National Ringette League
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| Sport | Ringette |
|---|---|
| Commissioner | Maurice Jean |
| No. of teams | 19 |
| Country(ies) |  Canada |
| Official website | NRL.ca |
The National Ringette League (NRL) is the top level ringette league in Canada. The NRL groups together the best nineteen-year-old players at least of the country. The NRL consists of nineteen teams distributed in two conferences - a western conference grouping together six teams and an east conference with thirteen teams. The NRL recovers directly from Ringuette Canada, the guiding organisation for the ringuette in Canada. The great majority of the players come from Canada even if some players arise from the United States or from Finland.
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NRL general regulation[edit]
The rules of the NRL follow mainly, in some details near, those of the International Federation of Ringuette. Characteristic of North American sport, the NRL is a closed league and so there is no threat of banishment towards minor leagues for unsuccessful teams (relegation).[1] The teams of the NRL are franchisings of this league. It is a league with an annual draft in between seasons,[2] which are the main front door of the new players in the league. The NRL drafts are peculiarly regional; there was for example, in 2011, a draft for the region of Ottawa and Gatineau,[3] the other one draft for the Manitoba,[4] one draft for the Souththern Ontario,[5] or still one draft for the region of Montreal.[6] Furthermore, the teams can be exchange players and choices in the rest according to a calendar established by the league.[7]
History[edit]
Ringette is a Canadian sport that was first introduced in 1963 at North Bay, Ontario.[8] Developed originally for girls, ringette is a fast-paced team sport on ice in which players use a straight stick to pass, carry, and shoot a rubber ring to score goals. For ten years, play centered in Ontario and Quebec, however the sport quickly spread across Canada and is now played by 50,000 girls[9] across Canada.
The creation of the National Ringette League is following the success of the 2002 Ringuette world championships at Edmonton where Canada took gained the golden medal. The first NRL season began in November 2004 with 17 teams. There was no championship match after the first NRL season.
In 2005-06, the National Ringuette League, for its second season, competed with 19 teams (two new teams joined the league). These teams are now distributed in four conferences: the West Conference – five teams, Central Conference – five teams, Ontario Conference – five teams and Quebec Conference – four teams. The dominant teams are the Cambridge Turbos in the Ontario Conference, Montreal Mission in the Quebec Conference, in the Western Division the Edmonton WAM! and the champions of the Central Division, the APFG Sixers. Added at the end of the regular season are qualifying rounds: eight teams which qualify themselves in the general standing, participate in the NRL Playoffs which crown the team champion of the league. The championship match of the LNR takes place in the Centre Étienne Desmarteau in Montreal, the April 1, 2006 and Cambridge Turbos won the victory.
The audience in the matches for certain franchisings is limited: during the inter-season three teams closed for lack of adequate financial means to continue operations.
In its third season (2006–07), the NRL consisted of 16 teams distributed in three conferences: the West Conference – seven teams, Ontario Conference – five teams, all in Ontario, and Quebec Conference – four teams. The Championship finale match takes place in Halifax, on April 10, 2007 and the Edmonton WAM! won the league championship.
In 2007-08 season, the National Ringuette League competed in its fourth season, again consisting of 17 teams distributed in two conferences, the Western Conference including seven teams, and East Conference including ten teams. The Cambridge Turbos won the NRL Championship by beating 2-1 Montreal Mission (the winning goal marked in extra time period).[10] · .[11]
In 2008-09 season, the National Ringuette League played its fifth season. In that season the NRL contained 18 teams,[12] grouped together in a Western Conference with six teams and an East Conference with twelve teams. The NRL Championship Game took place in Charlottetown, and the Cambridge Turbos[13] won again the National Championship[14] · .[15] A while later was the first Ringuette World championship of the clubs in Sault-Sainte-Marie, Ontario. Four best NRL teams meet there to face two better clubs of Professional Ringette Elite League of Finland, the Ringeten SM-Sarja.[16] The Cambridge Turbos won the world title having overcome in finale the Finnish champion team, LuKi-82 Luvia[17] · .[18]
In 2009-10 season, the National Ringuette League wasx for its sixth season comprised 18 teams grouped together in a Western Conference with six teams and an East Conference with twelve teams there. The competition remained very intense and marked the return of the ascendancy of different west teams:[19] Edmonton Wam! became again the NRL Championship after an eclipse of two years at the hands of the Cambridge Turbos. Edmonton beats Cambridge 2-0 in National Finals.[20]
From March 27 till April 2, 2011, the NRL Championship Tournament took place in Cambridge, Ontario. In the Final game, the Edmonton WAM! triumphed over the Cambridge Turbos[21]
In 2011-12 season, the NRL entered its eighth season with 19 teams playing in two conferences. The NRL knows a new expansion, with the creation of two new teams:[22] Atlantic Attack (of Moncton in New Brunswick)[23] and Lower Mainland Ringette League ( LMRL Thunder of British Columbia).
