Bramalea Blues

OPJHL team
team_name = Bramalea Blues
bg_color = DodgerBlue
text_color =
logo_

division = MacKinnon
founded = 1972
history =
alternate =
arena = Powerade Centre
city = Brampton, Ontario
team_colors = Blue, Yellow, and White
head_coach = TBA
general_manager = TBA
affiliates = Brampton Battalion
rbcs = none
dhcs = 1999
bucklands = 1999
metro_cup =
sutherland_cup = 1975
schmalz_cup = The Bramalea Blues are a Tier II Junior "A" ice hockey team from Brampton, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League but also used to be a part of the Metro Junior A Hockey League. They joined the OPJHL in 1995.

History

Formed in 1972, the Blues joined the Metro Junior "B" league. The Metro had just been curtailed by the Ontario Hockey Association as the many of their top teams were moved to the newly created OHA Junior "A" league. The Blues won the Sutherland Cup in 1975 as OHA Junior "B" Champions and was one of the top Junior "B" teams in Ontario for almost two decades winning league titles in 1974, 1975, 1985, and 1988.

In 1991, the Metro league (along with the Blues) went Junior "A". The team stayed with the Metro until 1995 when a mass exodus of teams made the jump to the OPJHL. In 1999, the Blues won the Buckland Cup as league champions and the Dudley Hewitt Cup as Central Canadian Champions. They fell short at the Royal Bank Cup.

In the 1990s, the Blues had a working agreement of affiliation with the South-Central Triple A Hockey League's local Chinguacousy Blues minor hockey club.

1999 Royal Bank Cup

The Blues opened up the Royal Bank Cup 1999 with a 4-2 victory over the British Columbia Hockey League's Vernon Vipers -- the Doyle Cup Champions. The Blues then took out the Anavet Cup Champions, the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League's Estevan Bruins 4-3. The Blues then beat the host Yorkton Terriers by a score of 5-1. The Blues had already clinched first place in the round robin and floated through a 5-1 loss to the Fred Page Cup Champion Charlottetown Abbies of the Maritime Junior A Hockey League.

The slack effort did not pay off. The Blues entered the Semi-final as the favourite to win the Royal Bank Cup, but were upset by the Vernon Vipers by a score of 3-2. The Vipers went on to win the Cup, and the favourite Blues were left with a long and unhappy ride home from Yorkton, Saskatchewan.

2006-07

After the Royal Bank Cup upset loss to the Vernon Vipers, the Blues played like a team jinxed. With only one winning season in the last seven, the Blues have never been the same.

Despite initial optimism, at the halfway point of the 2006-07 season the Blues are sitting at a dismal 1 win, 23 losses, and an overtime loss. As of November 18, the Blues are in the basement of the OPJHL and are in danger of missing the playoffs again. On January 18, 2007, the Blues, with a 1-38-1-2 record, were officially eliminated from any chance of making the playoffs. The final blow came with the Orangeville Crushers defeating the surging Newmarket Hurricanes which pushed the Crushers out of reach in the wildcard race. [http://www.pointstreak.com/prostats/gamesheet_full.html?gameid=355750] The Blues finished the season in last place and with one of the worst records in Tier II Junior "A" history.

Future of franchise

After folding for the 2007-08 season and almost moving to Ancaster, Ontario [ [http://www.hamiltonmountainnews.com/hmn/news/news_818683.html] ] , the Blues have announced new ownership and that they will return for 2008-09. [ [http://www.bramaleablues.com/ Bramalea Blues ] ]

eason-by-season results

Sutherland Cup appearances

:"1974": Hamilton Red Wings defeated Bramalea Blues "by forfeit (No name of winner recorded on cup & caused investigation into violence in hockey)":"1975": Bramalea Blues defeated Oakville Blades "4-games-to-3":"1985": Waterloo Siskins defeated Bramalea Blues "4-games-to-1":"1988": Waterloo Siskins defeated Bramalea Blues "4-games-to-1"

Notable alumni

*Luciano Borsato
*Mike Cammalleri
*Andrew Cassels
*Steve Eminger
*Sheldon Keefe
*Bob Attwell
*Ken Duggan
*Adam Hall
*Tom Laidlaw
*Mike Weaver

References

External links

* [http://www.bramaleablues.com/ Blues Website]