Empire B Junior C Hockey League Explained

Empire B Junior "C" Hockey League Head Office Cambridge, Ontario Official website EBJCHL Chairmen Dick Woods Convenor Corrie Abrams Operated 1989-2016

The Empire B Junior C Hockey League is a former Junior "C" ice hockey league in Ontario, Canada, sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Association. The league was merged into the Provincial Junior Hockey League as the Tod Division in the summer of 2016.

Eastern Ontario Junior "C" Hockey League 1989-1996

Empire B Junior "C" Hockey League 1996-2016

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 Association's long running Eastern Ontario Junior C Hockey League. The forerunner of the EBJCHL was the Quinte-St. Lawrence Junior C Hockey League, which merged into the Central Junior C Hockey League in 1986.

The league features six franchises, which are located through Central-eastern Ontario in Amherstview, Campbellford, Gananoque, Napanee, Port Hope, and Picton. The Port Hope Panthers is the new name of the transferred Colborne Cobras franchise.

The teams play a 40-game regular season, with four home and away dates against each of the other Empire B teams. The top four teams make the playoffs — two rounds of best-of-seven play. The Empire playoff champions advance to the OHA quarterfinals against the Central champions and compete for an All-Ontario Championship and the Clarence Schmalz Cup. In its 20-year history, two Empire B teams have won the Schmalz Cup. Napanee Raiders were the first in 1993. On May 1, 2013, the Picton Pirates became the second team in Empire league history to win the Clarence Schmalz Cup as OHA Junior C champions, defeating the Essex 73's of the Great Lakes Junior C Hockey League 4-games-to-1.

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).

At the conclusion of the 2014-15 hockey season the Eastern Ontario Junior B Hockey League announced a re-organization which saw them remove six teams from the league. One of those teams, the Gananoque Islanders immediately petitioned and was accepted into the Empire B Junior C League.

Following the 2015-16 seasons the Empire B Junior C Hockey League amalgamated with the other southern Ontario junior "C" hockey leagues and became a division within the Provincial Junior Hockey League.

Teams

Team	Centre	Founded
Amherstview Jets		1989
Campbellford Rebels		1992
Gananoque Islanders		1972
Napanee Raiders		1989
Picton Pirates		1989
Port Hope Panthers		2004

2015-2016 League Playoffs

For the Ontario Hockey Association "All-Ontario Jr. "C" Championship", please go to the Clarence Schmalz Cup.

Tod Trophy Playoff Champions

Year Champion Finalist Result in Provincials Eastern Ontario League 1959 Picton Merchants Lost CSC QF vs. Fort Erie 1960 Picton Merchants Lindsay Muskies Lost CSC SF vs. Whitby 1961 Gananoque Islanders Lost CSC Final vs. Stratford (C) 1962 Napanee Red Wings Picton Merchants Lost CSC SF vs. Newmarket (Sub) 1963 Napanee Red Wings Picton Merchants Lost CSC Final vs. New Hamburg (C) 1964 Picton Merchants Napanee Red Wings Lost CSC QF vs. Lindsay (Sub) 1965 Gananoque Islanders Picton Merchants Lost CSC QF vs. Lindsay (Sub) 1966 Napanee Warriors Lost CSC SF vs. Parry Sound (GB) 1967 Napanee Warriors Lost CSC SF vs. Aurora (Sub) 1968 Napanee Warriors Lost CSC QF vs. Huntsville (GB) 1969 Napanee Warriors Gananoque Islanders Lost CSC QF vs. Parry Sound (GB) 1970 Gananoque Islanders Lost CSC QF vs. Huntsville (GB) 1971 1972 Gananoque G-Men Lost CSC SF vs. Cobourg (CO) Quinte-St. Lawrence League 1973 Gananoque G-Men Lost SF to Lindsay (CO) 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 Gananoque G-Men Lost CSC QF vs. Bowmanville (CO) 1979 Gananoque G-Men Lost CSC QF vs. Bowmanville (CO) 1980 Gananoque G-Men Lost CSC SF vs. Bradford (MO) 1981 1982 Ernestown Jets Lost CSC QF vs. Bowmanville (CO) 1983 Wellington Dukes Lost CSC QF vs. Lindsay (CO) 1984 Frankford Huskies Lost CSC QF vs. Bowmanville (CO) 1985 Gananoque G-Men Lost CSC QF vs. Bowmanville (CO) 1986 Wellington Dukes Lost CSC QF vs. Lakefield (CO) Eastern Ontario League 1990 Napanee Raiders Lost CSC SF vs. Orangeville (MO) 1991 Frontenac Flyers Lost CSC QF vs. Uxbridge (CO) 1992 Ernestown Jets Lost CSC QF vs. Port Perry (CO) 1993 Napanee Raiders Won CSC vs. Hanover (WO) 1994 Napanee Raiders Lost CSC QF vs. Bowmanville (CO) 1995 Napanee Raiders Lost CSC QF vs. Bowmanville (CO) 1996 Napanee Raiders Lost CSC Final vs. Paris (ND) Empire B League 1997 Campbellford Rebels Lost CSC QF vs. Lakefield (CO) 1998 Campbellford Rebels Lost CSC QF vs. Little Britain (CO) 1999 Picton Pirates Campbellford Rebels Lost CSC QF vs. Lakefield (CO) 2000 Campbellford Rebels Picton Pirates Lost CSC QF vs. Lakefield (CO) 2001 Napanee Raiders Campbellford Rebels Lost CSC QF vs. Uxbridge (CO) 2002 Frontenac Flyers Napanee Raiders Lost CSC QF vs. Uxbridge (CO) 2003 Campbellford Rebels Napanee Raiders Lost CSC QF vs. Georgina (CO) 2004 Campbellford Rebels Amherstview Jets Lost CSC QF vs. Lakefield (CO) 2005 Amherstview Jets Campbellford Rebels Lost CSC QF vs. Uxbridge (CO) 2006 Napanee Raiders Amherstview Jets Lost CSC QF vs. Port Perry (CO) 2007 Amherstview Jets Colborne Cobras Lost CSC QF vs. Lakefield (CO) 2008 Napanee Raiders Amherstview Jets Lost CSC SF vs. Alliston (GMO) 2009 Amherstview Jets Napanee Raiders Lost CSC SF vs. Alliston (GMO) 2010 Napanee Raiders Port Hope Panthers Lost CSC SF vs. Alliston (GMO) 2011 Picton Pirates^[1] Napanee Raiders Lost CSC SF vs. Alliston (GMO) 2012 Campbellford Rebels Picton Pirates Lost CSC SF vs. Alliston (GMO) 2013 Picton Pirates Port Hope Panthers Won CSC vs. Essex (GL) 2014 Picton Pirates Amherstview Jets Lost CSC QF vs. Lakefield (CO) 2015 Port Hope Panthers^[2] Napanee Raiders Lost CSC Final vs. Essex (GL) 2016 Port Hope Panthers Napanee Raiders Lost CSC Final vs Ayr (MW)

