Rockland Nationals
Encyclopedia
The Rockland Nationals are a Canadian
Junior ice hockey
team from Rockland
, Ontario
, Canada
. They are a part of the National Capital Junior Hockey League.
who had just left the Central Junior A Hockey League
for the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
. In just three season the Nationals, coached by Bryan Murray, won the league, the Dudley Hewitt Cup
as Central Canadian champions, and the Centennial Cup 1976
National Championship. Unfortunately for them, in those days the teams played sets of best-of-seven series to determine the national champion. Many successful Tier II clubs like the Red Deer Rustlers
, the Guelph Platers
, and the Vernon Vipers
franchises were well rooted in their communities when they were victorious, with warchests of cash from major sponsors and massive fan support awaiting long playoff runs. The Nationals were in their infantile stage as an organization and found themselves not only national champions but financially bankrupt from months of travel across the county. They survived one more season on life support funds from the CJHL before packing it in for the 1977-78 season. The fall of the Nationals convinced the CJHL to petition the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association
to consider alternate, cheaper, playdown methods to determine regional and national champions. The CAHA answered back a few seasons later with the formation of round robin championship tournaments. Until the Pembroke Lumber Kings
won the 2011 Royal Bank Cup
, the Nationals were the only team in Central League history to win a national championship.
A decade later the Nationals were reborn. In 1987, the Nationals entered the Eastern Ontario Junior C Hockey League
and won the league title in their first season back in action. In recent years, the Nationals have been pushing to re-enter the CJHL, but with no results so far.
and Ontario Hockey Association
champion Guelph Platers
. The series went the distance, but the Nationals pulled out a 4-games-to-3 series win.
The Nationals then took on the Lac-Megantic Royals, the champions of the Quebec Provincial Junior A Hockey League. The Nationals defeated them 4-games-to-1 to get to the Eastern Canadian Championship.
In the Eastern Canadian championship, the Nationals drew the Island Junior Hockey League
's Charlottetown Colonels
. The Nationals overpowered the Islanders and crushed them 4-games-to-none. In the final, the Nationals came to play the Alberta Junior Hockey League
, Doyle Cup
, and Abbott Cup
Champion Spruce Grove Mets. The Mets were floored by the Nationals in the first two games, losing 9-4 and 7-1 respectively. In Game 3, the Mets pulled close in a 5-3 loss and then took game four 4-3. Game 5 saw the National regain their early series form and crush the Mets 7-3 to win their first and only National title 4-games-to-1.
Their landmark victory, led by coach Bryan Murray, was the first time a team from the Central Junior A Hockey League
had won the Junior A National Championship. The cost of the venture left the team in financial turmoil and led to them folding a year later.
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 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 from Rockland
Rockland, Ontario
Rockland is a bilingual community located about east of downtown Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, part of the city of Clarence–Rockland. Rockland has a population of 9,210.-History:...
, 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 are a part of the National Capital Junior Hockey League.
History
The original Nationals were founded in 1973 to replace the Hull FestivalsGatineau Olympiques
The Gatineau Olympiques are a major junior ice hockey team playing in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League out of Gatineau, Quebec. The Olympiques play out of the Robert Guertin Centre. The club, then known as the Hull Festivals, was granted membership in the QMJHL in 1973. The Olympiques have...
who had just left the Central Junior A Hockey League
Central Junior A Hockey League
The Central Canada Hockey League is a Canadian Junior "A" ice hockey league operating in eastern Ontario, Canada. The league is sanctioned by the Ottawa District Hockey Association and Hockey Canada and is a member of the Canadian Junior Hockey League...
for the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League...
. In just three season the Nationals, coached by Bryan Murray, won the league, the Dudley Hewitt Cup
Dudley Hewitt Cup
The Dudley Hewitt Cup is a championship ice hockey trophy, won by tournaments conducted by the Canadian Junior Hockey League. The trophy was first awarded in 1979. The winner of the Dudley Hewitt Cup competes at the 2011 Royal Bank Cup.-History:...
as Central Canadian champions, and the Centennial Cup 1976
Centennial Cup 1976
The Centennial Cup 1976 is the Tier II Junior "A" 1976 ice hockey National Championship for the Canadian Junior A Hockey League.The Centennial Cup was competed for by the winners of the Western Canadian Champions and the Eastern Canadian Champions....
National Championship. Unfortunately for them, in those days the teams played sets of best-of-seven series to determine the national champion. Many successful Tier II clubs like the Red Deer Rustlers
Red Deer Rustlers
The Red Deer Rustlers were a Junior A ice hockey team in the Alberta Junior Hockey League based in Red Deer, Alberta. They captured the inaugural Centennial Trophy in 1971...
, the Guelph Platers
Guelph Platers
The Guelph Platers were a junior ice hockey team in theOntario Hockey Association from 1975 to 1982, and the Ontario Hockey League from 1982 to 1989, based in Guelph, Ontario.-History:...
