Petrolia Squires

The Petrolia Squires are a Canadian senior ice hockey team based in Petrolia, Ontario. They play in the Western Ontario Super Hockey League, which they joined for the 2023-24 season and are two-time Allan Cup National Champions.
==History==
===Intermediate C===
The Petrolia Chiefs were founded in 1969 as members of the Tri-County Intermediate League. In 1973, the Chiefs won their league, but lost the Intermediate C provincial final to a team from Bracebridge, Ontario 4-games-to-none. Also in 1973, they changed their name to the Petrolia Squires as their league became the Western Intermediate C Hockey League.
In 1976, the Western Intermediate C Hockey League merged with the Seaway Intermediate C Hockey League to create the Seaway-Western Intermediate C Hockey League. The Squires played one season with the league and then moved up to the Continental Senior A Hockey League. In that one season, the Squires won the 1977 league championship as well as the provincial championship by defeating the Bradford Comets 4-games-to-1.
===Continental League===
In the Continental League, the Squires found strong competition, with early feuds with the Durham Huskies and the Lucan-Ilderton Jets. As well, the Continental League was in competition for the Allan Cup, the National championship. In their second season in the league, the Squires won the league championship. They went on to meet the OHA Senior A champion Thunder Bay Twins in the Ontario Hockey Association final. The Squires won the series 4-games-to-2 and also won the Eastern Canadian senior championship as well, earning them a berth into the 1979 Allan Cup final. In the National final, the Squires met the Steinbach Huskies. The Squires won game one 6-5 in overtime, then game two 7-3. The Huskies took game three 5-4, before the Squires came alive won the next two 6-1 and 7-1 to win their first national title.
To top off this feat, the Squires were invited to play in the World Senior Hockey Championships. During the event, the Squires lost to HC Kladno of the CSSR 5-3 and then tied the Soviet Union powerhouse Khimik Voskresensk 3-3.
In 1980, the Squires were defeated in the league final by a new foe, the Cambridge Hornets. The Squires and Hornets would meet in five straight league championships. Three would be won by Cambridge, two would be won by Petrolia, but each would walk away with another Allan Cup. In 1980, the Continental Senior A Hockey League was renamed the OHA Senior A Hockey League, as the original folded in 1979.
===OHA Senior A===
In 1981, the Squires won the OHA championship by defeating the Hornets 4-games-to-1, they also gained a berth to the Allan Cup. The Squires traveled all the way to Thunder Bay, Ontario to compete in a first-time round robin tournament for the prestigious trophy. Their first game saw the Squires get embarrassed by the Thunder Bay Twins 8-3. Game two had the Squires defeat the St. Boniface Mohawks 6-4 and in game three the Squires beat the Grand Falls Cataracts 6-3. In the semi-final, the Squires drew Grand Falls again, while the Twins drew the Mohawks whom they just defeated 5-4 in overtime. The Squires repeated their 6-3 performance over the Cataracts, but the Twins were shocked by the Mohawks with a 4-3 loss. Petrolia beat St. Boniface 5-1 to win their second Allan Cup.
The 1982 playoffs ended a little tougher than 1981, with the Squires requiring all seven games to defeat the Hornets. The Squires were also Eastern Canadian champions. Petrolia qualified for their third Allan Cup, but were up against a tough Cranbrook Royals team at Cranbrook, British Columbia. The Royal won games one and two easily and the Squires made game three interesting but still lost. It took until game four until the Squires woke up and won 6-1, but it was too late as the Royals took game five 7-3 and the series to win the national championship.
===Seaway-Cyclone===
In 1986, the OHA Senior A Hockey League was reduced in size and declared Senior AAA. The Squires dropped to their local Seaway-Cyclone Senior B Hockey League. After two seasons in the league, the Squires seemingly took a one year leave from the Ontario Hockey Association for the 1988-89 season and returned in for the 1989-90 Seaway-Cyclone Senior B season. In a time where all Senior teams systematically disappeared and never came back, the Squires refused to disband and came right back to action.
===Southwestern Senior A===
In 1990, the Seaway Cyclone Senior B Hockey League merged with the Southern Senior A Hockey League to create the Southwestern Senior A Hockey League. The Squires are the only remaining team from the founding of the Southwestern League to still exist in modern hockey. Throughout the 1990s, the Southwestern League, led by Petrolia, struggled to stay alive and fought for recognition from the OHA and Hockey Canada to be declared the top level of senior hockey in the Province of Ontario.
