Huntsville Otters

(Redirected from Muskoka Bears)

The Huntsville Otters are a Canadian Junior ice hockey team from Huntsville, Ontario. Starting from the 2016-17 season the Otters are members of the Provincial Junior Hockey League. Prior to this change they were members of the Georgian Mid-Ontario Junior C Hockey League after resigning from the Ontario Junior Hockey League in the Spring of 2012.

Huntsville Otters
CityHuntsville, Ontario, Canada
LeagueProvincial Junior Hockey League
ConferenceNorthern
DivisionCarruthers
Operated1990–present
Home arenaCanada Summit Centre
ColoursBlue, Yellow, and White
     
General managerBrian Crozier
Head coachJason Farnsworth “Farmer”
Franchise history
1990–1997Muskoka Bears
1997–2004Huntsville Wildcats
2004–2007Huntsville-Muskoka Otters
2007–presentHuntsville Otters

History

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Joining the ranks of Junior hockey in 1990, the Muskoka Bears were a member of the Metro Junior A Hockey League. Prior to this, the team had played Junior C hockey.

The team made hockey history on February 21, 1997 when their goalie, Ryan Venturelli, became the first goaltender to score two goals (both empty-net) in a hockey game against the Durham Huskies during the Metro Junior A Hockey League 1996–97 regular season.[1]

From 1997 until 2004, the franchise was called the Huntsville Wildcats. The team never truly found their groove, and folded halfway through the 2003–04 season after 23 straight loses and a goals-against average of roughly 10.

For the 2004–05 Season, the team reformed as the Huntsville-Muskoka Otters after Sherwood Bassin, Ray Irwin and Tom McCarthy took ownership.

In 2007, the team was sold to local businessmen Kris House and Jason Armstrong, who shortened the team's name to the Huntsville Otters.

The town of Huntsville hosted the 2011 Ontario Junior A Dudley Hewitt Cup on the weekend of April 18–23, 2011 at the Don Lough Arena, Canada Summit Centre. The Otters went 3-0, and received a bye to the final but lost the championship to the Wellington Dukes 5-3.

In March 2012, it was announced that the Huntsville Otters were to be contracted from the Ontario Junior Hockey League[2] when a local group successfully applied to bring the team to the Georgian Mid-Ontario Junior C Hockey League.

Season-by-season results

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Season GP W L T OTL GF GA P Results Playoffs
1990-91 44 5 39 0 - 116 356 10 12th Metro B
1991-92 44 23 19 2 - 224 233 48 4th Metro A
1992-93 48 27 17 4 - 251 223 58 3rd Metro A
1993-94 50 28 14 8 - 246 183 64 3rd Metro A Lost semi-final
1994-95 50 23 26 1 - 256 223 47 8th Metro A
1995-96 52 21 26 5 - 237 229 47 8th Metro A Lost quarter-final
1996-97 50 14 34 2 - 200 298 30 11th Metro A
1997-98 50 18 28 4 - 157 209 40 12th Metro A
1998-99 51 9 37 4 1 142 323 23 12th OPJHL-C
1999-00 49 21 20 6 2 181 198 50 6th OPJHL-N
2000-01 49 9 35 2 3 121 290 23 7th OPJHL-N
2001-02 49 7 39 2 1 121 289 17 8th OPJHL-N
2002-03 49 2 46 0 1 121 406 5 6th OPJHL-N
2003-04 23 0 23 0 0 42 209 0 6th OPJHL-N Folded
2004-05 49 23 23 2 1 177 207 49 4th OPJHL-N Lost Conf. SF
2005-06 48 12 28 5 3 135 219 32 7th OPJHL-N Lost Conf. QF
2006-07 48 20 21 4 3 182 186 47 4th OPJHL-N Lost Conf. QF
2007-08 49 42 7 - 0 218 92 84 1st OPJHL-N
2008-09 49 38 7 - 4 224 125 80 2nd OJHL-P
2009-10 56 22 31 - 3 229 236 47 11th OJAHL DNQ
2010-11 50 25 17 - 8 175 144 58 4th OJHL-N Lost Qualifier
2011-12 49 18 26 - 5 175 205 41 5th OJHL-N Lost Division QF
2012-13 40 8 30 - 2 122 260 18 9th GMOHL Won Qualifier - 2-1 - (Devils)
Lost quarters, 0-4 (Hornets)
2013-14 40 8 29 - 3 96 186 19 9th GMOHL Lost Qualifier, 0-2 (Devils)
2014-15 40 24 14 - 2 176 149 50 3rd GMOHL Lost quarters, 2-4 (Cougars)
2015-16 40 20 16 4 - 156 134 44 2nd of 9 GMOHL Lost quarters, 1-4 (Shamrocks)
2016-17 42 16 26 0 - 149 197 32 6th of 8-PJHL
Carruthers Div
Lost Div Quarters, 2-4 (Flyers)
2017-18 42 16 24 1 1 154 212 34 6th of 8-PJHL
Carruthers Div
Lost Div Quarters, 3-4 (Golden Hawks)
2018-19 42 15 24 2 1 138 191 33 7th of 8-PJHL
Carruthers Div
Lost Div Quarters, 0-4 (Hornets)
2019-20 42 11 30 1 0 113 208 23 8th of 8-PJHL
Carruthers Div
Lost Div Quarters, 0-4 (Hornets)
2020-21 Season Lost due too COVID-19 pandemic
2021-22 30 2 27 0 1 52 166 5 8th of 8-PJHL
Carruthers Div
Lost Div Quarters, 0-4 (Siskins)
2022-23 40 17 21 1 1 132 159 36 6th of 9-PJHL
Carruthers Div
Lost Div Quarters, 0-4 (Cougars)
2023-24 42 17 23 1 1 121 150 36 6th of 9-PJHL
Carruthers Div
Lost Div Quarters, 0-4 (Terriers)

