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Nanaimo Clippers

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Nanaimo Clippers
CityNanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
LeagueBritish Columbia Hockey League
DivisionIsland
Founded1972 (1972)–73 by Cliff McNabb
Home arenaFrank Crane Arena
ColoursOrange, silver, black, white
       
Head coachColin Birkas
Websitewww.nanaimoclippers.com
Franchise history
1972–1982Nanaimo Clippers
1982–1983Esquimalt Buccaneers
1983–presentNanaimo Clippers

The Nanaimo Clippers are a junior ice hockey team based in Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Island Division of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL). They play their home games at Frank Crane Arena.

Franchise history

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The original owner, Cliff McNabb, drew inspiration for the name from the local teams of the Nanaimo Minor Hockey Association who prior to 1972 as well as after, were known as the Clippers. The Nanaimo Clippers won the league championship in the 1976 playoffs but lost by default for the Mowat Cup (Provincial Championship). The Clippers were once again league champions in 1978 when the Penticton Vees refused to play the balance of the series (citing rough play – the series stood at 2 games to 1). The Merritt Centennials were earlier chosen to represent the league for the 1978 CAHA Championships. The Nanaimo Clippers folded after the 1982 season, but were started up again before the 1983 season as the Esquimalt Buccaneers. The franchise was moved to Nanaimo early in the 1983 season, playing at the Nanaimo Civic Arena, and renamed the team the Nanaimo Clippers.

In 1998, the Clippers hosted the Royal Bank Cup getting three wins and a loss in round-robin play. The Clippers entered the semi-finals as the second seed behind the South Surrey Eagles also of the BCHL. The Weyburn Red Wings were the Clippers' opponent in the semi-final and defeated them by a score of 4–1, South Surrey went on to win the National Championship.

On March 13, 2004, with 80 seconds left in the third period and the score tied 3–3 in game seven during the first round of the playoffs against Powell River Kings, the Powell River goalie left his crease and froze the puck for a whistle. Under league rules, the goalie was guilty of delay of game. But instead of calling a two-minute penalty, the referee incorrectly awarded a penalty shot. Nanaimo scored and won the game, 4–3. Powell River protested and league officials agreed to cover all costs for fixing the mistake. The Kings went back to Nanaimo on March 16 to replay the final 1:20 of the third period, with the score tied at 3–3. Powell River started a man short for the delay-of-game penalty but neither team scored in regulation. Just 54 seconds into overtime, Nanaimo captain Michael Olson scored the game-winning goal. The Clippers went on to beat Chilliwack 3–1 in a best-of-five series, Surrey 4–0 in a best-of-seven semifinal and the Salmon Arm Silverbacks 4–1 in the best-of-seven championship final. After taking the BCHL Championship, the Clippers went on to oust the Grande Prairie Storm for the Doyle Cup, earning themselves a berth in the Royal Bank Cup.

On April 16, 2007, the Clippers won the Fred Page Cup by defeating the Vernon Vipers three to two in game six of the BCHL finals. The winning goal was scored by Tyler Mazzei with 36 seconds remaining in the third period at the Vernon Multiplex.

In March 2017, the Nanaimo city council approved a referendum for the construction of a $88 million arena to help solidify a potential Western Hockey League team, either by relocation or expansion, possibly forcing the Clippers to either relocate to another market or fold. The referendum was on March 11 and was rejected by 80% of those voting. The team was purchased by Vancouver-based lawyer Wesley Mussio in 2017.

Season-by-season record

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Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes

Season GP W L T OTL GF GA Pts PIM Finish Playoffs
1972–73 62 31 30 1 — 352 335 63 1st, Coastal Lost semifinals, 3–4 (Bruins)
1973–74 64 21 41 2 — 243 321 44 4th, Coastal Lost quarterfinals, 2–4 (Lords)
1974–75 66 21 45 0 — 303 385 42 4th, Coastal Lost semifinals, 2–4 (Blazers)
1975–76 66 41 21 4 — 384 279 89 2nd, BCJHL Fred Page Cup Champions (Vees)
1976–77 68 46 19 3 — 403 323 95 1st, Coastal Fred Page Cup Champions, 4–2 (Vees)
1977–78 66 41 23 2 — 392 324 84 2251 1st, Coastal Fred Page Cup Champions (Vees)
1978–79 62 33 26 3 — 367 346 69 1625 2nd, Coastal Lost semifinals, 0–4 (Blazers)
1979–80 66 41 24 1 — 433 346 83 2nd, Coastal Lost finals, 3–4 (Knights)
1980–81 44 33 10 1 — 307 200 67 1417 1st, Coastal Lost quarterfinals
1981–82 48 12 36 0 — 232 347 24 6th, Coastal did not qualify
1982–83 56 30 25 1 — 309 314 61 2420 3rd, Coastal Lost quarterfinals, 2–4 (Royals)
1983–84 50 30 19 1 — 303 256 61 2nd, Coastal Lost semifinals, 2–4 (Eagles)
1984–85 52 21 31 0 — 328 367 42 5th, Coastal did not qualify
1985–86 52 25 26 1 — 305 337 51 3rd, Coastal Lost quarterfinals, 2–4 (Flyers)
1986–87 52 24 27 1 — 276 292 49 4th, Coastal Lost quarterfinals, 0–4 (Sockeyes)
1987–88 52 28 20 4 — 277 252 60 3rd, Coastal Lost quarterfinals, 2–4 (Flyers)
1988–89 60 32 25 3 — 309 312 67 2931 3rd, Coastal Lost quarterfinals, 0–4 (Paper Kings)
1989–90 60 38 21 1 — 381 314 77 2326 2nd, Coastal Lost semifinals, 3–4 (Royals)
1990–91 60 25 32 3 — 307 342 53 3rd, Coastal Lost quarterfinals, 1–4 (Paper Kings)
1991–92 60 27 30 3 — 319 309 57 3059 3rd, Coastal Lost semifinals, 2–4 (Ice Hawks)
1992–93 60 29 29 2 — 320 326 60 1738 3rd, Coastal Lost semifinals, 3–4 (Paper Kings)
1993–94 60 21 36 3 — 270 351 45 4th, Coastal Lost quarterfinals, 1–4 (Paper Kings)
1994–95 60 25 33 2 — 280 330 52 3rd, Coastal Lost preliminary, 0–2 (Eagles)
1995–96 60 30 25 5 — 251 236 65 1284 3rd, Island Lost quarterfinals, 1–4 (Vipers)
1996–97 60 34 22 4 — 263 243 72 2nd, Coastal Lost quarterfinals, 1–4 (Paper Kings)
1997–98 60 30 29 1 — 215 223 61 5th, Coastal Lost quarterfinals, 0–4 (Eagles)
1998–99 60 37 21 — 2 298 229 76 1st, Coastal Lost Division Quarterfinals, 0–3 (Salsa)
1999–00 60 28 21 — 11 202 218 67 3rd, Coastal Lost Conference Semifinals, 2–4 (Chiefs)
2000–01 60 31 25 — 4 221 216 66 1673 1st, Island Lost preliminary, 3–4 (Salsa)
2001–02 60 41 17 — 2 262 215 84 1st, Island Lost semifinals, 1–4 (Chiefs)
2002–03 60 41 16 3 0 267 196 85 1st, Island Lost quarterfinals, 0–3 (Eagles)
2003–04 60 37 15 2 6 256 161 82 2131 2nd, Island Fred Page Cup Champions, 4–1 (Silverbacks)
Doyle Cup Champions
2004–05 60 48 9 0 3 240 142 99 1st in League Lost semifinals
2005–06 60 44 12 0 4 255 160 92 1st in League Lost quarterfinals
2006–07 60 41 12 2 5 287 187 89 1st in League Won Fred Page Cup
2007–08 60 42 14 0 4 249 155 88 1st in League Lost in Finals
2008–09 60 28 24 2 6 186 193 64 9th BCHL Lost in First Round
2009–10 60 24 25 1 10 197 204 59 10th BCHL Lost in Quarterfinals
2010–11 60 29 23 1 7 203 205 66 5th, Coastal Lost Division Quarterfinals
2011–12 60 26 25 0 9 186 193 61 10th BCHL did not qualify
2012–13 56 32 20 0 4 182 167 68 2nd, Island Lost Division Semifinals
2013–14 58 27 28 1 2 176 172 57 3rd, Island Lost Division Semifinals
2014–15 58 37 16 0 5 235 167 79 1st of 5, Island
2nd of 16, BCHL		 Won, Div. Semifinals, 4–3 (Bulldogs)
Won, Div. Finals, 4–3 (Kings)
2nd of 3 Mini Series, advanced
Lost League Finals, 2–4 (Vees)
2015–16 58 38 18 1 1 235 186 78 1st of 5, Island
4th of 17, BCHL		 Won Div. Semifinals, 4–1 (Bulldogs)
Won Div. Finals, 4–0 (Kings)
3rd of 3 Mini Series, eliminated
2016–17 58 23 28 6 1 146 199 53 4th of 5, Island
14th of 17, BCHL		 Lost div. semi-finals, 1–4 (Grizzlies)
2017–18 58 32 20 3 3 198 177 70 2nd of 5, Island
6th of 17, BCHL		 Lost div. semi-finals, 2–4 (Kings)
2018–19 58 27 30 — 1 180 213 55 750 3rd of 5, Island
14th of 17, BCHL		 Lost First Round, 1–4 (Kings)
2019–20 58 37 17 0 4 183 134 78 772 1st of 5, Island
3rd of 17, BCHL		 Won First Round, 4–0 (Bulldogs)
Season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2020–21 20 8 11 0 1 59 82 17 255 3rd of 4, Alberni Val. Pod
11th of 16, BCHL		 Covid-19 "pod season" - no playoffs
2021–22 54 33 17 3 1 210 172 70 583 3rd of 9, Coastal
6th of 18, BCHL		 Won Div Quarterfinal, 4–0 (Eagles)
Won Div. Semifinal, 4-0 (Chiefs)
Won Div. Finals 4-0, (Rivermen)
Lost League Finals 0-4 (Vees)

NHL alumni

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See also

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References

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