. Game two had the Squires defeat the St. Boniface Mohawks 6-4 and in game three the Squires beat the Grand Falls Cataracts 6-3. In the semi-final, the Squires drew Grand Falls again, while the Twins drew the Mohawks whom they just defeated 5-4 in overtime. The Squires repeated their 6-3 performance over the Cataracts, but the Twins were shocked by the Mohawks with a 4-3 loss. Petrolia beat St. Boniface 5-1 to win their second Allan Cup.

The 1982 playoffs ended a little tougher than 1981, with the Squires requiring all seven games to defeat the Hornets. The Squires were also Eastern Canadian champions. Petrolia qualified for their third Allan Cup, but were up against a tough Cranbrook Royals team at Cranbrook, British Columbia. The Royal won games one and two easily and the Squires made game three interesting but still lost. It took until game four until the Squires woke up and won 6-1, but it was too late as the Royals took game five 7-3 and the series to win the national championship.

In 1986, the OHA Senior A Hockey League was reduced in size and declared Senior AAA. The Squires dropped to their local Seaway-Cyclone Senior B Hockey League. After two seasons in the league, the Squires seemingly took a one-year leave from the Ontario Hockey Association for the 1988-89 season and returned in for the 1989-90 Seaway-Cyclone Senior B season. In a time where all Senior teams systematically disappeared and never came back, the Squires refused to disband and came right back to action.

In 1990, the Seaway Cyclone Senior B Hockey League merged with the Southern Senior A Hockey League to create the Southwestern Senior A Hockey League. The Squires are the only remaining team from the founding of the Southwestern League to still exist in modern hockey. Throughout the 1990s, the Southwestern League, led by Petrolia, struggled to stay alive and fought for recognition from the OHA and Hockey Canada to be declared the top level of senior hockey in the Province of Ontario. The Petrolia Squires and the city of Sarnia, Ontario were awarded the 2001 Allan Cup. In the first game, the Squires defeated the Stony Plain Eagles 3-1. They then met and were massacred by the home-province rival Dundas Real McCoys 8-0. In their final round robin game, a 2-2 tie with the Lloydminster Border Kings earned them a semi-final berth over the McCoys. In the semi-final, the Squires defeated Stony Plain 3-0, but fell to Lloydminster in the Allan Cup final by a score of 7-2.

In 2002, the Southwestern Senior A Hockey League was recognized as the Ontario Hockey Association's Allan Cup representative and was renamed the OHA Senior AAA Hockey League. In 2004, the league was renamed Major League Hockey.

The Petrolia Squires were the only Ontario Hockey Association Senior level team to have been founded prior to 2000, were the only team to still exist from the OHA Senior A Hockey League without ever disbanding, and were the only Intermediate level team to have survived and still play in the OHA (not including Western Ontario Athletic Association Senior Hockey League teams, who are not affiliated with the OHA). As of 2008, the Petrolia Squires have been a franchise for 38 seasons and only sat on the sidelines for one of those years.

In the summer of 2008, the Squires left the MLH and joined the Western Ontario Athletic Association Senior Hockey League.[1] On October 11, 2008, the Squires travelled to Thedford to defeat the Thedford Dirty Dogs 8-3 to win their first ever WOAA game. Petrolia had a very successful first season in the WOAA, finishing with a 16-2-2 record, earning 34 points, enough for first place in the WOAA South Division and first place overall.

The Squires were 2010 WOAA South Sr. AA Champions defeating the Lucan-Ilderton Jets 4-games-to-3, but fell in the Sr. AA Final to the Northern Champion Elora Rocks 4-games-to-2.

Season-by-season standings

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses, SOL = Shootout Loses*, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

SeasonGPWLTOTLGFGAPResults
1969-70261781-173115352nd TCIHL
1970-71281954-205137421st TCIHL
1971-72271773-155104372nd TCIHL
1972-74Statistics Not Available
1974-75271764-194115381st WICHL
1975-76Statistics Not Available
1976-77252212-26060461st SWICHL
1977-78363330-149107661st CSAHL
1978-79423282-282157661st CSAHL
1979-80403271-242112651st CSAHL
1980-813523102-218138482nd OHA Sr. A
1981-82352870-18895561st OHA Sr. A
1982-83373061-237106612nd OHA Sr. A
1983-843825130-180158503rd OHA Sr. A
1984-854016231-198196336th OHA Sr. A
1985-863618180-148149365th OHA Sr. A
1986-872611132-123134247th SCSBHL
1987-883017112-159121363rd SCSBHL
1988-89Did Not Participate
1989-9029121801139196254th SCSBHL
1990-9130121710119159258th SWSHL
1991-9227151011126119324th SWSHL
1992-93231922-15273401st SWSHL
1993-94249141-96118207th SWSHL
1994-9528111322121144264th SWSHL
1995-962810171-119153214th SWSHL
1996-972991613109129213rd SWSHL
1997-9830111720129152244th SWSHL
1998-99282170018691422nd SWSHL
1999-00302261118377463rd SWSHL
2000-013124511----502nd SWSHL
2001-0232181121161151393rd SWSHL
2002-0331151222140146343rd OHA Sr. A
2003-043219913139122421st OHA Sr. A
2004-0532111911129160245th MLH
2005-06321415-3144165315th MLH
2006-07301614-0139179322nd MLH
2007-0830622-2115154145th MLH
2008-0920162-210451341st WOAA South
2009-1020145-110978292nd WOAA South
2010-1126206-013293403rd WOAA South
2011-12241410-0122102285th WOAA South
2012-1324139-211093285th WOAA South
2013-14241110-3107107255th WOAA South

Notable alumni
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References
  1. The Sarnia Observer - Ontario, CA
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