St. Thomas Stars


The St. Thomas Stars are a junior ice hockey team based in St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Western division of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League.

History

in St. Thomas began in 1961 with the St. Thomas Barons in the Western Ontario Junior "B" Hockey League. The league was replaced by the Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League in 1970, and the Barons switched to the new league and changed their name to the Elgins. The Elgins folded in 1973, and were merged into the St. Thomas Colonels in the Central Junior C Hockey League. The team moved into the Southwestern Ontario Junior "B" Hockey League in 1976, and then into the Western Ontario Junior Hockey League in 1978. The Colonels changed their name to the Pests in 1980, and then to the Stars in 1984.

1968–69 season

The Barons won the league championship during the 1968–69 season, then played against the Flin Flon Bombers from the Western Canada Hockey League for the Canadian Hockey Association east-west final, and for the Father Athol Murray Trophy. The series was a best-of-seven format which began in St. Thomas. It was the first Canadian national junior ice hockey championship played which was not under the jurisdiction of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association.
The Barons withdrew from the championship series during the fourth game, played at the Whitney Forum in Flin Flon on May 5. The team left after an on-ice brawl during the second period. The referee defaulted the game to the Bombers, who were leading by a 4–0 score at the time. The Bombers led the series three games to one after the default win. Game five was scheduled in Flin Flon on May 7, and games six and seven would have been in St. Thomas if necessary. The Barons were escorted from the arena to their hotel by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police due to fear of violence. The Canadian Press described the Barons as being over-matched in the series and were not up to the calibre of the WCHL. The Barons abandoned the series in the interest of player safety, and departed for home on May 6, despite a scheduled game on May 7 in Flin Flon. The team paid its own expenses to get home, with assistance from some of its fans who made the road trip to Manitoba.
Canadian Hockey Association president Ron Butlin awarded the series to Flin Flon, and suspended the St. Thomas Barons from the association. Barons' coach Keith Kewly said the decision was his to abandon the series.

Season-by-season results

SeasonGPWLTOTLGF GAPResultsPlayoffs
1972-73314261-----98th CJCHL
1973-743215134-179177344th CJCHL
1974-753613176-248259324th CJCHL III
1975-76278181-152182174th CJCHL III
1976-773811252-201284246th SWJBHLDNQ
1977-784019201-237223393rd SWJBHLLost Semi-final
1978-79423372-14833088th WOJHL
1979-80422382-12138868th WOJHL
1980-81427296-162274207th WOJHL
1981-824210275-182248258th WOJHL
1982-834217178-178193424th WOJHL
1983-844822215-238233495th WOJHL
1984-854820235-254292454th WOJHL
1985-864226115-245169572nd WOJHLWon League
1986-874224153-271234514th WOJHLWon League, Won SC
1987-8842192021213207415th WOJHL
1988-894293021195284217th WOJHL
1989-9040171931173185386th WOJHL
1990-9148341112234183712nd WOJHL
1991-9248172731202227384th WOJHL East
1992-9352232333--523rd WOJHL East
1993-9451103623192307255th WOJHL East
1994-9552361303351245751st WOJHL EastWon League, Lost SC final
1995-9652281851272244622nd WOJHL EastWon League, Lost SC final
1996-9752301831234216642nd WOJHL East
1997-9852361150304210771st WOJHL EastLost Final
1998-9952371104301195781st WOJHL EastLost Final
1999-0054311706229200684th GOHL
2000-01541241011512982510th GOHL
2001-0254133740183289309th WOJHL
2002-0348192522142171426th WOJHL
2003-0448221943154148516th WOJHL
2004-0548311511184141642nd WOJHLLost Final
2005-0648212232132140477th WOJHL
2006-07482520-3177195536th WOJHLLost Quarter-final
2007-08481920-9165187477th GOJHL-WLost Quarter-final
2008-09521231-9154258338th GOJHL-WLost Quarter-final
2009-10502125-4173179467th GOJHL-WLost Conf. Final
2010-11513017-4200163644th GOJHL-WLost SF Round Robin
2011-12512623-2204215545th GOJHL-WLost Conf. QF
2012-13512618-7194209595th GOJHL-WLost Conf. QF
2013-14492026-3168211437th GOJHL-WLost Conf. QF
2014-15492220-7166170496th GOJHL-WLost Conf Quarter, 2-4
2015-1650271922200173585th of 9-W
12th of 26-GOJHL		Lost Conf Quarter, 1-4
2016-1750192722181200327th of 9-W
19th of 27-GOJHL		Lost Conf Quarter, 0-4
2017-1850291632182154635th of 9-W
11th of 26-GOJHL		Won Conf Quarter, 4-1
Won Conf. Semifinals 4-3
Lost Conf. Finals 0-4

Barons/Elgins season-by-season results

SeasonGPWLTOTLGF GAPResultsPlayoffs
1961-62362691-238180531st WOJBHLWon League
1962-633524110-246153482nd WOJBHL
1963-644029110-273185581st WOJBHL
1964-653920182-213206424th WOJBHL
1965-664021172-227209444th WOJBHL
1966-674026131-225165531st WOJBHLWon League
1967-685025223-297241533rd WOJBHL
1968-695637181-255178751st WOJAHLWon League, Lost National Final
1969-705431212-245236643rd WOJAHL
1970-714413265-205270315th SOJAHL
1971-7256202610-244288504th SOJAHL
1972-736010455-209373257th SOJAHL

Playoffs

Notable alumni