Niagara IceDogs facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Niagara IceDogs

City	St. Catharines, Ontario
League	Ontario Hockey League
Conference	Eastern
Division	Central
Founded	1998 (1998)–99
Home arena	Meridian Centre
Colours	Red, black, white
General manager	Wes Consorti (interim)
Head coach	Ben Boudreau
Affiliate(s)	St. Catharines Falcons
Franchise history
1998–2007	Mississauga IceDogs
2007–present	Niagara IceDogs

The Niagara IceDogs are a major junior ice hockey team. They play in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). The team is based in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada.

The team started as the Mississauga IceDogs in 1996. In 2007, the team moved to St. Catharines. They played their first season in the Niagara region in 2007–08. In 2022, Darren DeDobbelaer became the main owner. Famous hockey player Wayne Gretzky also became a part owner.

Team History

The Niagara IceDogs playing a home game against the Barrie Colts.

Starting Out (1998-2007)

The Mississauga IceDogs began playing in the 1998–99 season. They had a tough start, winning only 4 out of 68 games. In their first three seasons, they won only 16 games in total.

Don Cherry, a well-known hockey personality, helped start the team. He also coached them for one season. In 2002, the original owners sold the team to Joel Albin. During their nine years in Mississauga, the IceDogs won one Central Division and one Eastern Conference Championship.

Moving to St. Catharines

On July 12, 2006, Eugene Melnyk bought the Mississauga IceDogs. He also owned another team, the Toronto St. Michael's Majors. After the 2006–07 season, Melnyk sold the IceDogs. He moved his other team, the Majors, to Mississauga.

The IceDogs then looked at moving to St. Catharines. They wanted to play at the Jack Gatecliff Arena. The city council in St. Catharines approved the move in April 2007. The OHL also approved the deal in June 2007.

Playing at Jack Gatecliff Arena

The Niagara IceDogs played their first seven seasons in St. Catharines at the Jack Gatecliff Arena. For six of those seven years, the IceDogs had the best attendance in the OHL based on how full the arena was.

During this time, the IceDogs always made it to the playoffs. They reached the Eastern Conference finals twice. Their best year was in 2011–12. They won both the Emms Trophy and the Bobby Orr Trophy. These awards are for winning the Central Division and Eastern Conference. However, they lost in the finals to the London Knights.

Many future NHL players played for the IceDogs at the Jack Gatecliff. These included Alex Pietrangelo, Mark Visentin, Ryan Strome, Dougie Hamilton, and Brendan Perlini. Andrew Shaw was the first IceDogs player to win the Stanley Cup.

The Meridian Centre Era

The IceDogs moved to the new Meridian Centre in St. Catharines on October 16, 2014. They won their first game there 7–4 against the Belleville Bulls. Mikkel Aagaard scored the first goal in the new arena.

In the 2015–16 season, the IceDogs aimed for a championship. They added experienced players like star goalie Alex Nedeljkovic. They reached the OHL Finals again, facing the London Knights. But they lost the series in four games. After this, the team changed its coach and general manager.

The next season, the team focused on developing younger players. They still made the playoffs but lost in the first round. In 2017–18, they became more competitive. They won their first playoff series but then lost to the Hamilton Bulldogs.

The 2018–19 season was a big one for the team. They brought in top players like Jason Robertson and Jack Studnicka. Young player Philip Tomasino also became a star. The team finished first in their division, winning the Emms Trophy. In the playoffs, they won their first series. However, they lost to the Oshawa Generals in the second round. Stephen Dhillon became the winningest goalie in IceDogs history. The team also scored the most goals in the league that season.

In March 2019, the OHL fined the IceDogs. This was because the team broke league rules about player payments. The team had to pay $150,000 and lost a draft pick.

The 2019–20 season was a rebuilding year. Many key players left. The team traded away stars like Akil Thomas and Philip Tomasino. This helped them get more draft picks for the future. The season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The team finished near the bottom of the league.

League Investigations and Changes

The OHL investigated the team's general manager and head coach. As a result, they were suspended indefinitely for breaking league rules regarding conduct. The team was also fined $150,000.

Later, the team's owners, Bill and Denise Burke, sold the team. Darren DeDobbelaer became the main owner, along with Wayne Gretzky.

