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Norwich Merchants

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

{{infobox hockey team

| team = Norwich Merchants

| logo = Norwich Merchants.jpg

| logosize = 125px

| city = Norwich, Ontario

| league = Provincial Junior Hockey League

| conference = South

| division = Pat Doherty

| founded = {{Start date|1968}}

| arena = Nor-Del Arena

| colours = Red, Black, and White
{{color box|red}} {{color box|black}} {{color box|white}}

| GM = Darren House

| coach = Derek Partlo (2024)

| website = {{url|norwichjrcmerchants.com}}

| parentclub =

| farmclub =

}}

The Norwich Merchants are a junior hockey team based in Norwich, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Provincial Junior Hockey League of the Ontario Hockey Association.

History

Founded in 1968, the Merchants won the Southern Counties Junior D Hockey League championship the next season, then went on to win the OHA Cup as provincial champions by defeating the Haliburton Huskies of the Central League.

In 1980, the Merchants were promoted to Junior C and joined the Niagara & District Junior C Hockey League. In 1986, the Merchants were Niagara League champions. They went on to defeat the Bradford Blues of the Mid-Ontario Junior Hockey League to win the Clarence Schmalz Cup as OHA Junior C champions. In 1987, they were again Niagara League champions. They again made it to the provincial final, but this time lost to the Lakefield Chiefs of the Central Ontario Junior C Hockey League.

In November 2011, the Merchants were sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Association for the overpayment of a former player during his time with the team. Although the team claimed the money was for education purposes, the OHA fined the team $25,000, suspended three board members for the rest of the season and three additional seasons, their 2011-12 roster was frozen for the rest of the season, and they were barred from signing imports for three following seasons.{{cite web | url=http://www.cambridgetimes.ca/sports-story/3376224-hockey-team-fined/ | title=Hockey team fined | date=24 November 2011 }} The Merchants appealed the decision to the Ontario Hockey Federation. The OHF overturned the roster freeze and import restrictions saying that it was not within the OHA's constitution to wield those powers. Both sides then appealed to Hockey Canada who sided with neither party, which left the fine and suspensions in place.{{Cite web |url=http://www.newhamburgindependent.ca/sports/hockey-canada-rejects-both-sides-appeals-in-norwich-merchants-jr-c-hockey-scandal/ |title=Hockey Canada rejects both sides' appeals in Norwich Merchants Jr. C hockey scandal | Your online newspaper for New Hamburg, Ontario |access-date=2014-01-29 |archive-date=2014-02-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140219131739/http://www.newhamburgindependent.ca/sports/hockey-canada-rejects-both-sides-appeals-in-norwich-merchants-jr-c-hockey-scandal/ |url-status=dead }}

After thirty-three years as members of the Niagara & District Junior C Hockey League, the Ontario Hockey Association realigned and the Merchants ended up in the new Midwestern Junior C Hockey League. Three years later the eight Southern Ontario junior "C" hockey leagues amalgamated into one league, the Provincial Junior Hockey League. This means that they are now competing in the Pat Doherty Division of the Central Conference.

The playoffs for the 2019-20 season were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to the team not being able to play a single game.

Season-by-season record

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

class="wikitable"
align="center" bgcolor="#dddddd"

| Season

GP W L T OTLGF GA PointsFinishPlayoffs
align="center" bgcolor="#eeeeff"

|1968-69

3015141 |
|170145314th SCJDHL
align="center" bgcolor="#eeeeff"

|1969-70

3015141 |
|157127314th SCJDHLWon League, Won OHA Cup
align="center" bgcolor="#eeeeff"

|1970-71

3018102 |
|160138382nd SCJDHL
align="center" bgcolor="#eeeeff"

|1971-72

2812133 |
|129120274th SCJDHL
align="center" bgcolor="#eeeeff"

|1972-73

3018102 |
|200147383rd SCJDHL
align="center" bgcolor="#eeeeff"

