National Ringette League

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the professional ringette league. For Australian rugby league, see National Rugby League. For other uses, see NRL (disambiguation).
National Ringette League
Current season, competition or edition:
Current sports event
National Ringette League .jpg
SportRingette
Founded2004
No. of teams15
Country Canada
Most recent
champion(s)
  • (2018-2019)
Most titlesCambridge Turbos (6 times)
Official websiteNRL.ca
Jocelyne Landry and Josee Doiron racing down the ice in a game against Richmond Hill Lightning on October 28th, 2018

The National Ringette League (NRL) is the top level sports league for the sport of ringette in Canada and Canada's national league for elite ringette players aged 18+. It is the only winter team sports league in North America whose entire elite athlete roster involves players who are female rather than male. Because the NRL's players specialize in ringette, a sport created for female athletes, the NRL is not a derivative of a more popular men's game or league like the professional Premier Hockey Federation.

The NRL is guided by the sport's national non-profit sports organization, , and operates as a showcase league. All NRL players are unpaid and the majority of the players come from Canada with a few originating from the United States, Finland, and other countries.

The Jeanne Sauvé Memorial Cup, named after Canada's first female Governor General, is the league's championship trophy and is awarded annually to the league playoff champion at the end of each season.

The National Ringette League playoffs are the knockout match, round robin and tournament for determining the champion for the league. The final competition for the National Ringette League is held annually at the Canadian Ringette Championships.

As of 2021, the league has completed sixteen seasons of play. The 2019-2020 and 2020–2021 seasons were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the 2018–2019 season, the NRL consisted of fifteen teams in two conferences - a western conference of five teams and an eastern conference of ten. The eastern conference is divided separately into the Red and White divisions.

Canada's Rick Mercer visited the National Ringette League's Cambridge Turbos in 2009 to shoot an episode about ringette in Canada.[1]

History[]

League beginnings and inaugural season[]

February 12, 2012: Montreal Mission player taking a free pass

Ringette is a Canadian sport that was first introduced in 1963 in North Bay, Ontario.[2] For ten years, play was confined to Ontario and Quebec, however the sport spread quickly and is now played by over 30,000 players and involves over 50,000 participants[3] across Canada.

It wasn't until the success of the 2002 World Ringette Championships in Edmonton, Alberta when Canada won the gold medal that the desire to create, establish and organize the National Ringette League emerged.

The first NRL season began in November 2004 with seventeen teams. There wasn't a championship match after the first NRL season.

Awards and honours[]

Jeanne Sauvé Memorial Cup[]

The Jeanne Sauvé Memorial Cup is the championship trophy awarded annually to the winning team in the National Ringette League and is named after Jeanne Mathilde Sauvé (née Benoît), the late Governor General of Canada and the first female Governor General in the nation's history.

The final competition for the National Ringette League is held annually at the Canadian Ringette Championships. The winning team in the NRL division is awarded the Jeanne Sauvé Memorial Cup[4] named after the late Governor General of Canada, Jeanne Sauvé. Initially coined the Jeanne Sauvé Cup, and initiated in December 1984, it was first presented at the 1985 Canadian Ringette Championships in Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Québec. It is now called the Jeanne Sauvé Memorial Cup in memory of the late Governor General of Canada.

NRL Annual Award nominees[]

At the end of March, during the week break before the National Ringette League Championships, the League names its annuals Award Nominees. The awards program recognizes the performance of NRL athletes during regular season play with trophies for Rookie of the Year, Most Valuable Player, Top Forward, Top Centre, Top Defense, and Top Goalkeeper. These awards, along with awards for Coaching Staff of the Year, NRL Top Scorer and NRL Scoring Champion. Award winners are announced at the closing banquet of the Canadian Ringette Championships.

League structure[]

As of the 2018–2019 season, the NRL consisted of fifteen teams in two conferences - a western conference and an eastern conference. The western conference consists of five teams. The eastern conference consists of ten teams where the eastern conference is divided separately into the Red and White divisions.

