St. John's Capitals were a senior ice hockey team based in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador in the Newfoundland Senior Hockey League.

History

Seasons and records

Season-by-season results

Led league in pointsHerder Trophy champions Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, DNQ = Did not qualify

NAHA, Sr.B = Newfoundland Amateur Hockey Association senior Section B, NAHA, Sr. = Newfoundland senior "league", NSHL = Newfoundland Senior Hockey League

+St. John's Capitals regular season and postseason statistics and results, 1955–1990SeasonLeagueRegular seasonPostseasonGPWLTOTLGFGAPTSFinishGPWLGFGAResult 1954–55 NAHA, Sr.B – – – – – – – – – 2 0 2 13 17 Lost Section B eastern finals to Bell Island All-Stars, 0-2 1955–56 NAHA, Sr.B – – – – – – – – – 3 1 2 14 31 Lost Section B eastern finals to Bell Island All-Stars, 1-2 1956–57 NAHA, Sr.B – – – – – – – – – 2 0 2 6 11 Lost Section B eastern finals to Bell Island All-Stars, 0-2 1957–58 NAHA, Sr.B – – – – – – – – – 9 4 5 29 40 Lost Section B finals to Grand Falls Bees, 1-4 1958–59 NAHA, Sr.B – – – – 10 6 4 54 37 Lost Section B finals by default to Grand Falls Bees, 3–4 1959–60 NAHA, Sr.8 0 8 0 – 0 3rd, East DNQ for Herder playoffs 1960–61 NAHA, Sr.8 2 6 – 4 2nd, East DNQ for Herder playoffs 1961–62 NSHL– – – – – – – – – –– – – – Did not enter Herder round robin playoffs 1962–63 NSHL 16 3 11 2 - 63 105 8 5th DNQ for Herder playoffs 1963–64 NSHL 20 13 7 0 - 108 90 26 3rd semi-final forfeited to Corner Brook Royals 1964–65 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Did not enter the NSHL 1965–66 NSHL 32 9 22 1 – 120 209 19 5th DNQ for Herder playoffs 1966–67 NSHL 40 15 22 3 – 146 162 33 5th DNQ for Herder playoffs 1967–68 NSHL 40 18 17 5 – 173 180 41 5th DNQ for Herder playoffs 1968–69 NSHL 40 18 18 4 – 176 172 40 4th Lost in Herder semi-finals to Buchans Miners, 1–4 1969–70 NSHL 40 23 14 3 198 198 158 49 1st Won Herder Memorial Trophy vs. Gander Flyers, 4-3 1970–71 NSHL 36 19 13 4 – 180 143 42 1st 19 9 10 Lost Herder finals to Grand Falls Cataracts, 3–4 1971–72 NSHL 36 15 9 2 – 183 178 32 3rd 12 3 9 Lost Herder finals to Grand Falls Cataracts, 0–4 1972–73 NSHL 36 18 17 1 – 170 157 37 2nd 12 9 3 Won Herder Memorial Trophy vs. Grand Falls Cataracts, 4-0 1973–74 NSHL 32 27 4 1 – 204 113 42 1st Won Herder Memorial Trophy vs. Grand Falls Cataracts, 4-1 1974–75 NSHL 16 12 2 2 – 115 62 26 1st Won Herder Memorial Trophy vs. , 1975–76 NSHL 12 8 2 2 – 84 40 30 1st Won Herder Memorial Trophy vs. Grand Falls Cataracts, 4-1 1989–90 NFLD, Sr. – Won Herder Memorial Trophy vs. Corner Brook Royals, 4-0

+Labatt BlueCaps regular season and postseason statistics and results, 1976-1982SeasonLeagueRegular seasonPostseasonGPWLTOTLGFGAPTSFinishGPWLGFGAResult 1976–77 NSHL – 31 1st, East 1977–78 NSHL – 51 1st, East Won Herder Memorial Trophy vs. Gander Flyers, 4-3 1978–79 NSHL – 43 2nd 1979–80 NSHL – 41 2nd 1980–81 NSHL – 43 1st 1981–82 NSHL – 11 5th

+Mike's Shamrocks regular season and postseason statistics and results, 1976-1982SeasonLeagueRegular seasonPostseasonGPWLTOTLGFGAPTSFinishGPWLGFGAResult 1976–77 NSHL – 29 2nd East 1977–78 NSHL – 26 3rd, East 1978–79 NSHL – 32 3rd Won Herder Memorial Trophy vs. Gander Flyers, 4-3 1979–80 NSHL – 34 4th 1980–81 NSHL – 28 4th 1981–82 NSHL – 29 4th

Allan Cup results

Season Location GP W L T OTL GF GA Results Playoffs 1970 - - Lost in Eastern semi-finals to Victoriaville Tigres, 1-3 1973 - - Lost in Eastern semi-finals to Thunder Bay Twins, 1-3 1974 - - Lost in Eastern semi-finals to Thunder Bay Twins, 0-3 1975 Memorial Stadium (St. John's) - - Lost in Eastern finals to Barrie Flyers, 1-3

Leaders

Captains Lloyd Cooke, 1956–57 Hugh Fardy, 1957–58 Bern Goobie, 1958–59

Coaches Howie Meeker, 1957–59, 1966–67 Jack Vinnicombe, 1957–58 Bob Badcock, 1972–73 George Faulkner, 1975–76 Bill Riley, 1985-86 (playing-coach)

Trophies and awards

Team awards All-Newfoundland senior hockey championships (Herder Memorial Trophy): 1970, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1978 (as Bluecaps), 1979 (as Mike's Shamrocks), 1987, 1990 First place in Newfoundland Senior Hockey League regular season (Evening Telegram Trophy): 1970, 1971, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1978 (as BlueCaps), 1987, 1988, 1989, 1996

Individual awards

S. E. Tuma Memorial Trophy (Top scorer in the regular season) Randy Pearcey, 1978, 1981 (BlueCaps) Andy Sullivan, 1987, 1989

T.A. (Gus) Soper Memorial Award (MVP in the regular season)

Albert "Peewee" Crane Memorial Trophy (Senior league rookie of the year) Bruce Butler, 1970 Gary Connolly, 1973 Glen Critch, 1975 John Breen, 1979 (Shamrocks) Mac Tucker, 1980 (BlueCaps) Roger Kennedy, 1981 Peter White, 1987

Howie Clouter memorial Trophy (Most sportsmanlike player in the regular season) Hubert Hutton, 1976

President's Goaltender's Award (Top goaltender in the regular season) Edgar (Eg) Billiard, 1970, 1971 Tols Chapman, 1974, 1975 Pat Dempsey, 1976, 1978, 1979 Roger Kennedy, 1981, 1988, 1989 Peter White, 1987

Cliff Gorman Memorial Award (Most valuable player of the Herder Playoffs) Roger Kennedy, 1983 Andy Sullivan, 1987

Honoured members

Retired numbers

NL Hockey Hall of Fame The following people that were associated with the Capitals have been inducted into the Newfoundland and Labrador Hockey Hall of Fame. George Faulkner, 1994 Hugh Fardy, 1997 Stan Breen, 1997 Bob Badcock, 2000 Merv Green, 2000 Randy Pearcey, 2002 Jim Penney, 2002 Stan Cook, 2004 Howie Meeker, 2004 Eg Billard, 2008

References

Bibliography