Wikipedia

Kingston Voyageurs

The Kingston Voyageurs were a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Kingston, Ontario, Canada. They were a part of the Ontario Junior A Hockey League.

Kingston Voyageurs
CityKingston, Ontario, Canada
LeagueOntario Junior Hockey League
Founded1974
Folded2019
Home arenaINVISTA Centre
ColoursBlue, red, white      
Affiliates

History

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The Voyageurs entered the Metro Junior B Hockey League in 1974. The Voyageurs filled the Junior "B" void left when the Kingston Frontenacs jumped from the Eastern Junior B Hockey League in 1972 to the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League and then the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League in 1973 as the Kingston Canadians.

The Voyageurs continued with the league when it became the Metro Junior A Hockey League in 1991 and stuck around until 1995. In 1995, the team jumped to the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League. The Vees were bought in the summer of 2006 by their major sponsor Gregg Rosen from KIMCO Steel Sales Ltd., who promptly spent more money to fix up the teams existing dressing room, build an office above the dressing room for the coaching staff and buy the players new equipment and sticks among other things. The Voyageurs last played out of the Invista Centre.

On April 14, 2009, the Voyageurs won their first Buckland Trophy defeating the Oakville Blades in 5 games. On April 25, 2009, the Voyageurs defeated the Fort William North Stars 4–1 to capture the first Dudley Hewitt Cup in team history. By virtue of the win the Voyageurs qualified for the 2009 Royal Bank Cup. They played their first game of the tournament on May 3 against the host Victoria Grizzlies. They finished in fourth place in the tournament.

In 2011, due to Gregg Rosen being diagnosed with cancer, the team was sold to a group that included Colin Birkas, the head coach of the Greater Kingston Jr. Frontenacs. Evan Robinson was relieved of his head coaching duties and Birkas replaced him. As well, the general manager duties were assumed by Denis Duchesne. During the summer of 2014, Duchesne was relieved of his duties as general manager and the role was filled on an interim basis by Birkas and Rick Poirier. Poirier retired from the team shortly before Christmas 2014. Toward the end of the 2014–15 season, Birkas was suspended for an infraction during a game against the Wellington Dukes, causing assistants Ben Munroe and Dan Clarke to assume the coaching duties. Birkas' suspension was for the balance of the 2014–15 season, the playoffs, and the entire 2015–16 season. Despite this, the Voyageurs rallied and managed to have a magical 2015 playoff run. This was highlighted by a comeback from being down 0–3 against the Aurora Tigers to win in seven games, as well as taking the defending champion Toronto Lakeshore Patriots to Game 7 in the Buckland Cup finals.

Over the Summer of 2015, former assistant coach Peter Goulet was hired as the team's general manager, with Goulet leaving the CCHL's Nepean Raiders in the process. Goulet hired his old assistant coach Taurean White to be the head coach, while also bring in former Kingston Frontenac and NHLer Mark Major and ex-Vee Phil Mangan as assistant coaches. Video Coach Fraser MacAlpine was promoted to Assistant GM. The Vees went on to finish 3rd in the OJHL overall standings, sweeping Cobourg Cougars and Markham Royals in the playoffs before being swept themselves by the eventual Buckland Cup and Dudley Hewitt champions Trenton Golden Hawks.

In the 2016–17 season, the Vees iced a skilled and younger team than in previous years. Despite a winning record playing in the tough East Division, Taurean White was relieved of his duties after the Christmas break. Mark Major took over the head coach job on an interim basis, with new assistant coaches Patrick Shearer and Rob Ridgley on the bench. The Vees would finish last in the East Division, despite finishing with the 8th best record in the league but would be swept by the Royal Bank Cup champions Cobourg Cougars, ending the Vees 15-year first-round winning streak and their 10-year conference finals appearance streak.

Over the summer of 2017, GM Goulet left the ECHL's Brampton Beast to become the new head coach. Under Goulet, the Vees finished 2nd in the East Division, 8 points back of the Wellington Dukes and 4th in the NorthEast Conference with a record of 31-19-2-2. Brandon Nadeau, Rob Clerc, Josh Leblanc, Cole Beckstead and Reid Russell all hit the 100 point plateau in their Vees careers. The Vees faced Cobourg Cougars for the 3rd straight season in the opening round of the playoffs, losing in 5 games.

In the 2018–19 season, the Vees saw their playoff streak of 32 years come to an end with a record of 22-25-2-5 to finish 5th in the East Division. At the end of the season, the Ontario Junior Hockey League board approved the sale of the Voyageurs to the owners of the Ontario Hockey League Barrie Colts, becoming the Collingwood Colts, ending the 43 year tradition of Voyageurs junior hockey in Kingston.

