Niagara & District Junior C Hockey League

For PJHL Bloomfield Division, see Provincial Junior Hockey League.

Niagara & District Junior "C" Hockey League Head Office Cambridge, Ontario Official Website NDJCHL Operated 1974-2016

The Niagara & District Junior C Hockey League is a former Junior "C" ice hockey league in Ontario, Canada, sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Association. The Champion of the Niagara competed for the All-Ontario Championship and the Clarence Schmalz Cup.

In the summer of 2016, the NDJCHL merged into the Provincial Junior Hockey League.

History

Grimsby player warming up during 2012 Schmalz Cup in Essex, Ontario.

The Niagara & District Junior C Hockey League was formed in 1974. Although corresponding with the founding of the Golden Horseshoe Junior Hockey League, the Niagara District league was actually founded by removing the Niagara-area teams from the Central Junior C Hockey League and placing them in the new Niagara District league. The Central league is now known as the Western Ontario Junior C Hockey League.

In 1984, the entire Western Division of the league broke away and formed the Southwestern Junior C Hockey League. The league only lasted one year before it was reabsorbed by the Niagara & District League. The Southwestern league comprised teams from Norwich, Woodstock, Tillsonburg, Simcoe, and New Hamburg. Local publications, like the Simcoe Reformer, did not recognize the Southwestern League as anything but the Western Division of the Niagara District league.

In the Spring of 2013, Junior C hockey in Ontario had its first major realignment since the creation of the Georgian Mid-Ontario Junior C Hockey League in 1994. The 27 teams between the Niagara & District League and the Southern Ontario Junior Hockey League were reshuffled. The Niagara & District League jumped from 12 to 18 teams, losing the Aylmer Spitfires, but gaining the Ayr Centennials, Burford Bulldogs, Delhi Travellers, Hagersville Hawks, Norfolk Rebels (Port Dover), Tavistock Braves, and Wellesley Applejacks. Not long after, the OHA split off the Western Division of the Niagara League to form the new Midwestern Junior C Hockey League, taking long time Niagara League members the Woodstock Navy-Vets, New Hamburg Firebirds, Norwich Merchants, and Paris Mounties with them.

Teams

Team Centre Founded Dundas Blues Dundas 1963 Dunnville Jr. Mudcats Dunnville 1974 Glanbrook Rangers Glanbrook 1975 Grimsby Peach Kings Grimsby 1922 Hagersville Hawks Hagersville 1992 Niagara Riverhawks Niagara Falls 1987 Port Dover Sailors Port Dover 1988 Simcoe Storm Simcoe 1959

On hiatus:

• St. George Dukes

2015-16 Playoffs

Winner moves on to the Clarence Schmalz Cup.

	Quarter-final					Semi-final					Final
	1	Glanbrook	4
	8	Simcoe	0
						1	Glanbrook	4
						4	Hagersville	1
	4	Hagersville	4
	5	Niagara	1
											1	Glanbrook	3
											2	Grimsby	4
	2	Grimsby	4
	7	Port Dover	2
						2	Grimsby	4
						3	Dundas	3
	6	Dunnville	0
	3	Dundas	4

Niagara Junior "C" champions

Niagara District Junior C Champions are bolded. In a year that there is no bolded champion, there seems to have not been an overall Niagara District Champion and both division entered teams against different opponents at the provincial level. In 1985, the Western Division was known as the "Southwestern Junior C Hockey League".

