1996–97 OPJHL season

1996–97 OPJHL season
LeagueOntario Provincial Junior A Hockey League
SportHockey
DurationRegular season
1996-09 – 1997-02
Playoffs
1997-02 – 1997-04
Number of teams22
Finals championsMilton Merchants
OPJHL seasons

The 1996–97 OPJHL season is the fourth season of the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League (OPJHL). The twenty-two teams of the MacKenzie, MacKinnon, Phillips, and Ruddock Divisions competed in a 51-game schedule. The top 4 teams of each division make the playoffs.

The winner of the OPJHL playoffs, the Milton Merchants, lost the 1997 Buckland Cup and Dudley Hewitt Cup to the Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League.[1]

Changes

Final standings


Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; OTL = Overtime losses; SL = Shootout losses; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; PTS = Points; x = clinched playoff berth; y = clinched division title; z = clinched conference title

MacKenzie Division
Team GP W L T GF GA P
Bramalea Blues 51 36 12 3 263 154 76
Brampton Capitals 51 35 14 2 280 183 73
Mississauga Chargers 51 29 19 3 234 220 62
St. Michael's Buzzers 51 26 22 3 210 173 59
Streetsville Derbys 51 19 26 6 212 222 45
Vaughan Vipers 51 16 33 2 179 272 35
MacKinnon Division
Team GP W L T GF GA P
Milton Merchants 51 37 9 5 319 169 81
Hamilton Kilty 51 32 14 5 286 218 70
Oakville Blades 51 22 28 1 218 233 50
Burlington Cougars 51 14 34 3 188 273 32
Georgetown Raiders 51 3 47 1 140 375 10
Phillips Division
Team GP W L T GF GA P
Newmarket 87's 51 43 5 3 313 135 89
Collingwood Blues 51 28 18 5 249 206 62
Orillia Terriers 50 25 21 4 201 194 56
Lindsay Muskies 51 17 29 5 188 247 42
Stouffville Spirit 50 8 41 1 167 295 19
Ruddock Division
Team GP W L T GF GA P
Kingston Voyageurs 51 42 7 2 313 138 87
Peterborough Jr. Petes 51 29 19 3 219 182 64
Ajax Axemen 51 21 28 2 212 258 45
Bowmanville Eagles 51 15 31 5 215 285 37
Trenton Sting 51 16 32 3 192 278 36
Cobourg Cougars 51 11 35 5 190 278 29

1996-97 OPJHL Playoffs

This article is about the Central Canada Championship. For Dudley Hewitt Cup, see the national championship. For 1997 Royal Bank Cup, see 1996–97 OPJHL season (disambiguation).

Division Semi-final

Newmarket 87's defeated Bowmanville Eagles 4-games-to-2
Kingston Voyageurs defeated Ajax Axemen 4-games-to-none
Peterborough Jr. Petes defeated Lindsay Muskies 4-games-to-2
Collingwood Blues defeated Orillia Terriers 4-games-to-2
Milton Merchants defeated Streetsville Derbys 4-games-to-none
Brampton Capitals defeated St. Michael's Buzzers 4-games-to-2
Mississauga Chargers defeated Hamilton Kiltys 4-games-to-2

Division Final

Newmarket 87's defeated Collingwood Blues 4-games-to-none
Kingston Voyageurs defeated Peterborough Jr. Petes 4-games-to-1
Milton Merchants defeated Mississauga Chargers 4-games-to-none
Bramalea Blues defeated Brampton Capitals 4-games-to-2

Semi-final

Newmarket 87's defeated Kingston Voyageurs 4-games-to-1
Milton Merchants defeated Bramalea Blues 4-games-to-3

Final

Milton Merchants defeated Newmarket 87's 4-games-to-3

OHA Buckland Cup and Dudley Hewitt Cup Championship

Best-of-7

Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats (NOJHL) defeated Milton Merchants 4-games-to-1
Milton 4 - Rayside-Balfour 0
Rayside-Balfour 4 - Milton 3 OT
Rayside-Balfour 5 - Milton 3
Rayside-Balfour 9 - Milton 2
Rayside-Balfour 4 - Milton 1

Scoring leaders

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes

Player Team GP G A Pts
Ryan Vince Kingston Voyageurs 51 54 81 135
Scott Cameron Kingston Voyageurs 48 51 61 112
Eric Ellis Hamilton Red Wings 50 50 62 112
Dan Kerluke Brampton Capitals 51 62 48 110
Ron Baker Milton/Bowmanville 49 43 62 105
Scott Stephens Newmarket 87's 44 43 60 103
Chris Stevenson Hamilton Red Wings 51 51 49 100
Darren Haydar Milton Merchants 51 32 68 100

See also

References

  1. ^ "Shaw Communications".
Preceded by OJHL seasons Succeeded by