Fergus Whalers

The Fergus Whalers are a Junior ice hockey team based in Fergus, Ontario, Canada. They played in the PJHL), joining the league as an expansion franchise prior to the 2023-24. The team will play in the Pollock Division of the North Conference. 
The Whalers will be a continuation of Fergus involvement in junior hockey taking the place of the Fergus Devils who were a Junior ice hockey team that played in the former Georgian Mid-Ontario Junior C Hockey League (now a part of the PJHL). They took a leave of absence for the 2015/16 season and have not returned.
==History==
The Fergus Green Machine were founded in 1971 in the South-Central Junior D Hockey League.Fergus Green Machine In 1973, the league was promoted to the Central Ontario Junior C Hockey League. In 1974, the team seemed to have dropped off the map, but it turns out they had probably dropped to the fairly local Northern Junior D Hockey League.Owen Sound Sun Times Sports section, Februarys 1975, 1978, 1981 In 1979-80, while in the Northern, the Green Machine picked up a 16-year-old Scottish defenseman named James Stephen Smith.Legends of Hockey – NHL Player Search – Player – Steve Smith Smith led the team to a league championship, and all the way to the Ontario Hockey Association Cup final against the Belmont Bombers of the Western Ontario Junior D Hockey League. The Bombers knocked off the Machine 2-games-to-none in a best-of-3 series to win the All-Ontario championship.Ontario Hockey Association 2006-2007 Constitution, Regulations and Rules of Competition by The Ontario Hockey Association (2006) Smith went on to play three seasons of Ontario Hockey League hockey with the London Knights before eventually winning three Stanley Cups with the National Hockey League's Edmonton Oilers.
In 1983, the Green Machine returned to their old Junior "C" loop, now known as the Mid-Ontario Junior C Hockey League. The Northern Junior D Hockey League folded two seasons later without the Fergus franchise.AncasterShamrocks In 1987 the Green Machine folded.
In 1990, the town of Fergus resurrected the team as the Fergus Devils. Still in the Mid-Ontario Junior C Hockey League, the Devils played two seasons of interlock with the Western Junior C Hockey League. Two years later, the Mid-Ontario merged with the Georgian Bay Junior C Hockey League to form the Georgian Mid-Ontario Junior C Hockey League.ExeterHawks It is unknown if the Devils won any Mid-Ontario championships. The Devils found their niche in the new league and won the league title in 1995, 1999, 2000, and 2001. The Devils have never reached the Clarence Schmalz Cup finals.
The 2005-06 season saw the Devils finish in second play in the Georgian Mid-Ontario. In the league quarter-final, the Devils laid out the seventh-seeded Bradford Bulls 4 games to none. With a head of steam, the Devils played the fourth seeded Erin Shamrocks in the semi-final. The result was a 4-games-to-1 series win for the Devils. In the finals, the Devils locked horns with the first seed Penetang Kings. The Devils were no match for the Kings as Penetang swept the series 4-games-to-none to win the league championship. The Kings went on to win the Clarence Schmalz Cup.Home | Ontario Hockey Association
In 2006-07, a late season surge saw the Fergus Devils surpass the Alliston Hornets and Penetang Kings to gain the top seed in the league. As the Bradford Bulls had left the league to try their chances on an Independent Junior A league, the Devils received a bye in the league quarter-finals. The well rested Devils took on the fifth seeded Stayner Siskins in the league semi-final and beat them 4-games-to-1. Again in the finals, the Devils again faced the Penetang Kings. The Kings went up 2-games-to-none on the Devils with a pair of double overtime victories. The Devils came back ane won game 3 and 4 just to lose game 5 and 6. For the second straight year the Penetang Kings beat the Devils for the league title and again went on to win the Clarence Schmalz Cup.
The Devils folded following the 2014/15 season.
Prior to the start of the 2023-24 Provincial Junior Hockey League season, Jason Baier secured a new franchise and introduced the Fergus Whalers.
