Guelph Royals (hockey)

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See also: Guelph Royals (baseball)

The Guelph Royals were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association from 1960 to 1963. The team was based in Guelph, Ontario, Canada and played home games at the Guelph Memorial Gardens. They were affiliated with the NHL New York Rangers. This team has no connection with the similarly-named OHL team that would later exist in Cornwall.

[edit] History

The Guelph Biltmore Mad Hatters were sold in 1960, and the new ownership renamed the team the Guelph Royals after the hometown's nickname as the "Royal City". Guelph won the Hamilton Spectator Trophy during the 1960-61 season, finishing 1st overall in the OHA. The Royals lost in the league finals to the St. Michael's Majors, 4 games to 2 with a tie.

The Royals' Rod Gilbert was the OHA scoring champion that year, winning the Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy with 54 goals and 49 assists, totalling 103 points. Gilbert was also awarded the Red Tilson Trophy as the most outstanding player.

The Royals had many players graduate from junior hockey after that season, and did not manage to recover their previous form. After two declining seasons the franchise was in financial trouble again. The team moved to nearby Kitchener, Ontario, becoming the Kitchener Rangers, taking the name of the NHL parent club.

Some of the Guelph Royals players who graduated from the junior ranks stayed in Guelph to play on the newly formed Senior OHA team, the Guelph Regals, which existed from 1963 to 1967.

[edit] NHL Alumni

Rod Gilbert and Jean Ratelle are the former Royals in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

[edit] Yearly Results

Regular Season

Playoffs

• 1960-61 Defeated Niagara Falls Flyers 10 points to 4 in quarter-finals.
  Received second-round bye.
  Lost to St. Michael's Majors 9 points to 5 in finals.
• 1961-62 Out of playoffs.
• 1962-63 Out of playoffs.