The 2023–24 OEHL season was the first season of the Ontario Elite Hockey League. The league played a 20-game regular season which began in October 2023 and concluded in February 2024. The post-season began in February 2024 and concluded in March 2024.
| 2023–24 OEHL season | |
|---|---|
| League | Ontario Elite Hockey League |
| Sport | Hockey |
| Duration | Regular season October 6, 2023 – February 4, 2024 Playoffs February 9, 2024 – March 30, 2024 |
| Number of teams | 11 |
| Finals champions | OEHL Cup - Minto 81's McLean Cup - Georgian Bay Applekings |
The Minto 81's won the OEHL Cup Championship, defeating the Tavistock Royals in the final round of the playoffs.[1]
Formation of OEHL
editThe Ontario Elite Hockey League (OEHL) was established on August 17, 2023, by the Ontario Hockey Association. The league took ten members of the WOAA Senior AA Hockey League, plus one pending expansion team, as well as another team as being formed in the announcement for the formation of a new league.[2]
The ten former WOAA teams were the Creemore Coyotes, Durham Thundercats, Lucknow Lancers, Milverton Four Wheel Drives, Minto 81's, Ripley Wolves, Saugeen Shores Winterhawks, Seaforth Centenaires, Shelburne Muskies and Tavistock Royals. The expansion team brought from the WOAA was the Georgian Bay Applekings. The Erin Outlaws were also announced as a new team to the league.[3]
The Shelburne Muskies took a leave of absence for the 2023–24 season.[4]
Regular season
editFinal standings
editNote: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L= Losses; OTL = Overtime losses; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; Pts = Points; Green shade = Clinched playoff spot
[5]
| Rank | Ontario Elite Hockey League | GP | W | L | OTL | Pts | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ripley Wolves | 20 | 16 | 1 | 3 | 35 | 107 | 53 |
| 2 | Creemore Coyotes | 20 | 14 | 5 | 1 | 29 | 99 | 66 |
| 3 | Minto 81's | 20 | 13 | 6 | 1 | 27 | 97 | 69 |
| 4 | Tavistock Royals | 20 | 13 | 7 | 0 | 26 | 87 | 69 |
| 5 | Durham Thundercats | 20 | 12 | 7 | 1 | 25 | 83 | 73 |
| 6 | Seaforth Centenaires | 20 | 12 | 8 | 0 | 24 | 82 | 52 |
| 7 | Saugeen Shores Winterhawks | 20 | 11 | 8 | 1 | 23 | 78 | 54 |
| 8 | Erin Outlaws | 20 | 6 | 13 | 1 | 13 | 71 | 104 |
| 9 | Georgian Bay Applekings | 20 | 5 | 13 | 2 | 12 | 59 | 108 |
| 10 | Milverton Four Wheel Drives | 20 | 5 | 14 | 1 | 11 | 66 | 105 |
| 11 | Lucknow Lancers | 20 | 3 | 16 | 1 | 7 | 42 | 118 |
Scoring leaders
editNote: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes[6]
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garrett Meurs | Ripley Wolves | 19 | 17 | 27 | 44 | 36 |
| Luke Richardson | Durham Thundercats | 20 | 14 | 25 | 39 | 0 |
| Kyler Nixon | Durham Thundercats | 19 | 13 | 26 | 39 | 2 |
| JD Falconer | Creemore Coyotes | 19 | 11 | 28 | 39 | 6 |
| Ben Hughes | Creemore Coyotes | 20 | 18 | 17 | 35 | 6 |
| Kaden Hoggarth | Ripley Wolves | 19 | 11 | 17 | 28 | 46 |
| Sean Kienapple | Tavistock Royals | 17 | 14 | 13 | 27 | 14 |
| Dennis Dewar | Milverton Four Wheel Drives | 19 | 16 | 10 | 26 | 2 |
| Dan Nicoloff | Ripley Wolves | 16 | 13 | 13 | 26 | 28 |
| Caleb Warren | Minto 81's | 19 | 11 | 15 | 26 | 16 |
Leading goaltenders
editNote: GP = Games played; Mins = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses: OTL = Overtime losses;
SL = Shootout losses; GA = Goals Allowed; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals against average[7]
| Player | Team | GP | MINS | W | L | OTL | GA | SO | Sv% | GAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Hutcheson | Seaforth Centenaires | 10 | 557 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 0.897 | 1.94 |
| Clayton Fritsch | Saugeen Shores Winterhawks | 7 | 400 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 15 | 1 | 0.899 | 2.25 |
| Josh Hamilton | Ripley Wolves | 18 | 1094 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 46 | 4 | 0.909 | 2.52 |
| Daniel DeKoening | Minto 81's | 8 | 480 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 21 | 1 | 0.879 | 2.63 |
| Malcolm Young | Durham Thundercats | 6 | 361 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 0.920 | 2.66 |
Playoffs
editOEHL Cup playoffs
editThe top eight teams qualify for the OEHL Cup playoffs. Each series is a best-of-seven.
