The Lakeshore Canadiens are a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

junior

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...

team based in

Belle River, Ontario Belle River is a community in Lakeshore, Essex County, Ontario, Canada. The population was 4,887 at the 2001 census. Geography The community lies in northern Lakeshore in Essex County. Demographics As of the census A census is the proc ...

. They play in the

Provincial Junior Hockey League The Provincial Junior Hockey League (PJHL) is a Canadian junior ice hockey league spanning parts of Southern Ontario. The PJHL is the third tier of the Ontario Hockey Association and is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation and Hockey Canada ...

of the

Ontario Hockey Association The Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) is the governing body for the majority of junior and senior level ice hockey teams in the Province of Ontario. The OHA is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation along with the Northern Ontario Hockey As ...

and

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 ...

. The Canadiens are 5 time

Clarence Schmalz Cup The Clarence Schmalz Cup is the Ontario Hockey Association's Junior "C" ice hockey championship and championship trophy. The champions of the Provincial Junior Hockey League (PJHL) are awarded the Cup. The PJHL was formed in 2016 from the forme ...

Winners as Provincial Junior C Champions and the defending champions. The team was known as the Belle River Canadiens from 1978 until 2014.

History

From 1985 until 2001, the Canadiens were one of the most feared teams in all of

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

Junior "C" hockey. Within those 17 years, the Canadiens won 11 GLJHL Championships and 4

s as All-Ontario Junior "C" Champions in 8 trips to the All-Ontario Finals. After 9 years The Canadiens once again won the Great Lakes Junior "C" Title in 2010 defeating the Wallaceburg Lakers in 4 Games. In the Schmalz Cup Semi-Finals they defeated the Grimsby Peach Kings 4 Games to 1 to advance to their first Ontario Final in 9 Years. The Canadiens then Lost the Schmalz Cup in 6 Games to the Alliston Hornets. In 2011 The Canadiens won their 2nd Consecutive Great Lakes title. They once again faced the Grimsby Peach Kings in the Ontario Semi Finals. Grimsby would win the series 4 games to 1. The Belle River Canadiens have won 14 Great Lakes Junior C League Championships, they are 2nd to the

Essex 73's The Essex 73's are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Essex, Ontario. The 73's are members of the Provincial Junior Hockey League and the Ontario Hockey Association. Prior to becoming members of the PJHL in 2016 the 73's won the GLJHL ...

who have won 18. Essex and Belle River have also won the most Ontario Championships, Essex with 6, and the Canadiens with 4. On June 6, 2014, the team announced it was changing its name to the Lakeshore Canadiens. The Canadiens moved into the brand new Atlas Tube Centre in the fall of 2014. In their first game at the new Atlas Tube Centre Sebastian Kanally scored the first ever goal 38 seconds into the game as the Canadiens defeated their rivals from Essex by a score of 3–1. The Canadiens would finish 24–13–0–3 in their first full season in their new rink. The summer of 2016 saw the GLJHL become the Bill Stobbs Division of the new

, which resulted from the amalgamation of the eight junior "C" hockey leagues in Southern Ontario. In 2017-2018 long time General Manager Mark Seguin hired Anthony Iaquinta as Head Coach, under Iaquinta the Canadiens finished First Place in the Stobbs division finishing with a record of 27-8-2-3, the Canadiens would sweep the Blenheim Blades and Mooretown Flags in the first 2 rounds, they would face their rivals from Essex in the division finals. In front of 3 straight sell out crowds on home ice the Canadiens would knock off the 73's in 5 games to claim their 14th League Championship. 2018-2019 would be another successful season for the Canadiens, finishing with a regular season record of 28-7-2-3 good enough for 2nd place in the Stobbs Division. In the playoffs the Habs would eliminate the Wheatley Sharks in 4 games, in the semi Finals they would face a very good Dresden Kings team. The Canadiens would defeat the Kings in 6 games in a hard fought series setting up a rematch with the Essex 73's for a third straight season. The result would be the same as the previous season, the Canadiens once again defeating the 73's in 5 games in front of huge crowds at the Atlas Tube Centre to claim their 2nd straight Stobbs title and 15th League Championship in total. The Exeter Hawks would defeat the Canadiens in 7 games in the All Ontario playoffs. The 2019-2020 season would be one of the most successful seasons in Canadiens history as the Canadiens finished with a record of 36 wins and 4 losses. The Canadiens were headed to the Stobbs Finals after knocking the Essex 73's in the semi finals and set to face the Mooretown Flags however covid would shut down the remainder of the season and cancel the 2020-2021 season. The Canadiens returned to the ice in 2021-2022 after a year off due to the covid. Once again the Canadiens would finish in first place with a 28-2-2 record in the regular season. The Canadiens swept the Wallaceburg Thunderhawks in round one. In the semi finals the Canadiens were pushed to six hard fought games against the wheatley Sharks to set up a finals matchup with the Essex 73's. For the forth consecutive season the Canadiens got the best of the 73's and defeated them in six games. Trevor LaRue would score the league championship winning goal in Game 6 overtime as the Canadiens won their 16th league title. The Canadiens would move on to defeat the North Middlesex Stars in the Western Conference Finals in four close games. Next up was the Schmalz Cup tournament where the Canadiens would go 2 wins and 1 loss in the round robin to set up a semi finals matchup with the Grimsby Peach Kings. The Canadiens came away with a 5-0 victory to set up a showdown with the Clarington Eagles in the finals. In a instant classic Dylan Weston would score 41 seconds into overtime to give the Canadiens a 3-2 victory to become Schmalz Cup Champions for the 5th time in team history and the first time since 1995.

