Toronto Thunderbirds
| Orangeville Flyers | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| City | Orangeville, Ontario, Canada |
| League | Ontario Junior Hockey League |
| Founded | 1980 |
| Home arena | Alder Street Recreation Facility |
| Colours |
Orange, black and white |
| Owner(s) | David M. Arsenault |
| General manager | Dana Baker |
| Head coach | vacant (2016-17) |
| Affiliates |
Brampton Battalion (OHL) Owen Sound Greys (GOJHL) Fergus Devils (GMOJHL) |
| Franchise history | |
| 1980-1991 | Henry Carr Crusaders |
| 1991-1993 | Weston Dukes |
| 1993-1997 | Thornhill Islanders |
| 1997-2004 | Thornhill Rattlers |
| 2004-2005 | Thornhill Thunderbirds |
| 2005-2006 | Toronto Thunderbirds |
| 2007-2011 | Villanova Knights |
| 2011-Present | Orangeville Flyers |
The Orangeville Flyers are a Junior 'A' ice hockey team based in Orangeville, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of the Ontario Junior Hockey League.
The Flyers lineage traces back to the Henry Carr Crusaders. Like the Toronto St. Michael's Majors and St. Michael's Buzzers, the Crusaders were a secondary school based Junior hockey team. The team's affiliation was with the Father Henry Carr Secondary School of the Toronto Catholic District School Board. In 1980 they took their high school team and joined the Metro Junior "B" Hockey League, where they played until 1991, even after the league left the Ontario Hockey Association in 1989. The team was famous for its first undefeated Metro season in 1983 (34-0-2), when they won the All-Ontario Jr. B Championship, the Sutherland Cup. After five rounds of playoffs, what it took to win the Sutherland Cup, the Crusaders had accumulated 54 wins, 2 losses, 2 ties, and 2 losses in overtime in 60 regulation games.
In 1991, when the Metro league declared itself Junior "A", they transferred the franchise to the Weston Dukes. Henry Carr used to field a team at the high school hockey level as well.
In 1993 the Weston Dukes folded and their franchise was moved to Thornhill and became the Thornhill Islanders. In 1997 they were renamed the Thornhill Rattlers until 2004, when they again assumed the Thunderbirds name.
After playing in multiple league, for many years, even competing for the 2001 Royal Bank Cup. In Summer 2006, the players of the team started to get let go or traded for cash to any interested team. The team has been for sale for the better part of six months, but with no serious offers.
In 2007 local businessman David Arsenault (Governor/Owner) along with St. Thomas of Villanova College revived the team bringing it back into the OPJHL under the Villanova College name.
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Wikipedia