# 1981–82 OHL season

The 1981–82 OHL season was the second season of the Ontario Hockey League. The league grows by two teams when, the Cornwall Royals are transferred from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, and the Belleville Bulls are awarded a franchise. Fourteen teams each played 68 games. The Kitchener Rangers won the J. Ross Robertson Cup, defeating the Ottawa 67's.

## Expansion and Realignment

The league expanded by two teams, as the Belleville Bulls and the Cornwall Royals joined the Ontario Hockey League. Both teams joined the Leyden Division, as the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds moved to the Emms Division.

### Belleville Bulls

On February 2, 1981, the OHL granted a franchise to the city of Belleville and the ownership group of Dr. Robert L. Vaughan and Bob Dolan. The Bulls would play their home games at the Yardmen Arena. The Bulls would join the Leyden Division.
Prior to joining the OHL, the Bulls played in the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League, beginning in the 1979–80 season. In their final season in the league, Belleville defeated the Guelph Platers to win the OPJHL championship. The club would reach the 1981 Centennial Cup finals, where they lost to the Prince Albert Raiders of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League 6–2 in the championship game.

### Cornwall Royals

The Cornwall Royals were transferred to the Ontario Hockey League from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League for the 1981–82 season. Originally an expansion team in 1969, the Royals were a very successful club in the QMJHL, winning the Memorial Cup three times, in 1971, 1980, and 1981. Cornwall would play their home games at the Cornwall Civic Complex. The Royals would join the Leyden Division.
The Royals were able to keep their players from the previous season, including players such as Scott Arniel and Doug Gilmour, who helped lead the team to the 1981 Memorial Cup championship.

## 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-Ottawa 67's | 68 | 47 | 19 | 2 | 96 | 353 | 248 |
| 2 | y-Oshawa Generals | 68 | 40 | 26 | 2 | 82 | 335 | 296 |
| 3 | x-Peterborough Petes | 68 | 36 | 29 | 3 | 75 | 291 | 266 |
| 4 | x-Toronto Marlboros | 68 | 37 | 31 | 0 | 74 | 316 | 290 |
| 5 | x-Kingston Canadians | 68 | 29 | 34 | 5 | 63 | 302 | 316 |
| 6 | x-Cornwall Royals | 68 | 28 | 35 | 5 | 61 | 303 | 327 |
| 7 | Belleville Bulls | 68 | 24 | 42 | 2 | 50 | 280 | 326 |

### Emms Division

| Rank | Team | GP | W | L | T | PTS | GF | GA |
| 1 | z-Kitchener Rangers | 68 | 44 | 21 | 3 | 91 | 322 | 247 |
| 2 | y-Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | 68 | 40 | 25 | 3 | 83 | 274 | 243 |
| 3 | x-London Knights | 68 | 35 | 30 | 3 | 73 | 359 | 328 |
| 4 | x-Niagara Falls Flyers | 68 | 31 | 34 | 3 | 65 | 311 | 338 |
| 5 | x-Brantford Alexanders | 68 | 25 | 41 | 2 | 52 | 293 | 313 |
| 6 | x-Windsor Spitfires | 68 | 22 | 42 | 4 | 48 | 269 | 343 |
| 7 | Sudbury Wolves | 68 | 19 | 48 | 1 | 39 | 275 | 401 |

### Scoring leaders

| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| Dave Simpson | London Knights | 68 | 67 | 88 | 155 | 18 |
| Jeff Vaive | Ottawa 67's | 68 | 56 | 95 | 151 | 90 |
| Moe Lemay | Ottawa 67's | 62 | 68 | 70 | 138 | 48 |
| Tony Tanti | Oshawa Generals | 57 | 62 | 64 | 126 | 138 |
| Mitch Lamoureux | Oshawa Generals | 66 | 43 | 78 | 121 | 275 |
| Doug Gilmour | Cornwall Royals | 67 | 46 | 73 | 119 | 42 |
| Mario Simioni | Toronto Marlboros | 68 | 58 | 60 | 118 | 88 |
| Chris McCauley | London Knights | 66 | 47 | 67 | 114 | 117 |
| Fred Perlini | Toronto Marlboros | 68 | 47 | 64 | 111 | 75 |
| Claude Loiselle | Windsor Spitfires | 68 | 36 | 73 | 109 | 192 |

