Stratford Kroehlers
Canadian junior ice hockey team (1942–1951)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Stratford Kroehlers were a Canadian junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA). Named for sponsor Kroehler Furniture Company, the team played home games at the Stratford Arena, in Stratford, Ontario.[1] The team was known as the Stratford Midgets before 1939, then briefly as the Stratford Kist until 1942.[2]
| Stratford Kroehlers | |
|---|---|
| City | Stratford, Ontario |
| League | Ontario Hockey Association |
| Operated | 1942–1951 |
| Home arena | Stratford Arena |
The Kroehlers played in the OHA junior-A division from 1942 until 1944. Due to the shortage of higher-calibre players during World War II, the Kroehlers dropped down to the Stratford and District Juvenile Hockey League for two seasons, then returned to the OHA junior-A division for the 1946–47 OHA season.[a] In the 1947–48 OHA season, right winger George Armstrong won the Red Tilson Trophy as the OHA's most outstanding player, and the Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy as the league's top scorer.[7]
National Hockey League alumni
Kroehlers alumnus George Armstrong was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a player,[8] and Howie Meeker received the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award as a hockey broadcaster.[9]
List of National Hockey League alumni:
Season-by-season results
Regular season and playoffs results:[citation needed]
Legend: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
| Memorial Cup champions | League champions | League finalists |
| Season | Regular season | Playoffs | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | W | L | T | Pts | Pct | GF | GA | Finish | ||
| 1942–43 | 25 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 24 | 0.438 | 75 | 78 | 4th OHA | Lost quarterfinal (Brantford Lions) 2–0[26] |
| 1943–44 | 25 | 7 | 16 | 2 | 16 | 0.304 | 99 | 154 | 5th Group 2 | Did not qualify |
| Did not operate from 1944 to 1946 | ||||||||||
| 1946–47 | 36 | 22 | 14 | 0 | 44 | 0.611 | 164 | 108 | 4th OHA | Lost quarterfinal (Galt Red Wings) 2–0[27] |
| 1947–48 | 36 | 21 | 13 | 2 | 44 | 0.618 | 151 | 134 | 4th OHA | Lost quarterfinal (Barrie Flyers) 2–0[28] |
| 1948–49 | 48 | 25 | 21 | 2 | 52 | 0.543 | 190 | 200 | 5th OHA | Lost quarterfinal (Toronto Marlboros) 2–1[29] |
| 1949–50 | 48 | 14 | 31 | 3 | 31 | 0.311 | 165 | 218 | 7th OHA | Did not qualify |
| 1950–51 | 54 | 20 | 28 | 6 | 46 | 0.417 | 200 | 230 | 7th OHA | Lost quarterfinal (Toronto Marlboros) 3–0[30] |
Notes
- The Stratford Kroehlers joined the OHA junior-A division for the 1942–43 OHA season.[3] The Stratford Kroehlers anticipated forming a Junior-B level team due to wartime restrictions.[4] The Stratford Kroehlers played minor ice hockey in the Stratford and District Juvenile Hockey League for the 1944–45 season.[5] The Stratford Kroehlers returned to the Junior-A level for the 1946–47 OHA season.[6]