Format[]

NRL general regulation[]

Characteristic of North American sports, the NRL is a closed league with no relegation. There is an annual draft in between seasons, which is the main entry for new players in the league. The NRL runs four regional drafts; in 2011, there was one for the region of Ottawa and Gatineau,[5] another one for Manitoba,[6] another for Southern Ontario,[7] and another for the Montreal region.[8] Trading among teams is also common.[9]

NRL National Championship format[]

Main article: National Ringette League playoffs

The 2010–11 season saw the introduction of a new NRL Championship Tournament which replaced the Championship qualifying rounds. The tournament takes place in just one city. The format is intended to allow the league to create a media event and to hold attention. The top ten teams in the regular season of the league participate in the tournament which crowns the team champion of the league.

2018 National Ringette League playoffs

Starting in 2011–12, eight teams played a full round robin to determine the champion which is also called Elite Eight.

Teams[]

As of 2021 there are fifteen National Ringette League teams in Canada, all of whom compete in one of either of the two Conferences, either the Eastern Conference or Western Conference.

The 2019-2020 and 2020–2021 seasons were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

NRL teams as of 2018-2019[]

The winning National Ringette League team is awarded the Jeanne Sauvé Memorial Cup. The 2019-2020 and 2020–2021 seasons were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

All NRL teams as of 2018-2019
Conference Team City/Area Founded Cups
Eastern Conference Red
East - Red Quebec Gatineau, Quebec 0
East - Red Ontario Ottawa, Ontario 1
East - Red Cambridge Turbos Ontario Cambridge, Ontario 2003 6
East - Red Ontario Richmond Hill, Ontario 0
East - Red Ontario Waterloo, Ontario 0
Eastern Conference White
East - White Atlantic Attack New Brunswick Moncton, New Brunswick 2011 1
East - White Bourassa Royal Quebec Bourassa-Laval-Lanaudière, Quebec 2004 0
East - White Quebec Lac-Saint-Louis, Quebec 0
East - White Montreal Mission Quebec Montréal, Quebec 2004 0
East - White Quebec South Shore (Montreal), Quebec 0
Western Conference
Western British Columbia British Columbia 0
Western Alberta Edmonton, Alberta 0
Western Alberta Calgary, Alberta 2
Western Alberta Edmonton, Alberta 3
Western Manitoba Winnipeg, Manitoba 0

The now defunct NRL team, LMRL Thunder[10] (Lower Mainland Thunder) which was a team in British Columbia, won a Canadian Ringette Championship gold medal in the National Ringette League division in the 2011–2012 season. Along with winning the NRL Championship title that season, the LMRL Thunder also claimed the Jeanne Sauvé Memorial Cup, winning the trophy once in its history while the club was active in the National Ringette League.

Eastern Conference (10 teams)[]

NRL Eastern Conference
East RED (5 teams) East WHITE (5 teams)
Gatineau Fusion Atlantic Attack
Ottawa Ice Riv Sud Revolution
Cambridge Turbos Bourassa Royal
Richmond Hill Lightning Lac Saint-Louis Adrenaline
Waterloo Wildfire Montreal Mission

Western Conference (5 teams)[]

NRL Western Conference (5 Teams)
Calgary RATH
Edmonton WAM!
Manitoba Intact
Edmonton Gold Rush
BC Thunder

Team history[]

The first NRL season began in November 2004 with 17 teams. During the second NRL season in 2005–2006, two new teams joined the league bringing the league total to nineteen. The teams were then divided into four conferences. However, during the off season, three teams folded, citing low attendance revenue. While the Manitoba Jets and Manitoba Prairie Fire teams folded, a new team was later created in the province in their stead, the , which competes in the NRL Western Conference.

