 | This article needs additional citations for verification .(July 2019) |
| Founded | 2010 |
|---|---|
| League | Rocky Mountain Lacrosse League |
| Division | RMLL East |
| Based in | Winnipeg, Manitoba |
| Arena | Maples Community Centre |
| General manager | Terry Williams |
| Championships | 2 (2016, 2017) |
| Division titles | 4 (2015, 2017, 2018, 2019) |
Manitoba Blizzard are a Junior B box lacrosse team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Blizzard compete in the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse League.
Formed in 2010 as the Manitoba Gryphons, the team was the first Manitoba-based team to join the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse League. After a two-year probationary period the Gryphons were granted full league membership for the 2012 season in which they finished 10-9-0, sixth best in the 10-team league. They Gryphons were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.
The Gryphons hosted Founders Cup 2013 [1] in Winnipeg finishing in fifth place. The team would see ownership/management changes in the off-season and were renamed the Blizzard. The club also relocated from their original home in Oakbank to Notre Dame Arena.
As the lone Junior B team in the province, the Gryphons/Blizzard annually represent Manitoba at Founders Cup. The team has played for the Bronze medal on four occasions falling short each time.
It hosted the Founders Cup 2019 in Winnipeg.
| Season | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA | Finish | Playoffs | Founders Cup finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 127 | 130 | 5th of 6 South | Not eligible | 4th - Lost vs Saskatchewan SWAT |
| 2012 | 10 | 9 | 0 | 20 | 170 | 201 | 4th of 6 South | Lost vs Calgary Shamrocks (2-1) | 7th |
| 2013 | 12 | 7 | 1 | 25 | 189 | 174 | 3rd of 6 South | Won vs Calgary Chill (2-0); Lost vs Calgary Mountaineers (2-0) | 5th |
| 2014 | 13 | 7 | 0 | 26 | 207 | 180 | 3rd of 6 South | DNQ | 4th - Lost vs Nova Scotia |
| 2015 | 14 | 6 | 0 | 28 | 209 | 145 | 2nd of 5 North | Won vs Edmonton Warriors (2-1); Round robin (2-1); Won vs Calgary Chill; Lost vs Saskatchewan SWAT League Finalists | 5th |
| 2016 | 15 | 5 | 0 | 30 | 235 | 151 | 3rd of 6 South | Won vs SWAT (2-0); Round robin (2-1); Won vs Red Deer Rampage; Won vs Chill [2] [3] - Champion | 8th |
| 2017 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 36 | 247 | 170 | 1st of 6 North | Round robin (2-1); Won vs Chill; Won vs Rampage [4] [5] - Champion | 4th - Lost vs Seneca WarChiefs |
| 2018 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 36 | 246 | 116 | 1st of 3 East | Won vs SWAT (2-0); Round robin (1-3) | 4th - Lost vs Coquitlam Adanacs |
| 2019 | 13 | 7 | 0 | 26 | 203 | 189 | 1st of 3 East | Won vs SWAT (2-0); Round robin (TBD) | 4th - Lost vs Coquitlam Adanacs |
CANADIAN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Lacrosse Canada, formerly the Canadian Lacrosse Association, founded in 1867, is the governing body of lacrosse in Canada. It conducts national junior and senior championship tournaments for men and women in both field and box lacrosse. There are five national teams that compete in World Lacrosse championships on a four-year cycle.
The Rocky Mountain Lacrosse League (RMLL) is a box lacrosse league based in Alberta with three teams in Saskatchewan and, as of 2018, one in Manitoba. It is sanctioned by the Alberta Lacrosse Association. RMLL organizes all senior and junior play in the province. The league is broken into several divisions: Senior B, Senior C, Junior A, Junior B, Tier II and Tier III. Junior Ladies and Senior Ladies divisions were added in 2004 and 2011, respectively.
The Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) is a Junior 'A' ice hockey league operating in the Canadian province of Manitoba and one of nine member leagues of the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL).
Earl Phillip Dawson was a Canadian ice hockey administrator, politician and civil servant. He rose to prominence in Canadian hockey when he served as president of the Manitoba Amateur Hockey Association from 1958 to 1963. He established a council to reverse the decline of hockey in rural Manitoba and saw the association continually increase its registrations by spending more per player to develop minor ice hockey than other provinces in Canada. Dawson became chairman of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) rules committee and organized the first nationwide clinic for referee instructors to standardize the interpretation of hockey rules. Dawson became vice-president of the CAHA in 1966 then served as its president from 1969 to 1971. The International Ice Hockey Federation had approved a limited use of professionals at the 1970 Ice Hockey World Championships, but later reversed the decision when the International Olympic Committee objected. Dawson and the CAHA perceived the situation to be a double standard since the Europeans were believed to be state-sponsored professionals labelled as amateurs, and withdrew the Canada men's national ice hockey team from international competitions until it was allowed to use its best players.
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