Thorold Blackhawks
CityThorold, Ontario, Canada
LeagueGreater Ontario Junior Hockey League
DivisionGolden Horseshoe
Founded1963
Home arenaThorold Community Arena
ColoursBlack, red, white      
Owner(s)Scott Barnes[1] (2017-18)
General managerScott Barnes (2017-18)
Head coachScott Barnes (2017-18)
Franchise history
1963-1975Thorold Jaycees
1975-1979Thorold Paper Bees
1979-1982Thorold Paper C's
1982-1986Thorold Golden Eagles
1986-2023Thorold Blackhawks

The Thorold Blackhawks were a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Thorold, Ontario. They played in the Golden Horseshoe division of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League.

History

The Thorold Jaycees joined the Niagara District Junior B Hockey League in 1963, three seasons after the folding of the Thorold Mountaineers. The Jaycees became the Paper Bees in 1975 and stayed with the league until 1979 when it folded. From 1979 until 1982, the team was known as the Thorold Paper C's and played in the local Niagara & District Junior C Hockey League. In 1982, the Paper C's became the Blackhawks and joined Golden Horseshoe Junior B Hockey League. The Blackhawks stayed members of the GHJHL until 2007 when it merged into the GOJHL.

The team consists of mostly local players between the ages of 16 and 21. The Blackhawks were League Champions in 2001, 2003, 2004, and 2005. In 2005, the team went on to capture the Sutherland Cup as the best Jr. B team in Ontario. Many players that started their careers in Thorold went on to play in the Ontario Hockey League, the American Hockey League, and the National Hockey League. Notable alumni include Nathan Horton, Sean Bentivoglio, John Scott, Zenon Konopka, Dwayne Roloson and Owen Nolan.

The Blackhawks played the longest game in club history on March 26, 2006, in a quadruple-overtime thriller of game 6 of their GHL Semi-final series against their arch-rival, the St. Catharines Falcons. The Blackhawks moved onto the GHL finals with this victory. The final score of this contest was 2-1 after Steve Zmudcynski beat St. Catharines' netminder Sean Hall with 5:06 left in the 4th overtime period. Zmudczynski received a long pass from Steve Chappell that set up the winning marker. The game lasted a little over four and a half hours and ended after midnight. An interesting side note from this game is that if there would have been a game seven it would have been played on March 27, the same day Game 6 ended.

In October 2013, a Facebook page called Is The Thorold Blackhawks Logo Offensive? was started,[2] which questioned the use of an aboriginal caricature as the team's logo.[3][4] The page garnered attention from local media and politicians and was brought to the attention of Thorold City Council.[5]

On August 4, 2016, Mayor Ted Luciani announced that the logo would be prohibited from the city's arenas from June 1, 2017.[6] The prohibition would apply to jerseys, signage and marketing materials. Luciani said that the city council had been working with the club since 2013 "to resolve the logo issue amicably" and that the club had been given "more than reasonable opportunity to address the issue." As a result, he said, "The City of Thorold will no longer permit the continued use of a logo that has been deemed offensive."[7]

During a pre-game ceremony at Frank Dougherty Arena on November 3, 2016, the team unveiled their replacement logo, a stylized head of a black bird of prey. Co-owner Tony Gigliotti – who had inherited the controversial logo when he bought the team in 2013 – said: "I understand how the old logo could offend people and that is something we never wanted to be part of. I created [the] new logo with the blackbird theme a few years ago with a graphic design guy in Toronto [James Brandan Walker] and we have tweaked it since then. I actually love the new logo and it is easily identifiable for young children and all our fans so we think it will be part of a good marketing plan in the future."[8][9]

2016-17 season

On February 14, 2017, the Blackhawks announced they were ceasing operations for the remainder of the season due to inability to sustain a full roster. Citing concerns for player safety, the team elected to cease operations with 8 games remaining in the season, which will be recorded as 5-0 forfeit wins for their opponent.[10]

Move to Port Colborne and Permanent Relocation

Due to ongoing renovations to the Thorold Community Arena, the Blackhawks announced on July 19, 2022, that they would be playing the upcoming 2022–23 season out of the Vale Centre in nearby Port Colborne.[11] On May 5, 2023, the Blackhawks announced they would be making the move permanent and would be officially relocating to Port Colborne for the 2023–24 season, thus ending 60 years of Junior hockey in Thorold.[12]

