The Walpole Island Wild are a Canadian Junior ice hockey club based in Walpole Island, Ontario. They play in the Provincial Junior Hockey League of the Ontario Hockey Association.

Walpole Island Wild
CityWallaceburg, Ontario
LeagueProvincial Junior Hockey League
Founded1972
Home arenaWalpole Island Sports Complex.
ColoursTurquoise, Black, and White
     
General managerWayne Glensky
Head coachLouie Vuitton
Franchise history
1972–2019Wallaceburg Lakers
2019–2023Wallaceburg ThunderHawks
2023–presentWalpole Island Wild
Championships
League champions1632

History

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Lakers' goalie during 2013-14 season.
 
Lakers' skater during 2014-15 season.

The Wallaceburg Thunderhawks have made the All-Ontario Final once since 1972, in 1999 they lost the Clarence Schmalz Cup to the Glanbrook Rangers. From the 1997-98 season to the 2000-2001 season the Lakers made it to the Great Lakes Junior C Finals. Winning the League Championship in 1998-99 season. The Lakers Revamped themselves in the 2006-2007 season, with Head Coach Mark Davis returning to the club, as they knocked off the 4th seeded Dresden Jr. Kings in a 6 game series for their first series win in 5 years, They would lose in the League Semi-finals to the League Champion Essex 73's in a hard fought 5 game series. In 2007-2008 The Lakers won the north division title and breezed past the Blenheim Blades in the first round 4-0. Round 2 brought on the Mooretown Flags which also brought a 4 game sweep. The Lakers would then face their rivals from Essex the 3 time defending League champions. The Lakers battled their hearts out right to the end but were no match for the 73's as Essex swept the finals in 4 games and claimed their 4th straight League Title.

On December 28, 2008, tragedy struck the Wallaceburg Lakers organization as they lost a valuable member of their team. 19-year-old Tristan Carswell (Forward, #16) died suddenly in his sleep. In the first game the Wallaceburg Lakers played following the death of Carswell, the Lakers coach asked in a pre-game speech for Tristan to send down a message to let them know he's still with them. The Lakers proceeded to score a goal 16 seconds into the game, and then again with 16 seconds remaining in the game. His jersey was retired at a ceremony February 4, 2009 in a game against Dresden.

During a tumultuous off-season in 2019, the ownership group of the Lakers dubiously applied to the Ontario Hockey Association for relocation to Tilbury, Ontario.[1] The move was rejected by the OHA.

Season-by-season record

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Season GP W L T OTL GF GA P Results Playoffs
1972-73 42 20 19 3 - 197 179 43 4th GLJHL
1973-74 43 16 22 5 - 233 258 37 7th GLJHL
1974-75 42 26 13 3 - 249 167 55 3rd GLJHL
1975-76 42 19 19 4 - 215 211 42 4th GLJHL
1976-77 42 13 25 4 - 203 249 30 6th GLJHL
1977-78 42 20 19 3 - 259 266 43 4th GLJHL
1978-79 40 24 14 2 - 275 232 50 3rd GLJHL
1979-80 42 17 20 5 - 257 219 39 4th GLJHL
1980-81 40 17 19 4 - 183 244 38 5th GLJHL
1981-82 38 12 26 0 - 195 240 24 7th GLJHL
1982-83 39 27 7 5 - 234 157 59 2nd GLJHL
1983-84 40 6 31 3 - 144 288 15 7th GLJHL
1984-85 40 13 22 5 - 187 197 31 8th GLJHL
1985-86 40 11 23 6 - 183 224 28 8th GLJHL
1986-87 39 8 28 2 1 153 235 19 8th GLJHL
1987-88 38 23 13 1 1 215 180 48 4th GLJHL
1988-89 40 10 26 3 1 148 246 24 9th GLJHL
1989-90 40 15 19 3 3 182 165 36 9th GLJHL
1990-91 Did Not Participate
1991-92 41 1 37 2 1 97 367 5 11th GLJHL
1992-93 40 0 40 0 0 104 341 0 11th GLJHL
1993-94 38 8 26 2 2 128 238 20 10th GLJHL
1994-95 42 3 34 3 2 111 286 11 11th GLJHL
1995-96 39 12 25 1 1 121 197 26 10th GLJHL
1996-97 39 19 12 6 2 167 161 46 4th GLJHL
1997-98 46 21 17 7 1 173 140 50 5th GLJHL Lost final
1998-99 40 32 7 0 1 209 109 65 2nd GLJHL Won League, lost CSC Final
1999-00 39 29 7 3 0 191 110 61 2nd GLJHL Lost final
2000-01 40 24 14 1 1 152 138 50 3rd GLJHL Lost final
2001-02 40 15 18 6 1 131 143 37 7th GLJHL
2002-03 40 5 27 4 4 125 208 18 9th GLJHL DNQ
2003-04 40 8 29 1 2 107 192 19 9th GLJHL DNQ
2004-05 40 4 34 1 1 69 215 10 9th GLJHL DNQ
2005-06 40 3 35 1 1 83 287 8 9th GLJHL DNQ
2006-07 40 19 17 2 2 168 142 42 5th GLJHL Lost semi-final
2007-08 39 24 11 2 2 187 127 52 3rd GLJHL Lost final
2008-09 40 18 19 - 3 166 179 39 6th GLJHL Lost semi-final
2009-10 40 27 10 - 3 191 128 57 3rd GLJHL Lost-final
2010-11 40 30 8 - 2 168 113 62 1st GLJHL Lost semi-final
2011-12 40 9 29 - 2 129 216 20 9th GLJHL DNQ
2012-13 40 11 27 - 2 125 210 24 9th GLJHL DNQ
2013-14 40 5 34 - 1 94 234 11 9th GLJHL DNQ
2014-15 40 6 31 - 3 87 190 15 9th GLJHL DNQ
2015-16 40 3 37 - 0 88 251 6 9th GLJHL DNQ
2016-17 40 3 36 1 - 78 253 7 9th Stobbs DNQ
2017-18 40 3 37 0 0 67 261 6 9th Stobbs DNQ
2018-19 40 1 37 0 2 56 226 4 9th Stobbs DNQ
Wallaceburg ThunderHawks
2019-20 40 4 35 0 1 69 204 9 9th of 9 Stobbs DNQ
2020-21 Season Lost due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021-22 32 5 24 2 1 64 184 13 8th of 9 Stobbs Lost Div. Quarter finals 0-4 (Canadiens)
2022-23 42 4 35 3 0 91 262 11 8th of 8 Stobbs Lost Div. Quarter finals 0-4 (73's)
Walpole Island Wild
2023-24 42 6 36 0 0 73 249 12 8th of 8 Stobbs Lost Div. Quarter finals 0-4 (Canadiens)
 
Lakers' skater during 2013-14 season.
 
Lakers' goalie during 2014-15 season.

Clarence Schmalz Cup appearances

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1999: Glanbrook Rangers defeated Wallaceburg Lakers 4-games-to-none

References

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  1. ^ "Lakers want to move to Tilbury from Wallaceburg".
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