Metro Junior A League

Last updated June 13, 2023

The Metro Junior A League was a junior ice hockey league created in 1961 by Toronto Maple Leafs owner Stafford Smythe in an attempt to rival the OHA, and act as a farm system for his NHL team. The league operated for two seasons from 1961 to 1963. For those two seasons the Metro Junior A League champion won the Father John Conway Memorial Trophy and went on to play the OHA champion for the J. Ross Robertson Cup, and the right to continue on the road to the Memorial Cup.

After two seasons, the calibre of play in the league was subpar, and many of the franchises were still having serious financial problems, while the two old Toronto teams dominated the promoted junior B teams. The Metro experiment was cancelled in 1963 and many of the teams folded. The Toronto Marlboros and Oshawa Generals were readmitted to the OHA for the 1963–64 season.

1961–62 season

On June 6, 1961,St. Michael's College School which operated the Toronto St. Michael's Majors, chose to leave the OHA Junior A league seeking a shorter schedule with less travel that would impact academic performance of its student athletes.^[1]^[2] The Toronto Marlboros, who were also owned by Stafford Smythe, also withdrew from the OHA. On June 12, Punch Imlach of the Toronto Maple Leafs announced the formation of a new Metropolitan Jr.A league. ^[3] Smythe set about finding more teams to fill his league. The league started its first season with five teams, two of which were former OHA Junior A teams, and three promoted Junior B teams. The Marlboros and Majors would be joined by promoted Junior B teams, the Whitby Mohawks, the Brampton 7Ups, and the Unionville Seaforths.

The Marlboros and Majors both supplied players to the new teams in an effort to bring up their standard of competition, but the Majors easily won the league title that year, with the Marlies coming second. The Majors also prevailed in the playoffs against Brampton and the Marlboros. In the 1961–62 J. Ross Robertson Cup series, the Hamilton Red Wings defeated the Majors 4 games to 1.

1961–62 standings

Team	Games	Won	Lost	Tied	Points	Goals for	Goals against
Toronto St. Michael's Majors	33	25	7	1	55	170	91
Toronto Marlboros	33	18	9	6	44	141	103
Whitby Mohawks	36	14	20	2	30	123	170
Brampton 7Ups	36	11	21	4	26	143	189
Unionville Seaforths	36	10	21	5	25	133	157

Playoff results

Series A: St. Michael's defeated Whitby 8 points to 2.
Series B: Toronto Marlboros defeated Brampton 8 points to 2.
Finals: St. Michael's defeated Toronto 8 points to 6.

1962–63 season

By 1962 financial constraints had forced a re-organizing of the league. The Marlboros and 7Ups remained, but the Whitby Mohawks were renamed the Whitby Dunlops, the Unionville Seaforths became Toronto Knob Hill Farms, and the Majors became the Toronto Neil McNeil Maroons. The new sixth team in the league was the reborn Oshawa Generals team, featuring future Hockey Hall of Fame inductee, 14-year-old Bobby Orr, and playing in Bowmanville as there was no suitable arena in Oshawa. As opposed to the first season of the league, there was little effort to spread teams around the Toronto area, as Knob Hill, Neil McNeil and the Marlboros all called Maple Leaf Gardens home, usually playing doubleheader games on Tuesdays and Sundays.

St. Michael's College School decided to end the Majors program in 1962. The Toronto Maple Leafs prospect players were transferred to Neil McNeil High School with Jim Gregory remaining as coach and director of the Maple Leafs' farm system.^[4] The Maroons won the league title, then defeated the Dunlops and Marlboros in the playoffs. In the 1962–63 J. Ross Robertson Cup series, the Niagara Falls Flyers defeated the Maroons 4 games to 2.

1962–63 standings

Team	Games	Won	Lost	Tied	Points	Goals for	Goals against
Toronto Neil McNeil Maroons	40	33	4	3	69	260	110
Toronto Marlboros	40	22	12	6	50	217	159
Toronto Knob Hill Farms	40	14	20	6	34	121	154
Whitby Dunlops	40	11	21	8	30	167	225
Oshawa Generals	40	12	23	5	29	146	222
Brampton 7Ups	40	12	24	4	28	157	208

Playoff results

Series A: Neil McNeil defeated Knob Hill Farms 8 points to 0.
Series B: Toronto Marlboros defeated Whitby 8 points to 2.
Finals: Neil McNeil defeated Toronto Marlboros 8 points to 4.

