Western Ontario Athletic Association Senior Hockey League

The WOAA Senior Hockey League is an amateur senior ice hockey league governed by the Western Ontario Athletic Association.

History

Format

The league uses Hockey Canada playing rules but is not operated under the jurisdictions of the Ontario Hockey Association or Hockey Canada. The league is based in the Georgian Triangle and Southwestern Ontario. The league has been in existence since 1943, one year after the WOAA itself was established, and has entertained large crowds with local former Junior Hockey players and the odd former professional player. The league is rather large and features teams of both Senior "AA" and Senior "A" calibre. None of these teams could financially compete with the Senior "AAA" teams that compete for the Allan Cup, but all garner enough skill to match the excitement.

The league is divided into two division that do not interlock until the playoffs. The WOAA consists of 22 teams, compared to the next biggest Ontario league, Major League Hockey, who has 6.

Intermediate B Era

From 1969 until 1977, the WOAA's premier division was an Intermediate B hockey league. Teams that were involved were the Mount Forest Rams, Arthur Tigers, Thornbury, Harriston Blues, Milverton Four Wheel Drives, Plattsville Combines, Seaforth, Durham 72's, Listowel, Lucknow, Crediton, Atwood, Ripley, Belgrave, and Kurtzville. The league was divided into as many as five divisions, Int. B, Major and Minor Int. C, and Major and Minor Int. D. The teams from the Major Int. C loop dominated the WOAA in terms of Grand Championships, winning 5 of 8. The most dominant teams were Mount Forest and Milverton.

Intermediate A Era

From 1977 until 1991, the WOAA promoted itself to the Intermediate A level. With four major loops: A, B, C, and D; the WOAA had a wide variety of teams, including the Durham 72's, Arthur Tigers, Brussels Crusaders, Lion's Head Northstars, Woodford Royals, Ripley Roosters, Drayton Comets, St. Clements Saints, Teeswater Falcons, Lucknow Lancers, Kincardine Kings, Dundalk Flyers, Monkton Wildcats, Mitchell Red Devils, and Tara Cyclones. As the league grew, they bought many smaller local senior leagues like the Central Ontario Hockey League, Central Grey-Bruce Hockey League and the Bruce Rural Hockey League, integrating many of their teams. In 1991, the came to grip with the times and dropped the Intermediate moniker, relabeling itself the WOAA Senior A Hockey League. In the 1980s, many teams jumped between the WOAA and the Ontario Hockey Association Senior leagues that attempted to operate in the area. This era ended in 1994 with the death of the WOAA Grand Championship. The final champions were the Durham Thundercats, who took it for the third straight year in 1994. From 1977 until 1994, the WOAA was dominated early on by Lion's Head and Woodford and later on by Brussels and Durham.

enior AA Era

With the collapse of Ontario Hockey Association Senior hockey, the WOAA made the move to declare itself one level below Allan Cup competition with the Senior AA moniker in 1994. The league consolidated itself into one large league with different tiers of playoff championships: AA, A, and Sr. B until 1997. The Durham Thundercats proved to be the team to beat early on. Going back to the 1991-92 season, the Thundercats won 9 league championships in 15 years, including 6 out of 7 from the 1991-92 season until 1998. In 1995, the Tavistock Royals won the first ever WOAA Senior AA championship by taking the Durham Thundercats to seven games. The Thundercats avenged the loss by winning the next three Senior "AA" crowns. As time went on, the Milverton Four Wheel Drives reemerged as a powerhouse in the WOAA, dominating the league in 1999, 2000, and 2002. The Palmerston 81's and Elora Rocks also emerged as dominant forces along with Tavistock as the Thundercats stranglehold on the league has loosened in recent years.

outhern Expansion

As the league grows in popularity and proves itself with stability like no other Senior league in Ontario's history, the further South the league has been receiving applications for expansion. Despite Ilderton having a WOAA franchsie in the 1950s, the league hadn't been that far south in a long time. In 2004, the WOAA allowed for the recreation of the famed Lucan-Ilderton Jets franchise, a team that dominated the Intermediate ranks in the 1960s and 1970s. The Jets, near London set a precedent for years to come. In 2006, the WOAA shocked many of its teams by confirming the expansion of the even more Southerly Thedford Dirty Dogs. In 2007, the WOAA turned down Eastern expansion to the Cooks Bay Canucks as that was not where the league was interested in going. In 2008, the Ontario Hockey Association was rocked by the defection of three of its five Major League Hockey Senior AAA teams. Two of them applied successfully for expansion into the WOAA, the Tillsonburg Vipers and the two-time Allan Cup champion Petrolia Squires. Also, the WOAA has made wind about further expansion to the South in former Senior AAA towns like Aylmer and Dorchester in the near future.

Teams and standings

Past teams

*Arthur Tigers
*Brussels Crusaders
*Dundalk Flyers
*Durham Huskies
*Drayton Comets
*Grand Valley Tornados
*Kincardine Kings
*Lion's Head Northstars
*Listowel Jets
*Mildmay Monarchs
*Mitchell Red Devils
*Mount Forest Rams
*Wellesley Merchants
*Wiarton Redmen
*Wingham Bulls
*Woodford Royals

2007-08 playoffs

enior "AA" playdowns

3RoundBracket-Byes | RD1= Quarter-finals
RD2= Semi-finals
RD3= WOAA "AA" Finals
group1=
group2=

RD1-seed1=N1
RD1-team1=Saugeen Shores
RD1-score1=4
RD1-seed2=S4
RD1-team2=Exeter
RD1-score2=1

RD1-seed3=N2
RD1-team3=Elora
RD1-score3=4
RD1-seed4=S3
RD1-team4=Lucan-Ilderton
RD1-score4=0

