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in: Women's ice hockey teams in Canada, Ice hockey teams in Ontario, Canadian Women's Hockey League teams, Established in 1998

Markham Thunder

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Markham Thunder
Markham Thunder logo
City: Markham, Ontario
League: Canadian Women's Hockey League
Founded: 1998
Home Arena: Thornhill Community Centre
Colors: Black, green, white
              
General Manager: Chelsea Purcell
Head Coach: Jim Jackson
Captain: Jocelyne Larocque
Franchise history
1998–2017: Brampton Thunder/Canadettes-Thunder
2017–present: Markham Thunder
Championships
Playoff Championships: NWHL: 1998-99, 2006-07
CWHL: 2017-18

The Markham Thunder is a professional women's ice hockey team in the Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL). From 1998 through 2017, the franchise was known as the Brampton Thunder and Brampton Canadettes-Thunder before relocating from Brampton, Ontario, to Markham, Ontario, for the 2017–18 season.[1]

Team history[]

BramptonThunderLogo

Brampton Thunder logo, used from 2014 to 2017

The city of Brampton had a long history of women's ice hockey, starting with the creation of the Brampton Canadettes in 1963, whose management created the Dominion Ladies Hockey Tournament in 1967 (operating today as the Canadettes Easter Tournament).[2]

In 1998, after local athlete Cassie Campbell returned home from her silver-medal victory with Team Canada in the successful introduction of women's ice hockey at the 1998 Nagano Olympics, she commiserated with Brampton acting mayor Sue Fennell about the lack of a top level women's team in Brampton. Fennell purchased a franchise, which she named the Brampton Thunder, in the Central Ontario Women's Hockey League (COWHL), a league which had operated since 1980. From its first 1998–99 COWHL season, the Thunder played its home games in the Brampton Centre for Sports & Entertainment (renamed the Powerade Centre in 2005), which also started operation in 1998.

On 15 February 1999, during the 1998–99 COWHL season, Fennell was instrumental in turning the COWHL into the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL), becoming its first President.[2][3]

The Brampton Thunder won the first NWHL Championship Cup, in 1998–99. The Thunder would also win the final NWHL Championship Cup, in 2006–07. In between, the Thunder appeared in three other NWHL Championship Cup finals, but were defeated by the Beatrice Aeros in 2002, the Calgary Oval X-Treme in 2004, and the Montreal Axion in 2006. They also played in the Esso Women's Nationals and were victorious in 2006, defeating the Montreal Axion to claim the national title. The Thunder also had the distinction of having their home arena serve as the site of all NWHL Championship Cup games.

The Brampton Thunder was a significant contributor to the roster of the Canadian national women's hockey team at the 2006 Winter Olympics, with three players (Vicky Sunohara, Jayna Hefford, and Gillian Ferrari) contributing to Canada's gold medal win. Brampton Thunder player Kathleen Kauth also participated in the 2006 Winter Olympics, playing for the bronze medal-winning American national women's hockey team. A fifth Brampton Thunder player, goaltender Cindy Eadie, also participated in the Olympics, in 2004, with the Canadian softball team.

In 2007, the NWHL suspended operations. Players from the seven disbanded NWHL teams joined seven corresponding teams in the new Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL). Players from the NWHL Brampton Thunder joined the new CWHL franchise Brampton Canadettes-Thunder (generally called the Brampton Thunder), continuing the legacy of Brampton's women's ice hockey teams, starting with the 1963 Canadettes team and the 1998 Thunders team.

