The Strait Pirates are a Junior B ice hockey team from Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia, Canada. The Pirates play at the Port Hawkesbury Civic Centre and are a member of the Nova Scotia Junior Hockey League.
The Pirates are the longest countiously running Junior B franchise in Canada.[1]
In 1964 a group headed by Tiger Mackie got together to form a junior hockey club in Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia, in an attempt to create a tenant for the new Port Hawkesbury Arena, which began construction in 1963. The team was dubbed the Strait Pirates, and were accepted into the Cape Breton Junior Hockey League (CBJHL) the following year.
For the 1966-67 season the Pirates actively recruited players from across Atlantic Canada and Quebec. The increased strength of the team led to them being kicked out of the CBJHL due to other teams being unable to compete.[2]
In 1992 the Northcumberland Junior B Hockey League folded and the Pirates joined the Mainland Junior B Hockey League, who subsequently changed their name to the Nova Scotia Junior B Hockey League (NSJHL).[3]
In 1998 the Pirates officially shortened their name from the Port Hawkesbury Strait Pirates to just simply the Strait Pirates.
On April 14, 2017 the team announced that ownership would be transferred to the community for the first time in the teams 53-year history. Adam Rodgers was named as the new team president, former head coach Tim MacMillan was named as general manager, and Brad Raike and Brian Tracey were named as assistant general managers.[4]
| Individual Player Awards | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Award | Season | Player | |
| Most Valuable Player | 1992-93 1993-94 1994-95 2000-01 2002-03 2005-06 | Whitney Williams Mark Deveaux Mark Deveaux Nick Muise Darryl MacPherson Jarrett Marsh | |
| Best Defenceman | 1992-93 2001-02 2004-05 | Todd (Teddy) Andrea Josh Morash Michael Brent | |
| Rookie of the Year | 1992-93 1993-94 1997-98 2000-01 2001-02 2004-05 2006-07 | Jason Broussard Mark Deveaux Scott Thompson Todd Marchand Jonathan Marsh Michael Brent Mark Levangie | |
| Most Sportsmanlike Player | 1993-94 1994-95 | Mark Deveaux Mark Deveaux | |
| Playoff MVP | 1993-94 1998-99 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 | Slade Stephenson Jason Boudreau Nick Muise Darryl MacPherson Todd Marchand | |
| Coach of the Year | 1993-94 2001-02 2010-11 | Perry Chandler Robert Ryan Tim MacMillan | |
| Executive of the Year | 2010-11 | Strait Pirates | |
| Strait Pirates Results | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | League | GP | W | L | T | OTL | GF | GA | P | Results | Playoffs | |
| 1992-93 | NSJBHL | 24 | 11 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 134 | 124 | 24 | 2nd NSJBHL | ||
| 1993-94 | NSJBHL | 26 | 17 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 173 | 129 | 38 | 2nd NSJBHL | Won Finals (Windsor Royals) | |
| 1994-95 | NSJBHL | 32 | 24 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 194 | 137 | 50 | 1st North Division | ||
| 1995-96 | NSJBHL | 34 | 10 | 19 | 3 | 2 | 142 | 175 | 25 | 3rd North Division | ||
| 1996-97 | NSJBHL | 31 | 6 | 21 | 4 | 0 | 112 | 179 | 16 | 4th East Division | ||
| 1997-98 | NSJBHL | 31 | 10 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 113 | 168 | 21 | 4th East Division | ||
| 1998-99 | NSJBHL | 32 | 15 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 136 | 163 | 30 | 3rd East Division | ||
| 1999-00 | NSJBHL | 32 | 18 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 160 | 126 | 38 | 2nd East Division | ||
