The original Hornets team was founded in 1960 as the Galt Terriers, playing in the OHA Senior A hockey league. The Terriers won the J. Ross Robertson Cup as league champions in the 1960–61 season.[1] The Terriers won the 1961 Allan Cup championship, concluding their first season. As the reigning Allan Cup champions, the Terriers represented Canada at the 1962 Ice Hockey World Championships finishing 2nd place, winning the silver medal. Notable players from that era include, Dave Dryden, Tod Sloan, Darryl Sly and Bill Wylie.[2] The "Terriers" named itself had been used by teams in Galt dating back to the 1920s and 1930s, before World War II. Notable players included Larry Aurie, Clarence Boucher,[3] John Brackenborough, Art Gauthier, Norman Himes, Carl Liscombe, Cliff McBride, Mickey Murray and Jean Pusie.
Following the 1961–62 season, the Galt Terriers were renamed the Galt Hornets. Gord Renwick served as president of the Hornets from 1966 to 1973.[4][5][6] He was encouraged to revive the team's ownership group by close friend, and the team's previous coach Bill Wylie.[7] In 1966, Renwick named Earl Balfour as the team's new playing coach, and signed Gary Collins.[8]
Two seasons later, the 1968–69 Hornets team won 52 of 67 games played. They won a second J. Ross Robertson Cup in a four-game sweep of the Barrie Flyers.[1][9] In the national playoffs, Galt defeated the Gander Flyers in five games, then the Victoriaville Tigers in six games to reach the final. Galt captured the 1969 Allan Cup winning in four consecutive games over the Calgary Stampeders.[9][10][11]
Renwick and the team executive used a share-the-wealth philosophy, where the players saw proportion of the team's profits. Galt won another Ontario championship in the 1970–71 season, with the goaltending tandem of Harold Hurley and Ken Broderick. In the playoffs, Galt defeated the Barrie Flyers, Orillia Terriers, Sault Ste. Marie, Thunder Bay Twins, and the Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts to reach the finals. Galt captured the 1971 Allan Cup winning in four consecutive games over the same Calgary team from 1969, and played to sellout crowds at the Galt Arena Gardens. The Hornets represented Canada at the 1971 Ahearne Cup in Stockholm, finishing in third place behind teams from Russia and Sweden.[12]
The team later changed its name to the Cambridge Hornets, when Galt was amalgamated into Cambridge.
NHL alumni
List of Galt Hornets alumni who also played in the NHL
Earl Balfour, Ken Broderick, Gary Collins, Mike Corbett, Dave Cressman, Norm Defelice, Dave Dryden, Cec Hoekstra, Tom McCarthy, Vic Teal
