Niagara IceDogs

The Niagara IceDogs are a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League based in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. The franchise was originally known as the Mississauga IceDogs and founded in 1996. The team was relocated to St. Catharines and played its inaugural season in the Niagara region during the 2007–08 OHL season after spending 9 seasons in Mississauga. The team is owned by Bill and Denise Burke.

History
On July 12, 2006, Eugene Melnyk, who owned the Toronto St. Michael's Majors, bought the Mississauga IceDogs. After the 2006–07 season, Melnyk sold the IceDogs, and moved the Majors to the Hershey Centre in Mississauga. The team approached the City of St. Catharines about moving the team into Jack Gatecliff Arena. St. Catharines City Council voted on a leasing arrangement on April 23, 2007, which passed. The OHL Board of Governors approved the deal on June 5, 2007.

Jack Gatecliff Arena Era
The Niagara IceDogs spent their first seven seasons in St. Catharines in the Jack Gatecliff arena. In six of the seven years at the Jack Gatecliff arena, the IceDogs led the OHL as the best attended team based on capacity percentage. During this time, the IceDogs qualified for the playoffs in every year, making it to the Eastern Conference finals twice. The IceDogs most successful year was in 2011-12 when they won both the Emms Trophy and Bobby Orr Trophy as Central Division and Eastern Conference Champions. They would ultimately fall in the finals, however, to the London Knights in five games. While playing at the Jack Gatecliff arena, Niagara’s line-ups featured a number of eventual high NHL draft picks and NHL alumni. First round draft picks included Alex Pietrangelo, Mark Visentin, Ryan Strome, Dougie Hamilton, and Brendan Perlini. Other notable players to lace-up for the IceDogs at the Jack Gatecliff are Stefan Legein, Luca Caputi, Andrew Agozzino, Brett Ritchie, Jamie Oleksiak, Freddie Hamilton, and Andrew Shaw, who was the first Niagara IceDogs alumni to win the Stanley Cup.

Meridian Centre Era
The IceDogs entered a new era when they relocated to the brand new Meridian Centre in St. Catharines. On Thursday October 16th, 2014, the IceDogs won their first game at the Meridian Centre by a score of 7-4 against the visiting Belleville Bulls. The first goal at the new Meridian Centre was scored by Mikkel Aagaard from Denmark.

Championships
Emms Trophy Central Division Champions
 * 2011-12

Bobby Orr Trophy Eastern Conference Champions
 * 2011-12

Coaches
Mario Cicchillo was promoted from assistant coach in 2006–07 for Mississauga, to become the first coach of the Niagara IceDogs after it was announced that head coach Mike Kelly resigned to accept a senior advisory position with the team. In August 2009, Cicchillo was fired and assistant coach Mike McCourt was named interim head coach. In early May 2010, the IceDogs announced that the team would not be renewing the contracts McCourt and his assistants. Former Barrie Colts coach/general manager Marty Williamson was named coach and general manager of the IceDogs in late May 2010.


 * 2007-2009 Mario Cicchillo
 * 2009-2010 Mike McCourt (Interim)
 * 2010–present Marty Williamson

NHL Alumni

 * Andrew Agozzino
 * Darren Archibald
 * Luca Caputi
 * Matt Corrente
 * Dougie Hamilton
 * Freddie Hamilton
 * Jamie Oleksiak
 * Alex Pietrangelo
 * Brett Ritchie
 * Andrew Shaw
 * Ryan Strome
 * Mark Visentin

NHL Draft Picks

 * 2008 - Alex Pietrangelo, 1st round (4th overall) St. Louis
 * 2010 - Mark Visentin, 1st round (27th overall) Phoenix
 * 2010 - Steven Shipley, 4th round (98th overall) Buffalo
 * 2010 - Freddie Hamilton, 5th round (129th overall) San Jose
 * 2010 - Alex Friesen, 6th round (172nd overall) Vancouver
 * 2011 - Ryan Strome, 1st round (5th overall) New York Islanders
 * 2011 - Dougie Hamilton, 1st round (9th overall) Boston
 * 2011 - Mitchell Theoret, 7th round (185th overall) New York Islanders
 * 2012 - Jesse Graham, 6th round (155th overall) New York Islanders
 * 2013 - Carter Verhaeghe, 3rd round (82nd overall) Toronto
 * 2014 - Brendan Perlini, 1st round (12th overall) Arizona
 * 2014 - Blake Siebenaler, 3rd round (77th overall) Columbus
 * 2014 - Brent Moran, 4th round (115th overall) Dallas
 * 2014 - Aaron Haydon, 6th round (154th overall) Dallas
 * 2015 - Graham Knott, 2nd round (54th overall) Chicago
 * 2015 - Vince Dunn, 2nd round (56th overall) St. Louis

