The 2008 Royal Bank Cup was the 38th Junior "A" 2008
ice hockey National Championship for the
Canadian Junior Hockey League. The national championship was won by the
Humboldt Broncos
The Humboldt Broncos are a Canadian junior "A" ice hockey team from Humboldt, Saskatchewan. Established in 1970, the Broncos play in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League.
History
The Broncos were established in 1970 by a group of local organ ...
of the
Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League
The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League is a Junior 'A' ice hockey league operating in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan and one of nine member leagues of the Canadian Junior Hockey League.
Open to North American-born players 20 years of ...
.
The
Royal Bank Cup
Royal may refer to:
People
* Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name
* A member of a royal family
Places United States
* Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community
* Royal, Illinois, a village
* Royal, Iowa, a cit ...
was competed for by the winners of the
Doyle Cup
The Doyle Cup is an ice hockey trophy won through a best-of-7 series conducted annually by the Canadian Junior Hockey League to determine the Pacific region berth in the Centennial Cup, the national Junior A championship. From 1971 to 2021, the se ...
,
Anavet Cup,
Dudley Hewitt Cup
The Dudley-Hewitt Cup is a championship ice hockey trophy awarded to the Central Canadian Junior A champion. The trophy is currently decided by round robin tournament format, at the conclusion of the playoffs of the Ontario Junior Hockey League, ...
, the
Fred Page Cup and the host team, the
Cornwall Colts
The Cornwall Colts are a Canadian junior ice hockey team from Cornwall, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of the Central Canada Hockey League. Before 1992, they were known as the Massena Americans, and moved to Cornwall in 1992 when the Cornwall ...
of the
Central Junior A Hockey League
The Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL) is a Canadian Junior "A" ice hockey league operating in eastern Ontario, Canada. The league is sanctioned by the Hockey Eastern Ontario and Hockey Canada and is a member of the Canadian Junior Hockey League ...
.
The tournament ran from May 3–11, 2008 with games played at the
Ed Lumley Arena
The Cornwall Civic Complex is a business/sports facility located in Cornwall, Ontario, Cornwall, Ontario, Canada. The arena inside is called the Ed Lumley Arena, named for Ed Lumley. It was built in 1976 and originally held 4,000 people, but in 20 ...
in
Cornwall, Ontario.
Teams
*
Cornwall Colts
The Cornwall Colts are a Canadian junior ice hockey team from Cornwall, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of the Central Canada Hockey League. Before 1992, they were known as the Massena Americans, and moved to Cornwall in 1992 when the Cornwall ...
(Host) - The Colts are the hosts of the
Royal Bank Cup
Royal may refer to:
People
* Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name
* A member of a royal family
Places United States
* Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community
* Royal, Illinois, a village
* Royal, Iowa, a cit ...
. They lost the
Central Junior A Hockey League
The Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL) is a Canadian Junior "A" ice hockey league operating in eastern Ontario, Canada. The league is sanctioned by the Hockey Eastern Ontario and Hockey Canada and is a member of the Canadian Junior Hockey League ...
quarter-final and have not played since. The Colts struggled through the first half of their season and were inconsistent in the second half. Finishing second in their division, the Colts finished sixth place in an eleven team league. This ranking resulted their first round match up with the dominate
Smiths Falls Bears, who made quick work of the Colts.
:Regular Season: 31 wins, 24 losses, 1 tie, 4 overtime losses
:Playoffs: Lost to
Smiths Falls Bears 1-4
*
Camrose Kodiaks (
Pacific) - The Kodiaks are the
Alberta Junior Hockey League and
Doyle Cup
The Doyle Cup is an ice hockey trophy won through a best-of-7 series conducted annually by the Canadian Junior Hockey League to determine the Pacific region berth in the Centennial Cup, the national Junior A championship. From 1971 to 2021, the se ...
champions. The Kodiaks are led by
CJAHL
The Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) is an association of Canadian junior A ice hockey leagues and teams and was formed in November 1993, emerging from the Canada West Association of Junior 'A' Hockey. The champion of the Canadian Junior H ...