The Petrolia Squires and the city of Sarnia, Ontario were awarded the 2001 Allan Cup. In the first game, the Squires defeated the Stony Plain Eagles 3-1. They then met and were massacred by the home-province rival Dundas Real McCoys 8-0. In their final round robin game, a 2-2 tie with the Lloydminster Border Kings earned them a semi-final berth over the McCoys. In the semi-final, the Squires defeated Stony Plain 3-0, but fell to Lloydminster in the Allan Cup final by a score of 7-2.
===Major League Hockey===
In 2002, the Southwestern Senior A Hockey League was recognized as the Ontario Hockey Association's Allan Cup representative and was renamed the OHA Senior AAA Hockey League. In 2004, the league was renamed Major League Hockey.
The Petrolia Squires were the only Ontario Hockey Association Senior level team to have been founded prior to 2000, were the only team to still exist from the OHA Senior A Hockey League without ever disbanding, and were the only Intermediate level team to have survived and still play in the OHA (not including Western Ontario Athletic Association Senior Hockey League teams, who are not affiliated with the OHA). As of 2008, the Petrolia Squires have been a franchise for 38 seasons and only sat on the sidelines for one of those years.
===WOAA Senior Hockey League===
In the summer of 2008, the Squires left the MLH and joined the Western Ontario Athletic Association Senior Hockey League.The Sarnia Observer - Ontario, CA On October 11, 2008, the Squires travelled to Thedford to defeat the Thedford Dirty Dogs 8-3 to win their first ever WOAA game. Petrolia had a very successful first season in the WOAA, finishing with a 16-2-2 record, earning 34 points, enough for first place in the WOAA South Division and first place overall.
The Squires were 2010 WOAA South Sr. AA Champions defeating the Lucan-Ilderton Jets 4-games-to-3, but fell in the Sr. AA Final to the Northern Champion Elora Rocks 4-games-to-2.
The Petrolia Squires are the only Ontario Hockey Association Senior level team to have been founded prior to 2000, are the only team to still exist from the OHA Senior A Hockey League without ever disbanding, and are the only Intermediate level team to have survived and still play in the OHA (not including Western Ontario Athletic Association Senior Hockey League teams, who are not affiliated with the OHA). As of 2008, the Petrolia Squires have been a franchise for 38 seasons and only sat on the sidelines for one of those years.
===Jump to WOSHL===
The team would move to the Western Ontario Super Hockey League for the 2023-24 playing season.https://www.woshl.com/news/presenting-the-petrolia-squires
==Season-by-season standings==
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses, SOL = Shootout Loses*, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
Season 	GP 	W 	L 	T 	OL 	GF 	GA 	P 	Results 	Playoffs 	
1969-70	26 	17 	8 	1 	- 	173 	115 	35 	2nd TCIHL 	 	
1970-71	28 	19 	5 	4 	- 	205 	137 	42 	1st TCIHL 	 	
1971-72	27 	17 	7 	3 	- 	155 	104 	37 	2nd TCIHL 	 	
1972-74	Statistics Not Available 	Statistics Not Available 	Statistics Not Available 	Statistics Not Available 	Statistics Not Available 	Statistics Not Available 	Statistics Not Available 	Statistics Not Available 	Statistics Not Available 	Statistics Not Available 	Statistics Not Available
1974-75	27 	17 	6 	4 	- 	194 	115 	38 	1st WICHL 	 	
1975-76	Statistics Not Available 	Statistics Not Available 	Statistics Not Available 	Statistics Not Available 	Statistics Not Available 	Statistics Not Available 	Statistics Not Available 	Statistics Not Available 	Statistics Not Available 	Statistics Not Available 	Statistics Not Available
