The Blast were the winners of the 2008 Allan Cup as Canadian Senior "AAA" Champions.
History
In 2000, the Ontario Hockey Association allowed for the expansion of the first Brantford team since 1987 into Ontario's top tier of Senior hockey. The Brantford Prowl competed during the 2000-01 Southwestern Senior A Hockey League season and finished in fifth place with a record of 12 wins, 17 losses, and a tie. The team took 2001-02 off, but then re-emerged in 2002 as the Blast.
In 2002, Brantford rejoined the top tier of Ontario senior hockey this time known as the Brantford Blast. At the time, the city had the Brantford Golden Eagles in the Ontario Hockey Association, but had also lost teams, like the Brantford Alexanders of the Ontario Hockey League, who left in 1984 and the Brantford Smoke of the Colonial Hockey League, who left in 1998. The Blast would play their home games at the Brantford Civic Centre as well. The Blast have made it to the post season twice. In the 2005–06 season, when they won the league, but lost in the first round to the Dundas Real McCoys 4 games to 2. In the 2006–07 season, they placed third, defeating the Petrolia Squires 4 games to 3, and the Windsor St. Clair Saints 4 games to none to capture their first MLH Championship after a 4–3 win Monday March 12 in front of the home town crowd in Brantford.
Brantford won the J. Ross Robertson Cup for the league's playoffs championship in 2013 and 2014.[1]
The Blast's was initially withdrawn from the Allan Cup Hockey for the 2022–23 season only.[2] However, the application for the 2023-24 season was not submitted.[3]
2008 Allan Cup
The Blast finished the 2007–08 season in second place. They swept the Windsor St. Clair Saints 4-games-to-none in the Major League Hockey semi-final, but were defeated 4-games-to-2 to the Dundas Real McCoys.
The Brantford Blast were the host team of the 2008 Allan Cup, which was held in Brantford from April 14-April 19, 2008. This was also the 100th anniversary for the event, one of the reasons that the Blast wanted to host it.
The Brantford Blast became the first Ontario Hockey Association team since the Brantford Motts Clamatos, in 1987, to win the Allan Cup. As hosts of the 2008 Allan Cup, the Blast failed to win their league and were allowed to bypass the OHA Final against the Whitby Dunlops and the Renwick Cup against the Thunder Bay Hawks. After almost a months rest, the Blast competed at home for the Allan Cup and won the entire thing. After suffering their only loss of the tournament to the Shawinigan Xtreme 3–2 in the first game, the Blast defeated the Bentley Generals 5–3 to clinch second in their division. They defeated the Robertson Cup and EOSHL champion Whitby Dunlops in the quarter-final handily, 7–2. They then knocked off the Major League Hockey and Renwick Cup champion Dundas Real McCoys in the semi-final 3–2 in overtime. They met Bentley again in the final, who defeated the 2007 champions Lloydminster Border Kings and the Shawinigan Xtreme, and defeated them 3–1 to win the Canadian National Senior "AAA" crown.
Season-by-season record
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
Season
GP
W
L
T
OTL
GF
GA
P
Results
2000-01
30
12
17
1
0
--
--
25
5th SWSHL
2001-02
Did Not Participate
2002-03
31
9
21
1
0
130
189
20
5th OHA Sr. A
2003-04
32
16
11
4
1
162
141
37
5th OHA Sr. A
2004-05
34
8
25
1
0
136
195
17
6th MLH
2005-06
32
18
9
-
5
161
137
41
1st MLH
2006-07
30
15
13
-
2
156
142
32
3rd MLH
2007-08
30
21
9
-
0
131
100
42
2nd MLH
2008-09
28
13
15
-
0
127
120
26
5th MLH
2009-10
Did Not Participate
2010-11
24
13
11
-
0
133
127
26
2nd MLH
2011-12
28
17
10
-
1
148
131
35
3rd ACH
2012-13
24
20
2
-
2
148
82
42
1st ACH
2013-14
24
16
7
-
1
126
80
33
3rd ACH
2014-15
24
16
6
-
2
136
98
34
2nd ACH, Lost league final
2015-16
24
17
5
-
2
105
86
51
2nd ACH, Lost league final
2016-17
24
12
10
-
2
112
111
51
4th ACH, Lost quarterfinal
2017-18
23
8
15
-
0
103
126
24
5th ACH
2018-19
Did Not Participate
2019-20
20
11
8
-
1
105
108
31
3rd ACH, Playoffs cancelled during final with team trailing 2-0
Awards
2004/2005 - All Star Centre - Paul Polillo
2004/2005 - Most Sportsmanlike - Tyler Pelton
November 2005 - Player of the Month - Adriano Fiacconi
December 2005 - Player of the Month - Tyler Pelton
2005-06 - League All-Star Game players - Tyler Pelton, Adriano Fiacconi, Brett Leggat
