OCN Blizzard

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OCN Blizzard
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City The Pas, Manitoba
League Manitoba Junior Hockey League
Founded 1996
Home arena Gordon Lathlin Memorial Centre
Colours Blue, Red, White
General manager Jason Smith
Head coach Jason Smith

The Opaskwayak Cree Nation Blizzard are a Canadian Junior "A" ice hockey team from The Pas, Manitoba, Canada. They are members of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, a part of the Canadian Junior A Hockey League and Hockey Canada. The team is owned by the Opaskwayak Cree Nation.

History

The Blizzard were founded in 1996 by the Opaskwayak Cree Nation near The Pas, Manitoba. The team was a year in the making with the Cree Nation's eye on entering the SJHL. Their hockey development and recreation department spent many months prior getting the community members on board through community meetings and house to house visits. Boh Kubrakovich, Jim Smith and Nathan McGillivary spent time working with the SJHL prior to entering the current league MJHL. The Blizzard name and jersey was styled after the Utica Blizzard of the Colonial Hockey League. It was through a Blizzard like snow storm that the new directors of the team made it to Winnipeg to announce the team. During the press conference the directors decided to call the team the Opaskwayak Blizzard.

Founding directors were James Smith, Chief Frances Flett(late), Gordon Lathlin(late), Gilbert Lathlin(Rat), Nathan McGillivary and Recreation Director/Director of Hockey Boh Kubrakovich. A search for a Head Coach/Director of Hockey did not last long as the directors selected Gardiner MacDougall as their first choice to operate the newly established hockey club. Leonard Strandberg was then hired as the General Manager in 1996.

From the 1998-99 season until 2002-03, the Blizzard became the second team in MJHL history and the first team in over sixty years to win five straight Turnbull Cups as MJHL Playoff Champions. In the Anavet Cup Regional title, in succession, the Blizzard lost to the SJHL's Estevan Bruins in 1999, Lost to the Battlefords North Stars in 2000, the Weyburn Red Wings in 2001, defeated the Red Wings the next year, and then lost in 2003 to the Humboldt Broncos. When they won the Anavet Cup in 2002, it earned them the right to compete in Royal Bank Cup 2002. They finished the National Championship round robin with a 2-2 record. In the semi-final they defeated the BCHL's Chilliwack Chiefs 4-3, but lost in the National Final to the Halifax Exports 3-1.

Blizzard games are broadcast on local radio station CJAR 102.9 (CJAR-FM) and can also be heard online at www.thepasonline.com. Jaret Schneider is the current play-by-play announcer for the team in his 3rd year broadcasting for the Blizzard. Past announcers are Kurtis "Huddy" Hudson, Evan Hammond, Kris Menard, Jamie Smaller and Bradley Karp.

List of championships

Championship Years Won
Turnbull Cup 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, & 2003
Anavet Cup 2001

Season-by-season record

Note: GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

Season GP W L T OTL GF GA Points Finish Playoffs
1996-97 55 32 18 4 1 274 228 69 2nd MJHL Lost Final
1997-98 61 42 18 1 0 285 202 85 2nd MJHL Lost Semi-final
1998-99 62 53 7 1 1 401 149 108 1st MJHL Won League
1999-00 64 44 16 - 4 305 194 92 1st MJHL Won League
2000-01 64 50 10 - 4 334 192 104 1st MJHL Won League
2001-02 64 56 6 - 3 379 149 115 1st MJHL Won League, Won AC
2002-03 63 54 8 - 1 380 160 109 1st MJHL Won League
2003-04 64 46 10 - 8 355 177 100 1st MJHL Lost Quarter Final
2004-05 63 29 22 - 12 221 221 70 5th MJHL Lost Quarter Final
2005-06 63 37 17 - 9 232 181 83 2nd MJHL Lost Final
2006-07 63 16 35 - 12 223 281 44 10th MJHL DNQ
2007-08 62 22 36 - 4 204 272 48 9th MJHL DNQ
2008-09 62 32 22 - 8 214 211 72 5th MJHL Lost Quarter Final
2009-10 62 24 30 - 8 181 202 56 9th MJHL DNQ
2010-11 62 34 18 - 10 182 164 78 5th MJHL Lost Quarter-final
2011-12 61 31 23 - 7 176 183 69 7th MJHL Lost Semi-final
2012-13 60 39 16 - 5 226 193 83 3rd MJHL Lost Semi-final
2013-14 60 21 34 - 5 171 235 47 8th MJHL Lost Quarter-final
2014-15 60 20 35 - 5 167 203 45 10th MJHL Lost Survivor Series

