Oshawa Generals

<h2>Arenas</h2>
<p data-rte-fromparser="true">The Oshawa Generals have the dubious distinction of having their home arena destroyed by fire not once, but twice in the franchise history. In June 1928 the Bradley Arena was destroyed by fire. Then 25 years later, the Hambly Arena was also destroyed by fire.
</p><p data-rte-fromparser="true" data-rte-empty-lines-before="1">From 1928–1930 the team played out of nearby Whitby until the Hambly Arena was constructed. When the Hambly Arena burned down in 1953 the Oshawa Generals were disbanded. When the team was resurrected in 1962 they played both at <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Maple%20Leaf%20Gardens%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Maple%20Leaf%20Gardens%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BMaple%20Leaf%20Gardens%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="1763-3736141875deb3fa9439d4" href="/wiki/Maple_Leaf_Gardens" title="Maple Leaf Gardens">Maple Leaf Gardens</a> and also in the Bowmanville Community Arena now demolished for two seasons until moving until the Civic Auditorium.
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<h3 data-rte-empty-lines-before="1">The early years</h3>
<p data-rte-fromparser="true">Before Oshawa joined the OHA in 1908, it was part of the Midland Hockey League. Its games were played out of the Oshawa Curling Club located by the Oshawa Creek in the vicinity of present day Valleyview Gardens, Kinsmen Stadium and Children's Arena. Since the curling club controlled its use and thus when games could or could not be played, a new location was sought.
</p><p data-rte-fromparser="true" data-rte-empty-lines-before="1">A new outdoor rink was built 4 blocks away, where the present day Oshawa Armouries stand at the corner of Simcoe St. and Richmond St. This would be the team's home until 1908.
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<h3 data-rte-empty-lines-before="1">Bradley Arena 1908–1928</h3>
<p data-rte-fromparser="true">The Bradley Arena, nicknamed The Big Rink opened up in 1908 on Duke St. in downtown Oshawa. Its namesake was Ed Bradley, a prominent local businessman who was responsible for organizing the team and bringing Junior Hockey to Oshawa.
</p><p data-rte-fromparser="true" data-rte-empty-lines-before="1">The arena was packed to the rafters many nights when Oshawa played there for the 1920's league championships versus Orillia and <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Owen%20Sound%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Owen%20Sound%20Greys%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Afalse%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BOwen%20Sound%20Greys%7COwen%20Sound%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="1763-3736141875deb3fa9439d4" href="/wiki/Owen_Sound_Greys" title="Owen Sound Greys">Owen Sound</a>. In June 1928, the predominantly wooden structure succumbed to an overnight fire.
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<h3 data-rte-empty-lines-before="1">Hambly Arena 1930–1953</h3>
<p data-rte-fromparser="true">The Oshawa Arena later known as the <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Hambly%20Arena%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Hambly%20Arena%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BHambly%20Arena%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="1763-3736141875deb3fa9439d4" href="/wiki/Hambly_Arena" title="Hambly Arena">Hambly Arena</a> opened in 1930 and was built in large part to the contributions of Colonel Robert Samuel McLaughlin. It was the first brick facade and steel support structure for hockey in Oshawa. Shortly after training camp in 1953, the arena would suffer the same demise as its predecessor and burned to the ground on September 15.
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<h3 data-rte-empty-lines-before="1">Civic Auditorium 1964–2006</h3>
<p data-rte-fromparser="true"><img data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22image%22%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BImage%3ACivic%20Auditorium%20Oshawa%202006.jpg%7Cthumb%7COshawa%20Civic%20Auditorium%202006%5D%5D%22%2C%22title%22%3A%22Civic_Auditorium_Oshawa_2006.jpg%22%2C%22params%22%3A%7B%22alt%22%3A%22Civic%20Auditorium%20Oshawa%202006%22%2C%22thumbnail%22%3Atrue%2C%22caption%22%3A%22Oshawa%20Civic%20Auditorium%202006%22%2C%22captionParsed%22%3A%22Oshawa%20Civic%20Auditorium%202006%22%7D%7D" data-rte-instance="1763-3736141875deb3fa9439d4" alt="" src="https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/icehockey/images/c/c0/Civic_Auditorium_Oshawa_2006.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/180?cb=20091215041156" width="180" height="98" class="image thumb withCaption" data-image-name="Civic Auditorium Oshawa 2006.jpg" data-image-key="Civic_Auditorium_Oshawa_2006.jpg"  type="image" />
<!-- RTE::{"spaces":0,"type":"LINE_BREAK"} -->The <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Oshawa%20Civic%20Auditorium%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Oshawa%20Civic%20Auditorium%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BOshawa%20Civic%20Auditorium%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="1763-3736141875deb3fa9439d4" href="/wiki/Oshawa_Civic_Auditorium" title="Oshawa Civic Auditorium">Oshawa Civic Auditorium</a> opened in 1964, built on fundraising by citizens of Oshawa. The first scheduled OHA game was December 15, 1964 vs. the St. Catharines Black Hawks. The Generals prevailed by a score of 6 to 4 in front of 4,109 fans attending the game.
</p><p data-rte-fromparser="true" data-rte-empty-lines-before="1">In 1987 the Civic Auditorium played host to the Memorial Cup. The Generals contested for the cup against the Medicine Hat Tigers and the Longueiul Chévaliers.
