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1995–96 OHL season
Junior ice hockey season
Junior ice hockey season
The 1995–96 OHL season was the 16th season of the Ontario Hockey League. The league expanded as the Barrie Colts entered into the central division. The Detroit Junior Red Wings become the Detroit Whalers. Seventeen teams each played 66 games. The Peterborough Petes won the J. Ross Robertson Cup, defeating the Guelph Storm.
Expansion
Barrie Colts
On May 6, 1994, The Barrie Colts were approved as an expansion team in the Ontario Hockey League beginning in the 1995-96 season. The Colts began their inaugural season playing in the Barrie Arena, however, on December 31, 1995, the Colts moved into their new home, the Barrie Molson Centre. The Colts joined the Central Division.
Rebranding
Detroit Junior Red Wings to Detroit Whalers
At the conclusion of the 1994-95, the Detroit Junior Red Wings severed all ties with the National Hockey League Detroit Red Wings, as Peter Karmanos renamed the franchise the Detroit Whalers.
The Whalers moved out of Joe Louis Arena and into the Palace of Auburn Hills, home of the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association and the Detroit Vipers of the International Hockey League. The Whalers would play 21 of their 33 home games in the regular season at the Palace of Auburn Hills while playing their remaining 12 home games at Oak Park Ice Arena. The Whalers played all of their home playoff games at the Oak Park Ice Arena.
The club remained in the West Division.
Regular season
Final standings
Note: DIV = Division; GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; OTL = Overtime losses; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; PTS = Points; x = clinched playoff berth; y = clinched division title; z = earned first round bye
East Division
| Rank | Team | GP | W | L | T | PTS | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | z-Ottawa 67's | 66 | 39 | 22 | 5 | **83** | 258 | 200 |
| 2 | x-Peterborough Petes | 66 | 35 | 22 | 9 | **79** | 289 | 235 |
| 3 | x-Belleville Bulls | 66 | 35 | 26 | 5 | **75** | 300 | 250 |
| 4 | x-Oshawa Generals | 66 | 30 | 28 | 8 | **68** | 248 | 238 |
| 5 | x-Kingston Frontenacs | 66 | 29 | 31 | 6 | **64** | 266 | 267 |
| 6 | North Bay Centennials | 66 | 14 | 45 | 7 | **35** | 242 | 360 |
Central Division
| Rank | Team | GP | W | L | T | PTS | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | z-Guelph Storm | 66 | 45 | 16 | 5 | **95** | 297 | 186 |
| 2 | x-Kitchener Rangers | 66 | 35 | 28 | 3 | **73** | 253 | 230 |
| 3 | x-Niagara Falls Thunder | 66 | 29 | 30 | 7 | **65** | 248 | 238 |
| 4 | x-Owen Sound Platers | 66 | 29 | 32 | 5 | **63** | 274 | 313 |
| 5 | x-Barrie Colts | 66 | 28 | 31 | 7 | **63** | 258 | 266 |
| 6 | Sudbury Wolves | 66 | 27 | 36 | 3 | **59** | 262 | 288 |
West Division
| Rank | Team | GP | W | L | T | PTS | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | y-Detroit Whalers | 66 | 40 | 22 | 4 | **84** | 319 | 243 |
| 2 | x-Sarnia Sting | 66 | 39 | 23 | 4 | **82** | 330 | 276 |
| 3 | x-Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | 66 | 38 | 23 | 5 | **81** | 312 | 254 |
| 4 | x-Windsor Spitfires | 66 | 21 | 41 | 4 | **46** | 256 | 312 |
| 5 | London Knights | 66 | 3 | 60 | 3 | **9** | 179 | 435 |
Scoring leaders
