Petrolia Squires

Canadian senior ice hockey team

Petrolia Squires

City| Petrolia, Ontario
League| Western Ontario Athletic Association Senior Hockey League
Founded| 1960s
Home arena| Greenwood Recreation Centre
Colours| Green, Gold, Black, and White
General manager| Kent Helps
Head coach| Brad Wright
Franchise history
1960s-1973| Petrolia Chiefs
1973-Present| Petrolia Squires

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

## History[edit]

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.

The Squires found strong competition in the Continental League, 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.[citation needed] In their second season in the league, the Squires won the J. Ross Robertson Cup as league champions.[1] 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 and 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 Robertson Cup as OHA champions by defeating the Hornets 4-games-to-1,[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.[2] 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[edit]

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 | GF | GA | P | Results

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

1969-70 | 26 | 17 | 8 | 1 | - | 173 | 115 | 35 | 2nd TCIHL
1970-71 | 28 | 19 | 5 | 4 | - | 205 | 137 | 42 | 1st TCIHL
1971-72 | 27 | 17 | 7 | 3 | - | 155 | 104 | 37 | 2nd TCIHL
1972-74 | Statistics Not Available
1974-75 | 27 | 17 | 6 | 4 | - | 194 | 115 | 38 | 1st WICHL
1975-76 | Statistics Not Available
1976-77 | 25 | 22 | 1 | 2 | - | 260 | 60 | 46 | 1st SWICHL
1977-78 | 36 | 33 | 3 | 0 | - | 149 | 107 | 66 | 1st CSAHL
1978-79 | 42 | 32 | 8 | 2 | - | 282 | 157 | 66 | 1st CSAHL
1979-80 | 40 | 32 | 7 | 1 | - | 242 | 112 | 65 | 1st CSAHL
1980-81 | 35 | 23 | 10 | 2 | - | 218 | 138 | 48 | 2nd OHA Sr. A
1981-82 | 35 | 28 | 7 | 0 | - | 188 | 95 | 56 | 1st OHA Sr. A
1982-83 | 37 | 30 | 6 | 1 | - | 237 | 106 | 61 | 2nd OHA Sr. A
1983-84 | 38 | 25 | 13 | 0 | - | 180 | 158 | 50 | 3rd OHA Sr. A
1984-85 | 40 | 16 | 23 | 1 | - | 198 | 196 | 33 | 6th OHA Sr. A
1985-86 | 36 | 18 | 18 | 0 | - | 148 | 149 | 36 | 5th OHA Sr. A
1986-87 | 26 | 11 | 13 | 2 | - | 123 | 134 | 24 | 7th SCSBHL
1987-88 | 30 | 17 | 11 | 2 | - | 159 | 121 | 36 | 3rd SCSBHL
1988-89 | Did Not Participate
1989-90 | 29 | 12 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 139 | 196 | 25 | 4th SCSBHL
1990-91 | 30 | 12 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 119 | 159 | 25 | 8th SWSHL
1991-92 | 27 | 15 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 126 | 119 | 32 | 4th SWSHL
1992-93 | 23 | 19 | 2 | 2 | - | 152 | 73 | 40 | 1st SWSHL
1993-94 | 24 | 9 | 14 | 1 | - | 96 | 118 | 20 | 7th SWSHL
1994-95 | 28 | 11 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 121 | 144 | 26 | 4th SWSHL
1995-96 | 28 | 10 | 17 | 1 | - | 119 | 153 | 21 | 4th SWSHL
1996-97 | 29 | 9 | 16 | 1 | 3 | 109 | 129 | 21 | 3rd SWSHL
1997-98 | 30 | 11 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 129 | 152 | 24 | 4th SWSHL
1998-99 | 28 | 21 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 186 | 91 | 42 | 2nd SWSHL
1999-00 | 30 | 22 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 183 | 77 | 46 | 3rd SWSHL
2000-01 | 31 | 24 | 5 | 1 | 1 | \-- | \-- | 50 | 2nd SWSHL
2001-02 | 32 | 18 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 161 | 151 | 39 | 3rd SWSHL
2002-03 | 31 | 15 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 140 | 146 | 34 | 3rd OHA Sr. A
2003-04 | 32 | 19 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 139 | 122 | 42 | 1st OHA Sr. A
2004-05 | 32 | 11 | 19 | 1 | 1 | 129 | 160 | 24 | 5th MLH
2005-06 | 32 | 14 | 15 | - | 3 | 144 | 165 | 31 | 5th MLH
2006-07 | 30 | 16 | 14 | - | 0 | 139 | 179 | 32 | 2nd MLH
2007-08 | 30 | 6 | 22 | - | 2 | 115 | 154 | 14 | 5th MLH
2008-09 | 20 | 16 | 2 | - | 2 | 104 | 51 | 34 | 1st WOAA South
2009-10 | 20 | 14 | 5 | - | 1 | 109 | 78 | 29 | 2nd WOAA South
2010-11 | 26 | 20 | 6 | - | 0 | 132 | 93 | 40 | 3rd WOAA South
2011-12 | 24 | 14 | 10 | - | 0 | 122 | 102 | 28 | 5th WOAA South
2012-13 | 24 | 13 | 9 | - | 2 | 110 | 93 | 28 | 5th WOAA South
2013-14 | 24 | 11 | 10 | - | 3 | 107 | 107 | 25 | 5th WOAA South

