1898-99 Kingston Frontenacs intermediates and the J. Ross Robertson Cup (inset, upper left)1910-11 Kingston Frontenacs juniors and the J. Ross Robertson Cup
Kingston Junior Frontenacs OHA Jr Semi-Finalists 1963-64
In 1952, the Kingston Victoria were renamed the Kingston Frontenacs. This team played at the Junior B level, then later at the Junior A level. This Frontenacs team lost in the 1963 Sutherland Cup final to the St. Marys Lincolns, 4 games to 1.[citation needed]
The Kingston Canadians arrival in the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) for the 1973–74 season was a result of the Montreal Junior Canadiens move 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. To solve the problem, 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 in the process.[3]
After a one-year hiatus, the OHA then reactivated the suspended franchise under new ownership and with new players, calling the team the Kingston Canadians.[3] The new Kingston team was essentially an expansion franchise promoted from the OHA's Tier II league, that had only common name to share with the old Junior Canadiens. The Tier II Frontenacs originated in the Eastern Junior B Hockey League and date back to at least the early 1940s as the Kingston Victorias. However, in some OHA histories (such as the annual Media Guide) the Kingston team is still shown as the legitimate successors of the Junior Canadiens' legacy.[citation needed]
Kingston Raiders (1988–89)
Following a change in ownership the club was renamed Kingston Raiders for one season in 1988–89. Due to ownership problems, the team was sold again following that season.[4]
Kingston Frontenacs (1989–present)
In 1989, the new ownership, including Wren Blair, Don Anderson and Bob Attersley, renamed the team Kingston Frontenacs after the Eastern Professional Hockey League team. The Boston Bruins-style uniforms and logos were revived from the old franchise. The city embraced and welcomed the new ownership. Wren Blair and Bob Attersley were both hockey legends in their own right. In 1997 Wren Blair would be honoured with the Bill Long Award for distinguished service in the OHL. The club was sold to the Springer family of Kingston in June 1998, with Doug Springer becoming the owner and governor.[5]
The Frontenacs franchise has the second-longest championship drought in the OHL (to the Sudbury Wolves by one year), and the fourth-longest in the Canadian Hockey League. The Frontenacs won the Leyden Trophy as the OHL's East Division champions in the 1994–95 and 2015–16. In the 1992–93 season, the Frontenacs reached the Eastern Conference Final but lost to the Peterborough Petes. In 2017-18, Kingston reached the Eastern Conference final for the second time in club history, however, they lost to the Hamilton Bulldogs.[6]
Coaches
Frontenacs pre-game skate.
During the inaugural season of the Kingston Canadians in 1973–74, Jack Bownass was awarded the Matt Leyden Trophy as OHA Coach of the Year. Former NHL defenceman Jim Morrison coached the team from 1975 to 1982, which was the longest stint a coach had when the club was known as the Canadians.[7]
Larry Mavety coached the Frontenacs for much of the team's history. He originally coached the team in 1988–89, when they were still known as the Kingston Raiders. In 1989–90, the first season the franchise was known as the Frontenacs, he won the Matt Leyden Trophy as the OHL Coach of the Year. Mavety returned to Kingston in 1997 to become the head coach once again, and stayed in that position until midway through the 2002–03 season when he stepped down to focus on his general manager duties. After a slow start in the 2007–08 season, Mavety once again found himself coaching the Frontenacs until November 2008. Mavety remained as the general manager until the end of the 2010–11 season.[8]
A number of Frontenacs coaches have gone on to coach in the National Hockey League; while Gary Agnew and Dave Allison had short spells as NHL head coaches, Bruce Cassidy is the only Frontenacs coach to become a full-time NHL head coach.[9]
List of coaches
(Multiple years in parentheses, totals include all incarnations of the Kingston franchise)[citation needed]
^McFarland was to coach the 2020–21 season that ended up being cancelled and left before the 2021–22 season.[10][11]
Players
Paul Coffey is the only former member of the Kingston franchise to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, getting the honour in 2004.[16] In 1977–78, Coffey played for the Kingston Canadians, as a late season addition from the North York Rangers. He played eight games with the Canadians.[17]
Larry Mavety is the only builder to be honoured by the organization for his work as a coach and general manager. The coach and manager holds the Kingston Frontenacs all-time wins record with 246.[8]
Award winners
Team captains
First round draft picks
The Kingston franchise has had several players selected in the first round of the NHL draft.
