2023–24 CCHL season
| 2023–24 CCHL season | |
|---|---|
| League | Central Canada Hockey League |
| Sport | Ice hockey |
| Duration | Regular season September–April |
| Number of games | 55 |
| Number of teams | 12 |
| Total attendance | 78,810 |
| League championship | |
| Bogart Cup | Navan Grads |
| Runners-up | Smiths Falls Bears |
The 2023–24 CCHL season was the 63rd season of the Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL). The Navan Grads won the league championship Bogart Cup for the first time in the franchise's 28-year history and went on to compete at the 2024 Centennial Cup national championship tournament in Oakville, Ontario.
Season highlights
[edit]League commissioner Kevin Abrams resigned at the end of the 2022–23 CCHL season after serving for 17 years in the role.[1][2] Sean Marcellus, who was appointed as interim commissioner in June 2023, resigned in April 2024 and took up the position of director of hockey operations for the Eastern Ontario Junior Hockey League.[3][4]
The Navan Grads won the league championship Bogart Cup for the first time in the franchise's 28-year history.[5] The team's goaltender, Jaeden Nelson, received the league's top rookie, top prospect and top goaltender awards.[6] He went on to receive the top goaltender award at the 2024 Centennial Cup national championship tournament.[7]
Awards
[edit]- Most Valuable Player: Jace Letourneau (Renfrew Wolves)
- Top Rookie: Jaeden Nelson (Navan Grads)
- Outstanding Defenceman: Xavier Laurent (Rockland Nationals)
- Sportsmanship/ability award: Kyle Leonard (Rockland Nationals)
- Top Prospect: Jaeden Nelson (Navan Grads)
- Outstanding graduating player: Shamus Stevenson (Smiths Falls Bears)
- Arthur K. Nielsen scholarship award: Bill Gourgon (Carleton Place Canadians)
- Scoring champion: Jace Letourneau (Renfrew Wolves)
- Top Goaltender: Jaeden Nelson (Navan Grads)
- Top Coach: Marty Abrams (Navan Grads)
- Top General Manager: Pat Malloy (Smiths Falls Bears)
Source: "Season award archives". thecchl.ca. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
Regular season
[edit]The regular season opened on 14 September 2023 and ran until 17 March 2024. Each team played 55 games, playing against each opponent 5 times. While teams were nominally assigned to either the Robinson division or the Yzerman division, the top 8 teams overall advanced to the playoffs regardless of their division assignment.[8]
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Source: "2023–24 Central CCHL standings". hockeydb.com. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
Post-season
[edit]| Bogart Cup | |
|---|---|
| Tournament details | |
| Dates | 20 March – 1 May |
| Teams | 8 |
| Defending champions | Ottawa Jr. Senators |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Navan Grads |
| Runner-up | Smiths Falls Bears |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Games played | 38 |
| Goals scored | 223 (5.87 per game) |
| Attendance | 22,207 (584 per game) |
The Navan Grads defeated the Pembroke Lumber Kings, Rockland Nationals, and finally the Smiths Falls Bears to win the league championship Bogart Cup for the first time in the franchise's 28-year history.[9][10] The Grads went on to represent the league at the 2024 Centennial Cup national championship tournament in Oakville, Ontario.[11][12]
| Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Bogart Cup Finals | |||||||||
| Navan | 4 | ||||||||||
| Pembroke | 2 | ||||||||||
| Navan | 4 | ||||||||||
| Rockland | 1 | ||||||||||
| Rockland | 4 | ||||||||||
| Renfrew | 2 | ||||||||||
| Navan | 4 | ||||||||||
| Smiths Falls | 2 | ||||||||||
| Smiths Falls | 4 | ||||||||||
| Carleton Place | 1 | ||||||||||
| Smiths Falls | 4 | ||||||||||
| Cornwall | 1 | ||||||||||
| Cornwall | 4 | ||||||||||
| Hawkesbury | 1 | ||||||||||
Source: "2023–24 CCHL playoff results". hockeydb.com. Retrieved 16 December 2024.
National championship
[edit]| Centennial Cup | |
|---|---|
| Tournament details | |
| City | Oakville, Ontario |
| Venue(s) | Sixteen Mile Sports Complex |
| Dates | 9–19 May 2024 |
| Teams | 10 |
| Host team | Oakville Blades |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Collingwood Blues |
| Runner-up | Melfort Mustangs |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Games played | 25 |
| MVP | Julien Gervais |
| Official website | |
| Hockey Canada | |
The 2024 Centennial Cup national championship tournament took place at the Sixteen Mile Sports Complex in Oakville, Ontario from 9 – 19 May 2024. The competition included all nine CJHL champions; the Calgary Canucks of the AJHL; the Melfort Mustangs of the SJHL; the Winkler Flyers of the MJHL; the Sioux Lookout Bombers of the SIJHL; the Greater Sudbury Cubs of the NOJHL; the Collingwood Blues of the OJHL; the Navan Grads of the CCHL; the Collège Français de Longueuil of the QJHL; the Miramichi Timberwolves of the MHL; and hosts the Oakville Blades of the OJHL.[13]
The Navan Grads recorded two wins and two losses in the preliminary round. They then advanced to the quarterfinals where they lost to the Miramichi Timberwolves by a score of 8-4 and were eliminated from competition.[14]
Round Robin
[edit]The top 3 teams from each group advanced to the playoffs, and the 1st place teams in each group had a bye to the semifinals.
