Grimsby Peach Kings
Encyclopedia
The Grimsby Peach Kings are a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 Junior ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...

 team from Grimsby, Ontario
Grimsby, Ontario
Grimsby is a town on Lake Ontario in the Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada. Grimsby is a part of the Hamilton Census Metropolitan Area. The majority of residents reside in the area bounded by Lake Ontario and the Niagara escarpment...

. They play out of the Niagara & District Junior C Hockey League
Niagara & District Junior C Hockey League
The Niagara & District Junior C Hockey League is a Junior "C" ice hockey league in Ontario, Canada, sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Association. The Champion of the Niagara will compete for the All-Ontario Championship and the Clarence Schmalz Cup.-History:...

. Before joining the Niagara "C", the Kings played in the Golden Horseshoe Junior B Hockey League
Golden Horseshoe Junior B Hockey League
The Golden Horseshoe Junior Hockey League was a junior ice hockey league in Ontario, Canada, sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Association from 1974 until 2007. As of 2007, the league has become a division of the newly formed Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League...

.

History

One of the oldest hockey clubs in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....

, the Peach Kings officially joined the Ontario Hockey Association
Ontario Hockey Association
The Ontario Hockey Association is the governing body for the majority of Junior and Senior level ice hockey teams in the Province of Ontario. The OHA is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation along with the Northern Ontario Hockey Association. Other Ontario sanctioning bodies along with the...

 in 1922, however the "Peach Kings" moniker had been used for local sports teams for several decades prior. The name refers to Grimsby's unique ability to cultivate peaches, a fruit that cannot be farmed without proper conditions. Grimsby's location between Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...

 and the Niagara Escarpment
Niagara Escarpment
The Niagara Escarpment is a long escarpment, or cuesta, in the United States and Canada that runs westward from New York State, through Ontario, Michigan, Wisconsin and Illinois...

 plus soil types allow for this.

In the early 1920s Col. Roberts had built a large cold storage facility for fruit in the summer that had ample capacity to make ice in the winter. In turn, work began on an arena in the summer of 1921. When the arena opened in January 1922, it was one of only 8 arenas in the world and the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...

 soon took advantage of it for their training camp. Shortly after, the professional Saskatoon Sheiks
Saskatoon Sheiks
The Saskatoon Sheiks were a professional ice hockey team in the Western Canada Hockey League and Prairie Hockey League from 1922 to 1928. The team was based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, except for the end of the 1922 season, when they played in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.The team entered the WCHL in...

 (who were later sold to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

 to become the Rangers) also held training camps in Grimsby, and the town became an overnight hockey hotspot.

For the 1924-25 season, sponsors got involved and began scouring Ontario for the best hockey players to play for the Peach Kings. When this squad took to the ice in the fall of 1924, they skated on the same ice as Hall of Famers Howie Morenz
Howie Morenz
Howard William Morenz was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played centre for three National Hockey League teams: the Montreal Canadiens , the Chicago Black Hawks, and the New York Rangers...

, Georges Vézina
Georges Vézina
Joseph-Georges-Gonzague Vézina was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played seven seasons in the National Hockey Association and nine in the National Hockey League , all with the Montreal Canadiens...

, and Aurel Joliat
Aurel Joliat
Aurèle Émile "Mighty Atom, Little Giant" Joliat was a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens....

 skated on for training camp with the Canadiens. With Pud Reid as their captain, they took the league title that year playing against Brantford
Brantford, Ontario
Brantford is a city located on the Grand River in Southern Ontario, Canada. While geographically surrounded by the County of Brant, the city is politically independent...

, Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls, Ontario
Niagara Falls is a Canadian city on the Niagara River in the Golden Horseshoe region of Southern Ontario. The municipality was incorporated on June 12, 1903...

, Welland
Welland, Ontario
Welland is a city in the Regional Municipality of Niagara in Southern Ontario, Canada.The city has been traditionally known as the place where rails and water meet, referring to the railways from Buffalo to Toronto and Southwestern Ontario, and the waterways of Welland Canal and Welland River,...

, Port Colborne
Port Colborne, Ontario
Port Colborne is a city on Lake Erie, at the southern end of the Welland Canal, in the Niagara Region of southern Ontario, Canada...

, and Dunnville
Dunnville Terriers
The Dunnville Jr. Mudcats are a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in Dunnville, Ontario, Canada. They are playing in the Niagara & District Junior C Hockey League.-History:...

. In the OHA Intermediate A playoffs, the Peach Kings eliminated Paris
Paris Mounties
The Paris Mounties are a Canadian junior hockey team based in Paris, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Western Division of the Niagara & District Junior C Hockey League of the Ontario Hockey Association.-Season-by-Season record:...

, Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

, and New Hamburg
New Hamburg Firebirds
The New Hamburg Firebirds are a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in New Hamburg, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Western Division of the Niagara & District Junior C Hockey League of the Ontario Hockey Association.-History:...

 on their way to the finals. They beat Kingston
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...

 in a two-game series to take the OHA championship.

In accordance with the custom of the time, the Intermediate champions would play the previous year's Allan Cup
Allan Cup
The Allan Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the national senior amateur men’s ice hockey champions of Canada. It has been competed for since 1909. The current champion is the Clarenville Caribous hockey club of Newfoundland and Labrador.-History:...

 champions, the top senior amateur team in Canada. What was supposed to be a decisive victory for the famous Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
The Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds are a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. The Greyhounds play home games at the Essar Centre. The present team was founded in 1962 as a team in the Northern Ontario Hockey Association. The Greyhounds name has been used by several ice hockey...

 over Grimsby turned out different. With only 1000 fans watching at Toronto's Mutual St. Arena (the precursor to Maple Leaf Gardens
Maple Leaf Gardens
Maple Leaf Gardens is an indoor arena that was converted into a Loblawssupermarket and Ryerson University athletic centre in Toronto, on the northwest corner of Carlton Street and Church Street in Toronto's Garden District.One of the temples of hockey, it was home to the Toronto Maple Leafs of the...

) what was expected to a blowout, the Grimsby upstarts led 3-0 after two periods. The Greyhounds scored twice in the 3rd, but it was not enough as Grimsby held on. This marked the only time in history the Allan Cup titleholders lost to the Intermediates.
From this heralded team, Gerry Carson went on the play for the Montreal Canadiens, Shorty Horne played for the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

, and Pop McVicar, Artie Clark, and Pud Reid all played for the Chicago Cardinals of the American Association.

In 1939-40, the Peach Kings won the OHA Jr. C Final. Featuring Mush Miller and Red Mason, the Peach Kings defeated Bolton
Bolton, Ontario
Bolton is the most populated community in the town of Caledon, located in the Region of Peel, approximately 50 kilometres northwest of Toronto, in Ontario, Canada. In regional documents, it is referred to as a 'Rural Service Centre'. It has 26,478 residents in 8,721 households...

 to face Markham
Markham, Ontario
Markham is a town in the Regional Municipality of York, located within the Greater Toronto Area of Southern Ontario, Canada. The population was 261,573 at the 2006 Canadian census...

 in the provincial final. Games were held in Grimsby and the famed Maple Leaf Gardens. They brought home a second provincial championship and won the Clarence Schmalz Cup
Clarence Schmalz Cup
The Clarence Schmalz Cup is the Ontario Hockey Association's Junior "C" ice hockey championship and championship trophy. The tournament to determine the winner of the Cup is commonly called the All-Ontario Championships...

 (however it was yet to be named that).

Returning to Intermediate hockey after World War II, the Peach Kings had more good years. They won their local Fruitbelt League in 1946 and 1947, but lost to Owen Sound in the OHA playoffs in 1946. In 1947, they made it to the OHA finals to play the Markham Millionaires in a best of 5 series. With the Peach Kings leading the series 2-1, the series shifted to Grimsby ice. Fans lined up all afternoon to get into the tiny arena, and eventually over 2000 packed the rink to watch a 3-3 tie after 60 minutes. The 10-minute overtime period was not sudden death like it is today, and Markham scored early. But with less than 2 minutes remaining, Grimsby rookie Barry Blanchard wound up behind his own net, carried the puck down the ice, and dropped it to Norman Warner who evened the score. Then with 39 seconds remaining, William Hutchison put the puck past the Markham goalie to win the Provincial Championship.

The Peach Kings struggled through the 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s, but almost always retained a team wearing the Peach Kings sweater. Fortunes reversed however when the team was purchased in the mid-1990s and re-emerged as a Jr C team. By 2001, the team was strong claiming 1st place in the league for the 2002-03 season. In the playoffs, they dismissed Dunnville, Dundas
Dundas Blues
The Dundas Blues are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Dundas, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Eastern Division of the Niagara & District Junior C Hockey League of the Ontario Hockey Association.-History:...

, Norwich
Norwich Merchants
The Norwich Merchants are a Canadian junior hockey team based in Norwich, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Western Division of the Niagara & District Junior C Hockey League of the Ontario Hockey Association.-Season-by-Season record:...

 and the defending Ontario champion Essex 73's
Essex 73's
The Essex 73's are a Junior "C" ice hockey team based in Essex, Ontario, Canada. The 73's are members of the Great Lakes Junior C Hockey League and the Ontario Hockey Association.-History:...

 on the way to the OHA Finals. Led by captain Dean Davidson and stars Matt Hodges, Kyle Hodges, Biff Fuller, Don Forbes, Ryan Toth, and Josh Horley, the Peach Kings beat Georgina
Georgina Ice
The Georgina Ice are a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in Georgina, Ontario, Canada. They have played in the Central Ontario Junior C Hockey League of the Ontario Hockey Association since 1994.-History:...

 in four games to claim the Provincial "C" Championship for the first time since 1940.
The following year with many of the same players, as well as new ones such as Jay Anderson, Derek Nichols and Steve Foster playing a larger role, the Peach Kings repeated by winning again, this time over Wingham
Wingham Ironmen
The Wingham Ironmen are a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in Wingham, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Western Junior C Hockey League.-History:Founded in 1975, the Ironmen started out in Northern Junior D Hockey League...

 in the Finals. These were the first back-to-back championships in team history. The following year, 2004-05, the Peach Kings made a run for the finals again led by Hodges, Fuller, Toth, Nichols, Anderson, and Foster with newcomers like star goalie Steve Mason
Steve Mason (ice hockey)
Steve Mason is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League . He was selected 69th overall in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft by the Blue Jackets. Playing major junior in the Ontario Hockey League , he spent three seasons...

, Dan Ellis, Joel Bristo, Joel Agnew, and returnee Scott Clark, the Peach Kings played to the finals again looking to win for a third straight time. Taking a 3-2 series lead over the Essex 73's into the Grimsby Arena, it looked like Grimsby would win again having not lost at home all season. Essex, making their first of five straight Clarence Schmalz Cup
Clarence Schmalz Cup
The Clarence Schmalz Cup is the Ontario Hockey Association's Junior "C" ice hockey championship and championship trophy. The tournament to determine the winner of the Cup is commonly called the All-Ontario Championships...

 Finals appearances, fought back and won Game 6 and Game 7 in Essex and reclaimed the provinical title which Grimsby had held for the previous two years.

At the 2008 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships
2008 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 2008 IIHF World U20 Championship, or, as it is commonly referred to in Canada as the 2008 World Juniors and the United States, the 2008 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships is the 2008 edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships...

, former Peach King goaltender Steve Mason led the Canadian National Team to a fourth straight gold medal. He went 5-0 with a .951 save percentage at the tournament and won various awards: First Team All-Star, Top Goalie in the tournament, as well as MVP of the Tournament.

Grimsby has claimed eight straight Niagara East division titles from 2003 to 2010, ensuring they have finished in the final eight teams in Ontario over this time, only twice (2006 and 2009) not making the semi-finals (final four teams). However, recently the team has not matched the playoff success of the 2003 and 2004 championship years. The team has three Clarence Schmalz Cups.

Season-by-season results

Season GP W L T OTL GF GA P Results Playoffs
1975-76 40 10 25 5
201 257 25 6th GHJHL
1976-77 32 8 18 6
173 220 22 4th GHJHL
1977-78 40 23 12 5
273 209 51 3rd GHJHL
1978-79 42 21 18 3
254 220 45 4th GHJHL
1979-80 44 17 22 5
267 274 39 6th GHJHL
1980-81 42 14 25 3
218 263 31 6th GHJHL
1981-82 35 10 21 4
24 6th GHJHL Lost Final
1982-83 42 11 30 1
223 295 23 8th GHJHL
1983-84 42 12 23 7
193 261 31 5th GHJHL
1984-85 42 17 19 6
252 280 40 5th GHJHL
1985-86 40 12 26 2
160 232 26 10th GHJHL
1986-87 42 14 25 3
206 238 31 7th GHJHL
1987-88 42 12 24 6
209 272 30 6th GHJHL
1988-89 42 10 28 4
154 234 24 7th GHJHL
1989-90 48 5 42 0 1 183 363 11 9th GHJHL
1990-91 36 11 19 6
166 218 28 5th NJC-E
1991-92 36 23 8 5
228 135 51 1st NJC-E
1992-93 42 24 16 2
239 175 50 4th NJC-E
1993-94 42 10 28 4
165 227 24 7th NJC-E
1994-95 36 1 34 1
95 284 3 7th NJC-E
1995-96 36 11 20 5
130 189 27 5th NJC-E
1996-97 36 10 23 2 1 159 239 23 5th NJC-E
1997-98 42 12 27 3 0 149 272 27 6th NJC-E
1998-99 35 16 17 1 1 145 141 34 4th NJC-E
1999-00 36 27 6
3 164 114 57 2nd NJC-E
2000-01 36 20 11 4 1 154 114 45 3rd NJC-E
2001-02 36 24 9 3 0 161 110 51 2nd NJC-E
2002-03 36 30 2 3 1 176 95 64 1st NJCHL Won League, Won CSC
Clarence Schmalz Cup
The Clarence Schmalz Cup is the Ontario Hockey Association's Junior "C" ice hockey championship and championship trophy. The tournament to determine the winner of the Cup is commonly called the All-Ontario Championships...

