Mississauga IceDogs The Mississauga IceDogs are a former junior ice hockey team in Mississauga , Ontario , Canada . They played in the Ontario Hockey League from 1998 to 2007 . A sale relocated the team to St . Catharines , Ontario for the 2007 – 08 season and they are now called the Niagara IceDogs . History . From 1998 to 2002 , the IceDogs enjoyed little success , finishing last in the OHL ' s Central Division every year . During this building phase , the team had six head coaches within the span of 4 years , including the owner , Don Cherry . Mississauga drafted first overall each year , leading to two rookies of the year , including one of the highest touted NHL prospects in Jason Spezza . In the 2002 – 03 season , the IceDogs finished fourth in the Central Division and made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history , but lost in the first round in five games against the Ottawa 67 ' s . 2003 – 04 was the IceDogs ' best season . The team finished second in the Central Division , two points behind the division champion Toronto St . Michael ' s Majors , and third overall in the Eastern Conference . In the first round of the playoffs , the IceDogs defeated the Oshawa Generals in seven games , winning their first - ever playoff series . The IceDogs were down three games to two against the Barrie Colts in the second round but managed to come back and win the series in seven games . The surprise IceDogs then upset the St . Michael ' s Majors in the Eastern Conference Championship series in six games to win the Bobby Orr Trophy and earn their first - ever trip to the Ontario Hockey League finals . The dream ended there as they fell to the Guelph Storm in four straight games in the OHL final , losing the fourth game at the Hershey Centre . The 2004 – 05 season was another record setting season for the IceDogs . They won their first ever Central Division title and finished first in the Eastern Conference with 81 points . Despite regular season success , the IceDogs were upset in the first round of the playoffs by the eighth - seeded St . Michael ' s Majors in five games . In 2005 – 06 , the IceDogs started rebuilding and missed the playoffs again . Change in ownership . On July 12 , 2006 , Eugene Melnyk , owner of the Toronto St . Michael ' s Majors and the NHL ' s Ottawa Senators , bought the Mississauga IceDogs . After the 2006 – 07 season , Melnyk sold the IceDogs , and moved the Majors to the Hershey Centre in Mississauga . On January 8 , 2007 , Toronto businessman Tom Bitove proposed to buy the team with plans to move to Niagara Falls , but city council declined the proposal to build a new arena . As an alternative , the team approached the City of St . Catharines about moving the team into Jack Gatecliff Arena in the downtown core . St . Catharines City Council voted on a leasing arrangement on April 23 , 2007 , which passed . Bill Burke bought the IceDogs and relocated the team to St . Catharines in time for the 2007 – 08 season , to be known as the Niagara IceDogs . The IceDogs played their final game in Mississauga on April 1 , 2007 , losing in game five of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals at home to the Sudbury Wolves . Coaches . Former team owner and hockey commentator Donald S . Cherry stepped behind the bench to coach the IceDogs for the 2001 – 02 season , after going through five coaches in three years . The team had its best season to the date , but still failed to reach the playoffs . The IceDogs were one of the highest - selling road teams in the OHL that year , as many spectators attended games to see Don Cherry coach and seek autographs . Players . The Mississauga IceDogs had the first overall draft pick four years in a row , which produced two rookies of the year , and a total of ten alumni have played in the National Hockey League . Team records . < br clear = " all " > 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 logo is styled after Don Cherry ' s pet bull terrier named Blue . It shows a snarling dog overtop of the IceDogs name with a maple leaf in the background . The original logo ( inset right ) looked like a roboticized dog with red eyes in front of a big letter " M " with a maple leaf in the corner . The logo was redesigned after their 5th season with the change in ownership . Arena . The Mississauga IceDogs played their home games at the Hershey Centre in northeast Mississauga , near the junction of Highways 401 , 403 and 410 . The Hershey Centre hosted the OHL All - Star Game in 2000 .