London Nationals

Last updated

London Nationals
London Nationals Logo.svg
City London, Ontario
League Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League
ConferenceWestern Conference
Founded1950
Home arena Western Fair District Sports Centre
ColoursBlue, white, and black
   
Owner(s)Paul Duarte
General managerTony Mandarelli
Head coach Brandon Prust [1]
Website https://nationals.gojhl.ca/
Franchise history
1950–1958London Lou Ball Juniors
1958–1960London Diamonds
1960–1961London Athletics
1961–1965London Nationals
1965–1966Ingersoll Nationals
1966–1967London Bees
1969–1973London Squires
1973–1976London-Glencoe Squires
1976–1991London Diamonds
1991–presentLondon Nationals
Championships
Playoff championshipsSutherland Cup Champions: 2013
WOC Champions: 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
WOJHL Champions: 1981,1983,1984,1992
WJBHL Champions: 1964,1965
Big 10 West Champions: 1952

The London Nationals are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in London, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Western division of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League (GOJHL).

Contents

Paul Duarte is the current owner of the London Nationals, with Tony Mandarelli serving as general manager and Brandon Prust as the team's head coach. The Nationals play their home games at the Western Fair Sports Centre. The arena's seating capacity is 1,800, and features an international-sized ice surface measuring 100' X 200'.

History

Early days — 1950

The team's life began in 1950, playing in The Big '10' Western Division out of the Ontario Arena at the Western Fair grounds. They won the Western Division title in 1952 as the London Lou Ball Juniors, after sponsor Lou Ball's clothing store. In 1956 the 'Big 10' was divided, and London became a member of the Western Ontario Junior "B" Hockey League.

Consistent representation of the city of London at the Jr. B level began in 1950 with the London Lou Ball Juniors, playing in The 'Big 10' Western Division out of the Ontario Arena at the Western Fairgrounds. The team was named after Lou Ball Clothes, which were stores owned by coach Lou Ball, and they won the championship the following season. The team was known as the London Collinson Flyers during the 1955–56 season before reverting to Lou Ball Juniors for 2 more seasons. The name changed to London Diamonds in 1958, then to Athletics in 1960. In 1961 the team was renamed again. They were called the Nationals, after sponsor Canadian National Recreation Association, an organization of Canadian National Railways employees.

The Maple Leafs — 1963

In 1963 the Toronto Maple Leafs began sponsoring the Nationals. The Maple Leafs traditionally had affiliations with the Toronto Marlboros and St. Michael's Majors, however with the withdrawal of the Majors from the OHA, and the collapse of the Metro Junior A League, the Leafs were left with only one team. They decided to sponsor the junior team in London, which they wanted to play at the new London Gardens and be promoted to the Ontario Hockey Association.

The OHA initially balked at the proposition however, and so the Nationals continued to play in the Junior B league, winning the London Free Press Trophy as league champions in 1964 and 1965. For the 1965–66 season, the team was finally admitted to major junior hockey, and London's Junior B franchise moved to Ingersoll to make room for the Junior A Nationals. The Junior A team was renamed as London Knights in 1968, and the Nationals name disappeared from the London sports landscape.

The Bees, Squires and Diamonds — 1966

The Junior B team returned to London under the name Bees for the 1966–1967 season, but then fell dormant for two seasons. The team was revived in 1969 as the Squires, and played under that name until 1976. The team was then known as the Diamonds from 1976–1991, before the Nationals name was revived after a long-lasting sponsorship with a diamond jeweler dissolved.

The team's time under the Diamonds name was successful, as they claimed the Western Ontario Hockey League title in 1981, 1983, and 1984.

Nationals Name Returns — 1991

The next change came when Kent Phibbs purchased the team and changed the name back to the London Nationals, and they won the Western Jr. B championship that same year. The team uniforms were once again the blue and white of the Maple Leafs and the team remained at Nichols Arena for a few years.

Mr. Phibbs now moved the team back to the Gardens. In the summer of 1998, the team was sold again, this time to the Doug Tarry Group (London Knights). The team remained playing at the same arena, but the name had changed to the London Ice House. The team colors and logo were changed to eggplant and teal to match the affiliate and the team still played at the London Ice House. The team's most recent championship came in 2019 (4th straight) as Western Conference Champions.

In 2013, the Nationals defeated the Cambridge Winterhawks to win their first-ever Sutherland Cup. The Nationals appeared in back-to-back Sutherland Cups in 2016 & 2017, and again in 2019.

In 2020, the Nationals marked their 70th anniversary as a Jr. B franchise in London.

