The Hearst Lumberjacks are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Hearst, Ontario , Canada, under new ownership for the 2017–18 season. They are a part of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL). As the Powassan Hawks , the team won two Dudley Hewitt Cups (1992 and 1993).
34-731: In 2002, the year after the Ontario Hockey League 's North Bay Centennials moved to Saginaw, Michigan , North Bay bought the Sturgeon Falls Lynx. The team was known as the North Bay Skyhawks from 2002 to 2009. In the summer of 2009, the team was renamed the Trappers in the memory of the NOJHA 's North Bay Trappers (1962–1982) . The Powassan Hawks relocated to Sturgeon Falls, Ontario to be known as
68-534: A 68-game unbalanced schedule, which starts in the third full week of September, running until the third week of March. Ninety percent (90%) of OHL games are scheduled between Thursday and Sunday to minimize the number of school days missed for its players. Approximately 20% of players on active rosters in the National Hockey League (NHL) have come from the OHL, and about 54% of NHL players are alumni of
102-533: A federated school of Laurentian University in Sudbury . The Hearst Public Library was founded on December 17, 1974. In its beginning, the library was situated in the basement of the Hearst High School where it shared its space with the school library. On June 4, 1984, the library moved to its present location, 801 George Street (formerly Stedman's). Hearst is a four-season destination. Many years ago,
136-623: A large of majority of the interest was going towards the North Bay Battalion . Owner David Beauchamp was still being bankrolled by former owner Tim Clayden to meet team expenses, after he sold the Trappers and owned the Espanola Rivermen . With the lack of financial means, community support and sponsors, the Trappers ended up leaving North Bay at the end of the season and played their final games in Mattawa. Beauchamp claims
170-478: A public draft. This move reduced the stress and pressure that prospective players faced with a large crowd present. The Jack Ferguson Award is presented annually to the first overall selection. The award was named in honour of long time OHL scout and former Director of Central Scouting Jack Ferguson. List of trophies and awards in the Ontario Hockey League. Hearst, Ontario Hearst
204-427: A revised system. In 1973 each team was permitted to protect eight midget area players (Toronto was allowed to protect 10 players from its midget sponsored teams). In 1975 the league phased out the area protections, and the 1976 OHA midget draft was the first in which all midget players were eligible. In 1999 the league changed the draft to a bantam age (15 and 16 year old). It is a selection of players who are residents of
238-611: Is a town in the district of Cochrane , Ontario , Canada. It is located on the Mattawishkwia River in Northern Ontario , approximately 92 kilometres (57 mi) west of Kapuskasing , approximately 520 kilometres (320 mi) east of Thunder Bay along Highway 11 . At Hearst, Highway 583 extends northward to Lac-Sainte-Thérèse and southward to Jogues , Coppell and Mead . Hearst is well-known for its prevalent French-Canadian culture. Just over 96% of
272-872: Is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League . The league is for players aged 16–20. There are currently 20 teams in the OHL: seventeen in Ontario, two in Michigan , and one in Pennsylvania . The league was founded in 1980 when its predecessor, the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League, formally split away from the Ontario Hockey Association , joining
306-494: Is provided by CINN-FM , a community radio station. All other radio stations available in the community are rebroadcasters of stations from Kapuskasing , Timmins or Sudbury . Hearst used to be served by CBCC-TV and CBLFT-TV-5, rebroadcasters of the Toronto-based CBLT-DT ( CBC Television ) and CBLFT-DT ( Ici Radio-Canada Télé ) respectively, but the transmitters were shut down in 2012 due to budget cuts at
340-471: Is some indeterminacy with the name Grant as the original site of Hearst was also called Grant and was changed to Hearst in 1911. Hearst was named to honour William Howard Hearst , then Ontario Minister of Forests and Mines and later Premier of Ontario. It was incorporated in 1922. Many settlers to the town originally came from the province of Quebec . Many also came from Europe and other regions in Canada and
374-560: The Canadian Hockey League . The J. Ross Robertson Cup is awarded annually to the winner of the Championship Series. The Cup is named for John Ross Robertson , who was president of the Ontario Hockey Association from 1901 to 1905. The OHL playoffs consist of the top 16 teams in the league, 8 from each conference. The teams play a best-of-seven game series, and the winner of each series advances to
