Summerside Western Capitals
Encyclopedia
The Summerside Western Capitals are a Junior "A" hockey team based out of Summerside, Prince Edward Island
. They play out of the Maritime Junior A Hockey League
. The team currently plays their home games at the Consolidated Credit Union Place
, but played at the Cahill Stadium
for every other season.
. Thus, the reference to 'western' in the original team name, The Capitals joined the MJAHL in 1991. They hosted the Centennial Cup 1989
on behalf of the IJHL. This team was coached by former NHL coach, General Manager, & former Team President of the Columbus Blue Jackets
, Doug MacLean
, a Summerside native.
The 1996-97 Summerside 'Hemphill Pontiac' Western Capitals created a come from behind story book during the year. They were coached by former Detroit Red Wings player, Gerard Gallant, and they dominated the MJAHL Roger Meek Division during the regular season. In the first round of the playoffs they routed the Restigouche River Rats in five games. They beat out the Charlottetown Abbies in the second round before going on to win the Callaghan Cup by clinching a seven game league final in Dartmouth. Following the tough playoffs came a long bus trip to Brockville, Ont for the 1997 Fred Page Cup
. The winner of that tournament would advance to the Royal Bank Cup, which the Capitals were hosting that year. They would go on to lose all 3 games in the round robin and be eliminated.
At the 1997 Royal Bank Cup in Summerside, the Western Capitals won the first game, 5-1n over the Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats. They would then hit a stumbling block, losing their second and third games 7-5 and 8-2 to the Kanata Valley Lasers and the Weyburn Red Wings. They would finish the round robin by losing 3-2 to the South Surrey Eagles in overtime. Because the Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats had already lost 4 games, the overtime loss game, the Capitals 3 points which was good enough for 4th place. After being shut out of the player awards, the Capitals had to come together as a team. In the regulation round, the Capitals did just that defeating the tournament's MVP and future NHLer, Mark Hartigan, and his Weyburn Red Wings 4-3 in a very exciting overtime. The Capitals used that win as a moral boost to defeat another Future NHLer, Scott Gomez, and his South Surrey Eagles by a very close score of 4-3. With that win the Summerside 'Hemphill Pontiac' Western Capitals would become the first team in Eastern Canada to win the national jr. A (Tier II) junior championship, Royal Bank Cup.
In 2001 the team made a run for the league championship. After sweeping the first two rounds without one of their top players, Denis White, the Antigonish Bulldogs took advantage of the Capitals beating them in five games to go on the Fred Page Cup
. They did not make another significant run again until former Philadelphia Flyer, Forbes Kennedy
, was hired as head coach in 2004-05. They were one of the leagues elite teams for the three years that he coached the team, going to the division final in 2005-06 but losing to the Woodstock Slammers
in 7 games. In the 2006-07 season they won 15 games in a row to end the season and went on to win the Meek division title before losing in 6 games in the league final against the Truro Bearcats
.
In the 2008-2009 season, the Capitals finished first place in the Meek division, and later went on to defeat the Dieppe Commandos, and Miramichi Timberwolves
in 4 game sweeps to advance to the league championship series, to take on the Truro Bearcats for the second time in 3 years. This time though, the Capitals defeated Truro in 5 games, and won their first league championship since 1997, on home ice. The Caps entered the Fred Page Cup
tournament, and after going 2-1 in the round robin portion, they defeated the Pembroke Lumber Kings
4-1 in the semifinal to move to the final against the Dieppe Commandos. The Caps won the game 3-2 in double overtime after Mike MacIsaac scored, to send the Caps to their first Royal Bank Cup since winning it in 1997 as the host team.
The Summerside Western Capitals of the Maritime Junior A Hockey League named Gordie Dwyer as their new Head Coach and Associate General Manager for the 2009-2010 season. Dwyer led a rebuilding team to a regular-season record of 27-20-1-2 (won-lost-overtime losses-shootout losses). The Caps finished third in the Roger Meek Division, and won an emotional seven-game division semifinal series against second-place Miramichi. The Summerside Western Capitals were then eliminated by eventual league-champion Woodstock in a five-game division final. Dwyer will return for his second season 2010-2011 to the Maritime Junior A Hockey League as head coach & Associate Director of Hockey Operations of the Summerside Western Capitals.
Since 2001, the Capitals have been owned by a private ownership group consisting of local individuals.
Summerside, Prince Edward Island
Summerside is a Canadian city in Prince County, Prince Edward Island. It is the second largest city in the province and the principal municipality for the western part of the island.- History :...
