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Brockville Braves

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Brockville Braves
CityBrockville, Ontario, Canada
LeagueCentral Canada Hockey League
DivisionRobinson
Founded1963
Home arenaBrockville Memorial Center
ColoursRed, Black, and White
     
Owner(s)Hani Greiss and Dustin Traylen
General managerDustin Traylen
Head coachRandy Jones
Franchise history
1963-1975Brockville Braves
1975-1977Brockville Warriors
1977-1980Brockville Braves
1980-1981Rockland Remparts
1981-PresentBrockville Braves

The Brockville Braves are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Brockville, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of the Central Canada Hockey League. Such NHLers as Larry Robinson and current player Wayne Simmonds of the Toronto Maple Leafs, amongst other famous players, have all played for the Braves.

History

The Brockville Braves (est. 1963) are the oldest continuously operated franchise in the CCHL. In 1979, the team received national attention after being left homeless from an arena collapse. They played their home games at Cardinal and Rockland.

It took until 1986 for the Brockville Braves to win a CJHL championships. They clinched the Bogart Cup on a late April night, defeating their nemesis Pembroke 8-7 in the finals. Braves' goalie Jacques Breault was the hero, as with 22 seconds to go in the game, turned away a penalty shot by the league's all-time leading scorer Luc Chabot. Although losing to Orillia in the Ontario playdowns, the team was a memorable one. Notable members of this team were all-time Braves leading scorer Larry Mitchell, Breault, Paul Duford, Tim Dubas, Dan Nummikoski, Steve Rachwal, Chad Badawey and Rob White.

Since that championship, the team has experienced more bad times than good. The late 1980s and early 1990s were not good to the Braves, who failed to make the playoffs multiple times.

In 1997, times began to change for the better again. The Braves competed in and won in Quebec, the Fred Page Cup, the Eastern Canadian Junior "A" championship. This allowed for their team to compete in the event and give them the experience they needed for the next season. The Braves regained their league title in 1998, bringing the club around full circle.

Former NHLer Todd Gill purchased the Brockville Braves and has been the head coach since 2006-07. He helped bring the Fred Page Cup to Brockville for the first time for 2010. Gill played in the NHL from 1984 to 2003 playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs, San Jose Sharks, Detroit Red Wings, Phoenix Coyotes, and St. Louis Blues. Former Braves head coach Mike McCourt was recently named head coach of the OHL's Niagara Ice Dogs for 2009-10. McCourt was head coach with Brockville from 2003 to 2006.

In 2009-2010, the Braves established a league record for most consecutive wins with 26. Brockville completed easy series wins over Kemptville (4-0) and Ottawa (4-0) to win a birth in the finals against the Pembroke Lumber Kings - as predicted by many CJHL followers. However, it was Pembroke that made CJHL history by winning four-consecutive Art Bogart Cup championships knocking off the Braves in 5 games. Despite, the finals loss to the Lumber Kings, the Braves won the Fred Page Cup against the Lumber Kings in an all-league finals tilt as the Braves won 5-1. At the Royal Bank Cup in Dauphin, Manitoba, the Braves broke a Royal Bank Cup record the highest margin of victory by defeating the Oakville Blades 11-2. (The previous record was held by the 1999 Vernon Vipers, who defeated the Charlottetown Abbies 9-3 in the championship game in Yorkton, SASK). The Braves would still have to win their last game against the La Ronge Ice Wolves, in which they did 6-3 to earn a birth in the semi-finals against the defending RBC champions, Vernon Vipers. Vernon went on to win the game 2-0, leaving the Braves out.

In 2014, the Brockville Braves were sold to former CCHL goaltender Dustin Traylen, who became the general manager. The previous owner was Todd Gill, who sold the Braves because he got a coaching job with the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League in 2011.

