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,

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