David Branch
Encyclopedia
David E. Branch has served as the Commissioner of the Ontario Hockey League
(OHL) since September 15, 1979, and as the President of the Canadian Hockey League
since 1996. Under his management, the OHL has grown from 12 teams to 20, and has become a marketable television commodity.
Branch attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst
on a hockey scholarship. He has previously served as the Executive Director of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association
, and Secretary-Manager of the Ontario Hockey Association
.
Branch is a minor hockey coach with the Whitby Wildcats organization. His son Barclay also works with the Wildcats and is currently the Director of Player Personnel for the Belleville Bulls
, and previously of the Oshawa Generals
.
Branch is known to be a strict disciplinarian, and he has handed out some of the most severe suspensions in the history of organized hockey. Notable suspensions administered by Branch include:
Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....
(OHL) since September 15, 1979, and as the President of the Canadian Hockey League
Canadian Hockey League
The Canadian Hockey League is an umbrella organization that represents the three Canadian-based major junior ice hockey leagues for players 16 to 20 years of age. The CHL was founded in 1975 as the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League, and is composed of its three member leagues, the Western Hockey...
since 1996. Under his management, the OHL has grown from 12 teams to 20, and has become a marketable television commodity.
Branch attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst
University of Massachusetts Amherst
The University of Massachusetts Amherst is a public research and land-grant university in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States and the flagship of the University of Massachusetts system...
on a hockey scholarship. He has previously served as the Executive Director of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association
Canadian Amateur Hockey Association
The Canadian Amateur Hockey Association was the national governing body of amateur ice hockey play in Canada from 1914 until 1994 when it merged with the Canadian Hockey Association or Hockey Canada....
, and Secretary-Manager of the Ontario Hockey Association
Ontario Hockey Association
The Ontario Hockey Association is the governing body for the majority of Junior and Senior level ice hockey teams in the Province of Ontario. The OHA is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation along with the Northern Ontario Hockey Association. Other Ontario sanctioning bodies along with the...
.
Branch is a minor hockey coach with the Whitby Wildcats organization. His son Barclay also works with the Wildcats and is currently the Director of Player Personnel for the Belleville Bulls
Belleville Bulls
The Belleville Bulls are a junior ice hockey team, founded in 1981 based in Belleville, Ontario, Canada. The team plays in the Eastern Division of the Eastern Conference of the Ontario Hockey League.-History:...
, and previously of the Oshawa Generals
Oshawa Generals
The Oshawa Generals are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. They are based in Oshawa, Ontario. The team is named for General Motors, an early sponsor which has its Canadian headquarters in Oshawa. The Generals are one of the most successful franchises in Canadian Hockey League...
.
Branch is known to be a strict disciplinarian, and he has handed out some of the most severe suspensions in the history of organized hockey. Notable suspensions administered by Branch include:
- The 20-game suspension of Guelph StormGuelph StormThe Guelph Storm is a major junior ice hockey team based in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. They have played in the OHL since the 1991–92 season. The team plays home games at the Sleeman Centre.-History:...
’s Todd BertuzziTodd BertuzziTodd Bertuzzi is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger with the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League...
for the remainder of the 1991-92 season and the playoffs for kicking Kitchener RangersKitchener RangersThe Kitchener Rangers are a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League that have called Kitchener, Ontario, Canada their home since 1963. The Rangers are a publicly owned hockey team, governed by a 40-person Board of Directors made up of season ticket subscribers. The Rangers hosted...
defenseman Brad Barton in a game at the Kitchener Auditorium in January 1992. - The suspension of Sudbury WolvesSudbury WolvesThe Sudbury Wolves are the name of the ice hockey team from Sudbury, Ontario. Sudbury has had a hockey team known as the "Wolves" nearly every year since World War I. The Sudbury Wolves, the senior men's AAA team, have twice been chosen to be Canada's representatives at the Ice Hockey World...