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#1732800745128408-558: The Canadian Major Junior Hockey League and its direct affiliation with Hockey Canada . The OHL traces its history of Junior A hockey back to 1933 with the partition of Junior A and B. In 1970, the OHA Junior A League was one of five Junior A leagues operating in Ontario. The OHA was promoted to Tier I Junior A for the 1970–71 season and took up the name Ontario Major Junior Hockey League . Since 1980
442-465: The 1970s the draft went through several changes. Originally the draft was for 17-year-old midgets not already associated with teams through their sponsored youth programs. In 1971 the league first allowed "underage" midgets to be picked in the first three rounds. In 1972 disagreements about the Toronto team's rights to its "Marlie" players (and Greg Neeld ) and claims to American player Mark Howe led to
476-526: The City of North Bay expelled the Trappers, but the city denied this. In March 2014, the team announced it was relocating to Mattawa, Ontario to become the Mattawa Blackhawks. Owner David Beauchamp was removed by the league in the fall over unpaid ice fees, and the team was in the hands of new ownership (TPA Sports) from Toronto to continue operations. Because of a small arena, the team's existence
510-666: The Eskis' franchise had been transferred to Hearst, Ontario . A new local ownership group led by Jonathan Blier acquired the team from Allan Donnan. The team began play out of the Claude Larose Recreation Centre in the 2017–18 season. Central Canada Jr. A Championships NOJHL – OJHL – SIJHL – Host Round-robin play with 2nd vs. 3rd in semifinal to advance against 1st in the finals. Ontario Hockey League The Ontario Hockey League ( OHL ; French : Ligue de hockey de l'Ontario ( LHO ) )
544-630: The Lynx were the considered the second-best team in the NOJHL after the departure of Parry Sound to the OPJHL. Despite the impressive 1999–00 second-place finish, the Lynx were no match for the unbeaten Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats in the league finals. In 2000–01 and 2001–02, the Sturgeon Falls Lynx finished fourth both seasons. Shortly after the North Bay Centennials moved to Saginaw, Michigan ,
578-605: The Memorial Cup was the Saginaw Spirit in 2024. The Memorial Cup has been captured 18 times by OHL/OHA teams since the tournament went to a three-league format in 1972: The Cup was also won 16 times by OHA teams in the period between 1945 and 1971: The OHL's predecessor, the OHA, had a midget and juvenile draft dating back to the 50s, until voted out in 1962. In 1966 it was resumed, though not publicized. Starting in
612-625: The Sturgeon Falls Lynx for the 1994–95 season. The Lynx were sponsored and affiliated by the North Bay Centennials. This meant, most of their equipment was from the Centennials. The Lynx were the third-best team in the NOJHL, behind the Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats and Parry Sound Shamrocks . Sturgeon Falls managed to make the finals in 1996 and 1997, but lost out to Rayside-Balfour on both occasions. In 1999,
646-542: The Sturgeon Falls Lynx immediately left the Sturgeon Falls Arena and took up tenancy at the bigger North Bay Memorial Gardens in the summer of 2002 and became the North Bay Skyhawks. The Skyhawks became immediately dominant, and won three consecutive NOJHL championships from 2003 to 2005. The Skyhawks played host to the 2004 Dudley Hewitt Cup , finishing second. The Skyhawks franchise appeared in
680-474: The USA. In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada , Hearst had a population of 4,794 living in 2,254 of its 2,373 total private dwellings, a change of -5.4% from its 2016 population of 5,070 . With a land area of 98.06 km (37.86 sq mi), it had a population density of 48.9/km (126.6/sq mi) in 2021. Hearst has a long tradition of being a "lumber town". Currently
714-537: The evolution to the Ontario Hockey League has developed through four distinct eras of junior-aged non-professional hockey in Ontario. In 1933, the junior division was divided into two levels, Junior A and Junior B. In 1970 the Junior A level was divided into two levels, Tier I (or Major Junior A) and Tier II (or Minor Junior A). In 1974 the Tier I/Major Junior A group separated from the OHA and became
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#1732800745128748-556: The former Algoma Central Railway . Hearst is the northern terminus for Ontario Northland 's coach service. Hearst has both elementary and high schools (public and Catholic). It also has the Université de Hearst , a post-secondary institution that was formerly federated with Laurentian University in Sudbury . Education can also be sought at the collegiate level with the Collège Boréal . Hearst's only local radio service
782-583: The independent Ontario Major Junior Hockey League (OMJHL). In 1980, the OMJHL became the Ontario Hockey League. The OHL split from the OHA in July 1982. The OHA and OHL disagreed on financial terms of affiliation, then the OHL decided to handle its own administration. The OHA and the OHL later reached an interim affiliation agreement, which allowed the OHL to compete at the Memorial Cup . In March 2005,
