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Muskoka Bears (PJHL)

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The Muskoka Bears are a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in Bracebridge , Ontario , Canada . They play in the Provincial Junior Hockey League (PJHL).

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33-754: There have been Multiple junior hockey teams in Bracebridge. The last time Bracebridge had a junior C team was the Bracebridge Bears 1974-78. In between the Jr C affiliations Bracebridge had junior teams involved with the independent Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League and the Canadian International Hockey League .The Phantoms were announced on April 14, 2012, by the GMHL. In 2014, after a rough season and some ownership woes,

66-804: A Nipissing/Ville-Marie combined squad. The only loss for a GMHL team happened to the Toronto Canada Moose . In the summer of 2010, the GMHL expanded in two fashions internationally. First, Canada 's only All-Russian team in the Shelburne Red Wings and then late in the summer they expanded to the United States through the expansion of the Jamestown Jets . On September 17, 2010, the GMHL played its first international regulation game, in Jamestown, New York between

99-824: A regular season game, known as the North Shore Winter Classic, between the Elliot Lake Bobcats and Algoma Avalanche on January 29, 2011. This is the first known regulation outdoor game in Ontario in the modern era. Elliot Lake would win the game 8–2 in front of an estimated 400 fans. At the conclusion of the 2011–12 season, the league lost the Elliot Lake Bobcats to the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League . Relocation of teams and expansion

132-581: A regulation loss with a 6-5 victory. The Thunder finished the 2006-07 season in fourth place. They drew the South Muskoka Shield in the playoff quarter-final. The Thunder swept the Shield 4-games-to-none and summoned the resting first place Bradford Rattlers . The Rattlers drew a bye in the quarter-final and showed considerable rust in the semi-final versus the Thunder. The Thunder shocked

165-486: The Bradford Rattlers and South Muskoka Shield being thrown out in the semifinal round. An incident, both on-ice and later off-ice, involving a player from each team and later two more players and a parent from one team entering the altercation, resulted in a police investigation and one team refusing to continue. The league disqualified both teams after the game failed to continue. Since the 2012 tournament,

198-656: The Brock Bucks . At the same time, the Quebec -based Temiscaming Royals walked away from the league to join the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League , but were replaced within weeks by the Ville-Marie Dragons . In December 2008 and January 2009, eight teams of the GMHL hosted Kazakhstan 's Under-18 Torpedo UST-Kamenogorsk squad. Victorious were the Elliot Lake Bobcats (twice), South Muskoka Shield , King Wild , Bradford Rattlers , Innisfil Lakers , and

231-535: The Canadian Junior Hockey League or sanctioned by Hockey Canada . The league, founded by Bob Russell and Hockeyworks International Ltd., opened its doors in early 2006, with a unique concept and approach to improving the standard of developing young hockey players within a Junior 'A' league format setting. A draft showcase event took place from May 5 until May 7, 2006 with players from Canada, United States, and Europe taking up residence at

264-655: The Greater Metro Junior 'A' Hockey League . The Thunder filled a gap left since 1998 in the Deseronto community. The Quinte Hawks of the Metro Junior A Hockey League left a troubled legacy in the town of Deseronto. The team moved to Bancroft, Ontario after the Metro folded in 1998. In early 2006, it became quite apparent that hockey was coming back to the town. As a member of the new renegade GMHL,

297-481: The Greater Toronto Area , Central Ontario , Northeastern Ontario , and Quebec . As of December 2019, the league's alumni page lists 889 players from 2006 to 2019 who graduated from the GMHL to play for NCAA colleges, various professional leagues, major junior teams, or represented their country in various IIHF World Championships . The GMHL is an independent junior league and is not a member of

330-467: The Jamestown Jets and Sturgeon Falls Lumberjacks , both expansion teams to the league for the 2010–11 season. Jamestown won the game 4–3. In December 2010, the GMHL named Bob Bernstein commissioner. After serving as commissioner for seven days, Bernstein was relieved of his duties and Ken Girard later resumed as full-time commissioner. In mid-January 2011, it was announced that the town of Iron Bridge, Ontario and its 500-seat outdoor arena would host

363-898: The King Wild and Richmond Hill Rams played two games each against the Mexico national ice hockey team . The Wild won both their games, while the Rams lost both of theirs. For the 2008–09 season, the GMJHL adopted much of the National Collegiate Athletic Association 's ice hockey rulebook. The GMJHL added the Minden Riverkings and the Oro-Medonte 77's to the mix, and the Dukes relocated to become

