MEMORIAL CUP TEAMS IN THE OHL DURING THE KILREA ERA
This also includes the time period that Brian was in the NHL
wins/appearance not winning
St Catherines/Hamilton 1/1 (St Catherines was doing a lot of moving around I think they were the Fincups at this stage)
Marlies 1/0
Kitchener 2/3
Ottawa 2/3
Barrie 0/1
Petes 1/5
Sudbury 0/1
Oshawa 1/3
SSM 1/3
Guelph 1/2
Windsor 0/1
Detroit 0/1
North bay 0/1
Belleville 0/2
So when we are talking a bout s paltry 2/3 record over that many years I think it is safe to say that it is unmatched in the OHL
There are only 2 teams during that time that had a better record and they were in the WHL and Kamloops and Medicine Hat.
The other thing that is not taken into account with a lot of the teams is the injuries that the team had. The early-mid 90's we had a great team but even if we had of traded for a superstar the fact that Alyn MacAuley could to play would have still hurt the team.
How good are the London Knights I keep hearing we should be like they are OK
Under the Hunters, they are 2/3
Kitchener, Peterborough, London and Ottawa have one thing in common. They draft good players and make those that want to be great. You never get a one dimensional player from these teams.
That is why the NHL likes to deal with these coaches and why the players not drafted always get an invite.
I’m sorry Beast but no one can suggest Brian Kilrea was anything more than an average GM.
The real measurement is League Championships. The Memorial Cup tournament is somewhat of a crapshoot.
Each team competes against their own league and measures themselves against other teams in their own league. The results over 4 or 5 games in a Memorial Cup tournament is not a measuring stick for success. That Championship is just icing on the cake for these teams. It is as much or even more of a Sponsorship festival than anything else. It is the CHL’s version of the All Star Game, a Money Grab.
Kilrea won two OHL Championships. That is not enough considering the number of years he was a General Manager. Was he even the GM for the first one in 1984?
Killer was a great developer of talent. HE was a strong motivator. He was an outstanding mentor. Tactically, he was stubborn and wasn’t willing to change during the Championship series and I could argue he was out coached in some Finals (OShawa in 1997 and Guelph in 1998 for sure).
Kilrea is a legend coach. He is far from a strong General Manager. Had he been a stronger GM, his career win% may have dipped a bit but he’d probably had won at least two more championships, maybe even three more. I would argue 1998 and 2003 would have been Championship teams and maybe even 2012 had he traded guys like McGinn and Couture in 08 and 09 and used those assets more wisely.