Kingston Canadians
City	Kingston, Ontario
League	Ontario Hockey League
Conference	Leyden
Founded	1973 (1973)–74
Home arena	Kingston Memorial Centre
Colours	Red, white and blue
Franchise history
1972–1973	Kingston Frontenacs Jr. A.
1973–1988	Kingston Canadians
1988–1989	Kingston Raiders
1989–present	Kingston Frontenacs

The Kingston Canadians were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League from 1973 to 1988. The team played home games at the Kingston Memorial Centre in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

The Kingston Canadians arrival in the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) for the 1973–74 OHL season, was a result of the Montreal Junior Canadiens switch to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) in 1972. During the summer of 1972, the QMJHL had threatened a lawsuit against the OHA to force the Junior Canadiens to return to the Quebec-based league. The OHA granted the Junior Canadiens franchise a "one-year suspension" of operations, while team ownership transferred the team and players into the QMJHL, renaming themselves the Montreal Bleu Blanc Rouge.^{[citation needed]}

The OHA reactivated the suspended franchise after a one-year hiatus, under new ownership and with new players, calling the team the Kingston Canadians. A group of Kingston business and professionals including J. Douglas Cunningham, purchased the rights from the Montreal Arena Corporation. The new Kingston team was an expansion franchise promoted from the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League. The Kingston Canadians used the same colours and uniforms as the NHL's Montreal Canadiens and Junior Canadiens. The Kingston logo replaced the "H" with the letter "K" for Kingston.^{[citation needed]}

The team played from 1973 to 1980 in the OHA, then from 1980 to 1988 in the OHL. In 1981, Kingston hosted the annual OHL All-Star game. In 1985–1986 season, Chris Clifford was the OHL first goalie to score a goal.^{[citation needed]} Following a 28-game losing streak to end the 1987–88 season, the Canadians franchise was sold and renamed the team Kingston Raiders.^[1]

Jim Morrison coached the Canadians for almost half the team's tenure in the OHA & OHL. He was an NHL veteran defenceman of 704 games, as well as being a player coach with the AHL Baltimore Clippers.

Four other Canadians coaches also played in the NHL. They are, Jack Bownass, Rod Graham, Fred O'Donnell & Jim Dorey.

Jack Bownass was the recipient of the Matt Leyden Trophy as OHA Coach of the Year in 1973-1974.

List of Coaches

(Multiple years in parentheses)

NONE. Five numbers have been "honoured" from the Kingston Canadians, although not retired and still in circulation. (#5 Mike O'Connell, #7 Tony McKegney, #10 Brad Rhiness, #14 Ken Linseman and #29 Chris Clifford).

Sean Simpson played for the Canadians during the 1976–77 season, later coached Switzerland and Hungary at the Ice Hockey World Championships, and had a lengthy career coaching professional European hockey.^[2] Paul Coffey played for the Canadians during the 1977–78 season, and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2004.^[3] Jim Aldred played for the Canadians from 1979 to 1981, and became coach of the Portugal men's national team in 2017.^[4] Kevin Conway played for the Canadians during the 1983–84 season, was inducted into the British Ice Hockey Hall of Fame in 2005.^[5] Rick Fera played for the Canadians during the 1984–85 season, and had a lengthy British Hockey League career.^[6]

List of Canadians that also played in the National Hockey League or World Hockey Association:^[7]

Regular season and playoffs results:^[8]

• 1973–1974 Out of playoffs.
• 1974–1975 Lost to Toronto Marlboros in quarter-finals 9 points to 7.
• 1975–1976 Lost to Ottawa 67's in quarter-finals 9 points to 5.
• 1976–1977 Defeated Sudbury Wolves in quarter-finals 9 points to 3.
  Lost to Ottawa 67's in semi-finals 9 points to 7.
• 1977–1978 Lost to S.S.Marie Greyhounds in first round 6 points to 4.
• 1978–1979 Defeated Ottawa 67's in first round 6 points to 2.
  Lost to Peterborough Petes in quarter-finals 9 points to 5.
• 1979–1980 Lost to Sudbury Wolves in first round 3 games to 0.
• 1980–1981 Defeated Ottawa 67's in division semi-finals 9 points to 5.
  Lost to S.S. Marie Greyhounds in division finals 9 points to 5.
• 1981–1982 Lost to Peterborough Petes in first round 6 points to 2.
• 1982–1983 Out of playoffs.
• 1983–1984 Out of playoffs.
• 1984–1985 Out of playoffs.
• 1985–1986 Defeated Oshawa Generals in first round 8 points to 4.
  Finished 3rd place in round-robin versus Peterborough Petes and Belleville Bulls, and are eliminated.
• 1986–1987 Defeated Belleville Bulls in first round 4 games to 2.
  Lost to Oshawa Generals in quarter-finals 4 games to 2.
• 1987–1988 Out of playoffs.

The home arena of the Canadians was the Kingston Memorial Centre with a seating capacity 3,079 seated, and 3,300 including standing room.^[9]