Season-by-season results

SeasonGPWLTOTLGFGAPResultsPlayoffs
1959-60248124-101124204th NDJBHL
1963-64305232-120263126th NDJBHLDNQ
1964-653010182-133201226th NDJBHLLost semi-final
1965-663011163-162220256th NDJBHLLost quarter-final
1966-67--------3rd NDJBHL
1967-683012135-148161294th NDJBHL
1968-69367227-167238216th NDJBHL
1969-703613203-163208295th NDJBHL
1970-713613176-177221325th NDJBHL
1971-723514174-185195326th NDJBHL
1972-733511240-129212227th NDJBHL
1973-74353293-10722898th NDJBHL
1974-75358225-121181215th NDJBHL
1975-764023107-158126533rd NDJBHL
1976-773914241-162217314th NDJBHL
1977-784011245-170240274th NDJBHLLost semi-final
1978-79405th NDJBHLDNQ
1979-803517155-224199373rd NJC-E
1980-814026140-247213522nd NJC-ELost quarter-final
1981-82Niagara-Can-Am Jr. C Statistics Not Available
1982-834213263-241293297th GHJHL
1983-84429285-178252238th GHJHL
1984-85422391-15038158th GHJHL
1985-864019183-184215416th GHJHL
1986-874215189-202233395th GHJHL
1987-884217214-209270385th GHJHL
1988-894225107-197148572nd GHJHLLost final
1989-9048311412246200652nd GHJHLLost final
1990-9142261420236182544th GHJHL
1991-9242152610189219316th GHJHL
1992-9342221613239219484th GHJHL
1993-9440251212270178532nd GHJHLLost final
1994-9542192121188220414th GHJHL
1995-9642102633190235267th GHJHL
1996-9742142251181181346th GHJHL
1997-9849261643255213594th GHJHL
1998-9947172451167180405th GHJHL
1999-0048321312237155671st GHJHLLost final
2000-0148311070220126692nd GHJHLWon League
2001-0248311232216138673rd GHJHLLost final
2002-034841430282100851st GHJHLWon League
2003-04483477017984752nd GHJHLWon League
2004-05483765018585791st GHJHLWon League, won Sutherland Cup
2005-0649291820192125603rd GHJHLLost final
2006-0749301621226169634th GHJHLLost semi-final
2007-0849301261227144671st GOJHL-GH Lost RR Semi-final
2008-09523118-3217197653rd GOJHL-GH
2009-10513512-4211164743rd GOJHL-GH Lost Conf. SF
2010-11513811-2251135782nd GOJHL-GH Lost Conf. Final
2011-12513217-2197126663rd GOJHL-GH
2012-13512819-4192174605th GOJHL-GH Lost Conf. SF
2013-14492817-4210185604th GOJHL-GH Lost Conf. SF
2014-15491431-4117203327th GOJHL-GH Lost Conf. Quarter-finals, 1-4 (Falcons)
2015-1650212513152172466th of 8-GH
17th of 26-GOJHL		Lost Conf. Quarter-finals, 0-4 (Avalanche)
2016-1750113612133206258th of 9-GH
25th of 27-GOJHL 		no playoffs
folded with 8 games remaining in season
2017-1850202235160205485th of 9-GH
16th of 26-GOJHL 		Lost Conf. Quarterfinals 0-4 (Canucks)
2018-1948202332149167485th of 8-GH
15th of 25-GOJHL 		Lost Conf. Quarterfinals 0-4 (Panthers)
2019-2050262040181162565th of 9-GH
15th of 25-GOJHL 		Lost Conf. Quarterfinals 0-4 (Kilty B's±)
2020–21Season lost due to COVID-19
2021-224815320189155316th of 8-GH
20th of 25-GOJHL 		Lost Conf. Quarterfinals 0-4 (Corvairs)
2022-2350242420168155505th of 8-GH
17th of 25-GOJHL 		Lost Conf. Quarterfinals 1-4 (Corvairs)

Sutherland Cup appearances

2001: Elmira Sugar Kings defeated Thorold Blackhawks 4-games-to-2
2003: Stratford Cullitons defeated Thorold Blackhawks 4-games-to-3
2004: Stratford Cullitons defeated Thorold Blackhawks 4-games-to-none
2005: Thorold Blackhawks defeated Chatham Maroons 4-games-to-1

Professional alumni

References

  1. ↑ "Same name, new owner | St. Catharines Standard". Archived from the original on 2017-07-11. Retrieved 2017-07-18.
  2. ↑ Blay, Jeff (October 11, 2013). "Thorold resident takes to Facebook to spark debate on Blackhawks logo". St. Catharines Standard. St. Catharines. Retrieved November 18, 2016.
  3. ↑ MtPleasant, Jen (December 18, 2013). "Concerns growing over Thorold Blackhawks logo". Two Row Times. Hagersville. Retrieved November 18, 2016.
  4. ↑ Mangelsen, Melissa (November 28, 2013). "Thorold needs to decide what kind of city it wants to be, says Baird". The Tribune. St. Catharines. Retrieved November 18, 2016.
  5. ↑ Fraser, Don (December 9, 2013). "Logo discussions fail to find solution". St. Catharines Standard. St. Catharines. Retrieved November 18, 2016.
  6. ↑ Clinton, Jared (August 23, 2016). "ONTARIO JUNIOR TEAM THOROLD BLACKHAWKS HAVE DEADLINE TO CHANGE 'DISCRIMINATORY' LOGO". The Hockey News. Retrieved November 17, 2016.
  7. ↑ Walter, Karena (August 18, 2016). "Thorold says Blackhawks logo has to go". St. Catharines Standard. St. Catharines. Retrieved November 17, 2016.
  8. ↑ Cassidy, Joseph (November 10, 2016). "New-look Blackhawks dig out from under Avalanche". St. Catharines Standard. St. Catharines. Retrieved November 17, 2016.
  9. ↑ "Thorold Blackhawks Jr. B". James Brandan Walker. 2016. Retrieved November 20, 2016.
  10. ↑ "Thorold Ceases Operations for 2016-17". Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League. February 14, 2017. Retrieved February 27, 2017.
  11. ↑ "New Nest For The 2022/23 Season". www.thoroldjrbblackhawks.com/. Thorold Blackhawks. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  12. ↑ Lansbergen, Bernard. "Why the Blackhawks decided to leave Thorold for good". ThoroldToday. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  13. ↑ "Ex-Thorold Blackhawk has MVP All-Star moment | St. Catharines Standard". www.stcatharinesstandard.ca. Archived from the original on 2016-02-02.
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