Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats
| Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats | |
|---|---|
 | |
| City | Rayside-Balfour, Ontario |
| League | Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League |
| Operated | 1962-2005 |
| Home arena | Rayside-Balfour Community Centre |
| Colours | Grey, Blue, and White |
| Franchise history | |
| 1962-1969 | Garson Falconbridge Native Sons |
| 1969-1973 | Chelmsford Canadiens |
| 1973-1995 | Rayside-Balfour Canadians |
| 1995-2005 | Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats |
| Championships | |
| Playoff championships | 7: 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 |
The Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats were a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Rayside-Balfour, Ontario, Canada. This defunct hockey team was a part of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League.
History
A very successful franchise, the Sabrecats won the Dudley Hewitt Cup three times (1997, 2000, and 2002) and a dynastic seven straight McNamara Trophies as NOJHL champions (1996–2002). In 2000, they reached the finals of the Royal Bank Cup, only to lose a heartbreaking 2–1 game to the host Fort McMurray Oil Barons. While still playing for the Sabrecats, goaltender Sébastien Laplante was selected in the 9th round (277th overall) by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.
The team was granted a one-year leave from the NOJHL in 2005, but in Spring 2006 the NOJHL announced that the Sabrecats will not be returning and have officially folded.
Season-by-season results
| Season | GP | W | L | T | OTL | GF | GA | P | Results | Playoffs | |
| 1962-63 | 38 | 22 | 15 | 1 | - | 208 | 175 | 45 | 4th NOJHA | Lost semi-final | |
| 1963-64 | 40 | 13 | 26 | 1 | - | 141 | 202 | 27 | 5th NOJHA | DNQ | |
| 1964-65 | 40 | 20 | 20 | 0 | - | 185 | 213 | 40 | 4th NOJHA | Won league | |
| 1965-66 | 40 | 4 | 36 | 0 | - | 148 | 337 | 8 | 5th NOJHA | DNQ | |
| 1966-67 | 40 | 21 | 19 | 0 | - | 225 | 222 | 42 | 4th NOJHA | Lost semi-final | |
| 1967-68 | 40 | 24 | 15 | 1 | - | 179 | 157 | 49 | 2nd NOJHA | Lost semi-final | |
| 1968-69 | 48 | 22 | 25 | 1 | - | 167 | 163 | 45 | 3rd NOJHA | Lost semi-final | |
| 1969-70 | 48 | 8 | 39 | 1 | - | 176 | 385 | 17 | 5th NOJHA | DNQ | |
| 1970-71 | 48 | 19 | 25 | 4 | - | 218 | 269 | 42 | 3rd NOJHA | Lost semi-final | |
| 1971-72 | 52 | 22 | 28 | 2 | - | 216 | 265 | 46 | 3rd NOJHA | Lost semi-final | |
| 1972-73 | 42 | 21 | 15 | 6 | - | -- | -- | 48 | 3rd NOHA Jr. B | Lost semi-final | |
| 1973-74 | 40 | 30 | 7 | 3 | - | -- | -- | 63 | 1st NOHA Jr. B | Won league, won NOHA | |
| 1974-75 | NOHA Jr. B | Lost semi-final | |||||||||
| 1975-76 | 4th NOHA Jr. B | Lost semi-final | |||||||||
| 1976-77 | 6th NOHA Jr. B | DNQ | |||||||||
| 1977-78 | 20 | 6th NOHA Jr. B | DNQ | ||||||||
| 1978-79 | 40 | 20 | 17 | 3 | - | -- | -- | 43 | 5th NOJHL | ||
| 1979-80 | 40 | 18 | 20 | 2 | - | 197 | 194 | 38 | 4th NOJHL | ||
| 1980-81 | 40 | 9 | 26 | 5 | - | 203 | 257 | 23 | 6th NOJHL | ||
| 1981-82 | 42 | 14 | 25 | 3 | - | 209 | 273 | 31 | 5th NOJHL | ||
| 1982-83 | 42 | 19 | 16 | 7 | - | 275 | 256 | 45 | 3rd NOJHL | ||
| 1983-84 | 40 | 36 | 2 | 2 | - | 426 | 165 | 74 | 1st NOJHL | Won league | |
| 1984-85 | 40 | 23 | 15 | 2 | - | 349 | 287 | 48 | 3rd NOJHL | ||
| 1985-86 | 41 | 22 | 16 | 3 | - | 324 | 274 | 47 | 3rd NOJHL | ||
| 1986-87 | Did not participate | ||||||||||
| 1987-88 | 40 | 22 | 15 | 3 | - | 275 | 211 | 47 | 3rd NOJHL | Lost final | |
| 1988-89 | 40 | 28 | 7 | 5 | - | 289 | 162 | 61 | 1st NOJHL | Lost final | |
| 1989-90 | 40 | 19 | 18 | 3 | - | 222 | 234 | 41 | 4th NOJHL | Lost final | |
| 1990-91 | 40 | 18 | 21 | 1 | - | 206 | 231 | 37 | 3rd NOJHL | Lost final | |
| 1991-92 | 48 | 39 | 7 | 2 | - | 482 | 195 | 80 | 1st NOJHL | Lost final | |
| 1992-93 | 48 | 33 | 13 | 2 | - | 353 | 242 | 68 | 3rd NOJHL | ||
| 1993-94 | 40 | 18 | 21 | 1 | - | 220 | 228 | 37 | 5th NOJHL | ||
| 1994-95 | 48 | 22 | 26 | 0 | - | 233 | 273 | 44 | 5th NOJHL | ||
| 1995-96 | 44 | 37 | 5 | 2 | - | 270 | 129 | 76 | 1st NOJHL | Won league | |
| 1996-97 | 40 | 36 | 3 | 1 | - | 296 | 112 | 73 | 1st NOJHL | Won league, won Dudley Hewitt Cup | |
| 1997-98 | 40 | 35 | 3 | 2 | - | 252 | 107 | 72 | 1st NOJHL | Won league | |
| 1998-99 | 40 | 32 | 7 | 1 | - | 213 | 106 | 65 | 1st NOJHL | Won league | |
| 1999-00 | 40 | 40 | 0 | 0 | - | 315 | 80 | 80 | 1st NOJHL | Won league, won Dudley Hewitt Cup | |
| 2000-01 | 40 | 35 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 284 | 101 | 72 | 1st NOJHL | Won league | |
| 2001-02 | 42 | 37 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 327 | 105 | 75 | 1st NOJHL | Won league, won Dudley Hewitt Cup | |
| 2002-03 | 48 | 30 | 16 | 2 | - | 263 | 178 | 62 | 3rd NOJHL | ||
| 2003-04 | 48 | 4 | 41 | 2 | 1 | 97 | 299 | 11 | 8th NOJHL | ||
| 2004-05 | 48 | 14 | 31 | 4 | 0 | 147 | 201 | 31 | 7th NOJHL | Lost quarter-final | |
Past coaches
- Larry Bédard[1]
References