1962/63 Metro Junior A League All-Star TeamsFirst Team GP-G-A-P (age) Gary Dineen C Neil McNeil Maroons 38-32-63-95 (19) Mike Corbett W Neil McNeil Maroons 37-44-50-94 (20) Duncan MacDonald W Toronto Marlboros 26-20-15-35 (20) Jim McKendry D Neil McNeil Maroons 34-2-17-19 (16) Frank Ridley D Toronto Marlboros 39-11-39-50 (20) Dave Kelly G Knob Hill Farmers 3.85 GAA (19)

Second Team Ron Ellis W Toronto Marlboros 36-21-22-43 (17) Terry Vail C Oshawa Generals 35-28-24-52 (20) Grant Moore W Toronto Marlboros 36-26-30-56 (19) Rod Seiling D Neil McNeil Maroons 38-29-48-77 (18) Bobby Orr D Oshawa Generals 34-6-15-21 (14) Gary Smith G Neil McNeil Maroons 2.35 GAA (19)

Related Research Articles

The Peterborough Petes are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. The team has played at the Peterborough Memorial Centre in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, since 1956, and is the oldest continuously operating team in the league.

George Edward Armstrong was a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 21 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Toronto Maple Leafs. He played 1,188 NHL games between 1950 and 1971, all with Toronto and a franchise record. He was the team's captain for 13 seasons. Armstrong was a member of four Stanley Cup championship teams and played in seven NHL All-Star Games. He scored the final goal of the NHL's "Original Six" era as Toronto won the 1967 Stanley Cup.

The Oshawa Generals are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. They are based in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. The team is named for General Motors, an early sponsor which has its Canadian headquarters in Oshawa. In November 2016, the General Motors Centre changed its name to Tribute Communities Centre. Its 184 graduates to the National Hockey League are second in the OHL. The Generals have won the Memorial Cup five times -, as well as a record thirteen Ontario Hockey League Championships, the J. Ross Robertson Cup -

The Toronto St. Michael's Majors were a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The most recent franchise was revived on August 15, 1996. In 2007, the team relocated to Mississauga, Ontario and became the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors until 2012. The hockey program was founded and operated by St. Michael's College School in 1906, and adopted the name "Majors" in 1934, and was commonly referred to as St. Mike's Majors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Niagara Falls Flyers</span> Ice hockey team

The Niagara Falls Flyers were two junior ice hockey franchises that played in the top tier in the Ontario Hockey Association. The first, a Junior "A" team existed from 1960 until 1972, and the second in Tier I Junior "A" from 1976 until 1982.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toronto Marlboros</span> Canadian ice hockey club

The Toronto Marlborough Athletic Club, commonly known as the Toronto Marlboros, was an ice hockey franchise in Toronto, Canada. Founded in 1903, it operated junior ice hockey and senior ice hockey teams in the Ontario Hockey Association and later the Ontario Hockey League. The Marlboros were a farm team to the Toronto Maple Leafs and one of the dominant junior teams in history, winning seven Memorial Cup championships. The senior team competed for the Stanley Cup in 1904, and won the Allan Cup in 1950. After decline from the late 1970s, the sale of the franchise, and a move away from Toronto, it became the Guelph Storm in 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Catharines Black Hawks</span> Canadian junior ice hockey team

The St. Catharines Black Hawks were a Canadian junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association from 1962 to 1976. The team was based in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada.

The Whitby Dunlops are a Canadian senior ice hockey team in the team in the Allan Cup Hockey league. The team began play in 2004, and is on a leave of absence as of the 2020–21 season.

The Montreal Junior Canadiens were a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Junior Hockey League from 1933 to 1961, and the Ontario Hockey Association from 1961 to 1972. They played out of the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlie Conacher</span> Canadian ice hockey player

Charles William "The Big Bomber" Conacher, Sr. was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings and New York Americans in the National Hockey League. An early power forward, Conacher was nicknamed "The Big Bomber," for his size, powerful shot and goal scoring. He led the NHL five times in goals, and twice led in overall scoring. Over five seasons from 1931-32 to 1935-36 Conacher was named to three NHL First All-Star Teams and two NHL Second All-Star Teams. He is an Honoured Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. In 2013, Charlie Conacher was inducted into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame. In 2017 Conacher was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Busher Jackson</span> Canadian ice hockey player

Ralph Harvey Jackson was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. Jackson played 15 National Hockey League (NHL) seasons between 1929 and 1944 for the Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Americans, and Boston Bruins. He was a member of the Maple Leafs' famed Kid Line with Joe Primeau and Charlie Conacher, one of the early NHL's dominant scoring trios. Jackson led the league in scoring in 1931–32 and was a member of Toronto's 1932 Stanley Cup championship team. He was named to five NHL All-Star teams and played in three benefit All-Star Games, including the Ace Bailey Benefit Game, the first All-Star contest in NHL history.