As of 2021, the National Ringette League has fifteen teams competing. In total the league has historically had twenty-six teams competing during different periods of the league's existence:[11]

National Ringette League teams
Current (15) Defunct (11)
New Brunswick Atlantic Attack Manitoba APFG Sixers[10]
Quebec Montreal Mission British Columbia BC Reign[10]
Quebec Bourassa Royal British Columbia Fraser Valley Avalanche⁣[10]
Quebec Gatineau Fusion Ontario Gloucester Devils[10] (withdrew in 2017)⁣[12]
Quebec Rive Sud Revolution British Columbia Lower Mainland Thunder
(aka LMRL Thunder)[10]
Quebec Lac-Saint-Louis Adrenaline (LSL) Manitoba Manitoba Prairie Fire[10]
Ontario Cambridge Turbos Quebec BLL Nordiques
(Bourassa-Laval-Lanaudière)[10]
Ontario Waterloo Wildfire Manitoba Manitoba Jets[10]
Ontario Ottawa Ice Quebec Quebec City Cyclones[10]
Ontario Richmond Hill Lightning Saskatchewan Saskatoon Wild⁣[10]
Manitoba Manitoba Intact Ontario Whitby Wild[10]
Alberta Edmonton WAM!
Alberta Calgary RATH
Alberta Edmonton Black Gold Rush
British Columbia BC Thunder

National Ringette League champions[]

National Ringette League (NRL) champions compete annually at the Canadian Ringette Championships at the end of the NRL season.

Below is a list of the NRL gold (Jeanne Sauvé Memorial Cup winners), silver, and bronze medal winners from 2003–04 to 2020-21:[13]

National Ringette League Champions 2003-04 to 2020–2021
Season Location Gold Silver Bronze
2003-04 (Open) Alberta Calgary, Alberta Alberta Ontario Wild Card Manitoba
2004-05 (Open/No championship match) Manitoba Winnipeg, Manitoba Alberta Ontario Ontario Wild Card
2005-06 (Open) Quebec Longueuil, Quebec Cambridge Turbos
(Ontario) 		Alberta Quebec
2006-07 (Open) Nova Scotia Halifax, Nova Scotia Edmonton WAM!
(Alberta) 		Western Wild Card Ontario
2007-08 (NRL) Alberta St. Albert, Alberta Cambridge Turbos Montreal Mission Calgary RATH
2008-09 (NRL) Prince Edward Island Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island Cambridge Turbos Edmonton WAM! Montreal Mission
2009-10 (NRL) Saskatchewan Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Edmonton WAM! Cambridge Turbos Prairie Fire
2010-11 (NRL) Ontario Cambridge, Ontario Edmonton WAM! Cambridge Turbos Calgary RATH
2011-12 (NRL) British Columbia Burnaby, British Columbia LMRL Thunder (Lower Mainland Ringette League) Montreal Mission Ottawa Ice
2012-13 (NRL) New Brunswick Fredericton, New Brunswick Calgary RATH Prairie Fire Cambridge Turbos
2013-14 (NRL)[14] Saskatchewan Regina, Saskatchewan Ottawa Ice Cambridge Turbos Edmonton WAM!
2014-15 (NRL) Alberta Wood Buffalo, Alberta Cambridge Turbos Richmond Hill Lightning Edmonton WAM!
2015-16 (NRL) Ontario London, Ontario Cambridge Turbos Gloucester Devils Ottawa Ice
2016-17 (NRL) Alberta Leduc, Alberta Cambridge Turbos Atlantic Attack Waterloo Wildfire
2017-18 (NRL) Manitoba Winnipeg, Manitoba Atlantic Attack Edmonton WAM! Cambridge Turbos
2018-19 (NRL)[15] Prince Edward Island Charlottetown and Summerside,
Prince Edward Island 		Calgary RATH Atlantic Attack Cambridge Turbos
2019-20 (NRL) cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2020-21 (NRL) cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic

Regular season team records[]

The record is from .[16] Stats updated as of end of 2017-18 season.

Team Season GP W L SOL GDNP[17] Pt
Atlantic Attack 7 186 95 82 9 0 199
[10] 1 18 0 18 0 2 0
[18] 6 151 67 76 8 0 142
3 74 19 47 8 0 46
Bourassa Royal[19] 11 310 86 207 17 0 189
10 250 161 67 22 0 340
Cambridge Turbos 11 309 261 31 17 1 539
10 250 151 85 14 0 316
[10] 1 30 9 17 4 0 22
10 279 72 193 14 0 158
[20] 10 288 150 117 21 0 321
11 308 89 204 15 2 193
2 48 26 18 4 0 56
[10] 4 103 40 55 8 1 88
Montreal Mission 11 308 244 53 11 2 499
11 307 208 82 17 3 433
[10] 5 127 91 31 5 1 187
[20] 6 182 87 80 15 0 189
11 308 178 113 17 2 373
11 309 109 188 12 1 230
[10] 4 104 24 76 4 0 52
11 309 134 158 17 1 285
[10] 4 123 23 89 11 0 57

