The Rockland Nationals (French: National de Rockland), officially Club de hockeyNational (National hockey club) and colloquially known as the Nats, are a Junior A ice hockey team based in Rockland, Ontario. The Nationals compete in the Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL) as a member of the Yzerman Division. Since 2017, the team has played its home games at the Clarence-Rockland Arena, originally known as the CIH Arena.
Founded in 1968 as the Ottawa M&W Rangers, they are one of the oldest continuously operating junior ice hockey team worldwide. The current Rockland Nationals began play in 2017–18, after the Gloucester Rangers relocated to Rockland after nearly 50 years in Gloucester.
The Nationals have made it to the playoffs six times in seven seasons. As of the 2024–25 season, they are one of the most successful teams in the CCHL, and their arena has been well-attended during Nats home games.
History
The Rockland Nationals played their inaugural home opener on September 8, 2017 and won the game 3–1 against their regional rival Navan Grads in front of a crowd of 1,200.[1] On March 11, 2018, the Nationals qualified for the playoffs in their inaugural season in Rockland following a 3–2 overtime win on the last game of the 2017–18 season in Pembroke against the Lumber Kings.[2] They however lost in the first round 4 games to 1 against the Carleton Place Canadians.[3] In their first season in Rockland, the Nationals averaged 318 fans per game for a total of 9,210 in 29 home games.
On September 7, 2018, a franchise record crowd of 1,502 fans attended the 2018–19 home opener as the Nats invited former Ottawa Senators legend Chris Neil and Ryan Dzingel to make ceremonial puck drop before the game.[4] Rockland was able to pull a 4–1 win over the Navan Grads.[5] They finished the regular season second place in their division with a record of 40–17–5 and have made it to the playoffs for the second straight year. They faced their Highway 17 rival Hawkesbury Hawks in the quarterfinals and won the series 4 games to 1, and then faced the Carleton Place Canadians in the semifinal round, losing the series 4 games to 1.[6] Their average attendance however increased by 30% from the 2017–18 season, to an average of 413 people per game.
After the 2019–20 season, Rockland finished first place in the Yzerman Division with a record of 39–19–4 and qualified for the playoffs for the third straight season.[7] The playoffs were later canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and so was the entire 2020–21 CCHL season. In 2020, the ownership team changed with the sale of André Chaput’s sold to Luc Lavictoire.
During the 2021–22 season, the Nationals finished fourth in their division at 24–24–7 and have qualified for the playoffs for the fourth time in franchise history, but have lost the tie-breaker game against the Smiths Falls Bears 4–1.[8][9]
In the 2023–24 season, the Nats finished third place in the Yzerman Division at 32–19–3 and qualified for the playoffs for the fifth time in history.[10] They have won the first round against the Renfrew Wolves 4 games to 2, but have lost in the semifinals against the eventual champions, the Navan Grads in five games.[11]
Following the 2024–25 pre-season, the Rockland Nationals won the first edition of the RE/MAX Cup against their long-time rivals, the Hawkesbury Hawks on September 8, 2024 at Clarence-Rockland Arena.[12]
In the 2024–25 regular season, Rockland started the season by winning their first 12 games in a row to a record of 12–0–0, a franchise record since the 1979–80 season. Their first loss in regulation time occurred on November 8, 2024 in Hawkesbury against the Hawks, to a record of 15–1–1. They finished the regular season first place in the CCHL and third in the CJHL, with a record of 45–8–2. The 2024–25 season was also notable for the Nationals by drawing 14,935 people to its rink for an average of 574 fans per game, the highest in franchise history.[13][14]
On April 27, 2025 at Carleton Place Arena, the Nationals won their fifth Bogart Cup championship by defeating the Carleton Place Canadians 4 games to 0 with team forward Anthony Hall scoring the game winner in overtime.[15] They've averaged 1,086 fans in eight playoff home games, including a franchise record crowd of 1,892 during Game 7 of the semifinals against the Smiths Falls Bears.[16]
Team identity
The Rockland Nationals organization operates in both English and French. For many years, public address announcements and press releases have been given in both languages, and the team website and social media outlets are in both languages as well. At home games, the first stanza of O Canada is sung in French, and the chorus is sung in English. It has been estimated that 60 percent of Nats fans who attend games are francophone.
Crest and sweater design
Since 2017, the team's primary colours are blue, red, and white, the same colours as the New York Rangers. The home sweater is predominantly blue in colour and features four red and white stripes: one across each arm, one across the chest and the other across the waistline. The main road sweater is white with a blue and red stripe across the waist, with their red maple leaf logo in the centre.
In the 2024–25 season, the Nationals have unveiled a "Reverse Retro" alternate uniform in collaboration with Adidas. The uniform was essentially the same as their regular red uniform, but with the blue and white replaced by red and black lines.
Broadcasting and arena entertainment
Nats games can be heard on flohockey.tv, via the FloSports streaming platform.[17] The team's play-by-play broadcaster is Richard Gauthier, who brings over 40 years of experience in sports media as a play-by-play broadcaster and public address announcer for various major sports teams.[18][19]
The team's public address announcer is François Rochon and their in-game DJ is Alexis Marcotte, also known as ALECKSY as his stage name.[20] ALECKSY previously served as the former DJ of the Ottawa Titans in the Frontier League, and is also serving as the DJ of the Nepean Raiders, another team in the CCHL. After each Nats' goal, ALECKSY sounds the arena goal horn, which is a Nathan Airchime K3LA, the same one used by the Los Angeles Kings.[21]
The Nats have their own theme song titled Trumpeters Cry, which is played as the team comes on the ice. The song was initially used by the Ottawa Senators as their theme song from 2005 to 2024, written by Ottawa singer-songwriter Andres del Castillo, who was formerly of the band Eight Seconds. The song is available in MP3 format at the nhl.com website. A 10-hour version is also available on YouTube.
