Brockville Braves

The Brockville Braves are a Junior A ice hockey team based in Brockville.^[1] The Braves compete in the Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL) as a member of the Robinson Division, which is the west division in the league. The Braves have won two Bogart Cup championships since their founding in 1963. They are the first expansion team after the league's "Original Six" Cornwall Royals, Hawkesbury Braves, Hull Hawks, Ottawa Primrose, Pembroke Lumber Kings and Smiths Falls Bears. Since the 1981–82 season, the team has played its home games at the Brockville Memorial Civic Centre, which they used to share with the Eastern Ontario Junior Hockey League's Brockville Tikis; both teams previously played at the original now-demolished Brockville Memorial Civic Centre.^[2]

The Braves' original owner was Jim Shields, who established the team with a connection to the Chicago Blackhawks organization, using their same logo and team jersey. Later owners included former NHL player Todd Gill, and currently Dustin Traylen since the 2014–15 season.^[3] Such NHLers as Larry Robinson and Wayne Simmonds amongst other famous players, have both played for the Braves in their youth career.^[4]

The Brockville Braves are the second oldest continuously operated franchise in the CCHL after the Original Six teams. In 1979, the team received national attention after being left homeless when their old arena collapsed. They played their home games in Cardinal and Rockland, Ontario until the new Brockville Memorial Civic Centre was built in 1981.

It took until 1986 for the Brockville Braves to win a CJHL championship. They clinched the Bogart Cup on a late April night, defeating their nemesis Pembroke Lumber Kings 8–7 in Game 5 of the Bogart Cup 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, 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 former 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 and his wife purchased the team and was also the head coach from 2006 to 2011. 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 (4–0) and Ottawa (4–0) to win a berth 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 previous record was held by the 1999 Vernon Vipers, who defeated the Charlottetown Abbies 9–3 in the championship game in Yorkton, Saskatchewan). 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 berth in the semi-finals against the defending RBC champions, Vernon Vipers. Vernon went on to win the game 2–0, leaving the Braves out.

During the 2010–11 season, the team was ranked third in the CCHL in home attendance with a total of 24,427 spectators, averaging 788 per game.^[5] This figure only includes the regular season games, therefore, the team has averaged 1,174 fans per game at the Brockville Memorial Civic Centre during the 2014 playoffs, which is more than the regular season attendance leaders Pembroke Lumber Kings that season.^[6]

In 2014, the Brockville Braves were sold to former CCHL goaltender Dustin Traylen, who became the owner and general manager.

Note: GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

Eastern Canada Championships
MHL - QAAAJHL - CCHL - Host
Round robin play with 2nd vs 3rd in semi-finals to advance against 1st in the finals.

* Tournament Host

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-finals and winners to finals.

CJHL Bogart Cup Championships: 1986, 1998

Eastern Canadian Fred Page Cup Championships: 1998, 2010

CJAHL Royal Bank Cup Championships: None

• Terry Carkner
• Brian Chapman
• Chris Clifford
• Mark Cornforth
• Todd Gill
• Brett Harkins
• Murray Kuntz
• Hank Lammens
• Kevin MacDonald
• Paul MacLean
• Larry Robinson
• Ray Sheppard
• Wayne Simmonds
• Gord Smith
• Trevor Stienburg

• Brockville Braves Website