Player of the Year
Joe Colborne. Colborne is ranked 28th overall by
NHL
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
Central Scouting for the
2008 NHL Entry Draft
The 2008 NHL Entry Draft was the 46th NHL Entry Draft. It was hosted by the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Place in the city of Ottawa, Ontario, on June 20–21, 2008. The Senators were originally awarded the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, but because of ...
.
:Regular Season: 49 wins, 8 losses, 5 overtime losses
:Playoffs: Defeated
Olds Grizzlys 4-2, Defeated
Drumheller Dragons 4-1, Defeated
Fort McMurray Oil Barons
The Fort McMurray Oil Barons are a Junior A ice hockey team in the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL). They play in Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada at the Centerfire Place. The Oil Barons have won three AJHL playoff championships, three regular ...
4-3, Defeated
Penticton Vees (
BCHL) 4-1
*
Humboldt Broncos
The Humboldt Broncos are a Canadian junior "A" ice hockey team from Humboldt, Saskatchewan. Established in 1970, the Broncos play in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League.
History
The Broncos were established in 1970 by a group of local organ ...
(
Western) - The Broncos are the
Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League
The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League is a Junior 'A' ice hockey league operating in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan and one of nine member leagues of the Canadian Junior Hockey League.
Open to North American-born players 20 years of ...
and
Anavet Cup champions. The Broncos survived a scare in the SJHL Final, coming back from a 3–1 deficit to the underdog
Kindersley Klippers. The Broncos made quick work of the MJHL champion
Portage Terriers
The Portage Terriers are a Canadian junior "A" ice hockey team from Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, Canada. They are members of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, a part of the Canadian Junior Hockey League.
History
The Portage Terriers were fou ...
in the
Anavet Cup, sweeping them in four games.
:Regular Season: 48 wins, 9 losses, 1 overtime loss
:Playoffs: Defeated
Nipawin Hawks 4-2, Defeated
Flin Flon Bombers 4-0, Defeated
Kindersley Klippers 4-3, Defeated
Portage Terriers
The Portage Terriers are a Canadian junior "A" ice hockey team from Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, Canada. They are members of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, a part of the Canadian Junior Hockey League.
History
The Portage Terriers were fou ...
(
MJHL) 4-0
*
Oakville Blades (
Central
Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object.
Central may also refer to:
Directions and generalised locations
* Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...
) - The Blades are the
Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League
The Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) is a Junior A ice hockey league in Ontario, Canada. It is under the supervision of the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) and the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL). The league was listed as the 7th best d ...
and
Dudley Hewitt Cup
The Dudley-Hewitt Cup is a championship ice hockey trophy awarded to the Central Canadian Junior A champion. The trophy is currently decided by round robin tournament format, at the conclusion of the playoffs of the Ontario Junior Hockey League, ...
champions. Star goaltender Scott Greenham will not be attending the tournament despite leading the Blades to the OPJHL and Central Canadian Championships. Having accepted a scholarship to play for the
Alaska Nanooks
The Alaska Nanooks are the intercollegiate athletics teams that represent the University of Alaska Fairbanks. The Nanooks name is derived from the Inupiaq " nanuq", meaning polar bear. The school colors are blue and gold. The Nanooks compete at t ...
, he would lose his
NCAA eligibility if he played in the Royal Bank Cup because his age (21).
:Regular Season: 39 wins, 6 losses, 4 overtime losses
:Playoffs: Defeated
Milton Icehawks 4-1, Defeated
Georgetown Raiders
The Georgetown Raiders are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Georgetown, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of the Ontario Junior A Hockey League. The team began play in the Central Ontario Jr. B league and was known as the "Georgetown Gemini" u ...
4-1, Defeated
Aurora Tigers 4-2, Defeated
Markham Waxers 4-1, Won
Dudley Hewitt Cup
The Dudley-Hewitt Cup is a championship ice hockey trophy awarded to the Central Canadian Junior A champion. The trophy is currently decided by round robin tournament format, at the conclusion of the playoffs of the Ontario Junior Hockey League, ...
(4-0)
*
Weeks Crushers (
Eastern) - The Crushers are the
Fred Page Cup champions. They lost the
Maritime Junior A Hockey League semi-final, but hosted and won the
Fred Page Cup. The Crushers upset the
CJAHL
The Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) is an association of Canadian junior A ice hockey leagues and teams and was formed in November 1993, emerging from the Canada West Association of Junior 'A' Hockey. The champion of the Canadian Junior H ...