| OEHL quarter-finals | OEHL semi-finals | OEHL finals | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Ripley | 4 | ||||||||||||
| 8 | Erin | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Ripley | 2 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Tavistock | 4 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Tavistock | 4 | ||||||||||||
| 5 | Durham | 1 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Tavistock | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Minto | 4 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Creemore | 4 | ||||||||||||
| 7 | Saugeen Shores | 3 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Creemore | 1 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Minto | 4 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Minto | 4 | ||||||||||||
| 6 | Seaforth | 2 | ||||||||||||
OEHL quarter-finals
edit(1) Ripley Wolves vs. (8) Erin Outlaws
edit| February 9 | Erin Outlaws | 3 – 7 | Ripley Wolves | Ripley-Huron Arena | Recap |
| February 10 | Ripley Wolves | 5 – 3 | Erin Outlaws | Erin Community Centre | Recap |
| February 16 | Erin Outlaws | 1 – 6 | Ripley Wolves | Ripley-Huron Arena | Recap |
| February 17 | Ripley Wolves | 11 – 2 | Erin Outlaws | Erin Community Centre | Recap |
| Ripley wins series 4 – 0 | |
(2) Creemore Coyotes vs. (7) Saugeen Shores Winterhawks
editNote: Game seven was played at the Centre Dufferin Recreation Complex in Shelburne, Ontario.
| February 9 | Creemore Coyotes | 1 – 6 | Saugeen Shores Winterhawks | Port Elgin Plex | Recap |
| February 10 | Saugeen Shores Winterhawks | 2 – 1 | OT | Creemore Coyotes | Creemore Recreation Centre | Recap |
| February 16 | Creemore Coyotes | 6 – 4 | Saugeen Shores Winterhawks | Port Elgin Plex | Recap |
| February 17 | Saugeen Shores Winterhawks | 1 – 3 | Creemore Coyotes | Creemore Recreation Centre | Recap |
| February 18 | Saugeen Shores Winterhawks | 2 – 5 | Creemore Coyotes | Creemore Recreation Centre | Recap |
| February 23 | Creemore Coyotes | 2 – 6 | Saugeen Shores Winterhawks | Port Elgin Plex | Recap |
| February 24 | Saugeen Shores Winterhawks | 2 – 6 | Creemore Coyotes | Creemore Recreation Centre | Recap |
| Creemore wins series 4 – 3 | |
(3) Minto 81's vs. (6) Seaforth Centenaires
edit| February 9 | Seaforth Centenaires | 3 – 5 | Minto 81's | Palmerston Community Centre | Recap |
| February 10 | Minto 81's | 5 – 4 | OT | Seaforth Centenaires | Seaforth Community Centre | Recap |
| February 17 | Seaforth Centenaires | 3 – 6 | Minto 81's | Palmerston Community Centre | Recap |
| February 18 | Minto 81's | 2 – 5 | Seaforth Centenaires | Seaforth Community Centre | Recap |
| February 19 | Seaforth Centenaires | 4 – 3 | Minto 81's | Palmerston Community Centre | Recap |
| February 24 | Minto 81's | 4 – 3 | Seaforth Centenaires | Seaforth Community Centre | Recap |
| Minto wins series 4 – 2 | |
(4) Tavistock Royals vs. (5) Durham Thundercats
edit| February 9 | Tavistock Royals | 3 – 2 | Durham Thundercats | Durham Community Centre | Recap |
| February 11 | Durham Thundercats | 3 – 2 | OT | Tavistock Royals | Tavistock Recreation Centre | Recap |
| February 16 | Tavistock Royals | 4 – 0 | Durham Thundercats | Durham Community Centre | Recap |
| February 17 | Durham Thundercats | 2 – 7 | Tavistock Royals | Tavistock Recreation Centre | Recap |
| February 23 | Durham Thundercats | 3 – 5 | Tavistock Royals | Tavistock Recreation Centre | Recap |
| Tavistock wins series 4 – 1 | |
OEHL semi-finals
edit(1) Ripley Wolves vs. (4) Tavistock Royals
edit| March 2 | Tavistock Royals | 4 – 3 | OT | Ripley Wolves | Ripley-Huron Arena | Recap |
| March 3 | Ripley Wolves | 5 – 9 | Tavistock Royals | Tavistock Recreation Centre | Recap |
| March 9 | Tavistock Royals | 8 – 4 | Ripley Wolves | Ripley-Huron Arena | Recap |
| March 10 | Ripley Wolves | 3 – 1 | Tavistock Royals | Tavistock Recreation Centre | Recap |
| March 16 | Tavistock Royals | 5 – 6 | 2OT | Ripley Wolves | Ripley-Huron Arena | Recap |
| March 17 | Ripley Wolves | 2 – 5 | Tavistock Royals | Tavistock Recreation Centre | Recap |
| Tavistock wins series 4 – 2 | |
(2) Creemore Coyotes vs. (3) Minto 81's
edit| March 2 | Minto 81's | 3 – 0 | Creemore Coyotes | Creemore Recreation Centre | Recap |
| March 9 | Minto 81's | 2 – 6 | Creemore Coyotes | Creemore Recreation Centre | Recap |
| March 10 | Creemore Coyotes | 2 – 10 | Minto 81's | Palmerston Community Centre | Recap |
| March 15 | Creemore Coyotes | 1 – 6 | Minto 81's | Palmerston Community Centre | Recap |
| March 16 | Minto 81's | 7 – 1 | Creemore Coyotes | Creemore Recreation Centre | Recap |
| Minto wins series 4 – 1 | |
OEHL Cup finals
edit(3) Minto 81's vs. (4) Tavistock Royals
edit| March 23 | Minto 81's | 3 – 1 | Tavistock Royals | Tavistock Recreation Centre | Recap |
| March 24 | Tavistock Royals | 5 – 6 | Minto 81's | Palmerston Community Centre | Recap |
| March 29 | Tavistock Royals | 3 – 4 | OT | Minto 81's | Palmerston Community Centre | Recap |
| March 30 | Minto 81's | 5 – 2 | Tavistock Royals | Tavistock Recreation Centre | Recap |
| Minto wins series 4 – 0 | |
Hugh McLean Cup playoffs
editThe non-OEHL Cup playoff qualifiers played in a home and home round robin with the top two teams in the round robin advancing to the best-of-seven McLean Cup championship series.