Year Champions Finalists Result in Provincials 1975 Dunnville Terriers Lost semi-final vs. Lindsay (C) 1976 Dunnville Terriers Won Championship vs. Essex (GL) 1977 Stoney Creek Warriors 1978 Flamborough Sabres Glanbrook Rangers Lost semi-final vs. Essex (GL) Year East Champion West Champion Result in Provincials 1979 Stoney Creek Warriors 1980 Flamborough Colts Lost semi-final vs. Leamington (GL) 1981 Dunnville Terriers Woodstock Navy-Vets Lost semi-final vs. Essex (GL) Year Can-Am Champion Central Champion West Champion Result in Provincials 1982 Team Port Colborne Flamborough Colts Norwich Merchants Won Championship vs. Bowmanville (C) Year East Champion West Champion Result in Provincials 1983 Dunnville Terriers Woodstock Navy-Vets Won Championship vs. Lindsay (C) 1984 Stoney Creek Warriors Woodstock Navy-Vets Lost final vs. Penetang (GB) 1985 Stoney Creek Warriors Woodstock Navy-Vets Lost semi-final vs. Belle River (GL) 1986 Stoney Creek Warriors Norwich Merchants Won Championship vs. Bradford (MO) Year East Champion Central Champion West Champion Result in Provincials 1987 Dundas Blues Norwich Merchants Lost final vs. Lakefield (C) Year East Champion West Champion Result in Provincials 1988 Stoney Creek Warriors Woodstock Navy-Vets Lost semi-final vs. Mooretown (GL) 1989 Caledonia Corvairs Dundas Blues Caledonia Lost quarter-final vs. Bradford (MO) Dundas Lost quarter-final vs. Belle River (GL) 1990 Port Dover Clippers New Hamburg Spirit 83's Port Dover Lost quarter-final vs. Orangeville (MO) New Hamburg Lost quarter-final vs. Belle River (GL) 1991 Port Dover Clippers New Hamburg Spirit 83's Port Dover Lost quarter-final vs. Orangeville (MO) New Hamburg Lost quarter-final vs. Belle River (GL) 1992 Chippawa Merchants Dundas Blues Lost semi-final vs. Belle River (GL) 1993 Dundas Blues Woodstock Navy-Vets Lost semi-final vs. Napanee Raiders (E) 1994 Rockton Real McCoys Woodstock Navy-Vets Rockton Lost final vs. Belle River (GL) Woodstock Lost quarter-final vs. Belle River (GL) 1995 Chippawa Merchants Woodstock Navy-Vets Lost semi-final vs. Belle River (GL) 1996 Glanbrook Rangers Paris Mounties Won Championship vs. Napanee (E) 1997 Glanbrook Rangers Paris Mounties Won Championship vs. Belle River (GL) 1998 Glanbrook Rangers Norwich Merchants Won Championship vs. Kincardine (W) 1999 Glanbrook Rangers Woodstock Navy-Vets Won Championship vs. Wallaceburg (GL) 2000 Chippawa Riverhawks Norwich Merchants Lost semi-final vs. Lakefield (C) 2001 Chippawa Riverhawks Norwich Merchants Won Championship vs. Belle River (GL) 2002 Chippawa Riverhawks Woodstock Navy-Vets Lost semi-final vs. Essex (GL) 2003 Grimsby Peach Kings Norwich Merchants Won Championship vs. Georgina (C) 2004 Grimsby Peach Kings Simcoe Storm Won Championship vs. Wingham (W) 2005 Grimsby Peach Kings Simcoe Storm Lost final vs. Essex (GL) 2006 Grimsby Peach Kings Simcoe Storm Lost semi-final vs. Essex (GL) 2007 Grimsby Peach Kings Norwich Merchants Lost semi-final vs. Essex (GL) 2008 Grimsby Peach Kings Norwich Merchants Lost semi-final vs. Essex (GL) 2009 Grimsby Peach Kings Norwich Merchants Lost semi-final vs. Essex (GL) 2010 Grimsby Peach Kings Norwich Merchants Lost semi-final vs. Belle River (GL) 2011 Grimsby Peach Kings Norwich Merchants Won Championship vs. Alliston (GMO) 2012 Grimsby Peach Kings New Hamburg Firebirds Won Championship vs. Alliston (GMO) 2013 Grimsby Peach Kings New Hamburg Firebirds Lost semi-final vs. Essex (GL) Year Champion Finalist Result in Provincials 2014 Grimsby Peach Kings Dunnville Jr. Mudcats Lost semi-final vs. Lakefield (C) 2015 Grimsby Peach Kings Dundas Blues Lost quarter-final vs. Ayr (MW) 2016 Grimsby Peach Kings Glanbrook Rangers Lost quarter-final vs. Ayr (MW)

