Mount Forest Patriots

Mount Forest Patriots
City Mount Forest, Ontario[1]
League Western Junior C Hockey League[2]
Founded 1987[1]
Home arena Mount Forest & District Sportsplex[3]
Colours Black, Green, Yellow, and White
General manager Rob Nixon[4]
Head coach Lee McMullen[4]

The Mount Forest Patriots are a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in Mount Forest, Ontario, Canada.[1] They play in the Western Junior C Hockey League (WJCHL).[2]

History

With their expansion into the Ontario Hockey Association in 1987,[1] the Patriots served as a catalyst for the genesis of the Grey-Bruce Junior "C" Hockey League (GBJHL) into the WJCHL. Until 1987, all teams in the GBJHL were from Grey County and Bruce County. Mount Forest, at the Southern border of Grey County, is actually a part of Wellington County and therefore rendered the GBJHL inadequate.[1] The expansion of the Pats came soon after the folding of the Markdale Mohawks[5] and the Arthur Eagles,[6] two local Junior "D" teams.

Following nine years of WJCHL domination by the Hanover Barons,[7] the Patriots came into their own. The team won three consecutive league titles from 1994 until 1996,[8] but could not surpass the Belle River Canadiens (1994),[9] Bowmanville Eagles (1995),[10] or the Paris Mounties (1996)[8] in the early rounds of the All-Ontario Championship to win the Clarence Schmalz Cup. In 1998, the Patriots were designated the farm team of the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League's Durham Huskies.[11] This relationship resulted in the Patriots fielding the first Russian to play in the WJCHL, Valentine Lidvanov,[12] however the teams' affiliation was severed in 2001 when the Huskies left the OPJHL to join the WJCHL.[13] The Huskies were granted leave from the OPJHL,[14] but were voted out of the WJCHL before they could play a game.[13]

The Pats have struggled to obtain their first winning season since 1998. None-the-less, the community of Mount Forest stands firmly behind them, often filling the arena at home games.

The 2004-05 season ended with the Mount Forest Patriots on the outside looking in. At the very end of the season, the upstart Goderich Sailors jumped ahead of the Patriots to take control of the fourth playoff seed and leaving the Patriots eliminated from the playoffs.[15]

In 2005-06, the Patriots finished in last place overall but took advantage of an expanded playoff format introduced that season. The playoffs did not last long though as the Hanover Barons swept the Patriots in the league quarter-final 2-games-to-none.[15]

The 2006-07 season ended with the Patriots back up in the fifth seed. They challenged the Hanover Barons in the league quarter-final and were defeated 3-games-to-1.[15]

Season-by-Season Standings

Season GP W L T OTL GF GA P Results Playoffs
1987-88 30 11 14 5 - 129 132 27 4th GBJCHL
1988-89 30 12 13 5 - 149 148 29 4th WJCHL
1989-90 30 13 15 2 - 156 180 28 4th WJCHL
1990-91 30 8 18 4 - 110 126 20 6th WJCHL
1991-92 29 9 16 4 - 121 142 22 5th WJCHL
1992-93 29 9 17 3 - 138 170 21 5th WJCHL
1993-94 32 22 6 4 - -- -- 48 1st WJCHL Won League
1994-95 29 21 3 5 - 102 74 47 1st WJCHL Won League
1995-96 30 22 6 2 - 179 95 46 2nd WJCHL Won League
1996-97 30 15 10 5 - 158 141 35 3rd WJCHL
1997-98 36 11 21 4 - 145 164 26 5th WJCHL
1998-99 36 11 18 7 - 103 134 29 5th WJCHL
1999-00* 34 8 22 4 - 91 157 20 5th WJCHL
2000-01 39 19 17 3 - 152 149 41 3rd WJCHL
2001-02 34 18 13 3 - 126 107 39 4th WJCHL
2002-03 35 10 24 - 1 92 168 21 5th WJCHL
2003-04 33 10 22 1 0 127 154 21 5th WJCHL Lost Semi-final
2004-05 40 8 28 4 0 140 225 20 5th WJCHL DNQ
2005-06 38 4 32 2 0 83 232 10 6th WJCHL Lost Quarter-final
2006-07 40 6 32 0 2 126 244 14 5th WJCHL Lost Quarter-final
2007-08 40 4 35 - 1 102 267 9 5th WJCHL
2008-09 36 1 34 - 1 70 265 3 7th WJCHL
2009-10 36 7 27 - 2 98 173 16 6th WJCHL Lost Quarter-final
2010-11 36 10 22 - 4 111 166 24 6th WJCHL Lost Quarter-final
2011-12 36 14 21 - 1 130 156 29 6th WJCHL Lost Quarter-final
2012-13 36 16 17 - 3 162 158 35 5th WJCHL Lost Semi-final
2013-14 35 18 14 - 3 157 162 39 3rd WJCHL Lost Quarter-final
2014-15 36 16 20 0 - 160 146 32 5th WJCHL Lost Quarter - 2-4 - (Bulldogs)

(*) The 1999-00 Season was altered drastically due to the folding of the Lakeshore Pirates. As a disproportionate amount of games had been played by each team against Lakeshore, all history of these games were erased. If they had been included, the Patriots' record against the Pirates was 4-0-0.[16]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Mount Forest Patriots
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Western C Teams | Western Junior C Hockey League | Junior C | Leagues | Ontario Hockey Association
  3. ↑ http://www.ohahockey.org/files/document/file_name/9700/MFPatriots_Schedule_Regular2007-08.pdf
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 [http://www.windsorstar.com/sports/Mullin+coach+patriots/3154646/story.html>]
  5. ↑ MarkdaleJuniors
  6. ↑ AncasterShamrocks
  7. ↑ Welcome To The Home of the Hanover Barons
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Mount Forest Confederate Sports Section, March 1996
  9. ↑ Mount Forest Confederate Sports Section, March 1994
  10. ↑ Mount Forest Confederate Sports Section, March 1995
  11. ↑ The Durham Chronicle Sports Section, August 1998
  12. ↑ Owen Sound Sun Times Sports Section, November 1998
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 The Durham Chronicle Sports Section, April 2001
  14. ↑ The Durham Chronicle Sports Section, February 2001
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Home | Ontario Hockey Association
  16. ↑ Owen Sound Sun Times Sports Section, November 1999.
  17. ↑ Owen Sound Sun Times Sports Section final standings
  18. ↑ Mount Forest Confederate Sports Section final standings
  19. ↑ Owen Sound Sun Times Sports Section for Goal totals
  20. ↑ Home | Ontario Hockey Association

External links