. They play out of the Maritime Junior A Hockey League
Maritime Junior A Hockey League
The Maritime Junior Hockey League is a Junior A ice hockey league under Hockey Canada, a part of the Canadian Junior Hockey League. It consists of four teams from New Brunswick and one team from Prince Edward Island, which make up the Roger Meek Division, and six teams from Nova Scotia which make...
. The team currently plays their home games at the Consolidated Credit Union Place
Consolidated Credit Union Place
Consolidated Credit Union Place is a multi purpose facility that opened in two stages in April 2006 in the City of Summerside, Prince Edward Island, Canada. It contains an aquatics centre, meeting and convention rooms and fitness centre and in 2 NHL size ice surface arenas, bowling lanes and...
, but played at the Cahill Stadium
Cahill Stadium
The Cahill Stadium was an arena in Summerside, Prince Edward Island designed for ice hockey events and was home to the Summerside Western Capitals hockey team, who won a Royal Bank Cup in the building in 1997...
for every other season.
History
The Capitals started out in the Island Junior Hockey LeagueIsland Junior Hockey League (1973–1991)
The Island Junior Hockey League , also sometimes called the PEI Junior A Hockey League, was a Canadian Junior ice hockey league in Prince Edward Island. Originally a Junior B team, the league was promoted to Junior A in 1973 after the folding of the Charlottetown Islanders in 1972.-History:The...
. Thus, the reference to 'western' in the original team name, The Capitals joined the MJAHL in 1991. They hosted the Centennial Cup 1989
Centennial Cup 1989
The Centennial Cup 1989 is the Junior "A" 1989 ice hockey National Championship for the Canadian Junior A Hockey League.The Centennial Cup was competed for by the winners of the Abbott Cup, Dudley Hewitt Cup, the Callaghan Cup, and a host city....
on behalf of the IJHL. This team was coached by former NHL coach, General Manager, & former Team President of the Columbus Blue Jackets
Columbus Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio, United States. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
, Doug MacLean
Doug MacLean
Douglas MacLean, is a Canadian sportscaster and former ice hockey coach and general manager...
, a Summerside native.
The 1996-97 Summerside 'Hemphill Pontiac' Western Capitals created a come from behind story book during the year. They were coached by former Detroit Red Wings player, Gerard Gallant, and they dominated the MJAHL Roger Meek Division during the regular season. In the first round of the playoffs they routed the Restigouche River Rats in five games. They beat out the Charlottetown Abbies in the second round before going on to win the Callaghan Cup by clinching a seven game league final in Dartmouth. Following the tough playoffs came a long bus trip to Brockville, Ont for the 1997 Fred Page Cup
Fred Page Cup
The Fred Page Cup is a championship ice hockey trophy, won by tournament, conducted by the Canadian Junior Hockey League. The award is given to the winner of a round robin and playoff between the Bogart Cup champions of the Central Junior Hockey League, the Kent Cup champions of the Maritime...
. The winner of that tournament would advance to the Royal Bank Cup, which the Capitals were hosting that year. They would go on to lose all 3 games in the round robin and be eliminated.
At the 1997 Royal Bank Cup in Summerside, the Western Capitals won the first game, 5-1n over the Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats. They would then hit a stumbling block, losing their second and third games 7-5 and 8-2 to the Kanata Valley Lasers and the Weyburn Red Wings. They would finish the round robin by losing 3-2 to the South Surrey Eagles in overtime. Because the Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats had already lost 4 games, the overtime loss game, the Capitals 3 points which was good enough for 4th place. After being shut out of the player awards, the Capitals had to come together as a team. In the regulation round, the Capitals did just that defeating the tournament's MVP and future NHLer, Mark Hartigan, and his Weyburn Red Wings 4-3 in a very exciting overtime. The Capitals used that win as a moral boost to defeat another Future NHLer, Scott Gomez, and his South Surrey Eagles by a very close score of 4-3. With that win the Summerside 'Hemphill Pontiac' Western Capitals would become the first team in Eastern Canada to win the national jr. A (Tier II) junior championship, Royal Bank Cup.
In 2001 the team made a run for the league championship. After sweeping the first two rounds without one of their top players, Denis White, the Antigonish Bulldogs took advantage of the Capitals beating them in five games to go on the Fred Page Cup
Fred Page Cup
The Fred Page Cup is a championship ice hockey trophy, won by tournament, conducted by the Canadian Junior Hockey League. The award is given to the winner of a round robin and playoff between the Bogart Cup champions of the Central Junior Hockey League, the Kent Cup champions of the Maritime...
