Greater Sudbury Cubs Explained

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Team:Greater Sudbury Cubs
City:Greater Sudbury, Ontario
League:Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League
Division:West
Founded:2000
Arena:Countryside Sports Complex
Colours:Blue and white
Gm:Dave Clancy
Coach:Darryl Moxam
Media:The Sudbury Star, Sudbury Sports, CTV Northern Ontario
Affiliates:Sudbury Wolves (OHL)
Sudbury Nickel Capital Wolves (GNML)
Name1:Sudbury Northern Wolves
Dates1:2000–2005
Name2:Sudbury Jr. Wolves
Dates2:2005–2011
Name3:Sudbury Cubs
Dates3:2011–2012
Name4:Sudbury Nickel Barons
Dates4:2012–2015
Name5:Rayside-Balfour Canadians
Dates5:2015–2021
Name6:Greater Sudbury Cubs
Dates6:2021–present

The Greater Sudbury Cubs are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Sudbury, Ontario. They are a part of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL).

History

The Sudbury Northern Wolves came into the league in 2000 and were present up until they announced an affiliation agreement with the Ontario Hockey League's Sudbury Wolves midway through the 2005–06 season. The Sudbury Northern Wolves were then re-branded as the Sudbury Jr. Wolves. The team went on to break league records that season. In their first season, the Jr. Wolves won the NOJHL championship over their rivals North Bay Skyhawks. The Jr. Wolves came one goal short of qualifying for the Royal Bank Cup losing to the Fort William North Stars 7–6 in overtime scored by former Sudbury Northern Wolves player, Josh Slobodian.

The Sudbury Jr. Wolves would lose the NOJHL finals to the Soo Indians at the conclusion of the 2006–07 season. The following season, the Jr. Wolves defeated the Abitibi Eskimos and moved on to the Dudley Hewitt Cup in Newmarket, but came back winless. The Sudbury Jr. Wolves last taste of success came in 2010–11 when they went to the NOJHL finals, but lost to the Soo Eagles.

In the summer of 2011, the Jr. Wolves broke their ties with the Sudbury Wolves and elected to change their name to the Cubs. In 2012, the Cubs were sold and changed their name to the Sudbury Nickel Barons and were later awarded hosting duties for the Dudley Hewitt Cup, but they pulled out and the tournament was awarded to North Bay instead.

In spring 2015, the Nickel Barons relocated to Rayside-Balfour and became the Rayside-Balfour Canadians and at the same time pulled out of hosting the 2016 Dudley Hewitt Cup, in which it was allocated to Kirkland Lake. The team was sold to local player agent Adrian Gedye over the spring of 2016.

On August 2, 2016, defenceman Sam Oden died in a car accident in Edina, Minnesota.[1] After the team received the news of Oden's passing, they promptly and permanently retired his jersey number 4.[2]

In the 2017–18 regular season, the team won its first division title with 79 points.

On September 9, 2021, the team officially changed its name to the Greater Sudbury Cubs.

Season-by-season results

Season GP W L T OTL GF GA Pts Result Playoffs
Sudbury Northern Wolves
2000–01 40 20 15 0 5 204 172 45 3rd NOJHL
2001–02 42 26 13 0 3 253 176 55 3rd NOJHL
2002–03 48 28 16 4 260 200 60 4th NOJHL
2003–04 48 31 14 2 1 232 168 65 3rd NOJHL
2004–05 48 12 33 1 2 159 245 27 8th NOJHL Lost quarter-final
Sudbury Jr. Wolves
2005–06 48 36 11 0 1 200 139 73 1st NOJHL Won League
2006–07 48 29 13 0 6 207 166 64 2nd NOJHL Lost final
2007–08 50 28 17 5 216 176 61 4th NOJHL Won League
2008–09 50 20 25 5 207 238 45 6th NOJHL
2009–10 50 19 27 4 186 216 42 6th NOJHL Lost semi-final
2010–11 50 30 14 6 231 89 66 3rd NOJHL Lost final
Sudbury Cubs
2011–12 50 29 15 6 283 229 64 3rd NOJHL
Sudbury Nickel Barons
2012–13 48 29 18 0 1 186 177 59 3rd NOJHL
2013–14 56 19 30 0 7 170 219 45 6th NOJHL Lost quarter-final
2014–15 52 31 16 1 4 203 179 67 3rd of 4, West
4th of 9, NOJHL
Lost div. semi-finals, 2–4 vs. Elliot Lake Wildcats
Rayside-Balfour Canadians
2015–16 54282501229208573rd of 6, West
7th of 12, NOJHL
Lost div. semi-finals, 1–4 vs. Elliot Lake Wildcats
2016–17 56282431191209603rd of 6, West
7th of 12, NOJHL
Lost div. semi-finals, 3–4 vs. Blind River Beavers
2017–18 56371414222139791st of 6, West
2nd of 12, NOJHL
Won Div. Semifinals, 4–2 vs. Blind River Beavers
Won Div. Finals, 4–2 vs. Soo Thunderbirds
Lost League Finals, 2–4 vs. Cochrane Crunch
2018–19 5631205194169672nd of 6, West
7th of 12, NOJHL
Won Div. Semifinals, 4–2 vs. Soo Eagles
Lost Div. Finals, 2–4 vs. Soo Thunderbirds
2019–20 5640115260163851st of 6, West
3rd of 12, NOJHL
Postseason cancelled
2020–21 1036132427Withdrew from season due to the COVID-19 pandemic[3]
Greater Sudbury Cubs
2021–22 58271731171131583rd of 6, West
6th of 12, NOJHL
Lost Div. Semifinals, 2-4 vs. Soo Eagles
2022–23 58461020248138941st of 6, West
2nd of 12, NOJHL
Won Div. Semifinals, 4-1 vs. Espanola Paper Kings
Lost Div. Finals, 2–4 vs. Soo Thunderbirds
2023–24 58421212285167892nd of 6, West
2nd of 12, NOJHL
Won Div. Semifinals, 4-2 vs. Soo Thunderbirds
Won Div. Finals, 4-1 vs. Blind River Beavers
Won League Finals 4-1 (Powassan Voodoos)
Advance to centennial Cup

Centennial Cup

CANADIAN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Revised Format 2022
Maritime Junior Hockey League, Quebec Junior Hockey League, Central Canada Hockey League, Ontario Junior Hockey League, Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League, Superior International Junior Hockey League, Manitoba Junior Hockey League, Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, Alberta Junior Hockey League, and Host. The BCHL declared itself an independent league and there is no BC representative.
Round-robin play in two 5-team pools with top three in pool advancing to determine a Champion.

Retired numbers

4 — Sam Oden[2]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Canadians mourn former teammate . . August 3, 2016.
  2. Web site: REST IN PEACE SAM ODEN . Rayside-Balfour Canadians . August 2, 2016.
  3. Web site: COVID-19 restrictions cause season cancellations by Espanola, French River, Rayside-Balfour . NOJHL . March 10, 2021.