Thorold Blackhawks

The Thorold Blackhawks were a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Pelham, Ontario, Canada. They played in the Golden Horseshoe division of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League.
==History==
The Thorold Jaycees joined the Niagara District Junior B Hockey League in 1963, three seasons after the folding of the Thorold Mountaineers. The Jaycees became the Paper Bees in 1975 and stayed with the league until 1979 when it folded. From 1979 until 1982, the team was known as the Thorold Paper C's and played in the local Niagara & District Junior C Hockey League. In 1982, the Paper C's became the Blackhawks and joined Golden Horseshoe Junior B Hockey League. The Blackhawks stayed members of the GHJHL until 2007 when it merged into the GOJHL.
The team consisted of mostly local players between the ages of 16 and 21. The Blackhawks were League Champions in 2001, 2003, 2004, and 2005. In 2005, the team went on to capture the Sutherland Cup as the best Jr. B team in Ontario. Many players that started their careers in Thorold went on to play in the Ontario Hockey League, American Hockey League, and the National Hockey League. The most notable of these NHLers are Nathan Horton of the Toronto Maple Leafs, John Scott of the San Jose Sharks, Zenon Konopka, Dwayne Roloson and Owen Nolan, retired.
The Blackhawks played the longest game in club history on March 26, 2006 in a quadruple-overtime thriller of game 6 of their GHL Semi-final series against their arch-rival, the St. Catharines Falcons. The Blackhawks moved onto the GHL finals with this victory. The final score of this contest was 2-1 after Steve Zmudcynski beat St. Catharines' netminder Sean Hall with 5:06 left in the 4th overtime period. Zmudczynski was criticized for much of the overtime session for not getting back on defense but was rewarded for doing so when he received a long pass from Steve Chappell that set up the winning marker. The game lasted a little over four and a half hours and ended after midnight. An interesting side note from this game is that if there would have been a game seven it would have been played on March 27, the same day Game 6 ended.
In October 2013, a Facebook Page called ‘Is The Thorold Blackhawks Logo Offensive?' was started,http://www.thoroldedition.ca/2013/10/11/thorold-resident-takes-to-facebook-to-spark-debate-on-blackhawks-logo which questioned the use of an aboriginal caricature as the team's logo.http://www.tworowtimes.com/news/regional/concerns-growing-thorold-blackhawks-logo/http://www.thoroldedition.ca/2013/11/27/thorold-needs-to-decide-what-kind-of-city-it-wants-to-be-says-baird The Facebook Page garnered attention from local media and politicians and was brought to the attention of Thorold City Council, but despite the efforts, the logo has yet to be changed by the team.http://www.thoroldedition.ca/2013/12/09/logo-discussions-fail-to-find-solution
On August 19, 2017 the City of Thorold, Ontario announced "As of June 1, 2017 the use or display of the current Blackhawk logo for any purpose and in any manner shall be strictly prohibited within the Thorold community arenas."
