4 Peterborough Petes Awarded The Red Tilson Trophy In The Team's History

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Tom_Samworth]Tom Samworth
The Peterborough Petes have been an Ontario Hockey League franchise since the 1956-57 season, moving east from Kitchener where they were known as the Canucks the season before. In the 55 years since, four players from the Petes have been awarded the Red Tilson Trophy as league MVP. One player, Andre Lacroix, won the award twice.
In 1959-60, Wayne Connelly was the first Peterborough player to win the Red Tilson. Connelly was in his fifth year with the franchise, one in Kitchener and four in Peterborough. He finished the regular season with 48 goals and 34 assists for 82 points in 47 games. The Petes finished fifth in the seven team league under coach Scotty Bowman. After a quarter-final victory over the Barrie Flyers, the team lost to the eventual Robertson Cup winning St. Catherines Teepees in the semi-finals.
Connelly played 543 games in the National Hockey League from 1960-61 to 1971-72 with the Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins, Minnesota North Stars, Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues and Vancouver Canucks. Wayne jumped to the World Hockey Association in the league's inaugural season, 1972-73. He played 366 games over five seasons in the WHA with the Minnesota Fighting Saints, Cleveland Crusaders, Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Cowboys.
Andre Lacroix was the first of only five players to ever win the Red Tilson Trophy twice. Lacroix won the award in 1964-65 and 1965-66 with the   rel=nofollow [http://www.ohlalumnicentral.com/peterborough-petes/]Peterborough Petes, his two final seasons in the league after starting his junior career with the Montreal Junior Canadiens in 1963-64. In 1964-65, Andre totaled 119 points in 49 games. The following season, he tallied 120 points in 48 games, leading the league in that department and winning the Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy. In both seasons, he led the league in assists.
Lacroix played 325 games in the NHL from 1967-68 to 1971-72, as well as a short stint in 1979-80 after the WHA merged with the NHL. He played 551 games in the WHA between 1972-73 and 1978-79, winning the scoring title in 1972-73 and 1974-75. His WHA career spanned the entire length of the league's existence and he played in several locales, including Philadelphia, New York, San Diego, Houston and New England.
In 1966-67, Mickey Redmond became the third Peterborough player to win the Red Tilson. In his final season of four with the team, Redmond scored 51 goals and added 44 assists for 94 points in 48 games. The Roger Neilson coached Petes finished the regular season eighth of nine in the league, losing to the Hamilton Red Wings in the first round of the playoffs. Mickey's brother Dick played his first year of OHA hockey with the Petes that season.
Redmond played 538 games in the NHL between 1967-68 and 1975-76 with the Montreal Canadiens and Detroit Red Wings. He surpassed the 50 goal plateau in 1972-73 and 1973-74 with the Red Wings. A back injury incurred during the 1974-75 season ultimately brought his NHL career to a premature end after 1975-76.
1989-90 was Mike Ricci's last of three seasons in the Ontario Hockey League, all with the Peterborough Petes. Ricci was third in the OHL for total points with 116 in just 60 games.
Mike was taken fourth overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft. He played a total of 1099 regular season games in the league between 1990-91 and 2006-07 with the Flyers, Quebec Nordiques, Colorado Avalanche, San Jose Sharks and Phoenix Coyotes. The Flyers sent him to Quebec in the infamous trade that brought Eric Lindros to Philadelphia.
Tom is the author of http://www.ohlalumnicentral.com/ (OHL Alumni Central). OHL Alumni Central is a daily updated blog featuring graduates of the Ontario Hockey League and their careers in professional hockey after leaving the OHL.
The centrepiece of ohlalumnicentral.com is the OHL Alumni Big List. The Big List is an on-going database of the whereabouts of all the active OHL grads.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?4-Peterborough-Petes-Awarded-The-Red-Tilson-Trophy-In-The-Teams-History&id=6504603] 4 Peterborough Petes Awarded The Red Tilson Trophy In The Team's History