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Hawkesbury Hawks

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Hawkesbury Hawks
CityHawkesbury, Ontario, Canada
LeagueCentral Canada Hockey League
DivisionEast Division
Founded1974
Home arenaRobert Hartley Sports Complex
ColoursBlue, green, white
     
Owner(s)Sylvain Landers
General managerRyan Leonard
Head coachRyan Leonard
MediaFloSports
Websitehttps://www.hawkesburyhawks.com/

The Hawkesbury Hawks (French: Hawks de Hawkesbury) are a Junior ''A'' ice hockey team based in Hawkesbury, Ontario. The Hawks compete in the Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL) as a member of the East Division. The team plays its home games at the Robert Hartley Sports Complex.

The Hawks joined the league in 1974 as an expansion team along with the Navan Grads. The team has advanced to the Bogart Cup Finals three times, winning six times; the last time being in the 2004–05 season. They have won the Fred Page Cup once in franchise history, in 2005, after they won their last Bogart Cup.

The Hawks have a rivalry with the Rockland Nationals, also known as the Battle of Highway 17, in result of both arenas located alongside Highway 17, which starts after Trim Road in Orleans, all the way to East Hawkesbury.

History

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The Hawks were formed by a group of local businessmen in March 1974. From 1974 until 1976 the Hawks were a part of the Eastern Ontario Junior B Hockey League. After making the jump to the Central Junior A Hockey League in 1976, the Hawks found themselves in the basement of the league in their first season—although they quickly rose through the ranks in the seasons following. In 1979, the team won the CJHL Championship and moved on to the Centennial Cup where they lost the semi-finals to the Ontario Hockey Association's Guelph Platers—the eventual champion. The 1980 season saw them win the Bogart Cup as CJHL Champions again. This time they lost in the quarter-finals of the National Championship to Quebec Junior AAA Hockey League Champion Joliette Cyclones.

1990 saw the Hawks rise to glory once again as CJHL Champions, but an opening round loss in the national Championships to Quebec's Le Collège Français de Longueuil spelled the end of a National Championship run. In 1991, the team won the league again and then also hosted the Central Canadian Championship where they lost the semi-final to the Sudbury Junior Wolves of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League.

1998-99 was a big year for the Hawkesbury Hawks as they won their first CJHL championship since 1991 by defeating the defending Art Bogart Cup and Fred Page Cup champions Brockville Braves in 6 games. Their trip to the Royal Bank Cup in Yorkton would be cut short as they were defeated by the hosts Charlottetown Abbies 2-0 in the Fred Page Cup final.

The Hawkesbury Hawks would go from not winning a quarter-final series from 2000 to 2004, until the 2004-05 season came as a surprise as they managed to defeat the Gloucester Rangers in 7 games, despite leading 3-0 and the Rangers coming back to force game 7. They would also defeat the second-heavily favored Cornwall in 6 games, and make the league finals against Nepean. Ironically, this series went to game 7 where the Hawks won 6-1 (they broke a league record for the most goals in a short time). Hawkesbury clinched their first Art Bogart Cup since 1999. At the Fred Page Cup, it wasn't the exact measure of revenge as the Hawks defeated the hosts Yarmouth Mariners 4-3 in the final, but it was still a trip earned to the Royal Bank Cup in Weyburn, Saskatchewan. The Hawks lost their best player and captain Martin Beaulne, who ruptured his spleen. On the way home to Hawkesbury, the team turned around and went to the hospital in Fredericton, New Brunswick because Beaulne was in pain and needed medical attention. The Hawks traveled without their captain able to play in the tournament, and the Hawks, who were needing a win against Portage to earn a berth in the quarter-finals, got the win in overtime. However, it was the Weyburn Red Wings they were facing. The Hawks tied the game seconds left in regulation, and lost the game in overtime sending the eventual Royal Bank Cup champions to the final.

With plenty of returning players, the Hawkesbury Hawks lost their coach Éric Veilleux (who became head coach in 2002-03) took a job with the Shawinigan Cataractes of the QMJHL. This left the Hawks finding a replacement in Jeff Carter, who managed to lead the Hawks back to the league finals and win back-to-back CCHL champions, this time against the Nepean Raiders. However, their venture at the Fred Page Cup in Pembroke ended in the semi-finals after losing to the Joliette Action.

The Hawks fell apart as players, who played in the championship years graduated. The Hawks hit rock-bottom in the standings with only eight wins in 2008–09. Several players demanded trades, walked off the team or went elsewhere to resume their Junior ''A'' hockey careers.

The 2009–10 season saw the Hawks go under new ownership, management and coaching staff. The Hawks brought in rookie coach Martin Dagenais, who also served as the acting general manager. Richard Morris stepped in as assistant coach., while Ian Henderson was brought on to the staff as assistant general manager and the director of player personnel. An entire new scouting staff was added as part of the new groups rebuilding plan for the franchise. By December, the Hawks had already matched the win total from the previous season with one of the youngest teams in the CJHL.

After back to back disappointing seasons 2012-2014 the Hawks needed a change. Owner Sylvain Landers made a dramatic move and brought in Head coach Rick Dorval. Dorval brought with him a successful track record of turning around struggling franchises with the Gloucester Rangers and the Ottawa Junior Senators achieving Coach of the Year in 2012-2013. In the 2014-2015 season the Hawks went from last in the league standings to fifth overall. With a rebuilt team in 2015-2016 the Hawks continued to move forward finishing third overall with only three points separating them from first place.

For the 2015-16 CCHL season, the Hawks dropped their original colors of blue, gold, red and white and adopted the same colors of the Vancouver Canucks consisting of blue, green and white.

Season-by-season record

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

Season GP W L T OTL GF GA Points Finish Playoffs
1976-77 50 9 35 6 0 214 368 24 6th CJHL DNQ
1977-78 48 13 30 5 0 212 284 31 4th CJHL Lost semi-final
1978-79 48 24 19 5 0 257 218 53 2nd CJHL Won League
1979-80 50 39 8 3 0 350 191 81 1st CJHL Won League
1980-81 50 28 15 7 0 244 186 63 3rd CJHL Lost semi-final
1981-82 50 28 20 2 0 259 243 58 3rd CJHL Lost semi-final
1982-83 48 22 24 2 0 194 227 46 4th CJHL Lost semi-final
1983-84 54 24 23 7 - 253 265 55 5th CJHL Lost semi-final
1984-85 54 36 17 0 1 296 210 73 3rd CJHL Lost semi-final
1985-86 60 13 44 1 2 195 372 29 6th CJHL Lost quarter-final
1986-87 54 18 32 4 0 217 295 42 6th CJHL Lost quarter-final
1987-88 56 9 47 0 0 190 382 18 7th CJHL Lost quarter-final
1988-89 56 35 20 1 1 306 258 72 3rd CJHL Lost semi-final
1989-90 56 40 14 1 1 343 243 82 1st CJHL Won League
1990-91 52 39 7 4 2 305 141 84 1st CJHL Won League
1991-92 57 38 14 1 4 318 242 81 4th CJHL Lost quarter-final
1992-93 56 31 20 5 0 316 274 67 6th CJHL Lost quarter-final
1993-94 57 16 33 3 5 226 293 40 9th CJHL Lost quarter-final
1994-95 54 27 22 2 3 257 242 59 5th CJHL Lost semi-final
1995-96 54 27 22 5 0 242 246 59 4th in East Lost quarter-final
1996-97 53 9 38 6 0 156 274 24 5th in East DNQ
1997-98 56 19 26 11 8 204 227 57 3rd in East Lost quarter-final
1998-99 56 40 11 3 0 299 172 83 1st in East Won League
1999-00 56 29 24 3 0 247 237 61 3rd in East Lost quarter-final
2000-01 55 14 29 12 0 190 283 42 3rd in East Lost quarter-final
2001-02 55 16 30 9 1 187 226 42 4th in East Lost quarter-final
2002-03 55 26 19 10 2 223 218 64 4th in East Lost quarter-final
2003-04 55 25 20 6 4 198 179 60 4th in East Lost quarter-final
2004-05 57 28 19 3 7 228 187 66 2nd in East Won League, won FPC
2005-06 57 30 19 6 2 221 202 68 1st in East Won League
2006-07 55 25 23 6 1 196 197 57 3rd in East Lost semi-final
2007-08 60 30 27 3 0 232 214 63 3rd in East Lost semi-final
2008-09 60 8 47 - 5 140 300 21 11th CJHL DNQ
2009-10 62 12 48 - 2 137 338 26 12th CJHL DNQ
2010-11 62 11 46 - 5 154 293 27 12th CCHL DNQ
2011-12 62 35 20 - 7 214 177 77 5th CCHL Lost semi-final
2012-13 62 29 26 - 7 176 183 65 8th CCHL Lost quarter-final
2013-14 62 18 39 - 5 149 248 41 12th CCHL DNQ
2014-15 62 35 25 2 0 217 192 72 3rd of 6 in East
5th of 12th CCHL		 Lost quarterfinals, 2-4 (Colts)
2015-16 62 40 16 1 5 224 170 86 2nd of 6 in East
3rd of 12th CCHL		 Won quarterfinals, 4-0 (Bears)
Lost semifinals 2-4 (Junior Senators)
2016-17 62 36 24 0 2 205 185 74 3rd of 6 in East
4th of 12th CCHL		 Lost quarterfinals, 2-4 (73's)
2017-18 62 36 23 0 3 200 176 75 2nd of 6 in East
4th of 12th CCHL		 Won quarterfinals, 4-3 (Colts)
Lost semifinals, 0-4 (Canadians)
2018-19 62 37 19 4 2 290 169 75 3rd of 6 in East
4th of 12th CCHL		 Lost quarterfinals, 1-4 (Nationals)
2019-20 62 36 24 2 - 220 182 74 2nd of 6 in East
4th of 12th CCHL		 Playoffs cancelled due to covid-19
2020-21 Season cancelled due to covid-19 pandemic restrictions
2021-22 55 37 13 3 2 205 131 79 2nd of 6 in East
2nd of 12th CCHL		 Won quarterfinals, 4-2 (Grads)
Won semifinals 4-1 (Braves)
Lost Finals 0-4 (Junior Senators)
2022-23 55 30 18 4 3 188 172 67 3rd of 6 in East
4th of 12th CCHL		 Lost quarterfinals, 1-4 (Wolves)
2023-24 55 27 22 3 3 179 179 60 4th of 6 in East
6th of 12th CCHL		 Lost quarterfinals, 1-4 (Colts)

Fred Page Cup

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Eastern Canada Championships
MHL - QAAAJHL - CCHL - Host
Round robin play with 2nd vs 3rd in semi-final to advance against 1st in the finals.

Year Round Robin Record Standing Semifinal Gold Medal Game
1999 L, Charlottetown Abbies 3-6
W, Antogonish 6-4
L, Valleyfield Braves 2-3		 1-2-0 3rd of 4 OTW, Valleyfield Braves 6-5 L, Charlottetown Abbies 0-2
2005 L, Yarmouth Mariners 1-2
W, Truro Bearcats 2-1
W, Vaudreuil Mustangs 3-2		 2-1-0 2nd of 4 W, Vaudreuil Mustangs 5-4 W, Yarmouth Mariners 4-3
Fred Page Cup Champions
advance to Royal Bank Cup
2006 W, Woodstock Slammers 3-0
2OTL, Joliette Action 6-7
L, Pembroke Lumber Kings 1-5		 1-2-0 3rd of 4 L, Joliette Action 4-6

Royal Bank Cup

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CANADIAN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Dudley Hewitt Champions - Central, Fred Page Champions - Eastern, Western Canada Cup Champions - Western, Western Canada Cup - Runners Up and Host
Round robin play with top 4 in semi-final and winners to finals.

Year Round Robin Record Standing Semifinal Gold Medal Game
2005 L, Camrose Kodiaks 2-3
L, Georgetown Raiders 0-3
OTL, Weyburn Red Wings 3-4
2OTW, Portage Terriers 5-4		 1-3 4th of 5 L, Weyburn Red Wings 3-4 n/a

Championships

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CJHL Bogart Cup Championships: 1979, 1980, 1990, 1991, 1999, 2005, 2006
Eastern Canadian Fred Page Cup Championships: 2005
CJAHL Royal Bank Cup Championships: None

Notable alumni

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