The Toronto Patriots are a
junior "A" 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 from
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
,
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 are a part of
Ontario Junior 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 ...
.
History
Quinte (1996–1998)
In 1996, the Quinte Hawks of
Deseronto, Ontario
Deseronto is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario, in Hastings County, located at the mouth of the Napanee River on the shore of the Bay of Quinte, on the northern side of Lake Ontario.
The town was named for Captain John Deseronto, a nativ ...
were granted expansion into the
Metro Junior A 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 ...
.
David Frost
Sir David Paradine Frost (7 April 1939 – 31 August 2013) was a British television host, journalist, comedian and writer. He rose to prominence during the satire boom in the United Kingdom when he was chosen to host the satirical programme ' ...
was brought in to coach the team. Frost faced criminal charges in 2008 for his conduct for his time with the team, but was acquitted. Frost brought with him
Mike Jefferson and
Sheldon Keefe
Sheldon Keefe (born September 17, 1980) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player. He is the head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League. His younger brother Adam Keefe is the head coach of Elite Ice H ...
. Although both would play in the
National Hockey League
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 ...
, Jefferson (later changed to Danton) would become famous for a mysterious murder-for-hire plot that targeted Frost and landed him in prison.
Bancroft (1998–2007)
In 1998, the
Metro Junior A 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 ...
folded and merged with 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 ...
. The Hawks moved into the OPJHL but were relocated to
Bancroft, Ontario
Bancroft () is a town located on the York River in Hastings County in the Canadian province of Ontario. It was first settled in the 1850s by United Empire Loyalists and Irish immigrants. From the mid-1950s to about 1982, mining was the primary ...
. In nine seasons, the Bancroft Hawks would never celebrate a winning season.
In 2007, due to mounting troubles with finding appropriate ownership and supporting the team financially, the Bancroft Hawks were granted a leave from 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 ...
.
Upper Canada (2008–present)
In the summer of 2008, a group of
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
-based businessmen bought the rights to the Bancroft franchise,
renamed the team the Upper Canada Hockey Club and moved the team to the
North York
North York is one of the six administrative districts of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located directly north of York, Old Toronto and East York, between Etobicoke to the west and Scarborough to the east. As of the 2016 Census, it had a popu ...
district of Toronto.
The club had a working relationship with
Upper Canada College
Upper Canada College (UCC) is an elite, all-boys, private school in Toronto, Ontario, operating under the International Baccalaureate program. The college is widely described as the country's most prestigious preparatory school, and has produce ...
but was not directly affiliated. Despite owning the franchise that used to be the Hawks, no member of the UCHC was involved with the manifestations of the franchise in either Deseronto or Bancroft.
The Upper Canada Hockey Club's first game was an 8-5 loss to the
Seguin Bruins on September 6, 2008. The team's first win was at home against the
Villanova Knights
The Caledon Admirals are a Junior 'A' ice hockey team based in Caledon, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of the Ontario Junior Hockey League.
History
Henry Carr
The Admirals lineage traces back to the Henry Carr Crusaders. Like the Toronto St ...
, 5-4 on September 14, 2008. In 2009, the team changed their name to the Patriots and moved to the
Etobicoke
Etobicoke (, ) is an administrative district of, and one of six municipalities amalgamated into, the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Comprising the city's west-end, Etobicoke was first settled by Europeans in the 1790s, and the municipalit ...
district of Toronto. Two seasons later they became the Toronto Lakeshore Patriots. In 2011, the Patriots had their best season yet when they finished third in the South Division and made it to the Conference Final, eventually losing to the
Whitby Fury
The Haliburton County Huskies are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Haliburton, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of the Ontario Junior Hockey League.
History
This franchise was founded in 1965 as the Oshawa Crushmen, and were initially a member o ...
.
In 2014, the team dropped "Lakeshore" from its name. That season, the team won the Buckland Cup 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, ...
. In 2015, the Patriots won the Buckland Cup for the second consecutive year. They advanced to 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, ...
tournament but were eventually eliminated by the Fort Frances Lakers.
Season-by-season results
Dudley Hewitt Cup
Central Canada Championships''Winners of the
NOJHL,
OJHL,
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 ...
, and host''
Round-robin play with 2nd vs. 3rd in semi-final to advance against 1st in the championship game.
Royal Bank Cup
Canadian Junior A National Championship''
Dudley Hewitt Champions – Central,
Fred Page Champions – Eastern,
Western Canada Cup Champions – Western,
Western Canada Cup – Runners-up and host''
Round-robin play with top four advance to a semi-final and the winners to the championship game.
Playoffs
''MetJHL Years''
*1997 ''Lost Semi-final''
:Quinte Hawks defeated
Wellington Dukes
The Wellington Dukes are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Wellington, Ontario, Canada. They are in the Eastern Division of the Ontario Junior Hockey League and used to be a part of the Metro Junior A Hockey League. Originally a Junior C team in ...
''4-games-to-1''
:Third in round-robin quarter-final (4–2)
:
Aurora Tigers
The Aurora Tigers are a Canadian ice hockey team from Aurora, Ontario. They play in the Ontario Junior Hockey League. The team has previously played in the Metro Junior A Hockey League, Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League, and the Ontario Jun ...
defeated Quinte Hawks ''4-games-to-2''
*1998 ''Lost Quarter-final''
:
Wexford Raiders
The Toronto Jr. Canadiens are a Junior "A" ice hockey team based in the Downsview neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They were known as the Wexford Raiders until the end of the 2005–06 season and are a part of Ontario Junior Hockey Le ...
defeated Quinte Hawks ''3-games-to-none''
Notable alumni
Quinte
*
Ryan Barnes
Ryan Donald Barnes (born January 30, 1980) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger who played two games in the National Hockey League with the Detroit Red Wings during the 2003–04 season. The rest of his career, which lasted ...
*
Mike Danton
Michael Sage Danton ('' né'' Jefferson, October 21, 1980) is a Canadian-Polish former professional ice hockey player who last played for Rivière-du-Loup 3L in the LNAH.
Danton played for the New Jersey Devils and St. Louis Blues of the Natio ...
*
John Erskine
*
Sheldon Keefe
Sheldon Keefe (born September 17, 1980) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player. He is the head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League. His younger brother Adam Keefe is the head coach of Elite Ice H ...
*
Rudi Ying
References
External links
Toronto Patriots website
{{OJHL
Defunct Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League teams
Etobicoke
Ice hockey teams in Toronto