. They did not make another significant run again until former Philadelphia Flyer, Forbes Kennedy
Forbes Kennedy
Forbes Taylor Kennedy is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. In 603 career NHL games Kennedy recorded 70 goals and 108 assists for 178 points and 988 penalty minutes....
, was hired as head coach in 2004-05. They were one of the leagues elite teams for the three years that he coached the team, going to the division final in 2005-06 but losing to the 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:...
in 7 games. In the 2006-07 season they won 15 games in a row to end the season and went on to win the Meek division title before losing in 6 games in the league final against the Truro Bearcats
Truro Bearcats
The Truro Bearcats are a Junior "A" team based out of Truro, Nova Scotia. The Bearcats are one of six Nova Scotian teams in the Maritime Junior A Hockey League.-History:The Truro Bearcats were formed in 1997 as a member of the Maritime Jr A Hockey League...
.
In the 2008-2009 season, the Capitals finished first place in the Meek division, and later went on to defeat the Dieppe Commandos, and Miramichi Timberwolves
Miramichi Timberwolves
The Miramichi Timberwolves are a Junior "A" hockey team based out of Miramichi, New Brunswick. They play in the Maritime Junior A Hockey League. The team was founded in 2000 and plays their home games at the Miramichi Civic Centre.- History :...
in 4 game sweeps to advance to the league championship series, to take on the Truro Bearcats for the second time in 3 years. This time though, the Capitals defeated Truro in 5 games, and won their first league championship since 1997, on home ice. The Caps entered the Fred Page Cup
Fred Page Cup
The Fred Page Cup is a championship ice hockey trophy, won by tournament, conducted by the Canadian Junior Hockey League. The award is given to the winner of a round robin and playoff between the Bogart Cup champions of the Central Junior Hockey League, the Kent Cup champions of the Maritime...
tournament, and after going 2-1 in the round robin portion, they defeated the Pembroke Lumber Kings
Pembroke Lumber Kings
The Pembroke Lumber Kings are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Pembroke, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of the Central Canada Hockey League and are the longest running and winningest team in CJHL history as well as 2011 Royal Bank Cup National Junior A Champions...
4-1 in the semifinal to move to the final against the Dieppe Commandos. The Caps won the game 3-2 in double overtime after Mike MacIsaac scored, to send the Caps to their first Royal Bank Cup since winning it in 1997 as the host team.
The Summerside Western Capitals of the Maritime Junior A Hockey League named Gordie Dwyer as their new Head Coach and Associate General Manager for the 2009-2010 season. Dwyer led a rebuilding team to a regular-season record of 27-20-1-2 (won-lost-overtime losses-shootout losses). The Caps finished third in the Roger Meek Division, and won an emotional seven-game division semifinal series against second-place Miramichi. The Summerside Western Capitals were then eliminated by eventual league-champion Woodstock in a five-game division final. Dwyer will return for his second season 2010-2011 to the Maritime Junior A Hockey League as head coach & Associate Director of Hockey Operations of the Summerside Western Capitals.
Since 2001, the Capitals have been owned by a private ownership group consisting of local individuals.
Season-by-Season record
