Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts

Last updated
Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts
City Grand Falls-Windsor, NL
League Central West Senior Hockey League
Founded1966 (1966)
Home arena Joe Byrne Memorial Stadium
ColoursGreen, white   
Franchise history
1928–48 Grand Falls
1948–55 Grand Falls All-Stars
1956–65 Grand Falls Andcos
1966–91Grand Falls Cataracts
1991–presentGrand Falls-Windsor Cataracts

The Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts are a senior ice hockey team based in Grand Falls-Windsor, Newfoundland and Labrador and a member of the Central Division of the Newfoundland Senior Hockey League.

Contents

Since it was founded in 1966, the Cataracts hockey club has been awarded the Herder Memorial Trophy eight times as all-Newfoundland senior hockey champions, including three consecutive championships from 2014 to 2016. The Cataracts were awarded the Evening Telegram Trophy on four occasions for finishing first overall in the NSHL regular season. The Cataracts won the Allan Cup in 2017 in Bouctouche, NB.

The Cataracts have played all their home games at the Joe Byrne Memorial Stadium, formerly known as the Grand Falls Stadium until 1991.

History

The Grand Falls Cataracts were founded in 1966 by a group led by Leo Murphy, Al Dwyer Jr., Jim Temple and Walter Davis and supported by the Cataracts Booster Club whose members were ex-hockey players and hockey fans. The Cataracts joined the Newfoundland Senior Hockey League (NSHL) for the 1966–67 season. The previous papertown entry in the provincial senior league, the Grand Falls Andcos, had folded at the end of the 1964–65 season. Winnipeg native Nick Mickoski was hired as the Cataracts' first head coach. At the end of the 1967-68 regular season, the Cataracts finished in first place and were awarded the Evening Telegram Trophy. The Cataracts won back-to-back all-Newfoundland senior hockey championships in 1981 and 1982 but did not join the NSHL in 1983–84. The club re-joined the NSHL in 1984–85 to make it a four-team league.

At the end of the 2010–2011 season, after finishing first place in the league, the Cataracts defeated the Conception Bay North Cee Bee Stars 4–0 in the finals series to win the Herder Memorial Trophy. It was the hockey club's first provincial senior hockey championship since 1982. From 2011 to 2014 the club was part of the re-formed Newfoundland Senior Hockey League. In 2012 Herder finals, the Cataracts were runners-up to the Clarenville Caribous who took the Provincial title.

On March 8, 2015, Cataracts' import Rob Hennigar scored the OT winner to win the CWSHL finals series four-games-to-two. The Cataracts were awarded their second straight all-Newfoundland senior championship and the home town received its thirteenth Herder Memorial Trophy.

The Cataracts won their first Allan Cup on April 15, 2017 in Bouctouche, NB after defeating the Lacombe Generals 7–4 in the final.

Season-by-season record

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

Led league in points Herder Trophy champions

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, DNQ = Did not qualify

NSHL = Newfoundland Senior Hockey League (1962-1989) or Newfoundland Senior Hockey League (2011-2014), NSHL-C = Newfoundland Senior Hockey League - Central Division, CBIHL = Central Beothuck Intermediate Hockey League, WCSHL = West Coast Senior Hockey League, CWSHL = Central West Senior Hockey League

Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts regular season and postseason statistics and results, 1966–present
SeasonLeagueRegular seasonLeague PostseasonHerder Playoffs
GPWLTOTLGFGAPTSFinishGPWLGFGAResultGPWLGFGAResult
1966-67NSHL4015223-146162335th-----Did not qualify
1967-68NSHL4021154-197156461st7343130Lost Herder semi-finals 3–4 to Corner Brook Royals
1968-69NSHL4017167-153150413rd6241936Lost Herder semi-finals 2–4 to Gander Flyers
1969-70NSHL4017185-173185394th7343029Lost Herder semi-finals 3–4 to Gander Flyers
1970-71NSHL3614175-148149333rd7432716Won Herder Memorial Trophy vs. St. John's Capitals, 4-3
1971-72NSHL362583-18898531st12120Won Herder Memorial Trophy vs. St. John's Capitals, 4-0
1972-73NSHL3617181-158149353rdLost Herder finals to St. John's Capitals, 0-4
1973-74NSHL3217114-171136382nd10556454Lost Herder finals to St. John's Capitals, 1-4
1974-75NSHL16862-8466182nd2021113Lost Herder semi-finals to Corner Brook Royals , 0-2
1975-76NSHL201262-11171262nd8444337Lost Herder finals to St. John's Capitals, 1-4
1976-77NSHL3211192-161179243rd, West3122121Lost Herder quarter-finals to Gander Flyers, 1-2
1977-78NSHL3219121-200163393rd, West303825Lost Herder quarter-finals to Gander Flyers, 0-3
1978-79NSHL308157-135172235th-----Did not Qualify for playoffs
1979-80NSHL3417152-191170363rd413Lost semi-finals 1–3 to Labatt BlueCaps
1980-81NSHL322093-198138431st11834733Won Herder Memorial Trophy vs. Corner Brook Royals, 4-2
1981-82NSHL3219103-212148412ndWon Herder Memorial Trophy vs. Gander Flyers, 4-3
1982-83NSHL3118112-174134382ndLost Herder finals 3–4 to Stephenville Jets
1983-84CBIHL241383293rd1394Won Central Beothuck League Championshipn/a
1984-85NSHL367281-170258154thLost Herder semi-finals 0–3 to Corner Brook Royals
1992-93CBIHL
1993-94CBIHL
2002-03WCSHL
2003-04WCSHL
2004-05WCSHL
2005-06WCSHL
2006-07WCSHL
2007-08WCSHL
2008-09WCSHL241212110116253rdlost 1–4 to Clarenville Caribous
2009-10WCSHL2416812483332ndlost 2–4 to Clarenville Caribous
2010-11NSHL24156-313495331stWon Herder Memorial Trophy vs. CBN Eastlink CeeBee Stars, 4-0 [1]
2011-12NSHL24157-210977322ndLost Herder finals to Clarenville Caribous 1-4
2012-13NSHL24203-111478411stLost Herder semi-finals
2013-14NSHL24195-012470381stWon Herder Memorial Trophy
2014-15CWSHL241310-19982272ndWon Herder Memorial Trophy vs. Corner Brook Royals, 4-0
2015-16CWSHL22156-19872311st10824517Won CWSHL championship vs. Corner Brook Royals, 4-1 [2] 330234Won Herder Memorial Trophy vs. St. John's Toyota Plaza Caps, 3-0
2016-17CWSHL18132-37652291stLost CWSHL championship in OT to Clarenville Caribous, 3-4Did not qualify
2017-18CWSHL16610-05565123rdLost CWSHL semi-final in OT to Clarenville Caribous, 1-4 [3] Did not qualify
2018-19NSHL-C17105-26548222nd6422318Won Central Division championship vs. Gander Flyers, 4-2 [4] 5411610Won Herder Memorial Trophy vs. Southern Shore Breakers, 4-1 [5]
2023-24CWSHL18134-111874272nd9544031Lost CWSHL championship vs. Deer Lake Red Wings, 1-4Did not qualify

