Wingham Ironmen

Last updated
Wingham Ironmen
Wingham Ironmen.png
City Wingham, Ontario [1]
League Provincial Junior Hockey League
ConferenceNorth
DivisionPollock
Founded1973 [1]
Home arena North Huron Wescast Community Complex
Colours Blue, Yellow, and White
General managerChad Haggitt (2024)
Head coachChris Stewart (2024)

The Wingham Ironmen are a Junior ice hockey team based in Wingham, Ontario, Canada. [1] They began play in the Northern Junior D Hockey League and eventually moved up to the Western Junior C Hockey League [2] where they played until the 2016-17 season when the league became part of the Provincial Junior Hockey League (PJHL) as the Pollock Division.

Contents

History

Ironmen goalie during 2014 Clarence Schmalz Cup playoffs. 2014 Wingham Ironmen goalie.jpg
Ironmen goalie during 2014 Clarence Schmalz Cup playoffs.
Ironmen player during 2014 Clarence Schmalz Cup playoffs. 2014 Wingham Ironmen player.jpg
Ironmen player during 2014 Clarence Schmalz Cup playoffs.

Founded in 1973, the Ironmen started out in Northern Junior D Hockey League where they played for six seasons. [3] After some success at the Junior D level, the Ironmen joined the Central Junior C Hockey League in 1979. [1]

In 1980, the league changed its name to the Grey-Bruce Junior C Hockey League to reflect the centralization of the league in Grey-Bruce counties region. [1] The Ironmen won the league playoffs that year and advanced to the Clarence Schmalz Cup playoffs for the first time. Unfortunately, the Ironmen lost to the eventual finalist Essex 73's 4 games-to-1.

After two poor seasons, the Ironmen stormed back to the top of the standings winning the league and advancing to the Schmalz Cup playoffs yet again in 1984. However, the Great Lakes Junior Hockey League's Dresden Kings overwhelmed the Ironmen in four straight games to advance to the semi-finals.

In 1988, the Ironmen had a strong season by finishing second in the regular season standings and advancing to the playoff finals, However, the Ironmen did not participate in league play the following 1989-90 season.

In 2003-04, the Ironmen won the Western league title and went on to compete in the All-Ontario Clarence Schmalz Cup playoffs. In the quarter-final round, the Ironmen defeated the Stayner Siskens of the Georgian Mid-Ontario Junior C Hockey League in a hard fought seven game series. Waiting for them in the semi-finals were the Dresden Kings but the Ironmen were ready. Wingham made quick work of Dresden emerging with a 4-games-to-1 series win. In the finals, their competition was the Niagara Junior C Hockey League's Grimsby Peach Kings who swept the Ironmen to win the provincial title. [4]

The 2004-05 season saw the Ironmen take first place in the league. In the league semi-final, the played against the fourth seeded Goderich Sailors and defeated them 4-games-to-none. In the league final, the Ironmen drew their most common foe, the Kincardine Bulldogs. In a hard-fought battle, the Ironmen found themselves down 3-games-to-2 to the Bulldogs. In Game 6, the Ironmen came to play and defeating the Bulldogs 5-1. The decisive Game 7 ended with a 4–2 victory for Wingham. As Western league champions, the Ironmen found themselves competing for the Schmalz Cup again. In the provincial quarter-final, the Ironmen drew the Georgian Mid-Ontario Junior C Hockey League's Erin Shamrocks. The Ironmen defeated them 4-games-to-2. In the semi-finals, the Ironmen drew the challenging Great Lakes Junior C Hockey League's Essex 73's. The 73's were too much for the Ironmen to handle and they swept Wingham 4-games-to-none. [5]

In 2005-06, the Ironmen finished in first place again. They received a bye to the league semi-final. In the semi-final, the Ironmen were up against the Walkerton Hawks, whom they swept 4-games-to-none. In the league final, the Ironmen mixed it up with the Kincardine Bulldogs but were eliminated 4-games-to-1. [5]

The 2006-07 regular season ended with the Ironmen in second place. They again had a bye to the league semi-final. In the semi-final, the Ironmen ran into the Walkerton Hawks squad who defeated the Ironmen, 4-games-to-none. [5]