2003-04 36 28 5 2 1 216 77 59 1st NJCHL Won League, Won CSC
2004-05 36 28 5 3 0 202 83 59 1st NJCHL Won League, Lost CSC Final
2005-06 36 33 3 0 0 194 82 66 1st NJCHL Lost Final
2006-07 36 28 7 0 1 207 103 57 1st NJCHL Won League, Lost CSC Semi-final
2007-08 36 32 2 2 0 213 62 66 1st NJCHL Won League, Lost CSC Semi-Final
2008-09 36 26 8
2 150 78 54 1st NJCHL
2009-10 36 27 9
0 135 92 54 3rd NJCHL Won League, Lost CSC Semi-final
2010-11 36 27 7
2 182 99 56 2nd NJCHL Won League, Won CSC

Clarence Schmalz Cup appearances

1940: Grimsby Peach Kings defeated Markham Millionaires
Markham Waxers
The Markham Waxers are an Ontario Junior Hockey League Junior "A" ice hockey team. The Waxer organizations are from Markham, Ontario, Canada.-History:...

 3-games-to-2
2003: Grimsby Peach Kings defeated Georgina Ice
Georgina Ice
The Georgina Ice are a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in Georgina, Ontario, Canada. They have played in the Central Ontario Junior C Hockey League of the Ontario Hockey Association since 1994.-History:...

 4-games-to-none
2004: Grimsby Peach Kings defeated Wingham Ironmen
Wingham Ironmen
The Wingham Ironmen are a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in Wingham, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Western Junior C Hockey League.-History:Founded in 1975, the Ironmen started out in Northern Junior D Hockey League...

 4-games-to-none
2005: Essex 73's
Essex 73's
The Essex 73's are a Junior "C" ice hockey team based in Essex, Ontario, Canada. The 73's are members of the Great Lakes Junior C Hockey League and the Ontario Hockey Association.-History:...

defeated Grimsby Peach Kings 4-games-to-3
2011: Grimsby Peach Kings defeated Alliston Hornets
Alliston Hornets
The Alliston Hornets are a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in Alliston, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Georgian Mid-Ontario Junior C Hockey League.-History:...

 4-games-to-1

Notable alumni

  • Paul Beraldo
    Paul Beraldo
    Paul Beraldo is a retired Italian Canadian professional ice hockey centre. He was selected 139th overall in the 1986 NHL Entry Draft by the Boston Bruins...

  • Bill Berg
    Bill Berg
    William Daniel Berg is a retired Canadian ice hockey player.-Playing career:Playing on both wing and defense, after a minor league apprenticeship with the Springfield Indians of the American Hockey League - with whom he won a Calder Cup in 1990 - Berg started his National Hockey League career with...

  • Bill Carson
    Bill Carson (ice hockey)
    William Joseph "Doc" Carson was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played 159 games in the National Hockey League. Born in Bracebridge, Ontario, he played for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins. He won the Stanley Cup in 1929 with the Boston Bruins, scoring the game winning goal...

  • Gerry Carson
  • George Horne
    George Horne (ice hockey)
    George Alexander "Shorty" Horne was a professional ice hockey right winger who played three seasons in the National Hockey League from 1925 to 1929 for the Montreal Maroons and Toronto Maple Leafs....

  • Steve Mason
    Steve Mason (ice hockey)
    Steve Mason is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League . He was selected 69th overall in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft by the Blue Jackets. Playing major junior in the Ontario Hockey League , he spent three seasons...

  • Jack McVicar
    Jack McVicar
    John Richard "Jack" McVicar was a professional ice hockey player who played 88 games in the National Hockey League. He played for the Montreal Maroons. He was born in Renfrew, Ontario.- External links :...

  • Dennis Ververgaert
    Dennis Ververgaert
    Dennis Andrew Ververgaert is a retired professional ice hockey right winger who played in the National Hockey League from 1973 until 1981. He is best known for his time with the Vancouver Canucks, where he was one of the club's top players in their first decade of existence...

  • Cooper Nauboris

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK