Smiths Falls Bears

The Smiths Falls Bears are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Smiths Falls, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of the Central Junior A Hockey League. They were original members, but then left Smiths Falls in 1976. The current team rejoined the league in 1985, with a short two-year stint in Lanark.
:Smiths Falls Bears 1961 - 1976
:Smiths Falls Bears 1985 - 2000
:Lanark Thunder 2000 - 2002
:Smiths Falls Bears 2002 to Present
==History==
The Smiths Falls Bears trace back to when the Central Junior Hockey League was formed in 1961 under the act of the Montreal Canadiens. The Bears are one of the oldest franchises in Canadian Junior A hockey, despite a 9-year leave of absence from 1976 to 1985, and a 2-year absence from Smiths Falls as part of a re-location to Perth, and being known as the Lanark Thunder from 2000-2002. When the Bears first surfaced, the team wore maroon and white - identical colours of the American Hockey League's Hershey Bears. The Bears won their first Art Bogart Cup in 1965 as Central Junior Hockey League champions. The Bears won back-to-back CJHL championships in 1974 and 1975. In 1976, the Bears took a leave of absence from the league. In 1985, the Bears returned to the league wearing the colours black, gold, and white - identical to the Pittsburgh Penguins uniforms in the 1980's. In the early 1990's, the Bears went back to their original colours of maroon and white, but with grey. In 1998, the Bears changed their colours to teal and black, which confused CJHL supporters around the league. In February 2000, the Smiths Falls Bears lost all their equipment in a dressing room fire at the Smiths Falls Memorial Centre. The equipment was replaced through donations and charities and the Bears finished off the 1999-00 season. In the summer, the Bears announced to relocate to nearby Perth, Ontario and became the Lanark Thunder. The new owner promised to draw attendance at the Perth & District Community Centre for the 2000-01 season. The Thunder drew a decent attendance, but attendance dropped in their second season causing financial trouble. The Lanark Thunder folded after the 2002 playoffs. The Smiths Falls Bears returned as an expansion team for 2002-03, because the Lanark Thunder ceased operations. Most of the Lanark players went on to play for the Bears, while other players were recruited through the expansion draft. The Smiths Falls Bears missed the playoffs in their first three years back. In December 2004, a new head coach Bill Bowker was assigned to turn the team around. The Bears won just 1 game before January 2005, and fans were criticizing the team's performance and asked what was wrong with the team and how long they would be in Smiths Falls. The coaching change paid off as the Bears made the playoffs four-consecutive years. Their best post-Lanark Thunder season was 2007-08, when the Bears made the CJHL finals after knowing off arch-rivals [Brockville Brave]] in 6 games to compete against the other arch-rivals Pembroke Lumber Kings. The Lumber Kings won the finals in 5 games. In July 2008, three Bears were chosen in the NHL Draft. Mike Bergin (Dallas Stars); Nicholas Tremblay (Boston Bruins); and Mark Borowiecki (Ottawa Senators) became the first trio of players from the same CJHL club to be chosen in the NHL Draft.
On February 27, 2010, the Smiths Falls Bears played their final game at the Smiths Falls Memorial Centre as the Bears will move to a new arena that is currently near-completion.
==Notable alumni==
*Fred Brathwaite - Former NHL Goaltender now playing in Russia.
*Joe Dipenta - Anaheim Ducks Defenceman.
*Steve Poapst - Former NHL Defenceman.
*Steve Valiquette - New York Rangers Goaltender.
*Billy Smith - Hall of Fame New York Islanders Goaltender.