Alex Forsyth – 18th overall, Washington Capitals, 1975 Draft
Mark Suzor – 17th overall, Philadelphia Flyers, 1976 Draft
Mike Crombeen – 5th overall, Cleveland Barons, 1977 Draft
Mike Gillis – 5th overall, Colorado Rockies, 1978 Draft
Behn Wilson – 6th overall, Philadelphia Flyers, 1978 Draft
Ken Linseman – 7th overall, Philadelphia Flyers, 1978 Draft
Jay Wells – 16th overall, Los Angeles Kings, 1979 Draft
Rik Wilson – 12th overall, St. Louis Blues, 1980 Draft
Mike Stothers – 21st overall, Philadelphia Flyers, 1980 Draft
Kirk Muller – 2nd overall, New Jersey Devils, 1984 Draft
Roger Belanger – 16th overall, Pittsburgh Penguins, 1984 Draft
Scott Metcalfe – 20th overall, Edmonton Oilers, 1985 Draft
1953–54 Won Eastern Jr. B championship Lost Sutherland Cup semi-final round robin
1955–56 Won Eastern Jr. B championship Lost Sutherland Cup semi-final round robin
1962–63 Won Eastern Jr. B championship Defeated Lakeshore Bruins in Sutherland Cup quarter-final 3-games-to-2 Defeated Burlington Cougars in Sutherland Cup semi-final 3-games-to-none Lost Sutherland Cup final to St. Marys Lincolns 4-games-to-1
1963–64 Won Eastern Jr. B championship Defeated Burlington Cougars in Sutherland Cup quarter-final 4-games-to-1 Lost Sutherland Cup semi-final to Weston Dukes 4-games-to-none
1964–65 Won Eastern Jr. B championship Lost Sutherland Cup quarter-final to Hamilton Mountain Bees 4-games-to-2
1969–70 Won Eastern Jr. B championship Lost Sutherland Cup semi-final to Hamilton Mountain Bees 4-games-to-3
OPJHL Era
1972–73 Did not qualify.
OHL Era
1973–74 Out of playoffs.
1974–75 Lost to Toronto Marlboros in quarter-finals 9 points to 7.
1975–76 Lost to Ottawa 67's in quarter-finals 9 points to 5.
1976–77 Defeated Sudbury Wolves in quarter-finals 9 points to 3. Lost to Ottawa 67's in semi-finals 9 points to 7.
1977–78 Lost to S.S.Marie Greyhounds in first round 6 points to 4.
1978–79 Defeated Ottawa 67's in first round 6 points to 2. Lost to Peterborough Petes in quarter-finals 9 points to 5.
1979–80 Lost to Sudbury Wolves in first round 3 games to 0.
1980–81 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.
1981–82 Lost to Peterborough Petes in first round 6 points to 2.
1982–83 Out of playoffs.
1983–84 Out of playoffs.
1984–85 Out of playoffs.
1985–86 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.
1986–87 Defeated Belleville Bulls in first round 4 games to 2. Lost to Oshawa Generals in quarter-finals 4 games to 2.
1987–88 Out of playoffs.
1988–89 Out of playoffs.
1989–90 Lost to Belleville Bulls 4 games to 3 in first round.
1990–91 Out of playoffs.
1991–92 Out of playoffs.
1992–93 Defeated North Bay Centennials 4 games to 1 in first round. Defeated Oshawa Generals 4 games to 2 in quarter-finals. Lost to Peterborough Petes 4 games to 1 in semi-finals.
1993–94 Lost to Belleville Bulls 4 games to 2 in division quarter-finals.
1994–95 Lost to Belleville Bulls 4 games to 2 in conference quarter-finals.
1995–96 Lost to Peterborough Petes 4 games to 1 in division quarter-finals.
1996–97 Lost to Peterborough Petes 4 games to 1 in division quarter-finals.
1997–98 Defeated Oshawa Generals 4 games to 3 in division quarter-finals. Lost to London Knights 4 games to 1 in quarter-finals.
1998–99 Lost to Barrie Colts 4 games to 1 in conference quarter-finals.
1999–2000 Lost to Sudbury Wolves 4 games to 1 in conference quarter-finals.
2000–01 Lost to Belleville Bulls 4 games to 0 in conference quarter-finals.
2001–02 Out of playoffs. (Lost to North Bay Centennials 6 to 2 in 8th place tie-breaker game.)
2002–03 Out of playoffs.
2003–04 Lost to Barrie Colts 4 games to 1 in conference quarter-finals.
2004–05 Out of playoffs.
2005–06 Lost to Sudbury Wolves 4 games to 2 in conference quarter-finals.
2006–07 Lost to Oshawa Generals 4 games to 1 in conference quarter-finals.
2007–08 Out of playoffs.
2008–09 Out of playoffs.
2009–10 Lost to Brampton Battalion 4 games to 3 in conference quarter-finals.
2010–11 Lost to Oshawa Generals 4 games to 1 in conference quarter-finals.
2011–12 Out of playoffs.
2012–13 Lost to Barrie Colts 4 games to 0 in conference quarter-finals.
2013–14 Lost to Peterborough Petes 4 games to 3 in conference quarter-finals.
2014–15 Lost to North Bay Battalion 4 games to 0 in conference quarter-finals.
2015-16 Defeated Oshawa Generals 4 games to 1 in conference quarter-finals. Lost to Niagara IceDogs 4 games to 0 in conference semi-finals.
2016-17 Defeated Hamilton Bulldogs 4 games to 3 in conference quarter-finals. Lost to Peterborough Petes 4 games to 0 in conference semi-finals.
2017-18 Defeated North Bay Battalion 4 games to 1 in conference quarter-finals. Defeated Barrie Colts 4 games to 2 in conference semi-finals. Lost to Hamilton Bulldogs 4 games to 1 in conference finals.
2018–19 Out of playoffs.
2019–20 Cancelled.
2020–21 Cancelled.
2021-22 Defeated Oshawa Generals 4 games to 2 in conference quarter-finals. Lost to North Bay Battalion 4 games to 1 in conference semi-finals.
2022–23 Out of playoffs.
2023-24 Lost to North Bay Battalion 4 games to 1 in conference quarter-finals.
Team uniforms and logos
The original uniforms and logos of the OHL Frontenacs were revived from the EPHL franchise, which was affiliated with the Boston Bruins. The logo featured a yellow letter 'K' with a black outline, surrounded by black spokes leading to a yellow circle border with the name Kingston Frontenacs in black.[20]
In 2002, the team adopted a new logo with a stylized Count Frontenac.[20]
In 2007, the Frontenacs unveiled a 3rd jersey, which was black, yellow, and white, and similar to the Boston Bruins jerseys from the early 1970s. The "K" logo was used on the front of the jersey. The Frontenacs began wearing these jerseys on February 22, 2008, which was the same night that they opened their new arena.[citation needed]
In 2009, the Frontenacs, along with all CHL teams unveiled new uniforms using RBK EDGE templates. In 2012, the Frontenacs began wearing a newly designed set of uniforms featuring a large K as a logo.[20]
Arenas
The original home arena of the Frontenacs was the Kingston Memorial Centre, with a seating capacity of 3,079 seated, and 3,300 including standing room. Built in 1950, its ice size has unique dimensions of 200' x 92'.[21]
The Kingston Frontenacs began play at their new downtown arena, Slush Puppie Place (then K-Rock Centre), in 2008.[22]
^Fitsell, J.W. (Bill) (2012). Captain James T. Sutherland: The Grand Old Man of Hockey & The Battle for the Original Hockey Hall of Fame. Kingston, Ontario: Quarry Heritage Books. p. 30. ISBN 978-1-55082-374-5.
