Cleveland Jr. Barons

The Cleveland Jr. Barons were the name of two junior ice hockey teams that played in the North American Hockey League.

Original Team
The original team was based out of the Brooklyn Indoor Recreation Center in Brooklyn, Ohio. They played in the Great Lakes Junior Hockey League, the forerunner of the NAHL. This team played from 1976 to 1979. The team withdrew from the league during the 1978-79 season and formally suspended operations prior to the 1979-80 season.

Second Team
The Jr. Barons were re-established in the fall of 1990-91 as a Jr. B team playing in the Northeastern Jr. Hockey League. They did not have a home rink in the first season and played their home games in all of the metropolitan Cleveland rinks from North Olmstead to Euclid as a way to promote the team.

The team joined the NAHL in 1993 and played out of Parma, Ohio. They were a branch of the Cleveland Barons Hockey Association. Their top accomplishment was winning the 2006 North Division playoff title, allowing them to advance to Robertson Cup tournament. However, after the 2005-2006 season, the team moved to Columbus, Ohio and transferred to the United States Hockey League, playing as the Ohio Junior Blue Jackets.

Notable alumni
Jim Slater, Atlanta Thrashers

Dan Fritsche, Columbus Blue Jackets

Michael Rupp, Pittsburgh Penguins (Game winning goal of 2003 Stanley Cup Finals)

Bill Thomas, Phoenix Coyotes

Peter Harrold, Los Angeles Kings

Peter Mannino, University of Denver (MOP of 2005 Frozen Four)

Youth organization
Note, there have been several Cleveland area ice hockey teams that have gone by the name Barons, including a storied team that played in the American Hockey League and a short lived National Hockey League franchise. The Cleveland Barons Hockey Association still sponsors a number of youth hockey teams named the Cleveland Barons, including U16 and U18 teams.