1982–83 OHL season
The 1982–83 OHL season was the third season of the Ontario Hockey League. The Niagara Falls Flyers move to North Bay, Ontario, becoming the Centennials. The Guelph Platers are granted an expansion franchise. Fifteen teams each played 70 games. The Oshawa Generals won the J. Ross Robertson Cup, defeating the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.
Expansion and Relocation
Guelph Platers
The Guelph Platers were approved to join the Ontario Hockey League for the 1982-83 season as the league approved an expansion team for the city of Guelph. The Platers would play in the Guelph Memorial Gardens and join the Emms Division.
The Platers previously played in the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League since the 1977-78 season. The club won the 1978 Centennial Cup, defeating the Prince Albert Raiders of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League in a four game sweep. In the 1981-82 season, Guelph finished with a 40-4-6 record, earning 86 points and first place in the OPJHL. At the 1982 Centennial Cup, Guelph lost to Prince Albert in four games.
The Belleville Bulls, who played in the OPJHL from 1979-1981, joined the OHL one year earlier, in the 1981-82 season.
Niagara Falls Flyers to North Bay Centennials
The Niagara Falls Flyers relocated to the city of North Bay and were renamed the North Bay Centennials. The club's nickname was to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the railroad in North Bay.
The Centennials remained in the Emms Division, and would play out of the North Bay Memorial Gardens.
Regular season
Final standings
Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GF = Goals For; GA = Goals Against; PTS = Points; x = clinched playoff berth; y = clinched first round bye; z = clinched division title & first round bye
Leyden Division
| Rank | Team | GP | W | L | T | PTS | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | z-Ottawa 67's | 70 | 46 | 21 | 3 | 95 | 395 | 278 |
| 2 | y-Peterborough Petes | 70 | 46 | 22 | 2 | 94 | 367 | 278 |
| 3 | x-Oshawa Generals | 70 | 45 | 22 | 3 | 93 | 380 | 255 |
| 4 | x-Toronto Marlboros | 70 | 36 | 29 | 5 | 77 | 325 | 311 |
| 5 | x-Cornwall Royals | 70 | 36 | 33 | 1 | 73 | 370 | 335 |
| 6 | x-Belleville Bulls | 70 | 34 | 36 | 0 | 68 | 342 | 332 |
| 7 | Kingston Canadians | 70 | 24 | 45 | 1 | 49 | 351 | 425 |
Emms Division
| Rank | Team | GP | W | L | T | PTS | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | z-Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | 70 | 48 | 21 | 1 | 97 | 363 | 270 |
| 2 | y-Kitchener Rangers | 70 | 45 | 23 | 2 | 92 | 393 | 292 |
| 3 | x-North Bay Centennials | 70 | 44 | 23 | 3 | 91 | 352 | 285 |
| 4 | x-Brantford Alexanders | 70 | 34 | 33 | 3 | 71 | 275 | 282 |
| 5 | x-London Knights | 70 | 32 | 37 | 1 | 65 | 336 | 339 |
| 6 | x-Windsor Spitfires | 70 | 19 | 50 | 1 | 39 | 289 | 394 |
| 7 | Sudbury Wolves | 70 | 15 | 50 | 5 | 35 | 269 | 422 |
| 8 | Guelph Platers | 70 | 7 | 63 | 0 | 14 | 246 | 555 |
Scoring leaders
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doug Gilmour | Cornwall Royals | 68 | 70 | 107 | 177 | 62 |
| Ron Handy | Kingston Canadians | 67 | 52 | 96 | 148 | 64 |
| Dan Quinn | Belleville Bulls | 70 | 59 | 88 | 147 | 27 |
| John Tucker | Kitchener Rangers | 70 | 60 | 80 | 140 | 33 |
| Ian MacInnis | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds/Cornwall Royals | 68 | 59 | 74 | 133 | 29 |
| Keith Knight | Kingston Canadians | 70 | 56 | 75 | 131 | 18 |
| Wayne Groulx | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | 67 | 44 | 86 | 130 | 54 |