2021-2022 Team Staff

*General Manager - Mark Seguin *Head Coach - Anthony Iaquinta *Assistant Coach - Mike Dobric *Assistant Coach - Ron Soucie *Assistant Coach -Laine Parent *Assistant Coach-Jack Bowler *Trainer- Michael Long *Equipment Manager - Tyler Rivers

Season-by-season record

Clarence Schmalz Cup appearances

:''1985'': Belle River Canadiens defeated Midland Centennials ''4-games-to-1'' :''1990'':

Orangeville Crushers The Orangeville Crushers were a Canadian Junior "A" ice hockey team from Orangeville, Ontario. They played in the Ontario Junior Hockey League, Midwestern Junior B Hockey League, and Mid-Ontario Junior C Hockey League. History Founded in 1975, ...

defeated Belle River Canadiens ''4-games-to-3'' :''1992'': Belle River Canadiens defeated

Stayner Siskins The Stayner Siskins are a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in Stayner, Ontario. They were members of the Georgian Mid-Ontario Junior C Hockey League until 2016 when it merged into the Provincial Junior Hockey League. History The Stayner S ...

''4-games-to-2'' :''1994'': Belle River Canadiens defeated Rockton Real McCoys ''4-games-to-none'' :''1995'': Belle River Canadiens defeated

Bowmanville Eagles The Bowmanville Eagles were a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada. They were a part of the Central Canadian Hockey League. The Eagles left the OHA in 2010 when they merged with the Cobourg Cougars and left Bowmanville. ...

''4-games-to-none'' :''1997'':

Glanbrook Rangers The Glanbrook Rangers are a Junior ice hockey team based in Glanbrook, Ontario, Canada. They are playing in the Provincial Junior Hockey League. The Rangers are only the second Ontario Hockey Association team to have claimed three consecutive Cl ...

defeated Belle River Canadiens ''4-games-to-2'' :''2000'':

Lakefield Chiefs The Lakefield Chiefs are a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in Lakefield, Ontario, Canada. They played in the Central Ontario Junior C Hockey League of the Ontario Hockey Association until the 2016-17 season when this league became the Orr ...

defeated Belle River Canadiens ''4-games-to-2'' :''2001'': Chippawa Riverhawks defeated Belle River Canadiens ''4-games-to-1'' :''2010'':

Alliston Hornets The Alliston Hornets are a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in Alliston, Ontario, Canada. Starting with the 2016-17 hockey season the Hornets will be members of the Provincial Junior Hockey League. Prior to the change they played in the Geor ...

defeated Belle River Canadiens ''4-games-to-2'' :''2022'': Lakeshore Canadiens defeated

Clarington Eagles The Clarington Eagles are a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in Clarington, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Orr Division of the Provincial Junior Hockey League. History The Eagles were founded in 2011 to leave the gap in their community le ...

''3-2 OT'' in final

Championship Playoffs 2022

Clarence Schmalz Cup Championships

External links

Canadiens Webpage

Notable alumni

Bob Boughner Robert Douglas Boughner ( ; born March 8, 1971), nicknamed "The Boogieman", is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player. He is currently an associate coach for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL). As head c ...

Tie Domi Tahir "Tie" Domi (born November 1, 1969) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Known as an enforcer, he played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers and Winnipeg Jets over a 16-year NHL career. He is the Maple Leafs' all ti ...

* Mike Natyshak *

Brad Smith Brad or Bradley Smith may refer to: Sportspeople * Bradley Smith (cricketer) (born 1969), English former cricketer * Brad Smith (footballer, born 1948), Australian rules footballer and premiership coach of East Fremantle * Brad Smith (ice hockey) ...

* D. J. Smith *

Alek Stojanov Alexander Stojanov (born April 25, 1973) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player of Macedonian descent who spent three seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). He is best known for his trade from Vancouver to Pittsburgh in exchan ...

* Derek Wilkinson *

Steve Ott ''yes'Steve is a masculine given name, usually a short form (hypocorism) of Steven or Stephen Notable people with the name include: steve jops * Steve Abbott (disambiguation), several people * Steve Adams (disambiguation), several people * Steve A ...

{{OHA-C Great Lakes Junior C Hockey League teams 1978 establishments in Ontario Ice hockey clubs established in 1978