Ontario Hockey League
Bobby Smith Trophy Scholastic Player of the Year Dave Pinkney Trophy Lowest Team G.A.A. Ivan Tennant Memorial Award Top High School Academic Player
 * 2010-11 – Dougie Hamilton
 * 2011-12 – Mark Visentin & Christopher Festarini
 * 2007-08 – Alex Friesen
 * 2008-09 – Freddie Hamilton
 * 2009-10 – Dougie Hamilton
 * 2014-15 – Stephen Dhillon

Leo Lalonde Memorial Trophy Overage Player of the Year Max Kaminsky Trophy Most Outstanding Defenceman Mickey Renaud Captain's Trophy Captain of the Year OHL Executive of the Year
 * 2007-08 – Michael Swift
 * 2011-12 – Andrew Agozzino
 * 2011-12 – Dougie Hamilton
 * 2011-12 – Andrew Agozzino
 * 2007-08 – Denise Burke

OHL Goaltender of the Year
 * 2010-11 – Mark Visentin

Canadian Hockey League
CHL Defenceman of the Year
 * 2011-12 – Dougie Hamilton

CHL Scholastic Player of the Year
 * 2010-11 – Dougie Hamilton

Career scoring and goalie leaders
These are the top-ten point-scorers in regular season franchise history. Figures are updated after each completed OHL regular season.

These are the top-five goalies (ranked by wins) in regular season franchise history. Figures are updated after each completed OHL regular season.

Uniforms and logos
The IceDogs colours are red, white, black and silver. The Home jersey is white with red, black, and white stripes on the bottom and black and red diagonal stripes on the sleeves with two crossed dog bones on each shoulder. The Away jersey is black with red, black, and white stripes on the bottom and red and white diagonal stripes on the sleeves with two crossed dog bones on each shoulder. Both jerseys are tie-ups. The Niagara logo is a Bull Terrier (modelled after former team part-owner Don Cherry's famous dog, "Blue") playing hockey in hockey gear. The team wears red and black CCM gloves and CCM helmets (black or white, depending upon their jersey colour). In 2008–09, the IceDogs launched a third jersey, which is currently being worn by the team during warmups. It is a red jersey, featuring the Bull Terrier logo on top of a large N.

Meridian Centre
The IceDogs moved into the Meridian Centre on October 16, 2014. Located at 1 Ice Dogs Way in St. Catharines, the Meridian Centre features a combination of 5,300 permanent and retractable seats.

Jack Gatecliff Arena
The Gatorade Garden City Complex, formerly known as the Garden City Arena and the Jack Gatecliff Arena, is a publicly owned and operated facility in St. Catharines. It is located at 8 Gale Crescent and features two ice surfaces (the Rex Stimers Arena and the Jack Gatecliff Arena). The IceDogs played in the Jack Gatecliff Arena of the complex for 7 seasons. The arena's capacity is 3,145 including standing room, making it smaller than most CHL arenas. With an ice surface of 190 x 85 feet, its dimensions are also smaller than the typical CHL ice surface. It is commonly referred to by fans as 'the Jack'.

The original arena was built in 1932 and became the oldest arena currently used in the CHL following the Windsor Spitfires move to the WFCU Centre in 2008–09. It was previously used by the St. Catharines Teepees, St. Catharines Black Hawks, St. Catharines Fincups and the St. Catharines Saints. Renovated in 1996, it was named after local sportswriter Jack Gatecliff.

Niagara Falls Memorial Arena
On March 1, 2009, the Niagara IceDogs hosted a home game at Niagara Falls Memorial Arena in nearby Niagara Falls, Ontario. The arena, slated to close in 2010, was the former home to both the Niagara Falls Flyers and the Niagara Falls Thunder. The game was billed as the last OHL game in the arena. The announced crowd of 3,167 was the largest home crowd in franchise history.