Bruins Hockey had just moved into their new home at Oakville Arena in 1973 and Athletic Director , John Cruickshank had hired a bright young coach away from the nearby Burlington junior team. It was Doug Peter’s job to resurrect a hockey program that was in disarray after the early years of OCAA play. There was much optimism but no one could have foreseen such dramatic results.
Important elements of the leadership for the ’73 Bruins were already in place from a club that had finished at the bottom of 23 teams the year before. Captain Steve Ringler, Jim Williams, Paul Gilbert, goaltender Brad Prophet, and hard-nosed irascible defenseman Bob “Knobby” Clark brought a dominant “will to win” from that rag tag team.
Doug’s knack for recruiting top junior talent brought additions to this core group. Eric “Foxy” Duncan, Kim “Zipper” Grant and Rob “Herbie” Redshaw, became a dominate force that year. The trio amassed and amazing scoring total of 151 points as one of the league’s top lines. Duncan was second in league scoring, team MVP and was Sheridan’s Athlete of the Year.
Only Peters and assistant coach John D’Aloisio could have guessed that the line of Ken “Jet” Laverty, Steve Falkner and a borrowed football player, Brooke Murray would be such a surprising force at the Championship tournament in D’Aloisio’s hometown of Kirkland Lake.
The line of Ringler, Williams and Rick Walker were a steady consistent force all season. It was a cast of characters and in the challenges of that season; they combined their talents and personalities to become a unique family of stars, grinders and role players.
Future MVP Dave “Maddog” Kelly along with Kevin “Gronk” Daly and Tom Gillespie were flawless as penalty killers and Knobby Clark lead an unsung defense of Paul Gilbert, John “Lamby” Burrows, Jim “Gino” Ruston, Paul Hawn and Rich Knox.
Inspiration could be found in small corners from “Rajah’s Air Force” to the magical charge that echoed from Bob McCrudden’s bugle. Nobody who was there will forget that serenade of the final moments in Kirkland Lake.
The Bruins had the top offence and the best goals against, always hockey’s winning combination as they lead the OCAA South Division, eliminating Seneca in a rough, physical play-off to qualify for the Championship Tournament. There they crushed the host Northern Huskies 10-1 and destroyed perennial powerhouse, St.Clair Saints in the final game 6-2.
In tandem with the ’73 Football team, they were Sheridan’s first ever Provincial Champions.