Stouffville Spirit

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Stouffville Spirit
Stouffville Spirit.png
CityWhitchurch–Stouffville, Ontario, Canada
LeagueOntario Junior Hockey League
Founded1995
Home arena
ColoursRed, Black, and White
     
General managerKen Burrows
Head coach
MediaWhiStle Radio 102.7FM
AffiliatesSudbury Wolves (OHL)
Uxbridge Bruins (COJCHL)
Franchise history
1995-1996Stouffville Clippers
1996-PresentStouffville Spirit

The Stouffville Spirit are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Whitchurch–Stouffville, Ontario, Canada. The Stouffville Spirit are members of the Central Canadian Hockey League of the Ontario Hockey Association.

History[]

From 1970 until 1984, the Stouffville Clippers were members of the Central Junior C Hockey League. From 1984 until 1995, the team was on a long hiatus. The Clippers were brought back in 1995, changed their name to the Spirit a season later, and have been members of the OPJHL ever since. Junior hockey has a long and storied history in Stouffville.

The 1947 Stouffville Red Wings won an OHA championship. Junior hockey was popular in Stouffville through the 1960s, right into the early 1980s.

The Spirit was founded in 1995. George Stavro, who was granted the franchise by the Ontario Hockey Association, was the team's first coach and general manager. Junior hockey hadn't been played in Stouffville since 1984, when the OHA's junior C Stouffville Clippers folded.

But Stavro didn't last a full season in the Provincial Junior A Hockey League.

In mid-season, he sold the franchise to Stouffville businessman Ed Hakonson, who had tried to obtain a junior A franchise for Stouffville earlier in the '90s. Former Stouffville minor official Wally Crowder was named general manager, and Steve Sedore of Georgina head coach.

The Spirit struggled on and off the ice over the first three seasons. Sedore was replaced as coach by Stouffville minor hockey grad Dan Larmer. Larmer played junior hockey in southern Ontario and college hockey at Mercyhurst in Pennsylvania, before a brief pro career.

A move of home games at the Whitchurch-Stouffville Recreation Complex, from Saturday nights to Thursdays, improved attendance. But the Spirit didn't make the playoffs in its first three seasons.

A new regime took over Spirit hockey operations in 1998. New Spirit general manager Dieter Schmidt had been manager and head coach Brian Perrin was associate coach with the successful Newmarket Hurricanes' organization, before accepting promotions in Stouffville.

The Spirit has made the playoffs ever since. Its regular season record has improved annually.

Players have advanced to college and major junior hockey since Year 1 of the Spirit.

Hakonson sold shares in the hockey club to Stouffville-area resident Zeev Werek and Larry Goldberg in 1999, then sold the rest of the team to Werek and Goldberg a year later. David Laren joined the Spirit in 2002 as an equal partner. Goldberg left the group in 2005.

Schmidt retired as GM after the 2000-2001 season. His replacement is Stouffville native Ken Burrows, who in 10 years with the Spirit has been vice-president of hockey, assistant coach and scout.

A volunteer board of directors oversees the operation of the Spirit.

The Spirit is proud to be affiliated with the Whitchurch-Stouffville Minor Hockey Association and the Uxbridge Bruins Junior C Hockey Club.

Season-by-season results[]

