We were talking Friday about September of 1972, the 40th anniversary of Paul Henderson’s historic goal for Canada in the original Summit Series between Canada and Russia.
While Canada was valiantly coming back to conquer the Russians, local hockey in Midland, Ontario was abuzz with the arrival of Junior B Hockey.
After decades of Intermediate play, the Midland Flyers shifted operations to Junior B Hockey and would compete in the MidOntario Junior B League.
The makeup of the league was terrific, 6 teams from centres on or around Georgian Bay that were from communities that the Minor Hockey program competed against.
Along with the Flyers, the Owen Sound Greys, Collingwood Blues, Orillia Terriers, Barrie Colts and Newmarket Redmen were in the league which featured great games night after night in the old Midland Arena Gardens………
Forty years later, the Flyers exist in name playing Junior C Hockey in Midland.
The Barrie Colts also exist in name, but at the OHL level, representing mostly how massive the growth of Barrie has been over 4 decades going from 23,000 and adding more than 100,000 residents.
Though the Redmen are gone, Newmarket still has Junior Hockey; the Hurricanes are always a strong entry in Provincial Junior A play.
And not only are the Greys, Blues and Terriers gone, there’s no Junior Hockey comprised of local players these days in Owen Sound, Collingwood and Orillia.
Forty years ago, though, that was a very good league.
I’m Fred Wallace