Hespeler Shamrocks
NicknameShammies
CityHespeler, Ontario, Canada
LeagueProvincial Junior Hockey League
ConferenceSouth
DivisionDoherty
Founded1959 (1959)
Home arenaHespeler Memorial Arena
ColoursBlack, Green, Yellow, and White
       
General managerKen Brown (interim)
Head coachCole Cummings
WebsiteClub Website
Franchise history
1959–1960Simcoe Juniors
1960–1962Simcoe Pacers
1962–1969Simcoe Blades
1969–1972Simcoe Chargers
1972–1982Simcoe Jets
1983–1985Simcoe Penguins
1985–1988Simcoe Rams
1989–2017Simcoe Storm
2017–2018Simcoe Shamrocks
2018-PresentHespeler Shamrocks

The Hespeler Shamrocks are a junior ice hockey team based in Hespeler, Ontario, Canada. They are currently members of the Provincial Junior Hockey League. The team was known as the Simcoe Storm from 1989-2017 and had played in Simcoe, Ontario since 1959 before relocating in 2018.[1]

History

The Simcoe Juniors were founded in 1959 as members of the Niagara District Junior B Hockey League. A season later, they took the name "Pacers".

In 1961, the Simcoe Pacers jumped to the Central Junior C Hockey League. They soon changed their names to the Simcoe Blades.

1965: Championship Run

The Simcoe Blades finished their sixth season, fourth in the Central Jr. C league, with a record of 26 wins and only five losses. With first place clinched, the Blades met the pesky Hespeler Shamrocks in the Central League quarter-final. The Shamrocks battled hard and at one point even led in the series, but the Blades rebounded and won the series 4-games-to-2. In the league semi-final, the Blades drew the Preston Pals. The Pals were "out of their league" and were swept in three games in a best-of-five series. They then drew the Milton Merchants in the league final and defeated them four games straight to win the Central League Crown. With their league out of the way, they then moved into the Provincial play-downs. Their provincial semi-final opponent would end-up being the Point Edward Redmen, who had defeated the Port Huron junior team to advance this far. The best-of-five series was hard-fought. In game one, the Blades led 9-1 after two periods. In the third, a vicious line-brawl broke out involving all ten skaters and one goalie. Game one was one by the Blades 11-5. Game two saw the Blades come from behind to defeat the Redmen 5-2. The third game had the Blades show the Redmen exactly how good they were, as they crushed them 13-3 to take the series. In the other provincial semi-final, the Lindsay Merchants took out the Penetang Hurons 4-games-to-1 to meet the Blades in the final. The All-Ontario final took place in late April and early May 1965 between Simcoe and Lindsay. Simcoe took the first three games: 7-2, 5-1, and 3-1. Each game got closer as Lindsay grew stronger. Game four in Lindsay had the Merchants prove why they made the final, taking the game 6-5 with a huge surge in the second period. Game five was back in Simcoe on May 3. Lindsay made a game of it, leading 3-2 after the second frame. In the next period, the Blades scored the equalizer halfway through, before Doug Macaulay scored the winner with 3:34 remaining in the third in front of an estimated 1,400 fans. After only six years of existence, the Simcoe junior team won its first provincial championship.

The 1966-67 season has the Central league divide up into the Inter-county Junior C Hockey League and the Western Junior C Hockey League. The Blades went to the Inter-county league.

In 1969, the Blades folded less than 20 games into the 1968-69 Inter-county Junior C season. Their final game saw them take a 14-0 drubbing against the Ingersoll Marlands. With only nine skaters and a goalie at the game, the goaltender for the Blades quit the team at the end of the second period. Ingersoll's back up goalie played the remainder for the Blades. It would be the last game the "Blades" would ever play.

The next season, the team returned as the Simcoe Chargers.

In 1972, the team became the Jets and they joined the Central Junior C Hockey League. That season they would lose a nail-biting series to the Caledonia Corvairs, 3-games-to-2 in the league quarter-finals. The Corvairs would go on to win both the league and the OHA Junior C championship.