|1973-74

2814140 |
|163162284th SCJDHL
align="center" bgcolor="#eeeeff"

|1974-75

3015150 |
|172159303rd SCJDHL
align="center" bgcolor="#eeeeff"

|1975-76

3521131 |
- |
-434th SCJDHL
align="center" bgcolor="#eeeeff"

|1976-77

2815121 |
- |
-313rd SCJDHL
align="center" bgcolor="#eeeeff"

|1977-78

359224 |
|155226227th SJDHL
align="center" bgcolor="#eeeeff"

|1978-79

3212200 |
|157189228th SJDHL
align="center" bgcolor="#eeeeff"

|1979-80

3418151 |
|204186374th SJDHL
align="center"

|1980-81

3215134 |
- |
-344th NJC-W
align="center"

|1981-82

322651 |
- |
-531st NJC-W
align="center"

|1982-83

362484 |
- |
-522nd NJC-W
align="center"

|1983-84

302172 |
- |
-441st NJC-W
align="center"

|1984-85

322840 |
|230101561st SWJCHL
align="center"

|1985-86

362466 |
- |
-542nd NJC-WWon League, Won CSC
align="center"

|1986-87

3420104 |
- |
-441st NJC-WWon League, Lost CSC Final
align="center"

|1987-88

362754 |
- |
-581st NJC-W
align="center"

|1988-89

3513211 |
- |
-276th NJC-W
align="center"

|1989-90

362574 |
- |
-541st NJC-W
align="center"

|1990-91

3420122 |
- |
-423rd NJC-W
align="center"

|1991-92

3516145 |
|190165374th NJC-W
align="center"

|1992-93

3612195 |
|195244295th NJC-W
align="center"

|1993-94

3613158 |
|145145344th NJC-W
align="center"

|1994-95

3621114 |
|198135463rd NJC-W
align="center"

|1995-96

4025123 |
|222151532nd NJC-W
align="center"

|1996-97

40231421202153493rd NJC-W
align="center"

|1997-98

40261310232160532nd NJC-WWon Division, Lost Final
align="center"

|1998-99

352410 |
|1 |
- |
-492nd NJC-WLost Div. Final
align="center"

|1999-00

362310 |
|3 |
- |
-492nd NJC-WWon Div semi-final 4-0 (Navy Vets)
Won Div final 4-2 (Firebirds)
Lost final 3-4 (Riverhawks)
align="center"

|2000-01

3624912 |
- |
-511st NJC-WWon Div semi-final 4-1 (Storm)
Won Div final 4-0 (Navy Vets)
Lost final 0-4 (Riverhawks)
align="center"

|2001-02

36191322 |
- |
-422nd NJC-WWon Div semi-final 4-1 (Storm)
Lost Div final 1-4 (Navy Vets)
align="center"

|2002-03

362310|12150117493rd NJCHLWon quarter-final 4-2 (Firebirds)
Won semi-final 4-1 (Storm)
Lost final 0-4 (Peach Kings)
align="center"

|2003-04

36256|1416096552nd NJCHLWon quarter-final 4-2 (Spitfires)
Lost semi-final 0-4 (Storm)
align="center"

|2004-05

36181323136126414th NJCHLWon quarter-final 4-2 (Spitfires)
Lost semi-final 0-4 (Storm)
align="center"

|2005-06

3627621185118573rd NJCHLWon quarter-final 4-2 (Spitfires)
Lost semi-final 1-4 (Storm)
align="center"

|2006-07

3624921183120513rd NJCHLWon quarter-final 4-2 (Spitfires)
Won semi-final 4-1 (Navy Vets)
Lost Final 2-4 (Peach Kings)
align="center"

|2007-08

3622111215888473rd NJCHLWon quarter-final 4-1 (Storm)
Won semi-final 4-1 (Spitfires)
Lost Final 2-4 (Peach Kings)
align="center"

|2008-09

36247 |
|5168105532nd NJCHLWon quarter-final 4-2 (Renegades)
Won Div final 4-1 (Storm)
Won League 1-4 (Peach Kings)
Lost CSC semi-final 1-4 (73's)
align="center"