's top ranked team, the
Pembroke Lumber Kings
The Pembroke Lumber Kings are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Pembroke, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of the Central Canada Hockey League and are the winningest team in CCHL (formerly CJHL) history as well as 2011 Royal Bank Cup National Jun ...
, in the Eastern Canadian final.
:Regular Season: 35 wins, 22 losses, 2 overtime losses
:Playoffs: Defeated
Truro Bearcats
The Truro Bearcats are a Junior "A" ice hockey team based out of Truro, Nova Scotia. The Bearcats are one of six Nova Scotia teams in the Maritime Junior Hockey League.
History
Metro Valley League years
Originally, Truro was a member of the M ...
4-2, Lost to
Yarmouth Mariners
The Yarmouth Mariners are a Junior "A" team based in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. They play in the Maritime Junior Hockey League. All home games are played out of the 1,501 seat Mariners Centre. The season usually runs from mid-September to early March e ...
1-4, Hosted and Won
Fred Page Cup (4-1)
Event
The 2008 Royal Bank Cup was kicked off with an announcement from the CJAHL that it was shortening its name to the
Canadian Junior Hockey League.
The first game of the tournament was between the Western Champion
Humboldt Broncos
The Humboldt Broncos are a Canadian junior "A" ice hockey team from Humboldt, Saskatchewan. Established in 1970, the Broncos play in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League.
History
The Broncos were established in 1970 by a group of local organ ...
and the Host
Cornwall Colts
The Cornwall Colts are a Canadian junior ice hockey team from Cornwall, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of the Central Canada Hockey League. Before 1992, they were known as the Massena Americans, and moved to Cornwall in 1992 when the Cornwall ...
. The Colts, who finished the season barely breathing and only played five playoff games, held the Broncos to only one goal in the first period. In the second period, the Colts fell apart and allowed six more goals on the next 16 shots over the last forty minutes. Humboldt's Laurent Benjamin scored a hat trick, while Taylor Nelson made 21 saves in the 7–0 shutout victory.
The early game on day two was between the Eastern Champion
Weeks Crushers and the Pacific Champion
Camrose Kodiaks. Weeks came out strong and took an early 1–0 lead, but the Crushers started taking a lot of penalties which killed their momentum. The Kodiaks scored five unanswered goals to win the game 5–1. In the late game, the Eastern Champion
Oakville Blades challenged Cornwall. The Blades came out flat and left the first period down 2–0. Oakville returned on fire in the second period, scoring three goals in less than three and a half minutes. The momentum did not last, and the Colts took advantage by eventually pulling out an unexpected 5–4 victory.
On day three, the Kodiaks defeated the Broncos 2–1 in a very close game. The Broncos led the game until the final nine minutes by a score of 1–0, but the Kodiaks finally solved Taylor Nelson's 111+ minute shutout streak by score two quick goals to win the game. The late game placed the Oakville Blades against the Weeks Crushers. The Blades outshot the Crushers 49–25, but the Crushers kept it close and came from behind to tie it in the third period. The Crushers took advantage of a Too Many Men penalty in the extra frame as Geoff Hum scored a powerplay marker to win the game for the Crushers.
The only game of day four was between the Host Colts and the
Fred Page Cup champion Weeks Crushers based in
New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. A strong opening period from the hometown Colts allowed for a 3–0 lead that was never breached by the Crushers. A lone goal by the Crushers in the second period would be as close as they would get to the Colts. Another three goal period by Cornwall in the final frame sealed the deal as the Colts skated to a 6–1 win.
On day five, the early game had the Oakville Blades, on the brink of elimination, versus the Humboldt Broncos. The Broncos blew three leads in the game; 1–0, 2–1, and 5–3; to allow the Blades to live another day with a 7–6 victory. The loss for the Broncos kills their ability to clinch a semi-final spot before their final game. The next game was between Cornwall and Camrose. Cornwall came out to send a message and caught the Kodiaks on their heels. Camrose came out with a tight 2–1 victory despite badly outshooting them. Because of Humboldt's loss, both Camrose and Cornwall clinch a spot in the semi-finals.
