Huntsville Otters

{{short description|Canadian junior ice hockey team}}

{{redirect|Muskoka Bears|the team that will begin play in 2024-25|Muskoka Bears (PJHL)}}

{{Infobox Pro hockey team

|colour = background:#FFFFFF; border-top:#0039A6 5px solid; border-bottom:#8F8E93 5px solid;

|colour text = black

| team = Huntsville Otters

| logo = Huntsville Otters.png

| logosize = 160px

| city = Huntsville, Ontario, Canada

| league = Provincial Junior Hockey League

| conference = Northern

| division = Carruthers

| operated = 1990–present

| arena = Canada Summit Centre

| colours = Blue, Yellow, and White
{{color box|darkblue}} {{color box|goldenrod}} {{color box|white}}

| owner =

| coach = Jason Farnsworth “Farmer”

| GM = Brian Crozier

| media =

| affiliates =

| dates1 = 1990–1997

| name1 = Muskoka Bears

| dates2 = 1997–2004

| name2 = Huntsville Wildcats

| dates3 = 2004–2007

| name3 = Huntsville-Muskoka Otters

| dates4 = 2007–present

| name4 = Huntsville Otters

}}

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.

History

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, [http://www.lcshockey.com/issues/LCS65.txt 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.http://www.lcshockey.com/issues/LCS65.txt {{Bare URL plain text|date=March 2022}}

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{{cite web|url=http://www.cottagecountrynow.ca/news/local/article/1302531--junior-league-gets-in-line-for-huntsville-franchise |title=CottageCountryNow Article: Junior league gets in line for Huntsville franchise |publisher=Cottagecountrynow.ca |access-date=2012-02-22}} when a local group successfully applied to bring the team to the Georgian Mid-Ontario Junior C Hockey League.

Season-by-season results

class="wikitable"
style="text-align:center; background:#ddd;"

|Season

GPWLTOTLGFGAPResultsPlayoffs
style="text-align:center; background:#eff;"

|1990-91

445390 |
|1163561012th Metro BDNQ
style="text-align:center; background:#eff;"

|1991-92

4423192 |
|224233484th Metro AWon quarter-final 4-3 (Buzzers)
Lost semi-final 0-4 (Blues)
style="text-align:center; background:#eff;"

|1992-93

4827174 |
|251223583rd Metro AWon quarter-final 4-2 (Eagles)
Lost final 0-4 (Buzzers)
style="text-align:center; background:#eff;"

|1993-94

5028148 |
|246183643rd Metro AWon quarter-final 4-2 (Buzzers)
Lost semi-final 2-4 (Canadiens)
style="text-align:center; background:#eff;"

|1994-95

5023261 |
|256223478th Metro ADNQ
style="text-align:center; background:#eff;"

|1995-96

5221265 |
|237229478th Metro ALost quarter-final 2-4 (Canadiens)
style="text-align:center; background:#eff;"

|1996-97

5014342 |
|2002983011th Metro ALost Div semi-final 0-4 (Canadiens)
style="text-align:center; background:#eff;"

|1997-98

5018284 |
|1572094012th Metro ALost Preliminary Round 1-3 (Rattlers
style="text-align:center; background:#eef;"

|1998-99

51937411423232312th OPJHL-C
style="text-align:center; background:#eef;"DNQ

|1999-00

49212062181198506th OPJHL-NLost Div quarter-final 3-4 (Blues)
style="text-align:center; background:#eef;"

|2000-01

4993523121290237th OPJHL-NLost Div quarter-final 0-4 (Rattlers
style="text-align:center; background:#eef;"

|2001-02

4973921121289178th OPJHL-NLost Div quarter-final 0-4 (Hurricanes
style="text-align:center; background:#eef;"

|2002-03

492460112140656th OPJHL-NDNQ
style="text-align:center; background:#eef;"

|2003-04

23023004220906th OPJHL-NFolded
style="text-align:center; background:#eef;"

|2004-05

49232321177207494th OPJHL-NWon Div quarter-final 4-1 (Blues)
Lost Div semi-final 2-4 (Tigers)
style="text-align:center; background:#eef;"

|2005-06

48122853135219327th OPJHL-NLost Div quarter-final 1-4 (Hurricanes)
style="text-align:center; background:#eef;"

|2006-07

48202143182186474th OPJHL-NLost Div quarter-final 1-4 (Hurricanes)
style="text-align:center; background:#eef;"

|2007-08

49427 |
|021892841st OPJHL-NLost Div semi-final 3-4 (Spirit)
style="text-align:center; background:#eef;"

|2008-09

49387 |
|4224125802nd OJHL-PWon Div quarter-final 3-0 (Beehives)
Won Div semi-final 4-2 (Tigers)
Won Div final 4-1 (Crushers)
Lost semi-final 1-4 (Voyageurs)
style="text-align:center; background:#eef;"

|2009-10

562231 |
|32292364711th OJAHLDNQ
style="text-align:center; background:#eef;"

|2010-11

502517 |
|8175144584th OJHL-NLost Qualifier 0-2 (Flyers)
style="text-align:center; background:#eef;"

|2011-12

491826 |
|5175205415th OJHL-NLost Division quarter-final 0-3 (Waxers)
style="text-align:center;"

|2012-13

40830 |
|2122260189th GMOHLWon Qualifier - 2-1 - (Devils)
Lost quarter-final 0-4 (Hornets)
style="text-align:center;"

|2013-14

40829 |
|396186199th GMOHLLost Qualifier, 0-2 (Devils)
style="text-align:center;"

|2014-15

402414 |
|2176149503rd GMOHLLost quarter-final 2-4 (Cougars)
style="text-align:center;"

|2015-16

4020164 |
|156134442nd of 9 GMOHLLost quarter-final 1-4 (Shamrocks)
style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="beige"

|2016-17

4216260 |
|149197326th of 8-PJHL
Carruthers Div
Lost quarter-final 2-4 (Flyers)
style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="beige"

|2017-18

42162411154212346th of 8-PJHL
Carruthers Div
Lost quarter-final 3-4 (Golden Hawks)
style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="beige"

|2018-19

42152421138191337th of 8-PJHL
Carruthers Div
Lost quarter-final 0-4 (Hornets)
style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="beige"

|2019-20

42113010113208238th of 8-PJHL
Carruthers Div
Lost quarter-final 0-4 (Hornets)
align="center" bgcolor="beige"

|2020-21

colspan="10" | Season Lost due too COVID-19 pandemic
style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="beige"

|2021-22

30227015216658th of 8-PJHL
Carruthers Div
Lost quarter-final 0-4 (Siskins)
style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="beige"

|2022-23

40172111132159366th of 9-PJHL
Carruthers Div
Lost quarter-final 0-4 (Cougars)
style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="beige"

|2023-24

42172311121150366th of 9-PJHL
Carruthers Div
Lost quarter-final 0-4 (Terriers)
style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="beige"

|2024-25

42162420127203345th of 8 Carruthers Div
10th of 16 North Conf
42nd of 63 - PJHL
Lost Div quarter-final 3-4 (Kings)

=Playoffs=

Image:Muskoka Bears.png

Image:Huntsville Wildcats.png

Image:Huntsville-Muskoka Otters.png

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

  • 2010 DNQ OJAHL Playoffs
  • 2011 Lost Qualifier, Hosted and Lost Dudley Hewitt Cup Final

: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

{{reflist}}