Great Lakes Junior C Hockey League
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The Great Lakes Junior C Hockey League was a Junior "C" ice hockey league in Ontario, Canada, sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Association. The champion of the Great Lakes competed for the All-Ontario Championship and the Clarence Schmalz Cup. It is now a division in the Provincial Junior Hockey League.
The league got its start as the Border Cities Junior Hockey League in 1968. It became a Junior B and C league under the Great Lakes name in 1970 before strictly Junior C in 1974.
History
Development
Out of the ashes of the old Bluewater Hockey League, a local league that sometimes operated at Junior D and Juvenile levels, came the Border Cities Junior Hockey League in 1968. In 1968-69, the league operated on both sides of the
In 1969-70, the league operated as two different, but interlocked, identities - the Border Cities League and the Michigan Junior Hockey League. The Canadian teams stayed with the BCJHL and added a fifth member - the Tilbury Bluebirds. Petrolia was named Junior B champions at the end of the year, uncontested, and went on to the Sutherland Cup playdowns, while Leamington beat Dresden for the Junior C championship, and Blenheim beat Tilbury for a Junior D title.
During the summer, the league opted to separate from its Michigan brethren, who went on to form their own league. The league received an offer from a new team, the Windsor Royals. In the Fall of 1970, the league renamed itself the Great Lakes Junior Hockey League.
Great Lakes
The 1970-71 season, the first as the Great Lakes Junior Hockey League, saw the league operating with six teams. Four of the teams in the league had opted for a Junior B designation for the playoffs: Blenheim, Petrolia, Tilbury and Windsor; Dresden and Leamington remained Junior C. Petrolia would take the league Junior B crown with a dominant series victory over the upstart Royals, while the Dresden Jr. Kings went the distance and shocked the Leamington Flyers (who had finished the season with ten more wins). Dresden would go on to defeat the Central Ontario Junior C Hockey League's Champion, Bowmanville Red Eagles to win the league's first ever Provincial Championship.
In the Summer of 1971, the league expanded again with the Mooretown Flags jumping in at the Junior C level. Petrolia would defeat Windsor again at Jr. B, while Leamington gained revenge over Dresden in the Jr. C final. Leamington would manage to duplicate the deeds of the Kings in 1971, winning the 1972 OHA Junior C Championship over the Central Ontario League's Cobourg Cougars.
Before the 1972-73 season, the
The Summer of 1973 brought more expansion. The Royals, disgruntled former affiliates of the Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League's Windsor Spitfires were having a battle over which team deserved ascension to Major Junior A level. The Spitfires opted to not renew their agreement with the Royals and financially supported the new Belle River Bulldogs. They were joined by the soon-to-be powerhouse Essex 73's and Michigan Yankees of Utica, Michigan. Sandwich West did not return for a second season. Windsor walked through Tilbury and Belle River with no problem to win their second straight Jr. B title. Essex would shock everyone in the league and finish with the best record, but fell in the Jr. C finals to the Leamington Flyers.
In the Summer of 1974, the Royals were relocated to the
Junior C exclusive
After eliminating the Junior B level, the Great Lakes Junior C Hockey League had dropped down to eight teams for 1974-75: Belle River, Blenheim, Dresden, Essex, Leamington, Mooretown, Tilbury, and Wallaceburg. Essex, in only their second year, would win not only the regular season title (33-8-1), the playoff championship by defeating Leamington in four-straight-games, but would march their way to their first (and the GLJCHL's third) OHA Junior C Championship by defeating the Central Ontario League's Lindsay Muskies 4-games-to-3.
In 1975, Belle River Bulldogs left the league after only two seasons. Essex would win the 1975-76 regular season title, their third straight, by beating Dresden in seven games, but would fall to the
1994 Tilbury Hawks scandal
In 1994, members of the
Teams
Team | Centre | Founded | Arena |
---|---|---|---|
Alvinston Flyers |
Alvinston |
1988 | Brooke, Alvinston, Inwood Community Centre |
Amherstburg Admirals | Amherstburg |
1987 | United Communities Credit Union Complex |
Blenheim Blades | Blenheim | 1965 | Blenheim Community & Recreation Centre |
Dresden Jr. Kings | Dresden | 1959 | Lambton-Kent Memorial Arena |
Essex 73's | Essex | 1973 | Essex Centre Sports Complex |
Lakeshore Canadiens | Belle River | 1978 | Lakeshore MURF Sports Complex |
Mooretown Flags | Mooretown | 1971 | Mooretown Sports Complex |
Wallaceburg Lakers |
Wallaceburg |
1972 | Wallaceburg Memorial Arena |
Wheatley Sharks | Wheatley | 1995 | Wheatley Area Arena |
2015-16 Playoffs
Winner moves on to the Clarence Schmalz Cup.
Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Finals | ||||||||||||
1 | Essex | 4 | ||||||||||||
8 | Alvinston | 0 | ||||||||||||
1 | Essex | 4 | ||||||||||||
4 | Mooretown | 0 | ||||||||||||
4 | Mooretown | 4 | ||||||||||||
5 | Lakeshore | 3 | ||||||||||||
1 | Essex | 4 | ||||||||||||
3 | Amherstburg | 3 | ||||||||||||
2 | Blenheim | 4 | ||||||||||||
7 | Dresden | 2 | ||||||||||||
2 | Blenheim | 2 | ||||||||||||
3 | Amherstburg | 4 | ||||||||||||
3 | Amherstburg | 4 | ||||||||||||
6 | Wheatley | 0 |
Playoff champions
Year | Champion | Finalist | Result in Provincials |
---|---|---|---|
Bluewater League | |||
1968 | Jr. C - Dresden Jr. Kings | Petrolia Jets | Lost QF to Georgetown (Sub) |
-- | Jr. D - Exeter Hawks | Alvinston Flyers |
Lost SF to Mitchell (S) |
Border Cities League | |||
1969 | Jr. B - Blenheim Blades | Petrolia Jets | Lost QF to Hamilton (ND) |
-- | Jr. C - Dresden Jr. Kings | Leamington Flyers | Lost QF to Woodstock (Int) |
1970 | Jr. B - Petrolia Jets | Uncontested | Lost QF to Hamilton (ND) |
-- | Jr. C - Leamington Flyers | Dresden Jr. Kings | Lost SF to Hespeler (CW)
|
-- | Jr. D - Blenheim Blades | Tilbury Bluebirds | Lost QF to Exeter (W) |
Great Lakes League | |||
1971 | Jr. B - Petrolia Jets | Windsor Royals | Lost SF to Hamilton (ND) |
-- | Jr. C - Dresden Jr. Kings | Leamington Flyers | WON CSC vs. Bowmanville (CL) |
1972 | Jr. B - Petrolia Jets | Windsor Royals | Lost QF vs. St. Marys (WO) |
-- | Jr. C - Leamington Flyers | Dresden Jr. Kings | WON CSC vs. Cobourg (CL) |
1973 | Jr. B - Windsor Royals | Blenheim Blades | Lost QF to Sarnia (WO)
|
-- | Jr. C - Leamington Flyers | Wallaceburg Lakers |
Lost SF to Caledonia (CW) |
1974 | Jr. B - Windsor Royals | Belle River Bulldogs | Lost QF to Sarnia (WO)
|
-- | Jr. C - Leamington Flyers | Essex 73's | Lost SF to Simcoe (CW)
|
Great Lakes Jr. C League | |||
1975 | Essex 73's | Leamington Flyers | WON CSC vs. Lindsay (CL) |
1976 | Essex 73's | Dresden Jr. Kings | Lost Final to Dunnville (ND)
|
1977 | Essex 73's | Dresden Jr. Kings | WON CSC vs. Bowmanville (CL) |
1978 | Essex 73's | Dresden Jr. Kings | WON CSC vs. Bowmanville (CL) |
1979 | Leamington Flyers | Blenheim Blades | Lost SF to Kincardine (CW) |
1980 | Leamington Flyers | Essex 73's | WON CSC vs. Bradford (MO) |
1981 | Essex 73's | Leamington Flyers | Lost Final to Bowmanville (C) |
1982 | Leamington Flyers | Essex 73's | Lost Cons. to Penetang (GB) |
1983 | Leamington Flyers | Wallaceburg Lakers |
Lost SF to Dunnville (ND)
|
1984 | Dresden Jr. Kings | Belle River Canadiens |
Lost SF to Woodstock (ND) |
1985 | Belle River Canadiens |
Essex 73's | WON CSC vs. Midland (MO) |
1986 | Essex 73's | Mooretown Flags | Lost SF to Norwich (ND) |
1987 | Essex 73's | Dresden Jr. Kings | Lost QF to Hanover (GB) |
1988 | Mooretown Flags | Leamington Flyers | WON CSC vs. Port Perry (C)
|
1989 | Belle River Canadiens |
Clearwater Steeplejacks | Lost SF to Hanover (WO) |
1990 | Belle River Canadiens |
