Richibucto Bears
Encyclopedia
Richibucto Bears were a Canadian
Junior ice hockey
team from Richibucto, New Brunswick
. The Bears played in the New Brunswick Junior B Hockey League
and New Brunswick Junior C Hockey League and were the 1999 Don Johnson Cup
Maritime Junior B Champions.
. In 2003, the league folded and Richibucto was forced to play down in the New Brunswick Junior C Hockey League until the team folded in 2008.
The Bears were 1997, 1998, and 1999 New Brunswick Junior B Champions. The 1997 Don Johnson Cup
Maritime Junior C Championship saw the Bears finish the round robin with a 1-2-0 record. With a win over either of Nova Scotia
's Cape Breton Alpines or Windsor Royals
the Bears would have played for the Cup in the Final, but after losing to each team by two goals they and the Island Junior Hockey League
's Sherwood-Parkdale Kings were out in the cold. In 1998, the Bears made it all the way to the Don Johnson Cup
final against the Windsor Royals
of the Nova Scotia Junior Hockey League
but lost 4-2. In 1999, at the Don Johnson Cup
, they were able to win the final 10-2 against the Bell Island Jr. Blues of the St. John's Junior Hockey League and clinch their only Maritime Junior B Championship. The Bears were the first and still one of only two teams from New Brunswick
to have ever won the Don Johnson Cup (the other being the now Junior A Woodstock Slammers
).
Junior B hockey in New Brunswick collapsed in 2003. The Bears survived as members of the New Brunswick Junior C Hockey League for five seasons before folding in 2008.
In 2010, the Bears attempted to return to the NBJCHL but were too late to form an entry. They kept practicing together and mid-season a team folded from the league and the Bears got their chance. Despite only playing 5 regular season games, the Bears ended up winning the league playoffs and a berth into the 2011 Maritime-Hockey North Junior C Championships
. At the tournament in Church Point, Nova Scotia
, the Bears started out with a 5-1 win over the Charlottetown Abbies of the Prince Edward Island Junior C Hockey League. They then beat the Kivalliq Canucks of Hockey North
6-3. They dropped their third game 9-3 to the host Clare Lions and their fourth 8-2 to the Eastern Shore Jr. Mariners of the Nova Scotia Junior C Hockey League
. After a tournament record of 2-2-0, the Bears earned a berth into the semi-finals where they were dropped again by Eastern Shore 9-5.
In the summer of 2011, junior hockey in New Brunswick all but collapsed and the Bears again were a victim of it.
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 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 from Richibucto, New Brunswick
Richibucto, New Brunswick
Richibucto is a Canadian town in Kent County, New Brunswick.The town is situated on the Richibucto River where it discharges into the Northumberland Strait. The town takes its name from a Mi'kmaq term meaning "river of fire"....
. The Bears played in the New Brunswick Junior B Hockey League
New Brunswick Junior B Hockey League
The New Brunswick Junior B Hockey League is a Canadian Junior ice hockey league in the Province of New Brunswick. The NBJBHL is a member of Hockey New Brunswick and competes for the Don Johnson Cup at the interprovincial level. The league was founded in 2009.-History:In 2003, the original New...
and New Brunswick Junior C Hockey League and were the 1999 Don Johnson Cup
Don Johnson Cup
The Don Johnson Cup is the Junior "B" ice hockey championship for the Atlantic Provinces of Canada -- Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island....
Maritime Junior B Champions.
History
Founded in the 1990s, the Bears were a member of the old New Brunswick Junior B Hockey LeagueNew Brunswick Junior B Hockey League
The New Brunswick Junior B Hockey League is a Canadian Junior ice hockey league in the Province of New Brunswick. The NBJBHL is a member of Hockey New Brunswick and competes for the Don Johnson Cup at the interprovincial level. The league was founded in 2009.-History:In 2003, the original New...
. In 2003, the league folded and Richibucto was forced to play down in the New Brunswick Junior C Hockey League until the team folded in 2008.
The Bears were 1997, 1998, and 1999 New Brunswick Junior B Champions. The 1997 Don Johnson Cup
Don Johnson Cup
The Don Johnson Cup is the Junior "B" ice hockey championship for the Atlantic Provinces of Canada -- Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island....
Maritime Junior C Championship saw the Bears finish the round robin with a 1-2-0 record. With a win over either of Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
's Cape Breton Alpines or Windsor Royals
Windsor Royals (ice hockey)
The Windsor Royals are a Canadian Junior ice hockey club from Windsor, Nova Scotia. They are members of the Nova Scotia Junior Hockey League and are 1998, 2001, and 2008 Don Johnson Cup Maritime Junior B champions.-History:...
the Bears would have played for the Cup in the Final, but after losing to each team by two goals they and the Island Junior Hockey League
Island Junior Hockey League
The Island Junior Hockey League is a Junior "B" ice hockey league in Prince Edward Island, Canada, sanctioned by Hockey Canada.-History:Since being founded in 1996, the IJHL has been strictly a Junior "B" League—one tier below the Maritime Junior A Hockey League and two tiers below the Quebec Major...
