Norwich Merchants

Norwich Merchants
CityNorwich, Ontario
LeagueProvincial Junior Hockey League
ConferenceSouth
DivisionPat Doherty
Founded1968 (1968)
Home arenaNor-Del Arena
ColoursRed, Black, and White
     
General managerDarren House
Head coachDerek Partlo (2024)
Websitenorwichjrcmerchants.com

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.[1] 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.[2]

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

Season GP W L T OTL GF GA Points Finish Playoffs
1968-69 30 15 14 1 - 170 145 31 4th SCJDHL
1969-70 30 15 14 1 - 157 127 31 4th SCJDHL Won League, Won OHA Cup
1970-71 30 18 10 2 - 160 138 38 2nd SCJDHL
1971-72 28 12 13 3 - 129 120 27 4th SCJDHL
1972-73 30 18 10 2 - 200 147 38 3rd SCJDHL
1973-74 28 14 14 0 - 163 162 28 4th SCJDHL
1974-75 30 15 15 0 - 172 159 30 3rd SCJDHL
1975-76 35 21 13 1 - -- -- 43 4th SCJDHL
1976-77 28 15 12 1 - -- -- 31 3rd SCJDHL
1977-78 35 9 22 4 - 155 226 22 7th SJDHL
1978-79 32 12 20 0 - 157 189 22 8th SJDHL
1979-80 34 18 15 1 - 204 186 37 4th SJDHL
1980-81 32 15 13 4 - -- -- 34 4th NJC-W
1981-82 32 26 5 1 - -- -- 53 1st NJC-W
1982-83 36 24 8 4 - -- -- 52 2nd NJC-W
1983-84 30 21 7 2 - -- -- 44 1st NJC-W
1984-85 32 28 4 0 - 230 101 56 1st SWJCHL
1985-86 36 24 6 6 - -- -- 54 2nd NJC-W Won League, Won CSC
1986-87 34 20 10 4 - -- -- 44 1st NJC-W Won League, Lost CSC Final
1987-88 36 27 5 4 - -- -- 58 1st NJC-W
1988-89 35 13 21 1 - -- -- 27 6th NJC-W
1989-90 36 25 7 4 - -- -- 54 1st NJC-W
1990-91 34 20 12 2 - -- -- 42 3rd NJC-W
1991-92 35 16 14 5 - 190 165 37 4th NJC-W
1992-93 36 12 19 5 - 195 244 29 5th NJC-W
1993-94 36 13 15 8 - 145 145 34 4th NJC-W
1994-95 36 21 11 4 - 198 135 46 3rd NJC-W
1995-96 40 25 12 3 - 222 151 53 2nd NJC-W
1996-97 40 23 14 2 1 202 153 49 3rd NJC-W
1997-98 40 26 13 1 0 232 160 53 2nd NJC-W Won Division, Lost Final
1998-99 35 24 10 - 1 -- -- 49 2nd NJC-W Lost Div. Final
1999-00 36 23 10 - 3 -- -- 49 2nd NJC-W Won Division, Lost Final
2000-01 36 24 9 1 2 -- -- 51 1st NJC-W Won Division, Lost Final
2001-02 36 19 13 2 2 -- -- 42 2nd NJC-W Lost Div. Final
2002-03 36 23 10 1 2 150 117 49 3rd NJCHL Won Division, Lost Final
2003-04 36 25 6 1 4 160 96 55 2nd NJCHL Lost Div. Final
2004-05 36 18 13 2 3 136 126 41 4th NJCHL Lost Div. Final
2005-06 36 27 6 2 1 185 118 57 3rd NJCHL Lost Div. Final
2006-07 36 24 9 2 1 183 120 51 3rd NJCHL Won Division, Lost Final
2007-08 36 22 11 1 2 158 88 47 3rd NJCHL Won Division, Lost Final
2008-09 36 24 7 - 5 168 105 53 2nd NJCHL Won League, Lost CSC SF
2009-10 36 27 7 - 2 162 93 56 2nd NJCHL Lost Final
2010-11 36 32 2 - 2 187 83 66 1st NJCHL Lost Final
2011-12 36 24 9 - 3 144 101 51 4th NJCHL Lost Div. Final
2012-13 38 29 7 - 2 164 80 60 2nd NJC-W Lost Div. Final
2013-14 40 27 11 - 2 170 115 56 4th MWJCHL Won Quarters, 4-3 (Applejacks)
Lost Semi's, 0-4 (Mounties)
2014-15 40 24 15 1 - 145 120 49 3rd MWJCHL Won Quarters, 4-2 (Bulldogs)
Won Semi's, 4-3 (Firebirds)
lost League Finals, 0-4 (Centennials)
2015-16 40 15 23 2 - 129 161 32 7th of 9 MWJCHL Lost Quarters, 0-4 (Firebirds)
2016-17 40 22 18 0 - 181 153 44 5th of 9, PJHL
Dougherty Div 		Won Div Quarters, 4-1 (Firebirds)
Lost Div. Semifinals, 0-4 (Centennials)
2017-18 40 17 18 3 2 176 150 39 6th of 9, PJHL
Dougherty Div 		Lost Div Quarters, 1-4 (Navy-Vets)
2018-19 40 21 16 0 3 176 138 45 5th of 9, PJHL
Dougherty Div 		Lost Div Quarters, 2-4 (Mounties)
2019-20 40 21 17 2 0 208 141 44 5th of 9, PJHL
Dougherty Div 		Lost Div Quarters, 1-4 (Centennials)
2020-21 Season Lost due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021-22 36 10 19 4 3 114 116 27 5th of 7, PJHL
Dougherty Div 		Lost Div Quarters, 1-4 (Firebirds)
2022-23 42 29 12 1 0 190 122 59 3rd of 7, PJHL
Dougherty Div 		Won Div Quarters, 4-1 (Mounties)
Lost Div Semis 1-4 (Applejacks)
2023-24 42 19 17 5 1 141 144 44 4th of 7, PJHL
Dougherty Div 		Won Div Quarters, 4-3 (Applejacks)
tbd Div. Semifinals, 1-4 (Navy-Vets)

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

  1. ^ "Hockey team fined". 24 November 2011.
  2. ^ "Hockey Canada rejects both sides' appeals in Norwich Merchants Jr. C hockey scandal | Your online newspaper for New Hamburg, Ontario". Archived from the original on 2014-02-19. Retrieved 2014-01-29.