Junior ice hockey season
The 1995–96 OHL season was the 16th season of the Ontario Hockey League. The league expanded as the Barrie Colts entered into the central division. The Detroit Junior Red Wings become the Detroit Whalers. Seventeen teams each played 66 games. The Peterborough Petes won the J. Ross Robertson Cup, defeating the Guelph Storm.
Expansion
Barrie Colts
On May 6, 1994, The Barrie Colts were approved as an expansion team in the Ontario Hockey League beginning in the 1995-96 season. The Colts began their inaugural season playing in the Barrie Arena, however, on December 31, 1995, the Colts moved into their new home, the Barrie Molson Centre. The Colts joined the Central Division.
Rebranding
Detroit Junior Red Wings to Detroit Whalers
At the conclusion of the 1994-95, the Detroit Junior Red Wings severed all ties with the National Hockey League Detroit Red Wings, as Peter Karmanos renamed the franchise the Detroit Whalers.
The Whalers moved out of Joe Louis Arena and into the Palace of Auburn Hills, home of the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association and the Detroit Vipers of the International Hockey League. The Whalers would play 21 of their 33 home games in the regular season at the Palace of Auburn Hills while playing their remaining 12 home games at Oak Park Ice Arena. The Whalers played all of their home playoff games at the Oak Park Ice Arena.
The club remained in the West Division.
Teams
1995-96 Ontario Hockey League |
Division | Team | City | Arena |
East | Belleville Bulls | Belleville, Ontario | Yardmen Arena |
Kingston Frontenacs | Kingston, Ontario | Kingston Memorial Centre |
North Bay Centennials | North Bay, Ontario | North Bay Memorial Gardens |
Oshawa Generals | Oshawa, Ontario | Oshawa Civic Auditorium |
Ottawa 67's | Ottawa, Ontario | Ottawa Civic Centre |
Peterborough Petes | Peterborough, Ontario | Peterborough Memorial Centre |
Central | Barrie Colts | Barrie, Ontario | Barrie Arena Barrie Molson Centre |
Guelph Storm | Guelph, Ontario | Guelph Memorial Gardens |
Kitchener Rangers | Kitchener, Ontario | Kitchener Memorial Auditorium |
Niagara Falls Thunder | Niagara Falls, Ontario | Niagara Falls Memorial Arena |
Owen Sound Platers | Owen Sound, Ontario | Bayshore Community Centre |
Sudbury Wolves | Sudbury, Ontario | Sudbury Community Arena |
West | Detroit Whalers | Detroit, Michigan Auburn Hills, Michigan | Oak Park Ice Arena Palace of Auburn Hills |
London Knights | London, Ontario | London Ice House |
Sarnia Sting | Sarnia, Ontario | Sarnia Arena |
Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario | Sault Memorial Gardens |
Windsor Spitfires | Windsor, Ontario | Windsor Arena |
Map of teams
![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0c/Red_pog.svg/10px-Red_pog.svg.png)
East Division
![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d7/Blue_pog.svg/10px-Blue_pog.svg.png)
Central Division
![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/46/Black_pog.svg/10px-Black_pog.svg.png)
West Division
Regular season
Final standings
Note: DIV = Division; GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; OTL = Overtime losses; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; PTS = Points; x = clinched playoff berth; y = clinched division title; z = earned first round bye
East Division
Central Division
West Division
Scoring leaders
Playoffs
[1]
Division quarter-finals
East Division
(2) Peterborough Petes vs. (5) Kingston Frontenacs
Peterborough wins series 4 – 2 | |
| |
(3) Belleville Bulls vs. (4) Oshawa Generals
Belleville wins series 4 – 1 | |
| |
Central Division
(2) Kitchener Rangers vs. (5) Barrie Colts
Kitchener wins series 4 – 3 | |
| |
(3) Niagara Falls Thunder vs. (4) Owen Sound Platers
Niagara Falls wins series 4 – 2 | |
| |
West Division
(1) Detroit Whalers vs. (4) Windsor Spitfires
Detroit wins series 4 – 3 | |
| |
(2) Sarnia Sting vs. (3) Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
March 17 | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | | 1 – 5 | | Sarnia Sting | Sarnia Arena | |
March 18 | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | | 2 – 6 | | Sarnia Sting | Sarnia Arena | |
OHL quarter-finals
(C1) Guelph Storm vs. (C3) Niagara Falls Thunder
(W1) Detroit Whalers vs. (C2) Kitchener Rangers
Detroit wins series 4 – 1 | |
| |
(E1) Ottawa 67's vs. (E3) Belleville Bulls
Belleville wins series 4 – 0 | |
| |
(W2) Sarnia Sting vs. (E2) Peterborough Petes
April 7 | Peterborough Petes | | 7 – 6 | OT | Sarnia Sting | Sarnia Arena | |
Peterborough wins series 4 – 2 | |
| |
OHL semi-finals
(C1) Guelph Storm vs. (E3) Belleville Bulls
(W1) Detroit Whalers vs. (E2) Peterborough Petes
Peterborough wins series 4 – 1 | |
