Wellesley Applejacks

Wellesley Apple Jacks
CityWellesley, Ontario
LeagueProvincial Junior Hockey League
ConferenceSouth
DivisionDoherty
Founded1987
Home arenaWellesley Arena
ColoursBlack, Red, White
General managerBrock Gerber
Head coachRyan Gerber
AffiliateElmira Sugar Kings (GOJHL)
Championships
League champions1998, 2023
OHA Cups1998

The Wellesley Apple Jacks are a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in Wellesley, Ontario. They play in the Provincial Junior Hockey League of the Ontario Hockey Association.

History

Goalie Jesse Bender[1] in 2014.

The Wellesley Apple Jacks joined the Western Junior D Hockey League in 1987. A year later, the Western League absorbed the Southern Junior D Hockey League. They operated under the Western moniker for three more years.

In 1991, the Western League was dissolved and the OHA Junior Development League was created. At this time, the Apple Jacks turned into a team to reckon with.

In the early years of the OHAJDL, the league was dominated by the Thamesford Trojans and Lucan Irish, but come the 1995–96 season the Apple Jacks made their first finals appearance of what would be four consecutive years.

In the 1996 OHA Cup Finals, the Apple Jacks fell to the Exeter Hawks 4-games-to-3. This came after finishing 2nd place in the entire league with 27 wins.

The 1996–97 season had the Apple Jacks finish second again with 28 wins, but lose in the OHA Cup final 4-games-to-none to the Mount Brydges Bulldogs.

The 1997–98 season was one for the ages for the Apple Jacks. They finished first in the OHAJDL with 28 wins and made it all the way to the league final for the third straight year. They defeated the Exeter Hawks 4-games-to-3 to win their first OHA Cup.

Captain Reid Denstedt[1] in 2014.

The 1998–99 season, the Applejacks again finished first in the league with 30 wins. In the playoff they made it to the league final for the fourth straight year only to lose 4-games-to-3 to the Lucan Irish.

In 2000–01, the Wellesley Apple Jacks found their footing again. They finished fifth in the OHAJDL with 25 wins and made it to the OHA Cup final again. This time they lost 4-games-to-1 to the Mount Brydges Bulldogs.

In 2002–03, the Apple Jacks finished the season in 8th place with 19 wins. They surprised the league and made it to the league finals again. Wellesley ended up getting swept by the Thamesford Trojans 4-games-to-none.

In 2006, the OHAJDL was dissolved and the Apple Jacks joined the Southern Ontario Junior Hockey League—which was promoted to Junior C officially in 2012.

In the Summer of 2013, the Ontario Hockey Association realigned the leagues and the Apple Jacks ended up in the new Midwestern Junior C Hockey League. The summer of 2016 brought more league changes to the Applejacks. The eight southern Ontario junior "C" hockey leagues amalgamated into one league dubbed the Provincial Junior Hockey League. The Midwestern league became the Doherty division in the South Conference.

Season-by-season record

Season GP W L T OTL GF GA P Results Playoffs
1987-88 35 23 11 1 - 241 188 47 3rd WJDHL
1988-89 36 10 22 4 - 154 186 24 16th WJDHL
1989-90 35 12 19 4 - 147 187 28 13th WJDHL
1990-91 40 16 18 4 2 179 188 38 11th WJDHL
1991-92 34 20 10 2 2 187 144 44 5th OHAJDL
1992-93 40 21 13 3 3 199 170 48 6th OHAJDL
1993-94 40 25 10 5 - 225 157 55 5th OHAJDL
1994-95 39 23 13 0 3 215 166 49 4th OHAJDL
1995-96 40 27 9 0 4 195 157 58 2nd OHAJDL
1996-97 39 28 7 1 3 203 117 60 2nd OHAJDL
1997-98 37 28 7 1 1 157 77 58 1st OHAJDL
1998-99 38 30 7 1 0 165 75 61 1st OHAJDL
1999-00 38 28 9 0 1 170 92 57 3rd OHAJDL
2000-01 40 25 11 3 1 -- -- 54 5th OHAJDL
2001-02 40 28 9 2 1 190 109 59 3rd OHAJDL
2002-03 40 19 17 4 0 189 152 42 8th OHAJDL
2003-04 40 21 16 2 1 143 140 45 7th OHAJDL
2004-05 39 17 13 6 3 142 130 43 11th OHAJDL
2005-06 39 29 6 2 2 179 110 62 1st OHAJDL
2006-07 42 19 19 0 4 191 162 42 12th SOJHL
2007-08 42 23 15 - 4 176 164 50 8th SOJHL
2008-09 40 9 23 - 8 130 187 26 14th SOJHL
2009-10 36 7 23 - 6 104 177 20 14th SOJHL
2010-11 35 17 14 - 4 138 140 38 10th SOJHL
2011-12 35 19 14 - 2 134 120 40 9th SOJHL
2012-13 38 23 13 - 2 172 132 48 3rd SOJHL-Mc
2013-14 39 19 17 - 3 197 148 41 5th MWJCHL Lost Quarters - 3-4 - (Merchants)
2014-15 40 13 27 0 - 117 166 26 8th MWJCHL Lost Quarters - 0-4 - (Centennials)
2015-16 40 21 17 2 - 149 152 44 4th of 8 MWJCHL Won Quarters - 4-1 - (Braves)
Lost Semifinals 0-4 (Centennials)
2016-17 40 24 14 2 - 205 130 50 2nd of 9- PJHL
Doherty Div
Won Div Quarters 4-2(Navy-Vets)
Lost Div Semifinals 2-4(Mounties)
2017-18 40 22 16 1 1 178 119 46 5th of 9- PJHL
Doherty Div
Lost Div Quarters 0-4 (Mounties)
2018-19 40 27 8 2 3 225 105 59 3rd of 9- PJHL
Doherty Div
Won Div Quarters 4-0 (Centennials)
Won Div Semis 4-2 (Firebirds)
Won Division Finals 4-1 (Braves)
Lost South Conf. 2-4 (Peach Kings)
2019-20 40 28 6 2 4 249 112 62 2nd of 9- PJHL
Doherty Div
Won Div Quarters 4-2 (Firebirds)
Won Div Semis 4-2 (Centennials)
no dec - Division Finals 2-2 (Braves)
playoffs cancelled - covid
2020-21 Season Lost due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021-22 36 26 7 1 2 149 70 55 3rd of 7- PJHL
Doherty Div
Won Div Quarters 4-0 (Shamrocks)
Lost Div Semis 2-4 (Braves)
2022-23 42 31 7 2 2 185 110 66 2nd of 7- PJHL
Doherty Div
Won Div Quarters 4-0 (Shamrocks)
Won Div Semis 4-1 (Merchants)
Won Div Finals 4-3 (Firebirds)
Won South Conf Finals, 4-1 (Rangers)
(Advance to Schmulz Cup Finals)
2023-24 42 19 22 1 0 121 137 39 5th of 7- PJHL
Doherty Div
Lost Div Quarters 3-4 (Merchants)

Clarence Schmalz Cup Championships

Year Round Robin Record Standing SemiFinal Gold Medal Game
2023 L, Lakeshore Canadiens 1-4
W, Stayner Siskins 5-3
W, Clarington Eagles 7-5
2-1-0-0 1st of 4 OTW, Lakeshore Canadiens 3-2 W, Clarington Eagles 7-5
Schmaltz Cup Winner
PJHL CHAMPIONS

References

  1. ^ a b "Wellesley Applejacks at eliteprospects.com". www.eliteprospects.com. Retrieved 1 October 2023.