| Steve Driscoll | Cornwall Royals | 64 | 49 | 77 | 126 | 34 |
| Kevin Conway | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | 67 | 57 | 65 | 122 | 30 |
| John Ollson | Ottawa 67's | 68 | 46 | 76 | 122 | 41 |
Playoffs
| Division quarter-finals | Division semi-finals | Division finals | J. Ross Robertson Cup | |||||||||||||||
| L4 | Toronto | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| L5 | Cornwall | 7 | ||||||||||||||||
| L1 | Ottawa | 8 | ||||||||||||||||
| L5 | Cornwall | 0 | ||||||||||||||||
| L1 | Ottawa | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
| L3 | Oshawa | 8 | ||||||||||||||||
| L3 | Oshawa | 7 | ||||||||||||||||
| L6 | Belleville | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
| L2 | Peterborough | 0 | ||||||||||||||||
| L3 | Oshawa | 8 | ||||||||||||||||
| L3 | Oshawa | 8 | ||||||||||||||||
| E1 | Sault Ste. Marie | 0 | ||||||||||||||||
| E4 | Brantford | 6 | ||||||||||||||||
| E5 | London | 0 | ||||||||||||||||
| E1 | Sault Ste. Marie | 8 | ||||||||||||||||
| E4 | Brantford | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
| E1 | Sault Ste. Marie | 9 | ||||||||||||||||
| E2 | Kitchener | 5 | ||||||||||||||||
| E3 | North Bay | 6 | ||||||||||||||||
| E6 | Windsor | 0 | ||||||||||||||||
| E2 | Kitchener | 8 | ||||||||||||||||
| E3 | North Bay | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
(3) Oshawa Generals vs. (6) Belleville Bulls
| March 15 | Belleville Bulls | 2 – 10 | Oshawa Generals | Oshawa Civic Auditorium | ||||
| March 16 | Oshawa Generals | 6 – 6 | Belleville Bulls | Yardmen Arena | ||||
| March 18 | Belleville Bulls | 3 – 10 | Oshawa Generals | Oshawa Civic Auditorium | ||||
| March 19 | Oshawa Generals | 7 – 4 | Belleville Bulls | Yardmen Arena | ||||
| Oshawa wins series 7 – 1 | |
(4) Toronto Marlboros vs. (5) Cornwall Royals
| March 15 | Cornwall Royals | 4 – 3 | Toronto Marlboros | Maple Leaf Gardens | ||||
| March 17 | Toronto Marlboros | 4 – 6 | Cornwall Royals | Cornwall Civic Complex | ||||
| March 19 | Cornwall Royals | 4 – 4 | Toronto Marlboros | Maple Leaf Gardens | ||||
| March 20 | Toronto Marlboros | 2 – 4 | Cornwall Royals | Cornwall Civic Complex | ||||
| Cornwall wins series 7 – 1 | |
(3) North Bay Centennials vs. (6) Windsor Spitfires
| March 15 | Windsor Spitfires | 3 – 5 | North Bay Centennials | North Bay Memorial Gardens | ||||
| March 17 | North Bay Centennials | 3 – 2 | Windsor Spitfires | Windsor Arena | ||||
| March 19 | Windsor Spitfires | 4 – 6 | North Bay Centennials | North Bay Memorial Gardens | ||||
| North Bay wins series 6 – 0 | |
(4) Brantford Alexanders vs. (5) London Knights
| March 15 | London Knights | 2 – 6 | Brantford Alexanders | Brantford Civic Centre | ||||
| March 17 | Brantford Alexanders | 4 – 3 | London Knights | London Gardens | ||||
| March 18 | London Knights | 0 – 4 | Brantford Alexanders | Brantford Civic Centre | ||||
| Brantford wins series 6 – 0 | |
(1) Ottawa 67's vs. (5) Cornwall Royals
| March 25 | Cornwall Royals | 1 – 4 | Ottawa 67's | Ottawa Civic Centre | ||||
| March 27 | Ottawa 67's | 7 – 3 | Cornwall Royals | Cornwall Civic Complex | ||||
| March 29 | Cornwall Royals | 5 – 8 | Ottawa 67's | Ottawa Civic Centre | ||||
| March 31 | Ottawa 67's | 7 – 4 | Cornwall Royals | Cornwall Civic Complex | ||||
| Ottawa wins series 8 – 0 | |
(2) Peterborough Petes vs. (3) Oshawa Generals
| March 25 | Oshawa Generals | 5 – 4 | Peterborough Petes | Peterborough Memorial Centre | ||||
| March 27 | Peterborough Petes | 6 – 7 | Oshawa Generals | Oshawa Civic Auditorium | ||||
| March 29 | Oshawa Generals | 4 – 2 | Peterborough Petes | Peterborough Memorial Centre | ||||
