Wingham Ironmen

Wingham Ironmen
City	Wingham, Ontario [1]
League	Provincial Junior Hockey League
Conference	North
Division	Pollock
Founded	1973 [1]
Home arena	North Huron Wescast Community Complex
Colours	Blue, Yellow, and White
General manager	Chad Haggitt (2024)
Head coach	Dawson Smith

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.

History

Ironmen goalie during 2014 Clarence Schmalz Cup playoffs.

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

Season	GP	W	L	T	OTL	GF	GA	P	Results	Playoffs
1973-74	27	15	9	3		161	107	33	3rd NJDHL	Group Champions
1974-75	28	18	6	4	-	196	114	40	3rd NJDHL	Won semi-final, 4-3 (Bears) Lost final, 0-4 (Eagles)
1975-76	28	20	5	3		171	93	43	1st NJDHL	Group Champions
1976-77	24	13	7	4		167	100	30	3rd NJDHL
1977-78	24	19	5	0		155	69	38	1st Jr D Grp #6	Group Champions
1978-79								1st Jr D Grp #6	Group Champions
1979-80	29	17	10	2	-	172	117	36	4th CJCHL West
1980-81	30	18	8	4	-	154	182	40	2nd GBJCHL	Won league, lost CSC QF
1981-82	30	7	23	0	-	99	177	14	6th GBJCHL
1982-83	30	6	20	4	-	119	170	16	6th GBJCHL
1983-84	30	19	8	3	-	187	123	41	1st GBJCHL	Won league, lost CSC QF
1984-85	30	14	12	4	-	152	153	32	2nd GBJCHL
1985-86	30	2	26	2	-	126	241	4	6th GBJCHL
1986-87	24	9	11	4	-	120	150	22	3rd GBJCHL
1987-88	30	13	14	3	-	167	171	29	3rd GBJCHL
1988-89	30	20	6	4	-	229	138	44	2nd WJCHL
1989-90	Did not participate
1990-91	30	12	14	4	-	126	149	28	4th WJCHL
1991-92	29	7	18	4	-	129	173	18	6th WJCHL
1992-93	30	17	9	4	-	180	141	38	3rd WJCHL
1993-94	31	18	7	6	-	--	--	42	2nd WJCHL
1994-95	30	13	12	5	-	152	135	31	5th WJCHL
1995-96	29	14	11	4	-	162	120	32	4th WJCHL
1996-97	30	16	9	5	-	152	107	37	2nd WJCHL
1997-98	35	27	7	1	-	164	87	55	2nd WJCHL
1998-99	35	28	6	1	-	154	78	57	2nd WJCHL
1999-00*	35	23	10	2	-	182	94	48	2nd WJCHL
2000-01	39	8	29	2	-	100	199	18	5th WJCHL
2001-02	35	21	11	3	-	152	118	45	3rd WJCHL
2002-03	35	21	11	-	3	151	117	45	4th WJCHL
2003-04	34	25	5	4	0	177	99	54	1st WJCHL	Won league, lost CSC final
2004-05	40	30	4	4	2	193	101	66	1st WJCHL	Won league, lost CSC semi-final
2005-06	40	32	5	2	1	237	97	67	1st WJCHL	Lost final
2006-07	40	29	8	0	3	204	135	61	2nd WJCHL	Lost semi-final
2007-08	40	19	15	-	6	196	177	44	4th WJCHL
2008-09	36	19	15	-	2	141	115	40	4th WJCHL
2009-10	36	16	14	-	6	105	126	38	5th WJCHL	Lost quarter-final
2010-11	36	26	9	-	1	196	148	53	2nd WJCHL	Lost semi-final
2011-12	36	19	13	-	4	152	119	42	4th WJCHL	Lost semi-final
2012-13	36	22	14	-	0	194	142	44	4th WJCHL	Lost quarter-final
2013-14	35	26	6	-	3	184	125	55	1st WJCHL	Won league Lost CSC semi-final
2014-15	36	29	7	0	-	171	94	58	1st WJCHL	Won, Semi - 4-2 (Bulldogs) Lost, League Final - 3-4(W Hawks)
2015-16	36	16	19	1	-	130	128	33	5th of 7 WJCHL	Lost quarters-final, 2-4 (M Hawks)
2016-17	36	11	22	3	-	87	140	25	6th of 7 Pollock Div-PJHL	Lost Div Quarters, 0-4 (Patriots)
2017-18	40	22	14	1	3	158	150	48	5th of 7 Pollock Div-PJHL	Won Div Quarters, 4-0 (M Hawks) Lost div semi-final, 0-4 (Patriots)
2018-19	42	31	8	2	1	202	119	65	2nd of 7 Pollock Div-PJHL	Won Div Quarters, 4-0 (Flyers) Won Div Semifinal, 4-0 (Bulldogs) Lost Div Final, 2-4 (Patriots)
2019-20	42	28	9	0	3	171	107	61	2nd 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
2020-21	Season Lost due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021-22	32	16	14	1	1	90	77	34	5th of 7 Pollock Div-PJHL	Won Div Quarters, 4-2 (Bulldogs) Lost div semi-final, 0-4 (Barons)
2022-23	42	26	13	2	1	146	109	55	4th of 7 Pollock Div-PJHL	Won Div Quarters, 4-0 (Bulldogs Lost div semi-final, 0-4 (Patriots))
2023-24	42	17	21	3	1	102	118	38	6th of 8 Pollock Div-PJHL	lost Div Quarters, 3-4 (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]

• 1979-1981 & 1982-1996 ^[7]
• 1981-1982 ^[8]
• 1996-2004 ^{[9] [10]}
• 2004–Present ^[5]

Clarence Schmalz Cup appearances

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

References

1. 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. Ontario Hockey Association 2006-2007 Constitution, Regulations and Rules of Competition by The Ontario Hockey Association (2006)
5. 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

External links

• Ironmen Webpage