Season GP W L T OTL GF GA P Results Playoffs
1995-96 50 13 35 2 - 182 288 30 5th OPJHL-P
1996-97 50 8 41 1 - 167 295 19 5th OPJHL-P
1997-98 51 16 32 2 1 194 280 35 6th OPJHL-P
1998-99 51 23 27 0 1 215 234 47 8th OPJHL-C
1999-00 49 24 23 2 0 195 190 50 5th OPJHL-N
2000-01 49 35 9 3 2 260 159 75 3rd OPJHL-N
2001-02 49 24 18 5 2 207 183 55 4th OPJHL-N
2002-03 49 29 18 2 0 241 154 60 3rd OPJHL-N
2003-04 49 27 21 1 0 201 178 55 3rd OPJHL-N
2004-05 49 25 20 3 1 195 157 54 3rd OPJHL-N
2005-06 49 26 10 9 4 172 138 65 3rd OPJHL-N Lost Final
2006-07 49 28 16 3 2 199 164 61 2nd OPJHL-N Lost Conf. Finals
2007-08 49 31 13 - 5 245 166 67 4th OPJHL-N
2008-09 53 13 34 - 6 165 246 32 8th OJHL-C
2009-10 50 28 19 - 3 153 140 59 4th CCHL-E Lost Preliminary
2010-11 50 33 11 - 6 262 154 72 3rd OJHL-N Lost Semi-final
2011-12 49 32 8 - 9 217 152 73 2nd OJHL-N Won League
2012-13 55 18 31 - 6 150 219 42 4th OJHL-N DNQ
2013-14 53 19 30 - 4 147 191 42 5th OJHL-N DNQ
2014-15 - - - - - - - - - -
2015-16 54 24 24 3 3 185 192 54 4th of 6 Nor Div
9th of 11 NE Conf
11th of 22 OJHL		 DNQ
2016-17 54 28 20 3 3 198 168 62 2nd of 6 Nor Div
7th of 11 NE Conf
16th of 22 OJHL		 Won Conf. Quarters, 4-2 (Royals)
Lost Conf. Semifinals, 0-4 (Golden Hawks)
2017-18 54 8 43 2 1 116 255 19 6th of 6 Nor Div
11th of 11 NE Conf
21st of 22 OJHL		 DNQ

Playoffs[]

  • 1996 DNQ
  • 1997 DNQ
  • 1998 DNQ
  • 1999 Lost Division Quarter-final
Collingwood Blues defeated Stouffville Spirit 3-games-to-none
  • 2000 Lost Division Final
Stouffville Spirit defeated Aurora Tigers 4-games-to-none
Stouffville Spirit defeated Newmarket Hurricanes 4-games-to-2
Couchiching Terriers defeated Stouffville Spirit 4-games-to-none
  • 2001 Lost Division Semi-final
Stouffville Spirit defeated Parry Sound Shamrocks 4-games-to-none
Couchiching Terriers defeated Stouffville Spirit 4-games-to-2
  • 2002 Lost Division Quarter-final
Collingwood Blues defeated Stouffville Spirit 4-games-to-3
  • 2003 Lost Division Final
Stouffville Spirit defeated Couchiching Terriers 4-games-to-none
Stouffville Spirit defeated Newmarket Hurricanes 4-games-to-3
Aurora Tigers defeated Stouffville Spirit 4-games-to-2
  • 2004 Lost Division Semi-final
Stouffville Spirit defeated Thornhill Rattlers 4-games-to-2
Newmarket Hurricanes defeated Stouffville Spirit 4-games-to-1
  • 2005 Lost Division Semi-final
Stouffville Spirit defeated Couchiching Terriers 4-games-to-2
Newmarket Hurricanes defeated Stouffville Spirit 4-games-to-2
  • 2006 Lost Final
Stouffville Spirit defeated Seguin Bruins 4-games-to-2
Stouffville Spirit defeated Newmarket Hurricanes 4-games-to-2
Stouffville Spirit defeated Aurora Tigers 4-games-to-2
Stouffville Spirit defeated Oakville Blades 4-games-to-3
St. Michael's Buzzers defeated Stouffville Spirit 4-games-to-2
  • 2007 Lost Division Final
Stouffville Spirit defeated Cobourg Cougars 4-games-to-none
Stouffville Spirit defeated Collingwood Blues 4-games-to-none
Aurora Tigers defeated Stouffville Spirit 4-games-to-1
  • 2008 Lost Division Final
Stouffville Spirit defeated Couchiching Terriers 3-games-to-none
Stouffville Spirit defeated Huntsville Otters 4-games-to-3
Aurora Tigers defeated Stouffville Spirit 4-games-to-1
  • 2009 Lost Division Quarter-final
Wellington Dukes defeated Stouffville Spirit 4-games-to-none
  • 2010 Lost CCHL Preliminary
Peterborough Stars defeated Stouffville Spirit 4-games-to-none
  • 2011 Lost Semi-final
Stouffville Spirit defeated Markham Waxers 4-games-to-2
Stouffville Spirit defeated Newmarket Hurricanes 4-games-to-3
Wellington Dukes defeated Stouffville Spirit 4-games-to-2

Notable alumni[]

External links[]

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