St. Catharines Falcons
CitySt. Catharines, Ontario, Canada
LeagueGreater Ontario Junior Hockey League
DivisionGolden Horseshoe
Founded1968
ColoursRed and White
   
General managerTyler Bielby
Head coachTyler Bielby
AffiliateNiagara IceDogs (OHL)
Championships
Playoff championships2012 Sutherland Cup 2022 Sutherland Cup

The St. Catharines Falcons are a junior ice hockey team based in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Golden Horseshoe division of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League. The Falcons play their home games inside Seymour Hannah 4-pad in Western Hill St. Catharines.

History

Jon D'Ilario during the 2014 playoffs.
Mark Rodgers during the 2014 playoffs.

The current Falcons franchise originated in 1968. The league entered the Niagara District Junior B Hockey League that same year. The Niagara "B" split with several teams, including St.Catharines, forming the Golden Horseshoe Junior Hockey League in 1974. The Falcons have competed every year in the league since 1968.

In 2012, the Falcons attempted to win the Sutherland Cup for the first time in six tries. They defeated the Brantford Eagles 4-games-to-2 to clinch their first ever OHA Junior B championship.

The 2013-14 Falcons had won the 2013-14 Golden Horseshoe regular season crown with the best record by a Junior B team since the 1980s (45-3-1), but were caught with too many imports against the Caledonia Corvairs and Welland Jr. Canadians. Due to the protest by those two teams to the Ontario Hockey Association, the Falcons were stripped of the two victories, which slipped them back to second place in the standings (43-5-1) and allowed Caledonia a superior record (45-3-1) and playoff seed.[1]

The Falcons won their franchise's second Sutherland Cup in the 2021-22 season after a dominating playoff run. The Falcons swept the first two rounds against the Pelham Panthers and Caledonia Corvairs, outscoring their opponents 40-11 with three consecutive shutouts. In the conference finals the Falcons defeated the Hamilton Kilty B's in a competitive series including a double overtime thriller and a defensive 1-0 battle to close out the series on home ice for the Falcons. The Falcons moved on to the re-vamped Sutherland Cup playoffs to face the Cambridge Redhawks (Midwest Conference) and the Chatham Maroons (Western Conference) in a home-and-home round robin tournament. After defeating Chatham 3-2 (OT) and 5-1 in the first two games, the Falcons lost their third and only game on home ice in the playoffs 4-3 in overtime but bounced back to beat the Redhawks 3-2 to finish the round robin with a 3-0-1 record, good enough for first place. In the Sutherland Cup Final, the Falcons defeated Chatham 6-2 on home ice at the Jack Gatecliff Memorial Arena, which would be the final game played in the historic arena's history. With a chance to win their second Sutherland Cup in franchise history, the Falcons defeated the Maroons 8-2 in front of a sold out crowd of 2300 in the Chatham Memorial Arena and successfully captured the Sutherland Cup.

Notable games

On March 26, 2006, in Game 6 of the semi-finals against the Thorold Blackhawks, the St. Catharines Falcons played a four-overtime game. If the Falcons had won they would have played game 7 on the same day game 6 ended.

On May 4, 2012, the St. Catharines Falcons defeated the Brantford Golden Eagles to capture the franchises 1st Sutherland Cup Championship

On March 23, 2016, the St. Catharines Falcons played the longest game in GOJHL and GOJHL Playoff history against the Ancaster Avalanche. The game included four overtimes and lasted 131 minutes and five seconds. The Avalanche defeated the Falcons 3-2

On May 29, 2022, the St. Catharines Falcons defeated the Chatham Maroons to capture the franchises 2nd Sutherland Cup Championship

