Clarence Castors

The Clarence Castors are a Canadian Junior ice hockey team from Clarence, Ontario, Canada. They are part of the National Capital Junior Hockey League.

Clarence Castors
CityClarence, Ontario, Canada
LeagueNational Capital Junior Hockey League
Founded1987
Home arenaClarence Creek Arena
ColoursBlue, white, orange
     
General managerAndre Roy
Head coachTim Kosch
Franchise history
1987-2017Rockland Nationals
2017-PresentClarence Castors

The Castors operated from 1987-2017 as the Rockland Nationals in Rockland, Ontario.

History

The original Nationals were founded in 1973 to replace the Hull Festivals who had just left the Central Junior A Hockey League for the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. In just three season the Nationals, coached by Bryan Murray, won the league, the Dudley Hewitt Cup as Central Canadian champions, and the Centennial Cup 1976 National Championship. Unfortunately for them, in those days the teams played sets of best-of-seven series to determine the national champion. Many successful Tier II clubs like the Red Deer Rustlers, the Guelph Platers, and the Vernon Vipers franchises were well rooted in their communities when they were victorious, with warchests of cash from major sponsors and massive fan support awaiting long playoff runs. The Nationals were in their infantile stage as an organization and found themselves not only national champions but financially bankrupt from months of travel across the county. They survived one more season on life support funds from the CJHL before packing it in for the 1977-78 season. The fall of the Nationals convinced the CJHL to petition the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association to consider alternate, cheaper, playdown methods to determine regional and national champions. The CAHA answered back a few seasons later with the formation of round-robin championship tournaments. Until the Pembroke Lumber Kings won the 2011 Royal Bank Cup, the Nationals were the only team in Central League history to win a national championship.

A decade later the Nationals were reborn. In 1987, the Nationals entered the Eastern Ontario Junior C Hockey League and won the league title in their first season back in action. In recent years, the Nationals have been pushing to re-enter the CJHL, but with no results so far.

Centennial Cup 1976 and on

In only their third season, the Nationals were league champions. They moved on to take on the Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League and Ontario Hockey Association champion Guelph Platers. The series went the distance, but the Nationals pulled out a 4-games-to-3 series win.

The Nationals then took on the Lac-Megantic Royals, the champions of the Quebec Provincial Junior A Hockey League. The Nationals defeated them 4-games-to-1 to get to the Eastern Canadian Championship.

In the Eastern Canadian championship, the Nationals drew the Island Junior Hockey League's Charlottetown Colonels. The Nationals overpowered the Islanders and crushed them 4-games-to-none. In the final, the Nationals came to play the Alberta Junior Hockey League, Doyle Cup, and Abbott Cup Champion Spruce Grove Mets. The Mets were floored by the Nationals in the first two games, losing 9-4 and 7-1 respectively. In Game 3, the Mets pulled close in a 5-3 loss and then took game four 4-3. Game 5 saw the National regain their early series form and crush the Mets 7-3 to win their first and only National title 4-games-to-1.

Their landmark victory, led by coach Bryan Murray, was the first time a team from the Central Junior A Hockey League had won the Junior A National Championship. The cost of the venture left the team in financial turmoil and led to them folding a year later.

The Rockland Nationals returned in 1987, ten years after folding. Before the start of 2017-2018 season, the Rockland Nationals were renamed to Les Castors de Clarence (or Clarence Castors) and have move to the Clarence Creek Arena in Clarence-Rockland, Ontario.

Season-by-season record

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

SeasonGP W L T OTLGF GA PointsFinishPlayoffs
1973-745013334-260349306th CJHL
1974-755025187-251249573rd CJHL
1975-765031118-324225701st CJHLWon League, Won DHC, Won MCC
1976-775022226-243230504th CJHL
1977-87Did Not Participate
1987-04Eastern Jr. C Standings Not Available
2004-0536201303172133434th EOJCHLLost Semi-final
2005-06361420-2143183305th EOJCHLLost Quarter-final
2006-0734825-196200178th EOJCHLLost Quarter-final
2007-08351815-2146143383rd EOJCHLLost Semi-final
2008-09331022-1154208217th EOJCHLLost Quarter-Final
2009-10341713-4159148384th EOJCHLLost Final
2010-1134229-3182164472nd NCJHLLost Final
2011-12321615-1132132335th NCJHLLost Semi-final
2012-13341417-3135157315th NCJHLLost Semi-final
2013-14321316-3116147296th NCJHLLost Quarter-Final
2014-1532526-190198119th NCJHLdid not qualify
2015-16341814-2144132382nd of 5 North
5th of 10 NCJHL		Lost Div Semifinals (2-4)(Volants)
2016-17321615-1159166315th of 9 NCJHLLost Quarterfinals (1-4)(Cougars)
Clarence Castors
2017-18332012-1165129416th of 12 NCJHLWon Quarterfinals (4-2)(Volants)
Lost Semifinals (2-4) Vikings
2018-1936296-119395591st of 5 East
1st of 10 NCJHL		Won Quarterfinals (4-0)(Volants)
Won Semifinals (4-1) Rockets
Lost Finals (0-4) Cougars

Individual player awards
Season Name Award
2011-12Chris 'Tele' TelfordBest Goaltender
2010-11Kyle BlohmMost Improved Player
2009-10Corey OliverTop Scorer
2007-08John LeboeufCoach of the Year
Denis BrunetExecutive of the Year
Gus SacoutisBest Defensive Forward
Alex BernardMost Sportsmanlike Player
2005-06Alex BernardBest Defensive Forward
Guy AudetMost Sportsmanlike Player
Ghyslain HotteMost Valuable Player
2004-05Guy AudetBest Defensive Forward
2002-03Rene TasseBest Defenseman
2000-01Chris VerdonMost Improved Player
1998-99Christian GroleauBest Defenseman
1997-98Alain PaquetteMost Improved Player
1996-97Christian BessetteBest Defenseman
1994-95Yanick VinetteMost Valuable Player
Darren ProulxCoach of the Year
Martin GauthierMost Improved Player
Christian MercierMost Sportsmanlike Player
1993-94Darren ProulxCoach of the Year
Serge LavictoireMost Improved Player
1992-93Stephane GroulxMost Valuable Player
1991-92Jeff EganBest Defenseman
1990-91Andre CharleboisBest Defenseman
Marc RousseauBest Defensive Forward
1989-90Luc LavictoireBest Defenseman
Marc RousseauBest Defensive Forward
Bob FairfieldCoach of the Year
Bernie DionMost Valuable Player
1988-89Jean MaisonnneuveMost Sportsmanlike Player


Preceded by
Spruce Grove Mets		 Centennial Cup Champions
1976		 Succeeded by
Prince Albert Raiders
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