Sarnia Legionnaires (1954–1970)
| Sarnia Legionnaires | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| City | Sarnia, Ontario |
| League | Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League |
| Operated | 1954-1970 |
| Home arena | Sarnia Arena |
| Colours | Red and White |
| Franchise history | |
| 1950-1954 | Sarnia Jr. Sailors |
| 1954-1970 | Sarnia Legionnaires |
The Sarnia Legionnaires were a Canadian junior ice hockey team that won five Western Jr. 'B' Hockey League championships and four Sutherland Cups as Ontario Hockey Association Junior B champions in the 16 seasons they operated out of Sarnia, Ontario from 1954 until 1970. The club folded after two unsuccessful years as a Tier II Jr. 'A' team. The original Legionnaires were one of the most successful junior teams in Canadian hockey history, playing out of the Western Ontario Junior A and B Hockey Leagues. Counting the Sutherland Cup they won when they were known as the Sarnia Sailors, the franchise won five titles in 20 years, beginning with the 1950-51 campaign. They were founded as members of the Big 10 Junior B Hockey League.
The Legionnaires' moniker was resurrected for the 2008-09 Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League season. The Sarnia team that helped displace the original Legionnaires in 1970 are now officially known as the Sarnia Legionnaires. And just like the old Legionnaires, the new Sarnia Legionnaire squad has been a powerhouse, winning the Weir Cup as Western Ontario Jr. 'B' champions in the 2009 playoffs.
The Legionnaires started out as a Big 10 Junior B Hockey League team in 1954. Prior to this they existed as the Sarnia Jr. Sailors, named after the Senior team. In 1956, the Big 10 was divided and the Legionnaires moved on with the Western League. In 1968, the league went renegade and declared itself Junior "A". As of February 1, 1970, the Legionnaires officially folded and disbanded. They were in direct financial competition with the Junior "B" Sarnia Bees, but lost popularity within the city forcing them to go out of business. Fan attendance had dropped from 1200 to 200 people per game, with the team over $10,000 CAD in debt. The team was owned by Branch 62 of the Royal Canadian Legion. The folding happened after the cancelling of a home game in late January against the Guelph Beef Kings. The announcement of the disbandment of the team was followed by an emergency meeting by the league to discuss the folding and how to handle the unbalanced schedule left through unplayed Legionnaires games.
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