Kingston Frontenacs GameDay November 27, 2015

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Some 42 years ago the Ontario Hockey Association granted Kingston a franchise and started a five-decade love affair between the Limestone City and its junior hockey team. The origin of the Kingston Canadians is somewhat confusing. In the late 60’s and early 70’s the Montreal Junior Canadians was a powerhouse team in what was then called Major Junior Hockey under the banner of the Ontario Hockey Association. In 1972, in an effort to avoid legal action from the newly formed Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) the Junior Canadians were allowed to suspend team operations for a year in order to make the transition from the OHA into the QMJHL. In the “Q”, a new team emerged dubbed the Montreal Bleu, Blanc et Rouge. Most of the Junior Canadians moved with them and that opened the door for Kingston to begin operations the following year. The brand new Kingston franchise was born and began play in the 1973-1974 season using the “Canadians” moniker and the colours of their Montreal namesakes, but the team had no other connection to the Junior Canadians. In essence the Kingston Canadians were an expansion franchise with new ownership and new players. They experienced all the growing pains associated with their rookie status in that first season, managing just 20 wins and finishing well out of playoff contention. In season two with promising youngsters like future Stanley Cup winner Ken Linesman and future NHLers Tony McKegney and Mike Crombeen, they took the eventual Memorial Cup Champion Toronto Marlboroughs to an 8th and deciding game. Those were the days when each playoff series was decided by the first team to reach 9 points. In that final game with the teams tied at 8 points each and the game tied 1-1, sniper Mark Napier wristed a shot by the Canadian’s goaltender but the puck appeared to hit the post. Michel Blais, a defensemen for that Kingston team was on the ice for what many Kingstonians still remember as a “phantom” goal. “I watched the shot hit the post,” recalled Blais. “It definitely didn’t go in, Napier didn’t even raise his hands, but the goal judge put the light on and they ended up calling it a goal. We should have won that game and then who knows what would have happened.” For many hockey fans in the Limestone City, that watershed moment when the upstart sophomore franchise took the vaunted Marlboroughs to the very edge of defeat stands as a turning point. The Canadians would go on to make the playoffs for the next seven seasons in a row. Along the way 12 KINGSTON FRONTENACS GAMEDAY MAGAZINE
y gord hunter OFFICIAL GAMEDAY PROGRAM, VOLUME 43, 2015 13
Page 3 and 4: A GREAT START TO THE 43 rd SEASON O
Page 5 and 6: KINGSTON FRONTENACS GAMEDAY PUBLISH
Page 7 and 8: How do you turn a devastating injur
Page 9 and 10: Amazing selection. Amazing network.
Page 11: Both Keily and McFarland are thrill
Page 15: J. Paul Maschi Insurance Agency Inc
Page 18 and 19: STARTING LINEUPS p r e s e n t e d
Page 20 and 21: KINGSTON FRONTENACS PLAYER ROSTER F
Page 22 and 23: with stephen desrocher 22 KINGSTON
Page 24: TOP SCORER RANK PLAYER TEAM GP G A
Page 27 and 28: 4 CHAD DUCHESNE 4 6 JACOB PAQUETTE
Page 29: 17 JARED STEEGE 17 20 ROLAND MCKEOW
Page 32 and 33: Heros in our community The Kingston
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Kingston Frontenacs GameDay November 27, 2015

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