| Group A | CB | CC | NG | GSC | CFL | |
| 1 | Collingwood Blues | 5-4 | 3-2 | 10-2 | 8-0 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Calgary Canucks | 4-5 | 4-3 | 3-2 | 5-1 | |
| 3 | Navan Grads | 2-3 | 3-4 | 5-1 | 5-1 | |
| 4 | Greater Sudbury Cubs | 2-10 | 2-3 | 1-5 | 6-0 | |
| 5 | Collège Français de Longueuil | 0-8 | 1-5 | 1-5 | 0-6 |
| Group B | MM | MT | WF | OB | SLB | |
| 1 | Melfort Mustangs | 4-1 | 6-5 | 3-1 | 5-3 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Miramichi Timberwolves | 1-4 | 3-2 | 7-4 | 5-3 | |
| 3 | Winkler Flyers | 5-6 | 2-3 | 4-0 | 4-2 | |
| 4 | Oakville Blades | 1-3 | 4-7 | 0-4 | 5-2 | |
| 5 | Sioux Lookout Bombers |
3-5 | 3-5 | 2-4 | 2-5 |
Playoffs
[edit]The Collingwood Blues won the tournament after defeating the Miramichi Timberwolves by a score of 5-2 in the semifinals, and the Melfort Mustangs by a score of 1-0 in the final.[15]
| Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Finals | |||||||||
| Miramichi Timberwolves | 8 | ||||||||||
| Navan Grads | 4 | ||||||||||
| Collingwood Blues | 5 | ||||||||||
| Miramichi Timberwolves | 2 | ||||||||||
| Collingwood Blues | 1 | ||||||||||
| Melfort Mustangs | 0 | ||||||||||
| Melfort Mustangs | 2 | ||||||||||
| Calgary Canucks | 1 | ||||||||||
| Calgary Canucks | 4 | ||||||||||
| Winkler Flyers | 2 | ||||||||||
References
[edit]- ^ "The CCHL announces resignation of Commissioner Kevin Abrams". thecchl.ca (Press release). 30 August 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
- ^ "Sean Marcellus appointed as CCHL interim commissioner". cjhlhockey.com. 14 May 2023. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
- ^ Egan, Kasey (3 July 2024). "Arnprior's Sean Marcellus returns to EOJHL to elevate Junior B Hockey". arnpriortoday.ca. myFM News/Oldies 107.7. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
- ^ "Sean Marcellus Has Resigned as Interim Commissioner". thecchl.ca (Press release). 19 April 2024. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
- ^ Sherwin, Fred (26 April 2024). "Navan Grads capture the Bogart Cup for the first time in franchise history". orleansonline.ca. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
- ^ McCarthy, Rowan (10 July 2024). "Seven players to watch at 67's training camp". The Hockey News. Roustan Media. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
- ^ "Collingwood Blues win 2024 Centennial Cup". hockeycanada.ca. 21 May 2024. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
- ^ "CCHL announces 2023–24 schedule". thecchl.ca (Press release). Retrieved 19 December 2024.
- ^ Sherwin, Fred (26 April 2024). "Navan Grads capture the Bogart Cup for the first time in franchise history". orleansonline.ca. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
- ^ Dixon, Anthony (1 April 2024). "Pembroke Lumber Kings' season ends in 4-3 loss to Navan Grads at PMC". pembrokeobserver.com. Postmedia. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
- ^ Plouffe, Dan (2 May 2024). "The wait is over: Navan Grads capture first championship since joining CCHL in 1991". OttawaSportsPages.ca. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
- ^ "Centennial Cup field finalized". cjhlhockey.com. 3 May 2024. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
- ^ "Centennial Cup field finalized, Collingwood Blues play Calgary". CollingwoodToday.ca. Village Media. 6 May 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
- ^ Saelhof, Todd (14 May 2024). "Calgary Canucks rally, earn shootout win in tuneup for Centennial Cup quarter-final". calgaryherald.com. Postmedia. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
- ^ "Collingwood Blues edge Melfort Mustangs to win Centennial Cup". TSN. Bell Media. Canadian Press. 20 May 2024. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
Sources
[edit]- Brown, Ben (29 April 2024). "Centennial Cup estimated to bring $5 million for Oakville businesses". Oakville News. Village Media. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
- "2024 Centennial Cup Guide & Record Book" (PDF). hockeycanada.ca. Hockey Canada. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
- "2025 Centennial Cup Guide & Record Book" (PDF). hockeycanada.ca. Hockey Canada. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
- "Sean Marcellus appointed as CCHL interim commissioner". cjhlhockey.com. 14 May 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
- "Sean Marcellus Has Resigned as Interim Commissioner". thecchl.ca (Press release). 19 April 2024.
- "CCHL Recap | Navan Grads Win The Bogart Cup". thecchl.ca. 2 May 2024. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
- Malone, Mark (8 May 2024). "Local hockey: Colin Holmes shoots for Centennial Cup national championship". Chatham Daily News. Postmedia. Retrieved 19 December 2024.