| 2000-01 | NSJBHL | 34 | 26 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 213 | 113 | 55 | 1st East Division | ||
| 2001-02 | NSJBHL | 34 | 28 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 239 | 127 | 57 | 1st East Division | ||
| 2002-03 | NSJBHL | 32 | 13 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 135 | 154 | 27 | 3rd East Division | ||
| 2003-04 | NSJBHL | 32 | 7 | 21 | 2 | 2 | 111 | 172 | 18 | 4th East Division | ||
| 2004-05 | NSJBHL | 32 | 13 | 11 | 4 | 4 | 143 | 142 | 34 | 2nd East Division | ||
| 2005-06 | NSJBHL | 34 | 26 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 205 | 100 | 55 | 1st East Division | ||
| 2006-07 | NSJHL | 34 | 16 | 15 | 0 | 3 | 143 | 140 | 35 | 3rd Sid Rowe Division | ||
| 2007-08 | NSJHL | 33 | 20 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 148 | 129 | 40 | 3rd Sid Rowe Division | Lost Div Semi-Final 4-1 (Bulldogs) | |
| 2008-09 | NSJHL | 34 | 15 | 14 | 0 | 5 | 151 | 147 | 35 | 3rd Sid Rowe Division | Lost Div Semi-Final 4-0 | |
| 2009-10 | NSJHL | 34 | 18 | 14 | 0 | 2 | 162 | 122 | 38 | 3rd Sid Rowe Division | Won Div Semi-Final 4-1 Lost Div Final 4-0 | |
| 2010-11 | NSJHL | 34 | 22 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 150 | 96 | 49 | 1st in Sid Rowe Division | Won Div Semi-Final 4-2 (Miners) Won Div Final 4-3 (Blues) Lost Finals 4-0 (Ducks) | |
| 2011-12 | NSJHL | 34 | 23 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 160 | 122 | 46 | 1st Sid Rowe Division | Won Div Semi-Final 4-3 (Miners) Lost Div Final 4-3 (Bulldogs) | |
| 2012-13 | NSJHL | 34 | 19 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 121 | 108 | 40 | 3rd Sid Rowe Division | Won Div Semi-Final 4-3 (Scotians) Won Div Final 4-1 (Jr. Miners) Lost Final 4-2 (Blazers) | |
| 2013-14 | NSJHL | 34 | 15 | 16 | 0 | 3 | 118 | 131 | 33 | 3rd Sid Rowe Division | Won Div Semi-Final 4-3 (Scotians) Lost Div Final 4-0 (Jr. Miners) | |
| 2014-15 | NSJHL | 34 | 16 | 16 | 0 | 2 | 148 | 135 | 34 | 3rd Sid Rowe Division | Lost Div Semi-Final 4-1 (Scotians) | |
| 2015-16 | NSJHL | 34 | 13 | 15 | 1 | - | - | - | 49 | 3rd Sid Rowe Division | Lost Div Semifinal 2-4 (Scotians) | |
| 2016-17 | NSJHL | 34 | 7 | 19 | 0 | - | 109 | 166 | 36 | 4th Sid Rowe Division | Lost Div Semifinal 0-4 (Jr. Miners) | |
| 2017-18 | NSJHL | 34 | 14 | 16 | 0 | 4 | 145 | 143 | 32 | 4th of 5 Sid Rowe 9 of 11 NSJHL | Lost Div Semifinal 0-4 (Jr. Miners) | |
| 2018-19 | NSJHL | 32 | 29 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 183 | 143 | 68 | 1st of 6 Sid Rowe 1st of 12 NSJHL | Won Div Semifinal 4-3 (Bulldogs) Won Div Final 4-0 (Jr. Miners) Lost League Final 2-4 (Blazers) | |
| 2019-20 | NSJHL | 32 | 17 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 146 | 107 | 40 | 4th 12 NSJHL | Lost Div Semifinal 2-4 (Jr. Miners) | |
| 2020-21 | NSJHL | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 29 | 6 | Season lost due to COVID-19 pandemic | ||
| 2021-22 | NSJHL | 18 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 63 | 74 | 17 | 4 of 6 Sid Rowe 8th of 12 NSJHL | Won Div Quarterfinal 3-0 (Eagles) Lost Div Semiinal 2-4 (Bulldogs) | |
| 2022-23 | NSJHL | 30 | 14 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 123 | 132 | 30 | 4 of 6 Sid Rowe 8th of 12 NSJHL | Lost Div Quarterfinal 0-4 (Bulldogs) | |
| 2023-24 | NSJHL | 32 | 17 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 100 | 106 | 35 | 3 of 6 Sid Rowe 7th of 12 NSJHL | Lost Div Semifinal 0-4 (Jr. Miners) | |