1974: Two-time Finalists

The 1973-74 proved to be a strange year for the Simcoe Jets. The Jets finished the 1973-74 season in third place with 20 wins, 10 losses, and only two ties. They entered the league quarter-finals against the Hanover Barons. The series proved to be a 3-games-to-none sweep for the Jets. In the semi-final, the Jets drew the New Hamburg Hahns. The usually powerful Hahns were not up to the challenge provided by the Jets, as Simcoe won 3-games-to-1. This entered the Jets into the Central Junior C League's finals against the Woodstock Navy-Vets. The Vets took game one 3-1, the Jets took back game two 4-2. The Vets won game three 4-1, while the Jets returned the favour in the overtime of game four, 3-2. The Jets then put on the "jets" and took their first series lead with a game five 2-0 victory. Woodstock, with their backs to the wall, came back and won both games six and seven (6-4, 3-1) to win the Central league crown. But the Jets were not out, not because they won but because Woodstock was technically too big of a town to play in the OHA Junior C playdowns. Woodstock moved on to play the Owen Sound Salvagemen in the OHA Super C finals (Woodstock won 4-games-to-none) and Simcoe gained a birth to the OHA Junior C semi-finals. In the semi-finals they were greeted by the Leamington Flyers of the Great Lakes Junior C Hockey League. Simcoe lost game one, 4-2, but took the next four straight 6-5, 4-1, 11-7, and 5-3 to earn a berth into the OHA Finals. The other finalists were the Cobourg Cougars, and the Jets had a good start against them with a 5-4 victory. Game two was won 6-5 in overtime by Cobourg. Game two was won 4-3 in double overtime, but was marred by a bench clearing brawl at the end of the first overtime period. Cobourg took game four in regulation 2-1 and then crushed a defeated Jets squad 9-6 in the fifth and final game. The Jets would be two-time finalists, but not champions.

In 1974, they joined the newly formed Niagara & District Junior C Hockey League. Then in 1976, they took another crack at Junior B with the Southwestern Junior B Hockey League. After two seasons with the SWJBHL, they then jumped to the Golden Horseshoe Junior B Hockey League.

1976–1980: Back in Junior B

In 1976, the Simcoe Jets took their franchise's second attempt at Junior B Hockey. Stepping on the ice with the Southwestern Junior B Hockey League, the Jets were promoted with the Brantford Penguins, Tillsonburg Mavericks, Woodstock Navy-Vets, London Diamonds, St. Thomas Colonels. The Jets finished the 1976-77 season with a 16-21-2 record. In the league's second and final season, the Jets finished with a near-identical record of 16-22-2. The SWJBHL was divided up, and the Jets found themselves in the Golden Horseshoe Junior B Hockey League. In their first season in the GHJHL, the Jets finished in sixth place with 13 wins, and in their second season, they finished seventh with 14 wins. After four losing seasons, the Jets elected to return to the Niagara & District Junior C Hockey League in 1980.

They were now known as the Storm and Stable, dating back to 1989. Prior to 1989, Simcoe had suffered almost annual financial strife. On top of folding in 1969, the franchise sat out the 1982-83 season as well as the 1988-89 season.

2006: Niagara Champions

After finishing second overall in the Niagara District Junior C league regular season standings with 28 wins, six losses, and two losses in overtime, the Simcoe Storm seemed destined for great things in the 2006 playoffs. In the Western Division semi-final, the Storm drew the Woodstock Navy-Vets. The Storm crushed the Vets in four straight games. In the Western Division final, the Storm then were challenged by the Norwich Merchants. The Storm took them out, winning the series 4-games-to-1, taking the Western Division crown. Next they took on the top ranked and annual Clarence Schmalz Cup contending Grimsby Peach Kings. The Storm shocked the Peach Kings by defeating them handily, 4-games-to-1, to win the Niagara League championship and gain a berth into the provincial semi-finals. In them semi-finals, the Storm drew the defending Schmalz Cup champion Essex 73's. The 73's knocked the Storm out, sweeping them in four games.

50 Years Anniversary

The 2008-09 season marked the 50th year since the founding of the franchise in 1959. The 2008-09 also marked the 20th anniversary of the "Storm" moniker. However, in 2017 the Storms quietly changed their name to the Shamrocks revealing green and gold uniforms at their season opener.[2]

Junior C Re-Organization

Prior to the start of the 2016-17 season the Southern Ontario Junior C leagues amalgamated under the Provincial Junior Hockey League. All the leagues remained intact but were group into conferences (two leagues to a conference) and all leagues received a new identity. For the Storm it meant that the Niagara & District Junior C Hockey League was now the Bloomfield Division of the South Conference.

COVID-19 Pandemic

The playoffs for the 2019-20 season were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to the team not being able to play a single game.

