Tavistock Braves

Last updated
Tavistock Braves
Tavistock Braves.jpg
City Tavistock, Ontario
League Provincial Junior Hockey League - Doherty Division (formerly Midwestern Junior C Hockey League)
Founded1970
Home arena Tavistock & District Recreation Centre
Colours Black, Yellow, and White
General managerBrent Lange (2024)
Head coachZac Berg (2024)
Championships
OHA Cups1983

The Tavistock Braves are a Junior ice hockey team based in Tavistock, Ontario, Canada. They currently play in the Provincial Junior Hockey League of the Ontario Hockey Association.

Contents

History

During the 1981-82 season Tavistock finished first overall in regular season league play for the first time in franchise history. In 1982-83 the feat was repeated and was upstaged with the first and only OHA Cup in franchise history. In 1986-87 and 1987-88 Tavistock would once again post back-to-back first overall regular season finishes. However, in both seasons they would fall short of the OHA Cup.

After suffering relative mediocrity through the 1990s Tavistock would return as a power in the 2000s. In the early 2000s Tavistock was consistently held just short of a championship by a pair of Hawks. Both Exeter and Hagersville took turns ending Tavistock's postseason runs a little earlier than expected.

As the decade progressed Tavistock would encounter a new rival. In the spring of 2006 the Delhi Travellers would be responsible for eliminating the Braves in the conference finals in four games. In 2006-07 Tavistock finished first place overall during the regular season. The league's top two scorers, Jeff Roes and Joe Voll played for the Tavistock Braves during the 06-07 season, Voll set a team and conference record tallying 122 points in 42 games. However come playoff time the Braves again found themselves in a battle for the conference title with Delhi. This time falling short in a dramatic game seven double overtime loss. In 2007-08 Tavistock would again meet the rival Travellers in the McConnell Conference final, however unlike the previous two years the Braves managed to come back from a 3-1 series deficit to take the Conference title. Twenty-five years after their previous OHA Cup Championship the Braves were unable to duplicate the accomplishment and fell to a strong Thamesford Trojans team in four games.

With the restructuring of the Southern Ontario Junior Hockey League for the 2008-09 season Tavistock found themselves in a conference with longtime local rivals the Ayr Centennials and Wellesley Applejacks as well as a newly formed foe in Thamesford. Due to an imbalanced schedule Tavistock and Thamesford would play each other eight times during the regular season. The two heavy weights of the division battled it out for the conference title until January when Thamesford began to pull away. As expected the two teams breezed through their first rounds and met up in the conference finals. Tavistock came out with the short end of the stick losing an extremely close series four games to one with no games were decided by more than a goal.

In the Summer of 2013, the Ontario Hockey Association realigned and the Braves ended up in the Midwestern Junior C Hockey League.