Rivalries
Navan Grads
The Nationals have developed strong rivalries with two of the original eight CCHL franchises, with whom they frequently shared divisions and competed in postseason play. The oldest is with the Navan Grads, who first faced the Nationals as the Gloucester Rangers in 1974. The teams met three times in the playoffs, including one Bogart Cup Final round. Featuring one of the two closest teams in the league, the rivalry is due to the 26-kilometre drive from Clarence-Rockland Arena to the Navan Memorial Centre.
Hawkesbury Hawks
The team's other rivals are the Hawkesbury Hawks, who since their CCHL debut in 1974, have played the former Gloucester Rangers more than any other team in both regular season play and the playoffs combined. Since the arrival of the current Rockland Nationals in 2017, the rivalry returned and is also known as the Battle of Highway 17, in result of both arenas located alongside Highway 17, which starts after Trim Road in Orleans, all the way to East Hawkesbury.
Season-by-season record
Note: GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
Season
GP
W
L
OTL
T
GF
GA
Points
Finish
Playoffs
1968-69
40
11
22
7
-
145
202
29
5th CJHL
1969-70
40
30
6
4
-
198
108
64
1st CJHL
Won League
1970-71
48
26
12
10
-
235
158
62
2nd CJHL
Won League
1971-72
48
27
20
1
-
234
188
55
2nd CJHL
1972-73
55
30
20
5
-
293
233
65
2nd CJHL
1973-74
50
25
19
6
-
297
252
56
4th CJHL
1974-75
50
14
27
9
-
241
289
37
5th CJHL
1975-76
50
26
21
3
-
271
203
55
2nd CJHL
1976-77
50
24
21
5
-
241
231
53
3rd CJHL
1977-78
48
30
13
5
-
261
204
65
2nd CJHL
1978-79
48
23
23
2
-
210
235
48
3rd CJHL
1979-80
50
33
12
5
-
284
187
71
2nd CJHL
1980-81
50
28
15
7
-
248
191
63
3rd CJHL
Won League
1981-82
50
11
36
3
-
191
266
25
6th CJHL
1982-83
48
15
28
5
-
189
241
35
6th CJHL
1983-84
53
21
16
6
-
233
235
48
6th CJHL
1984-85
54
18
33
1
2
234
328
39
6th CJHL
1985-86
60
35
21
1
3
311
247
74
4th CJHL
1986-87
54
28
21
2
3
260
248
61
3rd CJHL
1987-88
56
25
27
1
3
275
271
54
6th CJHL
1988-89
55
10
39
1
5
203
316
26
9th CJHL
1989-90
56
34
18
2
2
325
281
72
4th CJHL
1990-91
54
32
15
2
5
347
276
71
3rd CJHL
1991-92
57
40
12
4
1
360
233
85
3rd CJHL
1992-93
56
30
18
3
5
308
261
68
5th CJHL
1993-94
57
37
16
2
2
324
245
78
1st CJHL
Won League
1994-95
55
32
18
2
3
263
219
69
3rd CJHL
1995-96
54
35
18
1
0
249
177
71
3rd in Yzerman
1996-97
54
26
24
4
0
209
221
56
3rd in Yzerman
1997-98
56
26
21
9
3
223
217
64
2nd in Yzerman
1998-99
54
7
43
4
0
18
149
287
5th in Yzerman
Did not qualify
1999-00
55
11
41
4
0
26
177
307
5th in Yzerman
Did not qualify
2000-01
55
14
35
6
0
37
192
278
4th in Yzerman
Lost quarter-final 4-1 to Cornwall
2001-02
55
6
43
7
0
19
162
331
5th in Yzerman
Did not qualify
2002-03
55
27
17
11
2
67
246
210
3rd in Yzerman
Lost semi-final 4-3 to Nepean
2003-04
55
30
21
4
0
188
167
64
4th in Yzerman
Lost final 4-3 to Nepean
2004-05
57
24
26
1
6
194
204
55
3rd in Yzerman
Lost quarter-final 4-3 to Hawkesbury
2005-06
57
16
37
1
3
172
262
36
5th in Yzerman
Did not qualify
2006-07
55
26
21
6
2
184
190
60
2nd in Yzerman
Lost quarter-final 4-2 to Nepean
2007-08
60
14
38
4
4
188
301
36
10th CJHL
Did not qualify
2008-09
60
26
26
-
8
198
247
60
8th CJHL
Lost quarter-final 4-0 to Nepean
2009-10
62
35
21
-
6
277
225
76
4th CJHL
Lost quarter-final 4-2 to Ottawa
2010-11
62
35
25
-
2
263
244
72
4th CCHL
Lost semi-final 4-0 to Pembroke
2011-12
62
13
46
-
3
186
325
29
12th CCHL
Did not qualify
2012-13
62
19
35
-
8
166
246
46
10th CCHL
Did not qualify
2013-14
62
23
32
-
7
219
280
53
9th CCHL
Did not qualify
2014-15
62
31
30
-
1
199
223
63
3rd of 6 Yzerman 9th of 12 CCHL
Won Prelim. Playin, 2-0 (73's) Lost Quarterfinals, 0-4 (Jr. Senators)
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