Brantford Blast

Hockey team
team = Brantford Blast

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logosize = 145px
city = Brantford, Ontario
league = Major League Hockey
founded = 2000
arena = Brantford Civic Centre
colours = Red, Yellow, and Black
coach = Larry Trader
GM = Peter Ham
name1 = Brantford Prowl
dates1 = 2000-2001
name2 = Brantford Blast
dates2 = 2002-Present
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Brantford Blast are a Canadian senior ice hockey teams in the Ontario Hockey Association's Major League Hockey, from Brantford, Ontario, Canada. The team was established in 2000, they play at the Brantford Civic Centre.

Competitive hockey back in Brantford

In 2000, the Ontario Hockey Association allowed for the expansion of the first Brantford team since 1987 into Ontario's top tier of Senior hockey. The Brantford Prowl competed during the 2000-01 Southwestern Senior A Hockey League season and finished in fifth place with a record of 12 wins, 17 losses, and a tie. The team took 2001-02 off, but then re-emerged in 2002 as the Blast.

In 2002, Brantford rejoined the top tier of Ontario senior hockey this time known as the Brantford Blast. At the time, the city had the Brantford Golden Eagles in the Ontario Hockey Association, but had also lost teams, like the Brantford Alexanders of the Ontario Hockey League, who left in 1984 and the Brantford Smoke of the Colonial Hockey League, who left in 1998. The Blast would play their home games at the Brantford Civic Centre as well. The Blast have made it to the post season twice. In the 2005-06 season, when they won the league, but lost in the first round to the Dundas Real McCoys 4 games to 2. In the 2006-07 season, they placed third, defeating the Petrolia Squires 4 games to 3, and the Windsor St. Clair Saints 4 games to none to capture their first MLH Championship after a 4-3 win Monday March 12 in front of the home town crowd in Brantford.

2008 Allan Cup

The Blast finished the 2007-08 season just barely out of first place. They swept the Windsor St. Clair Saints 4-games-to-none in the Major League Hockey semi-final, but were defeated 4-games-to-2 to the Dundas Real McCoys.

The Brantford Blast were the host team of the 2008 Allan Cup, which was held in Brantford from April 14-April 19, 2008. This was also the 100th anniversary for the event, one of the reasons that the Blast wanted to host it.

The Brantford Blast became the first Ontario Hockey Association team since the Brantford Motts Clamatos, in 1987, to win the Allan Cup. As hosts of the 2008 Allan Cup, the Blast failed to win their league and were allowed to bypass the OHA Final against the Whitby Dunlops and the Renwick Cup against the Thunder Bay Hawks. After almost a months rest, the Blast competed at home for the Allan Cup and won the entire thing. After suffering their only loss of the tournament to the Shawinigan Xtreme 3-2 in the first game, the Blast defeated the Bentley Generals 5-3 to clinch second in their division. They defeated the Robertson Cup and EOSHL champion Whitby Dunlops in the quarter-final handily, 7-2. They then knocked off the Major League Hockey and Renwick Cup champion Dundas Real McCoys in the semi-final 3-2 in overtime. They met Bentley again in the final, who defeated the 2007 champions Lloydminster Border Kings and the Shawinigan Xtreme, and defeated them 3-1 to win the Canadian National Senior "AAA" crown.

For the Blast, many believe that the final of the Allan Cup was the last game for many players, including Brent Gretzky, Steven Rice, and captain Tyler Pelton.

eason-by-season record

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

Awards

*2004/2005 - All Star Centre - Paul Polillo
*2004/2005 - Most Sportsmanlike - Tyler Pelton
*November 2005 - Player of the Month - Adriano Fiacconi
*December 2005 - Player of the Month - Tyler Pelton
*2005-06 - League All-Star Game players - Tyler Pelton, Adriano Fiacconi, Brett Leggat
*2005-06 - Season Champions
*2005-06 - Best Team Goaltending
*2006-07 - Major League Hockey Champions
*2007-08 - Allan Cup Champions

Notable Alumni

*Brent Gretzky
*Grant Ledyard
*Chad Spurr
*Steven Rice

ee also

*Major League Hockey
*Allan Cup

External links

* [http://www.brantfordblast.com/ Official Brantford Blast Website]
* [http://www.majorleaguehockey.ca/ Major League Hockey Website]