's Sherwood-Parkdale Kings were out in the cold. In 1998, the Bears made it all the way to the Don Johnson Cup
Don Johnson Cup
The Don Johnson Cup is the Junior "B" ice hockey championship for the Atlantic Provinces of Canada -- Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island....
final against the Windsor Royals
Windsor Royals (ice hockey)
The Windsor Royals are a Canadian Junior ice hockey club from Windsor, Nova Scotia. They are members of the Nova Scotia Junior Hockey League and are 1998, 2001, and 2008 Don Johnson Cup Maritime Junior B champions.-History:...
of the Nova Scotia Junior Hockey League
Nova Scotia Junior Hockey League
The Nova Scotia Junior Hockey League is a Junior "B" ice hockey league in Nova Scotia, Canada, sanctioned by Hockey Canada. The winner of the Nova Scotia playoffs competes for the Don Johnson Cup, the Atlantic Junior "B" Crown.-History:The Mainland Junior B Hockey League was formed in 1980 by Al...
but lost 4-2. In 1999, at the Don Johnson Cup
Don Johnson Cup
The Don Johnson Cup is the Junior "B" ice hockey championship for the Atlantic Provinces of Canada -- Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island....
, they were able to win the final 10-2 against the Bell Island Jr. Blues of the St. John's Junior Hockey League and clinch their only Maritime Junior B Championship. The Bears were the first and still one of only two teams from New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
to have ever won the Don Johnson Cup (the other being the now Junior A Woodstock Slammers
Woodstock Slammers
The Woodstock Slammers are a Junior "A" team based out of Woodstock, New Brunswick. They play out of the Maritime Junior A Hockey League. The team plays their home games at the Carleton Civic Centre.-History:...
).
Junior B hockey in New Brunswick collapsed in 2003. The Bears survived as members of the New Brunswick Junior C Hockey League for five seasons before folding in 2008.
In 2010, the Bears attempted to return to the NBJCHL but were too late to form an entry. They kept practicing together and mid-season a team folded from the league and the Bears got their chance. Despite only playing 5 regular season games, the Bears ended up winning the league playoffs and a berth into the 2011 Maritime-Hockey North Junior C Championships
Maritime-Hockey North Junior C Championships
The Maritime-Hockey North Junior C Championships are the Junior "C" ice hockey championships for the Martime Junior "C" leagues and Hockey North's Team Nunavut of the Territory of Nunavut.-History:...
. At the tournament in Church Point, Nova Scotia
Church Point, Nova Scotia
Pointe-de-l'Église , is a village located on Saint Mary's Bay in the District of Clare, Digby County, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is home to Université Sainte-Anne and is known primarily for the tallest wooden church in North America, Église Sainte-Marie, which is located just north of the...
, the Bears started out with a 5-1 win over the Charlottetown Abbies of the Prince Edward Island Junior C Hockey League. They then beat the Kivalliq Canucks of Hockey North
Hockey North
Hockey North is the governing body of all ice hockey in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, Canada.-History:Hockey North is a branch of Hockey Canada. The organization is divided into two regional bodies: the Northwest Territories Hockey Association and the Nunavut Hockey Association...
6-3. They dropped their third game 9-3 to the host Clare Lions and their fourth 8-2 to the Eastern Shore Jr. Mariners of the Nova Scotia Junior C Hockey League
Nova Scotia Junior C Hockey League
The Nova Scotia Junior C Hockey League is a Junior "C" ice hockey league in Nova Scotia, Canada, sanctioned by Hockey Canada. The winner of the playoffs competes in the Maritime-Hockey North Junior C Championships. The league plays 2, 15 minutes periods, and then the traditional 20 minutes in the...
. After a tournament record of 2-2-0, the Bears earned a berth into the semi-finals where they were dropped again by Eastern Shore 9-5.
In the summer of 2011, junior hockey in New Brunswick all but collapsed and the Bears again were a victim of it.
Season-by-season record
| Season | GP | W | L | T | OTL | GF | GA | P | Results | Playoffs | |
| 2006-07 | 20 | 11 | 6 | 3 | |||||||
| 106 | 83 | 25 | 4th NBJCHL | ||||||||
| 2007-08 | 19 | 15 | 4 | 0 | |||||||
| 124 | 63 | 30 | 2nd NBJCHL | ||||||||
| 2008-10 | Did Not Participate | ||||||||||
| 2010-11 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | |||||||
| 19 | 29 | 3 | 4th NBJCHL | Won League | |||||||