The Thorold Blackhawks were forced to move their home games to the Vale Health and Wellness Centre in Port Colborne for the 2022 playoffs and for the 2022-23 season due to ongoing construction at the Thorold Community Arena. On May 16, 2023 the move was made permanent with the team being renamed the Port Colborne Sailors.https://www.gojhl.ca/thorold-franchise-makes-port-colborne-home-permanent
==Season-by-season results==
Season 	GP 	W 	L 	T 	OL 	GF 	GA 	P 	Results 	Playoffs 	 	 	 	 	 	
1963-64	30 	5 	23 	2 	- 	120 	263 	12 	6th NDJBHL 	DNQ 	 	 	 	 	 	
1964-65	30 	10 	18 	2 	- 	133 	201 	22 	6th NDJBHL 	Lost Semi-final 	 	 	 	 	 	
1965-66	30 	11 	16 	3 	- 	162 	220 	25 	6th NDJBHL 	Lost Quarter-final 	 	 	 	 	 	
1966-77	Niagara District Jr. B Statistics Not Available	Niagara District Jr. B Statistics Not Available	Niagara District Jr. B Statistics Not Available	Niagara District Jr. B Statistics Not Available	Niagara District Jr. B Statistics Not Available	Niagara District Jr. B Statistics Not Available	Niagara District Jr. B Statistics Not Available	Niagara District Jr. B Statistics Not Available	Niagara District Jr. B Statistics Not Available	Niagara District Jr. B Statistics Not Available	Niagara District Jr. B Statistics Not Available	 	 	 	 	
1977-78	40 	11 	24 	5 	- 	170 	240 	27 	4th NDJBHL 	Lost Semi-final 	 	 	 	 	 	
1978-79	40 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	5th NDJBHL 	DNQ 	 	 	 	 	 	
1979-80	35 	17 	15 	5 	- 	224 	199 	37 	3rd NJC-E 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
1980-81	40 	26 	14 	0 	- 	247 	213 	52 	2nd NJC-E 	Lost Quarter-final 	 	 	 	 	 	
1981-82	Niagara-Can-Am Jr. C Statistics Not Available 	Niagara-Can-Am Jr. C Statistics Not Available 	Niagara-Can-Am Jr. C Statistics Not Available 	Niagara-Can-Am Jr. C Statistics Not Available 	Niagara-Can-Am Jr. C Statistics Not Available 	Niagara-Can-Am Jr. C Statistics Not Available 	Niagara-Can-Am Jr. C Statistics Not Available 	Niagara-Can-Am Jr. C Statistics Not Available 	Niagara-Can-Am Jr. C Statistics Not Available 	Niagara-Can-Am Jr. C Statistics Not Available 	Niagara-Can-Am Jr. C Statistics Not Available 	 	 	 	 	
1982-83	42 	13 	26 	3 	- 	241 	293 	29 	7th GHJHL 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
1983-84	42 	9 	28 	5 	- 	178 	252 	23 	8th GHJHL 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
1984-85	42 	2 	39 	1 	- 	150 	381 	5 	8th GHJHL 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
1985-86	40 	19 	18 	3 	- 	184 	215 	41 	6th GHJHL 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
1986-87	42 	15 	18 	9 	- 	202 	233 	39 	5th GHJHL 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
1987-88	42 	17 	21 	4 	- 	209 	270 	38 	5th GHJHL 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
1988-89	42 	25 	10 	7 	- 	197 	148 	57 	2nd GHJHL 	Lost Final 	 	 	 	 	 	
1989-90	48 	31 	14 	1 	2 	246 	200 	65 	2nd GHJHL 	Lost Final 	 	 	 	 	 	
1990-91	42 	26 	14 	2 	0 	236 	182 	54 	4th GHJHL 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
1991-92	42 	15 	26 	1 	0 	189 	219 	31 	6th GHJHL 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
1992-93	42 	22 	16 	1 	3 	239 	219 	48 	4th GHJHL 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
1993-94	40 	25 	12 	1 	2 	270 	178 	53 	2nd GHJHL 	Lost Final 	 	 	 	 	 	
1994-95	42 	19 	21 	2 	1 	188 	220 	41 	4th GHJHL 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
1995-96	42 	10 	26 	3 	3 	190 	235 	26 	7th GHJHL 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
1996-97	42 	14 	22 	5 	1 	181 	181 	34 	6th GHJHL 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
1997-98	49 	26 	16 	4 	3 	255 	213 	59 	4th GHJHL 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
