# Golden Horseshoe Junior Hockey League

Golden Horseshoe Junior Hockey League :
| Membership | Ontario Hockey Association |
| Head Office | Cambridge, Ontario |
| Founded | 1974 |
| Ceased | 2007 |
| First Champion | Hamilton Red Wings (1975) |
| Final Champion | St. Catharines Falcons (2007) |
The Golden Horseshoe Junior Hockey League (GHL) was a junior ice hockey league in Ontario, Canada, sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Association from 1974 until 2007. In 2007, the league became a division of the newly formed Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League along with the Mid-Western Junior Hockey League and Western Ontario Hockey League.

## History

The year 1974 saw the founding of the Golden Horseshoe Junior B Hockey League. The league consisted mostly of "inner ring" teams from the Niagara District Junior B Hockey League. The "outer ring" teams maintained with the Niagara league. In 1978, the Golden Horseshoe league jumped from six to nine teams by swallowing the majority of the short-lived Southwestern Junior B Hockey League. A season later, the Niagara District league folded and their final champion, the Fort Erie Meteors, came aboard as the GHL's tenth team.
In 1995-96 and 1996–97, the GHL played an interlocking schedule with USA Hockey's North Eastern Junior Hockey League. In 1997-98, the league even allowed the expansion of one of the NEJHL's teams, the Rochester Jr. Americans for a single season.
In 2005-06, the GHL allowed another former NEJHL team, the Wheatfield Jr. Blades, to participate in the league.
In 2007, the league merged with the Western Ontario Hockey League and the Mid-Western Junior Hockey League to form the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League.

## 2007-08 season

For information on the 2007-08 season, please see: Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League.

## Final teams

These are the teams that were in the league during its final independent season (2006-07).
* Fort Erie Meteors
* Niagara Falls Canucks
* Port Colborne Sailors
* St. Catharines Falcons
* Stoney Creek Warriors
* Thorold Blackhawks
* Welland Jr. Canadians
* Wheatfield Jr. Blades

## Other former members

* Brantford Classics
* Buffalo Jr. Sabres
* Caledonia Corvairs
* Dundas Blues
* Dunnville Terriers
* Grimsby Peach Kings
* Hamilton Mountain Bees
* Hamilton Red Wings
* Simcoe Jets
* Tillsonburg Mavericks

## Former interleague opponents

* Pittsburgh Renegades
* Rochester Jr. Americans
* Springfield Jr. Indians

## Playoff Champions

| Year | Champion | Finalist | Result in Provincials |
| 1975 | Hamilton Red Wings | | Lost SF vs. Oakville (C) |
| 1976 | St. Catharines Falcons | | Lost QF vs. St. Marys (WO) |
| 1977 | St. Catharines Falcons | | Lost SF vs. Streetsville (C) |
| 1978 | St. Catharines Falcons | | Lost QF vs. Windsor (WO) |
| 1979 | St. Catharines Falcons | | Lost Final vs. Streetsville (C) |
| 1980 | Welland Cougars | | Lost SF vs. Windsor (WO) |
| 1981 | St. Catharines Falcons | | Lost SF vs. Stratford (MW) |
| 1982 | St. Catharines Falcons | | Lost QF vs. Sarnia (WO) |
| 1983 | Welland Cougars | | |
| 1984 | Brantford Alexander B's | | |
| 1985 | St. Catharines Falcons | | |
| 1986 | St. Catharines Falcons | | |
| 1987 | Niagara Falls Canucks | | Lost Final vs. St. Thomas (WO) |
| 1988 | Niagara Falls Canucks | | Lost SF vs. Bramalea (Met) |
| 1989 | Niagara Falls Canucks | | Lost Final vs. St. Michael's (Met) |
| 1990 | St. Catharines Falcons | | Lost Final vs. Stratford (MW) |
| 1991 | Welland Aerostars | | Lost SF vs. Oakville (C) |
| 1992 | St. Catharines Falcons | | Lost SF vs. Milton (C) |
| 1993 | Hamilton Kilty B's | | Lost SF vs. Barrie (C) |
| 1994 | St. Catharines Falcons | | Lost Final vs. Waterloo (MW) |
| 1995 | Niagara Falls Canucks | | Lost in Round Robin |
| 1996 | Niagara Falls Canucks | | Won SC vs. St. Thomas (WO) |
| 1997 | St. Catharines Falcons | | Lost Final vs. Elmira (MW) |
| 1998 | Niagara Falls Canucks | | Won SC vs. Elmira (MW) |
| 1999 | St. Catharines Falcons | Niagara Falls Canucks | Lost in Round Robin |
| 2000 | St. Catharines Falcons | Thorold Blackhawks | Lost Final vs. Cambridge (MW) |
| 2001 | Thorold Blackhawks | Port Colborne Sailors | Lost Final vs. Elmira (MW) |
| 2002 | Niagara Falls Canucks | Thorold Blackhawks | Lost in Round Robin |
| 2003 | Thorold Blackhawks | Niagara Falls Canucks | Lost Final vs. Stratford (MW) |
| 2004 | Thorold Blackhawks | Niagara Falls Canucks | Lost Final vs. Stratford (MW) |
| 2005 | Thorold Blackhawks | Niagara Falls Canucks | Won SC vs. Chatham (WO) |
| 2006 | Niagara Falls Canucks | Thorold Blackhawks | Lost Final vs. Cambridge (MW) |
| 2007 | St. Catharines Falcons | Niagara Falls Canucks | Lost in Round Robin |

## Records

Records taken from Official Website.
* Best record: 1997-98 Niagara Falls Canucks (43-3-3)
* Worst record: 1993-94 Fort Erie Meteors (1-38-1)