Greater Sudbury Cubs

(Redirected from Rayside-Balfour Canadians)

The Greater Sudbury Cubs are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Sudbury, Ontario. They are a part of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL).

Greater Sudbury Cubs
CityGreater Sudbury, Ontario
LeagueNorthern Ontario Junior Hockey League
DivisionWest
Founded2000
Home arenaCountryside Sports Complex
ColoursBlue and white
   
General managerDave Clancy
Head coachDarryl Moxam
MediaThe Sudbury Star, Sudbury Sports, CTV Northern Ontario
AffiliatesSudbury Wolves (OHL)
Sudbury Nickel Capital Wolves (GNML)
Franchise history
2000–2005Sudbury Northern Wolves
2005–2011Sudbury Jr. Wolves
2011–2012Sudbury Cubs
2012–2015Sudbury Nickel Barons
2015–2021Rayside-Balfour Canadians
2021–presentGreater Sudbury Cubs

History

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The Sudbury Northern Wolves came into the league in 2000 and were present up until they announced an affiliation agreement with the Ontario Hockey League's Sudbury Wolves midway through the 2005–06 season. The Sudbury Northern Wolves were then re-branded as the Sudbury Jr. Wolves. The team went on to break league records that season. In their first season, the Jr. Wolves won the NOJHL championship over their rivals North Bay Skyhawks. The Jr. Wolves came one goal short of qualifying for the Royal Bank Cup losing to the Fort William North Stars 7–6 in overtime scored by former Sudbury Northern Wolves player, Josh Slobodian.

The Sudbury Jr. Wolves would lose the NOJHL finals to the Soo Indians at the conclusion of the 2006–07 season. The following season, the Jr. Wolves defeated the Abitibi Eskimos and moved on to the Dudley Hewitt Cup in Newmarket, but came back winless. The Sudbury Jr. Wolves last taste of success came in 2010–11 when they went to the NOJHL finals, but lost to the Soo Eagles.

In the summer of 2011, the Jr. Wolves broke their ties with the Sudbury Wolves and elected to change their name to the Cubs. In 2012, the Cubs were sold and changed their name to the Sudbury Nickel Barons and were later awarded hosting duties for the Dudley Hewitt Cup, but they pulled out and the tournament was awarded to North Bay instead.

In spring 2015, the Nickel Barons relocated to Rayside-Balfour and became the Rayside-Balfour Canadians and at the same time pulled out of hosting the 2016 Dudley Hewitt Cup, in which it was allocated to Kirkland Lake. The team was sold to local player agent Adrian Gedye over the spring of 2016.

On August 2, 2016, defenceman Sam Oden died in a car accident in Edina, Minnesota.[1] After the team received the news of Oden's passing, they promptly and permanently retired his jersey number 4.[2]

In the 2017–18 regular season, the team won its first division title with 79 points.

On September 9, 2021, the team officially changed its name to the Greater Sudbury Cubs.

Season-by-season results

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Season GP W L T OTL GF GA Pts Result Playoffs
Sudbury Northern Wolves
2000–01 40 20 15 0 5 204 172 45 3rd NOJHL
2001–02 42 26 13 0 3 253 176 55 3rd NOJHL
2002–03 48 28 16 4 260 200 60 4th NOJHL
2003–04 48 31 14 2 1 232 168 65 3rd NOJHL
2004–05 48 12 33 1 2 159 245 27 8th NOJHL Lost quarter-final
Sudbury Jr. Wolves
2005–06 48 36 11 0 1 200 139 73 1st NOJHL Won League
2006–07 48 29 13 0 6 207 166 64 2nd NOJHL Lost final
2007–08 50 28 17 5 216 176 61 4th NOJHL Won League
2008–09 50 20 25 5 207 238 45 6th NOJHL
2009–10 50 19 27 4 186 216 42 6th NOJHL Lost semi-final
2010–11 50 30 14 6 231 89 66 3rd NOJHL Lost final
Sudbury Cubs
2011–12 50 29 15 6 283 229 64 3rd NOJHL
Sudbury Nickel Barons
2012–13 48 29 18 0 1 186 177 59 3rd NOJHL
2013–14 56 19 30 0 7 170 219 45 6th NOJHL Lost quarter-final
2014–15 52 31 16 1 4 203 179 67 3rd of 4, West
4th of 9, NOJHL
Lost div. semi-finals, 2–4 vs. Elliot Lake Wildcats
Rayside-Balfour Canadians
2015–16 54 28 25 0 1 229 208 57 3rd of 6, West
7th of 12, NOJHL
Lost div. semi-finals, 1–4 vs. Elliot Lake Wildcats
2016–17 56 28 24 3 1 191 209 60 3rd of 6, West
7th of 12, NOJHL
Lost div. semi-finals, 3–4 vs. Blind River Beavers
2017–18 56 37 14 1 4 222 139 79 1st of 6, West
2nd of 12, NOJHL
Won Div. Semifinals, 4–2 vs. Blind River Beavers
Won Div. Finals, 4–2 vs. Soo Thunderbirds
Lost League Finals, 2–4 vs. Cochrane Crunch
2018–19 56 31 20 5 194 169 67 2nd of 6, West
7th of 12, NOJHL
Won Div. Semifinals, 4–2 vs. Soo Eagles
Lost Div. Finals, 2–4 vs. Soo Thunderbirds
2019–20 56 40 11 5 260 163 85 1st of 6, West
3rd of 12, NOJHL
Postseason cancelled
2020–21 10 3 6 1 32 42 7 Withdrew from season due to the COVID-19 pandemic[3]
Greater Sudbury Cubs
2021–22 58 27 17 3 1 171 131 58 3rd of 6, West
6th of 12, NOJHL
Lost Div. Semifinals, 2-4 vs. Soo Eagles
2022–23 58 46 10 2 0 248 138 94 1st of 6, West
2nd of 12, NOJHL
Won Div. Semifinals, 4-1 vs. Espanola Paper Kings
Lost Div. Finals, 2–4 vs. Soo Thunderbirds
2023–24 58 42 12 1 2 285 167 89 2nd of 6, West
2nd of 12, NOJHL
Won Div. Semifinals, 4-2 vs. Soo Thunderbirds
Won Div. Finals, 4-1 vs. Blind River Beavers
Won League Finals 4-1 (Powassan Voodoos)
Advance to centennial Cup

Centennial Cup

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CANADIAN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Revised Format 2022
Maritime Junior Hockey League, Quebec Junior Hockey League, Central Canada Hockey League, Ontario Junior Hockey League, Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League, Superior International Junior Hockey League, Manitoba Junior Hockey League, Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, Alberta Junior Hockey League, and Host. The BCHL declared itself an independent league and there is no BC representative.
Round-robin play in two 5-team pools with top three in pool advancing to determine a Champion.

Year Round-robin Record Standing Quarterfinal Semifinal Championship
2024 L, Collingwood Blues (OJHL), 2-10
L, Navan Grads (CCHL), 1-5
L, Calgary Canucks (AJHL), 2-3
W, Collège Français de Longueuil (QJHL), 6-0
1-0-3-0 4th of 5
Group A
did not qualified did not qualified did not qualified

Retired numbers

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4 — Sam Oden[2]

References

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  1. ^ "Canadians mourn former teammate". Sudbury Star. August 3, 2016.
  2. ^ a b "REST IN PEACE SAM ODEN". Rayside-Balfour Canadians. August 2, 2016.
  3. ^ "COVID-19 restrictions cause season cancellations by Espanola, French River, Rayside-Balfour". NOJHL. March 10, 2021.
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