Owen Sound Attack

History

The Owen Sound OHL franchise was born when the Holody family moved the Guelph Platers to the city for the 1989–90 OHL season. The team kept the name of Owen Sound Platers.

The Owen Sound Attack were born in the late summer of the year 2000 as a community-based OHL franchise. When the Holody family decided to sell the Owen Sound Platers buyers were sought from any city.

Several local Owen Sound business people realized that an out-of-town buyer would mean losing the team to relocation. The most mentioned former OHL city was Cornwall, Ontario. This local business group banded together to purchase the team. After a bidding war and a summer-long legal battle with another suitor, the team remained in Owen Sound.

The ownership group elected for a name change and came up with the more modern sounding "Owen Sound Attack". The 2004–05 season was the best regular season in the OHL history of Owen Sound. General Manager Mike Futa was recognized by the OHL for his work in building the team with the OHL Executive of the Year award. The club also played host to the OHL All-Star Classic in 2005.

In 2010–11, the Attack wore the jerseys of the 1951 Allan Cup Champion Owen Sound Mercurys as a throwback third jersey.

On April 27, 2011, the Owen Sound Attack earned their first OHL Conference Championship and their first berth in the Memorial Cup tournament since relocating from Guelph with a 10–4 win over the defending champion Windsor Spitfires and a result of the Memorial Cup host team, Mississauga St. Michael's Majors winning their conference series, 4–1 over the Niagara IceDogs.

On May 15, 2011, the Attack won their first J. Ross Robertson Cup as OHL Champions, also since relocating from Guelph with a 3–2 overtime win over the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors in the seventh game of the OHL finals.

The Attack set a new franchise attendance mark in 2011–12 of 97,619 fans and set a new record the following year, eclipsing the 100,000 mark in 2012–13 and again in 2013–14.

Coaches

• 2000–2001, Brian O'Leary
• 2001–2002, Frank Carnevale
• 2002–2007, Mike Stothers
• 2007–2011, Mark Reeds
• 2011–2015, Greg Ireland
• 2015–2017, Ryan McGill
• 2017–2019, Todd Gill
• 2019–2021, Alan Letang
• 2021–2023, Greg Walters
• 2023–2024, Darren Rumble
• 2024–present, Scott Wray

Players

Owen Sound Platers award winners

Andrew Brunette won the 1992–93 Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy as the top scorer in the OHL with 62 Goals, 100 Assists and 162 Points. He also tied for the Canadian Hockey League's scoring lead. Brunette was selected by the Washington Capitals 174th overall in the 7th round of 1993 NHL Entry Draft.

Jamie Storr was the 1993–94 OHL Goaltender of the Year. Storr was the starting goalie for back-to-back World Junior Hockey Championship Gold medals in 1993 and 1994. In the 1994 NHL Entry Draft he became what was then the highest-drafted goaltender overall in NHL history, by the Los Angeles Kings, 7th overall.

Dan Snyder, a former captain of the Owen Sound Platers, had his number 14 retired by the Owen Sound Attack in 2003. He is remembered in Owen Sound for his leadership on and off the ice. Snyder was twice voted his team's Humanitarian of the Year. Snyder died from injuries suffered in a vehicular accident in 2003 after just beginning his NHL career with the Atlanta Thrashers, and the Ontario Hockey League renamed its Humanitarian of the Year award posthumously in his honour.

Owen Sound Attack award winners

NHL alumni

Alumni of the Owen Sound Attack who played in the National Hockey League (NHL).

• Mike Angelidis
• Josh Bailey
• Chris Bigras
• Jordan Binnington
• Paul Bissonnette
• Jesse Blacker
• Joseph Blandisi
• Daniel Catenacci
• Andre Deveaux
• Sean Durzi
• Kurtis Gabriel
• Jonah Gadjovich
• Mark Giordano
• Mike Halmo
• Joey Hishon
• Greg Jacina
• Dan LaCosta
• Trevor Lewis
• Kurtis MacDermid
• Brian McGrattan
• Michael McNiven
• Chris Minard
• Phil Oreskovic
• Theo Peckham
• Brad Richardson
• Stefan Ruzicka
• Bobby Ryan
• Josh Samanski
• Bob Sanguinetti
• Andrej Sekera
• Andrew Shaw
• Wayne Simmonds
• Gemel Smith
• Maxim Sushko
• Nick Suzuki
• Garrett Wilson

Season-by-season results

Legend: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses, SL = Shoot-out losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

1989–2000 as Owen Sound Platers

2000–present as Owen Sound Attack

Uniforms and logos

Red with Black and White; White with Black and Red

Third Jerseys are: Black with Red and White

Team Mascot: Cubby

2010–11 Third jersey: Blue, red, and white with Owen Sound Mercurys logo

2023–24 Alternate jersey: Black, white, and orange with Owen Sound Greys logo honouring 100th anniversary of the 1924 Memorial Cup Champions

Arena

The Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre received extensive renovations beginning in 2001, to include private boxes. The arena hosted the 2005 OHL All-Star Classic. A new video scoreboard was added in 2015.

References

References

1. "Attack Set New Attendance Mark – Owen Sound Attack".
2. (2019-01-28). "Attack make coaching changes, Letang named Interim Head Coach".
3. (2021-06-16). "Alan Letang Steps Down as Head Coach".
4. (October 18, 2023). "Darren Rumble Named Interim Head Coach". Canadian Hockey League.
5. Hoddinott, Greg. (2024-06-04). "Plater Alum Scott Wray Tapped as Attack Head Coach".
6. Hoddinott, Greg. (2023-12-08). "Attack to Honour 1924 Memorial Cup Champion Owen Sound Greys".
7. "Bayshore Community Centre". The OHL Arena & Travel Guide.