After another investigation into team conduct, the team captain Landon Cato and goalie Josh Rosenzweig faced consequences. The team owner, Darren DeDobbelaer, was also suspended for two seasons. The team was fined $100,000 and lost a first-round draft pick.

Championships and Trophies

The Niagara IceDogs have won several important trophies:

Emms Trophy

This is for winning the Central Division Championship.
They won it in 2011–12 and 2018–19.

Bobby Orr Trophy

This is for winning the Eastern Conference Championship.
They won it in 2011–12 and 2015–16.

J. Ross Robertson Cup

This is for winning the Ontario Hockey League Championship.
They reached the finals in 2011–12 and 2015–16, but lost both times to the London Knights.

Coaches of the IceDogs

Mario Cicchillo was the first coach of the Niagara IceDogs. He coached from 2007 to 2009. Mike McCourt, Dave Bell, and Billy Burke also coached the team. Billy Burke was the head coach from 2017 until April 2022. Daniel Fitzgerald became the head coach in July 2022.

2007–2009 Mario Cicchillo
2009–2010 Mike McCourt (interim)
2010–2016 Marty Williamson
2016–2017 Dave Bell
2017–2022 Billy Burke

2022 Jody Hull (interim)
2022 Daniel Fitzgerald
2022 Jeff Angelidis (interim)
2022–2023 Ryan Kuwabara
2023-2024 Ben Boudreau

Famous Players

Many players from the Niagara IceDogs have gone on to play in the National Hockey League (NHL).

NHL Alumni

Andrew Agozzino
Darren Archibald
Cameron Butler
Luca Caputi
Matt Corrente
Vince Dunn
Alex Friesen
Danil Gushchin
Dougie Hamilton
Freddie Hamilton
Josh Ho-Sang
Ben Jones
Tom Kuhnhackl
Alex Nedeljkovic
Jamie Oleksiak
Brendan Perlini
Alex Pietrangelo
Brett Ritchie
Jason Robertson
Andrew Shaw
Jeremy Smith
Ryan Strome
Jack Studnicka
Akil Thomas
Philip Tomasino
Carter Verhaeghe
Mark Visentin

First Round NHL Draft Picks

Some IceDogs players were chosen very early in the NHL Entry Draft. This means they were considered top young talents.

2008 – Alex Pietrangelo, 4th overall to St. Louis
2010 – Mark Visentin, 27th overall to Phoenix
2011 – Ryan Strome, 5th overall to New York Islanders
2011 – Dougie Hamilton, 9th overall to Boston
2014 – Brendan Perlini, 12th overall to Arizona
2019 – Philip Tomasino, 24th overall to Nashville

Award Winners

Ontario Hockey League Awards

Bobby Smith Trophy

For the best student-player.
2010–11 – Dougie Hamilton

Dave Pinkney Trophy

For the team with the fewest goals scored against them.
2011–12 – Mark Visentin & Christopher Festarini

Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy

For the top scorer in the OHL.
2018–19 – Jason Robertson

Ivan Tennant Memorial Award

For the top high school academic player.
2007–08 – Alex Friesen
2008–09 – Freddie Hamilton
2009–10 – Dougie Hamilton
2014–15 – Stephen Dhillon

Leo Lalonde Memorial Trophy

For the best overage player (players in their last year of junior hockey).
2007–08 – Michael Swift
2011–12 – Andrew Agozzino

Max Kaminsky Trophy

For the most outstanding defenceman.
2011–12 – Dougie Hamilton

Mickey Renaud Captain's Trophy

For the best captain.
2011–12 – Andrew Agozzino

OHL Executive of the Year

For the best team executive.
2007–08 – Denise Burke

OHL Goaltender of the Year

For the best goalie.
2010–11 – Mark Visentin

Canadian Hockey League Awards

CHL Defenceman of the Year

2011–12 – Dougie Hamilton

CHL Scholastic Player of the Year

2010–11 – Dougie Hamilton

CHL Top Scorer Award

2018–19 – Jason Robertson

Season Results

Regular Season Games

Here's how the IceDogs have done in their regular season games.

