The 2016–17 GMHL

season A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pol ...

is the eleventh season of the

Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League The Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL) is a Canadian developmental junior ice hockey league. The league has primarily had teams in the Greater Toronto Area, Central Ontario, Northeastern Ontario, and Quebec. In 2019, they added three ...

(GMHL). The teams of the GMHL played 42-game schedules. In February 2017, the top teams of the league play for the Russell Cup, the playoff championship of the GMHL. Since the GMHL is independent from

Hockey Canada Hockey Canada (which merged with the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association in 1994) is the national governing body of ice hockey and ice sledge hockey in Canada. It is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation and controls the majority ...

and the

Canadian Junior Hockey League 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 ...

, this is where the GMHL's season ends.

League changes

Once all the membership changes were completed and the games were scheduled there were 28 teams. The league realigned then from three divisions to two 14-team North and South Divisions. By the start of the Russell Cup playoffs, there were 21 teams with 10 teams in the North Division and 11 teams in the South Division.

Expansion

* Expansion granted to

Tillsonburg Tillsonburg is a town in Oxford County, Ontario, Canada with a population of 18,615 located about 50 kilometres southeast of London, on Highway 3 at the junction of Highway 19. History Prior to European settlement, the present site of Tillso ...

Hurricanes. * Expansion granted to Lincoln Mavericks of

Lincoln, Ontario Lincoln is a town on Lake Ontario in the Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada. The town's administrative and commercial centre is in the community of Beamsville. Geography Lincoln's location between the southern shore of Lake Ontario and the Niagara E ...

Relocation or renamed

Alliston Coyotes The New Tecumseth Civics are a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in Alliston, Ontario. They play in the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL). History The Alliston Coyotes joined the GMHL in spring 2013. The Coyotes played their first g ...

rebranded as

New Tecumseth Civics The New Tecumseth Civics are a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in Alliston, Ontario. They play in the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL). History The Alliston Coyotes joined the GMHL in spring 2013. The Coyotes played their first g ...

after ownership change. * Colbourne Chiefs rebranded as Northumberland Stars after ownership change. *

Grey Highlands Bravehearts The Wiarton Rock was a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in Wiarton, Ontario, and a member of the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL). The Rock relocated multiple times, spending time in King City, Nobleton, Lefroy, and Markdale, ...

relocated to

Wiarton, Ontario Wiarton () is a community in the town of South Bruce Peninsula, Bruce County, Ontario, Canada. It is located at the western end of Colpoys Bay, an inlet off Georgian Bay, on the Bruce Peninsula. Wiarton is notable for the Wiarton Willie Festiva ...

as the Wiarton Rock. *

Shelburne Sharks The Shelburne Stars were a junior ice hockey team based in Shelburne, Ontario, Canada. They played in the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL). Established in 2010, the team was originally known as the Shelburne Red Wings. They are also co ...

re-brand as Shelburne Stars. *

Sturgeon Falls Lumberjacks The West Nipissing Lynx are a junior ice hockey team based in Sturgeon Falls, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL). History The Sturgeon Falls Lumberjacks were announced in summer 2010. The Lumberjacks r ...

returned to league. The team changed ownership and re-branded as the West Nipissing Lynx.

Folded

* During the previous season, the Brantford Steelfighters folded and was removed from the league schedule on November 5, 2015. The Steelfighters had their membership revoked at the end of the season. * In March 2016, the league announced Bobcaygeon Storm, Coldwater Falcons, Grey County Grizzlies, and Haliburton Wolves were no longer league members. * Shelburne Stars folded prior to the start of the season. *

Toronto Blue Ice Jets The Toronto Blue Ice Jets were a junior ice hockey, Junior ice hockey team based out of Thornhill, Ontario, Canada. The team played in the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL). History The Jets were Thornhill's only Junior hockey team afte ...

were removed from the schedule in the first week of the season. *

Bracebridge Blues The Bracebridge Blues were a Canada, Canadian junior ice hockey, Junior ice hockey team based in Bracebridge, Ontario, Bracebridge, Ontario, Canada. They played in the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL). History The Phantoms were announc ...

were removed from the schedule after playing five games and forfeiting the sixth. * Komoka Dragons folded on October 21 after playing 12 games. * First year team, the Lincoln Mavericks, withdrew from the league on November 21. * The Wiarton Rock folded mid-season on December 14. *

Orangeville Ice Crushers The Orangeville Ice Crushers were a junior ice hockey team based in Orangeville, Ontario, Canada. They played in the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL). History The Orangeville Americans were announced in the spring of 2011 with the ro ...

suspended operations in January. Three of the team's owners had been arrested for drug distribution in November 2016 and were suspended by the league. The league transferred control to another shareholder who ceased operations of the team after two months.