Championships

Sutherland Cup
GOJHL Champions

Bill Weir Trophy
GOJHL Western Conference Champions

Western Ontario Junior B Champions
Western Ontario Junior Hockey League

Western Junior B Champions
Western Ontario Junior B Hockey League

Season-by-season results

SeasonGPWLTOTLGFGAPStandingPlayoffs
1950–5114860———182nd Big '10' Western
1951–52161150—10768222nd Big '10' WesternWon League
1952–53181440———281st Big '10' Western
1953–54246180—119189124th Big '10' Western
1954–55255200—110204104th Big '10' Western
1955–56270270—6824905th Big '10' Western
1956–57279180—126167185th WJBHL
1957–583020100———402nd WJBHL
1958–593614220—165224283rd WJBHL
1959–60251240———26th WJBHL
1960–61320320—8639905th WJBHL
1961–623610251—201254217th WJBHL
1962–63353320—13334866th WJBHL
1963–644028111—260159572nd WJBHLWon League
1964–654023170—213181463rd WJBHLWon League
1965–664025150—237178503rd WJBHL
1966–67405350—124278105th WJBHL
1967–69Did not participate
1969–703616173—137169353rd WOJHL
1970–714110292—139240224th WOJHL
1971–723912189—173185335th WOJHL
1972–734221156—224203482nd WOJHL
1973–74404324—114239125th WOJHL
1974–754019156—186172442nd WOJHL
1975–763911226—168206286th WOJHL
1976–773813241—191274275th SWJBHLDNQ
1977–78403082—261171621st SWJBHLLost final
1978–794219185—227213435th WOJHL
1979–804222128—182127525th WOJHLLost final
1980–81423192—256147641st WOJHLWon League
1981–824222164—196180483rd WOJHLLost final
1982–83423174—263138661st WOJHLWon League
1983–84483477—297148751st WOJHLWon League
1984–854835130—285164701st WOJHLLost final
1985–86423453—275150711st WOJHL
1986–874228104—272162602nd WOJHLLost final
1987–8842132432190213317th WOJHL
1988–8941191642197193445th WOJHL
1989–9040201811205231424th WOJHL
1990–9148153030170259338th WOJHL
1991–9248301332274191651st WOJHL EastWon League
1992–9352252052——572nd WOJHL East
1993–9450252131273251542nd WOJHL East
1994–9552163402223281344th WOJHL East
1995–9651271752208184613rd WOJHL East
1996–9752231973220230563rd WOJHL East
1997–9852143503205307315th WOJHL East
1998–9952193201213282394th WOJHL East
1999-0054222705189232498th GOHL
2000–0154391113251143822nd GOHLLost final
2001–0254322101251169656th WOHL
2002–0348311403207182653rd WOHL
2003–0448271821172150575th WOHLLost final
2004–0548222213161173485th WOHL
2005–0648222510148165458th WOHLLost quarter-final
2006–07482123—4183178467th WOHLLost quarter-final
2007–08483014—4214175643rd GOJHL-WLost Conf. Final
2008–09523310—9221174752nd GOJHL-WLost Conf. Final
2009–10503710—3244133771st GOJHL-WLost Conf. SF
2010–11513413—4235162722nd GOJHL-WLost Conf. Final
2011–12512820—3185190593rd GOJHL-WLost SF Round Robin
2012–13512817—6196172624th GOJHL-WWon League
2013–14492919—1188150595th GOJHL-WLost Conf. SF
2014–15492224—3166166477th GOJHL-WLost Conf. SF
2015–1650311441212155672nd of 9-W
6th of 26-GOJHL		Won Conf. Quarters, 4–1 (Strathroy)
Won Conf. Semi-finals 4–2 (Lasalle)
Won Conf. Finals 4–2 (Flyers)
Won Sutherland Cup Semifinals, 4–2 (Cullitons)
Lost Sutherland Cup Finals, 0–4 (Corvairs)
2016–1750361310232131733rd of 9-W
7th of 27-GOJHL		Won Conf. Quarters 4–1 (Lincolns)
Won Conf. Semifinals 4–1 (Maroons)
Won Conf. Finals 4–1 (Flyers)
Won Sutherland Cup Semis 4–1 (Cyclones)
Lost Sutherland Cup Finals 1–4 (Sugar Kings)
2017–1850351203217121731st of 9-W
6th of 26-GOJHL		Won Conf. Quarters 4–0 (Rockets)
Won Conf. Semifinal 4-2 (Maroons)
Won Conf. Finals 4-0 (Stars)
Lost Sutherland Cup Semis 2-4 (Cyclones)
2018–1948331213217121732nd of 9-W
4th of 26-GOJHL		Won Conf. Quarters 4–0 (Stars)
Won Conf. Semifinal 4-1 (Lasalle)
Won Conf. Finals 4-0 (Flyers)
Won Sutherland Cup Semis 4–1 (Cyclones)
Lost Sutherland Cup Finals 3–4 (Siskins)
2019–19205042512217121871st of 9-W
4th2nd of 26-GOJHL		Won Conf. Quarters 4–0 (Legionnaires)
Incomplete Conf. Semifinal 1-0 (Lasalle)
Playoffs cancelled due to pandemic
2020–2021Season lost due to pandemic
2021–2248341121187121712nd of 9-W
5th of 25-GOJHL		Won Conf. Quarters 4–2 (Stars)
Lost Conf. Semifinal 1-4 (Maroons)
2022–2350341141228169732nd of 9-W
7th of 25-GOJHL		Won Conf. Quarters 4–0 (Stars)
Lost Conf. Semifinal 0-4 (Lincolns)
2023–2450361112218136751st of 8-W
3rd of 23-GOJHL		Won Conf. Quarters 4-1 (Kings)
Won Conf Semifinals, 4-1 (Lasalle)
Lost Conf. Finals 3-4 (Lincolns)

