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Vermont Lumberjacks

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Vermont Lumberjacks
CityBurlington, Vermont
LeagueEastern Hockey League
DivisionNorth
Founded2003
Home arenaLeddy Arena
ColorsRed, green, and white
Owner(s)Maurice Rosales
General managerMaurice Rosales
Head coachGary Gill (EHL)
Seth Gustin (Premier)
Franchise history
2003–2014Washington Junior Nationals
2014–presentVermont Lumberjacks

The Vermont Lumberjacks are a USA Hockey-sanctioned Tier III Junior A ice hockey organization from Burlington, Vermont.

The players, ages 16–20, carry amateur status under Junior A guidelines and hope to earn a spot on higher levels of junior hockey in the United States and Canada, Canadian Major Junior, Collegiate, and eventually professional teams.[1][2]

History

In 2003, the Washington Jr. Nationals from Arlington, Virginia, became a charter member of the new Tier III Junior A Atlantic Junior Hockey League (AJHL). They originally played at the Bowie Ice Arena in Bowie, Maryland, from 2003 to 2005 before moving splitting time with The Gardens Ice House in Laurel, Maryland, in 2006. With the opening of the new Washington Capitals practice facility at the 1,200-seat Kettler Capitals Iceplex, the Jr. Nationals moved across the Potomac River, splitting time between The Gardens Ice House and their new venue in 2006–07 until becoming full-time tenants in Arlington for the 2007–08 season. The team moved back to The Gardens Ice House in 2010.[3][4] The team also played single games at the Ashburn Ice House in the 2008–09 and 2009–10 season as a way to reach out to area youth hockey organizations.

In 2013, Tier III junior hockey went through a large reorganization that led to the dissolution of the Eastern Junior Hockey League (EJHL) and six former EJHL teams joining the AJHL. The AJHL was then re-branded as the Eastern Hockey League (EHL).

Following the 2013–14 season, the Jr. Nationals were relocated to Burlington, Vermont, and renamed the Vermont Lumberjacks, bringing junior hockey back to the state of Vermont two years after the Green Mountain Glades departed following the 2011–12 season.

In 2015, the EHL added a lower level Tier III division (formerly called Tier III Junior B by USA Hockey) called the EHL-Elite Division. This led to the current EHL teams to be placed in the EHL-Premier Division and the Lumberjacks moving their Junior B team from the Metropolitan Junior Hockey League to the Elite Division. In 2017, the EHL re-branded its divisions, dropping the Premier name from their top division and renamed the Elite Division to Premier.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Lumberjacks relocated halfway through the 2020–21 season to have home games at Waterville Valley Ice Arena in Waterville Valley, New Hampshire, as the Lumberjacks Hockey Club.[5]

Season-by-season records

Season GP W L T OTL Pts GF GA Regular Season Finish Playoffs
Washington Jr. Nationals
Atlantic Junior Hockey League
2003–04 No information 3rd of 6, AJHL Won Semifinal game, 3–1 vs. New York Bobcats
Won Championship game, 7–2 vs. Philadelphia Little Flyers
League Champions[6]
2004–05 41 14 25 0 2 30 116 163 3rd of 4, South
6th of 8, AJHL
2005–06 42 17 23 0 2 36 146 200 9th of 11, AJHL
2006–07 44 23 18 0 3 49 175 168 3rd of 6, South
5th of 12, AJHL
2007–08 44 22 19 0 3 47 166 178 4th of 5, South
8th of 11, AJHL
2008–09 42 17 19 0 6 40 135 145 5th of 6, South
9th of 12, AJHL
2009–10 42 17 22 0 3 37 148 176 4th of 6, South
8th of 12, AJHL
2010–11 44 6 38 0 0 12 98 286 6th of 6, South
12th of 12, AJHL
2011–12 44 3 38 2 1 9 74 227 12th of 12, AJHL
2012–13 44 7 33 2 2 18 88 183 12th of 12, AJHL Did not qualify
Eastern Hockey League
2013–14 44 5 37 1 1 12 121 146 6th of 6, South Div.
17th of 17, EHL		 Lost Play-in game, 2–8 vs. New Jersey Junior Titans
Vermont Lumberjacks
2014–15 44 16 24 — 4 36 107 154 3rd of 4, North Div.
15th of 19, EHL		 Lost Round 1, 0–2 vs. Walpole Express
2015–16 41 17 22 — 2 36 113 130 7th of 9, North Conf.
14th of 18, EHL-Premier		 Lost First Round, 0–2 vs. New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs
2016–17 48 22 18 — 8 52 158 140 3rd of 4, New England
6th of 9, North Conf.
10th of 17, EHL-Premier		 Lost First Round, 1–2 vs. Boston Junior Rangers
2017–18 50 24 24 — 2 50 163 162 2nd of 4, New England
5th of 8, North Conf.
9th of 16, EHL		 Lost First Round, 0–2 vs. East Coast Wizards
2018–19 45 28 14 — 3 59 211 141 2nd of 5, North Div.
3rd of 10, New England Conf.
5th of 18, EHL		 Won First Round, 2–0 vs. Connecticut RoughRiders
Lost Second Round, 1–2 vs. East Coast Wizards
2019–20 46 34 11 — 1 69 209 131 3rd of 11, New England Conf.
4th of 19, EHL		 Won First Round, 2–0 vs. Seacoast Spartans
Playoffs cancelled
2020–21 35 17 17 — 1 35 133 142 3rd of 4, North Div.
12th of 17, EHL		 Won Div. Semifinals, 2–0 vs. New England Wolves
Won Div. Finals, 2–0 vs. Seacoast Spartans
1–2–0 EHL Frozen Finals round-robin
(W, 5–3 vs. Jr. Rangers; L, 3–9 vs. Avalanche; L, 5–6 vs. 87's)
2021–22 46 21 20 — 5 47 168 152 3rd of 4, North Div.
10th of 17, EHL		 Lost Div. Semifinals, 0-2 vs. New England Wolves
2022–23 46 25 20 — 1 51 158 136 4th of 4, North Div.
11th of 19, EHL		 Lost Div. Semifinals, 0-2 vs. New Hampshire Avalanche

Alumni

The Jr. Nationals/Lumberjacks have produced a number of alumni playing in higher levels of junior hockey, NCAA Division I, Division III, ACHA college and professional programs.[7]

References

  1. ^ Nelson, Jeff (2009-03-12). "Washington Area High School Hockey Players Are Sometimes Torn Between Junior Nationals, High School Teams". washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2010-06-09.
  2. ^ Carrera, Katie (2009-04-09). "Dreams Come Closer – D.C. Area's Hockey Players Have More Alternatives On Their Way to College". washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2010-06-09.
  3. ^ "Washington Capitals – Team – Washington Capitals – Team". Capitals.nhl.com. 2007-05-18. Retrieved 2010-06-09.
  4. ^ "USA Junior Hockey Magazine May". Juniorhockeymagazine.com. Retrieved 2010-06-09.
  5. ^ "Around the #EShow - First Half Recap". YouTube. January 4, 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-12-15.
  6. ^ "Jr. Nationals". 2004-04-14. Archived from the original on 2004-04-14. Retrieved 2018-03-29.
  7. ^ "Atlantic Junior Hockey League". Atlantichockey.org. Retrieved 2010-06-09.
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