Round robin
editNote: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L= Losses GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; Pts = Points; Green shade = Clinched championship series berth
| McLean Cup round robin | GP | W | L | Pts | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgian Bay Applekings | 4 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 28 | 14 |
| Milverton Four Wheel Drives | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 22 | 24 |
| Lucknow Lancers | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 13 | 25 |
Round robin scores
editLucknow Lancers at Georgian Bay Applekings
edit| February 9 | Lucknow Lancers | 2 – 7 | Georgian Bay Applekings | Beaver Valley Community Centre | Recap |
Milverton Four Wheel Drives at Georgian Bay Applekings
edit| February 10 | Milverton Four Wheel Drives | 2 – 5 | Georgian Bay Applekings | Beaver Valley Community Centre | Recap |
Georgian Bay Applekings at Lucknow Lancers
edit| February 17 | Georgian Bay Applekings | 5 – 3 | Lucknow Lancers | Lucknow Arena | Recap |
Georgian Bay Applekings at Milverton Four Wheel Drives
edit| February 18 | Georgian Bay Applekings | 11 – 7 | Milverton Four Wheel Drives | Perth East Recreational Complex | Recap |
Milverton Four Wheel Drives at Lucknow Lancers
edit| February 23 | Milverton Four Wheel Drives | 3 – 5 | Lucknow Lancers | Lucknow Arena | Recap |
Lucknow Lancers at Milverton Four Wheel Drives
edit| February 24 | Lucknow Lancers | 3 – 10 | Milverton Four Wheel Drives | Perth East Recreational Complex | Recap |
Hugh McLean Cup finals
edit(1) Georgian Bay Applekings vs. (2) Milverton Four Wheel Drives
editNote: Game seven was played at the Meaford & St. Vincent Community Centre in Meaford, Ontario.
| March 2 | Georgian Bay Applekings | 4 – 7 | Milverton Four Wheel Drives | Perth East Recreational Complex | Recap |
| March 3 | Milverton Four Wheel Drives | 3 – 9 | Georgian Bay Applekings | Beaver Valley Community Centre | Recap |
| March 9 | Milverton Four Wheel Drives | 1 – 3 | Georgian Bay Applekings | Beaver Valley Community Centre | Recap |
| March 10 | Georgian Bay Applekings | 2 – 6 | Milverton Four Wheel Drives | Perth East Recreational Complex | Recap |
| March 16 | Milverton Four Wheel Drives | 3 – 1 | Georgian Bay Applekings | Beaver Valley Community Centre | Recap |
| March 17 | Georgian Bay Applekings | 5 – 2 | Milverton Four Wheel Drives | Perth East Recreational Complex | Recap |
| March 24 | Milverton Four Wheel Drives | 5 – 7 | Georgian Bay Applekings | Beaver Valley Community Centre | Recap |
| Georgian Bay wins series 4 – 3 | |
References
edit- ^ "2024 Playoffs - Ontario Elite Hockey League". OEHL. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
- ^ MacKinnon, Jordan. "Introducing the new Sr. AA Elite Hockey League". Saugeen Times. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
- ^ Beswitherwick, Nicole. "New Senior 'AA' hockey team, Erin Outlaws, coming to town". Wellington Advertiser.
- ^ "Statement regarding Shelburne Muskies". OEHL. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
- ^ "Standings - Ontario Elite Hockey League". OEHL.com. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
- ^ "Ontario Elite Hockey League Statistics". Ontario Elite Hockey League. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
- ^ "Ontario Elite Hockey League Statistics". Ontario Elite Hockey League. Retrieved 12 June 2024.