*Jason York - Longtime NHL Defenceman
*Mike Bergin- NHL draft pick (Dallas Stars)
*Nicholas Tremblay- NHL draft pick (Boston Bruins)
*Mark Borowiecki- NHL draft pick (Ottawa Senators)
==Season-by-Season record==
Season 	GP 	W 	L 	T 	OL 	GF 	GA 	Pts 	Finish 	Playoffs 	 	
1961-62	28 	10 	14 	4 	- 	-- 	-- 	24 	6th OHDJHL 	Lost Semi-final 	 	
1962-63	32 	10 	9 	3 	- 	140 	124 	43 	2nd OHDJHL 	Lost Final 	 	
1963-64	32 	13 	16 	3 	- 	-- 	-- 	29 	6th OHDJHL 	Lost Quarter-final 	 	
1964-65	36 	29 	5 	2 	- 	175 	75 	60 	1st CJHL 	Won League 	 	
1965-66	36 	20 	9 	7 	- 	177 	123 	47 	4th CJHL 	Lost Semi-final 	 	
1966-67	50 	22 	20 	8 	- 	186 	176 	52 	2nd CJHL 	Lost Final 	 	
1967-68	40 	21 	15 	4 	- 	197 	143 	46 	2nd CJHL 	Lost Final 	 	
1968-69	40 	20 	11 	9 	- 	157 	123 	49 	2nd CJHL 	Lost Semi-final 	 	
1969-70	40 	13 	22 	5 	- 	135 	159 	31 	4th CJHL 	 	 	
1970-71	48 	31 	12 	5 	- 	247 	183 	67 	1st CJHL 	 	 	
1971-72	48 	29 	17 	2 	- 	250 	208 	60 	1st CJHL 	Won League 	 	
1972-73	55 	25 	29 	1 	- 	246 	274 	51 	4th CJHL 	 	 	
1973-74	50 	30 	17 	3 	- 	301 	240 	63 	1st CJHL 	Won League, Won CC 	 	
1974-75	50 	27 	16 	7 	- 	287 	222 	61 	2nd CJHL 	Won League, Won CC 	 	
1975-76	50 	24 	20 	6 	- 	223 	227 	54 	3rd CJHL 	 	 	
1976-85	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 	
1985-86	60 	12 	44 	1 	3 	231 	389 	28 	7th CJHL 	 	 	
1986-87	54 	24 	25 	5 	- 	218 	219 	55 	5th CJHL 	 	 	
1987-88	56 	4 	52 	0 	- 	174 	441 	11 	8th CJHL 	 	 	
1988-89	55 	24 	30 	1 	- 	269 	305 	52 	6th CJHL 	 	 	
1989-90	56 	17 	33 	1 	5 	225 	294 	40 	8th CJHL 	 	 	
1990-91	53 	13 	31 	3 	6 	285 	375 	35 	8th CJHL 	 	 	
1991-92	57 	9 	46 	1 	1 	206 	423 	20 	10th CJHL 	 	 	
1992-93	57 	8 	43 	2 	4 	184 	385 	22 	10th CJHL 	 	 	
1993-94	57 	33 	15 	4 	5 	293 	229 	75 	3rd CJHL 	 	 	
1994-95	54 	29 	10 	8 	7 	237 	203 	73 	2nd CJHL 	 	 	
1995-96	54 	26 	26 	2 	- 	253 	247 	54 	1st Yzerman 	 	 	
1996-97	53 	41 	8 	4 	- 	271 	172 	87 	2nd Yzerman 	 	 	
1997-98	54 	26 	19 	11 	- 	224 	202 	69 	2nd Yzerman 	 	 	
1998-99	54 	28 	20 	6 	- 	202 	220 	62 	4th Yzerman 	 	 	
1999-00	56 	25 	28 	3 	- 	240 	256 	53 	4th Yzerman 	 	 	
2000-01	55 	24 	23 	8 	0 	207 	194 	59 	4th Yzerman 	 	 	
2001-02	55 	16 	26 	15 	- 	212 	260 	47 	4th Yzerman 	 	 	
2002-03	55 	9 	39 	7 	2 	196 	317 	25 	5th Yzerman 	 	 	
2003-04	55 	11 	38 	5 	4 	196 	335 	28 	5th Yzerman 	 	 	
2004-05	57 	9 	42 	1 	5 	165 	304 	24 	5th Yzerman 	 	 	
2005-06	59 	18 	31 	5 	5 	193 	250 	46 	4th in Yzerman 	Lost quarter-final 	 	
2006-07	55 	25 	23 	5 	2 	199 	200 	57 	4th in Yzerman 	Lost semi-final 	 	
2007-08	60 	41 	15 	4 	0 	280 	183 	86 	2nd CJHL 	Lost final 	 	
