Ontario Lightning Rams
Encyclopedia
The Richmond Hill Rams were a Canadian
Junior
ice hockey
team based in Richmond Hill
, Ontario
, Canada
. They played in the Greater Metro Junior 'A' Hockey League.
of the old Metro Junior A Hockey League
. The original franchise folded in 1995. The creation of this team, although in a renegade league, is the first Junior team to set foot in Richmond Hill in 12 seasons.
The Rams' first game was the first in the GMHL's history. The game took place on September 8, 2006 against King Wild
in Richmond Hill, Ontario
. The final result was a 6-0 victory for the Rams. The first goal in the team's history was scored by Darren Archebald in the first period on the powerplay. Archebald's goal was also the first in the league's history as well. Daniel Jones had the honour of goaltending the team and league's first win and shutout. The Rams 100th goal was scored on November 3, 2006 against the Nipissing Alouettes
, Frank Spano scored the Rams 100th goal with 9:19 remaining in the second period of play. English player Craig Peacock was also the first player in the league to score a Hat Trick, this was on the 2nd day of the season in a 5-1 win against Nipissing, he also went on to top the whole league in scoring with 39 games played 48 goals and 34 assists for a total of 82 points, 17 ahead of his nearest challenger.
On January 2, 2008, the Rams hosted the Moscow Selects All-star team in an exhibition game. The Selects won the game by a score of 7-4. This was the fourth game of seven that the Moscow team played against different GMJHL clubs.
After finishing the 2007-08 season with exactly the same record as they did in the 2006-07 season, the Rams took a bye during the bye round, then were challenged by the Innisfil Lakers
in the quarter-final. The Lakers initially went up 3-games-to-none, but the Rams battled back to force a winner-take-all Game 7. The Rams ran out of steam in Game 7 and were defeated 6-4 by the Lakers.
In March 2008, the Rams and King Wild
engaged in a 4-game exhibition series against the Mexico national ice hockey team
. The first of two games for the Rams was on the 20th, and finished with the Mexican National Team winning 6-4. On the 24th, the Rams played them again and lost 5-2.
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
Junior
Junior ice hockey
Junior hockey is a catch-all term used to describe various levels of ice hockey competition for players generally between 16 and 20 years of age...
ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team based in Richmond Hill
Richmond Hill, Ontario
Richmond Hill is a town located in Southern Ontario, Canada in the central portion of York Region, Ontario. It is part of the Greater Toronto Area, being located about halfway between Toronto and Lake Simcoe...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. They played in the Greater Metro Junior 'A' Hockey League.
Richmond Hill Rams
The Rams were a resurrection of the Richmond Hill RamsNorth York Rangers
The North York Rangers are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from North York, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of Central Division Hockey, but they were also a part of the Metro Junior A Hockey League.-Richmond Hill:...
of the old Metro Junior A Hockey League
Metro Junior A Hockey League
----The Metro Junior "A" Hockey League was a junior level ice hockey league based out of Southern Ontario. The league originated in 1956 as the Metro Junior "B" Hockey League, which lasted until 1991, when it changed its designation from Junior B to Junior A. It remained a Jr...
. The original franchise folded in 1995. The creation of this team, although in a renegade league, is the first Junior team to set foot in Richmond Hill in 12 seasons.
The Rams' first game was the first in the GMHL's history. The game took place on September 8, 2006 against King Wild
King Wild
The Lefroy Wave are a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in Lefroy, Ontario. The team is in the Greater Metro Junior 'A' Hockey League .-History:...
in Richmond Hill, Ontario
Richmond Hill, Ontario
Richmond Hill is a town located in Southern Ontario, Canada in the central portion of York Region, Ontario. It is part of the Greater Toronto Area, being located about halfway between Toronto and Lake Simcoe...
. The final result was a 6-0 victory for the Rams. The first goal in the team's history was scored by Darren Archebald in the first period on the powerplay. Archebald's goal was also the first in the league's history as well. Daniel Jones had the honour of goaltending the team and league's first win and shutout. The Rams 100th goal was scored on November 3, 2006 against the Nipissing Alouettes
Nipissing Alouettes
The Nipissing Alouettes were a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based out of Sturgeon Falls, Ontario. They played in the Greater Metro Junior 'A' Hockey League.-History:...
