Empire Junior C Hockey League
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The Empire B Junior C Hockey League is a Junior "C" ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
league in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Association
Ontario Hockey Association
The Ontario Hockey Association is the governing body for the majority of Junior and Senior level ice hockey teams in the Province of Ontario. The OHA is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation along with the Northern Ontario Hockey Association. Other Ontario sanctioning bodies along with the...
.
- Eastern Ontario Junior "C" Hockey League 1989 - 1996
- Empire B Junior "C" Hockey League 1996 to Present
History
Formed in 1989 as the Eastern Ontario Junior C Hockey League, the league had to change its name in 1995 to avoid ongoing confusion with the neighbouring Ottawa District Hockey AssociationOttawa District Hockey Association
The Ottawa District Hockey Association is the governing body of a variety of ice hockey Junior leagues and a minor hockey system based out of the Greater Ottawa area and Southwestern Quebec...
's long running Eastern Ontario Junior C Hockey League
Eastern Ontario Junior C Hockey League
The National Capital Junior Hockey League is a Junior ice hockey league in Ontario, Canada, sanctioned by the Ottawa District Hockey Association and Hockey Canada. The league is meant to be an interprovincial league between Ontario and Quebec....
. The forerunner of the EBJCHL was the Quinte-St. Lawrence Junior C Hockey League, which merged into the Central Junior C Hockey League
Central Junior C Hockey League
The Central Ontario Junior C Hockey League is a Junior "C" ice hockey league in Ontario, Canada, sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Association. The "Central" plays inter-league games with the Empire Junior "C" League...
in 1986.
The league features six franchises, which are located through Central-eastern Ontario in Amherstview, Campbellford, , Frontenac (near Godfrey), Napanee, Port Hope, and Picton. The Port Hope Panthers is the new name of the transferred Colborne Cobras franchise.
The Gananoque Islanders
Gananoque Islanders
The Gananoque Islanders are a Canadian Junior "B" ice hockey team based out of Gananoque, Ontario. They play out of the Eastern Ontario Junior Hockey League.-History:...
of the Eastern Ontario Junior B Hockey League
Eastern Ontario Junior B Hockey League
The Eastern Ontario Junior Hockey League is a Canadian Junior ice hockey league operating in Eastern Ontario. The league is sanctioned by the Ottawa District Hockey Association and Hockey Canada. The 22 member team of the league compete for the D. Arnold Carson Memorial Trophy.-History:The EOJHL...
are a potential future 7th team of the league. Gananoque
Gananoque, Ontario
Gananoque is a town in Leeds and Grenville County, Ontario, Canada. The town had a population of 5,287 year-round residents in the Canada 2006 Census, as well as summer residents sometimes referred to as "Islanders" because of the Thousand Islands in the St. Lawrence River, Gananoque's most...
neighbours the city of Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
, but has special permission to compete within the neighbouring Ottawa district, the Ottawa District Hockey Association
Ottawa District Hockey Association
The Ottawa District Hockey Association is the governing body of a variety of ice hockey Junior leagues and a minor hockey system based out of the Greater Ottawa area and Southwestern Quebec...
.
The teams play a 40-game regular season, with four home and away dates against each of the other Empire B teams, and the top four teams make the playoffs — two rounds of best-of-seven play. The Empire playoff champions will advance to the OHA quarterfinals against the Central champions and compete for an All-Ontario Championship and the Clarence Schmalz Cup
Clarence Schmalz Cup
The Clarence Schmalz Cup is the Ontario Hockey Association's Junior "C" ice hockey championship and championship trophy. The tournament to determine the winner of the Cup is commonly called the All-Ontario Championships...
. In its 20-year history, only one Empire B team, the 1993 Napanee Raiders, has won the Schmalz Cup. The Raiders also advanced to the finals in 1996 and recently returned to the semifinals in 2008.
The Empire league has had a number of winners of the OHA Junior C player of the year award. Most recently, Napanee's Pete Sergeant took the honours in 2008-2009. Among the previous winners are Jason Sutton (Napanee), Adam Walsh (Picton), Joe Curry (Campbellford), and Ryan Zufelt (Amherstview). It is a remarkable accomplishment.
