Saints Hockey Returns To St. Catharines

Nearly 40 years after what was thought to be the final game, the St. Catharines Saints are returning to the ice in the Garden City as part of the Allan Cup Hockey League.

Saints hockey in St. Catharines dates back to 1940s where the team played six seasons in the Ontario Hockey Associations Senior A division. In five of the six seasons they would finish the regular season in second place and top the standings in the 1943-44 season. While the team never won the championship, they reached the final five times while losing in the quarterfinals in their other postseason appearance.

The name would be revived in 1982 when the team was based in the American Hockey League and was the primary affiliate for the Toronto Maple Leafs after moving from Moncton, New Brunswick. The team remained in the city until 1986 when it was moved to Newmarket, Ontario. During their four seasons in St. Catharines, the team finished third in the South division twice and made it to the Semifinal round during their final season.

Some familiar names that were apart of the AHL squad includes Bruce Boudreau, Allan Bester, and Craig Muni.

Fast forward to present day, and Saints hockey has returned to St. Catharines and will play their first game in the city in just over 39 years on Saturday, November 15^th at the Merritton Centennial Arena starting at 7:30pm. Their opponent for the home opener will be the longest standing team in the ACHL, the Dundas Real McCoys.

Pat Smith, owner and general manager of the Saints, is not trying to make this a skate down memory lane but will be about competing for championships as well as helping the former junior, university and pro players on a career path once they are done playing at their highest level.

Smith recently told Bernd Franke of the St. Catharines Standard, “Don’t get me wrong, we definitely want to compete on the ice and win an Allan Cup championship, but also, just as important, off the ice, is to prepare players for a life after hockey.” He continued, “We’ve created a network of all different trades as well as sponsors to help these guys figure out their next step in life.”

Check out the St. Catharines Standard article by clicking here.

The team made a big splash when they announced their head coach, hiring former Dundas Real McCoys head coach and NHL legend Rick Vaive to patrol the bench and lead the Saints. Joining Vaive behind the bench will be assistant coaches Dave Brennan and Mike Duncan.

Entering their first year, the team looks to be hard-nosed, gritty team that also plays great defense. Not only that, but the team looks to have a roster filled with players from the area, which is why it is no surprise that the first signing was Welland, Ontario native Connor Walters. The 28-year-old, who is the team’s captain, was part of the Hamilton Bulldogs that captured the Ontario Hockey League title in 2018 before moving on to play with the Brock Badgers and spending time in the ECHL. Other players with local ties to the area who have signed for this season include Travis Houle and Justin Brock.

While the Saints have lost both of their contests to start the season, a little home cooking and the ceremonies kicking off the home schedule could be just what is needed to pick up the first victory of the season.

Prior to the start of Saturday’s home opener, Niagara Regional Police Deputy Chief Todd Waselovich, St. Catharines Fire Chief Dave Upper and Merritton Lions Club member Geoff Crane will all take part in the ceremonial faceoff. It is expected that St. Catharines Mayor Mat Siscoe will drop the ceremonial puck prior to a game later this season.