, and the Vernon Vipers
Vernon Vipers
The Vernon Vipers are a Junior "A" Ice Hockey team based in Vernon, British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Interior Conference of the British Columbia Hockey League . They play their home games at Wesbild Centre.-History:...
franchises were well rooted in their communities when they were victorious, with warchests of cash from major sponsors and massive fan support awaiting long playoff runs. The Nationals were in their infantile stage as an organization and found themselves not only national champions but financially bankrupt from months of travel across the county. They survived one more season on life support funds from the CJHL before packing it in for the 1977-78 season. The fall of the Nationals convinced the CJHL to petition 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....
to consider alternate, cheaper, playdown methods to determine regional and national champions. The CAHA answered back a few seasons later with the formation of round robin championship tournaments. Until the Pembroke Lumber Kings
Pembroke Lumber Kings
The Pembroke Lumber Kings are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Pembroke, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of the Central Canada Hockey League and are the longest running and winningest team in CJHL history as well as 2011 Royal Bank Cup National Junior A Champions...
won the 2011 Royal Bank Cup
2011 Royal Bank Cup
The 2011 Royal Bank Cup was the Junior "A" 2011 ice hockey National Championship for the Canadian Junior Hockey League. The 2011 Royal Bank Cup marked the 41st consecutive year a national championship has been awarded to this skill level since the breakaway of Major Junior hockey in 1970.The Royal...
, the Nationals were the only team in Central League history to win a national championship.
A decade later the Nationals were reborn. In 1987, the Nationals entered the Eastern Ontario Junior C Hockey League
Eastern Ontario Junior C Hockey League
The National Capital Junior Hockey League is a Junior ice hockey league in Ontario, Canada, sanctioned by the Ottawa District Hockey Association and Hockey Canada. The league is meant to be an interprovincial league between Ontario and Quebec....
and won the league title in their first season back in action. In recent years, the Nationals have been pushing to re-enter the CJHL, but with no results so far.
Centennial Cup 1976
In only their third season, the Nationals were league champions. They moved on to take on the Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey LeagueSouthern Ontario Junior A Hockey League
----The Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League was a Tier II Junior "A" ice hockey that lasted from the late 1960s until 1977 in Southern Ontario, Canada. The league was swallowed by what is now called the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League in 1977....
and 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...
champion Guelph Platers
Guelph Platers
The Guelph Platers were a junior ice hockey team in theOntario Hockey Association from 1975 to 1982, and the Ontario Hockey League from 1982 to 1989, based in Guelph, Ontario.-History:...
. The series went the distance, but the Nationals pulled out a 4-games-to-3 series win.
The Nationals then took on the Lac-Megantic Royals, the champions of the Quebec Provincial Junior A Hockey League. The Nationals defeated them 4-games-to-1 to get to the Eastern Canadian Championship.
In the Eastern Canadian championship, the Nationals drew the Island Junior Hockey League
Island Junior Hockey League
The Island Junior Hockey League is a Junior "B" ice hockey league in Prince Edward Island, Canada, sanctioned by Hockey Canada.-History:Since being founded in 1996, the IJHL has been strictly a Junior "B" League—one tier below the Maritime Junior A Hockey League and two tiers below the Quebec Major...
's Charlottetown Colonels
Charlottetown Abbies
The Charlottetown Abbies were a Junior "A" team based in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. They played in the Maritime Junior A Hockey League. Their home rink was the MacLauchlan Arena on the campus of UPEI.-History:...
. The Nationals overpowered the Islanders and crushed them 4-games-to-none. In the final, the Nationals came to play the Alberta Junior Hockey League
Alberta Junior Hockey League
The Alberta Junior Hockey League is an Alberta-based Junior A hockey league that belongs to the Canadian Junior Hockey League . It was formed as a five-team league in 1964. There are currently 16 teams in the league. The regular season league champions receive the Dave Duchak Trophy...
, Doyle Cup
Doyle Cup
The Doyle Cup is a championship ice hockey trophy, won through a best-of-7 series, conducted by the Canadian Junior Hockey League. The series is played between the Fred Page Cup champions of the British Columbia Hockey League and the Enerflex Cup champions of the Alberta Junior Hockey League...
, and Abbott Cup
Abbott Cup
The Abbott Memorial Cup, commonly referred to as the Abbott Cup, was awarded annually from 1919 through 1999 to the Junior "A" ice hockey Champion for Western Canada....
Champion Spruce Grove Mets. The Mets were floored by the Nationals in the first two games, losing 9-4 and 7-1 respectively. In Game 3, the Mets pulled close in a 5-3 loss and then took game four 4-3. Game 5 saw the National regain their early series form and crush the Mets 7-3 to win their first and only National title 4-games-to-1.
