1997–98 OPJHL season

June 2019 Ice hockey season 1997–98 OPJHL season #007AC2 #FFFFFF Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League Hockey Regular season 1997-09 – 1998-02 Playoffs 1998-02 – 1998-04 Milton Merchants 22 OPJHL 1996–97 1998–99 The 1997–98 OPJHL season is the fifth season of the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League (OPJHL). The twenty-two teams of the MacKenzie, MacKinnon, Phillips, and Ruddock Divisions competed in a 51-game schedule. The top 4 teams of each division make the playoffs. The winner of the OPJHL playoffs, the Milton Merchants, won the 1998 Buckland Cup as OHA Champions and the Dudley Hewitt Cup as Central Canadian Champions, but failed to win the 1998 Royal Bank Cup.http://members.shaw.ca/vernonfranchise/league/cups/national_champions.html Shaw Communications members.shaw.ca Changes Aurora Tigers join OPJHL from MetJHL. Orillia Terriers move to Rama, Ontario and become Couchiching Terriers. Newmarket 87's become Newmarket Hurricanes. Peterborough Jr. Petes become Peterborough Bees. St. Michael's Buzzers take leave of absence. Final standings Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; OTL = Overtime losses; SL = Shootout losses; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; PTS = Points; x = clinched playoff berth; y = clinched division title; z = clinched conference title MacKenzie Division Team GP W L T OTL GF GA PBrampton Capitals 51 39 7 1 4 282 163 83Bramalea Blues 51 32 11 6 2 244 182 72Streetsville Derbys 51 23 24 1 3 226 235 50Mississauga Chargers 51 15 29 3 4 178 265 37Vaughan Vipers 51 7 40 2 2 192 354 18MacKinnon Division Team GP W L T OTL GF GA PMilton Merchants 51 42 8 1 0 357 127 85Oakville Blades 51 31 15 4 1 215 183 67Burlington Cougars 51 24 22 5 0 217 207 53Hamilton Kiltys 51 21 22 5 3 222 195 50Georgetown Raiders 51 6 44 1 0 134 330 13Phillips Division Team GP W L T OTL GF GA PCollingwood Blues 51 35 12 3 1 263 156 74Newmarket Hurricanes 51 28 17 5 1 249 185 62Aurora Tigers 51 27 17 6 1 226 196 61Lindsay Muskies 51 23 20 5 3 198 186 54Couchiching Terriers 51 23 20 7 1 220 213 54Stouffville Spirit 51 16 32 2 1 194 280 35Ruddock Division Team GP W L T OTL GF GA PPeterborough Bees 51 29 18 4 0 254 176 62Trenton Sting 51 28 17 6 0 237 193 62Bowmanville Eagles 51 27 19 5 0 210 178 59Kingston Voyageurs 51 23 16 10 2 224 192 58Ajax Axemen 50 13 35 2 0 190 282 28Cobourg Cougars 50 8 39 3 0 146 315 19 1997-98 OPJHL Playoffs the Central Canada Championship Dudley Hewitt Cup the national championship 1998 Royal Bank Cup Division Semi-final Milton Merchants defeated Mississauga Chargers 4-games-to-none Hamilton Kiltys defeated Brampton Capitals 4-games-to-1 Bramalea Blues defeated Streetsville Derbys 4-games-to-2 Oakville Blades defeated Burlington Cougars 4-games-to-2 Couchiching Terriers defeated Collingwood Blues 4-games-to-2 Peterborough Bees defeated Kingston Voyageurs 3-games-to-2 Trenton Sting defeated Bowmanville Eagles 4-games-to-1 Newmarket Hurricanes defeated Aurora Tigers 4-games-to-1 Division Final Milton Merchants defeated Oakville Blades 4-games-to-2 Hamilton Kiltys defeated Bramalea Blues 4-games-to-2 Couchiching Terriers defeated Newmarket Hurricanes 4-games-to-1 Trenton Sting defeated Peterborough Bees 3-games-to-2 Semi-final Milton Merchants defeated Hamilton Kiltys 4-games-to-none Trenton Sting defeated Couchiching Terriers 4-games-to-1 Final Milton Merchants defeated Trenton Sting 4-games-to-none OHA Buckland Cup Championship Best-of-7 series Milton Merchants defeated Wexford Raiders (MetJHL) 4-games-to-1 Milton Merchants 11 - Wexford Raiders 2 Milton Merchants 3 - Wexford Raiders 2 2OT Milton Merchants 6 - Wexford Raiders 1 Wexford Raiders 4 - Milton Merchants 3 OT Milton Merchants 6 - Wexford Raiders 1 Dudley Hewitt Cup Championship Best-of-7 series Milton Merchants defeated Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats (NOJHL) 4-games-to-2 Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats 4 - Milton Merchants 1 Milton Merchants 5 - Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats 2 Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats 4 - Milton Merchants 1 Milton Merchants 5 - Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats 4 3OT Milton Merchants 2 - Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats 1 OT Milton Merchants 3 - Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats 1 1998 Royal Bank Cup Championship The 1998 Royal Bank Cup was hosted by the Nanaimo Clippers of Nanaimo, British Columbia. The Milton Merchants were defeated in the semi-final. Round Robin Nanaimo Clippers (BCHL) defeated Milton Merchants 6-2 South Surrey Eagles (BCHL) defeated Milton Merchants 3-0 Milton Merchants defeated Brockville Braves (CJHL) 5-2 Weyburn Red Wings (SJHL) defeated Milton Merchants 6-2 Semi-final South Surrey Eagles (BCHL) defeated Milton Merchants 6-2 Scoring leaders Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes Player Team GP G A PtsDarren Haydar Milton Merchants 51 71 69 140Noel Burkitt Trenton Sting 51 52 63 115Martin Miljko Brampton Capitals 50 59 46 105Ron Baker Milton Merchants 48 37 66 103Darcy King Stouffville Spirit 49 35 68 103David Deeves Collingwood Blues 51 39 63 102Steve Guiney Aurora Tigers 47 41 60 101 See also 1998 Royal Bank Cup Dudley Hewitt Cup List of OJHL seasons Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League Superior International Junior Hockey League Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League References External links Official website of the Ontario Junior Hockey League Official website of the Canadian Junior Hockey League 1996–97 OPJHL season 1998–99 OPJHL season OJHL seasons Category:Ontario Junior Hockey League seasons OPJHL