The Espanola Kings were a
junior ice hockey
Junior hockey is a level of competitive ice hockey generally for players between 16 and 21 years of age. Junior hockey leagues in the United States and Canada are considered amateur (with some exceptions) and operate within regions of each cou ...
team based in
Espanola,
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 ...
, Canada. They played in the
Greater Metro Junior 'A' Hockey League.
History
On February 18, 2007,
Bob Russell announced the expansion of the Espanola Kings for the 2007-08 seaso
The announcement corresponded with two games that took place in Espanola between the
King Wild
King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king.
*In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
and the
Richmond Hill Rams
The Richmond Hill Rams were a Junior ice hockey team based in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada. They played in the Greater Metro Junior 'A' Hockey League.
History Richmond Hill Rams
The Rams were a resurrection of the Richmond Hill Rams of the ...
franchises. The Kings are owned by the same ownership group as the Rams and were named after the 1970s
Oak Ridges Kings of the
Metro Junior B Hockey League
The Metro Junior "A" Hockey League was a junior level ice hockey league based out of Southern Ontario. The league originated in 1956 as the Metro Junior "B" Hockey League, which lasted until 1991, when it changed its designation from Junior B to ...
.
The expansion of the Kings makes them the eighth team in the independent GMJHL and one of six 2007 expansion teams.
On September 7, 2007, the Espanola Kings played their first ever game in
Elliot Lake
Elliot Lake is a city in Algoma District, Ontario, Canada. It is north of Lake Huron, midway between the cities of Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie in the Northern Ontario region. Once dubbed the "uranium capital of the world," Elliot Lake has since ...
against the
Elliot Lake Bobcats
The Cochrane Crunch are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based out of Cochrane, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League and are former members of the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League. The team was known as th ...
. The Bobcats defeated the Kings 3-2. On September 14, the Kings played their first ever home game, against the
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 ...
. This resulted in a 6-4 victory — the Kings' first ever win.
After the 2009 GMHL Spring General Managers' meeting, it was announced that the Kings would not take part in the 2009-10 season. The Kings did not return, and nor did their sister franchise,
Richmond Hill Rams
The Richmond Hill Rams were a Junior ice hockey team based in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada. They played in the Greater Metro Junior 'A' Hockey League.
History Richmond Hill Rams
The Rams were a resurrection of the Richmond Hill Rams of the ...
.
Season-by-season standings
Playoffs
*''2008'' Lost bye round
:
Temiscaming Royals
The Temiscaming Royals were a Junior ice hockey team based in Témiscaming, Quebec, Canada. They were members of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League, but originated in the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League.
History
The announcement of t ...
defeated Espanola Kings ''4-games-to-none'' in bye round
*''2009'' Did not qualify
External links
Espanola Kings Webpage
{{GMHL
Ice hockey teams in Ontario
Sport in Northern Ontario
2007 establishments in Ontario
2009 disestablishments in Ontario
Ice hockey clubs established in 2007
Ice hockey clubs disestablished in 2009