Guelph Storm

History

The franchise started as the Toronto Marlboros, who moved to Hamilton to become the Dukes of Hamilton in 1989. Following the 1990–91 season, the franchise was relocated to Guelph and renamed the Storm.

The first year in Guelph was dismal, but the building process for Guelph was soon successful. The Storm finished first place in the 1994–95 season. General Manager Mike Kelly was voted the OHL Executive of the Year and Craig Hartsburg voted the Coach of the Year for the Canadian Hockey League and the Ontario Hockey League. Draft picks from the early years in Guelph include Jeff O'Neill and Todd Bertuzzi.

Guelph reached the OHL finals in 1995 and 1996. The team qualified for the 1996 Memorial Cup by playing against the Memorial Cup host Peterborough Petes in the OHL final.

The Storm won their first J. Ross Robertson Cup in 1998. This success continued into the Memorial Cup Tournament as the Storm rallied to the Championship Game where they lost to the Portland Winter Hawks in overtime in the final game.

In the year 2000, the team moved from the historic but aging Guelph Memorial Gardens into the Guelph Sports and Entertainment Centre (since renamed the Sleeman Centre). The Storm were selected to host the 2002 Memorial Cup tournament. It marked the team's third appearance in the national junior championship, their first as host team.

Two years later, the Storm won their second OHL Championship, and returned to the 2004 Memorial Cup hosted in Kelowna, British Columbia.

In 2014, the Storm captured their third OHL Championship, and subsequently advanced to the 2014 Memorial Cup final, hosted in London, Ontario.

In the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, defenceman Drew Doughty was selected 2nd overall by the Los Angeles Kings, the highest ever selection of a Guelph Storm player.

During their time in Guelph, the Storm have a gained a reputation as a "player's" franchise, with a dedication to a winning tradition. Annually, Guelph Storm players are among the highest in academic achievements, winning the Bobby Smith Trophy five times.

The Storm is frequently-noticed and often commended by hockey fans around the league for the way their players very respectfully stand still and at attention until well after the national anthem is finished. This is a practice that was instituted by former coach Jeff Jackson years ago and is still in effect today.

Championships

The Guelph Storm have appeared in the Memorial Cup tournament five times, won the J. Ross Robertson Cup three times, won the Hamilton Spectator Trophy four times, and have won five division titles.

Coaches

Craig Hartsburg was awarded the Matt Leyden Trophy as the OHL Coach of the Year for the 1994–95 season, and was also voted the Canadian Hockey League Coach of the Year. He is a former NHL defenceman with the Minnesota North Stars. He has also been the head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, Ottawa Senators as well as the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. He has twice been an assistant coach with the Philadelphia Flyers.

Dave Barr coached the team from 2004–08, and won the Matt Leyden Trophy in 2005–06.

List of coaches with multiple seasons in parentheses.

Award winners

Retired numbers

18 - Paul Fendley, a former member of the Guelph CMC's who died in an on-ice accident at Guelph Memorial Gardens in 1972. His number has not been issued to a player since, by the Guelph CMC's, Guelph Platers, or Guelph Storm. The number was officially retired in a ceremony before a November 15, 2008 game.

Current roster

Updated as of January 10, 2017

Regular season

Legend: OTL = Overtime loss, SL = Shootout loss

Playoffs

Uniforms and logos

For the 2007/08 season, the team switched to a crimson and white colour scheme with the same logo that was on the last jerseys, except the "stripes" that appear across the "belly" of the Storm logo itself were modified from black to crimson. The white jersey has "STORM" written on top of the logo, and the crimson jersey has "GUELPH" above the logo. The new shoulder patches, featuring the alternate "GS" logo, have been redesigned and are meant to be read from the inside (the "G") outward (the "S").

The Guelph Storm primary logo is the team mascot "Spyke" surrounded by a twister with the team name above it. The team colours are white, grey, crimson and black. Home jerseys have a white background with "STORM" above the logo, and away jerseys have a crimson background with "GUELPH" above the logo.

The previous Guelph Storm logo (inset right) was used from 1991 to 1995. The team colours then were white, blue, grey and black. Home jerseys had a white background and away jerseys had a blue background.

Arenas

The Guelph Storm played at the Guelph Memorial Gardens from 1991 until the year 2000 when moving to the new Guelph Sports and Entertainment Centre, since renamed the Sleeman Centre. The GSEC was built into what was a former Eaton's department store in a downtown shopping mall. The GSEC hosted the 2001 Hershey Cup and the 2002 Memorial Cup.

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