The St. Catharines Teepees were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association from 1947 to 1962. The team was based in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada.

The Kingston Frontenacs are a Canadian junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League, based in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. The Frontenacs play home games at Leon's Centre, which opened in 2008.

The Metro Junior "A" Hockey League was a junior level ice hockey league based out of Southern Ontario. The league originated in 1956 as the Metro Junior "B" Hockey League, which lasted until 1991, when it changed its designation from Junior B to Junior A. It remained a Jr. A league from 1991 until 1998 when it was absorbed by the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League.

In 1970, the Junior A level was divided into two more levels, Tier I and Tier II. In 1974, the "Major Junior A" division of the OHA became the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League (OMJHL) and began to operate independently of the OHA. Finally in 1980, the OMJHL became the Ontario Hockey League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hap Emms</span> Ice hockey player

Leighton Alfred Emms was a Canadian ice hockey player, coach, team owner, and general manager, during nearly 60 years in hockey. Emms played 17 seasons of professional hockey as a left winger and a defenceman, including 10 seasons and 320 games in the National Hockey League. After playing, Emms had a 33-year presence in the Ontario Hockey Association, as the owner of the Barrie Flyers, Niagara Falls Flyers, and St. Catharines Black Hawks between 1945 and 1978. Teams that Emms coached or owned appeared in eight Memorial Cup tournaments, winning four Memorial Cups. He was nicknamed "Happy Emms" due to the sour look on his face, which was later shortened to "Hap Emms".

The Toronto Neil McNeil Maroons were a junior ice hockey team in the Metro Junior A League as part of the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) Major Junior Series. The Maroons were operated by Neil McNeil High School in Scarborough, Ontario. The team finished its only season in first place, were coached by Jim Gregory and included prospect players for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The 1997–98 OHL season was the 18th season of the Ontario Hockey League. The Toronto St. Michael's Majors name was reactivated when they are awarded a franchise, to play in the east division. The Detroit Whalers became the Plymouth Whalers. Eighteen teams each played 66 games. The Guelph Storm won the J. Ross Robertson Cup, defeating the Ottawa 67's.

Michael Robert Walton is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Walton played forward in the National Hockey League (NHL) and World Hockey Association (WHA) from 1965 until 1979.

References

↑ "Times & Guide (1909), 14 Sep 1961, p. 9".
↑ Oliver, Greg (2017), pp. 70–71
↑ "Times & Guide (1909), 14 Sep 1961, p. 9".
↑ Oliver, Greg (2017), p. 71

Bibliography

Oliver, Greg (2017). Father Bauer and the Great Experiment: The Genesis of Canadian Olympic Hockey. Toronto, Ontario: ECW Press. ISBN 978-1-77041-249-1.

v t e Defunct OHA / OMJHL teams
Belleville Bulls Brantford Alexanders Barrie Flyers Brampton Battalion Brantford Lions Galt Black Hawks Galt Canadians Galt Red Wings Galt Rockets Guelph Biltmore Mad Hatters Guelph Indians Guelph Royals Hamilton Fincups Hamilton Lloyds Hamilton Majors Hamilton Red Wings Hamilton Steelhawks Hamilton Szabos Hamilton Tiger Cubs Hamilton Whizzers Kitchener Canucks Kitchener Greenshirts Kingston Canadians Kingston Raiders London Nationals Montreal Junior Canadiens Niagara Falls Flyers North Bay Centennials Oshawa Generals ^† Owen Sound Greys Plymouth Whalers Port Colborne Recreationists St. Catharines Black Hawks St. Catharines Falcons St. Catharines Fincups St. Catharines Teepees Stratford Kroehlers Stratford Midgets Toronto Aura Lee Toronto Lions Toronto Marlboros Toronto Native Sons Toronto St. Michael's Majors Toronto Varsity Blues Toronto Young Rangers Waterloo Hurricanes West Toronto Nationals Windsor Spitfires ^†
Metro Junior A League teams (1961–1963) Brampton 7Ups Oshawa Generals‡ Toronto Knob Hill Farms Toronto Marlboros‡ Toronto Neil McNeil Maroons Toronto St. Michael's Majors‡ Unionville Seaforths Whitby Dunlops Whitby Mohawks
† Formerly defunct franchise, currently active; ‡ Franchise transferred into OHA.
CHL Memorial Cup WHL QMJHL J. Ross Robertson Cup OHA history OHA standings OHL seasons