| March 30 | Peterborough Petes | 4 – 5 | Oshawa Generals | Oshawa Civic Auditorium | ||||
| Oshawa wins series 8 – 0 | |
(1) Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds vs. (4) Brantford Alexanders
| March 23 | Brantford Alexanders | 1 – 1 | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | Sault Memorial Gardens | ||||
| March 25 | Brantford Alexanders | 4 – 4 | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | Sault Memorial Gardens | ||||
| March 27 | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | 4 – 2 | Brantford Alexanders | Brantford Civic Centre | ||||
| March 29 | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | 6 – 3 | Brantford Alexanders | Brantford Civic Centre | ||||
| April 1 | Brantford Alexanders | 0 – 1 | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | Sault Memorial Gardens | ||||
| Sault Ste. Marie wins series 8 – 2 | |
(2) Kitchener Rangers vs. (3) North Bay Centennials
| March 25 | North Bay Centennials | 2 – 5 | Kitchener Rangers | Kitchener Memorial Auditorium | ||||
| March 27 | Kitchener Rangers | 5 – 6 | North Bay Centennials | North Bay Memorial Gardens | ||||
| March 29 | North Bay Centennials | 1 – 6 | Kitchener Rangers | Kitchener Memorial Auditorium | ||||
| March 31 | Kitchener Rangers | 2 – 1 | North Bay Centennials | North Bay Memorial Gardens | ||||
| April 1 | North Bay Centennials | 2 – 4 | Kitchener Rangers | Kitchener Memorial Auditorium | ||||
| Kitchener wins series 8 – 2 | |
(1) Ottawa 67's vs. (3) Oshawa Generals
| April 8 | Oshawa Generals | 1 – 5 | Ottawa 67's | Ottawa Civic Centre | ||||
| April 10 | Ottawa 67's | 3 – 8 | Oshawa Generals | Oshawa Civic Auditorium | ||||
| April 12 | Oshawa Generals | 4 – 3 | Ottawa 67's | Ottawa Civic Centre | ||||
| April 13 | Ottawa 67's | 3 – 4 | Oshawa Generals | Oshawa Civic Auditorium | ||||
| April 15 | Oshawa Generals | 4 – 3 | Ottawa 67's | Ottawa Civic Centre | ||||
| Oshawa wins series 8 – 2 | |
(1) Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds vs. (2) Kitchener Rangers
| April 8 | Kitchener Rangers | 5 – 4 | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | Sault Memorial Gardens | ||||
| April 10 | Kitchener Rangers | 4 – 7 | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | Sault Memorial Gardens | ||||
| April 12 | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | 8 – 5 | Kitchener Rangers | Kitchener Memorial Auditorium | ||||
| April 14 | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | 2 – 4 | Kitchener Rangers | Kitchener Memorial Auditorium | ||||
| April 16 | Kitchener Rangers | 2 – 4 | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | Sault Memorial Gardens | ||||
| April 18 | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | 4 – 4 | Kitchener Rangers | Kitchener Memorial Auditorium | ||||
| April 20 | Kitchener Rangers | 2 – 4 | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | Sault Memorial Gardens | ||||
| Sault Ste. Marie wins series 9 – 5 | |
(E1) Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds vs. (L3) Oshawa Generals
| April 23 | Oshawa Generals | 6 – 3 | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | Sault Memorial Gardens | ||||
| April 24 | Oshawa Generals | 4 – 3 | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | Sault Memorial Gardens | ||||
| April 27 | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | 4 – 7 | Oshawa Generals | Oshawa Civic Auditorium | ||||
| April 28 | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | 2 – 5 | Oshawa Generals | Oshawa Civic Auditorium | ||||
| Oshawa wins series 8 – 0 | |