National Ringette League Seasons[]

2005-06[]

In 2005–2006, the National Ringette League, for its second season, competed with 19 teams (two new teams joined the league). These teams were distributed in four conferences: the West Conference - five teams, Central Conference – five teams, Ontario Conference - five teams and Quebec Conference - four teams. The dominant teams were the Cambridge Turbos in the Ontario Conference, Montreal Mission in the Quebec Conference, in the Western Division the and the champions of the Central Division, the (an AA provincial team from Manitoba). At the end of the regular season were the qualifying rounds: eight teams participated in the National Ringette League playoffs which crown the team champion of the league. The championship match of the NRL/LNR took place in the Centre Étienne Desmarteau in Montreal, on April 1, 2006, which was won by the Cambridge Turbos. During the off-season three teams folded, citing low attendance revenue.

2006-07[]

In its third season (2006–2007), the NRL consisted of 16 teams distributed in three conferences: the West Conference – seven teams, Ontario Conference – five teams, all in Ontario, and Quebec Conference – four teams. The Championship finale match took place in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on April 10, 2007, won by the Edmonton WAM!.

2007-08[]

In 2007–2008, seventeen teams competed in two conferences, the Western Conference which included seven teams and the Eastern Conference which included ten teams. The Cambridge Turbos won the NRL Championship by beating the Montreal Mission 2–1 in overtime.[21][22]

2008-09[]

In 2008–2009, the NRL consisted of eighteen teams[23] grouped in a Western Conference with six teams and an Eastern Conference with twelve teams. The NRL Championship Game took place in Charlottetown, PEI, and the Cambridge Turbos won again.[24][25][26] Also in 2008, the first was held in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. Four NRL teams faced two teams from the Professional Ringette Elite League of Finland, the .[27] The Cambridge Turbos won the world title having overcome in the Finnish champion team, , in the final.[28][29]

2009-10[]

In the 2009–10 season, the National Ringette League for its sixth season comprised eight teams grouped together in a Western Conference with six teams, and an Eastern Conference with twelve teams. The competition remained very intense and marked the return of the ascendancy of different western Canadian teams:[30] The became the NRL champions again after being eclipsed for two years by the Cambridge Turbos. Edmonton beat Cambridge 2–0 in the National Finals.[31]

2011-12[]

From March 27 till April 2, 2011, the NRL Championship Tournament took place in Cambridge, Ontario. In the Final game, the Edmonton WAM! triumphed over the Cambridge Turbos[32]

In the 2011–12 season, the NRL entered its eighth season with nineteen teams playing in two conferences. The NRL experienced a new expansion, with the creation of two new teams:[33] Atlantic Attack (of Moncton in New Brunswick)[34] and Lower Mainland Ringette League (LMRL Thunder of British Columbia).

The 2011-12 regular season began on October 15, 2011, and concluded on March 18, 2012. All in all, thirty matches were contested by each of the teams during the regular season. Each of the teams only faced teams within their own conference. This structure allows teams to reduce the costs of transport given the size of the Canadian territory covered by the league. At the end of the regular season, there is a break of a week when the various individual distinctions are awarded, then a National Ringette League Championship Tournament.

2013-14[]

Main article: 2013–14 National Ringette League season

2013-14 : Ottawa Ice

2014-15[]

Main article: 2014–15 National Ringette League season

2014-15 : Cambridge Turbos

2015-16[]

Main article: 2015–16 National Ringette League season

2015-16 : Cambridge Turbos

2016-17[]

Main article: 2016–17 National Ringette League season

2016-17 : Cambridge Turbos

2017-18[]

Main article: 2017–18 National Ringette League season

2017-18 : Atlantic Attack

2018-19[]

Main article:

 : Calgary Rath

Broadcasting[]

The National Ringette League championship final has usually been broadcast on Rogers TV.

