Brantford Blast are a Canadian

senior ice hockey Senior hockey refers to amateur or semi-professional ice hockey competition. There are no age restrictions for Senior players, who typically consist of those whose Junior eligibility has expired. Senior hockey leagues operate under the jurisd ...

team in the Ontario Hockey Association's Allan Cup Hockey, from

Brantford Brantford ( 2021 population: 104,688) is a city in Ontario, Canada, founded on the Grand River in Southwestern Ontario. It is surrounded by Brant County, but is politically separate with a municipal government of its own that is fully independ ...

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 C ...

. The team was established in 2000, and play their games at the Brantford Civic Centre. The Blast were the winners of the 2008 Allan Cup as Canadian Senior "AAA" Champions.

History

In 2000, the Ontario Hockey Association allowed for the expansion of the first Brantford team since 1987 into Ontario's top tier of Senior hockey. The Brantford Prowl competed during the 2000-01 Southwestern Senior A Hockey League season and finished in fifth place with a record of 12 wins, 17 losses, and a tie. The team took 2001-02 off, but then re-emerged in 2002 as the Blast. In 2002, Brantford rejoined the top tier of Ontario senior hockey this time known as the Brantford Blast. At the time, the city had the Brantford Golden Eagles in the Ontario Hockey Association, but had also lost teams, like the

Brantford Alexanders The Brantford Alexanders were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League and Ontario Hockey League from 1978 to 1984. The team was based in Brantford, Ontario, Canada. History The Hamilton Fincups were relocated in 1978 be ...

of the

Ontario Hockey League The Ontario Hockey League (OHL; french: Ligue de hockey de l'Ontario (LHO)) is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 16–19. There are exceptions for overa ...

, who left in 1984 and the Brantford Smoke of the

Colonial Hockey League Colonial or The Colonial may refer to: * Colonial, of, relating to, or characteristic of a colony or colony (biology) Architecture * American colonial architecture * French Colonial * Spanish Colonial architecture Automobiles * Colonial (1920 au ...

, who left in 1998. The Blast would play their home games at the Brantford Civic Centre as well. The Blast have made it to the post season twice. In the 2005–06 season, when they won the league, but lost in the first round to the

Dundas Real McCoys The Dundas Real McCoys are a Canadian senior ice hockey team based in Dundas, Ontario. They play in the Ontario Hockey Association's Major League Hockey. The Real McCoys have won two National Championships, winning the 1986 Hardy Cup as Cana ...

4 games to 2. In the 2006–07 season, they placed third, defeating the Petrolia Squires 4 games to 3, and the Windsor St. Clair Saints 4 games to none to capture their first MLH Championship after a 4–3 win Monday March 12 in front of the home town crowd in Brantford. Brantford won the

J. Ross Robertson Cup The J. Ross Robertson Cup is a Canadian ice hockey trophy. It is awarded annually in junior ice hockey to the champion of the Ontario Hockey League playoffs. It was donated by John Ross Robertson to the Ontario Hockey Association in 1910, and ...

for the league's playoffs championship in 2013 and 2014.

2008 Allan Cup

The Blast finished the 2007–08 season in second place. They swept the Windsor St. Clair Saints 4-games-to-none in the Major League Hockey semi-final, but were defeated 4-games-to-2 to the

. The Brantford Blast were the host team of the 2008 Allan Cup, which was held in Brantford from April 14-April 19, 2008. This was also the 100th anniversary for the event, one of the reasons that the Blast wanted to host it. The Brantford Blast became the first Ontario Hockey Association team since the Brantford Motts Clamatos, in 1987, to win the

Allan Cup The Allan Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the national senior amateur men's ice hockey champions of Canada. It was donated by Sir Montagu Allan of Ravenscrag, Montreal, and has been competed for since 1909. The current champions are the ...

. As hosts of the 2008 Allan Cup, the Blast failed to win their league and were allowed to bypass the OHA Final against the Whitby Dunlops and the Renwick Cup against the Thunder Bay Hawks. After almost a months rest, the Blast competed at home for the Allan Cup and won the entire thing. After suffering their only loss of the tournament to the Shawinigan Xtreme 3–2 in the first game, the Blast defeated the

Bentley Generals The Lacombe Generals were a Senior AAA ice hockey team from Lacombe, Alberta, Canada that played in the Chinook Hockey League. The Generals are four-time national champions, having won the Allan Cup in 2009 and 2016 in Steinbach, Manitoba, ...

5–3 to clinch second in their division. They defeated the Robertson Cup and EOSHL champion Whitby Dunlops in the quarter-final handily, 7–2. They then knocked off the Major League Hockey and Renwick Cup champion

in the semi-final 3–2 in overtime. They met Bentley again in the final, who defeated the 2007 champions Lloydminster Border Kings and the Shawinigan Xtreme, and defeated them 3–1 to win the Canadian National Senior "AAA" crown.

Season-by-season record

''Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

Awards

*2004/2005 - All Star Centre - Paul Polillo *2004/2005 - Most Sportsmanlike - Tyler Pelton *November 2005 - Player of the Month - Adriano Fiacconi *December 2005 - Player of the Month - Tyler Pelton *2005-06 - League All-Star Game players - Tyler Pelton, Adriano Fiacconi, Brett Leggat *2005-06 - Season Champions *2005-06 - Best Team Goaltending *2006-07 - Major League Hockey Champions *2007-08 - Allan Cup Champions *2011-12 - Allan Cup Hockey - Robertson Cup Champions *2011-12 - Best Team Goaltending - Brett Leggat, Anthony Marshall, Ben Thomas *2011-12 - League Best player award - Mike Ruberto *2011-12 - League Leader Points - Mike Ruberto *2011-12 - League Best goaltender award - Brett Leggat *2011-12 - League Leader Goaltending - Brett Leggat *2012-13 - League Best goaltender award - Brett Leggat *2012-13 - League Leader Goltending - Brett Leggat *2013-14 - League Best goaltender award - Brett Leggat *2013-14 - League Most valuable player - Joel Prpic *2013-14 - League Leader Goaltending - Brett Leggat *2014-15 - League Best goaltender award - Anthony Marshall *2014-15 - League Leader Goltending - Anthony Marshall *2015-16 - League Best goaltender award - Brett Leggat *2015-16 - League Leader Goaltending - Brett Leggat

Notable alumni

Tyrone Garner Tyrone "Ty" Garner (born July 27, 1978) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He was drafted by the New York Islanders in the fourth round, 83rd overall in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft. Playing career Garner was born in Stoney Creek, Ontar ...

Brent Gretzky Brent Gretzky (born February 20, 1972) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, and the brother of Wayne and Keith Gretzky. He briefly played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Playing career Gretzky wa ...

* Grant Ledyard *

Jeff MacMillan Jeff MacMillan (born March 30, 1979) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. At the height of his career he briefly played for the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League. Career MacMillan began his career in 1996, icing for the junior ...

* Joel Prpic *

Steven Rice Steven Rice (born May 26, 1971) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right winger who played eight seasons in the National Hockey League in the 1990s. Rice was born in Kitchener, Ontario. Rice was drafted 20th overall by the New York ...

* Jason Williams

References

External links

Official web site
{{OHA Senior Ice hockey teams in Ontario Senior ice hockey teams Sport in Brantford 2000 establishments in Ontario Ice hockey clubs established in 2000