Despite the fact that they didn't play each other on day six, the day was a battle between Oakville and Humboldt. If Weeks defeated Humboldt, Oakville was in and Humboldt was out. If Oakville beat the undefeated Kodiaks in a game that meant nothing to them statistically, Humboldt was out and Oakville was in. If Humboldt won, they were in. If neither Weeks or Oakville won, Humboldt was in. The day began by the Humboldt showing their worth in a 4–1 victory over the Weeks Crushers. The day closed out with Camrose dismantling the Oakville Blades 6–1, even though the Blades outshot them.
After six days of play, the Oakville Blades were eliminated from the tournament by virtue of their head-to-head loss to the Weeks Crushers. The Blades were suspect in the goaltending department. Goalie Oliver Wren sported an 0.810 save percentage, the worst amongst starting goaltenders in the tourney. Wren came into the tournament cold, having barely played in Oakville's long playoff run. Season and Playoff long starter Scott Greenham, left the team in the middle of the
Dudley Hewitt Cup
The Dudley-Hewitt Cup is a championship ice hockey trophy awarded to the Central Canadian Junior A champion. The trophy is currently decided by round robin tournament format, at the conclusion of the playoffs of the Ontario Junior Hockey League, ...
and could not return due to
NCAA eligibility issues.
Semi-finals
The Camrose Kodiaks defeated the Weeks Crushers by a score of 3–0 in the early semi-final. Two early first period goals and a strong patient defense held off the Crushers' attack. A late goal was added by the Kodiaks to ensure a fifth straight tournament victory.
In the late semi-final, the host Cornwall Colts played off against the Humboldt Broncos. The Broncos proved dominant, but the Colts kept the score tight. The score was 2-1 Humboldt after the first and 3-1 after the second, but the Colts could not hold on any longer as the Broncos cracked the twine three times in the third to complete the 6-1 route.
Final
The RBC final was a battle of the goaltenders.
Columbus Blue Jackets draft pick
Allen York
Allen York (born June 17, 1989) is a Canadians, Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played 11 games with the Columbus Blue Jackets in the National Hockey League. York was selected by the Blue Jackets in the 6th round (158th over ...
27 of 28 shots for the Camrose Kodiaks, while a rock solid Taylor Nelson held a 31-save shutout for the Humboldt Broncos to win the
Royal Bank Cup
Royal may refer to:
People
* Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name
* A member of a royal family
Places United States
* Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community
* Royal, Illinois, a village
* Royal, Iowa, a cit ...
.
Game Summary
/ref> Nelson made a game saving glove save with less than a second to go to hold on for Humboldt's second ever Royal Bank Cup. The game-winning goal was scored by Edward Gale in the first period on the power play. Gale is the cousin of former NHL
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
er Gary Leeman. This marks the fourth time in six years that the Kodiaks have made the RBC tournament and have failed to win. The victory for the Humboldt Broncos marks their first national championship since 2003.
Tournament
Round Robin
Results
Semi-final
Final
Awards
:Roland Mercier Trophy (Tournament MVP): Darcy Findlay (Cornwall Colts
The Cornwall Colts are a Canadian junior ice hockey team from Cornwall, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of the Central Canada Hockey League. Before 1992, they were known as the Massena Americans, and moved to Cornwall in 1992 when the Cornwall ...
)
:Top Forward: Jeremy Welsh
Jeremy Welsh (born April 30, 1988) is a Canadian professional ice hockey Centre (ice hockey), centre currently playing under contract with UK Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) side Nottingham Panthers. Welsh was most recently with KS Cracovia (ice ho ...
( Oakville Blades)
:Top Defencemen: Brady Wacker (Humboldt Broncos
The Humboldt Broncos are a Canadian junior "A" ice hockey team from Humboldt, Saskatchewan. Established in 1970, the Broncos play in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League.
History
The Broncos were established in 1970 by a group of local organ ...
)
:Top Goaltender: Allen York
Allen York (born June 17, 1989) is a Canadians, Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played 11 games with the Columbus Blue Jackets in the National Hockey League. York was selected by the Blue Jackets in the 6th round (158th over ...
