{{Short description|Canadian junior ice hockey team (1940s)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2026}} {{Use Canadian English|date=May 2026}} {{Infobox hockey team | team = Port Colborne Recreationists | city = Port Colborne, Ontario | league = Ontario Hockey Association | operated = 1940s (junior B) <br> 1943–44 (junior A) }}

The '''Port Colborne Recreationists''' were a Canadian junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association, based in Port Colborne, Ontario, at the Port Colborne Athletic Club. The Recreationists played at the junior B level in the early 1940s and won the Sutherland Cup as national champions in 1943. They subsequently played at the junior A level for parts of two seasons, and were a farm team for the Buffalo Bisons in the American Hockey League.

==History== thumb|upright|The Sutherland Cup trophy|alt=Silver bowl with two handles mounted on a three-tier wooden plinth

The Recreationists' home rink was the Port Colborne Athletic Club, constructed in 1932 with 2,200 seats.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ohlarenaguide.com/prewar.htm|title=OHL Prehistory: Port Colborne Athletic Club|last=Jordan|first=Kevin|date=October 19, 2023|website=The OHL Arena Guide|access-date=May 10, 2026}}</ref> The team was coached by Gonie McGowan, managed by Chuck Magee, and sponsored by Edward Magee and Richard Dwor.<ref name="Recreationists-1943">{{cite news|title=Down the Sport Trail|date=April 6, 1943|newspaper=Welland-Port Colborne Evening Tribune|page=7|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/welland-port-colborne-evening-tribune-su/197322371/}}</ref><ref name="Junior-Withdraws">{{cite news|title=Junior Hockey Team Withdraws|date=December 13, 1944|newspaper=Welland-Port Colborne Evening Tribune|page=4|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/welland-port-colborne-evening-tribune-ju/197238872/}}</ref>

Port Colborne won the Ontario Hockey Association junior B championship in the 1942–43 season, and won the 1943 Sutherland Cup by defeating the Milton Bombers two games to none in the national championship.<ref name="Recreationists-1943" /><ref name="Junior B Title">{{cite news|title=OHA Junior B Title Plum Falls to Port Colborne|date=April 6, 1943|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|location=Toronto, Ontario|page=15|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-globe-and-mail-sutherland-cup-1943/197322277/}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gohl.ca/sunderland-cup|title=Sutherland Cup|date=2026|website=Greater Ontario Hockey League|access-date=May 10, 2026}}</ref> Leo Gravelle scored two goals and an assist in the clinching 7–4 victory at Maple Leaf Gardens.<ref name="Junior B Title" /> The Recreationists arranged an unofficial all-Ontario two-game total goals series versus the Timmins Canadiens, who were junior B champions of the Northern Ontario Hockey Association, and paid travel expenses for the visiting team.<ref>{{cite news|title=Down the Sport Trail|date=April 7, 1943|newspaper=Welland-Port Colborne Evening Tribune|page=9|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/welland-port-colborne-evening-tribune-re/197459380/}}</ref> Port Colborne won the first game by a 7–2 score,<ref>{{cite news|title=Timmins Juniors Beaten By Ports|date=April 10, 1943|newspaper=Waterloo Region Record|location=Kitchener, Ontario|page=8|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/waterloo-region-record-recreationsists/197459789/}}</ref> then won the second game by a 6–1 score.<ref>{{cite news|title=Port Colborne Wins Another|date=April 12, 1943|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|location=Toronto, Ontario|page=15|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-globe-and-mail-recreationists/197459853/}}</ref> The Recreationists had eight players during the 1942–43 season who came from the minor ice hockey league operated by the Lions Club in Port Colborne,<ref name="Honored 1943">{{cite news|title=Junior Hockey Champions Honored By Lions Club; Addressed by O.H.A. Head|date=April 14, 1943|newspaper=Welland-Port Colborne Evening Tribune|page=4|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/welland-port-colborne-evening-tribune-re/197460229/}}; {{cite news|title=Junior (Continued from Page Four)|date=April 14, 1943|newspaper=Welland-Port Colborne Evening Tribune|page=6|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/welland-port-colborne-evening-tribune-ju/197460300/}}</ref> and won the first OHA championship for Port Colborne in 15 years.<ref name="Notables 1943">{{cite news|title=Hockey Notables Join With Citizens In Paying Tribute To Junior B Champions|date=May 6, 1943|newspaper=Welland-Port Colborne Evening Tribune|page=4|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/welland-port-colborne-evening-tribune-ju/197460371/}}; {{cite news|title=Hockey (Continued from Page Four)|date=May 6, 1943|newspaper=Welland-Port Colborne Evening Tribune|page=|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/welland-port-colborne-evening-tribune-ju/197460422/}}</ref>