On January 18, 2011, the Thunder competed against the Montreal Stars at the Invista Centre in Kingston, Ontario - team captain Jayna Hefford’s hometown. Her number 15 was raised to the rafters of the Invista Centre on behalf of the Kingston Area Minor Hockey Association. As of 2012, no sweaters bearing Hefford’s number will be used in Kingston Minor Hockey.[4] On November 2, 2011, Jesse Scanzano appeared in one game for the Brampton Thunder, on loan from the Toronto Aeros. The game was an exhibition contest versus her alma mater, the Mercyhurst Lakers.[5] In the second period of said contest, Scanzano scored the game-winning goal as the Thunder defeated the Lakers 3–1.[6]

In the CWHL championship game of the 2012 Clarkson Cup, Brampton fell to the Montreal Stars 4–2. Two Thunder players earned awards for their play in the 2012 Clarkson Cup, with the Outstanding Defender award going to Molly Engstrom, while netminder Liz Knox earned the Outstanding Goaltender award.

At the 3rd CWHL All-Star Game, Jess Jones of the Thunder, along with Jillian Saulnier both scored a hat trick,[7] becoming the first competitors in CWHL All-Star Game history to achieve the feat.

Before the start of the 2017–18 CWHL season, the Brampton Thunder relocated 36km east, to Markham, Ontario.[1] The team plays its home games at the Thornhill Community Centre, in Markham's Thornhill neighbourhood. The renamed Markham Thunder won the 2018 Clarkson Cup as CWHL Playoffs Champions.[1]

NCAA exhibition[]

Date NCAA school Score Goal scorers
Oct. 25, 2011 Cornell Big Red women's ice hockey Cornell, 6-0[8] None
Nov. 2, 2011 Mercyhurst Lakers women's ice hockey Brampton, 3-1 Jayna Hefford, Jesse Scanzano, Vicki Bendus[9]

CWHL Draft Picks[]

  • The following is a listing of their top draft picks. For full draft information, please see the respective draft pages.
Draft Pick Player Former Team
2010 CWHL Draft[10] 5 Delaney Collins Alberta Pandas women's ice hockey
2011 CWHL Draft[11] 4 Vicki Bendus Mercyhurst Lakers women's ice hockey
2011 6 Courtney Birchard New Hampshire Wildcats women's ice hockey

Season-by-season[]

Year GP W L T/OTL GF GA Pts Finish Playoffs
1998–99 40 30 7 3 203 76 63 2nd, Western Won NWHL Championship
1999–00 40 29 5 6 208 64 64 2nd, Western Lost Western Division Final
2000–01 40 30 7 3 223 82 63 2nd, Western Eliminated in first round
2001–02 30 8 14 8 223 82 63 3rd, Western Did not qualify
2002–03 36 27 9 0 152 71 54 2nd, Central Lost first round
2003–04 36 28 6 2 190 72 58 2nd, Central Lost first round
2004–05 36 30 4 2 165 70 63 1st, Central Lost first round
2005–06 36 19 12 5 113 97 43 3rd Lost in final game
2006–07 16 8 8 0 71 66 16 3rd Won NWHL championship
2007–08 30 22 7 1 111 59 45 1st, Central Won CWHL championship, 4–3 (OT) vs. Mississauga Chiefs
2008–09 26 19 6 1 n/a n/a 39 2nd Lost first round vs. Mississauga Chiefs
2009–10 29 9 19 1 n/a n/a 27 4th Lost semifinals, 2–3 vs. Montreal Stars
2010–11 26 19 6 1 111 69 39 2nd Lost first round
2011–12 27 18 7 2 102 80 40 3rd Lost 2012 Clarkson Cup, 2–4 vs. Montreal Stars
2012–13

[12] || 24 || 10 || 12 || 2 || 71 || 83 || 22 || 3rd ||align=left|Eliminated 2013 Clarkson Cup round-robin

2013–14

[12] || 24 || 5 || 16 || 3 || 43 || 99 || 13 || 5th ||align=left|Did not qualify

2014–15

[12] || 24 || 6 || 16 || 2 || 46 || 98 || 14 || 5th ||align=left|Did not qualify

2015–16

[12] || 24 || 16 || 7 || 1 || 91 || 67 || 33 || 3rd ||align=left|Lost 2016 Clarkson Cup semifinals, 0–2 vs. Calgary Inferno