( Camrose Kodiaks)
:Tubby Smaltz Trophy (Sportsmanship): Andre Herman ( Camrose Kodiaks)
Roll of League Champions
:AJHL
The Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) is an Alberta-based Junior A ice hockey league that belongs to the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL). It was formed as a five-team league in 1964. There are currently 16 teams in the league. The reg ...
: Camrose Kodiaks
: BCHL: Penticton Vees
: CJHL: Pembroke Lumber Kings
The Pembroke Lumber Kings are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Pembroke, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of the Central Canada Hockey League and are the winningest team in CCHL (formerly CJHL) history as well as 2011 Royal Bank Cup National Jun ...
: MJHL: Portage Terriers
The Portage Terriers are a Canadian junior "A" ice hockey team from Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, Canada. They are members of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, a part of the Canadian Junior Hockey League.
History
The Portage Terriers were fou ...
:MJAHL
The Maritime Junior Hockey League (MHL) is a Junior A ice hockey league under Hockey Canada, a part of the Canadian Junior Hockey League. It consists of five teams from New Brunswick and one team from Prince Edward Island, which make up the E ...
: Yarmouth Mariners
The Yarmouth Mariners are a Junior "A" team based in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. They play in the Maritime Junior Hockey League. All home games are played out of the 1,501 seat Mariners Centre. The season usually runs from mid-September to early March e ...
:NOJHL
The Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL) is a Canadian Junior ice hockey league and member of the Canadian Junior Hockey League and Northern Ontario Hockey Association. The winner of the NOJHL playoffs competes for the Dudley Hewitt Cup ...
: Sudbury Jr. Wolves
The Greater Sudbury Cubs are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Rayside-Balfour, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL).
History
The Sudbury Northern Wolves came into the league in 2000 and were pre ...
:OPJHL
The Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) is a Junior A ice hockey league in Ontario, Canada. It is under the supervision of the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) and the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL). The league was listed as the 7th best ...
: Oakville Blades
: QJAAAHL: Sherbrooke Cougars
The Sherbrooke Cougars of Collège Champlain are a junior ice hockey team from Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. They were part of the Quebec Junior AAA Hockey League from 2002 to 2015.
History
The Champlain Cougars were founded in the 1970s, and play ...
:SJHL
The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League is a Junior 'A' ice hockey league operating in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan and one of nine member leagues of the Canadian Junior Hockey League.
Open to North American-born players 20 years of ...
: Humboldt Broncos
The Humboldt Broncos are a Canadian junior "A" ice hockey team from Humboldt, Saskatchewan. Established in 1970, the Broncos play in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League.
History
The Broncos were established in 1970 by a group of local organ ...
:SIJHL
The Superior International Junior Hockey League (SIJHL) is a junior A ice hockey league and a member of the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) and Hockey Canada. The league operates in the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. states of M ...
: Dryden Ice Dogs
The Dryden Ice Dogs are a junior A ice hockey team from Dryden, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of the Superior International Junior Hockey League.
History
At 49° 47′ North, the Ice Dogs were the most northern junior A team in Ontario until ...
See also
* Canadian Junior A Hockey League
*Royal Bank Cup
Royal may refer to:
People
* Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name
* A member of a royal family
Places United States
* Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community
* Royal, Illinois, a village
* Royal, Iowa, a cit ...
* Anavet Cup
*Doyle Cup
The Doyle Cup is an ice hockey trophy won through a best-of-7 series conducted annually by the Canadian Junior Hockey League to determine the Pacific region berth in the Centennial Cup, the national Junior A championship. From 1971 to 2021, the se ...
*Dudley Hewitt Cup
The Dudley-Hewitt Cup is a championship ice hockey trophy awarded to the Central Canadian Junior A champion. The trophy is currently decided by round robin tournament format, at the conclusion of the playoffs of the Ontario Junior Hockey League, ...
* Fred Page Cup
References
External links
Royal Bank Cup Website
{{CJAHL
2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
Royal Bank Cup
Royal may refer to:
People
* Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name
* A member of a royal family
Places United States
* Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community
* Royal, Illinois, a village
* Royal, Iowa, a cit ...
Sport in Cornwall, Ontario