, Frank Spano scored the Rams 100th goal with 9:19 remaining in the second period of play. English player Craig Peacock was also the first player in the league to score a Hat Trick, this was on the 2nd day of the season in a 5-1 win against Nipissing, he also went on to top the whole league in scoring with 39 games played 48 goals and 34 assists for a total of 82 points, 17 ahead of his nearest challenger.
On January 2, 2008, the Rams hosted the Moscow Selects All-star team in an exhibition game. The Selects won the game by a score of 7-4. This was the fourth game of seven that the Moscow team played against different GMJHL clubs.
After finishing the 2007-08 season with exactly the same record as they did in the 2006-07 season, the Rams took a bye during the bye round, then were challenged by the Innisfil Lakers
Innisfil Lakers
The Innisfil Lakers were a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in Innisfil, Ontario, Canada. They played in the Greater Metro Junior 'A' Hockey League.-History:The Lakers are one of six expansion teams for the 2007-08 GMHL season....
in the quarter-final. The Lakers initially went up 3-games-to-none, but the Rams battled back to force a winner-take-all Game 7. The Rams ran out of steam in Game 7 and were defeated 6-4 by the Lakers.
In March 2008, the Rams and King Wild
King Wild
The Lefroy Wave are a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in Lefroy, Ontario. The team is in the Greater Metro Junior 'A' Hockey League .-History:...
engaged in a 4-game exhibition series against the Mexico national ice hockey team
Mexico national ice hockey team
The Mexican national ice hockey team is the national men's ice hockey team of Mexico and a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation. They are currently ranked 32nd in the IIHF World Rankings and currently compete in IIHF World Championship Division II.-History:Mexico joined the...
. The first of two games for the Rams was on the 20th, and finished with the Mexican National Team winning 6-4. On the 24th, the Rams played them again and lost 5-2.
Ontario Lightning Rams
On January 8, 2008, the ownership of the Rams announced a new sponsorship that will change the team name to the "Ontario Lightning Rams" for 2008-09, the deal and the name was dropped after one year. In the summer of 2009, the Rams took a leave of absence and never returned to action, along with sister-franchise Espanola KingsEspanola Kings
The Espanola Kings were a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based out of Espanola, Ontario, Canada. They played in the Greater Metro Junior 'A' Hockey League.-History:...
.
Season-by-season standings
| Season | GP | W | L | T | OTL | GF | GA | P | Results |
| 2006-07 | 42 | 25 | 15 | ||||||
| 2 | 230 | 187 | 52 | 3rd GMJHL | |||||
| 2007-08 | 42 | 25 | 15 | ||||||
| 2 | 225 | 165 | 52 | 6th GMJHL | |||||
| 2008-09 | 43 | 13 | 30 | ||||||
| 0 | 174 | 258 | 26 | 12th GMJHL | |||||
| 3 Seasons | 127 | 63 | 60 | - | 4 | 629 | 610 | -- | 0.512 |
Playoffs
- 2007 Lost Semi-final
- Richmond Hill Rams defeated Nipissing AlouettesNipissing AlouettesThe Nipissing Alouettes were a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based out of Sturgeon Falls, Ontario. They played in the Greater Metro Junior 'A' Hockey League.-History:...
4-games-to-2 in quarter-final - King WildKing WildThe Lefroy Wave are a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in Lefroy, Ontario. The team is in the Greater Metro Junior 'A' Hockey League .-History:...
defeated Richmond Hill Rams 4-games-to-2 in semi-final- 2008 Lost Quarter-final
- Innisfil LakersInnisfil LakersThe Innisfil Lakers were a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in Innisfil, Ontario, Canada. They played in the Greater Metro Junior 'A' Hockey League.-History:The Lakers are one of six expansion teams for the 2007-08 GMHL season....
defeated Richmond Hill Rams 4-games-to-3 in quarter-final- 2009 Lost Division quarter-final
- Innisfil LakersInnisfil LakersThe Innisfil Lakers were a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in Innisfil, Ontario, Canada. They played in the Greater Metro Junior 'A' Hockey League.-History:The Lakers are one of six expansion teams for the 2007-08 GMHL season....
defeated Ontario Lightning Rams 3-games-to-1 in division quarter-final
Notable alumni
- Darren Archibald (Vancouver CanucksVancouver CanucksThe Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
prospect) - Craig Peacock (Belfast GiantsBelfast GiantsThe Belfast Giants are an ice hockey team from Belfast, Northern Ireland that compete in the Elite Ice Hockey League. Home games are played at the 7,100-capacity Odyssey Arena in Belfast....
)