Allan Cup results

YearLocationGPWLTOTLGFGARound-robin resultsPlayoffs Result
1971 Galt, Ontario 523--1619Lost Eastern final to Galt Hornets, 2-3
1972 Spokane, Washington with Kimberley, British Columbia 40400721Lost Eastern final to Barrie Flyers, 0-4
1981 Thunder Bay, Ontario 413001227Lost Eastern semi-final to Petrolia Squires, 3-6
1982 Sarnia, Ontario 623012132Lost Eastern final to Petrolia Squires, 0-3
2012 Lloydminster, Sask 4120112173rd Pool OneLost semi-final to South East Prairie Thunder
2015 Clarenville, NL 4210114122nd Division OneOT loss semi-final to Bentley Generals
2016 Steinbach, MB 32100981st Division OneLost semi-final to South East Prairie Thunder, 3-2
2017 Bouctouche, NB 440001791st Division TwoWon Allan Cup vs. Lacombe Generals, 7-4

Current roster

For the current team roster see the Cataracts profile on the league website

Leaders

Team captains

Head coaches

Team awards

Team MVP

(Cataracts most valuable player in the regular season)

James "Bucky" Hannaford Jr. Award

(Awarded to the player who shows dedication to the team both on and off the ice)

The Cohen's Cup

(Awarded to the Cataract receiving the most points on 3-Star selection during the regular season)

League trophies and awards

League individual awards

League MVP (in the regular season)

Top Scorer (in the regular season)

Top goal scorer (in the regular season)

Coach of the Year (in the regular season)

Top Goalie (in the regular season)

Top Defenseman (in the regular season)

Rookie of the Year (in the regular season)

Most Gentlemanly and Effective Player (in the regular Season)

Hockey NL (HNL) Trophies and Awards

HNL team awards

HNL individual awards

S. E Tuma Memorial Trophy (Top scorer in the regular season)


T.A. (Gus) Soper Memorial Award (Most valuable player in the Senior "A" leagues in the regular season)


Albert "Peewee" Crane Memorial Trophy (Senior league rookie of the year)


Howie Clouter Memorial Trophy (Most Gentlemanly and Effective Player in the regular season)


President's Goaltender's Award (Top goaltender in the regular season)


Top Defenseman (Top defenseman in the regular season)


Coach of the Year


Cliff Gorman Memorial Award (Most valuable player of the Herder Playoffs)

Honoured members

Note: (the year honoured is noted)

Retired numbers

Honoured Builders

NL Hockey Hall of Fame

The following people associated with the Cataracts have been inducted into the Newfoundland and Labrador Hockey Hall of Fame. Note: (the year of induction is noted)

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References

  1. Newfoundland Hockey Scene Issue 9 July 2011 page 8
  2. "Cataracts Win Central West | Newfoundland Hockey Talk". 16 March 2016.
  3. "Caribous win in overtime to eliminate Cataracts in CWSHL semifinals | SaltWire".
  4. "Newfoundland senior hockey: Cataracts advance to Herder final with Game 6 win over Flyers | SaltWire".
  5. "Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts are 2019 Herder champs | SaltWire".

Bibliography

  • Abbott, Bill (2000). Herder Memorial Trophy: A History of Senior Hockey in Newfoundland and Labrador. Breakwater Books.
  • Elliott, Jerry "Stats" (2010). Newfoundland and Labrador Senior Hockey: A Trip Down Memory Lane. Jerry Elliott.
  • Oldford, Roy (2023). Go Cats Go: The History of the Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts. Roy Oldford.