</p><p data-rte-fromparser="true" data-rte-empty-lines-before="1">The last championship the Generals won was played at the Civic in May 1997. The Generals upset the 1st place Ottawa 67's in the OHL final, 4 games to 2. The sixth game ended 8 seconds into the first overtime on a goal from <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Marc%20Savard%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Marc%20Savard%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BMarc%20Savard%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="1763-3736141875deb3fa9439d4" href="/wiki/Marc_Savard" title="Marc Savard">Marc Savard</a>.
</p><p data-rte-fromparser="true" data-rte-empty-lines-before="1">The Generals played the first five home games of the 2006–07 season in the Civic Auditorium before moving into their new arena. The final game played was October 29, 2006 versus the <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Kingston%20Frontenacs%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Kingston%20Frontenacs%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BKingston%20Frontenacs%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="1763-3736141875deb3fa9439d4" href="/wiki/Kingston_Frontenacs" title="Kingston Frontenacs">Kingston Frontenacs</a>, the Generals won 8 to 6.
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<h3 data-rte-empty-lines-before="1">General Motors Centre 2006–Present</h3>
<p data-rte-fromparser="true"><img data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22image%22%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BImage%3AGeneral%20Motors%20Centre%20exterior.jpg%7Cthumb%7CGeneral%20Motors%20Centre%5D%5D%22%2C%22title%22%3A%22General_Motors_Centre_exterior.jpg%22%2C%22params%22%3A%7B%22alt%22%3A%22General%20Motors%20Centre%20exterior%22%2C%22thumbnail%22%3Atrue%2C%22caption%22%3A%22General%20Motors%20Centre%22%2C%22captionParsed%22%3A%22General%20Motors%20Centre%22%7D%7D" data-rte-instance="1763-3736141875deb3fa9439d4" alt="" src="https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/icehockey/images/1/1c/General_Motors_Centre_exterior.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/180?cb=20091215041251" width="180" height="196" class="image thumb withCaption" data-image-name="General Motors Centre exterior.jpg" data-image-key="General_Motors_Centre_exterior.jpg"  type="image" />
<!-- RTE::{"spaces":0,"type":"LINE_BREAK"} -->On March 10, 2005, Oshawa City Council approved what was then known as the Downtown Sports and Entertainment Facility Project after many years of waiting for a new arena. Groundbreaking for the new facility at the corner of Athol and Mary Streets in downtown Oshawa took place on June 22, 2005. The building will be operated by Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment.
</p><p data-rte-fromparser="true" data-rte-empty-lines-before="1">On October 5, 2006, the Oshawa Generals announced a naming rights deal which will see the arena named the <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22General%20Motors%20Centre%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22General%20Motors%20Centre%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BGeneral%20Motors%20Centre%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="1763-3736141875deb3fa9439d4" href="/wiki/General_Motors_Centre" title="General Motors Centre" class="mw-redirect">General Motors Centre</a>. The inaugural game was played November 3, 2006, against the <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Owen%20Sound%20Attack%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Owen%20Sound%20Attack%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BOwen%20Sound%20Attack%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="1763-3736141875deb3fa9439d4" href="/wiki/Owen_Sound_Attack" title="Owen Sound Attack">Owen Sound Attack</a>.
</p><p data-rte-fromparser="true" data-rte-empty-lines-before="1">On May 15, 2015, the Generals won their 13th <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22J.%20Ross%20Robertson%20Cup%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22J.%20Ross%20Robertson%20Cup%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BJ.%20Ross%20Robertson%20Cup%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="1763-3736141875deb3fa9439d4" href="/wiki/J._Ross_Robertson_Cup" title="J. Ross Robertson Cup">J. Ross Robertson Cup</a> at the General Motors Centre defeating the <a data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22internal%22%2C%22text%22%3A%22Erie%20Otters%22%2C%22link%22%3A%22Erie%20Otters%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BErie%20Otters%5D%5D%22%7D" data-rte-instance="1763-3736141875deb3fa9439d4" href="/wiki/Erie_Otters" title="Erie Otters">Erie Otters</a> 4-1.
</p><p data-rte-fromparser="true" data-rte-empty-lines-before="1"><img data-rte-meta="%7B%22type%22%3A%22image%22%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BFile%3AOshawa_Generals_80th_anniversary_logo.jpg%7Cthumb%7CGenerals%2080th%20anniversary%20commemorative%20logo%5D%5D%22%2C%22title%22%3A%22Oshawa_Generals_80th_anniversary_logo.jpg%22%2C%22params%22%3A%7B%22alt%22%3A%22Oshawa%20Generals%2080th%20anniversary%20logo%22%2C%22thumbnail%22%3Atrue%2C%22caption%22%3A%22Generals%2080th%20anniversary%20commemorative%20logo%22%2C%22captionParsed%22%3A%22Generals%2080th%20anniversary%20commemorative%20logo%22%7D%7D" data-rte-instance="1763-3736141875deb3fa9439d4" alt="" src="https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/icehockey/images/e/e3/Oshawa_Generals_80th_anniversary_logo.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/180?cb=20160824105915" width="180" height="180" class="image thumb withCaption" data-image-name="Oshawa Generals 80th anniversary logo.jpg" data-image-key="Oshawa_Generals_80th_anniversary_logo.jpg"  type="image" />
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