2008-09	60 	36 	22 	- 	2 	247 	205 	74 	5th CJHL 	 	 	
2009-10	62 	18 	40 	- 	4 	148 	256 	40 	10th CJHL 	DNQ 	 	
2010-11	62 	27 	29 	- 	6 	191 	229 	60 	8th CCHL 	Lost Quarter-final 	 	
2011-12	62 	30 	30 	- 	2 	220 	240 	62 	8th CCHL 	Lost Quarter-final 	 	
2012-13	62 	36 	22 	- 	4 	235 	183 	76 	7th CCHL 	Lost Quarter-final 	 	
2013-14	62 	41 	17 	- 	4 	238 	174 	86 	2nd CCHL 	Lost Final 	 	
2014-15	62 	28 	26 	3 	5 	173 	206 	64 	5th of 6 Robinson7th of 12 CCHL 	Lost Prelim. Round, 1-2 (Raiders) 	 	
Season 	GP 	W 	L 	OL 	SL 	GF 	GA 	Pts 	Finish 	Playoffs 	 	
2015-16	62 	38 	22 	0 	2 	220 	170 	78 	4th of 6 Robinson6th of 12 CCHL 	Lost Quarterfinals, 0-4 (Hawks) 	 	
2016-17	62 	24 	31 	5 	2 	177 	209 	55 	6th of 6 Robinson,7th of 12 CCHL 	Lost Quarterfinals, 1-4 (Colts) 	 	
2017-18	62 	24 	31 	3 	4 	158 	196 	55 	5th of 6 Robinson,9th of 12 CCHL 	Did not qualify 	 	
2018-19	62 	28 	23 	9 	2 	195 	211 	67 	3rd Yzerman 	Lost Quarterfinals, 1-4 (Braves) 	 	
2019-20	62 	33 	24 	- 	5 	223 	216 	71 	3rd Robinson 	Playoffs cancelled before team starts quarterfinal series 	 	
2020-21	League only played training games due to COVID-19 pandemic	League only played training games due to COVID-19 pandemic	League only played training games due to COVID-19 pandemic	League only played training games due to COVID-19 pandemic	League only played training games due to COVID-19 pandemic	League only played training games due to COVID-19 pandemic	League only played training games due to COVID-19 pandemic	League only played training games due to COVID-19 pandemic	League only played training games due to COVID-19 pandemic	League only played training games due to COVID-19 pandemic	League only played training games due to COVID-19 pandemic	League only played training games due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021-22	55 	25 	25 	4 	1 	193 	215 	55 	5th Robinson 	W, 8th PO 4-1 (Nationals)L, QF 0-4 (Senators 	 	
2022-23	55 	37 	15 	1 	2 	232 	165 	77 	1st Robinson 	W, QF 4-1 (CanadiansW, SF 4-1 (Wolves)L, F 3-4 (Senators) 	 	
2023-24	55 	36 	15 	1 	3 	193 	128 	76 	1st Robinson 	W, QF 4-1 (CanadiansW, SF 4-1 (Colts)L, F 2-4 (Grads 	 	
==Championships==
:CJHL Bogart Cup Championships: 1965, 1972, 1974, 1975
:Eastern Canadian Fred Page Cup Championships: None
:CJAHL Royal Bank Cup Championships: None
==Notable alumni==
*Fred Brathwaite
*Joe DiPenta
*Rob Dopson
*Randy Pierce
*Steve Poapst
*Ken Richardson
*Billy Smith
*Steve Valiquette
*Ron Ward
*Jason York
*Rod Zaine
*Mark Borowiecki
==External links==
*Smiths Falls Bears
Category:Central Junior A Hockey League team
Category:Established in 1961
Category:Disestablished in 1976
Category:Established in 1985