St. Catharines Teepees

The St. Catharines Teepees were established in 1947, when George Stauffer, the president of Thompson Products, purchased the St. Catharines Falcons from Rudy Pilous, and named the team after the company's initials.^[1] Playing junior ice hockey in the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA), home games for the Teepees were at the Garden City Arena.^[2] The Teepees became a farm team for the Buffalo Bisons of the American Hockey League in 1950, when Pilous was named the team's general manager and signed defenceman Pierre Pilote.^[1]

In the 1953–54 OHA season, Pilous coached the Teepees to a J. Ross Robertson Cup, defeating the Toronto Marlboros in seven games for the OHA championship.^[3] Brian Cullen set OHA records that season, with 68 goals, 93 assists, and 161 points scored. In the Eastern Canada finals, the Teepees defeated the Quebec Frontenacs to win the George Richardson Memorial Trophy.^[4] The Teepees won the 1954 Memorial Cup played at Maple Leaf Gardens, defeating the Edmonton Oil Kings four-games-to-none with one, in a best-of-seven series.^[5]

In the 1959–60 OHA season, the Teepees were coached by Max Kaminsky and managed by Pilous.^[6] The Teepees defeated the Toronto St. Michael's Majors in a six-game series for the OHA championship.^[7] The Teepees won the first three games of the George Richardson Memorial Trophy series versus the Brockville Canadiens, then lost three and tied one game, before winning the series in an eighth game.^[6] The 1960 Memorial Cup was a rematch versus the Edmonton Oil Kings, with first game played at the Garden City Arena with remaining games played at Maple Leaf Gardens. The Teepees won their second Memorial Cup, by four games to two in a best-of-seven series.^[8]

The Teepees were renamed the St. Catharines Black Hawks following the 1961–62 OHA season, when the team was sold to new owners who retained the farm team agreement with the Chicago Black Hawks.^[9][10]

Four alumni of the Teepees were inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame; including Phil Esposito (1961–1962),^[19] Bobby Hull (1955–1957),^[20] Stan Mikita (1956–1959),^[21] and Pierre Pilote (1950–1952).^[22]

List of Teepees who played in the National Hockey League or World Hockey Association:^[23]

Regular season and playoffs results:^[26]

Legend: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against