Little Britain Merchants

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

{{more citations needed|date=February 2018}}

{{Infobox OHA team

|team_name = Little Britain Merchants

|league = Provincial Junior Hockey League

|bg_color = red

|text_color =

|logo_image = Little Britain Merchants.png

|conference = East

|division = Orr

|founded = 1978

|history =

|alternate =

|arena = Little Britain Community Centre

|city = Little Britain, Ontario

|affiliate = Lindsay Muskies

|colours = Red and White

|head_coach = Mathew Muir

|general_manager =

|league_champions = 1998, 2010

|cs_cup =

|dudley_cup =

|oha_cup =

}}

File:Hockey win Kawartha Lakes Ontario.jpg

The Little Britain Merchants are a junior C ice hockey team based in Little Britain, Ontario, Canada. They played in the Central Ontario Junior C Hockey League of the Ontario Hockey Association until the 2016–17 season when the league became the Orr Division of the Provincial Junior Hockey League.

History

The Little Britain Merchants were founded in 1978 as members of the Southern Counties Junior D Hockey League.

In 1984, the Merchants move to the Central Lakeshore Junior C Hockey League. Two year later, the league merged with the Quinte-St. Lawrence Junior C Hockey League and formed the Central Ontario Junior C Hockey League. The expansion of the Merchants was to fill the void left by the folding of the Stouffville Clippers. The Merchants advanced to the Central Lakeshore Final that season where they would be swept by the Bowmanville Eagles who went on to the Clarence Schmalz Cup semifinals.

In the 1997–98 season, the Merchants finished first overall in the Central Ontario league regular season with 27 wins in 40 games. The Merchants won their first league championship that season and advanced to the Clarence Schmalz Cup semifinals where they were defeated by the eventual Schmalz Cup Champions Glanbrook Rangers of the Niagara District League.

The Merchants finished the 2005–06 regular season in second place overall. In the league semi-final, the Merchants drew the third seeded Uxbridge Bruins where the series went the full seven games with the Bruins taking the series 4-games-to-3. The 2006–07 regular season ended with the Merchants finishing in third place overall. Their semi-final opponent was the second seeded Port Perry Mojacks, which again went to a game seven before the Merchants were elimated.

Little Britain won their second league championship in 2009–10 when they upset the defending champion Uxbridge Bruins. The Merchants advanced to the Clarence Schmalz Cup quarterfinals against the Empire B champion Napanee Raiders. The series featured each team winning at home with the Raiders advancing in seven games.

Season-by-season results

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
SeasonGPWLTOTLGFGAPtsResultsPlayoffs
1987–883215152148162325th COJCHL
1988–894020146181161465th COJCHL
1989–90369234163218227th COJCHL
1990–913618171192156375th COJCHL
1991–9234201004196164442nd COJCHL
1992–9340251221240178531st COJCHL
1993–9430101631122136245th COJCHL
1994–9536132012146163296th COJCHL
1995–9642291111207159603rd COJCHL
1996–9740191650177172434th COJCHL
1997–984027841208158591st COJCHLWon League
Won CSC semi-final (Rebels)
Lost CSC semi-final 1-4 (Rangers)
1998–9940191920181213414th COJCHLLost semi-final 0-4 (Chiefs)
1999–0040142312150231315th COJCHLDNQ
2000–0140122611161202275th COJCHLDNQ
2001–0242122424147204305th COJCHLDNQ
2002–0338122132131177295th COJCHLLost quarter-final 0-2 (Mojacks)
2003–0438102053129174284th COJCHLLost quarter-final 0-2 (Mojacks)
2004–0540172111123161364th COJCHLWon quarter-final 3-0 (Ice)
Lost semi-final 3-4 (Bruins)
2005–0642281310191144572nd COJCHLLost semi-final 3-4 (Bruins)
2006–0740191263175154473rd COJCHLLost semi-final 3-4 (Mojacks)
2007–0840201442137152463rd COJCHLLost semi-final 1-4 (Ice)
2008–094092731159219225th COJCHLWon quarter-final 3-1 (Ice)
Lost semi-final 1-4 (Bruins)
2009–104021172153158443rd COJCHLWon semi-final 4-0 (Mojacks)
Won League 4-1 (Bruins)
Lost CSC quarter-final 3-4 (Raiders)
2010–114016204143174364th COJCHLWon quarter-final 3-2 (Chiefs)
Lost semi-final 0-4 (Bruins)
2011–124024133158146512nd COJCHLLost semi-final 1-4 (Chiefs)
2012–134013243113156295th COJCHLLost quarter-final 1-3 (Mojacks)
2013–144013225122176315th COJCHLDNQ
2014–154221174175157465th COJCHLWon Play-in 3–1 (Mojacks)
Lost semi-final 0–4 (Bruins)
2015–164225152192142523rd of 7, COJCHLLost quarter-final 0–4 (Chiefs)
style="text-align:center;" bgcolor=beige

|2016–17

4213281140193276th of 7
Orr Division-PJHL
Lost quarter-final 0–4 (Eagles)
style="text-align:center;" bgcolor=beige

|2017–18

40038116226827th of 7
Orr Division-PJHL
Did not finish season{{cite web |url=http://pjhl.pointstreaksites.com/view/pjhl/news-1147/news_499028 |title=Little Britain Merchants will not Finish Season |publisher=Provincial Junior Hockey League |date=February 2, 2018}}
style="text-align:center;" bgcolor=beige

|2018–19

42132423163184316th of 7
Orr Division-PJHL
DNQ
style="text-align:center;" bgcolor=beige

|2019–20

42211812144149454th of 7
Orr Division-PJHL
Lost Preliminary Round 1-2 (Bruins)
align="center" bgcolor="beige"

|2020-21

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

|2021–22

322560114685512nd of 7
Orr Division-PJHL
Won quarter-final 4-1 (Ice)
Won semi-final 4-2 (Bruins)
Lost final 0-4 (Eagles)
style="text-align:center;" bgcolor=beige

|2022–23

42231261142119533rd of 7
Orr Division-PJHL
quarter-final - bye
Lost semi-final 2-4 (Bruins)
style="text-align:center;" bgcolor=beige

|2023–24

42122640113188286th of 7
Orr Division-PJHL
Lost quarter-final 0-4 (Ice)
style="text-align:center;" bgcolor=beige

|2024–25

42142701105184296th of 7 Orr Div
11th of 15 East Conf
46th of 63-PJHL
Lost quarter-final 1-4 (Ice)

References

{{reflist}}