Fergus Whalers

Last updated
Fergus Whalers
Fergus Devils.png
City Fergus, Ontario
League Provincial Junior Hockey League
DivisionPollock (North Conf)
Home arena Centre Wellington Community Sportsplex
Colours green, Royalblue, and White
General managerCraig Dool
Head coachRyan Black
Franchise history
1971-1987Fergus Green Machine
1990-2015Fergus Devils
2023-PresentFergus Whalers
Championships
League championsNJDHL: 1980
GMOHL: 1995, 1999, 2000, and 2001

The Fergus Whalers are a Junior ice hockey team based in Fergus, Ontario, Canada. They played in the PJHL), joining the league as an expansion franchise prior to the 2023-24. The team will play in the Pollock Division of the North Conference.

Contents

The Whalers will be a continuation of Fergus involvement in junior hockey taking the place of the Fergus Devils who were a Junior ice hockey team that played in the former Georgian Mid-Ontario Junior C Hockey League (now a part of the PJHL). They took a leave of absence for the 2015/16 season and have not returned.

History

The Fergus Green Machine were founded in 1971 in the South-Central Junior D Hockey League. [1] In 1973, the league was promoted to the Central Ontario Junior C Hockey League. [1] In 1974, the team seemed to have dropped off the map, but it turns out they had probably dropped to the fairly local Northern Junior D Hockey League. [2] In 1979-80, while in the Northern, the Green Machine picked up a 16-year-old Scottish defenseman named James Stephen Smith. [3] Smith led the team to a league championship, and all the way to the Ontario Hockey Association Cup final against the Belmont Bombers of the Western Ontario Junior D Hockey League. The Bombers knocked off the Machine 2-games-to-none in a best-of-3 series to win the All-Ontario championship. [4] Smith went on to play three seasons of Ontario Hockey League hockey with the London Knights before eventually winning three Stanley Cups with the National Hockey League's Edmonton Oilers. [3]

In 1983, the Green Machine returned to their old Junior "C" loop, [1] now known as the Mid-Ontario Junior C Hockey League. The Northern Junior D Hockey League folded two seasons later without the Fergus franchise. [5] In 1987 the Green Machine folded.

In 1990, the town of Fergus resurrected the team as the Fergus Devils. Still in the Mid-Ontario Junior C Hockey League, the Devils played two seasons of interlock with the Western Junior C Hockey League. Two years later, the Mid-Ontario merged with the Georgian Bay Junior C Hockey League to form the Georgian Mid-Ontario Junior C Hockey League. [6] It is unknown if the Devils won any Mid-Ontario championships. The Devils found their niche in the new league and won the league title in 1995, 1999, 2000, and 2001. The Devils have never reached the Clarence Schmalz Cup finals. [4]

The 2005-06 season saw the Devils finish in second play in the Georgian Mid-Ontario. In the league quarter-final, the Devils laid out the seventh-seeded Bradford Bulls 4 games to none. With a head of steam, the Devils played the fourth seeded Erin Shamrocks in the semi-final. The result was a 4-games-to-1 series win for the Devils. In the finals, the Devils locked horns with the first seed Penetang Kings. The Devils were no match for the Kings as Penetang swept the series 4-games-to-none to win the league championship. The Kings went on to win the Clarence Schmalz Cup. [7]

In 2006-07, a late season surge saw the Fergus Devils surpass the Alliston Hornets and Penetang Kings to gain the top seed in the league. As the Bradford Bulls had left the league to try their chances on an Independent Junior A league, the Devils received a bye in the league quarter-finals. The well rested Devils took on the fifth seeded Stayner Siskins in the league semi-final and beat them 4-games-to-1. Again in the finals, the Devils again faced the Penetang Kings. The Kings went up 2-games-to-none on the Devils with a pair of double overtime victories. The Devils came back ane won game 3 and 4 just to lose game 5 and 6. For the second straight year the Penetang Kings beat the Devils for the league title and again went on to win the Clarence Schmalz Cup. [7]

The Devils folded following the 2014/15 season.

Prior to the start of the 2023-24 Provincial Junior Hockey League season, Jason Baier secured a new franchise and introduced the Fergus Whalers. The team competed in the North Conference and the Pollock Division.


Season-by-season standings

SeasonGPWLTOTLGFGAPResultsPlayoffs
1971-72302163-215107451st SCJDHLWon league, lost OHA Cup SF
1972-73292135-214132491st SCJDHLLost final
1973-74302253-11423977th Central G1DNQ
1974-752810153-158164255th of 7 NJDHLDNQ
1975-76281693-162133354th of 8 NJDHLLost semi-final, 1-4 (Ironmen)
1976-77241464-164129322nd of 5 NJDHLWon semi-final, 4-1 (Ironmen)
1977-78
1978-79342284-230155482nd NJDHL
1979-80
1980-813012153-158198274th WOJCHL
1981-823013143-168164295th WOJCHL
1982-83Did not participate
1983-843412211-166202256th MOJCHLLost quarter-final
1984-853623121-224135452nd MOJCHLLost quarter-final
1985-863420140-183178403rd MOJCHL
1986-873321111-235166432nd MOJCHLLost final
1987-90Did not participate
1990-91343310-----66th MOJCHLLost quarter-final
1991-92347243-136220176th MOJCHLLost semi-final
1992-9338191441200187432nd MOJCHL
1993-944018211-233248374th MOJCHL
1994-953621141-----433rd GMOHLWon league, lost CSC QF
1995-964418242-204226387th GMOHL
1996-973616200-171162327th GMOHL
1997-983622140-159123442nd GMOHL
1998-99362592-178130522nd GMOHLWon league
1999-00363150-226123621st GMOHLWon league
2000-0136221112185140452nd GMOHLWon league
2001-0236211122165135463rd GMOHL
2002-0336171810126130356th GMOHLLost quarter-final
2003-0436161712165178355th GMOHL
2004-0540251041160117552nd GMOHL
2005-064225953170128582nd GMOHLLost final
2006-074129732220104631st GMOHLLost final
2007-0842271113208147583rd GMOHL
2008-09421427-1134202296th GMOHL
2009-10421326-3133219295th GMOHLLost quarter-final
2010-11401325-2132174287th GMOHL
2011-1240238-07926748th GMOHLLost quarter-final
2012-13401227-189165258th GMOHLDNQ
2013-14401719-4143170388th GMOHLLost quarters - 0-4 - (Hornets)
2014-15401620-4130169368th GMOHLLost quarters - 0-4 - (Hornets)
2015-16LEAVE OF ABSENCE
2016-17Assumed to have folded the franchise
Fergus Whalers
2023-2442201732152135454th of 8
Pollock Div-PJHL 		Won Div.quarterfinal, 4-0 - (Capitals)
Lost Div Semifinals, 2-4 (Barons)

Notable alumni

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Fergus Green Machine
  2. ↑ Owen Sound Sun Times Sports section, Februarys 1975, 1978, 1981
  3. 1 2 3 Legends of Hockey – NHL Player Search – Player – Steve Smith
  4. 1 2 Ontario Hockey Association 2006-2007 Constitution, Regulations and Rules of Competition by The Ontario Hockey Association (2006)
  5. ↑ AncasterShamrocks
  6. ↑ ExeterHawks
  7. 1 2 3 Home | Ontario Hockey Association
  8. ↑ http://www.ohahockey.org/ Provided by GMO League statistician
  9. ↑ Chris Driscoll's profile at hockeydb.com
  10. ↑ Fergus Devils Junior C Hockey
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