The Plattsville Lakers are a

Semi-Pro ''Semi-Pro'' is a 2008 American sports comedy film. The film was directed by Kent Alterman in his directorial debut, written by Scot Armstrong, and produced by Jimmy Miller. It stars Will Ferrell, Woody Harrelson, André Benjamin and Maura Tier ...

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 the township of

Blandford-Blenheim Blandford-Blenheim is a township in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in Oxford County. The township had a population of 7,359 in the Canada 2011 Census. Its government consists of a mayor and four councillors. There are no geographic ...

in Plattsville, Ontario, Canada. The Lakers joined the Western Ontario Super Hockey League in 2022, after being a part 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 t ...

from 2015-2022. They were originally located in

Port Stanley, Ontario Port Stanley is a community in the Municipality of Central Elgin, Elgin County in Ontario, Canada. It is located on the north shore of Lake Erie at the mouth of Kettle Creek (Ontario), Kettle Creek. In 2016, it had a population of 2,148. History ...

, and then in

West Lorne, Ontario West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some ...

, and

London, Ontario London (pronounced ) is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. The city had a population of 422,324 according to the 2021 Canadian census. London is at the confluence of the Thames River, approximate ...

. They also formerly played in the

Southern Ontario Junior Hockey League The Southern Ontario Junior Hockey League (SOJHL) is a former Canadian Junior ice hockey league sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Association based out of Southwestern Ontario. Prior to the 2012-13 season, the SOJHL was promoted to the Junior C l ...

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 ...

(OHA). The Lakers left the OHA in 2008 and played as an independent team.

History

The Port Stanley Lakers were founded in 1989 as members of the Western Ontario Junior D Hockey League. A large league comprising the remnants of multiple other Southern Ontario Junior leagues. In 1991, this league renamed itself the OHA Junior Development League. In 1994, the Lakers finished first amongst all OHAJDL teams in the regular season with a stellar record of 36 wins, 2 losses, and 2 ties. They made it all the way to the league finals in the playoffs and found themselves nose-to-nose with the Mitchell Hawks. The Hawks were not to be denied as they swept the Lakers aside 4-games-to-none to win the OHA Cup as league champions. The 1995 season saw the Lakers pull off a solid performance, finishing second overall. They pushed all the way to the OHAJDL finals once again. Their opponents this time around were the

Thamesford Trojans The Thamesford Trojans are a Junior ice hockey team based in Thamesford, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Provincial Junior Hockey League of the Ontario Hockey Association. They currently own the Exeter Hawks. History The Thamesford Trojans ...

. The Trojans defeated the Lakers 4-games-to-2 to win the OHA Cup. The next season, the Lakers entered the playoffs and met the

Lambeth Lancers The Lambeth Lancers were a Junior ice hockey team based in Lambeth, Ontario, Canada. They played in the Provincial Junior Hockey League The Provincial Junior Hockey League (PJHL) is a Canadian junior ice hockey league spanning parts of Souther ...

in the first round. The Lancers meant business and defeated the Lakers 4-games-to-2 to put them out of the playoffs. The Lakers finished the 1996–97 season in fifth place overall. In the first round of the playoffs, they met the

. They defeated the Trojans 4-games-to-none. In the second round, the Lakers were defeated by the Mount Brydges Bulldogs 4-games-to-2. The Lakers showed great promise in the 1997–98 season, finishing second overall. They entered the playoffs against the

, whom they defeated 4-games-to-1. In the second round, the Lakers were up against the

who they also beat in five games. In the conference final, Port Stanley ran into the

Exeter Hawks The Exeter Hawks are a Junior ice hockey team based in Exeter, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Provincial Junior Hockey League of the Ontario Hockey Association. History The Exeter Hawks were founded in 1961 as members of the Shamrock Juni ...

. In a drawn out series, the Hawks bested the Lakers in the seventh game to win the series 4-games-to-3 and deny the Lakers a chance at the OHA Cup. The 1999–00 proved to be one for the ages for the Port Stanley Lakers. After finishing first overall in the OHAJDL with a record of 31 wins and 9 losses, the Lakers pushed deep into the playoffs. Their first opponents were the

, who the Lakers defeat 4-games-to-2. In the second round, the Lakers came up against the

and swept them 4-games-to-none. The conference finals were next and the Lakers were up against a tough Lucan Irish squad. The Irish couldn't handle the Lakers, as Port Stanley took the series 4-games-to-1. This earned the Lakers their first OHAJDL final since 1995. The Lakers challenged the

Burford Bulldogs The Burford Bulldogs were a Canadian Junior Hockey team based in Burford, Ontario, Canada. They played in the Provincial Junior Hockey League. History The Burford Bulldogs were founded in 1988 after a long layoff of junior hockey in the town of ...

and defeated them 4-games-to-1 to win their franchises first ever OHA Cup. The 2000–01 season marked the end of an era of domination for the Lakers. This was the last season for many that they would ride amongst the top teams in the standings. After finishing first overall in the league, the Lakers entered the playoffs against the

North Middlesex Stars The North Middlesex Stars are a Junior ice hockey team based in Parkhill, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Provincial Junior Hockey League of the Ontario Hockey Association. History The team was founded in 1992 as the Parkhill Stars. After ...

. The Lakers swept the Stars 4-games-to-none. In the second round of the playoffs, the Lakers met the Seaforth Centenaires. The underdog Centenaires took the Lakers to game seven and defeated them in an upset. London Lakers player black 2015

In 2004, the Lakers met Thamesford in the first round of the playoffs and defeated them 4-games-to-none. In the second round, they met Lambeth and defeated them 4-games-to-2. In the conference final, the Lakers met the

and were swept in four games. During the off-season, the Lakers moved to West Elgin and became the West Lorne Lakers. In 2005, the Lakers met Lambeth in the first round of the playoffs and defeated them in seven games. They then met the Lucan Irish and again won the series in seven games. In the conference final, it appeared that the Lakers might do it again in game seven to the Mount Brydges Bulldogs. This time, the opponents prevailed and the Bulldogs won the series in seven games. In 2006, the Lakers met the

in the first round of the playoffs. The Hawks fell to the Lakers 4-games-to-2. In the second round of the playoffs, the Lakers fell to Thamesford 4-games-to-none. In the off-season, the OHAJDL disbanded and the

was formed in its place. West Lorne finished low in the standings but still made the playoffs. They met the Lambeth Lancers in the first round and defeated them 4-games-to-2. In the second round of the playoffs, the Lakers lost to the

4-games-to-2. Beginning in the 2008–09 season, the Lakers joined the local men's recreational league in London, posing a 19–1–0 record in their first year and winning their league in 2009, 2010, and 2011. The organization then went dormant in 2011.

Move to London

After nineteen seasons in the

, the Lakers franchise announced that they will be leaving the OHA. "The Lakers will continue play in various forms at other venues outside the OHA," said team President Wayne Bedford. The team joined the GMHL in January 2015. Beginning in 2015, the Lakers joined the

. The Lakers gained international attention due to a video recorded during a road game against the

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 ...

on November 20, 2015. A brawl broke out when a London player struck Kingsville's goalie Jan Pechek. During the fight, a linesman struck a London player and then was attacked by a member of the London Lakers' bench staff. The team left London in 2020 and re-located to Plattsville. At the end of the 21-22 season the GMHL announced that franchise has been suspended from the league, ownership then announced they were re-classifying to

and joining the WOSHL

Season-by-season records

Playoffs

*1994 : Mitchell Hawks defeated Port Stanley Lakers ''4-games-to-none'' in finals *1995 :

defeated Port Stanley Lakers ''4-games-to-2'' in finals *1996 :

defeated Port Stanley Lakers ''4-games-to-2'' in conf. quarter-finals *1997 :Port Stanley Lakers defeated

''4-games-to-none'' in conf. quarter-finals : Mount Brydges Bulldogs defeated Port Stanley Lakers ''4-games-to-2'' in conf. semi-finals *1998 :Port Stanley Lakers defeated

''4-games-to-1'' in conf. quarter-finals :Port Stanley Lakers defeated

''4-games-to-1'' in conf. semi-finals :

defeated Port Stanley Lakers ''4-games-to-3'' in conf. finals *2000 :Port Stanley Lakers defeated

''4-games-to-2'' in conf. quarter-finals :Port Stanley Lakers defeated

''4-games-to-none'' in conf. semi-finals :Port Stanley Lakers defeated Lucan Irish ''4-games-to-1'' in conf. finals :Port Stanley Lakers defeated

''4-games-to-1'' in finals *2001 :Port Stanley Lakers defeated

''4-games-to-none'' in conf. quarter-finals : Seaforth Centenaires defeated Port Stanley Lakers ''4-games-to-3'' in conf. semi-finals *2004 :Port Stanley Lakers defeated

''4-games-to-none'' in conf. quarter-finals :Port Stanley Lakers defeated

''4-games-to-2'' in conf. semi-finals :

defeated Port Stanley Lakers ''4-games-to-none'' in conf. finals *2005 :West Lorne Lakers defeated

''4-games-to-3'' in conf. quarter-finals :West Lorne Lakers defeated Lucan Irish ''4-games-to-3'' in conf. semi-finals : Mount Brydges Bulldogs defeated West Lorne ''4-games-to-3'' in conf. finals *2006 :West Lorne Lakers defeated

''4-games-to-2'' in conf. quarter-finals :

defeated West Lorne Lakers ''4-games-to-none'' in conf. semi-finals *2007 :West Lorne Lakers defeated

''4-games-to-2'' in conf. quarter-finals :

defeated West Lorne Lakers ''4-games-to-2'' in conf. semi-finals *2008 :West Lorne Lakers defeated

''4-games-to-1'' in conf. quarter-finals : Mount Brydges Bulldogs defeated West Lorne Lakers ''4-games-to-none'' in conf. semi-finals

References

External links

London Lakers Jr. A Hockey Website
{{GMHL 1989 establishments in Ontario Ice hockey clubs established in 1989 Ice hockey teams in Ontario Southern Ontario Junior Hockey League teams