^Annual Report: Constitution, Regulations and Rules of Competition. Cambridge, Ontario: Ontario Hockey Association. 2006. p. W-13.
^ a bMacAlpine, Ian (2022-11-24). "Ten community-minded citizens started Kingston Canadians franchise". The Kingston Whig-Standard. Archived from the original on 2022-11-24. Retrieved 2024-06-04.
^MacAlpine, Ian (2022-11-25). "Trio played for Canadians, Raiders and Frontenacs". The Kingston Whig-Standard. Archived from the original on 2022-11-25. Retrieved 2024-06-04.
^"Doug Springer". Kingston Frontenacs. Archived from the original on 2024-06-04. Retrieved 2024-06-04 – via Ontario Hockey League.
^"Hamilton Bulldogs advance to league final with 2-1 win over Kingston Frontenacs". CBC News. 2018-04-27. Archived from the original on 2018-04-29. Retrieved 2024-06-04.
^"Jim Morrison was the top coach in Kingston franchise history". Original Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2023-12-09. Retrieved 2024-06-04.
^ a bMacAlpine, Ian (2020-12-04). "'The hockey world has lost one of the greats' as Larry Mavety dies at 78". The Kingston Whig-Standard. Archived from the original on 2020-12-10. Retrieved 2024-06-04.
^MacAlpine, Ian (2022-05-04). "Kingston Connection: How locally linked players fared in NHL this season". The Kingston Whig-Standard. Archived from the original on 2022-05-05. Retrieved 2024-06-04.
^"Paul McFarland Returning to Coach the Kingston Frontenacs". Kingston Frontenacs. May 8, 2020.
^"Paul McFarland Departs Frontenacs for Opportunity with Seattle Kraken". OurSports Central. July 6, 2021.
^"[NEWS] Frontenacs announce Jay Varady as Head Coach". Frontenacs. July 13, 2017.
^"Coyotes Name Varady Head Coach of Tucson Roadrunners". Arizona Coyotes. July 2, 2018.
^"Kurtis Foster Promoted to Head Coach, Luca Caputi Named as Associate Coach". OurSportsCentral.com. July 16, 2018.
^"Frontenacs Promote Luca Caputi to Head Coach". OurSports Central. July 14, 2021.
^"Hockey Hall of Fame Announces 2004 Legends Classic Heritage Game and other exciting Induction Weekend Activities". Hockey Hall of Fame. 2004-09-22. Archived from the original on 2024-06-04. Retrieved 2024-06-04.
^"Paul's Biography". Paul Coffey Official Website. Archived from the original on 2024-01-10. Retrieved 2024-06-04.
^Jeffries, Doug (2019-12-09). "Kingston's Chris Clifford honoured, humbled by hometown Frontenacs". Global News. Archived from the original on 2023-05-26. Retrieved 2024-06-04.
^"Anthony and Chris Stewart will be honoured on January 14th, 2023". Kingston Frontenacs. 2022-12-12. Archived from the original on 2024-06-04. Retrieved 2024-06-04 – via Ontario Hockey League.
^ a b c"Kingston Frontenacs unveil new logo". Kingston Frontenacs. 2021-09-16. Archived from the original on 2024-06-04. Retrieved 2024-06-04 – via Ontario Hockey League.
^Jordan, Kevin (2019-12-04). "Kingston Frontenacs". OHL Arena Guide. Archived from the original on 2023-07-04. Retrieved 2024-06-04.
^Jordan, Kevin (2019-10-18). "Kingston Frontenacs". OHL Arena Guide. Archived from the original on 2023-12-22. Retrieved 2024-06-04.