Brockville Braves


The Brockville Braves are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Brockville, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of the Central Canada Hockey League. Such NHLer's as Larry Robinson and current player Wayne Simmonds of the New Jersey Devils amongst other famous players have all played for the Braves.

History

The Brockville Braves are the oldest continuously operated franchise in the CCHL. In 1979, the team received national attention after being left homeless from an arena collapse. They played their home games at Cardinal and Rockland.
It took until 1986 for the Brockville Braves to win a CJHL championships. They clinched the Bogart Cup on a late April night, defeating their nemesis Pembroke 8-7 in the finals. Braves' goalie Jacques Breault was the hero, as with 22 seconds to go in the game, turned away a penalty shot by the league's all-time leading scorer Luc Chabot. Although losing to Orillia in the Ontario playdowns, the team was a memorable one. Notable members of this team were all-time Braves leading scorer Larry Mitchell, Breault, Paul Duford, Tim Dubas, Dan Nummikoski, Steve Rachwal, Chad Badawey and Rob White.
Since that championship, the team has experienced more bad times than good. The late 1980s and early 1990s were not good to the Braves, who failed to make the playoffs multiple times.
In 1997, times began to change for the better again. The Braves competed in and won in Quebec, the Fred Page Cup, the Eastern Canadian Junior "A" championship. This allowed for their team to compete in the event and give them the experience they needed for the next season. The Braves regained their league title in 1998, bringing the club around full circle.
Former NHLer Todd Gill purchased the Brockville Braves and has been the head coach since 2006-07. He helped bring the Fred Page Cup to Brockville for the first time for 2010. Gill played in the NHL from 1984 to 2003 playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs, San Jose Sharks, Detroit Red Wings, Phoenix Coyotes, and St. Louis Blues. Former Braves head coach Mike McCourt was recently named head coach of the OHL's Niagara Ice Dogs for 2009-10. McCourt was head coach with Brockville from 2003 to 2006.
In 2009-2010, the Braves established a league record for most consecutive wins with 26. Brockville completed easy series wins over Kemptville and Ottawa to win a birth in the finals against the Pembroke Lumber Kings - as predicted by many CJHL followers. However, it was Pembroke that made CJHL history by winning four-consecutive Art Bogart Cup championships knocking off the Braves in 5 games. Despite, the finals loss to the Lumber Kings, the Braves won the Fred Page Cup against the Lumber Kings in an all-league finals tilt as the Braves won 5-1. At the Royal Bank Cup in Dauphin, Manitoba, the Braves broke a Royal Bank Cup record the highest margin of victory by defeating the Oakville Blades 11-2.. The Braves would still have to win their last game against the La Ronge Ice Wolves, in which they did 6-3 to earn a birth in the semi-finals against the defending RBC champions, Vernon Vipers. Vernon went on to win the game 2-0, leaving the Braves out.
In 2014, the Brockville Braves were sold to former CCHL goaltender Dustin Traylen, who became the general manager. The previous owner was Todd Gill, who sold the Braves because he got a coaching job with the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League in 2011.