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396-561: The King Wild and the Richmond Hill Rams . The final result was a 6–0 victory for the Rams, despite being badly outshot by the Wild. The first goal in the league's history was scored by the Rams' Darren Archibald (future Vancouver Canucks prospect) on the power play during the first period. Rams' goaltender Daniel Jones picked up the historical first victory, as well as the league's first shutout in history. On November 15, 2006,

429-767: The Seguin Huskies . The Force and Schooners both folded during the season without winning a game. After one season following the Islanders merge, the Seguin Huskies folded in 2018. The GMHL also added two teams originally in the Canadian Premier Junior Hockey League in the Niagara-on-the-Lake Nationals and Ottawa Sharpshooters for 2018–19. The Wiarton Schooners returned but folded midseason for

462-509: The 2006-07 season has drawn an enthusiastic response from the Deseronto community. Large crowds have been attending the games. The Thunder have been putting up decent results. At the Christmas break of the 2006-07 season, the Thunder are sitting at a slightly better than .500 record and are looking good for a decent playoff seed at this point. On January 21, 2007, the Thunder ended the Bradford Rattlers record 31 game streak of games without

495-776: The 2013–14 season, and were renamed the Shelburne Stars. However, the Stars did not play in 2014–15 and changed their name to the Shelburne Sharks and began play in 2015–16. In May 2015, the Rama Aces took a leave of absence but never returned. In November 2015, the Brantford Steelfighters suspended their operations after 18 games. The Shelburne Sharks returned as the Shelburne Stars in June 2016, but

528-489: The Deseronto Thunder would not be returning to the GMHL. The Thunder became the first team in GMHL history to fold. Despite having some of the best crowds in the GMHL, the Thunder seemed to have suffered from financial difficulties. Many players were traded away before the announcement, but with the folding all carded players were officially released. On June 15, 2007, GMJHL President Bob Russell announced that

561-651: The GMJHL announced its affiliation with the World Hockey Association and creation of the National Junior Hockey Alliance . The affiliation resulted in a national championship between the GMJHL playoff champion and the winner of the WHA Junior West Hockey League after the 2006–07 season. The first ever regular season of the GMJHL concluded on February 25, 2007 with the Bradford Rattlers leading

594-527: The Hockeyworks' World Hockey Centre near Shelburne, Ontario to take part in the league's first tryout camp. As of September 2006, it became clear that the league would operate its first season with seven teams. The original seven were the Bradford Rattlers , Deseronto Thunder , King Wild , Nipissing Alouettes , Richmond Hill Rams , South Muskoka Shield , and Toronto Canada Moose . The league's first ever game took place on September 8, 2006 between

627-606: The Moscow team played against different GMJHL clubs. The Bradford Rattlers were at a 28-game streak of games without a regulation loss (from the start of a season) on January 6, 2008, closing in on their record of 31. For the second season in a row Deseronto dug their heals into the ground and stopped the Rattlers' streak cold with a 5-3 win. As of that date, the Rattlers were given only their second regulation loss in 76 regular season games. After three years of playoff contentions

660-648: The Muskoka Bears as an expansion team starting in the 2024 season. The team was placed in the North Conference in the Carruthers Division. This Ontario ice hockey team-related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League The Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League ( GMHL ) is a Canadian developmental junior ice hockey league. The league has primarily had teams in

693-550: The National Junior Hockey League (NJHL). Bolded are overall regular season champions. Bolded are overall champions, Italics are finalist. Since 2009, the GMHL has had a mid-season prospect tournament. Generally, the top seven teams of the league compete in the tournament with an eighth team, the GMHL Selects representing the other teams in the league. The 2012 tournament featured both

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726-586: The Rattlers and the entire league by taking an early 2-games-to-none lead in the series. The Rattlers regained their legs in game three and battled through 4 extremely tight games to end the Thunders first trip to the playoffs with a 4-games-to-2 series win. The Rattlers went on to win the Russell Cup as league champions and the Alliance Cup as NJHA champions. On June 10, 2007, it was announced that