## 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 | Toronto | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| L6 | Cornwall | 4 | | | | | | | | | | |
| L6 | Cornwall | 4 | L1 | Ottawa | 8 | | | | | | | |
| | | | L4 | Toronto | 2 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | L1 | Ottawa | 8 | | | | |
| | | | | | | L2 | Oshawa | 6 | | | | |
| L3 | Peterborough | 6 | | | | | | | L2 | Oshawa | 6 | | | | |
| L5 | Kingston | 2 | | | | | | | | | | |
| L5 | Kingston | 2 | L2 | Oshawa | 8 | | | | | | | |
| | | | L3 | Peterborough | 2 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | L1 | Ottawa | 1 |
| | | | | | | | | | | E1 | Kitchener | 9 |
| E4 | Niagara Falls | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | E1 | Kitchener | 9 |
| E6 | Windsor | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| E6 | Windsor | 6 | E1 | Kitchener | 8 | | | | | | | |
| | | | E6 | Windsor | 0 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | E1 | Kitchener | 9 | | | | |
| | | | | | | E2 | Sault Ste. Marie | 3 | | | | |
| E3 | London | 2 | | | | | | | E2 | Sault Ste. Marie | 3 | | | | |
| E5 | Brantford | 6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| E5 | Brantford | 6 | E2 | Sault Ste. Marie | 8 | | | | | | | |
| | | | E3 | Brantford | 6 | | | | | | | |

### Division quarter-finals
#### Leyden Division
##### (3) Peterborough Petes vs. (5) Kingston Canadians

* Peterborough wins series 6 – 2

##### (4) Toronto Marlboros vs. (6) Cornwall Royals

* Toronto wins series 6 – 4

#### Emms Division
##### (3) London Knights vs. (5) Brantford Alexanders

* Brantford wins series 6 – 2

##### (4) Niagara Falls Flyers vs. (6) Windsor Spitfires

* Windsor wins series 6 – 4

### Division semi-finals
#### Leyden Division
##### (1) Ottawa 67's vs. (4) Toronto Marlboros

* Ottawa wins series 8 – 2

##### (2) Oshawa Generals vs. (3) Peterborough Petes

* Oshawa wins series 8 – 2

#### Emms Division
##### (1) Kitchener Rangers vs. (6) Windsor Spitfires

* Kitchener wins series 8 – 0

##### (2) Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds vs. (5) Brantford Alexanders

* Sault Ste. Marie wins series 8 – 6

### Division finals
#### Leyden Division
##### (1) Ottawa 67's vs. (2) Oshawa Generals

* Ottawa wins series 8 – 6

#### Emms Division
##### (1) Kitchener Rangers vs. (2) Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds

* Kitchener wins series 9 – 3

### J. Ross Robertson Cup
#### (L1) Ottawa 67's vs. (E1) Kitchener Rangers

* Kitchener wins series 9 – 1

## Awards

| J. Ross Robertson Cup: | Kitchener Rangers |
| Hamilton Spectator Trophy: | Ottawa 67's |
| Leyden Trophy: | Ottawa 67's |
| Emms Trophy: | Kitchener Rangers |
| Red Tilson Trophy: | Dave Simpson, London Knights |
| Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy: | Dave Simpson, London Knights |
| Matt Leyden Trophy: | Brian Kilrea, Ottawa 67's |
| Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy: | Tony Tanti, Oshawa Generals |
| Max Kaminsky Trophy: | Ron Meighan, Niagara Falls Flyers |
| Jack Ferguson Award: | Kirk Muller, Guelph Platers |
| Dave Pinkney Trophy: | John Vanbiesbrouck and Marc D'Amour, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds |
| Emms Family Award: | Pat Verbeek, Sudbury Wolves |
| F.W. 'Dinty' Moore Trophy: | Shawn Kilroy, Peterborough Petes |
| William Hanley Trophy: | Dave Simpson, London Knights |
| Bobby Smith Trophy: | Dave Simpson, London Knights |