816-488: The league announced the launch of OHL Live Stream, resulting in OHL games being broadcast live on a pay-per-view (PPV) broadband basis. OMJHL and OHL Commissioners (years in office) Note: The 12 original OHL franchises were all previously members of the OMJHL. Some other franchises played in different junior leagues prior to joining the OHL. Current teams are listed in blue. Gold stars denote J. Ross Robertson Cup (League championship) winners The 20 OHL clubs play
850-585: The league finals five times from 2003 to 2009. The North Bay Skyhawks re-branded to the North Bay Trappers for the 2009–10 season. The team's performance did not vary from the Skyhawks, but would not appear in the league finals again until 2012. A year later, the Trappers would win their first league title since 2009 and played host to the 2013 Dudley Hewitt Cup, finishing fourth. As a result of an Ontario Hockey League franchise returning to North Bay,
884-453: The league has grown rapidly into a high-profile marketable product, with many games broadcast on television and radio. Leagues for ice hockey in Ontario were first organized in 1890 by the newly created Ontario Hockey Association (OHA). In 1892 the OHA recognized junior hockey - referring to skill rather than age. In 1896 the OHA moved to the modern age-limited junior hockey concept, distinct from senior and intermediate divisions. Since then
918-471: The major employers include a Greenfirst hardwood and softwood facility as well as a plywood mill operated by Columbia Forest Products . 93.7% of Hearst's population is francophone . Different cultures can be found in Hearst such as Finn , Slovak , Bulgarian , Chinese , Portuguese , Greek , Ukrainian , First Nations and also Black Canadians . The town is home to the Université de Hearst , formerly
952-620: The next round. The final two teams eventually compete for the J. Ross Robertson Cup . The OHL champion then competes with the winners of the Western Hockey League , the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League , and the host of the tournament to play for the Memorial Cup , which is awarded to the junior hockey champions of Canada. The host team of the tournament is alternated between the three leagues every season. The most recent OHL team to win
986-579: The province of Ontario, the states of Michigan, Pennsylvania and New York, and other designated U.S. states east of the Mississippi River plus Missouri. Prior to 2001, the OHL held the Priority Selection in a public forum, such as an arena. Drafts were attended by many players and family members. In 2001, the OHL decided to hold the "draft" via the internet, greatly reducing the costs the league and its member teams incurred in hosting
1020-553: The summer the team name was altered to the "Eskis" to pay homage to the Iroquois Falls Jr. Eskis , who were members of the league from 1999 to 2002. The new team did not adopt the former Jr. Eskis' colours of blue and white, and instead went with the Abitibi Eskimos colours of black, gold, and white. Despite having the third best attendance in the league the team was sold. In April 2017, the NOJHL announced that
1054-616: The tournament was almost allocated a second time. The tournament was originally awarded to Sudbury, but backed out. A deal was reached with the city where the renovations would commence at the end of the Dudley Hewitt Cup final. The Trappers had moved across the city to the West Ferris Arena, which was smaller and had under 500 seating capacity. The 2013–14 season marked the last for an NOJHL franchise in North Bay, as
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1088-475: The town proclaimed itself the Moose Capital of Canada. Local outdoor activities include fishing, hunting, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, camping, swimming, canoeing, and golf. Hearst is served by Hearst (René Fontaine) Municipal Airport . Hearst was the northern terminus for a Canadian National Railways -operated passenger train service from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario , running over the tracks of
1122-617: The town's residents speak French as their mother language, the highest proportion in Ontario, and the dialect of French in Hearst is particularly known for being nearly indistinguishable from the French spoken in Québec . The town was established as a divisional point of the National Transcontinental Railway in 1913, 208 km west of Cochrane and 201 km east of the divisional point of Grant . There
1156-682: Was questionable, despite tremendous fan support throughout the season. The Blackhawks finished second-to-last, and lost a best-of-three series to the Powassan Voodoos . In March 2015, the Abitibi Eskimos were relocating to Timmins and the Mattawa Blackhawks took advantage and relocated to Iroquois Falls to become the second-incarnation of the Eskimos, calling themselves the Iroquois Falls Eskimos. However, over
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