Leamington Flyers - History

History

Bill Burgess, coach and general manager of the local Intermediate Flyers, formed the Junior Flyers in 1954. They were a Junior B team in the Southwestern League until 1958 when they quit the league.

The Flyers were a part of the BCJBHL 1958 until 1964. When the OHA allowed the Border Cities League to fail in 1964, the town mothballed the Junior team and operated a top notch Juvenile team in its stead. In 1966, the team operated as an independent team, playing only in OHA playdowns and exhibition against local all-star, juvenile, and intermediate teams. In 1967, they joined the Western Junior B League. They entered the new Border Cities league in 1968. When the league became the Great Lakes Junior C Hockey League in 1970, the Flyers stayed on board. The Flyers were promoted to the Western Junior "B" league in 1992 and are still a charter member.

On January 3, 1993, the Leamington Flyers helped set a record for the highest scoring tie in the history of the Western Ontario Hockey League by tying the London Nationals 11-11. The Flyers hold the record for the most lopsided game in the history of the WOHL. On January 20, 1995, the Flyers defeated the Windsor Bulldogs by a score of 30-3. On January 26, 2002, the Flyers set the WOHL record for largest margin in a shutout victory by defeating the Aylmer Aces by a score of 16-0.

At the beginning of the 2006-07 season, it was announced that the Flyers have officially affiliated with the Ontario Hockey League's Saginaw Spirit.

Tuesday March 16, 2010 The Leamington Flyers hired Head Coach Tony Piroski, Piroski dominated when he was with the Essex 73's Junior C Hockey Club, winning 7 League Titles and 3 Provincial Titles in 9 seasons. In Piroski's first season the team went from 7 wins to 26 wins, losing a heart breaking Game 7 overtime to the Lasalle Vipers. The Spring of 2011 the Flyers brought aboard OHL Scout Mike Sadler as the clubs General Manager.

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