1998-99	47 	17 	24 	5 	1 	167 	180 	40 	5th GHJHL 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
1999-00	48 	32 	13 	1 	2 	237 	155 	67 	1st GHJHL 	Lost Final 	 	 	 	 	 	
2000-01	48 	31 	10 	7 	0 	220 	126 	69 	2nd GHJHL 	Won League 	 	 	 	 	 	
2001-02	48 	31 	12 	3 	2 	216 	138 	67 	3rd GHJHL 	Lost Final 	 	 	 	 	 	
2002-03	48 	41 	4 	3 	0 	282 	100 	85 	1st GHJHL 	Won League 	 	 	 	 	 	
2003-04	48 	34 	7 	7 	0 	179 	84 	75 	2nd GHJHL 	Won League 	 	 	 	 	 	
2004-05	48 	37 	6 	5 	0 	185 	85 	79 	1st GHJHL 	Won League, Won Sutherland Cup 	 	 	 	 	 	
2005-06	49 	29 	18 	2 	0 	192 	125 	60 	3rd GHJHL 	Lost Final 	 	 	 	 	 	
2006-07	49 	30 	16 	2 	1 	226 	169 	63 	4th GHJHL 	Lost Semi-final 	 	 	 	 	 	
2007-08	49 	30 	12 	6 	1 	227 	144 	67 	1st GOJHL-GH 	Lost RR Semi-final 	 	 	 	 	 	
2008-09	52 	31 	18 	- 	3 	217 	197 	65 	3rd GOJHL-GH 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2009-10	51 	35 	12 	- 	4 	211 	164 	74 	3rd GOJHL-GH 	Lost Conf. SF 	 	 	 	 	 	
2010-11	51 	38 	11 	- 	2 	251 	135 	78 	2nd GOJHL-GH 	Lost Conf. Final 	 	 	 	 	 	
2011-12	51 	32 	17 	- 	2 	197 	126 	66 	3rd GOJHL-GH 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
2012-13	51 	28 	19 	- 	4 	192 	174 	60 	5th GOJHL-GH 	Lost Conf. SF 	 	 	 	 	 	
2013-14	49 	28 	17 	- 	4 	210 	185 	60 	4th GOJHL-GH 	Lost Conf. SF 	 	 	 	 	 	
2014-15	49 	14 	31 	- 	4 	117 	203 	32 	7th GOJHL-GH 	Lost Conf. Quarter-finals, 1-4 (Falcons) 	 	 	 	 	 	
2015-16	50 	21 	25 	1 	3 	152 	172 	46 	6th of 8-GH17th of 26-GOJHL 	Lost Conf. Quarter-finals, 0-4 (Avalanche) 	 	 	 	 	 	
2016-17	50 	11 	36 	1 	2 	133 	206 	25 	7th GOJHL-GH 	Did not Participate 	 	 	 	 	 	
2017-18	50 	20 	22 	3 	5 	160 	205 	48 	5th GOJHL-GH 	Lost Conf. Quarter-finals, 0-4 (Canucks) 	 	 	 	 	 	
2018-19	48 	20 	23 	1 	4 	149 	167 	45 	5th GOJHL-GH 	Lost Conf. Quarter-finals, 2-4 (Panthers) 	 	 	 	 	 	
2019-20	50 	26 	20 	2 	2 	181 	161 	56 	5th GOJHL-GH 	Lost Conf. Quarter-finals 0-4 (Kilty B's) 	 	 	 	 	 	
2020-21	Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic 	Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic 	Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic 	Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic 	Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic 	Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic 	Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic 	Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic 	Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic 	Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic 	Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic 	Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic	Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic	Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic	Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic	Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021-22	48 	15 	32 	0 	1 	89 	155 	31 	6th of 8-GH20th of 25-GOJHL 	Lost Conf. Quarterfinals 0-4 (Corvairs) 	 	 	 	 	 	
2022-23	50 	24 	24 	2 	0 	168 	155 	50 	5th of 8-GH17th of 25-GOJHL 	Lost Conf. Quarterfinals 1-4 (Corvairs) 	 	 	 	 	 	
==Sutherland Cup appearances==
:2001: Elmira Sugar Kings defeated Thorold Blackhawks 4-games-to-2
:2003: Stratford Cullitons defeated Thorold Blackhawks 4-games-to-3
:2004: Stratford Cullitons defeated Thorold Blackhawks 4-games-to-none
:2005: Thorold Blackhawks defeated Chatham Maroons 4-games-to-1
== Notable Alumni Players ==
- Nathan Horton
 - Konopka Zenon
- Owen Nolan
- Dwayne Roloson
- John Scott
==References==
==External links==
*Blackhawks Webpage
Category:Canadian ice hockey teams
Category:Ontario Hockey Association
Category:Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League
Category:Established in 1982
Category:Disestablished in 2023