RD1-seed5=S1
RD1-team5=Tavistock
RD1-score5=4
RD1-seed6=N4
RD1-team6=Shelburne
RD1-score6=1

RD1-seed7=S2
RD1-team7=Clinton
RD1-score7=4
RD1-seed8=N3
RD1-team8=Ripley
RD1-score8=1

RD2-seed1=2
RD2-team1=Saugeen Shores
RD2-score1=2
RD2-seed2=3
RD2-team2=Elora
RD2-score2=4

RD2-seed3=1
RD2-team3=Tavistock
RD2-score3=4
RD2-seed4=4
RD2-team4=Clinton
RD2-score4=0

RD3-seed1=1
RD3-team1=Tavistock
RD3-score1=4
RD3-seed2=3
RD3-team2=Elora
RD3-score2=1

enior "A" playdowns

3RoundBracket-Byes | RD1= Quarter-finals
RD2= Semi-finals
RD3= WOAA "A" Finals
group1=
group2=

RD1-seed1=N5
RD1-team1=Palmerston
RD1-score1=4
RD1-seed2=S8
RD1-team2=Monkton
RD1-score2=3

RD1-seed3=N6
RD1-team3=Durham
RD1-score3=4
RD1-seed4=S7
RD1-team4=Goderich
RD1-score4=2

RD1-seed5=S5
RD1-team5=Lucknow
RD1-score5=4
RD1-seed6=N8
RD1-team6=Drayton
RD1-score6=1

RD1-seed7=S6
RD1-team7=Milverton
RD1-score7=4
RD1-seed8=N7
RD1-team8=Georgian Bay
RD1-score8=0

RD2-seed1=1
RD2-team1=Palmerston
RD2-score1=4
RD2-seed2=4
RD2-team2=Durham
RD2-score2=1

RD2-seed3=2
RD2-team3=Lucknow
RD2-score3=4
RD2-seed4=3
RD2-team4=Milverton
RD2-score4=3

RD3-seed1=1
RD3-team1=Palmerston
RD3-score1=4
RD3-seed2=2
RD3-team2=Lucknow
RD3-score2=2

r. A qualifying round

A best of 3 series to determine the 8th playoff spot in the North Division, and the 7th and 8th spot in the South Division.

North Division:Drayton Icemen 2, Shallow Lake Crushers 1South Division:Goderich Pirates 2, Thedford Dirty Dogs 1:Monkton Wildcats 2, Wingham Bulls 0

Championships

WOAA Senior "AA" Champions (1995-Present)

:2008 Tavistock Royals:2007 Elora Rocks:2006 Durham Thundercats:2005 Elora Rocks:2004 Durham Thundercats:2003 Palmerston 81's:2002 Milverton Four Wheel Drives:2001 Durham Thundercats:2000 Milverton Four Wheel Drives:1999 Milverton Four Wheel Drives:1998 Durham Thundercats:1997 Durham Thundercats:1996 Durham Thundercats:1995 Tavistock Royals

WOAA Grand Champions (1949-1994)

:1994 Durham Thundercats:1993 Durham Thundercats:1992 Durham Thundercats:1991 Arthur Tigers:1990 Brussels Crusaders:1989 Durham Thundercats:1988 Brussels Crusaders:1987 Lion's Head Northstars:1986 Woodford Royals:1985 Woodford Royals:1984 Ripley Roosters:1983 Lion's Head Northstars:1982 Ripley Roosters:1981 Mitchell Red Devils:1980 Lion's Head Northstars:1979 Lion's Head Northstars:1978 Mount Forest Rams:1977 Mount Forest Rams:1976 Mount Forest Rams:1975 Plattsville Combines:1974 Harriston Intermediates:1973 Milverton Four Wheel Drives:1972 Milverton Four Wheel Drives

:1971 Milverton Four Wheel Drives:1970 Seaforth:1969 Crediton Tigers:1968 Crediton Tigers:1967:1966:1965:1964:1963:1962 Fergus Flyers:1961 Philipsburg Chews:1960 Philipsburg Chews:1959 :1958 Palmerston Lions:1957 :1956 Exeter Mohawks:1955 Lucan Irish Six:1954 Goderich Pontiacs:1953 Durham Huskies:1952 Durham Huskies:1951 Wingham Spitfires:1950 Wingham Spitfires:1949 Kincardine

ee also

:*Western Ontario Athletic Association:*Central Ontario Hockey League

External links

:* [http://www.woaa.on.ca/ WOAA Website] :* [http://www.woaasrhockey.com/ WOAA Senior Hockey Website] :* [http://www.freewebs.com/clintonradars/ Clinton] :* [http://www.freewebs.com/icemenhockey/ Drayton] :* [http://www.georgianbayriverrats.com/ Georgian Bay] :* [http://www.pirateshockey.ca/Default.aspx?Menu=1 Goderich] :* [http://www.lijets.com/ Lucan-Ilderton] :* [http://www.monktonwildcats.com/ Monkton] :* [http://www.geocities.com/palmerston81s/ Palmerston] :* [http://www.freewebs.com/ripleywolves/ Ripley] :* [http://www.winterhawks.net/ Saugeen Shores] :* [http://www.shallowlakecrushers.com/ Shallow Lake] :* [http://www.shelburnemuskies.com/ Shelburne] :* [http://www.thedforddirtydogs.ca/ Thedford] :* [http://www.tillsonburgthunder.ca/ Tillsonburg] :* [http://www.walkertoncapitals.com/ Walkerton] :* [http://www.winghambulls.com/ Wingham] :* [http://www.hockeydb.com/ Internet Hockey Database]