|2009-10

36277 |
|216293562nd NJCHLWon Div quarter-final 4-0 (Mounties)
Won Div semi-final 4-0 (Renegades)
Won Div final 4-1 (Storm)
Lost Final 2-4 (Peach Kings)
align="center"

|2010-11

36322 |
|218783661st NJCHLWon Div quarter-final 4-2 (Navy Vets)
Won Div semi-final 4-2 (Spitfires)
Won Div final 4-1 (Storm)
Lost Final 3-4 (Peach Kings)
align="center"

|2011-12

36249 |
|3144101514th NJCHLWon Div quarter-final (Mounties)
Lost Div. Final 1-4 (Firebirds)
align="center"

|2012-13

38297 |
|216480602nd NJC-WWon Div semi-final 4-1 (Mounties)
Lost Div. Final 2-4 (Firebirds)
align="center" bgcolor="#eeffff"

|2013-14

402711 |
|2170115564th MWJCHLWon Quarters, 4-3 (Applejacks)
Lost Semi's, 0-4 (Mounties)
align="center" bgcolor="#eeffff"

|2014-15

4024151 |
|145120493rd MWJCHLWon Quarters, 4-2 (Bulldogs)
Won Semi's, 4-3 (Firebirds)
lost League Finals, 0-4 (Centennials)
align="center" bgcolor="#eeffff"

|2015-16

4015232 |
|129161327th of 9 MWJCHLLost Quarters, 0-4 (Firebirds)
align="center" bgcolor="#eeeeee"

|2016-17

4022180 |
|181153445th of 9, PJHL
Doherty Div 		Won Div Quarters, 4-1 (Firebirds)
Lost Div. Semifinals, 0-4 (Centennials)
align="center" bgcolor="#eeeeee"

|2017-18

40171832176150396th of 9, PJHL
Doherty Div 		Lost Div Quarters, 1-4 (Navy-Vets)
align="center" bgcolor="#eeeeee"

|2018-19

40211603176138455th of 9, PJHL
Doherty Div 		Lost Div Quarters, 2-4 (Mounties)
align="center" bgcolor="#eeeeee"

|2019-20

40211720208141445th of 9, PJHL
Doherty Div 		Lost Div Quarters, 1-4 (Centennials)
align="center" bgcolor="#eeeeee"

|2020-21

colspan="10" | Season Lost due to COVID-19 pandemic
align="center" bgcolor="#eeeeee"

|2021-22

36101943114161275th of 7, PJHL
Doherty Div 		Lost Div Quarters, 1-4 (Firebirds)
align="center" bgcolor="#eeeeee"

|2022-23

42291210190122593rd of 7, PJHL
Doherty Div 		Won Div Quarters, 4-1 (Mounties)
Lost Div Semis 1-4 (Applejacks)
align="center" bgcolor="#eeeeee"

|2023-24

42191751141144444th of 8, PJHL
Doherty Div 		Won Div Quarters, 4-3 (Applejacks)
Lost Div. Semifinals, 1-4 (Navy-Vets)
align="center" bgcolor="#eeeeee"

|2024-25

423480018399681st of 8 Doherty Div
2nd of 16 South Conf
10th of 63 - PJHL		Won Div Quarters, 4-0 (Shamrocks)
Lost Div. Semifinals, 3-4 (Applejacks)

Clarence Schmalz Cup Final appearances

:1986: Norwich Merchants defeated Bradford Blues 4-games-to-3

:1987: Lakefield Chiefs defeated Norwich Merchants 4-games-to-2

References

External links

  • [http://www.norwichjrcmerchants.com/ Norwich Merchants]

{{OHA-C}}

Category:Niagara Junior C Hockey League teams

Category:Ice hockey clubs established in 1968

Category:1968 establishments in Ontario

Category:Oxford County, Ontario

Category:Ice hockey teams in Ontario