The Recreationists were urged by OHA president Dinty Moore and secretary W. A. Hewitt to consider playing at the junior A level for the 1943–44 season.<ref name="Honored 1943" /><ref name="Notables 1943" /> Moore noted that the junior B level did not have a national championship, and that the OHA wanted to keep the team together and would disallow transfer requests to relocate its players elsewhere.<ref name="Honored 1943" /> Port Colborne anticipated building on its success and agreed to moved up to junior A level.<ref>{{cite news|title=Down the Sport Trail|date=November 12, 1943|newspaper=Welland-Port Colborne Evening Tribune|page=7|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/welland-port-colborne-evening-tribune-ju/197486747/}}</ref> The Recreationists affiliated with the Buffalo Bisons in the American Hockey League owned by Eddie Shore,<ref>{{cite news|title=Port Arthur Lads Reported Signed By Port Colborne|date=August 11, 1943|agency=The Canadian Press|newspaper=Welland-Port Colborne Evening Tribune|page=4|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/welland-port-colborne-evening-tribune-ju/197460584/}}</ref> who operated a training camp for the Bisons and Recreationists to prepare new and returning players for a higher level of competition.<ref>{{cite news|title=Down the Sport Trail|date=October 29, 1943|newspaper=Welland-Port Colborne Evening Tribune|page=9|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/welland-port-colborne-evening-tribune-ju/197460686/}}</ref> Port Colborne lost its first game of the 1943–44 OHA junior A season to the Galt Canadians by an 8–4 score.<ref>{{cite news|title=Galt Kists Defeat Junior B Champions|date=November 13, 1943|newspaper=The Hamilton Spectator|page=22|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-hamilton-spectator-juniors-1943/197486783/}}</ref>

Remaining at the junior A level for the 1944–45 OHA season, the Recreationists had only one victory as of December 13, 1944, when they withdrew from the OHA citing a lack of competitiveness and transportation costs.<ref name="Junior-Withdraws" /> Their last game was a 5–1 loss to the Toronto Young Rangers on December 11, 1944.<ref>{{cite news|title=Falcons In First Place Tie In Sr. 'A' With Toronto|date=December 11, 1944|newspaper=The Sault Star|location=Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario|page=9|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sault-star-juniors/197238203/}}</ref>

==Notable alumni== Leo Gravelle played for Port Colborne from 1942 to 1944, and later played 223 games in the National Hockey League (NHL).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/86548/leo-gravelle|title=Leo Gravelle–Stats, Salary, Contract & More|website=Elite Prospects|access-date=May 10, 2026}}</ref> Vern Kaiser played for Port Colborne during the 1943–44 season, and later played 50 games in the NHL.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/279388/vern-kaiser|title=Vern Kaiser–Stats, Salary, Contract & More|website=Elite Prospects|access-date=May 10, 2026}}</ref>

==Season-by-season results== OHA junior A regular season results:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hockeydb.com/stte/port-colborne-%3f%3f%3f-12180.html|title=Port Colborne Statistics and History|website=HockeyDB|access-date=May 11, 2026}}</ref>

'''''Legend:''' GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against''

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |- ! rowspan="2"|Season !! colspan="9"|Regular season !! rowspan="2"|Playoffs |- ! {{abbr|GP|Games played}} !! {{abbr|W|Wins}} !! {{abbr|L|Losses}} !! {{abbr|T|Ties}} !! {{abbr|Pts|Points}} !! {{abbr|Pct|Points percentage}} !! {{abbr|GF|Goals for}} !! {{abbr|GA|Goals against}} !! Finish |- |1943–44||26||10||16||0||20||0.385||111||126||4th Group 2||Did not qualify |- |1944–45||7||1||6||0||20||0.143||24||49||7th OHA||Did not qualify |}

==See also== *Port Colborne Sailors

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{Defunct OHL}}

Category:Defunct Ontario Hockey League teams Category:Port Colborne Category:Defunct ice hockey teams in Ontario Category:1943 establishments in Ontario Category:1945 disestablishments in Ontario Category:Ice hockey clubs established in 1943 Category:Ice hockey clubs disestablished in 1945