’ Gary Coupal for the remainder of the 1993-94 season and the playoffs for a high-stickingHigh-StickingHigh-sticking is the name of two infractions in the sport of ice hockey that may occur when a player intentionally or inadvertently plays with his or her stick above the height of the shoulders or above the cross bar of a hockey goal. This can result in a stoppage of play or in a penalty...
incident. - A 25-game suspension and then lifetime ban (later appealed) handed to Jeff KugelJeff KugelJeffrey Kugel is an American former ice hockey player and mixed martial artist who is the current Xtreme Cagefighting Champion...
of the Windsor SpitfiresWindsor SpitfiresThe Windsor Spitfires are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. The team is based in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. The franchise was granted for the 1975–76 season and revived a previous OHA Jr. A Spitfires team which moved to become the Hamilton Tiger Cubs in 1953.-History:The...
on November 2, 1998 for coming off the bench to sucker-punch Owen Sound's Juri GolicicJurij GoličičJurij Goličič is a Slovenian ice hockey player. He participated at the 2003, 2005, 2006, and 2008 IIHF World Championships as a member of the Slovenia men's national ice hockey team.-External links:...
. - In 2005 he expelled Sudbury Wolves’ Kyle Musselman from the OHL for the remainder of his junior eligibility for the sucker-punch to Ottawa player Mark MancariMark MancariMark Mancari is a Canadian ice hockey right winger currently playing for the Vancouver Canucks in the National Hockey League...
. - On October 18, 2005 he suspended coach and General Manager Moe Mantha, Jr.Moe Mantha, Jr.Maurice William Mantha, Jr. is a retired American-born Canadian professional ice hockey defenseman and former coach who played twelve seasons in the National Hockey League with the Winnipeg Jets, Pittsburgh Penguins, Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota North Stars and Philadelphia Flyers.-Playing...
of the Windsor SpitfiresWindsor SpitfiresThe Windsor Spitfires are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. The team is based in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. The franchise was granted for the 1975–76 season and revived a previous OHA Jr. A Spitfires team which moved to become the Hamilton Tiger Cubs in 1953.-History:The...
for an entire season due to a team hazingHazingHazing is a term used to describe various ritual and other activities involving harassment, abuse or humiliation used as a way of initiating a person into a group....
incident. - During the 2009-10 season, after Erie OttersErie OttersThe Erie Otters are a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League . Based in Erie, Pennsylvania, USA, they have played their home games at the Louis J. Tullio Arena since 1996...
’ Michael LiambasMichael LiambasMichael Liambas is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who currently plays for the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL...
' boardingBoardingBoarding may refer to:*Temporarily residing somewhere, as in a boarding school or boarding house*Boarding , a naval term for the forcible attempt at capturing another naval vessel*Boarding , customs, coastguard etc...
hit on Kitchener Rangers defenseman Ben Fanelli sent Fanelli to the hospital, Branch suspended Liambas completely to end his career in junior hockey. - Windsor Spitfires’ Zack KassianZack KassianZack Kassian is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He currently plays for the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League . He was chosen 13th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. Zack is of Armenian ancestry.-Playing career:Kassian made his debut with the...
received a 20-game suspension during the 2009-10 season for his hit on Barrie ColtsBarrie ColtsThe Barrie Colts are a junior ice hockey team in Ontario Hockey League, based in Barrie, Ontario, Canada. There were two previous Barrie Colts team which played Junior A & B hockey in the Ontario Hockey Association, one from 1907 until 1910 and another from the 1920s to 1940s.-Original Colts:The...
’ Matt KennedyMatt KennedyMatt Kennedy is a retired American soccer goalkeeper who played in the North American Soccer League, American Soccer League and Major Indoor Soccer Leaggue....
. - Tom Kuehnhackl of the Niagara Ice Dogs received a 20-game suspension for his head shot on Ryan Murphy Ryan Murphy (ice hockey b. 1993)Ryan Murphy is a Canadian ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Kitchener Rangers in the OHL. He was selected 12th overall in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft by the Carolina Hurricanes.- Playing career :...
of the Kitchener RangersKitchener RangersThe Kitchener Rangers are a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League that have called Kitchener, Ontario, Canada their home since 1963. The Rangers are a publicly owned hockey team, governed by a 40-person Board of Directors made up of season ticket subscribers. The Rangers hosted...
on November 8th, 2011.