Season-by-season standings

SeasonGPWLTOTLGFGAPResultsPlayoffs
1973-74271593161107333rd NJDHLGroup Champions
1974-75281864-196114403rd NJDHLWon semi-final, 4-3 (Bears)
Lost final, 0-4 (Eagles)
1975-7628205317193431st NJDHLGroup Champions
1976-77241374167100303rd NJDHL
1977-7824195015569381st Jr D Grp #6Group Champions
1978-791st Jr D Grp #6Group Champions
1979-802917102-172117364th CJCHL West
1980-81301884-154182402nd GBJCHLWon league, lost CSC QF
1981-82307230-99177146th GBJCHL
1982-83306204-119170166th GBJCHL
1983-84301983-187123411st GBJCHLWon league, lost CSC QF
1984-853014124-152153322nd GBJCHL
1985-86302262-12624146th GBJCHL
1986-87249114-120150223rd GBJCHL
1987-883013143-167171293rd GBJCHL
1988-89302064-229138442nd WJCHL
1989-90Did not participate
1990-913012144-126149284th WJCHL
1991-92297184-129173186th WJCHL
1992-93301794-180141383rd WJCHL
1993-94311876-----422nd WJCHL
1994-953013125-152135315th WJCHL
1995-962914114-162120324th WJCHL
1996-97301695-152107372nd WJCHL
1997-98352771-16487552nd WJCHL
1998-99352861-15478572nd WJCHLWon quarter-final 3-0 (Patriots)
Won semi-final 4-1 (Patriots)
Lost Final 3-4 (Bulldogs)
1999-00*3523102-18294482nd WJCHLWon semi-final 4-3 (Barons)
Lost Final 1-4 (Bulldogs)
2000-01398292-100199185th WJCHLLost quarter-final 0-3 (W Hawks)
2001-023521113-152118453rd WJCHLWon quarter-final 3-1 (Wolves)
Lost semi-final 1-4 (Barons)
2002-03352111-3151117454th WJCHLWon quarter-final 3-0 (Patriots)
Lost semi-final 3-4 (Bulldogs)
2003-04342554017799541st WJCHLWon semi-final 4-0 (Patriots)
Won League 4-1 (Bulldogs)
Won CSC quarter-final 4-3 (siskins)
Won CSC semi-final 4-1 (Jr.Kings)
Lost CSC Final 0-4 (Peach Kings)
2004-054030442193101661st WJCHLWon semi-final 4-0 (Sailors)
Won league 4-3 (Bulldogs)
Won CSC quarter-final 4-2 (Shamrocks)
Lost CSC semi-final 0-4 (73's)
2005-06403252123797671st WJCHLWon semi-final 4-0 (W Hawks)
Lost final 1-4 (Bulldogs)
2006-074029803204135612nd WJCHLLost semi-final 0-4 (W Hawks)
2007-08401915-6196177444th WJCHLWon quarter-final 3-0 (Sailors)
Lost semi-final 0-4 (Bulldogs)
2008-09361915-2141115404th WJCHLWon quarter-final 3-2 (M Hawks)
Lost semi-final 0-4 (W Hawks)
2009-10361614-6105126385th WJCHLLost quarter-final 0-3 (Bulldogs)
2010-1136269-1196148532nd WJCHLWon quarter-final 3-0 (Sailors)
Lost semi-final 1-4 (W Hawks)
2011-12361913-4152119424th WJCHLWon quarter-final 4-1 (Bulldogs)
Lost semi-final 1-4 (W Hawks)
2012-13362214-0194142444th WJCHLLost quarter-final 2-4 (Patriots)
2013-1435266-3184125551st WJCHLWon semi-final 4-0 (Barons)
Won League4-3 (W Hawks)
Won CSC quarter-final 4-2 (Kings)
Lost CSC semi-final 1-4 (73's)
2014-15362970-17194581st WJCHLWon, Semi - 4-2 (Bulldogs)
Lost, League Final - 3-4 (W Hawks)
2015-163616191-130128335th of 7 WJCHLLost quarters-final, 2-4 (M Hawks)
2016-173611223-87140256th of 7
Pollock Div-PJHL
Lost Div Quarters, 0-4 (Patriots)
2017-1840221413158150485th of 7
Pollock Div-PJHL
Won Div Quarters, 4-0 (M Hawks)
Lost div semi-final, 0-4 (Patriots)
2018-194231821202119652nd of 7
Pollock Div-PJHL
Won Div Quarters, 4-0 (Flyers)
Won Div Semifinal, 4-0 (Bulldogs)
Lost Div Final, 2-4 (Patriots)
2019-204228903171107612nd of 7
Pollock Div-PJHL
Won Div Quarters, 4-0 (W Hawks)
Won Div Semifinal, 4-1 (Bulldogs)
no decision Div Final, 1-1 (Patriots)
Playoffs cancelled due to covid
2020-21Season Lost due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021-22321614119077345th of 7
Pollock Div-PJHL
Won Div Quarters, 4-2 (Bulldogs)
Lost div semi-final, 0-4 (Barons)
2022-2342261321146109554th of 7
Pollock Div-PJHL
Won Div Quarters, 4-0 (Bulldogs
Lost div semi-final, 0-4 (Patriots)
)
2023-2442172131102118386th of 8
Pollock Div-PJHL
lost Div Quarters 3-4 (Bulldogs )
2024-2542201930145157435th of 8 Pollock Div
10th of 16 North Conf
36th of 63-PJHL
Lost Div.quarterfinal, 1-4 (Bulldogs))

(*) The 1999-00 Season was altered drastically due to the folding of the Lakeshore Pirates. As a disproportionate number of games had been played by each team against Lakeshore, all history of these games were erased. [6]

Clarence Schmalz Cup appearances

2004: Grimsby Peach Kings defeated Wingham Ironmen 4-games-to-none [4]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Wingham Ironmen
  2. Western C Teams | Western Junior C Hockey League | Junior C | Leagues | Ontario Hockey Association
  3. Owen Sound Sun Times Sports section, February 1976
  4. 1 2 Ontario Hockey Association 2006-2007 Constitution, Regulations and Rules of Competition by The Ontario Hockey Association (2006)
  5. 1 2 3 4 Home | Ontario Hockey Association
  6. Owen Sound Sun Times Sports Section, November 1999.
  7. Owen Sound Sun Times Sports Section final standings
  8. London Free Press Sports Section final standings
  9. Mount Forest Confederate Sports Section final standings
  10. Owen Sound Sun Times Sports Section for Goal totals