Though just entering its 21st season, the league has had a few graduates make it to the NHL. In 2006, Carolina's Justin Williams became the league's first graduate to hoist the Stanley Cup. He played with the former Colborne/Brighton franchise. Former Amherstview Jets defencemen Jay McKee (Pittsburgh), Bryan Allen (Florida), and Kip Brennan (New York Islanders) have also skated in the pro league.
The teams
| Team | Centre | Founded |
| Amherstview Jets Amherstview Jets The Amherstview Jets are a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in Amherstview, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Empire B Junior C Hockey League of the Ontario Hockey Association.-History:... |
Amherstview Amherstview, Ontario Amherstview is a community in Loyalist Township, Ontario.It is located on the north shore of Lake Ontario and has a population of approximately 10,000. It is adjacent to the city of Kingston, and considered part of the greater Kingston area. Amherstview is named for Amherst Island, located directly... |
1989 |
| Campbellford Rebels Campbellford Rebels The Campbellford Rebels are a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in Campbellford, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Empire B Junior C Hockey League of the Ontario Hockey Association.-History:... |
Campbellford Campbellford, Ontario Campbellford is a small town in Northumberland County, Ontario, Canada, in the municipality of Trent Hills.Located at , Campbellford lies approximately midway between Toronto and Ottawa. It is situated on both the Trent-Severn Waterway and the Trans Canada Trail. It can be reached from Highway... |
1992 |
| Napanee Raiders Napanee Raiders The Napanee Raiders are a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in Napanee, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Empire B Junior C Hockey League of the Ontario Hockey Association.-History:... |
Napanee | 1989 |
| Picton Pirates Picton Pirates The Picton Pirates are a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in Picton, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Empire B Junior C Hockey League of the Ontario Hockey Association.-History:... |
Picton Picton, Ontario Picton is an unincorporated community located in Prince Edward County in southern Central Ontario, Canada. It is the county seat and largest community. Picton is located at the south-western end of Picton Bay, a branch of the Bay of Quinte, which is along the northern shoreline of Lake Ontario... |
1989 |
| Port Hope Panthers | Port Hope Port Hope, Ontario Port Hope is a municipality in Southern Ontario, Canada, about east of Toronto and about west of Kingston. It is located at the mouth of the Ganaraska River on the north shore of Lake Ontario, in the west end of Northumberland County... |
2004 |
2010-2011 League Playoffs
For the Ontario Hockey Association "All-Ontario Jr. "C" Championship", please go to the Clarence Schmalz CupClarence Schmalz Cup
The Clarence Schmalz Cup is the Ontario Hockey Association's Junior "C" ice hockey championship and championship trophy. The tournament to determine the winner of the Cup is commonly called the All-Ontario Championships...
.
The Pirates advance to play the Winner of the Central Junior C Champions in the OHA Schmalz Cup quarterfinals.
Tod Trophy Playoff Champions
- 2011 Picton Pirates
- 2010 Napanee Raiders
- 2009 Amherstview Jets
- 2008 Napanee Raiders
- 2007 Amherstview Jets
- 2006 Napanee Raiders
- 2005 Amherstview Jets
- 2004 Campbellford Rebels
- 2003 Campbellford Rebels
- 2002 Frontenac Flyers
- 2001 Napanee Raiders
- 2000 Campbellford Rebels
- 1999 Picton Pirates
- 1998 Campbellford Rebels
- 1997 Campbellford Rebels
Eastern Ontario Champions
- 1996 Napanee Raiders
- 1995 Napanee Raiders
- 1994 Napanee Raiders
- 1993 Napanee Raiders
- 1992 Ernestown Jets
- 1991 Frontenac Flyers
- 1990 Napanee Raiders
Former Member Teams
- Brighton Buzz
- Frontenac FlyersFrontenac FlyersThe Frontenac Flyers are a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in Verona, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Empire B Junior C Hockey League of the Ontario Hockey Association.-History:...
- Madoc Wildcats
- Trenton Golden Hawks