Delhi Travellers

Last updated
Delhi Travellers
Delhi Travellers.jpg
City Delhi, Ontario
League Provincial Junior Hockey League
DivisionCentral / Pat Doherty
FoundedCirca 1960
Home arena Delhi Community Arena
Colours Blue, Silver, and White
   
General managerChris Longthorne (2016-17)
Head coachRob Hutchison (2016-17)
Franchise history
Circa 1960–72: Delhi Rockets
1972–91: Delhi Flames
1991–98: Delhi Leafs
1998–present: Delhi Travellers
Championships
League champions1981, 1986
OHA CupsNone

The Delhi Travellers are a junior hockey team based in Delhi, Ontario, Canada. The Travellers play in the Provincial Junior Hockey League of the Ontario Hockey Association.

Contents

History

Prior to 1966, the Delhi franchise was a member of the Shamrock Junior D Hockey League. In 1966, they jumped to the Southern Counties Junior D Hockey League. In 1972, the team changed their name from the Rockets to the Flames.

The 1980–81 season saw the Flames raise to the heights of provincial recognition. They finished second overall in the Southern league standings with 21 wins, seven losses, and six ties, a fair distance behind the first place St. George Dukes. Once in the playoffs, the Flames took the Southern league by storm and won their first ever league championship. The victory launched the Flames into the provincial final in competition for the OHA Cup. Their opponents were the Belmont Bombers, the champions of the Western Junior D Hockey League. The Bombers made quick work of the Flames, sweeping the series 4-games-to-none.

In the 1986 playoffs, the Flames once again took the Southern league crown. The victory brought them into line for another crack at the OHA Cup. Once in the provincial final, they found them against the Western league champions Seaforth Centenaires. The Centenaires were battle-hardened from their play in the North Division of the 12-team Western league and kept the Flames at bay for a 4-games-to-1 series victory.

In 1988, Delhi's Southern league folded and merged with the Western league to create a province-wide 18-team super-league. In 1991, the Western league was dropped in favour of the OHA Junior Development League.

From their point of entry into the Western league in 1988, the Delhi Flames found themselves in vast trouble. In 1991, the team changed their names to the Delhi Leafs to honour the towns former Intermediate league representative. The Leafs suffered horrible losing season from 1991 all the way until they opted to change their team name to the Delhi Travellers in 1998. After one season under the Travellers moniker, and one of their worst seasons in franchise history, the team took a leave of absence from the OHAJDL.

In 2000–01, the Travellers were back and finished in thirteenth place overall in the OHAJDL. This marked their best finish since entering the league in 1988. A year later they had a winning record. In fact, as of 2007, every season from 2000-on the Travellers at least matched their previous seasons performance if not bettered it.

After the 2005–06 season, the Travellers found themselves in second place overall in the OHAJDL with 29 wins. In the opening round of the playoffs, the Travellers challenged and defeated the Burford Bulldogs 4-games-to-2. In the conference semi-final, the Travellers then met the Hagersville Hawks and beat them 4-games-to-3. Then Delhi challenged the Tavistock Braves and swept them 4-games-to-none to win their first ever birth into the league final since joining the league eighteen years before. They met the underdog Lucan Irish, a seventh seed berth from the other conference who defied all odds to make it this far. The Irish were not to be denied of the Cinderella story, as they defeated the Travellers 4-games-to-2 to win the OHA Cup.

After 2006, the OHAJDL was disbanded and replaced by the Southern Ontario Junior Hockey League. In its first season, the Travellers finished in second place despite winning 32 games—three more than the previous season. In the first round of the playoffs, the Travellers challenged the Port Dover Sailors. The Travellers had no problem with the Sailors and swept them 4-games-to-none. The next round had Delhi faced off against the St. George Dukes. The longtime rivals went to six games with Delhi win the series 4-games-to-2. The next round had the Travellers trying for their second straight conference title against the Tavistock Braves. The series went the distance and the Travellers came out on top in Game 7 winning the series 4-games-to-3. In their second straight final, the Travellers met a tough foe in the Mitchell Hawks. The Hawks and Travellers fought, but the Hawks won Game 6 and took the series 4-games-to-2 to take away Delhi's second straight chance at the OHA Cup.

In the Summer of 2013, after much uncertainty, the Travellers ended up in the new Midwestern Junior C Hockey League. In 2014–15, the team finished an Imperfect Season, losing all 40 games played.

For the 2016–17 season the eight Junior "C" hockey leagues in Southern Ontario amalgamated into one league, the Provincial Junior Hockey League. The Midwestern League were placed in the Central Conference and re-branded the Pat Doherty division.