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

Season-by-season standings

SeasonGPWLTOTLGFGAPResultsPlayoffs
1970-713417125-210177392nd WJDHL
1971-72307221-138210157th WJDHL
1972-73294223-114202118th WJDHL
1973-74346271-141269138th WJDHL
1974-753212182-168198287th WJDHL
1975-76281684-173131363rd WJDHL
1976-77312182-216150443rd WJDHL
1977-78348251-149239178th WJDHL
1978-79349214-158236218th WJDHL
1979-803310194-148182248th WJDHL
1980-813419105-217150434th WJDHL
1981-82382774-260165581st WJDHL
1982-83383152-278147641st WJDHL
1983-843415172-220186325th WJDHL
1984-85342392-230158482nd of 5 North Div.
3rd of 10 WJDHL
1985-864220157-206195473rd of 6 North Div.
5th of 12 WJDHL
1986-87402884-----601st of 6 SJDHLWon League
Lost OHA Cup Final, 3-4 (Irish)
1987-88312443-----511st of 5 SJDHL
1988-893619161-238194394th of 7 North Div.
10th of 19 WJDHL
1989-90359215-133183235th of 6 North Div.
14th of 18 WJDHL
1990-9140162130181209357th of 9 Eastern Div.
12th of 18 WJDHL
1991-9234161620162172345th of 8 Eastern Div.
12th of 17 OHAJDL
1992-9339131772141164357th of 9 Eastern Div.
12th of 18 OHAJDL
1993-944012226-179225306th of 9 Eastern Div.
12th of 18 OHAJDL
1994-9539211134189172493rd of 9 Eastern Div.
5th of 18 OHAJDL
1995-9640172102181198363rd of 4 Bauer Div.
4th of 8 McConnell Conf.
11th of 18 OHAJDL
1996-9739201612196176432nd of 4 Bauer Div.
3rd of 8 McConnell Conf.
7th of 18 OHAJDL
1997-983782812115168174th of 4 Bauer Div.
6th of 8 McConnell Conf.
14th of 18 OHAJDL
1998-9937152011126148323rd of 4 Bauer Div.
5th of 8 McConnell Conf.
14th of 18 OHAJDL
1999-0038152111145188323rd of 4 Bauer Div.
5th of 8 McConnell Conf.
12th of 18 OHAJDL
Won Div. SF, 4-3 (Centennials)
Won Div. Final, 4-2 (Wellesley)
Lost Conf. Final, 1-4 (Bulldogs)
2000-014029920----601st of 4 Bauer Div.
1st of 9 McConnell Conf.
2nd of 18 OHAJDL
Won Div. SF, 4-0 (Dukes)
Lost Div. Final, 3-4 (Applejacks)
2001-024028741213112611st of 4 Bauer Div.
1st of 9 McConnell Conf.
2nd of 19 OHAJDL
Won Conf. QF, 4-0 (Dukes)
Won Conf. SF, 4-0 (Travellers)
Won Conf. Final, 4-1 (Applejacks)
Lost OHA Cup Final, 0-4 (E. Hawks)
2002-0340211522158145463rd of 4 Bauer Div.
4th of 9 McConnell Conf.
6th of 18 OHAJDL
Won Conf. QF, 4-3 (Centennials)
Lost Conf. SF, 2-4 (Applejacks)
2003-044030910187116611st of 4 Bauer Div.
2nd of 9 McConnell Conf.
2nd of 18 OHAJDL
Won Conf. QF, 4-0 (Centennials)
Won Conf. SF, 4-1 (Applejacks)
Won Conf. Final, 4-2 (H. Hawks)
Lost OHA Cup Final, 2-4 (E. Hawks)
2004-053927930174126571st of 4 Bauer Div.
2nd of 9 McConnell Conf.
2nd of 18 OHAJDL
Won Conf. QF, 4-0 (Bulldogs)
Won Conf. SF, 4-1 (Travellers)
Lost Conf. Final, 2-4 (H. Hawks)
2005-0637211051191126483rd of 4 Bauer Div.
5th of 9 McConnell Conf.
7th of 18 OHAJDL
Won Conf. QF, 4-2 (Dukes)
Won Conf. SF, 4-1 (Applejacks)
Lost Conf. Final, 0-4 (Travellers)
2006-074234701243116691st of 4 Bauer Div.
1st of 8 McConnell Conf.
1st of 19 SOJHL
Won Conf. QF, 4-0 (Centennials)
Won Conf. SF, 4-2 (H. Hawks)
Lost Conf. Final, 3-4 (Travellers)
2007-08422614-2169115542nd of 4 Bauer Div.
3rd of 8 McConnell Conf.
6th of 16 SOJHL
Won Conf. QF, 4-0 (H. Hawks)
Won Conf. SF, 4-1 (Dukes)
Won Conf. Final, 4-3 (Travellers)
Lost OHA Cup Final, 0-4 (Trojans)
2008-09401917-4131137422nd of 4 Bauer Div.
6th of 14 SOJHL
Won Div. SF, 4-1 (Centennials)
Lost Div. Final, 1-4 (Trojans)
2009-10361714-5136136394th of 5 Bauer Div.
8th of 15 SOJHL
Won Div. SF, 4-1 (Centennials)
Lost Div. Final, 3-4 (Trojans)
2010-1135266-316091551st of 8 McConnell Div.
1st of 15 SOJHL
Won Div. QF, 4-0 (Sailors)
Won Div. SF, 4-3 (Travellers)
Lost Div. Final, 2-4 (Centennials)
2011-12352111-314197453rd of 8 McConnell Div.
6th of 15 SOJHL
Lost div. quarter-final, 3-4 (Dukes)
2012-13381718-3151129375th of 7 McConnell Div.
10th of 15 SOJHL
Won Div. QF, 4-2 (Bulldogs)
Lost Div. SF, 1-4 (Centennials)
2013-14401622-2110160346th of 9 MWJCHLLost quarter-final, 2-4 (Firebirds)
2014-154017212-117127367th of 9 MWJCHLLost quarter-final, 1-4 (Firebirds)
2015-164019201-131151395th of 9 MWJCHLLost quarter-final, 1-4 (Applejacks)
2016-174018220-153153367th of 9
Doherty Div. PJHL
Lost Div. QF, 3-4 (Mounties)
2017-184029623215115632nd of 9
Doherty Div. PJHL
Won Div. QF, 4-1 (Firebirds)
Won Div. SF, 4-0 (Navy-Vets)
Won Div. Final, 4-3 (Centennials)
Lost Conf. Final, 0-4 (Rangers)
2018-19403251220979671st of 9
Doherty Div. PJHL
Won Div. QF, 4-0 (Travellers)
Won Div. SF, 4-3 (Mounties)
Lost Div. Final, 1-4 (Applejacks)
2019-20403063124092641st of 9
Doherty Div. PJHL
Won Div. QF, 4-0 (Bulldogs)
Won Div. SF, 4-0 (Navy-Vets)
Incomplete Div. Final 1-1 (Applejacks)
Remaining playoffs suspended COVID-19
2020-21Season Lost due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021-22362662217282562nd of 7
Doherty Div. PJHL
Won Div. SF, 4-2 (Applejacks)
Lost Div. Final 2-4, (Firebirds)
2022-2341211532142121474th of 7
Doherty Div. PJHL
Won Div. QF, 4-3 (Navy-Vets)
Lost Div. Final 0-4, (Firebirds)
2023-2442231612142114493rd of 7
Doherty Div. PJHL
Lost Div. QF, 3-4 (Shamrocks)

Playoffs

Tavistock Braves defeated St. George Dukes 4-games-to-2 in OHA final

Notable alumni

Jeff Zehr played for the Tavistock Braves during the 1993–94 season.

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