## Notable alumni[edit]

* Todd Bidner
* Steve Stoyanovich

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b "Senior Series". Ontario Hockey Association. 2019. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
2. ^ The Sarnia Observer - Ontario, CA

## External links[edit]

* Official Squires Website

* v
* t
* e

WOAA Senior Hockey League teams

North Division|

* Durham Thundercats
* Elora Rocks
* Lucknow Lancers
* Mapleton-Minto 81's
* Ripley Wolves
* Saugeen Shores Winterhawks
* Shallow Lake Crushers
* Shelburne Muskies

South Division|

* Clinton Radars
* Goderich Pirates
* Komoka Classics
* Milverton Four Wheel Drives
* Monkton Wildcats
* Petrolia Squires
* Tavistock Royals
* Thedford Dirty Dogs
* Tillsonburg Thunder

Defunct teams|

* Arthur Tigers
* Drayton Icemen
* Durham Huskies
* Exeter Mohawks
* Lakeshore Winterhawks
* Listowel Jets
* Mildmay Monarchs
* Nottawasaga River Rats
* Walkerton Capitals
* Wingham Bulls

* Related articles: Western Ontario Athletic Association
* Central Ontario Hockey League

* v
* t
* e

Ontario Senior "AAA" ice hockey teams

ACH Teams|

* Brampton Buccaneers
* Dundas Real McCoys
* Hamilton Steelers
* Wentworth Gryphins

Former Sr. A
Teams 1990-Present|

* Aylmer Blues
* Baltimore Clippers
* Bothwell Bullets
* Brantford Blast
* Cambridge Hornets
* Chatham Pontiacs
* Cobourg Lynx
* Creemore Chiefs
* Deseronto Bulldogs
* Dorchester Dolphins
* Dresden Lumber Kings
* Dunnville Mudcats
* Durham Huskies
* Elora Rocks
* Exeter Mohawks
* Fort Frances Thunderhawks
* Ingersoll B's
* Kenora Thistles
* Kingston Aces
* Lakeshore Winterhawks
* London Admirals
* Marmora Lakers
* Norwood Vipers
* Ohsweken Riverhawks
* Orillia Tundras
* Oxford Blues
* Petrolia Squires
* Point Edward Comets
* St. Lawrence Falcons
* Shelburne Muskies
* Simcoe Gunners
* Stoney Creek Generals
* Strathroy Jets
* Tamworth Braves
* Thorold Athletics
* Thunder Bay K&A Twins
* Thunder Bay Bombers
* Tillsonburg Vipers
* Walpole Island Hawks
* Welland Whalers
* Whitby Dunlops
* Windsor St. Clair Saints

Defunct
Leagues|

* Eastern Ontario Senior Hockey League
* Major Intermediate A Hockey League
* Northern Senior A Hockey League
* OHA Senior A Hockey League (1929-1979)
* OHA Senior A Hockey League

* Related articles: J. Ross Robertson Cup (senior ice hockey)
* Renwick Cup
* Allan Cup
* Hardy Cup
* Hockey Canada

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