2016–17

[12] || 24 || 13 || 10 || 1 || 76 || 63 || 26 || 3rd ||align=left|Lost 2017 Clarkson Cup semifinals, 0–2 vs. Les Canadiennes de Montreal

2017–18

[12] || 28 || 14 || 7 || 7 || 80 || 68 || 35 || 4th ||align=left|Won 2018 Clarkson Cup championship game, 2–1 (OT) vs. Kunlun Red Star WIH

2018–19 28 13 11 4 85 80 30 3rd Lost 2019 Clarkson Cup semifinals, 1–2 vs. Les Canadiennes

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, Pts = Points.


Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, Pts = Points.

Season standings[]

= Indicates First Place finish
= Indicates championship
Year League Reg. Season Playoffs
1998–99 National Women's Hockey League 2nd, Western Division Won the NWHL Championship
1999–2000 National Women's Hockey League 2nd, Western Division lost the Western Division Final
2000–01 National Women's Hockey League 2nd, Western Division elimined in first round
2001–02 National Women's Hockey League 3rd, Western Division no participation to playoff
2002–03 National Women's Hockey League 2nd, Central Division lost in first round
2003–04 National Women's Hockey League 2nd, Central Division lost in first round
2004–05 National Women's Hockey League First place, Central Division lost in first round
2005–06 National Women's Hockey League 3rd (one Division now) Finalist, lost in final game
2006–07 National Women's Hockey League 3rd Won the NWHL Championship
2007–08 Canadian Women's Hockey League 1st Overall Central Division Won the CWHL Championship
2008–09 Canadian Women's Hockey League 2nd, (one division now) elimined in first round
2009–10 Canadian Women's Hockey League 4th lost in Second round
2010–11 Canadian Women's Hockey League 2nd lost in first round
2011–12 Canadian Women's Hockey League

Team captains[]

Year(s) Captain
2011–13 Jayna Hefford
2013–14 Tara Gray
2014-present Jocelyne Larocque

Coaching staff 2016–17[]

  • General Manager: Lori Dupuis
  • Head Coach: Tyler Fines
  • Assistant Coach: Kevin Stone
  • Goal Coach: Rob Beatty

Reference [13]

Scoring leaders[]

Year-by-year[]

Season Leader (F) GP G A Pts Leader (D) GP G A Pts PPG SHG GWG
2008–09[14] Jayna Hefford 27 26 32 58 Molly Engstrom 28 9 11 20 Engstrom (7) Lori Dupuis (2) Hefford (6)
2010–11[15] Jayna Hefford 27 25 23 48 Molly Engstrom 28 2 20 22 Hefford (9) Jayna Hefford and Andrea Ironside (1) Jayna Hefford and Gillian Apps (4)
2011–12[16] Gillian Apps 27 19 20 39 Molly Engstrom 27 4 23 27 Jayna Hefford (8) Cherie Piper (1) Apps (4)
2012–13[17] Jayna Hefford 21 15 12 27 Courtney Birchard 24 0 9 9 Gillian Apps (5) Three tied with 1 Apps (3)
2013–14[18] Danielle Skirrow 24 5 10 15 Ashley Pendleton 22 1 9 10 Two tied with 2 None Sasha Nanji (2)
2014–15 Jess Jones 24 7 9 16 Laura Fortino 24 5 10 15 Jones, Carly Mercer (3) Jones, Fielding Montgomery (1) Three tied with 1
2015–16 Jamie Lee Rattray 22 13 16 29 Laura Fortino 24 8 20 28 Rattray (5) Rebecca Vint (2)
Fielding Motgomery (2)		 Jess Jones (5)
2016–17 Jess Jones 24 17 20 37 Laura Fortino 20 6 13 19

All-time leaders[]

Awards and honors[]

