Innisfil Lakers
Encyclopedia
The Innisfil Lakers were a Canadian
Junior
ice hockey
team based in Innisfil
, Ontario
, Canada
. They played in the Greater Metro Junior 'A' Hockey League.
On September 6, 2007, the Innisfil Lakers played their first ever game in franchise history against the Douro Dukes in Ennismore, Ontario. The game resulted in a 2-0 loss for the Lakers. The next night, the Lakers played the South Muskoka Shield
in Gravenhurst, Ontario
and picked up their first win 6-4.
On November 30, 2007, the Lakers played their long awaited first home game. The sixteenth game of the season, the delay was over the late finish of construction on Innisfil's new arena which is the Home of the Lakers. Their opponent was the Richmond Hill Rams, which the Lakers defeated by a score of 4-2.
On December 29, 2007, the Lakers hosted the Moscow Selects All-star team in an exhibition game. The Selects won the game by a score of 7-3. This was the first game of seven that the Moscow team played against different GMJHL clubs.
Despite getting a first round bye, the Lakers found themselves in a battle in the 2008 playoffs. In the first round, they met the 2007 semi-finalist Richmond Hill Rams. The series went the distance with the Lakers taking game seven to win the series. In the league semi-final, the Lakers met the 2nd seed Temiscaming Royals
. In a tough fought series, the Lakers came out winning 4-games-to-2. In the final, the Lakers found themselves pitted against the defending 2007 Russell Cup champion Bradford Rattlers
. The Lakers challenged the Rattlers in each game, but Bradford was not to be denied. The Rattlers won with a four-game-sweep.
On January 4, 2009, the Lakers played Kazakhstan
's Torpedo UST-Kamenogorsk Under-18 team. Innisfil, the third team in the GMHL to play Torpedo, defeated them 5-3.
On Friday Feb. 20 The Lakers defeated Bradford to clinch the franchise's 1st regular season division title and the top seed in the South division. In the South Division quarter-final, the Lakers would knock off the Ontario Lightning Rams
3-games-to-1. They elected to take a bye through to the division final. The Lakers met the Deseronto Storm in South final, only to lose 4-games-to-2.
Innisfil took a leave of absence for the 2010-11 season to restructure the organization, but ceased operations permanently during that season.
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...
Junior
Junior ice hockey
Junior hockey is a catch-all term used to describe various levels of ice hockey competition for players generally between 16 and 20 years of age...
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...
team based in Innisfil
Innisfil, Ontario
Innisfil is a town in Ontario, Canada, located on the western shore of Lake Simcoe in Simcoe County, immediately south of Barrie and 80 kilometres north of Toronto...
, 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...
. They played in the Greater Metro Junior 'A' Hockey League.
History
The Lakers are one of six expansion teams for the 2007-08 GMHL season.On September 6, 2007, the Innisfil Lakers played their first ever game in franchise history against the Douro Dukes in Ennismore, Ontario. The game resulted in a 2-0 loss for the Lakers. The next night, the Lakers played the South Muskoka Shield
South Muskoka Shield
The South Muskoka Shield are a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in Gravenhurst, Ontario. They are members of the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League.-History:...
in Gravenhurst, Ontario
Gravenhurst, Ontario
Gravenhurst is a town in the Muskoka Region of Ontario, Canada. It is located approximately south of Bracebridge, Ontario. The mayor is Paisley Donaldson...
and picked up their first win 6-4.
On November 30, 2007, the Lakers played their long awaited first home game. The sixteenth game of the season, the delay was over the late finish of construction on Innisfil's new arena which is the Home of the Lakers. Their opponent was the Richmond Hill Rams, which the Lakers defeated by a score of 4-2.
On December 29, 2007, the Lakers hosted the Moscow Selects All-star team in an exhibition game. The Selects won the game by a score of 7-3. This was the first game of seven that the Moscow team played against different GMJHL clubs.
Despite getting a first round bye, the Lakers found themselves in a battle in the 2008 playoffs. In the first round, they met the 2007 semi-finalist Richmond Hill Rams. The series went the distance with the Lakers taking game seven to win the series. In the league semi-final, the Lakers met the 2nd seed Temiscaming Royals
Temiscaming Royals
The Temiscaming Royals were a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in Témiscaming, Quebec, Canada. They were members of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League, but originated in the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League.-History:...
. In a tough fought series, the Lakers came out winning 4-games-to-2. In the final, the Lakers found themselves pitted against the defending 2007 Russell Cup champion Bradford Rattlers
Bradford Rattlers
The Bradford Rattlers are a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based out of Bradford, Ontario. They play out of the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League...
. The Lakers challenged the Rattlers in each game, but Bradford was not to be denied. The Rattlers won with a four-game-sweep.
On January 4, 2009, the Lakers played Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
's Torpedo UST-Kamenogorsk Under-18 team. Innisfil, the third team in the GMHL to play Torpedo, defeated them 5-3.
On Friday Feb. 20 The Lakers defeated Bradford to clinch the franchise's 1st regular season division title and the top seed in the South division. In the South Division quarter-final, the Lakers would knock off the Ontario Lightning Rams
Ontario Lightning Rams
The Richmond Hill Rams were a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada. They played in the Greater Metro Junior 'A' Hockey League.-Richmond Hill Rams:...
3-games-to-1. They elected to take a bye through to the division final. The Lakers met the Deseronto Storm in South final, only to lose 4-games-to-2.
Innisfil took a leave of absence for the 2010-11 season to restructure the organization, but ceased operations permanently during that season.
Season-by-Season Standings
| Season | GP | W | L | T | OTL | GF | GA | P | Results |
| 2007-08 | 42 | 29 | 10 | ||||||
| 3 | 228 | 129 | 61 | 3rd GMJHL | |||||
| 2008-09 | 43 | 36 | 6 | ||||||
| 1 | 286 | 130 | 73 | 2nd GMJHL | |||||
| 2009-10 | 42 | 26 | 14 | ||||||
| 2 | 213 | 191 | 54 | 5th GMJHL | |||||
| 3 Seasons | 127 | 91 | 30 | - | 6 | 727 | 450 | -- | 0.740 |
Playoffs
- 2008 Lost Final
- Innisfil Lakers defeated Richmond Hill Rams 4-games-to-3 in quarter-final
- Innisfil Lakers defeated Temiscaming RoyalsTemiscaming RoyalsThe Temiscaming Royals were a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in Témiscaming, Quebec, Canada. They were members of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League, but originated in the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League.-History:...
4-games-to-2 in semi-final - Bradford RattlersBradford RattlersThe Bradford Rattlers are a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based out of Bradford, Ontario. They play out of the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League...
defeated Innisfil Lakers 4-games-to-none in final- 2009 Lost Division Final
- Innisfil Lakers defeated Ontario Lightning RamsOntario Lightning RamsThe Richmond Hill Rams were a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada. They played in the Greater Metro Junior 'A' Hockey League.-Richmond Hill Rams:...
3-games-to-1 in division quarter-final - Received bye through division semi-final.
- Deseronto Storm defeated Innisfil Lakers 4-games-to-2 in division final
- 2010 Lost Quarter-final
- Deseronto Storm defeated Innisfil Lakers 3-games-to-none in quarter-final