Walpole Island Hawks | Lost Final to Orangeville (MO) |
1991 | Belle River Canadiens |
Walpole Island Hawks | Lost SF to Hanover (WO) |
1992 | Belle River Canadiens |
Walpole Island Hawks | WON CSC vs. Stayner (GB) |
1993 | Tilbury Hawks | Mooretown Flags | Lost QF to Hanover (WO) |
1994 | Belle River Canadiens |
Clearwater Steeplejacks | WON CSC vs. Rockton (ND) |
1995 | Belle River Canadiens |
Blenheim Blades | WON CSC vs. Bowmanville (C) |
1996 | Belle River Canadiens |
Walpole Island Hawks | Lost SF to Paris (ND)
|
1997 | Belle River Canadiens |
Mooretown Flags | Lost Final to Glanbrook (ND) |
1998 | Essex 73's | Wallaceburg Lakers |
Lost SF to Kincardine (WO) |
1999 | Wallaceburg Lakers |
Belle River Canadiens |
Lost Final to Glanbrook (ND) |
2000 | Belle River Canadiens |
Wallaceburg Lakers |
Lost Final to Lakefield (C) |
2001 | Belle River Canadiens |
Wallaceburg Lakers |
Lost Final to Chippawa (ND)
|
2002 | Essex 73's | Wheatley-Southpoint Sharks |
WON CSC vs. Uxbridge (C) |
2003 | Essex 73's | Wheatley-Southpoint Sharks |
Lost SF to Grimsby (ND) |
2004 | Dresden Jr. Kings | Essex 73's | Lost SF to Wingham (WO) |
2005 | Essex 73's | Dresden Jr. Kings | WON CSC vs. Grimsby (ND) |
2006 | Essex 73's | Wheatley-Southpoint Sharks |
Lost Final to Penetang (GMO) |
2007 | Essex 73's | Belle River Canadiens |
Lost Final to Penetang (GMO) |
2008 | Essex 73's | Wallaceburg Lakers |
Lost Final to Alliston (GMO) |
2009 | Essex 73's | Dresden Jr. Kings | WON CSC vs. Alliston (GMO) |
2010 | Belle River Canadiens |
Wallaceburg Lakers |
Lost Final to Alliston (GMO) |
2011 | Belle River Canadiens |
Wheatley Sharks | Lost SF to Grimsby (ND) |
2012 | Essex 73's | Belle River Canadiens |
Lost SF to Grimsby (ND) |
2013 | Essex 73's | Wheatley Sharks | Lost Final to Picton (EB) |
2014 | Essex 73's | Belle River Canadiens |
Lost Final to Lakefield (C) |
2015 | Essex 73's | Amherstburg Admirals | WON CSC vs. Port Hope (EB) |
2016 | Essex 73's | Amherstburg Admirals | Lost SF to Ayr (MW) |
Regular season champions
Season | Champion | Record | Points |
---|---|---|---|
Bluewater League | |||
1967-68 | Dresden Jr. Kings | 14-6-3-0 | 31 |
Border Cities League | |||
1968-69 | St. Clair Shores | 22-6-4-0 | 48 |
1969-70 | Petrolia Jets | 28-8-0-0 | 56 |
Great Lakes League | |||
1970-71 | Petrolia Jets | 31-8-1-0 | 63 |
1971-72 | Petrolia Jets | 32-3-1-0 | 65 |
1972-73 | Leamington Flyers* | 34-6-2-0 | 70 |
1973-74 | Essex 73's | 34-6-4-0 | 72 |
Great Lakes Jr. C League | |||
1974-75 | Essex 73's | 33-8-1-0 | 67 |
1975-76 | Essex 73's | 30-9-3-0 | 63 |
1976-77 | Essex 73's | 27-11-4-0 | 58 |
1977-78 | Essex 73's | 39-2-1-0 | 79 |
1978-79 | Blenheim Blades | 26-11-3-0 | 55 |
1979-80 | Leamington Flyers | 36-4-2-0 | 74 |
1980-81 | Essex 73's | 32-7-3-0 | 67 |
1981-82 | Mooretown Flags | 27-8-3-0 | 57 |
1982-83 | Leamington Flyers | 29-8-2-0 | 62 |
1983-84 | Dresden Jr. Kings | 28-6-6-0 | 62 |
1984-85 | Belle River Canadiens |
27-9-4-0 | 58 |
1985-86 | Essex 73's | 25-9-6-0 | 56 |