Season-by-season results

SeasonGPWLTOTLGFGAPResultsPlayoffs
1959-60236170-80117126th NDJBHL
1960-61251393-135124293rd NDJBHL
1961-62302361-149110472nd CJCHL
1962-63306168-128194205th CJCHL
1963-64302370-16499462nd CJCHL
1964-65312650-22392521st CJCHLWon League, won CSC
1965-663217141-154147355th CJCHL
1966-67304251-11918096th ICJCHL
1967-68317231-132182155th ICJCHL
1968-69183150-----65th ICJCHLFolded
1969-70303270-9827566th SCJDHL
1970-713016140-155163323rd SCJDHL
1971-722812151-127120255th SCJDHL
1972-733216133-----355th CJCHL
1973-743220102-208124423rd CJCHLLost League CSC Final
1974-75302334-----502nd NJCHL
1975-763620142-----423rd NJCHL
1976-773916212-231250344th SWJBHL
1977-784016222-212248344th SWJBHLLost semi-final
1978-794213236-227275326th GHJHL
1979-804314236-220262347th GHJHL
1980-813216133-----353rd NJCHL
1981-823213181-----273rd NJC-W
1982-83Did Not Participate
1983-84407312-----165th NJC-E
1984-85301281-8126335th SWJCHL
1985-86365292-----125th NJC-W
1986-87326224-----164th NJC-C
1987-88368226-----225th NJC-W
1988-89Did Not Participate
1989-90404342-----106th NJC-E
1990-91369225-142246236th NJC-E
1991-923617145-167162394th NJC-E
1992-933612186-176184304th NJC-W
1993-94369243-132214216th NJC-W
1994-95365301-96277117th NJC-W
1995-96405332-147330126th NJC-W
1996-9740182110149180374th NJC-W
1997-9838151814188210354th NJC-W
1998-99341320-1----275th NJC-WDNQ
1999-00361026-0----204th NJC-W
2000-0136122004----284th NJC-W
2001-0236131922----303rd NJC-W
2002-0336201203157132434th NJCHL
2003-043624903166110513rd NJCHLLost final
2004-05362690114690532nd NJCHLLost final
2005-063628602216124582nd NJCHLWon League - Lost CSC SF
2006-073625713236135542nd NJCHLLost quarter-final
2007-0836211221155123454th NJCHL
2008-09362211-3178153474th NJCHL
2009-1036295-2206115601st NJCHLLost semi-final
2010-11362013-3159154436th NJCHL
2011-12361717-2143160365th NJCHLLost semi-final
2012-13381520-3149166334th NJC-W
2013-14351322-0115169267th NJCHLLost quarter-final
2014-1542437-111927898th NJCHLLost quarters, 0-4 (Peach Kings)
2015-1642039127528638th of 8 NJCHLLost quarters, 0-4 (Rangers)
2016-17423390-8727468th of 8
Bloomfield Div-PHHL
Lost Div Quarters, 0-4 (Peach Kings)
2017-18423351381236108th of 8
Bloomfield Div-PHHL
Lost Div Quarters, 0-4 (Rangers)
Hespeler Shamrocks
2018-19427321268193178th of 8-PJHL
Bloomfield Div
Lost Div Quarters, 0-4 (Rangers)
2019-2042151953111133385th of 8-PJHL
Bloomfield Div
Lost Div Semis, 0-4 (Peach Kings)
2020-21Season Lost due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021-22369251183177206th of 7-PJHL
Dougherty Div
Lost Div Semis, 0-4 (Applejacks)
2022-23415323283205147th of 7-PJHL
Dougherty Div
Lost Div Semis, 0-4 (Applejacks)

Key:

NDJBHL - Niagara District Junior B Hockey League
CJCHL - Central Junior C Hockey League
ICJCHL - Intercounty Junior C Hockey League
SCJDHL - Southern Counties Junior D Hockey League
NJCHL - Niagara & District Junior C Hockey League
SWJBHL - Southwestern Junior B Hockey League
GHJHL - Golden Horseshoe Junior B Hockey League
SWJCHL - Southwestern Junior C Hockey League
PJHL - Provincial Junior Hockey League

Clarence Schmalz Cup appearances

1965: Simcoe Blades defeated Lindsay Muskies 4-games-to-1
1974: Cobourg Cougars defeated Simcoe Jets 4-games-to-1

Notable alumni

References

  1. "Shamrocks on the move".
  2. Robinson, Jacob (September 18, 2017). "Storm re-brand to 'Shamrocks'". simcoereformer.ca. Retrieved February 12, 2018.
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