The playoffs for the 2019–20 season were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to the team not being able to play a single game.

Season-by-season record

SeasonGPWLTOTLGFGAPResultsPlayoffs
1966-67241680-11895321st SCJDHL
1967-68241770-147104342nd SCJDHL
1968-69302091-196132412nd SCJDHL
1969-703015123-156146333rd SCJDHL
1970-713013170-146155265th SCJDHL
1971-722811152-122133246th SCJDHL
1972-733017130-133122344th SCJDHL
1973-742916130-164156323rd SCJDHL
1974-753017130-190172342nd SCJDHL
1975-76352393-----492nd SCJDHL
1976-77289181-----198th SCJDHL
1977-78344291-12926198th SJDHL
1978-793214180-158187285th SJDHL
1979-803214162-160169306th SJDHL
1980-81342176-213115482nd SJDHL
1981-823620142-----424th SJDHL
1982-833616155-----374th SJDHL
1983-843622113-----472nd SJDHL
1984-853517144-----382nd SJDHL
1985-86322165-----471st SJDHL
1986-874014206-----345th SJDHL
1987-883112163-----274th SJDHL
1988-89356227-1372461917th WJDHL
1989-90355273-1652551317th WJDHL
1990-9140930101562481918th WJDHL
1991-923313110117296317th OHAJDL
1992-93401026131302392416th OHAJDL
1993-94405332-1122831217th OHAJDL
1994-9539531211222701318th OHAJDL
1995-96401425101682292916th OHAJDL
1996-97391322221632163014th OHAJDL
1997-98371419311601923214th OHAJDL
1998-993852913862071418th OHAJDL
1999-00Did Not Participate
2000-0140132502----2813th OHAJDL
2001-02401917131481474210th OHAJDL
2002-03401817141561754111th OHAJDL
2003-0440181273161146465th OHAJDL
2004-0540271102163114563rd OHAJDL
2005-06382963017692612nd OHAJDL
2006-074232901198120652nd SOJHL
2007-0842306-6183126662nd SOJHL
2008-0940316-3202122652nd SOJHL
2009-1036286-2214119582nd SOJHL
2010-11352014-1155136418th SOJHL
2011-1235268-1180136532nd SOJHL
2012-13381719-2167183366th SOJHL-Mc
2013-1439631-2106194148th MWJCHLLost Quarters - 1-4 - (Mounties)
2014-15400400-5227309th MWJCHLDNQ
2015-16404351-9222599th of 9 MWJCHLDNQ
2016-17401390-7130429th of 9-PJHL
Doughery Div
DNQ
2017-18401390-5527429th of 9-PJHL
Doughery Div
DNQ
2018-19404360-5229888th of 9-PJHL
Doughery Div
Lost Quarters, 0-4 - (Braves)
2019-20400400-4753209th of 9-PJHL
Doughery Div
did not Qualify
2020-21Season Lost due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021-22Requested leave of absence 2020–21 season
Did not return for current season

Playoffs

Belmont Bombers defeated Delhi Flames 4-games-to-none in OHA final
Seaforth Centenaires defeated Delhi Flames 4-games-to-1 in OHA final
Delhi Travellers defeated Burford Bulldogs 4-games-to-2 in conf. quarter-final
Delhi Travellers defeated Hagersville Hawks 4-games-to-3 in conf. semi-final
Delhi Travellers defeated Tavistock Braves 4-games-to-none in conf. final
Lucan Irish defeated Delhi Travellers 4-games-to-2 in final
Delhi Travellers defeated Port Dover Sailors 4-games-to-none in conf. quarter-final
Delhi Travellers defeated St. George Dukes 4-games-to-2 in conf. semi-final
Delhi Travellers defeated Tavistock Braves 4-games-to-3 in conf. final
Mitchell Hawks defeated Delhi Travellers 4-games-to-2 in final
Delhi Travellers defeated Burford Bulldogs 4-games-to-none in conf. semi final
Delhi Travellers defeated Hagersville Hawks 4-games-to-none in conf. final
Delhi Travellers competed against North Middlesex Stars and Thamesford Trojans in semi-final round robin
Delhi Travellers advanced to finals against North Middlesex Stars
North Middlesex Stars defeated Delhi Travellers 4-games-to-3 in final
Delhi Travellers defeated St. George Dukes 4-games-to-1 in conf. semi final
Delhi Travellers defeated Hagersville Hawks 4-games-to-1 in conf. final
Exeter Hawks and Thamesford Trojans defeated Delhi Travellers in semi-final round robin

Notable alumni

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