==Season-by-season standings==
Season 	GP 	W 	L 	T 	OTL 	GF 		GA 	P 	Results 	Playoffs 	
1971-72 	30 	21 	6 	3 	- 	215 	107 	45 	1st SCJDHL 	Won league, lost OHA Cup SF 	
1972-73 	29 	21 	3 	5 	- 	214 	132 	49 	1st SCJDHL 	Lost final 	
1973-74 	30 	2 	25 	3 	- 	114 	239 	7 	7th Central G1 	DNQ 	
1974-75 	28 	10 	15 	3 	- 	158 	164 	25 	5th of 7 NJDHL 	DNQ 	
1975-76 	28 	16 	9 	3 	- 	162 	133 	35 	4th of 8 NJDHL 	Lost semi-final, 1-4 (Ironmen) 	
1976-77 	24 	14 	6 	4 	- 	164 	129 	32 	2nd of 5 NJDHL 	Won semi-final, 4-1 (Ironmen) 	
1977-78 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
1978-79 	34 	22 	8 	4 	- 	230 	155 	48 	2nd NJDHL 	 	
1979-80 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
1980-81 	30 	12 	15 	3 	- 	158 	198 	27 	4th WOJCHL 	 	
1981-82 	30 	13 	14 	3 	- 	168 	164 	29 	5th WOJCHL 	 	
1982-83 	Did not participate 	Did not participate 	Did not participate 	Did not participate 	Did not participate 	Did not participate 	Did not participate 	Did not participate 	Did not participate 	Did not participate 	Did not participate
1983-84 	34 	12 	21 	1 	- 	166 	202 	25 	6th MOJCHL 	Lost quarter-final 	
1984-85 	36 	23 	12 	1 	- 	224 	135 	45 	2nd MOJCHL 	Lost quarter-final 	
1985-86 	34 	20 	14 	0 	- 	183 	178 	40 	3rd MOJCHL 	 	
1986-87 	33 	21 	11 	1 	- 	235 	166 	43 	2nd MOJCHL 	Lost final 	
1987-90 	Did not participate 	Did not participate 	Did not participate 	Did not participate 	Did not participate 	Did not participate 	Did not participate 	Did not participate 	Did not participate 	Did not participate 	Did not participate
1990-91 	34 	3 	31 	0 	- 	-- 	-- 	6 	6th MOJCHL 	Lost quarter-final 	
1991-92 	34 	7 	24 	3 	- 	136 	220 	17 	6th MOJCHL 	Lost semi-final 	
1992-93 	38 	19 	14 	4 	1 	200 	187 	43 	2nd MOJCHL 	 	
1993-94 	40 	18 	21 	1 	- 	233 	248 	37 	4th MOJCHL 	 	
1994-95 	36 	21 	14 	1 	- 	-- 	-- 	43 	3rd GMOHL 	Won league, lost CSC QF 	
1995-96 	44 	18 	24 	2 	- 	204 	226 	38 	7th GMOHL 	 	
1996-97 	36 	16 	20 	0 	- 	171 	162 	32 	7th GMOHL 	 	
1997-98 	36 	22 	14 	0 	- 	159 	123 	44 	2nd GMOHL 	 	
1998-99 	36 	25 	9 	2 	- 	178 	130 	52 	2nd GMOHL 	Won league 	
1999-00 	36 	31 	5 	0 	- 	226 	123 	62 	1st GMOHL 	Won league 	
2000-01 	36 	22 	11 	1 	2 	185 	140 	45 	2nd GMOHL 	Won league 	
2001-02 	36 	21 	11 	2 	2 	165 	135 	46 	3rd GMOHL 	 	
2002-03 	36 	17 	18 	1 	0 	126 	130 	35 	6th GMOHL 	Lost quarter-final 	
2003-04 	36 	16 	17 	1 	2 	165 	178 	35 	5th GMOHL 	 	
2004-05 	40 	25 	10 	4 	1 	160 	117 	55 	2nd GMOHL 	 	
2005-06 	42 	25 	9 	5 	3 	170 	128 	58 	2nd GMOHL 	Lost final 	
2006-07 	41 	29 	7 	3 	2 	220 	104 	63 	1st GMOHL 	Lost final 	
2007-08 	42 	27 	11 	1 	3 	208 	147 	58 	3rd GMOHL 	 	
2008-09 	42 	14 	27 	- 	1 	134 	202 	29 	6th GMOHL 	 	
2009-10 	42 	13 	26 	- 	3 	133 	219 	29 	5th GMOHL 	Lost quarter-final 	
2010-11 	40 	13 	25 	- 	2 	132 	174 	28 	7th GMOHL 	 	
2011-12 	40 	2 	38 	- 	0 	79 	267 	4 	8th GMOHL 	Lost quarter-final 	
2012-13 	40 	12 	27 	- 	1 	89 	165 	25 	8th GMOHL 	DNQ 	
2013-14 	40 	17 	19 	- 	4 	143 	170 	38 	8th GMOHL 	Lost quarters - 0-4 - (Hornets) 	
2014-15 	40 	16 	20 	- 	4 	130 	169 	36 	8th GMOHL 	Lost quarters - 0-4 - (Hornets) 	
2015-16 	LEAVE OF ABSENCE 	LEAVE OF ABSENCE 	LEAVE OF ABSENCE 	LEAVE OF ABSENCE 	LEAVE OF ABSENCE 	LEAVE OF ABSENCE 	LEAVE OF ABSENCE 	LEAVE OF ABSENCE 	LEAVE OF ABSENCE 	LEAVE OF ABSENCE 	LEAVE OF ABSENCE
2016-17 	Assumed to have folded the franchise	Assumed to have folded the franchise	Assumed to have folded the franchise	Assumed to have folded the franchise	Assumed to have folded the franchise	Assumed to have folded the franchise	Assumed to have folded the franchise	Assumed to have folded the franchise	Assumed to have folded the franchise	Assumed to have folded the franchise 	Assumed to have folded the franchise
Fergus Whalers	Fergus Whalers 	Fergus Whalers 	Fergus Whalers 	Fergus Whalers 	Fergus Whalers 	Fergus Whalers 	Fergus Whalers 	Fergus Whalers 	Fergus Whalers 	Fergus Whalers 	Fergus Whalers
2023-24 	42 	20 	17 	3 	2 	152 	135 	45 	4th of 8Pollock Div-PJHL 	Won Div.quarterfinal, 4-0 - (Capitals)Lost Div Semifinals, 2-4 (Barons)	
*2000-2004http://www.ohahockey.org/ Provided by GMO League statistician
*2004–Present
==Notable alumni==
*James Stephen Smith
*Chris DriscollChris Driscoll's profile at hockeydb.com (NLL Pro lacrosse player)
*Greg JacinaFergus Devils Junior C Hockey
==References==
==External links==
*Devils' Webpage
Category:Georgian Mid-Ontario Junior C Hockey League teams
Category:Ice hockey clubs established in 1971