759-466: The Thunder hope to bring junior hockey back to Deseronto for good. The Deseronto Thunder's first ever game took place on September 9, 2006 against the South Muskoka Shield in Deseronto, Ontario . The Thunder were victorious, romping the Shield by a score of 8-1. The first goal scored in Thunder history was scored by Mitchell Wood. Brad Mallen picked up the historical first victory in net. So far,

792-465: The league changed the format to a prospect weekend with no championship rounds. *Min. 11 games, except 2020-21 due to COVID-19 (6 games). *Records reflect teams playing full 42-game schedule. Deseronto Thunder The Deseronto Storm were a Junior ice hockey team based in Deseronto, Ontario , Canada. They played in the Empire B Junior C Hockey League but are former original members of

825-656: The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and no champion was named. The following 2020–21 season did not take place as scheduled due to pandemic restrictions in Ontario and Quebec, with six teams playing only two games each in December 2020. The four teams in the GMHL West were able to play a partial season and a playoff in May 2021. In 2023, all teams from the GMHL West were removed by the league, which then formed their own league called

858-648: The ownership of the team had been transferred to the Town of Deseronto and that the team will return in 2007-08, but under a new name. In late June, it was announced that the team would now be called the Deseronto Storm. On January 1, 2008, the Storm hosted the Moscow Selects All-star team in an exhibition game. The Selects won the game by a score of 7-1. This was the seventh and final game that

891-662: The season. The Orangeville Ice Crushers would also suspend operations in January 2017 and all remaining games against Orangeville were considered forfeits. For 2017–18, the league added the Fergus Force, Ville-Marie Pirates, Wiarton Schooners, and Windsor Aces while losing the Toronto Attack . In late August 2017, the Parry Sound Islanders announced they were taking a leave of absence and merged with

924-668: The second consecutive season, and third consecutive midseason GMHL team folding in the town of Wiarton. In 2019, the league added the Western Provinces Hockey Association (WPHA) as a Western Division in the GMHL for the 2019–20 season, which then rebranded as the GMHL West. The WPHA had played the previous season in the Western States Hockey League as the Provinces Division. The 2020 playoffs were then curtailed by

957-819: The team folded soon afterwards. The Sturgeon Falls Lumberjacks re-branded as the West Nipissing Lynx, but remained in Sturgeon Falls. Early into the 2016–17 season, the Toronto Blue Ice Jets were removed from the schedule in the first week, the Bracebridge Blues in the fifth week, the Komoka Dragons in the seventh week, the Lincoln Mavericks in the twelfth week, and Wiarton Rock in the fifteenth week of

990-559: The team was supposed to move out of the GMHL and into the rival Canadian International Hockey League . The GMHL ownership stepped in and stopped the move. In April 2014, the ownership of the team was changed by the league and the team became the Bracebridge Blues. After playing five games and forfeiting the sixth game of the 2016–17 season, the Blues were removed from the GMHL schedule. The Provincial Junior Hockey League announced

1023-786: The team was transferred to the town. The team is now known as the Deseronto Storm . On December 11, 2007, the GMJHL announced a seven-game challenge series versus a Russian team known as the Moscow Selects. In late December and early January, the top seven teams of the GMJHL will compete against the Moscow Selects—a mixture of top Top Junior talent from the City of Moscow . The Selects played seven games, against Bradford, Innisfil, Temiscaming, Elliot Lake, Richmond Hill, Deseronto, and South Muskoka, winning each game. In March 2008,

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1056-688: The way as regular season champs with a record of 37 wins, 1 regulation loss, and 4 overtime losses. In the playoffs, the Rattlers beat the Deseronto Thunder in six games, and then the King Wild in five games to win the first ever Russell Cup as playoff champions. In September 2007, the GMJHL started its second season with six new teams, the Douro Dukes , Elliot Lake Bobcats , Espanola Kings , Innisfil Lakers , Tamworth Cyclones , and Temiscaming Royals . The Deseronto Thunder ran into financial trouble after their first season and ownership of

1089-416: Was busier than ever in 2014. The Mattawa Voyageurs moved to Sundridge to make way for an NOJHL team. The Powassan Eagles moved to Parry Sound to make way for an NOJHL team. The league expanded rapidly with a total of 15 new teams in the off-season of 2014 and 2015. There was a total of 30 teams, with a total of six teams playing in the same market (two teams per town). The Shelburne Red Wings were sold after

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