Brockville Braves

Brockville Braves

Brockville Braves
City:	Brockville, Ontario
League:	Central Hockey League
Division:	Robinson
Founded:	1963
Home Arena:	Brockville Memorial Centre
Colors:	Red, Black, and White
General Manager:	Jason Hawkins
Head Coach:	Todd Gill
Franchise history
1963-1975:	Brockville Braves
1975-1977:	Brockville Warriors
1977-1980:	Brockville Braves
1980-1981:	Rockland Remparts
1981-Present:	Brockville Braves

The Brockville Braves are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Brockville, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of the Central Junior A Hockey League. Such NHLer's as Larry Robinson and current player Wayne Simmons of the LA Kings amongst other famous players have all played for the Braves.

History

Founded in 1963, the Braves are the second oldest team that has never ceased operation in CJHL history—second only to Pembroke. In the 1979, the teams was the focus of national attention when they were left homeless due to their arena collapsing. This did not stop the Braves though, playing their home games out of Cardinal and Rockland, Ontario, the Braves did not miss a beat.

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 arch-nemesis Pembroke Lumber Kings 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 scorers Luc Chabot. Although losing to Orillia, Ontario 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 80's and early 90's 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 margain 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 LaRonge Ice Wolves, in which they did 6-3 to earn a birth in the semi-finals against the defending RBC champions VVernon Vipers. Vernon went on to win the game 2-0, leaving the Braves or any other CJHL team from the previous attempts to make the Royal Bank Cup final out.

Season-by-season record

Season	GP	W	L	T	OL	GF	GA	Pts	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-finals
2006-07	55	28	20	6	1	201	190	63	2nd in Yzerman	Lost Quarter-finals
2007-08	60	38	18	3	1	270	196	80	3rd CJHL	Lost Semi-finals
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
Season	GP	W	L	OL	SL	GF	GA	Pts	Finish	Playoffs
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 Quarterfinals, 1-4 (Jr. Senators)
2017-18	62	38	20	2	2	210	160	80	2nd of 6 Robinson, 3rd of 12 CCHL	Won Quarterfinals, 4-0 (Lasers) Lost Semifinals, 3-4 (Jr. Senators)
2018-19	62	41	16	3	2	202	149	87	2nd Robinson	W, QF 4-1 (Bears) L, SF 0-4 (Senators)
2019-20	62	36	16	-	10	213	173	82	2nd Robinson	Lead quarterfinal series 1-0 when playoffs cancelled
2020-21	League only played training games due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021-22	55	36	17	0	2	198	155	74	1st Robinson	W, QF 4-3 (Lumberkings) L, SF 1-4 (Hawks)
2022-23	55	29	18	4	4	166	154	66	T-3rd Robinson	W, QF 4-3 (Grads) L, SF 1-4 (Senators)
2023-24	55	8	40	5	2	136	272	23	6th Robinson	Did not qualify

Championships

CJHL Bogart Cup Championships: 1978, 1998

Eastern Canadian Fred Page Cup Championships: 1998, 2010

CJAHL Royal Bank Cup Championships: None

Notable alumni

• Terry Carkner - Longtime NHL Defenceman
• Brian Chapman - Former Hartford Whalers Draft Pick and longtime AHL player.
• Todd Gill - Former Toronto Maple Leafs player and current Owner, GM, and Coach of the Braves.
• Brett Harkins - Former NHL, AHL, European League journeyman.
• Hank Lammens - Former New York Islanders draft pick and one time Ottawa Senators player.
• Paul MacLean (ice hockey) - Former NHL Allstar and Current Detroit Red Wings assistant coach.
• Andrei Mezin - 2002 Belarus Olympic Team member
• Larry Robinson - NHL Hall of Famer and former coach of the New Jersey Devils and Los Angeles Kings.
• Ray Sheppard - Former 50 Goal Scorer and longtime NHLer.
• Wayne Simmonds - 2007 Los Angeles Kings draft pick and member of the Canadian 2007 World Junior Championship Team.
• Gord Smith - Journeyman NHLer and brother of Hall of Famer Billy Smith.
• Sergei Stas - 2002 Belarus Olympic Team member
• Trevor Stienburg - Former Quebec Nordiques First Round Draft Pick
• Mike Daoust - 2001 NCAA National Champion - Plattsburgh State Cardinals
• Guy Come- 2001 NCAA National Champion - Plattsburgh State Cardinals
• Bryan Murray- 2001 NCAA National Champion - Plattsburgh State Cardinals

External links

• Brockville Braves Website