Essex 73's
| Essex 73's | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| City | Essex, Ontario |
| League | Provincial Junior Hockey League |
| Conference | Western |
| Division | Bill Stobbs |
| Founded | 1973 |
| Home arena | Essex Centre Sports Complex |
| Colors | Orange, Black, and White |
| General manager | Scott Miller |
| Head coach | Cam Crowder |
| League Champions | 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1986, 1987, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 |
| Clarence Schmalz Cups | 1975, 1977, 1978, 2002, 2005, 2009, 2015 |
The Essex 73's are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Essex, Ontario. The 73's are members of the Provincial Junior Hockey League and the Ontario Hockey Association. Prior to becoming members of the PJHL in 2016 the 73's won the GLJHL playoff championship 20 times and the Clarence Schmalz Cup as Provincial Junior C Champions 7 times.
The Essex 73’s have competed in the Great Lakes Junior C Hockey League since the 1973–74 season. In total, the club has won 20 Great Lakes Junior C League Championships and 7 All-Ontario Junior C titles. By both measures, they are the most successful team in Great Lakes Junior C Hockey League history. Their 7 Clarence Schmalz Cup (CSC) wins and 14 CSC finals appearances are both Ontario Junior C records.
With Dave Prpich behind the bench, the 73’s won four league titles in a row from 1974–75 to 1978–79, including three All-Ontario Championships in that span. The 73’s would claim two more Great Lakes League Championships in the 1980s in 1985–86 and 1986–87.
After some struggles in the early to mid-1990s, the 73’s got back into winning form, taking the title for the first time in ten years. In 1997–98 the team won the Great Lakes League Championship by defeating the Wallaceburg Lakers in the league final. Their loss to the Kincardine Bulldogs in the All-Ontario semifinals marked the 73's most successful season in a decade.
In the 2001–02 season general manager Al Lemay brought aboard head coach Tony Piroski, who coached the team from 2001 to 2010. The 73's had great success under Piroski, and in his first season the 73’s won the Great Lakes League and the All-Ontario Title, defeating the Uxbridge Bruins in the finals.
On September 27, 2003, 19-year-old forward Glen Ivancic was fatally stabbed in Windsor. A banner #25 hung from the rafters at the Essex Memorial Arena for years before it was given to his parents.
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