Regular season champions

Season Champion Record Points Eastern Ontario League 1958-59 1959-60 1960-61 1961-62 Gananoque Islanders 15-7-0-0 30 1962-63 Napanee Red Wings 12-7-0-0 24 1963-64 Napanee Red Wings 14-8-0-0 28 1964-65 Gananoque Islanders 13-6-2-0 28 1965-66 1966-67 Napanee Tiremen 12-7-3-0 27 1967-68 1968-69 Napanee Tiremen 14-0-2-0 30 1969-70 1970-71 1971-72 Quinte-St. Lawrence League 1972-73 1973-74 1974-75 1975-76 1976-77 1977-78 Wellington Dukes 21-10-1-0 43 1978-79 1979-80 Gananoque G-Men 22-10-0-0 44 1980-81 Campbellford GMC's 21-9-4-0 46 1981-82 Ernestown Jets 22-9-3-0 47 1982-83 Wellington Dukes 23-6-5-0 51 1983-84 1984-85 Gananoque G-Men 23-6-1-0 47 1985-86 Eastern Ontario League 1989-90 Napanee Raiders 25-4-1-0 51 1990-91 Napanee Raiders 22-7-1-0 45 1991-92 Napanee Raiders 27-0-3-0 57 1992-93 Napanee Raiders 32-2-1-0 67 1993-94 Napanee Raiders 24-9-3-0 51 1994-95 Napanee Raiders 29-7-4-0 62 1995-96 Napanee Raiders 28-12-2-0 58 Empire B League 1996-97 Napanee Raiders 31-9-2-0 64 1997-98 Picton Pirates 26-6-4-0 56 1998-99 Campbellford Rebels 30-4-2-0 62 1999-00 Picton Pirates 24-11-1-0 49 2000-01 Napanee Raiders 21-8-3-2 47 2001-02 Napanee Raiders 20-14-0-2 42 2002-03 Amherstview Jets 20-12-1-1 42 2003-04 Campbellford Rebels 23-10-1-0 47 2004-05 Napanee Raiders 23-8-1-2 49 2005-06 Napanee Raiders 24-6-4-0 52 2006-07 Colborne Cobras 32-6-1-0 65 2007-08 Amherstview Jets 34-5-0-1 69 2008-09 Napanee Raiders 37-3-0-0 74 2009-10 Napanee Raiders 29-7-0-4 62 2010-11 Napanee Raiders 22-16-0-2 46 2011-12 Picton Pirates 27-12-0-1 55 2012-13 Picton Pirates 34-4-0-2 70 2013-14 Picton Pirates 36-2-1-1 74 2014-15 Port Hope Panthers 31-8-1-0 63 2015-16 Port Hope Panthers 32-4-1-0 65

(*) At times in the 1960s, the Junior B and C leagues in Eastern Ontario played as a single league. In those years, listed is the best Junior C team in the joint standings.

Former teams

• Brighton Buzz
• Frontenac Flyers
• Deseronto Storm
• Madoc Wildcats
• Trenton Golden Hawks

Quinte-St. Lawrence teams

• Bancroft Juniors
• Brighton Bruins
• Campbellford Merchants
• Clayton Thunderbirds
• Ernestown Dynamiters
• Frankford Huskies
• Gananoque G-Men
• Madoc Hurricanes
• Napanee Warriors
• Wellington Dukes

Professional alumni

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 Penguins), Bryan Allen (Florida Panthers), and Kip Brennan (New York Islanders) have also skated in the pro league.

National Hockey League

• Bryan Allen (Ernestown 1995-96)
• Steve Bancroft (Madoc 1985-86)
• Jay McKee (Ernestown 1992-93)
• Justin Williams (Colborne 1997-98)

External links

• Empire B Junior C Hockey League website

Notes and References

1. Web site: Pirates end best season in history. 11 April 2011. Country Today.
2. Web site: Port Hope Panthers win Empire Junior C title. 9 March 2015. Northcumberland Today.