Season-by-season results

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Season GP W L T OTL GF GA P Results Playoffs
1974–75 38 18 14 6 - 216 189 42 7th Metro B
1975–76 34 13 17 4 - 140 152 30 9th Metro B
1976–77 34 12 17 5 - 130 162 29 12th Metro B
1977–78 35 14 15 6 - 141 155 34 9th Metro B
1978–79 44 25 14 5 - 245 194 55 4th Metro B
1979–80 42 10 29 3 - 183 248 23 12th Metro B
1980–81 42 15 23 4 - 181 213 34 9th Metro B DNQ
1981–82 35 11 17 7 - 160 175 29 8th Metro B
1982–83 36 11 15 10 - 144 152 32 7th Metro B
1983–84 42 10 26 6 - 181 233 26 12th Metro B DNQ
1984–85 36 4 27 5 - 119 219 13 11th Metro B DNQ
1985–86 37 7 27 3 - 164 304 17 11th Metro B DNQ
1986–87 37 17 16 4 - 183 163 38 6th Metro B Lost quarter-final
1987–88 37 22 7 8 - 224 131 52 2nd Metro B Lost semi-final
1988–89 40 27 8 5 - 262 157 59 2nd Metro B Lost final
1989–90 44 21 11 12 - 249 192 54 6th Metro B
1990–91 44 18 18 8 - 223 178 44 7th Metro B
1991–92 44 30 12 2 - 225 147 62 3rd Metro A
1992–93 48 17 29 2 - 162 204 36 9th Metro A
1993–94 50 26 21 3 - 216 207 55 7th Metro A Lost quarter-final
1994–95 50 21 24 5 - 241 219 47 9th Metro A
1995–96 50 37 10 3 - 247 135 82 1st OPJHL-R Lost Conf. SF
1996–97 51 42 7 2 - 313 138 87 1st OPJHL-R Lost Conf. Final
1997–98 51 23 16 10 2 224 192 58 4th OPJHL-R
1998–99 51 29 15 5 2 211 179 65 4th OPJHL-E
1999–00 49 23 20 4 2 193 181 52 5th OPJHL-E
2000–01 49 25 16 7 1 202 159 58 4th OPJHL-E
2001–02 49 25 15 6 3 185 141 59 4th OPJHL-E
2002–03 49 31 13 4 1 206 132 67 3rd OPJHL-E Lost Conf. SF
2003–04 49 20 18 8 3 171 166 51 4th OPJHL-E Lost Conf. SF
2004–05 49 23 19 4 3 149 163 53 5th OPJHL-E Lost Conf. SF
2005–06 49 23 23 2 1 153 179 49 5th OPJHL-E Lost Conf. SF
2006–07 49 26 17 3 3 195 166 58 4th OPJHL-E Lost Conf. Finals
2007–08 49 33 13 - 3 188 146 69 2nd OPJHL-E Lost Conf. Finals
2008–09 49 36 9 - 4 256 136 76 1st OJHL-R Won League
2009–10 56 46 5 - 5 274 133 97 1st OJAHL Lost final
2010–11 50 34 11 - 5 242 134 73 2nd OJHL-E Lost Conf. SF
2011–12 49 23 24 - 2 172 166 48 6th OJHL-E Lost Conf. Final
2012–13 55 34 15 - 6 168 134 74 2nd OJHL-E Lost Conf. Final
2013–14 53 39 11 - 3 210 138 81 1st OJHL-E Lost Conf. Final
2014-15 54 31 17 2 4 208 136 68 3rd OJHL-E Lost final
2015-16 54 34 14 2 4 199 158 74 2nd of 5 East Div
2nd of 11 NE Conf
3rd of 22 OJHL		 Won Conf. Quarters 4-0 (Cougars)
Won Conf. Semifinals 4-0 (Royals)
Lost Conf. Finals, 0-4 (Golden Hawks)
2016-17 54 28 16 3 7 217 194 66 5th of 5 East Div
5th of 11 NE Conf
8th of 22 OJHL		 Lost Conf. Quarters 0-4 (Cougars)
2017-18 54 31 19 2 2 222 179 66 2nd of 5 East Div
4th of 11 NE Conf
9th of 22 OJHL		 Lost Conf. Quarters 1-4 (Cougars)

Playoffs

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MetJHL Years

  • 1990 Lost semi-final
Kingston Voyageurs defeated Wellington Dukes 4-games-to-3
Wexford Raiders defeated Kingston Voyageurs 4-games-to-none
  • 1991 Lost quarter-final
Kingston Voyageurs defeated Markham Thunderbirds 2-games-to-1
Wexford Raiders defeated Kingston Voyageurs 4-games-to-1
  • 1992 Lost quarter-final
Wexford Raiders defeated Kingston Voyageurs 4-games-to-1
  • 1993 Lost Preliminary
Richmond Hill Riot defeated Kingston Voyageurs 3-games-to-none
  • 1994 Lost quarter-final
Wexford Raiders defeated Kingston Voyageurs 4-games-to-1
  • 1995 Lost quarter-final
Thornhill Islanders defeated Kingston Voyageurs 4-games-to-none

OJHL Years

Staff

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  • Owner - Community Sports Entertainment Ltd.
  • Owner - Dr. Dijana Oliver
  • Owner - Rob Zarichny
  • General Manager/Head Coach - Peter Goulet
  • Assistant coach - Mark Major
  • Assistant coach - Brandon Nadeau
  • Video coach - Josh Hardiman
  • Goalie Coach- Tom Hertz
  • Trainer - William Wilson
  • Equipment Manager - Terry Burrows
  • Play-by-Play Host/Social Media - Allan Etmanski

Retired numbers

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  • #2 Anthony Geldart
  • #8 Daniel Cleary
  • #10 Scott Martin
  • #24 Ryan Vince

Notable alumni

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References

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