50 years later, Flamingos’ first night at Scugog Arena remains memorable

DARRYL KNIGHT The Standard

SCUGOG: Nearly 50 years ago, a new chapter in Port Perry hockey history began with a near-capacity crowd, a new home, and a scoreline which left little doubt about who was in charge.

On Sunday, January 9th, 1977, the Port Perry Flamingos took to the ice at the newly constructed Scugog Arena for the first time, officially bringing junior hockey to the new facility near the Fairgrounds.

The Flamingos, sponsored by Port Perry's Flamingo Pastries, had been formed in 1972 and had spent their first four-plus seasons playing out of the downtown arena at the corner of Water and North Streets.

Now, they had a new home.

The game against the Uxbridge Juniors, also known as Uxbridge Dominion Auto after their sponsor, marked the beginning of what would become generations of hockey memories at Scugog Arena, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary season in 2026-27.

“It was a big deal to finally get into that new building,” Head Coach Dave Nicholishen, marking his first stint behind the bench in the 1976-77 season, recalled to the Scugog Citizen in the 1990s. “There was a lot of excitement around the team and around the arena. Everyone wanted to be part of that first game.”

Port Perry entered the contest sitting third in the standings, while Uxbridge was in the midst of its first season of Junior 'C' hockey. The North Durham club had struggled early in the campaign but was showing steady signs of improvement as play resumed following the holiday break.

The Flamingos, meanwhile, were dealing with injuries throughout their lineup. Mr. Nicholishen, in his first year behind the bench, faced the challenge of juggling his roster.

One of those unavailable players was rookie forward Rob Evans.

Nearly five decades later, Mr. Evans remembers the disappointment of watching the historic game from the sidelines.

“I was a rookie, and I desperately wanted to be out there for that first game,” explained Mr. Evans. “To miss it because of an injury was tough. You knew you were watching something important, because it wasn't every day a new arena opened and your team was going to play the first game there.”

His connection to the Port Perry hockey tradition would continue well beyond his own playing days.

Mr. Evans's son, Logan, later followed his father into the LumberJacks program and became a standout player for Port Perry during the 2010s, providing another link between generations of the franchise.

“It's pretty special to see how the team has carried on through the years,” Mr. Evans said when the facility was celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2012. “I played there, and then to watch Logan play for Port Perry years later was something I was very proud of.”

His teammates made sure Mr. Evans had plenty to celebrate from the sidelines.

Phil Hennessey scored the first-ever Port Perry goal at Scugog Arena early in the opening period, with goaltender Charlie Durward summoned to the bench for an extra attacker during a delayed penalty call against Uxbridge.

Then newcomer Ernie Jewell took over.

Making his Flamingos debut, Jewell enjoyed a night to remember, recording seven points — three goals and four assists.

Port Perry led 5-0 after the opening period and continued to pile on in the second, taking a 12-2 advantage into the third.

When the final buzzer sounded, the Flamingos had christened their new home with a 15-4 victory.

Larry Page, Dave Webster, John Scott, Doug Christie, and Sandy Cameron each scored twice, while John Kane rounded out the scoring with a single.

“It was one of those nights where everything seemed to go our way,” Mr. Nicholishen recalled. “We had some injuries, but the guys who were in there played hard. Once we got going, we just kept coming.”

Both teams made changes in both creases during the game.

Mr. Durward was dealing with a nagging injury suffered during a broomball game in the autumn, prompting Scott Little to come in and relieve him.

At the opposite end of the ice, the Flamingos chased former teammate Wayne Cordingley from the Uxbridge crease, with Dale Catherwood taking over in the second period.

The victory set the stage for the following weekend, when Scugog Arena would officially open with a full day of celebrations.

The finale would feature a much more meaningful game in the standings.

The fourth-place Flamingos were scheduled to face the third-place Lindsay Muskies in a crucial Central Ontario Junior Hockey League matchup, bringing the day's celebrations to a close.

But the history had already been made.

On January 9th, 1977, the Flamingos played the first game at Scugog Arena. Nearly 50 years later, the team, now known as the Port Perry LumberJacks, continues to call the building home.

And for the Evans family, that history spans generations: from Rob Evans watching the Flamingos christen the new arena in 1977, to his son Logan becoming a standout MoJacks player himself, decades later.

The names, players, and generations have changed, but that first night remains part of the foundation of hockey history in Port Perry.