Their landmark victory, led by coach Bryan Murray, was the first time a team from the Central Junior A Hockey League
Central Junior A Hockey League
The Central Canada Hockey League is a Canadian Junior "A" ice hockey league operating in eastern Ontario, Canada. The league is sanctioned by the Ottawa District Hockey Association and Hockey Canada and is a member of the Canadian Junior Hockey League...
had won the Junior A National Championship. The cost of the venture left the team in financial turmoil and led to them folding a year later.
Season-by-season record
Note: GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against| Season | GP | W | L | T | OTL | GF | GA | Points | Finish | Playoffs | |
| 1973-74 | 50 | 13 | 33 | 4 | |||||||
| 260 | 349 | 30 | 6th CJHL | ||||||||
| 1974-75 | 50 | 25 | 18 | 7 | |||||||
| 251 | 249 | 57 | 3rd CJHL | ||||||||
| 1975-76 | 50 | 31 | 11 | 8 | |||||||
| 324 | 225 | 70 | 1st CJHL | Won League, Won DHC Dudley Hewitt Cup The Dudley Hewitt Cup is a championship ice hockey trophy, won by tournaments conducted by the Canadian Junior Hockey League. The trophy was first awarded in 1979. The winner of the Dudley Hewitt Cup competes at the 2011 Royal Bank Cup.-History:... , Won MCC Royal Bank Cup The Royal Bank Cup is an annual ice hockey tournament held to determine the Canadian Junior A champion. The winner of the tournament wins the Royal Bank Cup... |
|||||||
| 1976-77 | 50 | 22 | 22 | 6 | |||||||
| 243 | 230 | 50 | 4th CJHL | ||||||||
| 1977-87 | Did Not Participate | ||||||||||
| 1987-04 | Eastern Jr. C Standings Not Available | ||||||||||
| 2004-05 | 36 | 20 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 172 | 133 | 43 | 4th EOJCHL | Lost Semi-final | |
| 2005-06 | 36 | 14 | 20 | ||||||||
| 2 | 143 | 183 | 30 | 5th EOJCHL | Lost Quarter-final | ||||||
| 2006-07 | 34 | 8 | 25 | ||||||||
| 1 | 96 | 200 | 17 | 8th EOJCHL | Lost Quarter-final | ||||||
| 2007-08 | 35 | 18 | 15 | ||||||||
| 2 | 146 | 143 | 38 | 3rd EOJCHL | Lost Semi-final | ||||||
| 2008-09 | 33 | 10 | 22 | ||||||||
| 1 | 154 | 208 | 21 | 7th EOJCHL | Lost Quarter-Final | ||||||
| 2009-10 | 34 | 17 | 13 | ||||||||
| 4 | 159 | 148 | 38 | 4th EOJCHL | Lost Final | ||||||
| 2010-11 | 34 | 22 | 9 | ||||||||
| 3 | 182 | 164 | 47 | 2nd NCJHL | Lost Final | ||||||
Individual Player Awards
| Season | Name | Award |
| 2007-08 | John Leboeuf | Coach of the Year |
| 2007-08 | Denis Brunet | Executive of the Year |
| 2007-08 | Gus Sacoutis | Best Defensive Forward |
| 2007-08 | Alex Bernard | Most Sportsmanlike Player |
| 2005-06 | Alex Bernard | Best Defensive Forward |
| 2005-06 | Guy Audet | Most Sportsmanlike Player |
| 2005-06 | Ghyslain Hotte | Most Valuable Player |
| 2004-05 | Guy Audet | Best Defensive Forward |
| 2002-03 | Rene Tasse | Best Defenseman |
| 2000-01 | Chris Verdon | Most Improved Player |
| 1998-99 | Christian Groleau | Best Defenseman |
| 1997-98 | Alain Paquette | Most Improved Player |
| 1996-97 | Christian Bessette | Best Defenseman |
| 1994-95 | Yanick Vinette | Most Valuable Player |
| 1994-95 | Darren Proulx | Coach of the Year |
| 1994-95 | Martin Gauthier | Most Improved Player |
| 1994-95 | Christian Mercier | Most Sportsmanlike Player |
| 1993-94 | Darren Proulx | Coach of the Year |
| 1993-94 | Serge Lavictoire | Most Improved Player |
| 1992-93 | Stephane Groulx | Most Valuable Player |
| 1991-92 | Jeff Egan | Best Defenseman |
| 1990-91 | Andre Charlebois | Best Defenseman |
| 1990-91 | Marc Rousseau | Best Defensive Forward |
| 1989-90 | Luc Lavictoire | Best Defenseman |
| 1989-90 | Marc Rousseau | Best Defensive Forward |
| 1989-90 | Bob Fairfield | Coach of the Year |
| 1989-90 | Bernie Dion | Most Valuable Player |
| 1988-89 | Jean Maisonnneuve | Most Sportsmanlike Player |