# 1980–81 OHL season

The 1980–81 OHL season was the first season of the newly established Ontario Hockey League, renaming itself from the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League. The OMJHL formally severed ties with the Ontario Hockey Association over the summer, and affiliated with the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association. The OHL inaugurated the Jack Ferguson Award for the first overall draft pick in the OHL entry draft. Twelve teams each played 68 games. The Kitchener Rangers won the J. Ross Robertson Cup, defeating the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.

## Regular season
### Final standings

Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; PTS = Points; x = clinched playoff berth; y = clinched first round bye; z = clinched division title & first round bye

### Leyden Division

| Rank | Team | GP | W | L | T | PTS | GF | GA |
| 1 | z-Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | 68 | 47 | 19 | 2 | 96 | 412 | 290 |
| 2 | y-Ottawa 67's | 68 | 45 | 20 | 3 | 93 | 360 | 254 |
| 3 | y-Kingston Canadians | 68 | 39 | 26 | 3 | 81 | 334 | 273 |
| 4 | x-Oshawa Generals | 68 | 35 | 30 | 3 | 73 | 321 | 352 |
| 5 | x-Peterborough Petes | 68 | 29 | 36 | 3 | 61 | 287 | 290 |
| 6 | Sudbury Wolves | 68 | 20 | 45 | 3 | 43 | 284 | 380 |

### Emms Division

| Rank | Team | GP | W | L | T | PTS | GF | GA |
| 1 | z-Kitchener Rangers | 68 | 34 | 33 | 1 | 69 | 321 | 320 |
| 2 | y-Brantford Alexanders | 68 | 34 | 34 | 0 | 68 | 350 | 354 |
| 3 | y-Windsor Spitfires | 68 | 33 | 33 | 2 | 68 | 322 | 337 |
| 4 | x-Niagara Falls Flyers | 68 | 30 | 36 | 2 | 62 | 354 | 359 |
| 5 | x-Toronto Marlboros | 68 | 31 | 37 | 0 | 62 | 298 | 336 |
| 6 | London Knights | 68 | 20 | 48 | 0 | 40 | 300 | 388 |

### Scoring leaders

| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| John Goodwin | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | 68 | 56 | 110 | 166 | 42 |
| Ernie Godden | Windsor Spitfires | 68 | 87 | 66 | 153 | 185 |
| Bernie Nicholls | Kingston Canadians | 65 | 63 | 89 | 152 | 109 |
| Tony Tanti | Oshawa Generals | 67 | 81 | 69 | 150 | 197 |
| Steve Ludzik | Niagara Falls Flyers | 58 | 50 | 92 | 142 | 108 |
| Scott Howson | Kingston Canadians | 66 | 57 | 83 | 140 | 53 |
| Steve Larmer | Niagara Falls Flyers | 61 | 55 | 78 | 133 | 73 |
| Steve Gatzos | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | 68 | 78 | 50 | 128 | 114 |
| Randy Cunneyworth | Ottawa 67's | 67 | 54 | 74 | 128 | 240 |
| Doug Shedden | Windsor Spitfires | 66 | 51 | 72 | 123 | 78 |

## Playoffs

| Division quarter-finals | Division quarter-finals | Division quarter-finals | Division semi-finals | Division semi-finals | Division semi-finals | Division finals | Division finals | Division finals | J. Ross Robertson Cup | J. Ross Robertson Cup | J. Ross Robertson Cup |
| L4 | Oshawa | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| L5 | Peterborough | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| L5 | Peterborough | 2 | L1 | Sault Ste. Marie | 8 | | | | | | |
| | | | L4 | Oshawa | 4 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | L1 | Sault Ste. Marie | 9 | | | |
| | | | | | | L3 | Kingston | 5 | | | |
| | | | L2 | Ottawa | 5 | | | | | | |
| | | | L3 | Kingston | 9 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | L1 | Sault Ste. Marie | 3 |
| | | | | | | | | | E1 | Kitchener | 9 |
| E4 | Niagara Falls | 3 | | | | | | | | | | E1 | Kitchener | 9 |
| E5 | Toronto | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| E5 | Toronto | 2 | E1 | Kitchener | 9 | | | | | | |
| | | | E4 | Niagara Falls | 5 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | E1 | Kitchener | 9 | | | |
| | | | | | | E3 | Windsor | 1 | | | |
| | | | E2 | Brantford | 4 | | | | | | |
| | | | E3 | Windsor | 8 | | | | | | |

### Division quarter-finals
#### Leyden Division
##### (4) Oshawa Generals vs. (5) Peterborough Petes

* Oshawa wins series 3 – 2

#### Emms Division
##### (4) Niagara Falls Flyers vs. (5) Toronto Marlboros

* Niagara Falls wins series 3 – 2

### Division semi-finals
#### Leyden Division
##### (1) Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds vs. (4) Oshawa Generals

* Sault Ste. Marie wins series 8 – 4

##### (2) Ottawa 67's vs. (3) Kingston Canadians

* Kingston wins series 9 – 5

#### Emms Division
##### (1) Kitchener Rangers vs. (4) Niagara Falls Flyers

* Kitchener wins series 9 – 5

##### (2) Brantford Alexanders vs. (3) Windsor Spitfires

* Windsor wins series 8 – 4

### Division finals
#### Leyden Division
##### (1) Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds vs. (3) Kingston Canadians

* Sault Ste. Marie wins series 9 – 5

#### Emms Division
##### (1) Kitchener Rangers vs. (3) Windsor Spitfires

* Kitchener wins series 9 – 1

### J. Ross Robertson Cup
#### (L1) Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds vs. (E1) Kitchener Rangers

* Kitchener wins series 9 – 3

## Awards

| J. Ross Robertson Cup: | Kitchener Rangers |
| Hamilton Spectator Trophy: | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds |
| Leyden Trophy: | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds |
| Emms Trophy: | Kitchener Rangers |
| Red Tilson Trophy: | Ernie Godden, Windsor Spitfires |
| Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy: | John Goodwin, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds |
| Matt Leyden Trophy: | Brian Kilrea, Ottawa 67's |
| Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy: | Tony Tanti, Oshawa Generals |
| Max Kaminsky Trophy: | Randy Boyd, Ottawa 67's |
| Jack Ferguson Award: | Dan Quinn, Belleville Bulls |
| Dave Pinkney Trophy: | Jim Ralph, Ottawa 67's |
| Emms Family Award: | Tony Tanti, Oshawa Generals |
| F.W. 'Dinty' Moore Trophy: | John Vanbiesbrouck, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds |
| William Hanley Trophy: | John Goodwin, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds |
| Bobby Smith Trophy: | Doug Smith, Ottawa 67's |