Income and payment for the ringette players[]

In 2008, the budget of each NRL team varied between $15 000 and $20 000.[35] The teams and the league contribute to cover all the transport spending, accommodation and rent of arenas. The players must find their own financiers to pay for their equipment and personal spending and the players aren't paid for play.[35] The audience in the matches for several NRL teams is limited to hundreds of supporters.

Development of young players[]

The NRL maintains a collaboration with the lower Ringette leagues in regards to the development of the young female players, therefore several teams of the NRL have affiliated development teams for Under 19 years old and Under 16 years old. The Canadian Championships for U16 and U19 (usually taking place in April every year) takes place in the same place as the NRL playoff tournament elimination.[36][37] It is this tournament which allows the tracers and talent scouts for the NRL teams to identify emerging young athletes as potential future NRL players.

See also[]


Notes and references[]

  1. ^ https://www.ringette.ca/about-us/media/
  2. ^ "History of Ringette". Archived from the original on 2012-02-06. Retrieved 2012-01-27.
  3. ^ About Ringette Archived 2012-02-01 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ http://www.ringette.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/CRC-Trophies.pdf
  5. ^ "Ottawa-Gatineau 2011 draft results". Archived from the original on 2011-08-27. Retrieved 2012-01-27.
  6. ^ "Manitoba Draft results 2011". Archived from the original on 2011-08-27. Retrieved 2012-01-27.
  7. ^ "Southern Ontario draft results/". Archived from the original on 2011-08-27. Retrieved 2012-01-27.
  8. ^ "Montreal Division draft results 2011/". Archived from the original on 2011-08-27. Retrieved 2012-01-27.
  9. ^ Busy trade deadline for National Ringette League
  10. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Defunct team
  11. ^ https://www.flickr.com/photos/ringettecanada/albums/72157622195245485/
  12. ^ http://gcra-ringette.ca/news.php?news_id=1598778
  13. ^ https://www.ringette.ca/events/canadian-ringette-championships/
  14. ^ https://www.ringette.ca/event_results/2014-regina-saskatchewan/
  15. ^ 2018-19 National Ringette League season|2018-19
  16. ^ Western conference did not play any match this season.
  17. ^ Stands for games did not play
  18. ^ Include one season as .
  19. ^ Include four seasons as BLL Nordiques
  20. ^ Jump up to: a b Inactive team
  21. ^ Turbos complete 'Mission' at nationals
  22. ^ "Cambridge Turbos crowned NRL champions". Archived from the original on 2014-03-06. Retrieved 2012-01-27.
  23. ^ "National Ringette League announces expansion". Archived from the original on 2013-10-29. Retrieved 2012-01-27.
  24. ^ "Cambridge Turbos were Eastern Conference champions". Archived from the original on 2013-10-29. Retrieved 2012-01-27.
  25. ^ Turbos defend national championship
  26. ^ "Cambridge Turbos are the NRL champions". Archived from the original on 2013-10-29. Retrieved 2012-01-27.
  27. ^ (fi) Ringeten SM-Sarja Website Archived 2011-09-07 at the Wayback Machine
  28. ^ Cambridge Turbos to meet Luvia in world club championship final Archived 2013-05-16 at the Wayback Machine
  29. ^ Cambridge Turbos on top of the ringette world
  30. ^ Alberta teams dominate ringette championships
  31. ^ WAM! stops Turbos three-peat
  32. ^ Edmonton WAM! capture Canadian ringette title
  33. ^ National Ringette League announces expansion teams
  34. ^ Atlantic Attack announces coaching staff for inaugural National Ringette League season
  35. ^ Jump up to: a b (in French) Le Fusion de Gatineau lance sa saison inaugurale
  36. ^ "2011 Tim Hortons Canadian ringette championships underway in Cambridge". Archived from the original on 2017-02-02. Retrieved 2012-01-27.
  37. ^ "Alberta U16, Quebec U19 and Edmonton WAM! golden at Canadian ringette championships". Archived from the original on 2017-02-02. Retrieved 2012-01-27.

External links[]

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