Kingston Voyageurs

Kingston Voyageurs
City:	Kingston, Ontario, Canada
League:	Ontario Junior Hockey League
Division:	East
Founded:	1974
Home Arena:	Ambassador Hotel Rink at The INVISTA Centre
Colors:	Blue, Red, and White
Affiliates:	Napanee Raiders (EBJCHL) Greater Kingston Frontenacs (OMHA) Kingston Frontenacs (OHL)

The Kingston Voyageurs are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Kingston, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of the Ontario Junior A Hockey League.

History

The Voyageurs entered the Metro Junior B Hockey League in 1974. The Voyageurs filled the Junior "B" void left when the Kingston Frontenacs jumped from the Eastern Junior B Hockey League in 1972 to the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League and then the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League in 1973 as the Kingston Canadians.

The Voyageurs continued with the league when it became the Metro Junior A Hockey League in 1991 and stuck around until 1995. In 1995, the team jumped to the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League. The Vees were bought in the summer of 2006 by their major sponsor Gregg Rosen from KIMCO Steel Sales Ltd., who promptly spent more money to fix up the teams existing dressing room, build an office above the dressing room for the coaching staff and buy the players new equipment and sticks among other things. The Voyageurs currently play out of the new $24.5 million Invista Centre, located on Fortune Crescent, near Highway 401 and Gardiners Road.

On April 14, 2009, the Voyageurs won their first Buckland Trophy defeating the Oakville Blades in 5 games. On April 25, 2009, the Voyageurs defeated the Fort William North Stars 4-1 to capture the first Dudley Hewitt Cup in team history. By virtue of the win the Voyageurs qualified for the 2009 Royal Bank Cup. They played their first game of the tournament on May 3 against the host Victoria Grizzlies. They finished in fourth place in the tournament.

In 2011, due to Gregg Rosen being diagnosed with cancer, the team was sold to a group that included Colin Birkas, the head coach of the Greater Kingston Jr. Frontenacs. Evan Robinson was relieved of his head coaching duties and Birkas replaced him. As well, the general manager duties were assumed by Denis Duchesne. During the summer of 2014, Duchesne was relieved of his duties as general manager and the role was filled on an interim basis by Birkas and Rick Poirier. Poirier retired from the team shortly before Christmas 2014. Toward the end of the 2014-15 season, Birkas was suspended for an infraction during a game against the Wellington Dukes, causing assistants Ben Munroe and Dan Clarke to assume the coaching duties. Birkas' suspension was for the balance of the 2014-15 season, the playoffs, and the entire 2015-16 season. Despite this, the Voyageurs rallied and managed to have a magical 2015 playoff run. This was highlighted by a comeback from being down 0-3 against the Aurora Tigers to win in seven games, as well as taking the defending champion Toronto Lakeshore Patriots to Game 7 in the Buckland Cup finals.

Season-by-Season results

Season	GP	W	L	T	OL	GF	GA	P	Results	Playoffs
1974–75	38	18	14	6	-	216	189	42	7th Metro B
1975–76	34	13	17	4	-	140	152	30	9th Metro B
1976–77	34	12	17	5	-	130	162	29	12th Metro B
1977–78	35	14	15	6	-	141	155	34	9th Metro B
1978–79	44	25	14	5	-	245	194	55	4th Metro B
1979–80	42	10	29	3	-	183	248	23	12th Metro B
1980–81	42	15	23	4	-	181	213	34	9th Metro B	DNQ
1981–82	35	11	17	7	-	160	175	29	8th Metro B
1982–83	36	11	15	10	-	144	152	32	7th Metro B
1983–84	42	10	26	6	-	181	233	26	12th Metro B	DNQ
1984–85	36	4	27	5	-	119	219	13	11th Metro B	DNQ
1985–86	37	7	27	3	-	164	304	17	11th Metro B	DNQ
1986–87	37	17	16	4	-	183	163	38	6th Metro B	Lost Quarter-final
1987–88	37	22	7	8	-	224	131	52	2nd Metro B	Lost Semi-final
1988–89	40	27	8	5	-	262	157	59	2nd Metro B	Lost Final
1989–90	44	21	11	12	-	249	192	54	6th Metro B
1990–91	44	18	18	8	-	223	178	44	7th Metro B
1991–92	44	30	12	2	-	225	147	62	3rd Metro A
1992–93	48	17	29	2	-	162	204	36	9th Metro A
1993–94	50	26	21	3	-	216	207	55	7th Metro A	Lost Quarter-final
1994–95	50	21	24	5	-	241	219	47	9th Metro A
1995–96	50	37	10	3	-	247	135	82	1st OPJHL-R	Lost Conf. SF
1996–97	51	42	7	2	-	313	138	87	1st OPJHL-R	Lost Conf. Final
1997–98	51	23	16	10	2	224	192	58	4th OPJHL-R
1998–99	51	29	15	5	2	211	179	65	4th OPJHL-E
1999–00	49	23	20	4	2	193	181	52	5th OPJHL-E
2000–01	49	25	16	7	1	202	159	58	4th OPJHL-E
2001–02	49	25	15	6	3	185	141	59	4th OPJHL-E
2002–03	49	31	13	4	1	206	132	67	3rd OPJHL-E	Lost Conf. SF
2003–04	49	20	18	8	3	171	166	51	4th OPJHL-E	Lost Conf. SF
2004–05	49	23	19	4	3	149	163	53	5th OPJHL-E	Lost Conf. SF
2005–06	49	23	23	2	1	153	179	49	5th OPJHL-E	Lost Conf. SF
2006–07	49	26	17	3	3	195	166	58	4th OPJHL-E	Lost Conf. Finals
2007–08	49	33	13	-	3	188	146	69	2nd OPJHL-E	Lost Conf. Finals
2008–09	49	36	9	-	4	256	136	76	1st OJHL-R	Won League
2009–10	56	46	5	-	5	274	133	97	1st OJAHL	Lost Final
2010–11	50	34	11	-	5	242	134	73	2nd OJHL-E	Lost Conf. SF
2011–12	49	23	24	-	2	172	166	48	6th OJHL-E	Lost Conf. Final
2012–13	55	34	15	-	6	168	134	74	2nd OJHL-E	Lost Conf. Final
2013–14	53	39	11	-	3	210	138	81	1st OJHL-E	Lost Conf. Final
2014-15	54	31	17	2	4	208	136	68	3rd OJHL-E	Lost Final
2015-16	54	34	14	2	4	199	158	74	2nd of 5 East Div 2nd of 11 NE Conf 3rd of 22 OJHL	Won Conf. Quarters 4-0 (Cougars) Won Conf. Semifinals 4-0 (Royals) Lost Conf. Finals, 0-4 (Golden Hawks)
2016-17	54	28	16	3	7	217	194	66	T-4th of 5 East, T-4th of 11 NE Conf., 7th of 22 OJHL	Lost Conference Quarterfinals, 0-4 (Cougars)
2017-18	54	31	19	2	2	222	179	66	2nd of 5 East, 4th of 11 NE Conf., 9th of 22 OJHL	Lost Conference Quarterfinals, 0-4 (Cougars)
2018-19	54	22	25	2	5	152	186	51	4th of 6 East, 9th of 11 SE Conf., 17th of 22 OJHL	Did not qualify

