The Sarnia Legionnaires were a Canadian junior ice hockey team that won five Western Jr. 'B' Hockey League championships and four Sutherland Cups as Ontario Hockey Association Junior B champions in the 16 seasons they operated out of Sarnia, Ontario from 1954 until 1970. The club folded after two unsuccessful years as a Tier II Jr. 'A' team. The original Legionnaires were one of the most successful junior teams in Canadian hockey history, playing out of the Western Ontario Junior A and B Hockey Leagues. Counting the Sutherland Cup they won when they were known as the Sarnia Sailors, the franchise won five titles in 20 years, beginning with the 1950-51 campaign. They were founded as members of the Big 10 Junior B Hockey League.
The Legionnaires' moniker was resurrected for the 2008-09 Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League season. The Sarnia team that helped displace the original Legionnaires in 1970 are now officially known as the Sarnia Legionnaires. And just like the old Legionnaires, the new Sarnia Legionnaire squad has been a powerhouse, winning the Weir Cup as Western Ontario Jr. 'B' champions in the 2009 playoffs.
History
The Legionnaires started out as a Big 10 Junior B Hockey League team in 1954. Prior to this they existed as the Sarnia Jr. Sailors, named after the Senior team. In 1956, the Big 10 was divided and the Legionnaires moved on with the Western League. In 1968, the league went renegade and declared itself Junior "A". As of February 1, 1970, the Legionnaires officially folded and disbanded. They were in direct financial competition with the Junior "B" Sarnia Bees, but lost popularity within the city forcing them to go out of business. Fan attendance had dropped from 1200 to 200 people per game, with the team over $10,000 CAD in debt. The team was owned by Branch 62 of the Royal Canadian Legion. The folding happened after the cancelling of a home game in late January against the Guelph Beef Kings. The announcement of the disbandment of the team was followed by an emergency meeting by the league to discuss the folding and how to handle the unbalanced schedule left through unplayed Legionnaires games.
The Legionnaires won at least 5 Western league titles after the splitting of the Big 10. The Legionnaires also won four Sutherland Cups as All-Ontario Junior "B" Champions. The franchise had a total of five Sutherland Cup wins, counting the 1951 win when it was known as the Sailors.
Even when they didn't win a title the Sarnia Legionnaires were almost always a top contender. They lost four Western Jr. 'B' finals. In all, they were in the Western Final nine times during their 14 seasons as a Jr. 'B' team. Ten times in 18 years if you count the team's record when it was known as the Sailors.
Former players
Phil Esposito scored 47 goals and 61 assists for the Legionnaires during the 32-game 1960-61 regular schedule. In a playoff game that spring, he got 12 points as the Legionnaires beat Goderich 15–2.
Eric Vail, future Calder Memorial Trophy winner as NHL rookie of the year, played with the Legionnaires as a 16-year-old during the team's last season (1969–70). Another member of that team was Kirk Bowman, who went on to play in the NHL with the Chicago Blackhawks. Still another was Frank Blum, a goaltender who would go on to play in the WHA with Bobby Hull and the Winnipeg Jets.
Before they disbanded, the Legionnaires sent nine players to the NHL, despite the fact that, for most of their history, they were a Jr.'B' team and there were only six NHL teams. They also sent two players to the WHA.
With their multiple championships and their domination at the provincial level, no other Sarnia junior team has ever matched their success.
Phil Esposito and Pat Stapleton were both Legionnaires alumni and both represented Canada at the 1972 Summit Series. Esposito's appearance as a Legionnaire is quite remarkable as he was seemingly destine to play Junior A that season with St. Catharines but was cut before the season started. After one great season at Junior B, Esposito finally made the Ontario Hockey Association Junior A League.
Noted Legionnaire coach Ted Garvin went on to coach briefly with the Detroit Red Wings.
Well known Jr. 'B' coaches Fred Pageau, Dick Robinson and Ron Carroll played for the Sarnia Legionnaires. Former team goalie Joe DeRush went on to make a name for himself as coach of the Jr. 'C' Mooretown Flags.