Season	Games	Won	Lost	OTL	SL	Points	Pct %	Goals For	Goals Against	Standing
2007–08	68	42	25	0	1	85	0.625	272	214	2nd Central
2008–09	68	26	31	5	6	63	0.463	213	264	4th Central
2009–10	68	26	34	2	6	60	0.441	191	233	4th Central
2010–11	68	45	17	2	4	96	0.706	273	197	2nd Central
2011–12	68	47	18	0	3	97	0.713	291	169	1st Central
2012–13	68	30	34	2	2	64	0.471	227	250	4th Central
2013–14	68	24	35	3	6	57	0.419	223	284	4th Central
2014–15	68	37	27	2	2	78	0.574	274	237	3rd Central
2015–16	68	35	26	4	3	77	0.566	213	198	3rd Central
2016–17	68	23	35	6	4	56	0.412	207	274	3rd Central
2017–18	68	35	23	7	3	80	0.588	240	235	2nd Central
2018–19	68	44	17	7	0	95	0.699	326	209	1st Central
2019–20	63	18	39	5	1	42	0.333	194	320	4th Central
2020–21	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.000	0	0	Season cancelled
2021–22	68	22	42	3	1	48	0.353	218	316	5th Central
2022–23	68	12	47	8	1	33	0.243	199	357	5th Central
2023–24	68	17	43	6	2	42	0.309	193	323	5th Central

Playoff Games

Here's how the IceDogs have done in the playoffs.

Season	1st round	2nd round	3rd round	Finals
2007–08	W, 4–0, Mississauga Majors	L, 4–2, Oshawa Generals	—	—
2008–09	W, 4–3, Ottawa 67s	L, 4–1, Belleville Bulls	—	—
2009–10	L, 4–1, Ottawa 67s	—	—	—
2010–11	W, 4–0, Brampton Battalion	W, 4–1, Oshawa Generals	L, 4–1, Mississauga Majors	—
2011–12	W, 4–2, Oshawa Generals	W, 4–0, Brampton Battalion	W, 4–1, Ottawa 67s	L, 4–1, London Knights
2012–13	L, 4–1, Oshawa Generals	—	—	—
2013–14	L, 4–3, North Bay Battalion	—	—	—
2014–15	W, 4–2, Ottawa 67's	L, 4–1, Oshawa Generals	—	—
2015–16	W, 4–1, Ottawa 67's	W, 4–0, Kingston Frontenacs	W, 4–0, Barrie Colts	L, 4–0, London Knights
2016–17	L, 4–0, Peterborough Petes	—	—	—
2017–18	W, 4–1, Oshawa Generals	L, 4–1, Hamilton Bulldogs	—	—
2018–19	W, 4–1, North Bay Battalion	L, 4–2, Oshawa Generals	—	—
2019–20	Playoffs cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in North America
2020–21	Season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in North America
2021–22	Did not qualify
2022–23	Did not qualify
2023–24	Did not qualify

Team Look: Uniforms and Logos

The IceDogs' team colors are red, black, and white. Their home jersey is black with red, black, and white sleeves. It has two crossed dog bones on each shoulder. The away jersey is white with similar sleeves.

The Niagara IceDogs logo features a Bull Terrier dog playing hockey. This dog is inspired by "Blue," the famous dog of former team owner Don Cherry. The team also wears red and black gloves and helmets that match their jersey color.

Home Arenas

Meridian Centre

The IceDogs moved into the Meridian Centre on October 16, 2014. This arena is located in St. Catharines. It has about 5,300 seats for fans.

Jack Gatecliff Arena

The Garden City Arena Complex is a public arena in St. Catharines. It has two ice rinks, and the IceDogs played in the Jack Gatecliff Arena for seven seasons. This arena can hold 3,145 people. Its ice surface is a bit smaller than most OHL arenas. Fans often called it 'the Jack'.

The original arena was built in 1932. It was the oldest arena used in the CHL for a while. It was named after local sportswriter Jack Gatecliff.

Niagara Falls Memorial Arena

On March 1, 2009, the Niagara IceDogs played a home game in Niagara Falls, Ontario. This game was held at the Niagara Falls Memorial Arena. It was meant to be the last OHL game ever played in that arena. A crowd of 3,167 people came to watch, which was the biggest home crowd for the team at that time.