A brief history of Junior C hockey in Port Perry

by Shawn Lackie

SCUGOG: In the late 60s/early 70s, a group of deep-thinking hockey minds got together and decided it was time for Port Perry to have a Junior Hockey Club. The C designation seemed to fit best, given the town's size and the fact that its opposition would, for the most part, be communities of a similar size. So off they went. In 1971, the Central Ontario Junior C Hockey circuit was formed with 6 teams taking part. After Port being granted admittance to this group, it was decided 1972 would be their inaugural year. Sponsor? Huh? Who would foot the bill?

Enter Flamingo Pastries. A very successful local business story with a great history. Ken and Marge Jackson had run a restaurant in downtown Port Perry for years called the Flamingo. One of their mainstay desserts was a butter tart whose recipe had been in the family for years. The Jacksons turned that sweet treat into a local empire, hiring thousands of people over the years and creating a ton of goodwill. So it only stood to reason they would step up and be the first sponsor. But for 50 years? Oh ya. That must be some kind of sponsorship longevity record. For the first six years, the team was called the Flamingos.

Then they changed the name to Mojacks. Suffice it to say, more than a few people asked what a Mojack was. It was an abbreviation of Mother Jackson’s Open Kitchens, which provided some of the best meat pies you could find anywhere. MOther JACKson = MOJACK. Bingo.

Back to the Flamingos. The club started in the 1972/73 season with eight other teams. Cobourg, Port Hope, Lindsay, Markham, Penetang, Sutton, Oak Ridges and Bowmanville rounded out the League roster. Flamingos did well in their first year, finishing in fifth place with a 31-12-16-3 record for 29 points. Not bad for a first-year club.

So, why did the Jackson family want to step up and sponsor the team in the first place? Ken’s son Dave Jackson explained, “I recall someone contacting Dad to possibly sponsor a Jr. C hockey team. He looked at it as a great opportunity to sponsor and support this new team representing Port Perry.” And the Flamingos were born.

That lasted for 50 years! That alone is incredible. Mr. Jackson also had the honour of playing for the Flamingos in the first season. Some good times for sure. And Mr. Jackson agreed. “I was very proud to be playing on the Flamingo Pastries Jr. C team which my family's business was sponsoring.” As well he should. Dave played a few seasons for the Flamingos.

At the end of the 2020/21 season, the Jackson family felt it was time for a change. They stepped away from the sponsorship, and Lake Scugog Lumber stepped in.

Scugog Lumber has its own great history. They are a multi-generational business and a fixture on the local scene for almost 100 years. Sam Griffen founded the company in 1931. A long-time supporter of local initiatives, sporting and otherwise, the Griffen family stepped in to carry on the fine tradition of local sponsorship.

The President of Lake Scugog Lumber, Ian Griffen, explains why they filled the breach: “Taking over the sponsorship was an easy choice after the Jacksons’ run was finished. As one of the older businesses in Scugog, our community and the hockey club meant a lot to the family. So the choice was easy,”.

He added, “Local sponsorship gets our name in the community and gives us a chance to give back by bringing top-notch junior hockey to Port Perry at an affordable price. Pro sports has a definite affordability problem, so it is great for our local youth, and it is something to do on a Sunday.”

Ian, Susan and family have been huge fans of the Toronto Blue Jays and the Buffalo Bills for years, so it only stands to reason they would be right at the front of the line to sponsor one of the best known local sports teams. These are the people who are the lifeblood of the local sporting scene. They DO have an appreciation for all which goes on behind the scenes,

“I have not been directly involved with Club Management. However, I do meet with management regularly. The board and management team do a great job ensuring every detail is taken care of. Our players are definitely number one!” said Mr. Griffen.

The really cool thing was the name didn’t change drastically. They went from Mojacks to Lumberjacks overnight in a seamless transition. How slick was that? They can still be called the Jacks. Makes it easier for fans, plus they don’t have to explain just what a Lumberjack is. Too bad they still don’t have wooden hockey sticks.