Season-by-season results

SeasonGPWLTOTLGFGAPResultsPlayoffs
1968-693615155-154136355th NDJHL
1969-70369198-136170266th NDJHL
1970-71362853-231124591st NDJHL
1971-72352852-255119561st NDJHLWon League
1972-733518134-158146404th NDJHL
1973-74352285-217137493rd NDJHL
1974-754022144-248210484th GHJHLLost final
1975-76402875-291209611st GHJHLWon League
1976-77321976-235147441st GHJHLWon League
1977-78402695-285167571st GHJHLWon League
1978-79423552-322155721st GHJHLWon League
1979-804427134-296234584th GHJHLLost final
1980-81423624-308135761st GHJHLWon League
1981-82362097-233179471st GHJHLWon League
1982-834226124-261192561st GHJHLLost final
1983-844222119-246200533rd GHJHL
1984-85423048-274154681st GHJHLWon League
1985-864023107-268188532nd GHJHLWon League
1986-874225116-231171563rd GHJHL
1987-884217205-241233394th GHJHL
1988-894224144-231200523rd GHJHL
1989-904840602362188821st GHJHLWon League
1990-9142261321282186553rd GHJHL
1991-9242271221296194572nd GHJHLWon League
1992-9342271311272194563rd GHJHL
1993-944034600350153681st GHJHLWon League
1994-9542221644232194523rd GHJHLLost final
1995-9650331430224171693rd GHJHLLost final
1996-9742301011276169623rd GHJHLWon League
1997-9849301351248169662nd GHJHLLost final
1998-9948311403212140652nd GHJHLWon League
1999-0048311241215130672nd GHJHLWon League
2000-0148123510149266257th GHJHL
2001-0247102935165248286th GHJHL
2002-0348212430163187455th GHJHL
2003-0448163020126179345th GHJHL
2004-0548261831179139563rd GHJHL
2005-0649331321220167692nd GHJHLLost semi-final
2006-0749341122278183722nd GHJHLWon League
2007-0849281452208158633rd GOJHL-GHLost Conf. Final
2008-0952369-7261150791st GOJHL-GH
2009-1051388-5280146811st GOJHL-GHLost Conf. Final
2010-11513413-4218136723rd GOJHL-GHLost Conf. SF
2011-1251409-2257117821st GOJHL-GHWon League
2012-1351398-4298131821st GOJHL-GHLost Round Robin SF
2013-1449435-1253128872nd GOJHL-GHLost Conf. Final
2014-15493113-5222130672nd GOJHL-GHWon Conf. Quarter-finals, 4-1 (Blackhawks)
Won Conf. Semi-finals, 4-1 (Jr. Canadians)
Lost Conf. Finals 1-4 (Corvairs)
2015-1650331223212121712nd of 8-GH
5th of 26 GOJHL
Won Conf. Quarter-finals, 4-1 (Jr. Canadians)
Won Conf. Semi-finals, 4-2 (Avalanche)
Lost Conf. Finals 0-4 (Corvairs)
2016-175040703289101832nd of 9-GH
3rd of 27 GOJHL
Won Conf. Quarter-finals, 4-0 (Panthers)
Won Conf. Semifinals, 4-2 (Canucks)
Lost Conf. Finals 2-4 (Corvairs)
2017-185038813227116802nd of 9-GH
3rd of 26 GOJHL
Won Conf. Quarter-finals, 4-0 (Panthers)
Won Conf. Semifinals 4-3 (Jr. Canadians)
Lost Conf. Finals 0-4 (Corvairs)
2018-194739611259105802nd of 8-GH
2nd of 25 GOJHL
Won Conf. Quarter-finals, 4-0 (Jr. Canadians)
Won Conf. Semifinals 4-2 (Kilty B's)
Lost Conf. Finals 3-4 (Canucks)
2019-2050331511201119683rd of 9-GH
8th of 26 GOJHL
Won Conf. Quarter-finals, 4-0 (Panthers)
Incomplete Conf. Semifinals 3-2 (Canucks)
remaining playoffs cancelled
2020–21Season lost due to Covid-19
2021-224836101117878742nd of 8-GH
2nd of 25 GOJHL
Won Conf. Quarter-finals, 4-0 (Panthers)
Won Conf. Semifinals 4-0 (Corvairs)
Won Conf. Finals 4-2 (Kilty B's)
GH Conference Champions
Round Robin 3-1 vs. (Maroons) & (Redhawks}
Won League Finals 2-0 (Maroons)
Sutherland Cup Champions(2nd)
2022-235038660194111821st of 8-GH
1st of 25 GOJHL
Won Conf. Quarter-finals, 4-0 (Panthers)
Lost Conf. Semifinals 3-4 (Corvairs)

Sutherland Cup appearances

1979: Streetsville Derbys defeated St. Catharines Falcons 4-games-to-none
1990: Stratford Cullitons defeated St. Catharines Falcons 4-games-to-none
1994: Waterloo Siskins defeated St. Catharines Falcons 4-games-to-2
1997: Elmira Sugar Kings defeated St. Catharines Falcons 4-games-to-3
2000: Cambridge Winterhawks defeated St. Catharines Falcons 4-games-to-none
2012: St. Catharines Falcons defeated Brantford Eagles 4-games-to-2
2014: Caledonia Corvairs defeated St. Catharines Falcons 4-games-to-3
2022: St. Catharines Falcons defeated Chatham Maroons 2-games-to-none

Notable alumni

References

  1. "Costly clerical error | St. Catharines Standard". Archived from the original on 2014-02-28. Retrieved 2014-02-25.
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