| Espanola Rivermen | |
|---|---|
 | |
| City | Espanola, Ontario, Canada |
| League | NOJHL CIHL |
| Operated | 2013 [1] –2015 |
| Home arena | Espanola Regional Recreational Complex |
| Owner(s) | Tim Clayden [1] |
| General manager | Chad Clarke [2] |
| Head coach | Tom McCarthy [2] |
The Espanola Rivermen [3] were a Canadian junior ice hockey franchise based in Espanola, Ontario, Canada. [4] They were founded as a part of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League, [5] but joined the Canadian International Hockey League after one season.
The Espanola Rivermen were granted expansion in the summer of 2013 to the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League. [6] They are the first junior club in Espanola since the demise of the Espanola Kings of the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League and first NOJHL franchise since the Espanola Screaming Eagles.
As a condition of expansion, Tim Clayden, former owner of the North Bay Trappers [7] and the Trenton Golden Hawks, [8] would have to sell his Trappers' franchise to get the team in Espanola. When a buyer was found for the Trappers, his expansion was granted.
The Rivermen's first game was played in Kirkland Lake, Ontario against the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners on September 6, 2013. [9] [10] Despite an early 2–0 lead, the Rivermen would lose the game 8–3. Brandon Janke scored the first goal in team history, while Griffin Strain played the game in net. [11] The next night, the Rivermen traveled to Iroquois Falls, Ontario to play the Abitibi Eskimos where the Rivermen won 3–1 to pick up their first franchise victory. Strain would get the win in net. [12] The Rivermen's first home game was on September 27, 2013, as they host the Sudbury Nickel Barons. [13] The Rivermen would win the game 5–4. The first home ice goal was scored by Cray Roberge, 14:35 into the first period, on a penalty shot. Brennan Dubchak would score the eventual winning goal 9:04 into the third period while Griffin Strain made 44 saves to pick up the historic win. [14]
In the summer of 2014, Clayden opted to pull the Rivermen out of the NOJHL to form his own league. The newly formed Canadian International Hockey League boasted 8 teams, but within months lost most of its teams. The CIHL season ended with only two teams and the Town of Espanola cancelling their contract with the Rivermen organization. The CIHL folded in the spring of 2015 and Espanola had an NOJHL team within weeks, with the Espanola Express for the 2015–16 season.
| Season | GP | W | L | T | OTL | GF | GA | P | Results | Playoffs |
| 2013–14 | 56 | 32 | 23 | 0 | 1 | 218 | 187 | 65 | 3rd NOJHL | Lost semi-final |
| 2014–15 | 38 | 22 | 14 | 0 | 2 | 123 | 117 | 46 | 2nd CIHL | Lost final, 0-4 (Attack) |
Espanola is a town in Northern Ontario, Canada, in the Sudbury District. It is situated on the Spanish River, approximately 70 kilometres (43 mi) west of downtown Sudbury, and just south of the junction of Highway 6 and Highway 17. The town is where the first experimental rules for the sport of ringette were created in 1963 by Mirl Arthur "Red" McCarthy using a group of local high school girls. Today, Espanola is considered "The Home of Ringette" while North Bay, Ontario, is considered the "Birthplace of Ringette" though the title of "birthplace of ringette" is often shared by both.
The Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL) is a Canadian Junior ice hockey league and member of the Canadian Junior Hockey League and Northern Ontario Hockey Association. The winner of the NOJHL playoffs competes for the Dudley Hewitt Cup with the winners of the Ontario Junior Hockey League and the Superior International Junior Hockey League. The winner of the Dudley Hewitt Cup then moves on to compete for the Royal Bank Cup.
The Dudley-Hewitt Cup is a championship ice hockey trophy awarded to the Central Canadian Junior A champion. The trophy is currently decided by round robin tournament format, at the conclusion of the playoffs of the Ontario Junior Hockey League, Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League, and Superior International Junior Hockey League, to determine the central representative at the Centennial Cup, the national Junior A championship.
The Kirkland Lake Gold Miners are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Kirkland Lake, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League.
The Hearst Lumberjacks are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Hearst, Ontario, Canada, under new ownership for the 2017–18 season. They are a part of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL). As the Powassan Hawks, the team won two Dudley Hewitt Cups.
The Soo Eagles are an American junior ice hockey team from Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan that plays in the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL). In 2012, the Eagles bought the North American Hockey League franchise rights of the Traverse City North Stars and transferred to the NAHL. In 2015, the Eagles sold their franchise rights and rejoined the NOJHL.
The Greater Sudbury Cubs are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Sudbury, Ontario. They are a part of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL).
The Temiscaming Royals were a Junior ice hockey team based in Témiscaming, Quebec, Canada. They were members of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League, but originated in the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League.
Thomas Joseph McCarthy was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played nine seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). He played for the Minnesota North Stars and Boston Bruins from 1979 to 1988. He featured in the 1981 Stanley Cup Finals with the North Stars and the 1988 Stanley Cup Finals with the Bruins.
The Iroquois Falls Storm are a Canadian Junior "A" Hockey team based out of Iroquois Falls, Ontario, Canada. They currently play in the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League and are former members of the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League. The team was originally known as the Elliot Lake Bobcats in Elliot Lake, Ontario, until the 2014–15 season; where they moved to Cochrane, Ontario as the Cochrane Crunch until their move to Iroquois Falls in 2023. The Storm are the third NOJHL franchise to be located in Iroquois Falls after the Iroquois Falls Jr. Eskis/Abitibi Eskimos (1999-2015) and Iroquois Falls Eskis (2015-17).
The Northern Ontario Junior Hockey Association (NOJHA) was a Junior A ice hockey league based in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. The league lasted from 1962 until 1972 and competed for the Memorial Cup from 1962 until 1970 and the Manitoba Centennial Trophy from 1970 until 1972.
The 2009–10 NOJHL season is the 32nd season of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL). The eight teams of the East and West Divisions will play 50-game schedules.
The 2007–08 NOJHL season is the 30th season of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL). The six teams of the East and West Divisions will play 50-game schedules.
The 2012–13 NOJHL season was the 35th season of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL). The seven teams of the NOJHL played 48-game schedules.
Mirl Arthur "Red" McCarthy was a Canadian sportsperson, sport and recreation administrator, ice hockey player, founder and co-inventor of the sport of ringette, and for a time, a professional skating star and barrel jumper. He was inducted into the Ringette Canada Hall of Fame as a Founder in 1998.
The 2013–14 NOJHL season was the 36th season of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL). The seven teams of the NOJHL played 56-game schedules.
The Canadian International Hockey League (CIHL) was a Canadian independent Junior ice hockey league based in Northern Ontario, Central Ontario, and the Greater Toronto Area.
The 2014–15 NOJHL season was the 37th season of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL). The nine teams of the NOJHL played 56-game schedules.
The French River Rapids are a Canadian Junior "A" ice hockey team based out of Noelville, Ontario. They are members of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League and play their home games at Noelville Arena.
The 2015–16 NOJHL season is the 38th season of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL).
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