The 2011-12 regular season began on October 15, 2011 and concluded on March 18, 2012. All in all, thirty matches are competed by each of the teams during the regular season. Each of the teams faces only teams of his conference. This structure allows to reduce the costs of transport given the size of the Canadian territory covered by the league. At the end of the regular season, there is a break of a week when the various individual distinctions are awarded, then a NRL Championship Tournament.
Teams[edit]
NRL National Champions[edit]
In 2010-11 season, new fact, a NRL Championship Tournament replaces the Championship qualifying rounds, this tournament takes place in just one city. This allows to create a media event and to hold attention. Ten better teams in the regular season of the league, participate in this tournament which crowns the team champion of the league. The championship final game is broadcast on Rogers TV.
Starting in 2011-12, eight teams are playing a full round robin to determine the champion.
This is the list of NRL champions season by season:
- 2011-12 : LMRL Thunder!
- 2010-11 : Edmonton WAM!
- 2009-10 : Edmonton WAM!
- 2008-09 : Cambridge Turbos
- 2007-08 : Cambridge Turbos
- 2006-07 : Edmonton WAM!
- 2005-06 : Cambridge Turbos
- 2004-05 : No championship match
Awards and honours[edit]
At the end of each season (at the end of March) the League quotes its annuals awards during the week of break pre-tournament eliminating playoffs. The annual NRL honors reward the athletes having obtained excellent performances during the regular season. Each of 2 conference presents one athlete and a coach as finalist in every category, and the National Championship Tournament are chosen among these finalists.
Income and payment for the ringette players[edit]
In 2008, the budget of each NRL team of the oscillates between $ 15 000 and $ 20 000.[24] The teams and the league contribute to cover all the transport spending, accommodation and rent of arenas. The players however have to find their own financiers to pay their equipment and their personal spending and aen't paid for play.[25] The audience in the matches for several LNR team is limited to some supporters' hundreds. It's possible to believe that a bigger mediatization of this sport engendered a better budget to pay a salary to the athletes.
Development of young players[edit]
The NRL maintains a collaboration with the lower Ringette leagues as regards the development of the young girls players: So several teams of the NRL have affiliated development's teams Under 19 years old and Under 16 years old. The Canadians Championship U16 and U19 (usually in April) take place in the same place as the NRL playoff tournament eliminating[26] · .[27] What allows the tracers of the teams NRL to identify the young talented players.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ The main North American professional sports leagues, so work. National Football League, the National Hockey League, the National Basketball Association, the Major League Soccer are the main examples.
- ^ the draft being presently an annual event in all North American Major sports Leagues, comparable to a stock exchange for the players, where the teams select sportswomen stemming from the university level, from the high school level or from another (minor) league in order to get elite forces.
- ^ Ottawa-Gatineau 2011 draft results
- ^ Manitoba Draft results 2011
- ^ Southern Ontario draft results/
- ^ Montreal Division draft results 2011/
- ^ Busy trade deadline for National Ringette League
- ^ History of Ringette
- ^ About Ringette
- ^ Turbos complete 'Mission' at nationals
- ^ Cambridge Turbos crowned NRL champions
- ^ National Ringette League announces expansion
- ^ Cambridge Turbos were Eastern Conference champions
- ^ Turbos defend national championship
- ^ Cambridge Turbos are the NRL champions
- ^ (fi) Ringeten SM-Sarja Website
- ^ Cambridge Turbos to meet Luvia in world club championship final
- ^ Cambridge Turbos on top of the ringette world
- ^ Alberta teams dominate ringette championships
- ^ WAM! stops Turbos three-peat
- ^ Edmonton WAM! capture Canadian ringette title
- ^ National Ringette League announces expansion teams
- ^ Atlantic Attack announces coaching staff for inaugural National Ringette League season
- ^ (French) Le Fusion de Gatineau lance sa saison inaugurale
- ^ (French) Le Fusion de Gatineau lance sa saison inaugurale
- ^ 2011 Tim Hortons Canadian ringette championships underway in Cambridge
- ^ Alberta U16, Quebec U19 and Edmonton WAM! golden at Canadian ringette championships
External links[edit]
- National Ringette League Website
- Ringette Canada
- The site of the officials of the National Ringette League