Regular Season Champions

Season Champion Record Points 1974-75 Dunnville Terriers 24-3-3-0 51 1975-76 Dunnville Terriers 29-3-4-0 62 1976-77 Hagersville Flyers 21-4-5-0 47 1977-78 Flamborough Sabres 23-9-4-0 50 1978-79 Hagersville Flyers 26-11-3-0 55 1979-80 Stoney Creek Warriors 30-4-1-0 61 1980-81 Stoney Creek Warriors 30-7-3-0 63 1981-82 Norwich Merchants 26-5-1-0 53 1982-83 Dunnville Terriers 24-6-2-0 50 1983-84 Port Colborne Sailors 30-7-3-0 63 1984-85 Stoney Creek Warriors 26-7-1-0 53 1985-86 Stoney Creek Warriors 28-6-2-0 58 1986-87 Dundas Blues 25-6-3-0 53 1987-88 Norwich Merchants 27-5-4-0 58 1988-89 Dundas Blues 27-6-3-0 57 1989-90 Norwich Merchants 25-7-4-0 54 1990-91 Dundas Blues 26-5-3-0 55 1991-92 Flamborough Gamblers 27-5-1-0 55 1992-93 Woodstock Navy-Vets 29-2-5-0 63 1993-94 Paris Mounties 25-5-6-0 56 1994-95 Chippawa Merchants 31-2-2-0 64 1995-96 Glanbrook Rangers 32-3-1-0 65 1996-97 Woodstock Navy-Vets 32-4-3-1 68 1997-98 Glanbrook Rangers 37-1-4-0 78 1998-99 Glanbrook Rangers 33-2-1-0 67 1999-00 Chippawa Riverhawks 32-4-0-0 64 2000-01 Chippawa Riverhawks 31-0-4-1 67 2001-02 Woodstock Navy-Vets & Chippawa Riverhawks 25-9-1-1 52 (tie) 2002-03 Grimsby Peach Kings 30-2-3-1 64 2003-04 Grimsby Peach Kings 28-5-2-1 59 2004-05 Grimsby Peach Kings 28-5-3-0 59 2005-06 Grimsby Peach Kings 33-3-0-0 66 2006-07 Grimsby Peach Kings 28-7-0-1 57 2007-08 Grimsby Peach Kings 32-2-2-0 66 2008-09 Grimsby Peach Kings 26-8-0-2 54 2009-10 Simcoe Storm 29-5-0-2 60 2010-11 Norwich Merchants 32-2-0-2 66 2011-12 Grimsby Peach Kings 32-4-0-0 64 2012-13 New Hamburg Firebirds 32-4-0-2 66 2013-14 Grimsby Peach Kings 26-8-0-1 53 2014-15 Grimsby Peach Kings 31-7-0-4 66 2015-16 Glanbrook Rangers 31-10-0-1 63

Please note: Through much of the 1980s and 1990s, the divisions of the league were semi-autonomous and would often have different numbers of games in their schedules. The winners, in that case, are chosen by winning percentage. The 2001-02 ended up with the two division leaders with exact records, therefore a tie.

Former teams

• Ancaster Shamrocks
• Aylmer Spitfires
• Beamsville-Lincoln Blades
• Buffalo Trojans
• Caledonia Corvairs
• Flamborough Colts
• Hagersville Flyers
• Merritton Centennials
• Niagara-on-the-Lake Bicentennials
• Port Colborne Sailors
• Port Dover Clippers
• Rockton Real McCoys
• Stoney Creek Warriors
• Thorold Paper C's

External links

• Niagara Junior C Website
• OHA Website