1986-87 | Petrolia Jets | 30-6-1-2 | 63 |
1987-88 | Leamington Flyers | 26-10-3-0 | 55 |
1988-89 | Belle River Canadiens |
30-6-2-0 | 62 |
1989-90 | Belle River Canadiens |
37-1-2-0 | 76 |
1990-91 | Belle River Canadiens |
29-6-3-1 | 62 |
1991-92 | Belle River Canadiens |
35-4-1-0 | 71 |
1992-93 | Tilbury Hawks | 29-8-2-1 | 61 |
1993-94 | Belle River Canadiens |
35-2-3-0 | 73 |
1994-95 | Belle River Canadiens |
38-0-1-1 | 78 |
1995-96 | Belle River Canadiens |
38-2-2-0 | 78 |
1996-97 | Belle River Canadiens |
39-0-1-0 | 79 |
1997-98 | Belle River Canadiens |
34-8-3-0 | 71 |
1998-99 | Belle River Canadiens |
32-6-1-1 | 66 |
1999-00 | Belle River Canadiens |
33-3-3-0 | 69 |
2000-01 | Belle River Canadiens |
32-3-2-3 | 69 |
2001-02 | Essex 73's | 30-8-0-2 | 62 |
2002-03 | Essex 73's | 33-4-3-0 | 69 |
2003-04 | Essex 73's | 33-3-4-0 | 70 |
2004-05 | Essex 73's | 32-5-1-2 | 67 |
2005-06 | Wheatley-Southpoint Sharks |
29-8-1-2 | 61 |
2006-07 | Essex 73's | 32-4-2-2 | 68 |
2007-08 | Essex 73's | 33-3-2-2 | 70 |
2008-09 | Essex 73's | 39-0-0-1 | 79 |
2009-10 | Belle River Canadiens |
31-7-0-2 | 64 |
2010-11 | Wallaceburg Lakers |
30-8-0-2 | 62 |
2011-12 | Essex 73's | 33-6-0-1 | 67 |
2012-13 | Essex 73's | 32-6-0-2 | 66 |
2013-14 | Essex 73's | 34-3-0-3 | 71 |
2014-15 | Essex 73's | 33-5-0-2 | 68 |
2015-16 | Essex 73's | 34-3-1-2 | 71 |
(*) Leamington awarded 1972-73 regular season title over Windsor Royals due to winning head-to-head record.
Former member teams
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a3/Dresden_defenceman_2013.jpg/225px-Dresden_defenceman_2013.jpg)
- Amherstburg Vikings
- Clearwater Steeplejacks
- Leamington Flyers
- Michigan Yankees
- Petrolia Jets
- Sandwich West Thunderbirds
- Tilbury Bluebirds
- Tilbury Hawks/Walpole Island Hawks
- Windsor Royals
Professional alumni
- Chris Allen (Blenheim 1992-93)
- Darren Banks (Leamington 1983-84)
- Bob Boughner (Belle River 1986-87)
- Ted Bulley (Windsor 1971-72)
- Bruce Crowder (Essex 1974-75)
- Keith Crowder (Essex 1975-76)
- Brian Dobbin (Mooretown 1980-82)
- Tie Domi (Belle River 1984-85)
- Dave Gagnon (Essex 1984-85; 1985–86)
- Rick Heinz (Windsor 1972-73)
- Dave Kelly (Dresden 1969-70)
- Kris Manery (Leamington 1972-73)
- Matt Martin (Blenheim 2005-06)
- Mike Natyshak (Belle River 1979-82)
- Rumun Ndur (Clearwater 1991-92)
- Warren Rychel (Essex 1983-84)
- D. J. Smith (Belle River, Chippawa 1992-93)
- Alek Stojanov (Belle River, Amherstburg 1988-89)
- John Van Boxmeer (Petrolia 1970-71)
- Todd Warriner (Blenheim 1988-89)
- Derek Wilkinson (Belle River 1989-90)
- Brian Wiseman (Dresden 1986-87)
References
- ^ "ESPN.com - OTL: Like fighting, part of game".
- ^ "ESPN.com - OTL: Like fighting, part of game".
- ^ Laura Robinson (2002-11-09). "Crossing the Line: Violence and Sexual Assualt [sic] in Canada's National Sport".
- ^ "ESPN.com - OTL: Like fighting, part of game".
- ^ [1][usurped]
- ^ "Crossing the Line: Violence and Sexual Assualt in Canada's National Sport".