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The Antigonish Junior Bulldog Hockey Club is entering
its 40th year of operation in the community of Antigonish.
In 1968, there was a local movement started with the goal of bringing
junior hockey back to the Antigonish area, based on the completion of
the new Antigonish “Building for Youth” Arena. This small group of
volunteers was able to obtain sufficient backing and sponsorship to
enter a hockey team into the Eastern Junior Hockey League (EJHL) for
the 1968-69 season. The highest level of hockey that existed in the
province in 1968-69 was Junior ‘B’ and it seemed that every community
across Nova Scotia had their own Junior ‘B’ hockey team. These teams
would compete each year for the EJHL championship and the Nova Scotia
Provincial Title.
Since the 1968-69 season, the Bulldogs have played in the
EJHL, the Northumberland Junior ‘B’ Hockey League (NJHL), the Metro
Valley Junior ‘A’ League (MVJHL) and are currently a long standing
member of the Maritime Junior ‘A’ Hockey League (MJAHL). During the
last 39 years, the Bulldogs have been a force of stability, an annual
League contender and have only missed the playoffs once. The
organization has been the measuring stick to which all other Junior
Hockey teams in the Province try to match. In 39 years there have
only been 13 coaches with 8 of them coaching for 12 combined years.
During this time the club’s leadership came from only 7 Presidents
that organized a group of volunteers in making up the club Executive.
Ethel Tobin is the longest serving member, has been with the
organization since it’s inception. The Ethel Tobin Executive Award is
presented each year to an Executive member that exemplifies
leadership, dedication and a good work ethic. Other members of the
organization have reached certain milestones as well, such as Kevin
Landry who served the club for 29 years, George Landry has served as
our team manager/trainer for 32 years and General Manager/Coach Danny
Berry is entering his 26rd year with the organization. The
club has an executive body of 15 individuals, many that have been with
the team for over 10 years.
After icing a competitive team for its first 9 years, the
club developed into a Junior ‘B’ powerhouse winning its first League
and Nova Scotia title in 1978-79. The team went on to claim 5 more
League and Provincial championships with 4 consecutive titles from
1981-82 through 1984-85. During this time the team participated in
the newly formed Atlantic Championship Tournament winning 2 Atlantic
Titles and losing two others in the final game of each series. The
most memorable loss came at home when the Bulldogs hosted the
tournament and lost in the Final to St. John’s, Newfoundland in triple
overtime in front of 3,300 fans. The team would only play one more
season of Junior ‘B’ hockey before making a move to the more
competitive MVJHL.
Leaving a strong Junior ‘B’ legacy behind them, the club
started working towards developing a new history. Junior ‘A’ hockey
was first introduced to Antigonish and Eastern Nova Scotia in
1986-87. The Bulldogs played in the five team Metor Vall Junior A
Hockey League. The team made the playoffs in its inaugural year
and has been involved in post season play in 20 of the last 21 years
of Junior ‘A’ hockey. After seven years of participating in the
MJAHL, Bulldog Hockey finally reached its highest level in Antigonish;
the club was successful in winning two consecutive MJAHL and Eastern
Canadian Championships in 1992-93 & 1993-94. Both years the team went
on to defeat the Halifax franchise in front of the largest crowds ever
to watch Junior ‘A’ hockey in Maritime history. Crowds were recorded
to have reached 5,500 in the seventh game of each series at the
Halifax Forum. In Antigonish, sellout crowds were common, having to
turn away hundreds of fans at the door. The organization was the
envy, of not only Antigonish, but the Maritimes as well. In each of
these years the team went on to the Centennial Cup, now the Royal Bank
Cup, the National Junior 'A' Hockey Championship. The Club returned
to its championship form 5 years later capturing the Nova Scotia
Junior ‘A’ Championship and participating in the 1998-99 Fred Page Cup
Eastern Canadian Championship, then two short years later recaptured
the Nova Scotia Junior ‘A’ Championship and Maritime Junior ‘A’
Championship crown with one of the most powerful Junior ‘A’ hockey
teams in the history of the Maritimes. That same year the team once
again participated in the 2000-01 Fred Page Cup Eastern Canadian
Championships.
The 39 years of hockey and entertainment at the Antigonish
Arena has touched the lives of many. Over 400 young men have worn the
black and gold colors and every Province in the country contains
alumni. With 75% of the players coming from Eastern Nova Scotia,
there have been many individuals from away that have been recruited to
share the memories in Antigonish.
The main focus of the organization is to help develop
young men into well educated, responsible citizens. Of the recruited
hockey players 90% will complete their high school and enroll in post
secondary institutions. The MJAHL is highly recruited by Universities
across Canada and the United States and has provided many players over
the years. The Bulldogs have had a many as 22 graduate players from
their program playing university hockey in the Atlantic Conference in
one year. In the 2002-2003 season there were four Bulldog alumni
participating in the CIS National Championship tournament, the crown
of Canadian University Hockey. Many other players return to their
homes to pursue university hockey as they continue their education.
Some players pursue the minor pro leagues, finding employment in the
United, East Coast, Western Pro, Central and West Coast Hockey
Leagues. A number of players are currently playing in the AHL and
have seen action in the NHL. They all stay in touch and carry fond
memories if their junior hockey in Antigonish.
The organization has always taken pride in the fact that
it is a community sponsored hockey club, with all its revenue
generated in the local area, through annual fund raisers or local
sponsorships from community businesses. There is a strong sense of
pride and tradition carried throughout Eastern Nova Scotia by the
Antigonish Bulldogs. The pride is carried onto the ice with the team
being well renowned for its hard work. All Antigonish minor hockey
teams, both girls and boys, carry the Bulldog name and logo on their
jerseys. As early as 5 years old, the young hockey players wear the
Bulldog on their chest and they have dreams of representing their
community as they get older. Each year the Bulldogs are involved with
the minor hockey program, lending a helping hand on the ice with the
younger players. The community has sponsored passes for all minor
hockey players in the Mini, Novice, Atom and Peewee divisions to
attend our games. They are the future of the organization and provide
the enthusiasm for it to continue to operate and grow.
Community people have come forth to help billet the
players from outside the area and have developed friendships that will
last a lifetime. At any given time as many as 8-10 players may be
living in homes throughout the town and county. Their doors have been
open not only to players, but their families when they visit the
area. Local businesses employ the players on a part time and full
time basis depending on the needs of the team. Some of these players
stay on during the summer and work. The reputation of their work
ethic and commitment was established by the players before them and it
continues to be supported by the local businesses. There are players
who have settled in the community, married and developed into good
community citizens and are involved in the minor sports and other
community activities. They take pride in giving back to the community
that provided for them. |
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