Season-by-season record

Note: GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
SeasonGP W L T OTLGF GA PointsFinishPlayoffs
1963-643211201-----237th OHDJHLLost Quarter-final
1964-653616164-165141367th CJHLLost Quarter-final
1965-663619161-188175395th CJHLLost Quarter-final
1966-675019256-173218443rd CJHLLost Semi-final
1967-684025114-193152541st CJHLLost Semi-final
1968-694013243-166183294th CJHLLost Semi-final
1969-704022135-180156492nd CJHL
1970-714816293-174244354th CJHL
1971-724824222-198181503rd CJHL
1972-735526272-273290543rd CJHL
1973-745016295-234322375th CJHL
1974-755010364-218329246th CJHL
1975-7650172310-204212444th CJHL
1976-7750172013-252270475th CJHL
1977-784810326-165268265th CJHL
1978-79489381-205349195th CJHL
1979-805010355-209391255th CJHL
1980-815020246-183223464th CJHL
1981-825019274-237281425th CJHL
1982-834822188-248198523rd CJHL
1983-845426208-315245602nd CJHL
1984-8554371511364237762nd CJHL
1985-8660411720360285841st CJHLWon League
1986-8752162934213309397th CJHL
1987-8856351632335224753rd CJHL
1988-8956371405322230792nd CJHL
1989-905638846377256822nd CJHL
1990-9150123215139327309th CJHL
1991-9257134112211346299th CJHL
1992-9357192945235297478th CJHL
1993-9457242838279275597th CJHL
1994-9554262422222219568th CJHL
1995-9656252720249247522nd in Yzerman
1996-9753281870234206633rd in Yzerman
1997-9856361193283222841st in YzermanWon League, Won FPC
1998-9954391140294190821st in Yzerman
1999-0056391250285221831st in Yzerman
2000-015594330167295225th in Yzerman
2001-02551235110213302355th in Yzerman
2002-0355212770226274502nd in Yzerman
2003-0455272161223219615th
2004-0557341382214162783rd in Yzerman
2005-0659292253213201663rd in YzermanLost Quarter-final
2006-0755282061201190632nd in YzermanLost Quarter-final
2007-0860381831270196803rd CJHLLost Semi-final
2008-09603620-4240185764th CJHL
2009-1062528-23081401061st CJHLLost Final, Won FPC
2010-11624415-3233160913rd CCHLLost Semi-final
2011-12624117-4242186863rd CCHLLost Quarter-final
2012-13623520-7215192776th CCHLLost Quarter-final
2013-14623524-3216200735th CCHLLost Quarter-final
2014-1562312533215219686th CCHLLost Quarter-final
2015-1662401912197161833rd of 6 Robinson
4th of 12 CCHL		Won Quarterfinal, 4-0
Lost Semifinals 0-4
2016-1762332612179162695th of 6 Robinson
6th of 12 CCHL		Lost Quarterfinal, 1-4
2017-1862382022210160802nd of 6 Robinson
3rd of 12 CCHL		Won Quarterfinal 4-0
Lost Semifinals 3-4

Fred Page Cup

Eastern Canada Championships
MHL - QAAAJHL - CCHL - Host
Round robin play with 2nd vs 3rd in semi-final to advance against 1st in the finals.
YearRound RobinRecordStandingSemiFinalGold Medal Game
2010W, Woodstock Slammers 6-0
W, Pembroke Lumber Kings 2-1
W, Terrebonne Cobras 5-2		3-0-01st of 4n/aW, Pembroke Lumber Kings 5-1
Fred Page Cup Champions
advance to Royal Bank Cup
1998?, Restigouche River Rats ?-?
?, Coaticook Frontaliers ?-?
?, Kanata Valley Lasers ?-?		?-?-??? of 4n/aW, Restigouche River Rats 4-1
Fred Page Cup Champions
advance to Royal Bank Cup
1997 *OTL, Longueuil Collège Français 5-6
OTW, Summerside Western Capitals 5-4
?, Kanata Valley Lasers ?-?		1-2-03rd of 4L, Longueuil Collège Français ?-?n/a

* Tournament Host

Royal Bank Cup

CANADIAN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Dudley Hewitt Champions - Central, Fred Page Champions - Eastern, Western Canada Cup Champions - Western, Western Canada Cup - Runners Up and Host
Round robin play with top 4 in semi-final and winners to finals.
YearRound RobinRecordStandingSemifinalGold Medal Game
2010W, Oakville Blades 11-2
L, Dauphin Kings 2-3
L, Vernon Vipers 2-4
W, La Ronge Ice Wolves 6-3		2-23rd of 5L, Vernon Vipers 0-2n/a
1998OTL, Nanaimo Clippers 4-3
L, Weyburn Red Wings 1-5
L, Milton Merchants 2-5
L, South Surrey Eagles 2-9		0-45th of 5-

Championships

Notable alumni