| Season | GP | W | L | T | OTL | GF | GA | P | Results | Playoffs | |
| 1971-72 | 27 | 21 | 3 | 3 | |||||||
| 170 | 82 | 50 | 1st IJBHL | ||||||||
| 1972-73 | 40 | 28 | 8 | 4 | |||||||
| 239 | 149 | 60 | 2nd IJBHL | ||||||||
| 1973-74 | 28 | 10 | 15 | 3 | |||||||
| 123 | 154 | 23 | 4th IJHL | ||||||||
| 1974-75 | 40 | 21 | 18 | 1 | |||||||
| 208 | 198 | 43 | 3rd IJHL | ||||||||
| 1975-76 | 39 | 13 | 19 | 7 | |||||||
| 199 | 247 | 33 | 4th IJHL | ||||||||
| 1976-77 | 40 | 12 | 25 | 3 | |||||||
| 186 | 276 | 27 | 5th IJHL | ||||||||
| 1977-78 | 40 | 31 | 5 | 4 | |||||||
| 66 | 1st IJHL | ||||||||||
| 1978-79 | 39 | 20 | 14 | 5 | |||||||
| 206 | 181 | 45 | 3rd IJHL | ||||||||
| 1979-80 | 40 | 14 | 20 | 6 | |||||||
| 193 | 235 | 34 | 4th IJHL | ||||||||
| 1980-81 | Did Not Participate | ||||||||||
| 1981-82 | 42 | 8 | 38 | 6 | |||||||
| 189 | 283 | 22 | 4th IJHL | ||||||||
| 1982-83 | 42 | 18 | 18 | 6 | |||||||
| 216 | 238 | 42 | 3rd IJHL | ||||||||
| 1983-84 | 40 | 25 | 12 | 3 | |||||||
| 244 | 201 | 53 | 1st IJHL | Won League | |||||||
| 1984-85 | 37 | 18 | 15 | 4 | |||||||
| 203 | 174 | 40 | 2nd IJHL | ||||||||
| 1985-86 | 36 | 15 | 9 | 12 | |||||||
| 231 | 204 | 42 | 2nd IJHL | Won League | |||||||
| 1986-87 | 42 | 19 | 20 | 3 | |||||||
| 232 | 216 | 41 | 3rd IJHL | ||||||||
| 1987-88 | 42 | 30 | 6 | 6 | |||||||
| 267 | 179 | 66 | 1st IJHL | ||||||||
| 1988-89 | 44 | 33 | 7 | 4 | |||||||
| 297 | 161 | 78 | 1st IJHL | ||||||||
| 1989-90 | 40 | 26 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 213 | 153 | 55 | 2nd IJHL | ||
| 1990-91 | 42 | 15 | 20 | 5 | 2 | 211 | 247 | 37 | 3rd IJHL | ||
| 1991-92 | 46 | 18 | 16 | 12 | |||||||
| 210 | 206 | 48 | 6th MJAHL | ||||||||
| 1992-93 | 48 | 21 | 21 | 4 | 2 | 226 | 244 | 48 | 5th MJAHL | ||
| 1993-94 | 48 | 13 | 32 | 2 | 1 | 182 | 263 | 29 | 7th MJAHL | ||
| 1994-95 | 48 | 24 | 21 | 3 | 0 | 221 | 206 | 51 | 3rd MJAHL | ||
| 1995-96 | 54 | 28 | 24 | 1 | 1 | 252 | 232 | 58 | 5th MJAHL | ||
| 1996-97 | 55 | 35 | 14 | 4 | 2 | 350 | 259 | 76 | 2nd MJAHL | Won League, Won RBC Cup | |
| 1997-98 | 52 | 12 | 33 | 3 | 4 | 207 | 307 | 31 | 9th MJAHL | ||
| 1998-99 | 48 | 5 | 41 | 2 | |||||||
| 157 | 317 | 15 | 9th MJAHL | ||||||||
| 1999-00 | 52 | 24 | 24 | 3 | 1 | 198 | 229 | 52 | 5th MJAHL | ||
| 2000-01 | 52 | 32 | 12 | 4 | 4 | 288 | 224 | 72 | 1st MJAHL | Lost in League Finals | |
| 2001-02 | 52 | 21 | 26 | 3 | 2 | 209 | 225 | 47 | 8th MJAHL | ||
| 2002-03 | 52 | 26 | 21 | 3 | 2 | 240 | 219 | 57 | 4th MJAHL | ||
| 2003-04 | 52 | 19 | 28 | 2 | 3 | 201 | 225 | 43 | 9th MJAHL | ||
| 2004-05 | 56 | 22 | 26 | 4 | 4 | 220 | 252 | 52 | 9th MJAHL | ||
| 2005-06 | 56 | 36 | 14 | 0 | 6 | 274 | 197 | 79 | 2nd MJAHL | Lost Semi-final | |
| 2006-07 | 58 | 43 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 281 | 172 | 87 | 2nd MJAHL | Lost in League Finals | |
| 2007-08 | 58 | 24 | 30 | ||||||||
| 4 | 185 | 219 | 52 | 9th MJAHL | Lost in Mini-Series | ||||||
| 2008-09 | 54 | 39 | 13 | ||||||||
| 2 | 249 | 149 | 80 | 1st MJAHL | Won League, Won Fred Page Cup Fred Page Cup The Fred Page Cup is a championship ice hockey trophy, won by tournament, conducted by the Canadian Junior Hockey League. The award is given to the winner of a round robin and playoff between the Bogart Cup champions of the Central Junior Hockey League, the Kent Cup champions of the Maritime... |
||||||
| 2009-10 | 50 | 27 | 20 | ||||||||
| 3 | 230 | 186 | 57 | 4th MJAHL | Lost Semi-final | ||||||
| 2010-11 | 52 | 36 | 12 | ||||||||
| 4 | 255 | 186 | 76 | 2nd MHL | Won League | ||||||