Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats Explained

Color:gray
Color Text:orange
Team:Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats
Logosize:125px
City:Rayside-Balfour, Ontario
League:Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League
Operated:-2005
Arena:Rayside-Balfour Community Centre
Colours:Grey, Blue, and White
Name1:Garson Falconbridge Native Sons
Dates1:1962-1969
Name2:Chelmsford Canadiens
Dates2:1969-1973
Name3:Rayside-Balfour Canadians
Dates3:1973-1995
Name4:Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats
Dates4:1995-2005
Championships:7: 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002

The Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats were a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Rayside-Balfour, Ontario, Canada. This defunct hockey team was a part of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League.

History

A very successful franchise, the Sabrecats won the Dudley Hewitt Cup three times (1997, 2000, and 2002) and a dynastic seven straight McNamara Trophies as NOJHL champions (1996–2002). In 2000, they reached the finals of the Royal Bank Cup, only to lose a heartbreaking 2–1 game to the host Fort McMurray Oil Barons. While still playing for the Sabrecats, goaltender Sébastien Laplante was selected in the 9th round (277th overall) by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.

The team was granted a one-year leave from the NOJHL in 2005, but in Spring 2006 the NOJHL announced that the Sabrecats will not be returning and have officially folded.

Season-by-season results

Season GP W L T OTL GF GA P Results Playoffs
1962-63 38 22 15 1 - 208 175 45 4th NOJHA Lost semi-final
1963-64 40 13 26 1 - 141 202 27 5th NOJHA DNQ
1964-65 40 20 20 0 - 185 213 40 4th NOJHA Won league
1965-66 40 4 36 0 - 148 337 8 5th NOJHA DNQ
1966-67 40 21 19 0 - 225 222 42 4th NOJHA Lost semi-final
1967-68 40 24 15 1 - 179 157 49 2nd NOJHA Lost semi-final
1968-69 48 22 25 1 - 167 163 45 3rd NOJHA Lost semi-final
1969-70 48 8 39 1 - 176 385 17 5th NOJHA DNQ
1970-71 48 19 25 4 - 218 269 42 3rd NOJHA Lost semi-final
1971-72 52 22 28 2 - 216 265 46 3rd NOJHA Lost semi-final
1972-73 42 21 15 6 - -- -- 48 3rd NOHA Jr. B Lost semi-final
1973-74 40 30 7 3 - -- -- 63 1st NOHA Jr. B Won league, won NOHA
1974-75 NOHA Jr. B Lost semi-final
1975-76 4th NOHA Jr. B Lost semi-final
1976-77 6th NOHA Jr. B DNQ
1977-78 20 6th NOHA Jr. B DNQ
1978-79 40 20 17 3 - -- -- 43 5th NOJHL
1979-80 40 18 20 2 - 197 194 38 4th NOJHL
1980-81 40 9 26 5 - 203 257 23 6th NOJHL
1981-82 42 14 25 3 - 209 273 31 5th NOJHL
1982-83 42 19 16 7 - 275 256 45 3rd NOJHL
1983-84 40 36 2 2 - 426 165 74 1st NOJHL Won league
1984-85 40 23 15 2 - 349 287 48 3rd NOJHL
1985-86 41 22 16 3 - 324 274 47 3rd NOJHL
1986-87 Did not participate
1987-88 40 22 15 3 - 275 211 47 3rd NOJHLLost final
1988-89 40 28 7 5 - 289 162 61 1st NOJHL Lost final
1989-90 40 19 18 3 - 222 234 41 4th NOJHL Lost final
1990-91 40 18 21 1 - 206 231 37 3rd NOJHL Lost final
1991-92 48 39 7 2 - 482 195 80 1st NOJHL Lost final
1992-93 48 33 13 2 - 353 242 68 3rd NOJHL
1993-94 40 18 21 1 - 220 228 37 5th NOJHL
1994-95 48 22 26 0 - 233 273 44 5th NOJHL
1995-96 44 37 5 2 - 270 129 76 1st NOJHL Won league
1996-97 40 36 3 1 - 296 112 73 1st NOJHL Won league, won Dudley Hewitt Cup
1997-98 40 35 3 2 - 252 107 72 1st NOJHL Won league
1998-99 40 32 7 1 - 213 106 65 1st NOJHL Won league
1999-00 40 40 0 0 - 315 80 80 1st NOJHL Won league, won Dudley Hewitt Cup
2000-01 40 35 3 0 2 284 101 72 1st NOJHL Won league
2001-02 42 37 4 0 1 327 105 75 1st NOJHL Won league, won Dudley Hewitt Cup
2002-03 48 30 16 2 - 263 178 62 3rd NOJHL
2003-04 48 4 41 2 1 97 299 11 8th NOJHL
2004-05 48 14 31 4 0 147 201 31 7th NOJHL Lost quarter-final

Past coaches

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Home . hockeydb.com.