Mark Jobb had the distinction of playing with the Flamingos as a 15-year-old and became the first player from the team drafted into the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) by the Oshawa Generals. After a four-year run with the Generals, Mark came back and suited up alongside his brother Darrin (Boo). What’s cool is Mark’s brother Dave (1973 and 74) and two of his sons Patrick (2005) and Nick (2011/2012) also played for the franchise. Patrick also came back after a successful National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) hockey career at Plattsburgh State and coached the Jacks from 2018-2020.

We asked Mr. Jobb what it meant to have a few generations play for the local Junior club. Interesting take: “My dream was always to play with the Oshawa Generals, and at 16 I played my first game. I had the opportunity to play against some great players like Wayne Gretzky, Rob Rammage, Mike Gartner and many others. But my fondest memories were playing Jr. C in Port Perry.”

Footnote to this. Mark also owns the distinction of being the first and possibly only player to have suited up for the team as both a Flamingo AND a Mojack, something he is proud of and rightfully so. There’s one for the record books. Speaking of record books, one more bit of trivia from Mark. Ed Olson ‘75 London Knights, Larry Elson ‘76 Ottawa 67s, Basil McCrae ‘77 London Knights, George Burnett ‘77 London Knights. All played as a 15-year-old for the Flamingos and were drafted to the OHA. Sounds like the Baby Bulls. Look it up.

Speaking of all in the family, Johnny Harman played for the Mojacks from 1987 to 1990 and holds the distinction of being their first ever Overage player after league rules had changed. His brother Ken also coached the club from 1988-93 after a playing career from 1982-86. His brother Jarrett also played from 1989-92.

John Harman still holds those years in high regard for all his family members. “My Dad was on the Board for the Mojacks for 10 years, and when he passed away in 2018, his wishes were that any donations made were to go to the Mojacks.” He continued with some special memories of suiting up for the Jacks. “I was on the team which went to the All-Ontario final in 1987, the only team to get there in the history of the organization. I remember getting to the rink an hour and a half before warm up and having to park on the road because people were in line getting into the rink. The entire town was into it back then, and the rink was full. As you walked by the line of fans, they would all be saying 'good for you' and 'go get the win, boys, this game is ours.' I was 18, so [it was a] pretty exciting time for sure. And meeting so many great guys and coaches and staff over the years has been fun times for sure.”

Fast forward to today. The current administration has the Lumberjacks on a most definite upward trajectory. They have given all facets of the operation a first class look. From the dressing room to the coach bus for road trips (beats the old yellow school bus for sure), this has become a top-shelf organization. One which players WANT to suit up for.

Brad Bricknell is leading the charge and is fairly concise when he explains just what the thinking was behind all of the upgrades. “We always look to get better with better communication on ice. Our history is very important to us, as over the past few seasons we have run alumni games and golf tournaments, and we bring alumni to drop the opening puck celebration at our home games. We are always learning from other hockey situations I’ve been a part of. I was with the Central Ontario Wolves U16 and U18 programs for 13 seasons prior to coming here and learned a lot there.”

As much as the team has changed- names, colours and of course the player personnel- one thing remains constant. A local team watched and appreciated by a hockey-mad town. 55 years is nothing to sneeze at. If you check the history books for longest-running Junior C teams in the Province, it looks like only the Woodstock Navy Vets are older, having started in 1966. Stayner Siskins were established in 1972 (same year as Port Perry) but started as a Junior D club. Grimsby Peach Kings have a long and storied history but have only been a regular Junior C club since the 90s. That’s pretty heady company. Local hockey fans should be proud of this accomplishment, all due to great sponsors, great support staff, great players over the years and most importantly, great fans that have supported the home side through the good years and the not so good years. And they have more in store.

The last word goes to Brad about what’s next for Lumberjacks.“My goal is to make this the best club in the PJHL (Provincial Junior Hockey League) with Alumni support, fan participation and pushing forward to try and bring the Schmaltz Cup to Port Perry.”

Come out and see a game and judge for yourself. You will be glad you did.

If you have any history of the Flamingos/Mojacks/Lumberjacks, please submit it to me, Shawn Lackie. It would be greatly appreciated.