St. John's Jr. Celtics

The St. John's Jr. Celtics are a Canadian Junior ice hockey club from St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. They are members of the St. John's Junior Hockey League, are a former Junior A team, and were the first ever Don Johnson Cup Maritime Junior B champions in 1982.

History

Prior to 1980, junior hockey in St. John's was for the most part a Juvenile-level recreation league. Every year, an all-star team was drafted from the city and named the St. John's Jr. Capitals, after their senior team the St. John's Capitals, to compete against teams from across the province for the Veitch Memorial Trophy at either the Junior A or B level.

In 1980, the St. John's Junior Hockey League was organized and a legitimate Junior B league was formed. The winner of this league, not an all-star team, would represent the city in provincial and inter-provincial events. On of the founding members of this league was the St. John's "Brothers Rice" Jr. Celtics. In 1982, the Celtics would win their first league championship. They would win the Veitch Memorial Trophy and move on to the first ever Don Johnson Cup -- a inter-provincial Junior Championship featuring the best Junior B clubs from New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador. In the final game, the Jr. Celtics would defeat PEI's Kensington Bombers 4-3 to win the first ever championship. Newfoundland's own Don Johnson would have the honour of awarding the trophy baring his name to his own son Celtics' Michael Johnson at the first ever event.

Nine games into the 1982-83 season, the Celtics had to pullout of the league. They were mothballed in 1983-84, but would return after that year off.

In 1989, the league retracted by half and was promoted to Junior A to compete for the Manitoba Centennial Cup at a National level. The Celtics were a part of this Junior A experiment for its two seasons, but the winners of the two seasons (St. John's Jr. 50's and Avalon Jr. Capitals) did not fair well in National playdowns, and the entire league returned to Junior B in 1991.

The Jr. Celtics won the St. John's League championship in 1982, 1994, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2008, and 2011. They won the Provincial Veitch Memorial Trophy in 1982, 1995, 2001, 2003, 2008, and 2011. 1982 remains the Celtics only Don Johnson Cup.

Season-by-season record

External links

• SJJHL Website