| |
J. Ross Robertson Cup
(C1) Guelph Storm vs. (E2) Peterborough Petes
Peterborough wins series 4 – 3 | |
| |
All-Star teams
First team
- Alyn McCauley, Centre, Ottawa 67's
- Daniel Cleary, Left Wing, Belleville Bulls
- Cameron Mann, Right Wing, Peterborough Petes
- Bryan Berard, Defence, Detroit Whalers
- Kevin Bolibruck, Defence, Peterborough Petes
- Craig Hillier, Goaltender, Ottawa 67's
- Brian Kilrea, Coach, Ottawa 67's
Second team
- Aaron Brand, Centre, Sarnia Sting
- Sean Haggerty, Left Wing, Detroit Whalers
- Jeff Johnstone, Right Wing, Niagara Falls Thunder
- Sean Brown, Defence, Sarnia Sting
- Jay McKee, Defence, Niagara Falls Thunder
- Dan Cloutier, Goaltender, Guelph Storm
- Bert Templeton, Coach, Barrie Colts
Third team
- Sean Venedam, Centre, Sudbury Wolves
- Jamie Wright, Left Wing, Guelph Storm
- David Nemirovski, Right Wing, Sarnia Sting
- Marc Moro, Defence, Kingston Frontenacs
- Ryan Risidore, Defence, Guelph Storm
- David Belitski, Goaltender, Kitchener Rangers
- Travis Scott, Goaltender, Oshawa Generals
- Mark Hunter, Coach, Sarnia Sting
Awards
J. Ross Robertson Cup: | Peterborough Petes |
Hamilton Spectator Trophy: | Guelph Storm |
Leyden Trophy: | Ottawa 67's |
Emms Trophy: | Guelph Storm |
Bumbacco Trophy: | Detroit Whalers |
Red Tilson Trophy: | Alyn McCauley, Ottawa 67's |
Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy: | Aaron Brand, Sarnia Sting |
Matt Leyden Trophy: | Brian Kilrea, Ottawa 67's |
Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy: | Cameron Mann, Peterborough Petes |
Max Kaminsky Trophy: | Bryan Berard, Detroit Whalers |
OHL Goaltender of the Year: | Craig Hillier, Ottawa 67's |
Jack Ferguson Award: | Rico Fata, London Knights |
Dave Pinkney Trophy: | Dan Cloutier and Brett Thompson, Guelph Storm |
OHL Executive of the Year: | Bert Templeton, Barrie Colts |
Emms Family Award: | Joe Thornton, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds |
F.W. 'Dinty' Moore Trophy: | Brett Thompson, Guelph Storm |
OHL Humanitarian of the Year: | Craig Mills, Belleville Bulls |
William Hanley Trophy: | Jeff Williams, Guelph Storm |
Leo Lalonde Memorial Trophy: | Aaron Brand, Sarnia Sting |
Bobby Smith Trophy: | Boyd Devereaux, Kitchener Rangers |
1996 OHL Priority Selection
On June 1, 1996, the OHL conducted the 1996 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium in Kitchener, Ontario. The London Knights held the first overall pick in the draft and selected Rico Fata from the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. Fata was awarded the Jack Ferguson Award, awarded to the top pick in the draft.
Below are the players who were selected in the first round of the 1996 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection.[2]
# | Player | Nationality | OHL Team | Hometown | Minor Team |
1 | Rico Fata (C) | Canada | London Knights | Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds |
2 | Tyler Rennette (C) | Canada | North Bay Centennials | Powassan, Ontario | Waterloo Siskins |
3 | Norm Milley (RW) | Canada | Sudbury Wolves | North York, Ontario | Toronto Red Wings |
4 | Kip Brennan (D) | Canada | Windsor Spitfires | Toronto, Ontario | St. Michael's Buzzers |
5 | Mike Henrich (RW) | Canada | Barrie Colts | Thornhill, Ontario | Wexford Midgets |
6 | Wes Goldie (RW) | Canada | Owen Sound Platers | London, Ontario | St. Thomas Stars |
7 | Kevin Grimes (D) | Canada | Kingston Frontenacs | Metcalfe, Ontario | Cumberland Grads |
8 | Brett Gibson (C) | Canada | Erie Otters | Gananoque, Ontario | Kingston Voyageurs |
9 | Bryan Allen (D) | Canada | Oshawa Generals | Glenburnie, Ontario | Ernestown Jets |
10 | Wes Jarvis (D) | Canada | Kitchener Rangers | Ottawa, Ontario | Gloucester Rangers |
11 | Justin Papineau (C) | Canada | Belleville Bulls | Ottawa, Ontario | Ottawa Jr. Senators |
12 | Pat Kavanagh (RW) | Canada | Peterborough Petes | Richmond, Ontario | Kanata Valley Lasers |
13 | Nick Robinson (D) | Canada | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | Cavan, Ontario | Lindsay Muskies |
14 | Abe Herbst (D) | Canada | Sarnia Sting | Harriston, Ontario | Listowel Cyclones |
15 | Mark Bell (C) | Canada | Ottawa 67's | St. Paul's, Ontario | Stratford Cullitons |
16 | Harold Druken (LW) | Canada | Detroit Whalers | St. John's, Newfoundland | Noble & Greenough Bulldogs |
17 | Manny Malhotra (C) | Canada | Guelph Storm | Mississauga, Ontario | Mississauga Reps |
See also
References
- ^ "1995-96 OHL Playoff Results at hockeydb.com". www.hockeydb.com. Retrieved 2022-12-07.
- ^ "1996 Ontario Hockey League Draft".
East Division | |
---|
Central Division | |
---|
Midwest Division | |
---|
West Division | |
---|
Defunct teams | |
---|
|