Richmond Sockeyes

The Richmond Sockeyes are a junior "B" ice hockey team based in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Tom Shaw Conference of the Pacific International Junior Hockey League (PIJHL). The Sockeyes play their home games at Richmond Arena. Maurice Lambert is the team's president, Richard Petrowsky is the general manager, Judd Lambert is the coach and they are captained by forward Patrick Hunter.

They were formerly a Tier II Junior "A" team in the British Columbia Hockey League from 1979-1990.

The Sockeyes joined the PIJHL in 1990 as an expansion team. In its history, the team has won the Centennial Cup once, in 1987; the Abbott Cup once, in 1987; the Doyle Cup three times, in 1977, 1979 and 1987; and the Mowat Cup three times, in 1977, 1979 and 1987. The Sockeyes have won the Keystone Cup once, in 2009; and the Cyclone Taylor Cup four times, in 1992, 2003, 2004 and 2009. They won the Fred Page Cup once, in 1987; the PJHL Championship three times, in 1977, 1978 and 1979; and the PIJHL Championship five times, in 1992, 2003, 2004, 2009 and 2011.

BCHL History

The Sockeyes were founded in the Pacific Junior A Hockey League in 1972. As PJHL Champions, the Sockeyes defeated the BCJHL Champions in 1977 and 1979 for the Mowat Cup as British Columbia Junior "A" hockey champions. In 1977 the Sockeyes lost out to the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League's Prince Albert Raiders for the Abbott Cup as Western Canadian Champions after winning the Doyle Cup as Alberta/BC Champions.

In 1979, the PJHL merged with the BCJHL and along with it came the Richmond Sockeyes. From 1979 until 1990, the Sockeyes finished first place in the league 3 times and won the league in 1987. After winning the league, they defeated the Peace Cariboo Junior Hockey League's Quesnel Millionaires 2-games-to-none to win the Mowat Cup. Then they defeated the Red Deer Rustlers of the Alberta Junior Hockey League for the Doyle Cup 4-games-to-3. They moved on from there to beat the Humboldt Broncos of the SJHL to win the Abbott Cup and to earn a birth to the Centennial Cup.

They started out on their the National title quest by beating the Dartmouth Fuel Kids of the Metro Valley Junior Hockey League 7-3. They then lost out to host Humboldt Broncos 6-1. They pulled themselves together in the final game of the Round Robin to defeat the Central Junior A Hockey League's Pembroke Lumber Kings 4-1. The next day, Richmond and Pembroke squared off again, resulting in a 9-3 victory for the Sockeyes. This set up a Humboldt-Richmond final, their ninth game against each other in less than a month. The Richmond Sockeyes came out strong and pulled off a 5-2 victory to clinch their only National title.

In 1990, the town of Chilliwack, British Columbia bought the franchise rights to the team and created the Chilliwack Chiefs to make up for the Chilliwack Eagles ownership moving to Ladner, British Columbia. The Sockeyes reformed in the Junior "B" Pacific International Junior Hockey League.

PIJHL History

The team won the Bronze in the Keystone Cup in 2003 after missing out on the title game based on goal-ratio.[1]

The next year, 2004, they again won the PIJHL league championship, the Cyclone Taylor Cup provincial championship and this time placed 2nd in the Keystone Cup.

In 2009 the Sockeyes won the PIJHL league championship, the Cyclone Taylor Cup provincial championship, and the Keystone Cup.

In the 2010-11 PIJHL season, the Sockeyes won the PIJHL championship over the Abbotsford Pilots 4-games-to-none.

Season-by-season record

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

NHL alumni

Awards and trophies

External links

• Official website of the Richmond Sockeyes
• Official website of the Pacific International Junior Hockey League
• Official website of the Cyclone Taylor Cup
• Official website of the Keystone Cup