Season-by-season record

Note: GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

Season GP W L T OTL GF GA Points Finish Playoffs
1963-64 32 11 20 1 - -- -- 23 7th OHDJHL Lost quarter-final
1964-65 36 16 16 4 - 165 141 36 7th CJHL Lost quarter-final
1965-66 36 19 16 1 - 188 175 39 5th CJHL Lost quarter-final
1966-67 50 19 25 6 - 173 218 44 3rd CJHL Lost semi-final
1967-68 40 25 11 4 - 193 152 54 1st CJHL Lost semi-final
1968-69 40 13 24 3 - 166 183 29 4th CJHL Lost semi-final
1969-70 40 22 13 5 - 180 156 49 2nd CJHL
1970-71 48 16 29 3 - 174 244 35 4th CJHL
1971-72 48 24 22 2 - 198 181 50 3rd CJHL
1972-73 55 26 27 2 - 273 290 54 3rd CJHL
1973-74 50 16 29 5 - 234 322 37 5th CJHL
1974-75 50 10 36 4 - 218 329 24 6th CJHL
1975-76 50 17 23 10 - 204 212 44 4th CJHL
1976-77 50 17 20 13 - 252 270 47 5th CJHL
1977-78 48 10 32 6 - 165 268 26 5th CJHL
1978-79 48 9 38 1 - 205 349 19 5th CJHL
1979-80 50 10 35 5 - 209 391 25 5th CJHL
1980-81 50 20 24 6 - 183 223 46 4th CJHL
1981-82 50 19 27 4 - 237 281 42 5th CJHL
1982-83 48 22 18 8 - 248 198 52 3rd CJHL
1983-84 54 26 20 8 - 315 245 60 2nd CJHL
1984-85 54 37 15 1 1 364 237 76 2nd CJHL
1985-86 60 41 17 2 0 360 285 84 1st CJHL Won League
1986-87 52 16 29 3 4 213 309 39 7th CJHL
1987-88 56 35 16 3 2 335 224 75 3rd CJHL
1988-89 56 37 14 0 5 322 230 79 2nd CJHL
1989-90 56 38 8 4 6 377 256 82 2nd CJHL
1990-91 50 12 32 1 5 139 327 30 9th CJHL
1991-92 57 13 41 1 2 211 346 29 9th CJHL
1992-93 57 19 29 4 5 235 297 47 8th CJHL
1993-94 57 24 28 3 8 279 275 59 7th CJHL
1994-95 54 26 24 2 2 222 219 56 8th CJHL
1995-96 56 25 27 2 0 249 247 52 2nd in Yzerman
1996-97 53 28 18 7 0 234 206 63 3rd in Yzerman
1997-98 56 36 11 9 3 283 222 84 1st in Yzerman Won League, won FPC
1998-99 54 39 11 4 0 294 190 82 1st in Yzerman
1999-00 56 39 12 5 0 285 221 83 1st in Yzerman
2000-01 55 9 43 3 0 167 295 22 5th in Yzerman
2001-02 55 12 35 11 0 213 302 35 5th in Yzerman
2002-03 55 21 27 7 0 226 274 50 2nd in Yzerman
2003-04 55 27 21 6 1 223 219 61 5th
2004-05 57 34 13 8 2 214 162 78 3rd in Yzerman
2005-06 59 29 22 5 3 213 201 66 3rd in Yzerman Lost quarter-final
2006-07 55 28 20 6 1 201 190 63 2nd in Yzerman Lost quarter-final
2007-08 60 38 18 3 1 270 196 80 3rd CJHL Lost semi-final
2008-09 60 36 20 - 4 240 185 76 4th CJHL
2009-10 62 52 8 - 2 308 140 106 1st CJHL Lost final, won FPC
2010-11 62 44 15 - 3 233 160 91 3rd CCHL Lost semi-final
2011-12 62 41 17 - 4 242 186 86 3rd CCHL Lost quarter-final
2012-13 62 35 20 - 7 215 192 77 6th CCHL Lost quarter-final
2013-14 62 35 24 - 3 216 200 73 5th CCHL Lost quarter-final
2014-15 62 31 25 3 3 215 219 68 6th CCHL Lost quarter-final
2015-16 62 40 19 1 2 197 161 83 3rd of 6 Robinson
4th of 12 CCHL
Won quarterfinal, 4-0 (Grads)
Lost semifinals 0-4 (Canadians)
2016-17 62 33 26 1 2 179 162 69 5th of 6 Robinson
6th of 12 CCHL
Lost quarterfinal, 1-4 (Jr. Senators)
2017-18 62 38 20 2 2 210 160 80 2nd of 6 Robinson
3rd of 12 CCHL
Won quarterfinal 4-0 (Lasers)
Lost semifinals 3-4 (Jr. Senators)

Fred Page Cup

Eastern Canada Championships
MHL - QAAAJHL - CCHL - Host
Round robin play with 2nd vs 3rd in semi-final to advance against 1st in the finals.

Year Round Robin Record Standing Semifinal Gold Medal Game
2010 W, Woodstock Slammers 6-0
W, Pembroke Lumber Kings 2-1
W, Terrebonne Cobras 5-2
3-0-0 1st of 4 n/a W, Pembroke Lumber Kings 5-1
Fred Page Cup Champions
advance to Royal Bank Cup
1998 ?, Restigouche River Rats ?-?
?, Coaticook Frontaliers ?-?
?, Kanata Valley Lasers ?-?
?-?-? ?? of 4 n/a W, Restigouche River Rats 4-1
Fred Page Cup Champions
advance to Royal Bank Cup
1997 * OTL, Longueuil Collège Français 5-6
OTW, Summerside Western Capitals 5-4
?, Kanata Valley Lasers ?-?
1-2-0 3rd of 4 L, Longueuil Collège Français ?-? n/a
* Tournament Host

Royal Bank Cup

CANADIAN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Dudley Hewitt Champions - Central, Fred Page Champions - Eastern, Western Canada Cup Champions - Western, Western Canada Cup - Runners Up and Host
Round robin play with top 4 in semi-final and winners to finals.

Year Round Robin Record Standing Semifinal Gold Medal Game
2010 W, Oakville Blades 11-2
L, Dauphin Kings 2-3
L, Vernon Vipers 2-4
W, La Ronge Ice Wolves 6-3
2-2 3rd of 5 L, Vernon Vipers 0-2 n/a
1998 OTL, Nanaimo Clippers 4-3
L, Weyburn Red Wings 1-5
L, Milton Merchants 2-5
L, South Surrey Eagles 2-9
0-4 5th of 5

Championships

CJHL Bogart Cup Championships: 1986, 1998
Eastern Canadian Fred Page Cup Championships: 1998, 2010
CJAHL Royal Bank Cup Championships: None

Notable alumni