Niagara IceDogs The Niagara IceDogs are a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League based in St . Catharines , Ontario , Canada . The franchise was originally known as the Mississauga IceDogs and founded in 1996 . The team was relocated to St . Catharines and played its inaugural season in the Niagara region during the 2007 – 08 OHL season after spending 9 seasons in Mississauga . The team is owned by Bill and Denise Burke . History . On July 12 , 2006 , Eugene Melnyk , who owned the Toronto St . Michael ' s Majors , bought the Mississauga IceDogs . After the 2006 – 07 season , Melnyk sold the IceDogs , and moved the Majors to the Hershey Centre in Mississauga . The team approached the City of St . Catharines about moving the team into Jack Gatecliff Arena . St . Catharines City Council voted on a leasing arrangement on April 23 , 2007 , which passed . The OHL Board of Governors approved the deal on June 5 , 2007 . Jack Gatecliff Arena Era . The Niagara IceDogs spent their first seven seasons in St . Catharines in the Jack Gatecliff arena . In six of the seven years at the Jack Gatecliff arena , the IceDogs led the OHL as the best attended team based on capacity percentage . During this time , the IceDogs qualified for the playoffs in every year , making it to the Eastern Conference finals twice . The IceDogs most successful year was in 2011 - 12 when they won both the Emms Trophy and Bobby Orr Trophy as Central Division and Eastern Conference Champions . They would ultimately fall in the finals , however , to the London Knights in five games . While playing at the Jack Gatecliff arena , Niagara ’ s line - ups featured a number of eventual high NHL draft picks and NHL alumni . First round draft picks included Alex Pietrangelo , Mark Visentin , Ryan Strome , Dougie Hamilton , and Brendan Perlini . Other notable players to lace - up for the IceDogs at the Jack Gatecliff are Stefan Legein , Luca Caputi , Andrew Agozzino , Brett Ritchie , Jamie Oleksiak , Freddie Hamilton , and Andrew Shaw , who was the first Niagara IceDogs alumni to win the Stanley Cup . Meridian Centre Era . The IceDogs entered a new era when they relocated to the brand new Meridian Centre in St . Catharines . On Thursday October 16th , 2014 , the IceDogs won their first game at the Meridian Centre by a score of 7 - 4 against the visiting Belleville Bulls . The first goal at the new Meridian Centre was scored by Mikkel Aagaard from Denmark . Championships . Emms Trophy < br > Central Division Champions Bobby Orr Trophy < br > Eastern Conference Champions Coaches . Mario Cicchillo was promoted from assistant coach in 2006 – 07 for Mississauga , to become the first coach of the Niagara IceDogs after it was announced that head coach Mike Kelly resigned to accept a senior advisory position with the team . In August 2009 , Cicchillo was fired and assistant coach Mike McCourt was named interim head coach . In early May 2010 , the IceDogs announced that the team would not be renewing the contracts McCourt and his assistants . Former Barrie Colts coach / general manager Marty Williamson was named coach and general manager of the IceDogs in late May 2010 . Players . Award Winners . Ontario Hockey League . Bobby Smith Trophy < br > Scholastic Player of the Year Dave Pinkney Trophy < br > Lowest Team G . A . A . Ivan Tennant Memorial Award < br > Top High School Academic Player Leo Lalonde Memorial Trophy < br > Overage Player of the Year Max Kaminsky Trophy < br > Most Outstanding Defenceman Mickey Renaud Captain ' s Trophy < br > Captain of the Year OHL Executive of the Year OHL Goaltender of the Year Canadian Hockey League . CHL Defenceman of the Year CHL Scholastic Player of the Year Team records . Career scoring and goalie leaders . These are the top - ten point - scorers in regular season franchise history . Figures are updated after each completed OHL regular season . These are the top - five goalies ( ranked by wins ) in regular season franchise history . Figures are updated after each completed OHL regular season . Season - by - season results . Regular season . Legend : OTL = Overtime loss , SL = Shootout loss Uniforms and logos . The IceDogs colours are red , white , black and silver . The Home jersey is white with red , black , and white stripes on the bottom and black and red diagonal stripes on the sleeves with two crossed dog bones on each shoulder . The Away jersey is black with red , black , and white stripes on the bottom and red and white diagonal stripes on the sleeves with two crossed dog bones on each shoulder . Both jerseys are tie - ups . The Niagara logo is a Bull Terrier ( modelled after former team part - owner Don Cherry ' s famous dog , " Blue " ) playing hockey in hockey gear . The team wears red and black CCM gloves and CCM helmets ( black or white , depending upon their jersey colour ) . In 2008 – 09 , the IceDogs launched a third jersey , which is currently being worn by the team during warmups . It is a red jersey , featuring the Bull Terrier logo on top of a large N . Arena . Meridian Centre . The IceDogs moved into the Meridian Centre on October 16 , 2014 . Located at 1 Ice Dogs Way in St . Catharines , the Meridian Centre features a combination of 5 , 300 permanent and retractable seats . Jack Gatecliff Arena . The Gatorade Garden City Complex , formerly known as the Garden City Arena and the Jack Gatecliff Arena , is a publicly owned and operated facility in St . Catharines . It is located at 8 Gale Crescent and features two ice surfaces ( the Rex Stimers Arena and the Jack Gatecliff Arena ) . The IceDogs played in the Jack Gatecliff Arena of the complex for 7 seasons . The arena ' s capacity is 3 , 145 including standing room , making it smaller than most CHL arenas . With an ice surface of 190 x 85 feet , its dimensions are also smaller than the typical CHL ice surface . It is commonly referred to by fans as ' the Jack ' . The original arena was built in 1932 and became the oldest arena currently used in the CHL following the Windsor Spitfires move to the WFCU Centre in 2008 – 09 . It was previously used by the St . Catharines Teepees , St . Catharines Black Hawks , St . Catharines Fincups and the St . Catharines Saints . Renovated in 1996 , it was named after local sportswriter Jack Gatecliff . Niagara Falls Memorial Arena . On March 1 , 2009 , the Niagara IceDogs hosted a home game at Niagara Falls Memorial Arena in nearby Niagara Falls , Ontario . The arena , slated to close in 2010 , was the former home to both the Niagara Falls Flyers and the Niagara Falls Thunder . The game was billed as the last OHL game in the arena . The announced crowd of 3 , 167 was the largest home crowd in franchise history .