Toronto Varsity Blues men's ice hockey
The Toronto Varsity Blues men's ice hockey team is an ice hockey team operated by the Varsity Blues athletics program of the University of Toronto. The Varsity Blues senior team won the Allan Cup in 1921 and 1927, and won the gold medal for Canada at the 1928 Winter Olympics.
Toronto Varsity Blues men's ice hockey | |
---|---|
University | University of Toronto |
Conference | OUA OUA West Division |
First season | 1891 |
Head coach | Darren Lowe 24th season |
Captain | Willy Paul |
Arena | Varsity Arena Capacity: 4,116 |
Colors | Blue and White |
Fight song | "The Blue and White" |
U Sports Tournament championships | |
1965-66, 1966-67, 1968-69, 1969-70, 1970-71, 1971-72, 1972-73, 1975-76, 1976-77 and 1983-84 | |
Conference Tournament championships | |
1906-07, 1907-08, 1910-11, 1912-13, 1914-15, 1919-20, 1921-22, 1922-23, 1923-24, 1924-25, 1925-26, 1927-28, 1928-29, 1931-32, 1939-40, 1946-47, 1947-48, 1950-51, 1954-55, 1955-56, 1956-57, 1957-58, 1958-59, 1961-62, 1963-64, 1965-66, 1966-67, 1967-68, 1968-69, 1969-70, 1970-71, 1971-72, 1972-73, 1974-75, 1976-77, 1977-78, 1981-82, 1983-84, 1992-93 |
The Blues play in the Ontario University Athletics conference and are coached by Darren Lowe. The team is based at Varsity Arena on the University downtown campus in Toronto, Ontario.
The Varsity Blues have won 39 conference titles in the OUA as well as 10 U Sports Championships: 1965-66, 1966-67, 1968-69, 1969-70, 1970-71, 1971-72, 1972-73, 1975-76, 1976-77 and 1983-84.[1][2]
History
The Varsity Blues were founded in 1891, and are the longest continuously operated ice hockey program in the city of Toronto.[3] The program currently includes only players enrolled at the University, however the Varsity Blues have historically had a junior ice hockey team for students, and a senior ice hockey team for graduates.
Notable coaches of the Varsity Blues include Conn Smythe, Ace Bailey, Tom Watt, and Mike Keenan, and Lester Bowles Pearson later Nobel Peace Prize recipient and Prime Minister of Canada.
Senior team
The Varsity Blues graduates were a successful OHA Senior "A" team in the 1920s and 1930s. The team won the 1921, 1927, 1929, and 1930 OHA Championship, and the 1921 and 1927 Allan Cups.
1928 Winter Olympics
The Varsity Blues were chosen to be the Canada men's national ice hockey team and competed in ice hockey at the 1928 Winter Olympics. The team, coached by Conn Smythe, won the Olympic gold medal for Canada after going undefeated in the medal round robin.
1928 Olympic roster:[4]
- Charles Delahaye
- Franklyn Fisher
- Louis Hudson
- Herbert Plaxton
- Hugh Plaxton
- Roger Plaxton
- John Primeau
- Frank Sullivan
- Joseph Sullivan
- Ross Taylor
- Dave Trottier
Some sources[5] show the names of Norbert Mueller and John Porter as being on the Olympic roster, but those two names are not listed in the "Official" Olympic Winter Games guide.[6]
Junior team
The Varsity Blues formerly operated a junior ice hockey team, that played in the Ontario Hockey Association in the 1930s, but withdrew from the junior loop during the 1939–40 season. Former NHL players Hugh Plaxton, Dave Trottier and Dunc Munro all played for the Varsity Blues.
Season-by-season results
Season | Games | Won | Lost | Tied | Points | Winning Pct. (%) | Goals for | Goals against | Standing |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1937–38 | 11 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 0.182 | 27 | 47 | 6th OHA |
1938–39 | 14 | 1 | 10 | 3 | 5 | 0.179 | 27 | 63 | 4th Group 1 |
1939–40 | 17 | 1 | 16 | 0 | 2 | 0.059 | 39 | 108 | 6th OHA |
NHL alumni
List of National Hockey League alumni involved with the Varsity Blues.[7] (seasons in parentheses)
|
|
|
References
- "History". U SPORTS. Retrieved 2020-02-25.
- "Ontario University Athletics (OUA)". oua.ca. Retrieved 2020-02-25.
- "Toronto Marlboros Hockey Club - Toronto Marlboros". www.torontomarlboros.com.
- The Official Olympic Games Companion: The Complete Guide to the Olympic Winter Games 1998 Edition, London - Washington: Brassey’s Sports, 1998, p. 128, ISBN 1-85753-244-9
- "ESPN.com - Olympics History". sports.espn.go.com.
- The Official Olympic Games Companion: The Complete Guide to the Olympic Winter Games 1998 Edition, London - Washington: Brassey’s Sports, 1998, p. 128, ISBN 1-85753-244-9
- "Legends of hockey alumni search". Archived from the original on 2004-09-01. Retrieved 2008-03-26.
External links
- Toronto Varsity Blues men's hockey website
- Toronto Varsity Blues men's hockey history
- Statistics and standings archive
Wikisource has original text related to this article: |
Preceded by Toronto Granites |
Canada men's Olympic ice hockey team 1928 |
Succeeded by Winnipeg Hockey Club |