Playoffs

  • 1997 Lost Final
OCN Blizzard defeated Portage Terriers 4-games-to-1
OCN Blizzard defeated Winkler Flyers 4-games-to-none
St. James Canadians defeated OCN Blizzard 4-games-to-1
  • 1998 Lost Semi-final
OCN Blizzard defeated Portage Terriers 4-games-to-2
Winkler Flyers defeated OCN Blizzard 4-games-to-1
OCN Blizzard defeated Dauphin Kings 4-games-to-none
OCN Blizzard defeated Winkler Flyers 4-games-to-1
OCN Blizzard defeated Winnipeg South Blues 4-games-to-none MJHL CHAMPIONS
Estevan Bruins (SJHL) defeated OCN Blizzard 4-games-to-2
OCN Blizzard defeated Swan Valley Stampeders
OCN Blizzard defeated Dauphin Kings 4-games-to-none
OCN Blizzard defeated Winnipeg South Blues 4-games-to-1 MJHL CHAMPIONS
Battlefords North Stars (SJHL) defeated OCN Blizzard 4-games-to-1
OCN Blizzard defeated Swan Valley Stampeders 4-games-to-1
OCN Blizzard defeated Neepawa Natives 4-games-to-1
OCN Blizzard defeated Winkler Flyers 4-games-to-none MJHL CHAMPIONS
Weyburn Red Wings (SJHL) defeated OCN Blizzard 4-games-to-2
OCN Blizzard defeated Swan Valley Stampeders 4-games-to-none
OCN Blizzard defeated Portage Terriers 4-games-to-3
OCN Blizzard defeated Winkler Flyers 4-games-to-none MJHL CHAMPIONS
OCN Blizzard defeated Kindersley Klippers (SJHL) 4-games-to-1 ANAVET CUP CHAMPIONS
Third in 2002 Royal Bank Cup round robin (2-2)
OCN Blizzard defeated Chilliwack Chiefs (BCHL) 4-3 in semi-final
Halifax Oland Exports (MJAHL) defeated OCN Blizzard 3-1 in final
OCN Blizzard defeated Dauphin Kings 4-games-to-none
OCN Blizzard defeated Portage Terriers 4-games-to-1
OCN Blizzard defeated Southeast Blades 4-games-to-none MJHL CHAMPIONS
Humboldt Broncos (SJHL) defeated OCN Blizzard 4-games-to-1
  • 2004 Lost Quarter-final
Portage Terriers defeated OCN Blizzard 4-games-to-none
  • 2005 Lost Quarter-final
Portage Terriers defeated OCN Blizzard 4-games-to-2
  • 2006 Lost Final
OCN Blizzard defeated Swan Valley Stampeders 4-games-to-1
OCN Blizzard defeated Dauphin Kings 4-games-to-3
Winnipeg South Blues defeated OCN Blizzard 4-games-to-1
  • 2007 DNQ
  • 2008 DNQ
  • 2009 Lost Quarter-final
Dauphin Kings defeated OCN Blizzard 4-games-to-2
  • 2010 DNQ
  • 2011 Lost Quarter-final
Dauphin Kings defeated OCN Blizzard 4-games-to-3
  • 2012 Lost Semi-final
OCN Blizzard defeated Swan Valley Stampeders 4-games-to-2
Winnipeg Saints defeated OCN Blizzard 4-games-to-2
  • 2013 Lost Semi-final
OCN Blizzard defeated Swan Valley Stampeders 4-games-to-1
Dauphin Kings defeated OCN Blizzard 4-games-to-3
  • 2014 Lost Quarter-final
OCN Blizzard defeated Waywayseecappo Wolverines 2-games-to-1
Dauphin Kings defeated OCN Blizzard 4-games-to-0
  • 2015 Lost Survivor Series
Selkirk Steelers defeated OCN Blizzard 2-games-to-0

Retired numbers

  • #18 Cliff Duschesne
  • #22 Terence Tootoo

Notable alumni

National Hockey League

American Hockey League

East Coast Hockey League/ECHL

Central Hockey League

Southern Professional Hockey League

International Hockey League

National Collegiate Athletic Association

Canadian Interuniversity Sport

Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey

Federal Hockey League

Other

  • Jeremy Southwind- Winnipeg Jets ASHL
  • Barrett Labossiere - EC Die Adler Kitzbuhel, Austria

Franchise leaders

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Regular season

As of May 23, 2007

# Years Player Seasons GP G A Pts PIM P/G
1 '99-'04 Michael Young 5 254 92 218 310 211 1.22
2 '03-'07 Matt Summers 4 195 105 180 285 266 1.46
3 '01-'04 Aaron Starr 3 162 131 134 265 156 1.64
4 '96-'99 Cliff Duchesne 3 179 110 153 263 389 1.47
5 '96-'99 Konrad McKay 3 159 78 182 260 937 1.64
6 '97-'01 Terence Tootoo 4 217 109 113 222 849 1.02
7 '99-'02 Jamie Muswagon 3 134 90 124 214 115 1.60
- '99-'02 Justin Williams 3 174 85 129 214 193 1.23
9 '02-'06 Don Melnyk 4 190 77 132 209 653 1.10
10 '03-'07 Jeremy Southwind 4 226 86 121 207 477 .92
  • From the OCN Blizzard 10th Anniversary Program***

See also

External links

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