Grand Falls Andcos
| Grand Falls Andcos | |
|---|---|
| City | Grand Falls, NL |
| League | Newfoundland Senior Hockey League |
| Founded | 1954 |
| Home arena | Grand Falls Stadium |
| Colours |
Green, white, red |
| Franchise history | |
| 1928–48 | Grand Falls |
| 1948–55 | Grand Falls All-Stars |
| 1955–65 | Grand Falls Andcos |
| 1966-91 | Grand Falls Cataracts |
| 1991–present | Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts |
Green, white, red
The Grand Falls Andcos were a senior ice hockey team based in Grand Falls, Newfoundland and Labrador in the Newfoundland Senior Hockey League that won six Herder trophies in seven years as all-Newfoundland champions. With the support of the Anglo-Newfoundland Development Company (A.N.D. Co.), who were the owners of the town's pulp and paper mill and the builders of a new state-of-the-art stadium in 1947, the team that later became known as the Andcos built a strong roster with paid players and dominated Newfoundland senior hockey during the 1950s.
The Grand Falls Athletic Association was picking players from the local senior league to form an all-star team at least as early as 1928 and occasionally played inter-town games with other hockey centres including St. John's, Corner Brook, Buchans and Bay Roberts before hockey was organized island-wide. In 1935, at the conclusion of the annual home and home inter-papertown series between Grand Falls and Corner Brook, it was agreed that Corner Brook would represent Western Newfoundland to play the eastern champion Guards from St. John's in a two-game series at the Prince's Rink to determine the first hockey champions of Newfoundland. Corner Brook were victorious and were awarded the first Herder Memorial Trophy. The Newfoundland Amateur Hockey Association was formed in December 1935 and beginning in 1936 the Western division champion would travel to the capital city in March to playing the Herder Championship series.
The town of Grand Falls was company-built and administered by the Anglo Development Company Ltd (A.N.D. Co. Ltd.) until 1961 when the town was incorporated as a municipality (The mill was acquired in 1961 by Price Brothers). The Grand Falls Athletic Association (GFAA) organized and governed hockey in the town including management of the Grand Falls All-Stars hockey club.
The A.N.D. Co. funded the construction of a new stadium for Grand Falls in 1947. It was a state-of-the-art facility when it opened in the winter of 1948. The GFAA improved its entry in the race for the Herder Trophy by first hiring Moncton native and NHL Hall of famer Gordie Drillon as playing-coach for the 1948-49 season. Drillon arrived in Grand Falls on November 20, 1948. Two days later the Grand Falls Stadium was officially opened.Joe Byrne was hired as head coach for the 1949-50 season and arrived in Grand Falls in early December 1949. He coached the all-stars for several seasons. In 1948 Grand Falls started the practice of hiring 'import' hockey playing-coaches to compete with the Buchans Miners and the strong St. John's teams. At the start of the 1952-53 season the GFAA hired three playing coaches and in the 1953 provincial senior playoffs Grand Falls won its first all-Newfoundland championship and Herder Memorial Trophy. The all-stars were renamed the Andcos in January 1956.
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