Our awesome Niagara Ice Dogs (we’re super proud) Ontario Hockey League team went all the way to the OHL Memorial Cup Championship finals this past week.

Unfortunately, they were swept in the series by the London Knights in 4 games.

That’s ok, though. They are the Eastern Conference champs AND they did have a great season.

PLUS: It’s not every day we talk about sports at the Museum. Most of the time, it takes a big play off run for us historians to look up from our dusty books and artifacts. Sometimes, it’s easy for the public to forget about sports history – and history in sports – since following sports is all about the current and ‘what’s next?’ But our excitement for the Ice Dogs wasn’t about jumping on the band wagon (though most of us did). It was about sharing our local hockey lore – as there is much of it – as perhaps a way to inspire the Ice Dogs and their fans during the final series. Perhaps a bit of historical context would help cool down nerves and centre players and fans for the game. History is as much a part of the sport as is the loud cheering and colourful jerseys.

So, ICYMI, here’s our small smattering of historic hockey photos we shared over the last week as we celebrated the Niagara Ice Dogs:

Go Dogs Go! There’s always next year.

Adrian Petry is a public historian and the Public Programmer at the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre.