Ayr_Centennials

Ayr Centennials

Ayr Centennials

Canadian junior ice hockey team


The Ayr Centennials are a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in Ayr, Ontario. They play in the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League of the Ontario Hockey Association.

Quick Facts City, League ...

History

The Ayr Centennials were founded in 1982 as members of the Southern Junior D Hockey League. Clarence Eby, whose son and grandson would become heavily involved with the team, was a founding member of the club in 1982. In 1985, Eby's son Don started volunteering with the club. Don's legacy with the team began when son Scott started playing for the team at the age of 15, but Don's wife Julie waited a few years before joining her husband, taking over for her father-in-law Clarence as treasurer. Working in many capacities with the team, the pair ran the Cens' operations through most of the 1990s, which included paying the team's bills.[1]

In 1988, the Southern League merged with the Western Junior D Hockey League. In 1991, the Junior D rank was vacated and the league was replaced with the OHA Junior Development League. This league lasted up until 2006 when it was vacated and the Southern Ontario Junior Hockey League was created.

The Centennials had success in the Southern League but failed to win any league titles.

In the bloated Western League and Development League, the Centennials did exceptionally well but still failed to make a dent. In fact, despite finishing in the top ten teams of the league ten times in nineteen years, the Centennials never made the superleague's final once.

Centennials goalie in 2013.

Early 2000s struggles

In the early-2000s, the Centennials lost their touch for winning. In the last year of the OHAJDL in 2005-06, they had their worst season ever, winning only 2 games in 36 tries and finishing dead last. In three seasons, from 2005 to 2007, they only won 17 games. The team was at that point where it was ready to fold.[1]

Return to prominence

Since joining the SOJHL in 2006, the Centennials have improved every season. In 2006-07 they finished 17th with 6 wins. In 2008-09 they finished 15th with 11 wins. In 2008-09 they really came together and had their best season in years, winning 18 games and finishing 7th. In 2009-10 the Centennials continued to improve with a 21-11-4 record, solidifying 3rd overall in the SOJHL.

Michael Wilkins in 2013.

In the summer of 2010, the Bauer conference dissolved, leaving Thamesford, Ayr, Tavistock, Port Stanley and Wellesley to disperse into the remaining McConnell and Yeck Conferences. The 2010-11 season saw the Centennials best season since 1983-84. Finishing 4th overall in the SOJHL, the Centennials were the McConnell Conference Champions and advanced to the OHA Cup versus Thamesford, eventually losing in 4 games.

In 2011-12 the Centennials finished 4th in the McConnell Conference and 7th overall in the SOJHL, and lost to the eventual OHA Cup Finalists, The Hagersville Hawks, in 5 games of the second round of playoffs.

Promotion to Junior C and Schmalz Cup

In the summer of 2012, the Centennials and the SOJHL were promoted to Junior C to compete for the Schmalz Cup. On March 12, 2013, the Centennials won the first ever SOJHL Jr. C championship with a 4-game-sweep over the Lambeth Lancers.

In the Spring of 2013, the Centennials were moved over to the Niagara & District Junior C Hockey League in a major realignment. They were realigned again weeks after and ended up in the Midwestern Junior C Hockey League. Just three seasons removed from their jump to Junior C, the team won their first Schmalz Cup in 2016 by sweeping the Empire B Junior C Hockey League champion Port Hope Panthers in four games on the shoulders of starting goalie, Mitch Figueiredo.[2]

In June 2016, Don and Julie Eby were awarded the OHA's highest award for volunteering, the golden stick. The team's home at the North Dumfries Community Complex sits on what used to be 30 acres of their farmland. It was back in 2009 that a former city councillor approached them about giving up the back lot of their land to build the NDCC, forever tying them to the team that they have given 30 years of service. The couple has been the ambassadors for the Centennials in that time, holding several positions on the executive – Don was assistant general manager and general manager, while Julie was treasurer – and, during the 2016 playoffs, were operating the ticket sales and door. Their son Scott was the team's head coach.[1]

For the 2016-17 season the eight Junior "C" hockey leagues in Southern Ontario amalgamated into one league, the Provincial Junior Hockey League. The Midwestern League were placed in the Central Conference and re-branded the Pat Doherty division.

Purchase of Kitchener Dutchmen and promotion to Junior B

In April 2020, it was announced that the Centennials had purchased the Kitchener Dutchmen with the intention of acquiring their place in the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League, thus promoting the team to Junior B status.

Season-by-season record

SeasonGPWLTOTLGFGAPResultsPlayoffs
1982-833621123-----452nd SJDHL
1983-843622104-----481st SJDHL
1984-853510223-----236th SJDHL
1985-863217114-----283rd SJDHL
1986-874022144-----482nd SJDHL
1987-88301596-----362nd SJDHL
1988-893515155-2131783512th WJDHL
1989-90352186-220181484th WJDHL
1990-9139261111233210544th WJDHL
1991-92351418031952223111th OHAJDL
1992-9340231250245162514th OHAJDL
1993-944021145-233170477th OHAJDL
1994-95391918112172094010th OHAJDL
1995-9640201820192182428th OHAJDL
1996-97401819211641833912th OHAJDL
1997-9836191061165126457th OHAJDL
1998-9938221240222141486th OHAJDL
1999-0038261011200125546th OHAJDL
2000-0140251320----527th OHAJDL
2001-02401618601811823812th OHAJDL
2002-0340221422175151485th OHAJDL
2003-04401222421381713016th OHAJDL
2004-0539925141401952315th OHAJDL
2005-063623211100252617th OHAJDL
2006-0742631051132411717th SOJHL
2007-08421126-51272152715th SOJHL
2008-09401817-5151161417th SOJHL
2009-10362111-4181143466th SOJHL
2010-11352211-2168134464th SOJHL
2011-12352010-5191123457th SOJHL
2012-1338297-2220119601st SOJHL-McWon League, Lost CSC QF
2013-1440316-318299652nd MWJCHLWon Quarters - 4-0 - (Bulldogs)
Won Semi's - 4-3 - (Firebirds)
Lost Finals - 2-4 - (Mounties)
2014-15403280-22992641st MWJCHLWon Quarters - 4-0 - (Applejacks)
Won Semi's - 4-0 - (Mounties)
Won League Finals - 4-0 (Merchants)
Won CSC Quarter-finals, 4-2 (Grimsby)
Lost CSC Semi-finals, 1-4 (Essex)
2015-16403361-22992641st of 9 MWJCHLWon Quarters - 4-1 - (Bulldogs)
Won Semifinals, 4-0 (Applejacks)
Won League Finals 4-1 (Firebirds)
Won CSC Quarter-finals, 4-1 (Grimsby)
Won CSC Semifinals, 4-0 (Essex)
Won CSC Finals, 4-0 (Port Hope)
2016-17403730-30298741st of 9-PJHL
Dougherty Div
Won Div. Quarters - 4-0 - (Bulldogs)
Won Div. Semifinals -4-0 (Merchants)
Won Div. Finals, 4-0 (Mounties)
Won Conf. Finals, 4-0 (Grimsby)
Won Schmalz Cup Semifinals, 4-3 Essex
Won Schmalz Cup Finals, 4-2 (Port Hope)
2017-18403151321898661st of 9-PJHL
Dougherty Div
Won Div. Quarters, 4-0,(Bulldogs)
Won Div. Semifinal, 4-3 (Mounties)
Lost Div. Final, 3-4 (Braves)
2018-1940191920158140406th of 9-PJHL
Dougherty Div
Lost Div. Quarters, 0-4,(Applejacks)
2019-2040251311240129523rd of 9-PJHL
Dougherty Div
Won Div. Quarters, 4-1,(Merchants)
Lost Div. Semis, 2-4 (Applejacks)
move to JR "B" - GREATER ONTARIO JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE
2020-21Season Lost due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021-2248221934151151515th of 8-MWC
14th of 25 GOJHL
Lost Quarters 0-4 (Warriors)
2022-2350281921177149595th of 8-MWC
9th of 25 GOJHL
Lost Quarters 2-4 (Sugar Kings)
2023-2450301901188150615th of 8-MWC
13th of 23 GOJHL
Won Quarters 4-2 (Siskins)
Lost Conf Semifinals, 0-4 (Cyclones)

Clarence Schmalz Cup appearances

Junior "C" Southern Ontario Championships

2016: Ayr Centennials defeated Port Hope Panthers 4-games-to-none
2017: Ayr Centennials defeated Port Hope Panthers 4-games-to-2

References

  1. "Centennials make history with Schmalz Cup win". May 4, 2016.

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