Playoffs

Sutherland Cup appearances

2013: London Nationals defeated Cambridge Winterhawks 4-games-to-3
2016: Caledonia Corvairs defeated London Nationals 4-games-to-none
2017: Elmira Sugar Kings defeated London Nationals 4-games-to-1
2019: Waterloo Siskins defeated London Nationals 4-games-to-3

Players

Retired numbers

NHL alumni

List of alumni who also played in the National Hockey League.

London Nationals Junior B [2]
London Diamonds Junior B [3]

Awards

GOJHL Western Conference

Team records

Team records for a single season
StatisticPlayerTotalSeason
Most Goals Craig Simpson 471982–83
Most AssistsAdam McKee652009–10
Most Points Craig Simpson 1111982–83
Most Game-Winning GoalsShuan Furlong92009–10
Most Powerplay GoalsChris McKay172009–10
Most Shorthanded GoalsGraham Spriel52005–06
Individual player records for a career
StatisticPlayerTotalCareer
Most GoalsAaron Dartch1122008–13
Most AssistsAdam McKee1152007–10
Most PointsAaron Dartch2512008–13
Most Games PlayedMax Vinogradov234*2015–20
Most Game-Winning GoalsNoah Schwartz182010–13
Most Powerplay GoalsAaron Dartch392008–13
Most Shorthanded GoalsCraig Watson61996–97
  • As of January 19, 2020

Arenas

Ontario Arena, 1950–1963

Original home of the London Nationals. Built on the property of the Western Fair.

London Gardens/London Ice House, 1976–2001

The London Gardens (see article) was built in 1963 and served as the home of the Nationals from 1963 to its closing in 2001. The building was renamed London Ice House in 1994. The arena is currently home to the Forest City Velodrome.

Ray Lanctin Arena (Medway Arena), 2002–2005

Medway Arena was renovated in 2009 after being built in 1967. Renovations include updates to the community centre, flooring and rink boards. Winter skating programs and events run throughout the winter season, and arena pad is available for lacrosse during the summer season. This facility is also equipped with a hall and kitchenette, perfect for private rentals..

Western Fair Sports Centre, 2006–present

The Sports Centre at Western Fair District is a state-of-the-art 160,000 square foot multi-use facility known as a leader amongst the many ice facilities available in London and Ontario.

Other arenas

Uniforms and logos

The original London Nationals were modelled off their parent club, the Toronto Maple Leafs up until the change to the London Knights. The team's logo was the same Leaf as used by the parent club at the time, except with the words "London Nationals" written out across the leaf instead of "Toronto Maple Leafs" The team over went numerous logo and uniform changes with sponsors including Chester Pegg & Phibbs Incorporated. The team adopted similar colours to the Knights (Eggplant & teal) in the 1990s to look more like their Jr A affiliate. The Knight's move to more modern colours in 2002 brought the Nationals' look back to the familiar blue & white look. Today's uniforms mimic the Maple Leafs look, adopting a blue, white & black colour scheme. In 2015, the Nationals adopted a black alternate jerseys with the team's crest logo.

Mascot

The Nationals' mascot is now known as "Lou", a tribute to the Lou Ball Juniors, a Jr. B team which played out of the Ontario Arena at the Western Fairgrounds beginning in 1950. The winning name was submitted in a "Name The Mascot" contest. Lou made his first appearance in 2012.

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References

  1. ↑ Pyette, Ryan (26 April 2024). "Full circle: Brandon Prust returns to London Nationals as head coach". The London Free Press . Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  2. ↑ www.legendsofhockey.net
  3. ↑ www.legendsofhockey.net
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