1976-77	25 	22 	1 	2 	- 	260 	60 	46 	1st SWICHL 	 	
1977-78	36 	33 	3 	0 	- 	149 	107 	66 	1st CSAHL 	 	
1978-79	42 	32 	8 	2 	- 	282 	157 	66 	1st CSAHL 	 	
1979-80	40 	32 	7 	1 	- 	242 	112 	65 	1st CSAHL 	 	
1980-81	35 	23 	10 	2 	- 	218 	138 	48 	2nd OHA Sr. A 	 	
1981-82	35 	28 	7 	0 	- 	188 	95 	56 	1st OHA Sr. A 	 	
1982-83	37 	30 	6 	1 	- 	237 	106 	61 	2nd OHA Sr. A 	 	
1983-84	38 	25 	13 	0 	- 	180 	158 	50 	3rd OHA Sr. A 	 	
1984-85	40 	16 	23 	1 	- 	198 	196 	33 	6th OHA Sr. A 	 	
1985-86	36 	18 	18 	0 	- 	148 	149 	36 	5th OHA Sr. A 	 	
1986-87	26 	11 	13 	2 	- 	123 	134 	24 	7th SCSBHL 	 	
1987-88	30 	17 	11 	2 	- 	159 	121 	36 	3rd SCSBHL 	 	
1988-89	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
1989-90	29 	12 	18 	0 	1 	139 	196 	25 	4th SCSBHL 	 	
1990-91	30 	12 	17 	1 	0 	119 	159 	25 	8th SWSHL 	 	
1991-92	27 	15 	10 	1 	1 	126 	119 	32 	4th SWSHL 	 	
1992-93	23 	19 	2 	2 	- 	152 	73 	40 	1st SWSHL 	 	
1993-94	24 	9 	14 	1 	- 	96 	118 	20 	7th SWSHL 	 	
1994-95	28 	11 	13 	2 	2 	121 	144 	26 	4th SWSHL 	 	
1995-96	28 	10 	17 	1 	- 	119 	153 	21 	4th SWSHL 	 	
1996-97	29 	9 	16 	1 	3 	109 	129 	21 	3rd SWSHL 	 	
1997-98	30 	11 	17 	2 	0 	129 	152 	24 	4th SWSHL 	 	
1998-99	28 	21 	7 	0 	0 	186 	91 	42 	2nd SWSHL 	 	
1999-00	30 	22 	6 	1 	1 	183 	77 	46 	3rd SWSHL 	 	
2000-01	31 	24 	5 	1 	1 	-- 	-- 	50 	2nd SWSHL 	 	
2001-02	32 	18 	11 	2 	1 	161 	151 	39 	3rd SWSHL 	 	
2002-03	31 	15 	12 	2 	2 	140 	146 	34 	3rd OHA Sr. A 	 	
2003-04	32 	19 	9 	1 	3 	139 	122 	42 	1st OHA Sr. A 	 	
2004-05	32 	11 	19 	1 	1 	129 	160 	24 	5th MLH 	 	
2005-06	32 	14 	15 	- 	3 	144 	165 	31 	5th MLH 	 	
2006-07	30 	16 	14 	- 	0 	139 	179 	32 	2nd MLH 	 	
2007-08	30 	6 	22 	- 	2 	115 	154 	14 	5th MLH 	 	
2008-09	16 	2 	1 	1 	1 	104 	51 	34 	1st WOAA South 	Lost Semifinals 	
2009-10	20 	14 	5 	- 	1 	109 	78 	29 	T-2nd South 	Lost "AA" Semifinals 	
2010-11	26 	20 	6 	- 	0 	132 	93 	40 	3rd South 	Lost Division Semifinals 	
2011-12	24 	14 	10 	- 	0 	122 	102 	28 	5th South 	Lost Division Semifinals 	
2012-13	24 	13 	9 	- 	2 	110 	93 	28 	5th South 	Lost Division Semifinals 	
2013-14	24 	11 	10 	- 	3 	107 	107 	25 	5th South 	Lost Division Quarterfinals 	
2014-15	24 	16 	7 	- 	1 	114 	95 	33 	3rd South 	Lost Division Semifinals 	
2015-16	24 	12 	11 	- 	1 	99 	102 	25 	3rd South 	Lost Division Final 	
Season 	GP 	W 	L 	OL 	SL 	GF 	GA 	Pts 	Finish 	Playoffs 	
2016-17	20 	13 	6 	0 	1 	91 	71 	27 	3rd 	Lost "AA" Final 	
2017-18	20 	7* 	13 	0 	0 	90 	73 	14* 	T-9th 	Won "A" Championship 	
2018-19	22 	12 	8 	2 	0 	93 	96 	26 	6th 	Lost "AA" Quarterfinals 	
2019-20	22 	6 	16 	0 	0 	78 	132 	12 	12th 	Lost "A" Preliminary Round 	
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
2021-22	13 	4 	7 	1 	1 	43 	59 	10 	10th 	Lost "A" Final 	
2022-23	19 	11 	8 	0 	0 	96 	68 	22 	7th 	Lost "AA" Quarterfinals
Championship''' 	
2023-24	24 	15 	9 	- 	0 	131 	95 	30 	4th 	Lost Quarterfinals 	
note: During the 2017-18 season the Petrolia Squires were stripped of 6 points (3 wins) as a result of using an unsigned player during the season. The problem was apparently due to an email missing the player in question's playing card and by the time the decision was made Petrolia could not appeal the decision (which was issued January 19)
==Notable alumni==
*Todd Bidner
*Steve Stoyanovich
== References ==
==External links==
*Official Squires Website
Category:Ice hockey teams in Ontario
==References==
==External links==
*Official Squires Website
Category:Western Ontario Athletic Association Senior Hockey League
Category:Western Ontario Super Hockey League teams