On hiatus

* The Norfolk Vikings chose to sit out the 2016–17 season.

Standings

''Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Tie; OTL = Overtime losses; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; PTS = Points; x = clinched playoff berth; q = relegated to qualifier round; y = clinched division title; z = clinched league title'' ''Teams listed on the official league website.'' ''Standings listed on official league website.'' ''Teams in gray folded midseason.''

2017 Russell Cup playoffs

8th Place Qualifiers

''North Division'' ''South Division'' ''Playoff results are listed on the official league website.''

Scoring leaders

''Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes''

Leading goaltenders

''Note: GP = Games played; Mins = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses: OTL = Overtime losses; SL = Shootout losses; GA = Goals Allowed; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals against average''

Awards

*Top Scorer: Carl Lyden (

South Muskoka Shield The Muskoka Shield are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Gravenhurst, Ontario. The Shield are members of the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL). History The Shield are a community-based team with a number of corporate sponsors ...

) *Most Valuable Player: North — Stepan Timofeyev ( Bradford Rattlers); South — Manny Manns ( Niagara Whalers) *Rookie of the Year: North — Zach Lefebvre ( Temiscaming Titans); South — Noah Battaglia (

Toronto Predators The Niagara-on-the-Lake Predators are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL). History The Toronto Predators joined the GMHL as an expansion fr ...

) *Top Forward: North — Carl Lyden (South Muskoka Shield); South — Regan Yew ( London Lakers) *Top Defenceman: North — Zakk Bekolay (

Bradford Bulls The Bradford Bulls are a professional rugby league club in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, playing in the Championship. They have won five Challenge Cups, six league championships and three World Club Challenges. The team jersey is predom ...

); South — Zach Wright (

Oshawa Riverkings Oshawa ( , also ; 2021 population 175,383; Census Metropolitan Area, CMA 415,311) is a city in Ontario, Canada, on the Lake Ontario shoreline. It lies in Southern Ontario, approximately east of Downtown Toronto. It is commonly viewed as the ...

) *Top Goaltender: North — TJ Sherwood (

); South — Ryan Purcell ( St. George Ravens) *Top Defensive Forward: North — Carmine Vietri (

); South — Blake Naida (

Kingsville Kings The Kingsville Kings are a junior ice hockey team based in Kingsville, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the South Division of the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL). The Kings were founded in 2015 and joined the GMHL to compete in t ...

) *Most Sportsmanlike Player: North — Tom Stanislavski (

Almaguin Spartans The Almaguin Spartans are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in South River, Ontario. They play in the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL). They were originally the Mattawa Voyageurs of Mattawa, Ontario. History The Voyageurs were ...

); South — Brody Dyck ( Northumberland Stars) *Most Heart: North — Connor Annett - (

Knights of Meaford The Knights of Meaford are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Meaford, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL). History The Knights of Meaford joined the GMHL in spring 2013. The Knights are the fir ...

); South — Ryan Dasilva (

Tottenham Steam The Tottenham Thunder are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Tottenham, Ontario. They play in the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL). The team was known as the Tottenham Steam for its first six seasons. History The Tottenham Stea ...

) *Top Coach: North — Doug Raymond (

Parry Sound Islanders The Parry Sound Islanders were a Junior ice hockey team based out of Parry Sound, Ontario, Canada. They played in the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League. History In 2007, Ville-Marie first attempted to form a team in one of the established ...

); South — Ryan Ramsay (

North York Renegades The North York Renegades are a junior ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the South Division of the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL). The Renegades were founded in 2014 and joined the GMHL to compete ...

)

References

External links

Official website of the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League
{{DEFAULTSORT:2016-17 GMHL season

GMHL The Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL) is a Canadian developmental junior ice hockey league. The league has primarily had teams in the Greater Toronto Area, Central Ontario, Northeastern Ontario, and Quebec. In 2019, they added three tea ...

Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League seasons