Playoffs

MetJHL Years

• 1990 Lost Semi-final

Kingston Voyageurs defeated Wellington Dukes 4-games-to-3

Wexford Raiders defeated Kingston Voyageurs 4-games-to-none

• 1991 Lost Quarter-final

Kingston Voyageurs defeated Markham Thunderbirds 2-games-to-1

Wexford Raiders defeated Kingston Voyageurs 4-games-to-1

• 1992 Lost Quarter-final

Wexford Raiders defeated Kingston Voyageurs 4-games-to-1

• 1993 Lost Preliminary

Richmond Hill Riot defeated Kingston Voyageurs 3-games-to-none

• 1994 Lost Quarter-final

Wexford Raiders defeated Kingston Voyageurs 4-games-to-1

• 1995 Lost Quarter-final

Thornhill Islanders defeated Kingston Voyageurs 4-games-to-none

OJHL Years

Staff

• Owner - Community Sports Entertainment Ltd.
• Owner - Dr. Dijana Oliver
• Owner - Rob Zarichny
• Owner, Vice-President: Marketing & Communications - Alan Paterson

• Head Coach/General Manager - Colin Birkas
• Assistant Coach - Ben Munroe
• Assistant Coach - Dan Clarke
• Video Coach - Fraser MacAlpine
• Power Skating Coach - Lynn Grivich
• Trainer - Rick Ewart
• Play-by-Play Host - Allan Etmanski
• Pointstreak Operator & Timekeeper - Tim Arnold & Stephen Chartrand
• Gameday Co-Ordinator - Jennifer Dale
• Billet Co-Ordinator - Lindsey Paterson
• Head Scout - Chris Clarke
• Security - "Big Rick" Lambert
• Team Photographer - James C. McColl

Retired numbers

1. 2 Anthony Geldart

1. 8 Daniel Cleary

1. 10 Scott Martin

1. 24 Ryan Vince

Notable alumni

• Alyn McCauley - (Los Angeles Kings)
• Jay McClement - (St. Louis Blues)
• Kirk Muller - (Montreal Canadiens) - (Stanley Cup Champion 1993)
• Doug Gilmour - (Calgary Flames) - (Stanley Cup Champion 1989)
• Larry Carroll - (Kitchener Rangers) - (Memorial Cup) - (Queen's University)
• Bob Wren - (Toronto Maple Leafs)
• Mike Smith - (Phoenix Coyotes)
• Nate Robinson - (Boston Bruins)
• Marc Moro - (Toronto Maple Leafs)
• Scott Arniel - (Buffalo Sabres)
• Daniel Cleary - (Detroit Red Wings) - (Stanley Cup Champion 2008)
• Brandon Convery - (Toronto Maple Leafs)
• Todd MacDonald - (Florida Panthers)
• Rik Wilson - (St. Louis Blues)
• Patrick Ashton - (EV Landsberg)
• Jeff Foster - (Milwaukee Admirals)
• Brett Gibson - (Pensacola Ice Pilots)
• Tim Keyes - (Syracuse Crunch)
• Adam McAllister - (Tulsa Oilers)
• Christoffer Kjærgaard - Danish national team

External links

• Vees Webpage
• OPJHL League Website