  • Brampton Canadettes Thunder won the first CWHL championship on 22 March 2008, winning 4-3 over the Mississauga Chiefs in the final.[19]
  • Lori Dupuis, Top forward in the 2010 Clarkson Cup
  • Molly Engstrom, Top defender in the 2010 Clarkson Cup
  • Bobbi-Jo Slusar, Player of the Game, 2010 Clarkson Cup Final
  • Courtney Birchard, Outstanding Rookie of the Year, 2011
  • Laura Fortino, Defensemen of the Year, 2015–2016
  • Tyler Fines, Coach of the Year, 2015–2016
  • Jess Jones, Co-winner, 2017 Angela James Bowl
  • Laura Stacey, Rookie of the Year, 2016–17

Notable players[]

References[]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Canadian Press. "CWHL’s Thunder moves from Brampton to Markham", Sportsnet, 2017-07-11. Retrieved on 2018-03-26. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Carlsson, Gunnar (2017-07-12). The history of the Brampton Thunder. SB Nation. Retrieved on 2018-03-26.
  3. ↑ 1999-2000 NWHL Season Under Way. National Women's Hockey League official website (1999-09-13). Retrieved on 2018-03-26.
  4. ↑ www.cwhl.ca/news.asp?id=50. Retrieved on 2017-12-18.
  5. ↑ Mercyhurst Athletics - Women's Hockey Falls Short As Bendus And Scanzano Return. Retrieved on 2017-12-18.
  6. ↑ Mercyhurst Athletics - mc-bram.htm. Retrieved on 2017-12-18.
  7. ↑ Jones shines in CWHL All-Star Game. Mississauga.com (2017-02-13). Retrieved on 2017-02-15.
  8. ↑ http://cornellbigred.com/documents/2011/10/14/final_stats.pdf
  9. ↑ Mercyhurst Athletics - Women's Hockey Falls Short As Bendus And Scanzano Return. Retrieved on 2017-12-18.
  10. ↑ Archived copy. Archived from the original on 2011-08-26. Retrieved on 2011-07-27.
  11. ↑ Archived copy. Archived from the original on 2011-08-26. Retrieved on 2011-07-27.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 Markham Thunder Elite Prospects 2012–13.
  13. ↑ Brampton Thunder staff. Retrieved on 2017-12-18.
  14. ↑ http://www.hockeymedia.ca/Womens_2009_pdf.pdf
  15. ↑ CWHL: Boston Blades | Pointstreak Stats. Retrieved on 2017-12-18.
  16. ↑ CWHL: Boston Blades | Pointstreak Stats. Retrieved on 2017-12-18.
  17. ↑ Active Players. Retrieved on 2017-12-18.
  18. ↑ Active Players. Retrieved on 2017-12-18.
  19. ↑ Brampton Claims Inaugural CWHL Title. Retrieved on 2017-12-18.

See also[]

External links[]

Canadian Women's Hockey League
Final teamsCalgary Inferno - Les Canadiennes de Montreal - Markham Thunder - Shenzhen KRS Vanke Rays - Toronto Furies - Worcester Blades
Defunct teamsBurlington Barracudas - Mississauga Chiefs - Ottawa Senators - Quebec Phenix - Vanke Rays - Vaughan Flames
Seasons2007–08 - 2008–09 - 2009–10 - 2010–11 - 2011–12 - 2012–13 - 2013–14 - 2014–15 - 2015–16 - 2016–17 - 2017–18 - 2018–19
Drafts2010 - 2011 - 2012 - 2013 - 2014 - 2015 - 2016 - 2017 - 2018
All-Star Games2014 - 2016 - 2017 - 2019
Clarkson Cup2009 - 2010 - 2011 - 2012 - 2013 - 2014 - 2015 - 2016 - 2017 - 2018 - 2019
CommissionersBrenda Andress (2008–2018) - Jayna Hefford Interim (2018–2019)
Outdoor Classic2016 Outdoor Women's Classic
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