Playoffs

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Old Bears Logo
 
Old Wildcats Logo
 
Old Otters Logo

MetJHL Years

  • 1991 DNQ
  • 1992 Lost semi-final
Muskoka Bears defeated St. Michael's Buzzers 4-games-to-3
Bramalea Blues defeated Muskoka Bears 4-games-to-none
  • 1993 Lost semi-final
Muskoka Bears defeated Aurora Eagles 4-games-to-2
St. Michael's Buzzers defeated Muskoka Bears 4-games-to-none
  • 1994 Lost semi-final
Muskoka Bears defeated St. Michael's Buzzers 4-games-to-2
Caledon Canadians defeated Muskoka Bears 4-games-to-2
  • 1995 DNQ
  • 1996 Lost quarter-final
Caledon Canadians defeated Muskoka Bears 4-games-to-2
  • 1997 Lost Preliminary
Caledon Canadians defeated Muskoka Bears 4-games-to-none
  • 1998 Lost Preliminary
Thornhill Rattlers defeated Huntsville Wildcats 3-games-to-1

OJHL Years

  • 1999 DNQ
  • 2000 Lost Division Quarter-final
Collingwood Blues defeated Huntsville Wildcats 4-games-to-3
  • 2001 Lost Division Quarter-final
Thornhill Rattlers defeated Huntsville Wildcats 4-games-to-none
  • 2002 Lost Division Quarter-final
Newmarket Hurricanes defeated Huntsville Wildcats 4-games-to-none
  • 2003 DNQ
  • 2004 Did Not Finish Season
  • 2005 Lost Division Semi-final
Huntsville-Muskoka Otters defeated Collingwood Blues 4-games-to-1
Aurora Tigers defeated Huntsville-Muskoka Otters 4-games-to-2
  • 2006 Lost Division Quarter-final
Newmarket Hurricanes defeated Huntsville-Muskoka Otters 4-games-to-1
  • 2007 Lost Division Quarter-final
Newmarket Hurricanes defeated Huntsville-Muskoka Otters 4-games-to-1
  • 2008 Lost Division Semi-final
Stouffville Spirit defeated Huntsville Otters 4-games-to-3
  • 2009 Lost Conference Final
Huntsville Otters defeated Toronto Dixie Beehives 3-games-to-none
Huntsville Otters defeated Aurora Tigers 4-games-to-2
Huntsville Otters defeated Orangeville Crushers 4-games-to-1
Kingston Voyageurs defeated Huntsville Otters 4-games-to-1
Orangeville Flyers defeated Huntsville Otters 2-games-to-none
First in Dudley Hewitt Cup round robin (3-0)
Wellington Dukes defeated Huntsville Otters 5-3 in final
  • 2012 Lost Division Quarter-final
Markham Waxers defeated Huntsville Otters 3-games-to-none

References

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  1. ^ http://www.lcshockey.com/issues/LCS65.txt [bare URL plain text file]
  2. ^ "CottageCountryNow Article: Junior league gets in line for Huntsville franchise". Cottagecountrynow.ca. Retrieved 2012-02-22.
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