1996–97 OPJHL season

1996–97 OPJHL season #007AC2 #FFFFFF Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League Hockey Regular season 1996-09 – 1997-02 Playoffs 1997-02 – 1997-04 Milton Merchants 22 OPJHL 1995–96 1997–98 The 1996–97 OPJHL season is the fourth 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, lost the 1997 Buckland Cup and Dudley Hewitt Cup to the Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League.http://members.shaw.ca/vernonfranchise/league/cups/national_champions.html Shaw Communications Changes Royal York Royals become the Vaughan Vipers. Stouffville Clippers become the Stouffville Spirit. 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 GF GA PBramalea Blues 51 36 12 3 263 154 76Brampton Capitals 51 35 14 2 280 183 73Mississauga Chargers 51 29 19 3 234 220 62St. Michael's Buzzers 51 26 22 3 210 173 59Streetsville Derbys 51 19 26 6 212 222 45Vaughan Vipers 51 16 33 2 179 272 35MacKinnon Division Team GP W L T GF GA PMilton Merchants 51 37 9 5 319 169 81Hamilton Kilty 51 32 14 5 286 218 70Oakville Blades 51 22 28 1 218 233 50Burlington Cougars 51 14 34 3 188 273 32Georgetown Raiders 51 3 47 1 140 375 10Phillips Division Team GP W L T GF GA PNewmarket 87's 51 43 5 3 313 135 89Collingwood Blues 51 28 18 5 249 206 62Orillia Terriers 50 25 21 4 201 194 56Lindsay Muskies 51 17 29 5 188 247 42Stouffville Spirit 50 8 41 1 167 295 19Ruddock Division Team GP W L T GF GA PKingston Voyageurs 51 42 7 2 313 138 87Peterborough Jr. Petes 51 29 19 3 219 182 64Ajax Axemen 51 21 28 2 212 258 45Bowmanville Eagles 51 15 31 5 215 285 37Trenton Sting 51 16 32 3 192 278 36Cobourg Cougars 51 11 35 5 190 278 29 1996-97 OPJHL Playoffs the Central Canada Championship Dudley Hewitt Cup the national championship 1997 Royal Bank Cup Division Semi-final Newmarket 87's defeated Bowmanville Eagles 4-games-to-2 Kingston Voyageurs defeated Ajax Axemen 4-games-to-none Peterborough Jr. Petes defeated Lindsay Muskies 4-games-to-2 Collingwood Blues defeated Orillia Terriers 4-games-to-2 Milton Merchants defeated Streetsville Derbys 4-games-to-none Brampton Capitals defeated St. Michael's Buzzers 4-games-to-2 Mississauga Chargers defeated Hamilton Kiltys 4-games-to-2 Division Final Newmarket 87's defeated Collingwood Blues 4-games-to-none Kingston Voyageurs defeated Peterborough Jr. Petes 4-games-to-1 Milton Merchants defeated Mississauga Chargers 4-games-to-none Bramalea Blues defeated Brampton Capitals 4-games-to-2 Semi-final Newmarket 87's defeated Kingston Voyageurs 4-games-to-1 Milton Merchants defeated Bramalea Blues 4-games-to-3 Final Milton Merchants defeated Newmarket 87's 4-games-to-3 OHA Buckland Cup and Dudley Hewitt Cup Championship Best-of-7 Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats (NOJHL) defeated Milton Merchants 4-games-to-1 Milton 4 - Rayside-Balfour 0 Rayside-Balfour 4 - Milton 3 OT Rayside-Balfour 5 - Milton 3 Rayside-Balfour 9 - Milton 2 Rayside-Balfour 4 - Milton 1 Scoring leaders Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes Player Team GP G A PtsRyan Vince Kingston Voyageurs 51 54 81 135Scott Cameron Kingston Voyageurs 48 51 61 112Eric Ellis Hamilton Red Wings 50 50 62 112Dan Kerluke Brampton Capitals 51 62 48 110Ron Baker Milton/Bowmanville 49 43 62 105Scott Stephens Newmarket 87's 44 43 60 103Chris Stevenson Hamilton Red Wings 51 51 49 100Darren Haydar Milton Merchants 51 32 68 100 See also 1997 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 1996 in ice hockey 1997 in ice hockey References External links Official website of the Ontario Junior Hockey League Official website of the Canadian Junior Hockey League 1995–96 OPJHL season 1997–98 OPJHL season OJHL seasons Category:Ontario Junior Hockey League seasons OPJHL