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aaron Brand | Sarnia Sting | 66 | 46 | 73 | 119 | 110 |
| Daniel Cleary | Belleville Bulls | 64 | 53 | 62 | 115 | 74 |
| Sean Haggerty | Detroit Whalers | 66 | 60 | 51 | 111 | 78 |
| Trevor Gallant | North Bay Centennials | 63 | 47 | 58 | 105 | 36 |
| Richard Uniacke | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | 66 | 48 | 54 | 102 | 38 |
| Cameron Mann | Peterborough Petes | 66 | 42 | 60 | 102 | 108 |
| Jonathan Sim | Sarnia Sting | 63 | 56 | 45 | 101 | 130 |
| Trevor Letowski | Sarnia Sting | 66 | 36 | 63 | 99 | 66 |
| Lee Jinman | North Bay Centennials//Detroit Whalers | 64 | 29 | 68 | 97 | 49 |
| Rob Shearer | Windsor Spitfires | 63 | 40 | 53 | 93 | 74 |
Playoffs
| RD1-seed01= C1 | RD1-team01= Guelph | RD1-score01= bye | RD1-seed03= C3 | RD1-team03= Niagara Falls | RD1-score03= 4 | RD1-seed04= C4 | RD1-team04= Owen Sound | RD1-score04= 2 | RD1-seed05= E1 | RD1-team05= Ottawa | RD1-score05= bye | RD1-seed07= E3 | RD1-team07= Belleville | RD1-score07= 4 | RD1-seed08= E4 | RD1-team08= Oshawa | RD1-score08= 1 | RD1-seed09= E2 | RD1-team09= Peterborough | RD1-score09= 4 | RD1-seed10= E5 | RD1-team10= Kingston | RD1-score10= 1 | RD1-seed11= W2 | RD1-team11= Sarnia | RD1-score11= 4 | RD1-seed12= W3 | RD1-team12= S.S. Marie | RD1-score12= 0 | RD1-seed13= C2 | RD1-team13= Kitchener | RD1-score13= 4 | RD1-seed14= C5 | RD1-team14= Barrie | RD1-score14= 3 | RD1-seed15= W4 | RD1-team15= Windsor | RD1-score15= 3 | RD1-seed16= W1 | RD1-team16= Detroit | RD1-score16= 4 | RD2-seed01= C1 | RD2-team01= Guelph | RD2-score01= 4 | RD2-seed02= C3 | RD2-team02= Niagara Falls | RD2-score02= 0 | RD2-seed03= E1 | RD2-team03= Ottawa | RD2-score03= 0 | RD2-seed04= E3 | RD2-team04= Belleville | RD2-score04= 4 | RD2-seed05= E2 | RD2-team05= Peterborough | RD2-score05= 4 | RD2-seed06= W2 | RD2-team06= Sarnia | RD2-score06= 2 | RD2-seed07= C2 | RD2-team07= Kitchener | RD2-score07= 1 | RD2-seed08= W1 | RD2-team08= Detroit | RD2-score08= 4 | RD3-seed01= C1 | RD3-team01= Guelph | RD3-score01= 4 | RD3-seed02= E3 | RD3-team02= Belleville | RD3-score02= 1 | RD3-seed03= E2 | RD3-team03= Peterborough | RD3-score03= 4 | RD3-seed04= W1 | RD3-team04= Detroit | RD3-score04= 1 | RD4-seed01= C1 | RD4-team01= Guelph | RD4-score01= 3 | RD4-seed02= E2 | RD4-team02= Peterborough | RD4-score02= 4
Division quarter-finals
East Division
(2) Peterborough Petes vs. (5) Kingston Frontenacs
(3) Belleville Bulls vs. (4) Oshawa Generals
Central Division
(2) Kitchener Rangers vs. (5) Barrie Colts
(3) Niagara Falls Thunder vs. (4) Owen Sound Platers
West Division
(1) Detroit Whalers vs. (4) Windsor Spitfires
(2) Sarnia Sting vs. (3) Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
OHL quarter-finals
(C1) Guelph Storm vs. (C3) Niagara Falls Thunder
(W1) Detroit Whalers vs. (C2) Kitchener Rangers
(E1) Ottawa 67's vs. (E3) Belleville Bulls
(W2) Sarnia Sting vs. (E2) Peterborough Petes
OHL semi-finals
(C1) Guelph Storm vs. (E3) Belleville Bulls
(W1) Detroit Whalers vs. (E2) Peterborough Petes
J. Ross Robertson Cup
(C1) Guelph Storm vs. (E2) Peterborough Petes
All-Star teams
First team
- Alyn McCauley, Centre, Ottawa 67's
- Daniel Cleary, Left Wing, Belleville Bulls
- Cameron Mann, Right Wing, Peterborough Petes
- Bryan Berard, Defence, Detroit Whalers
- Kevin Bolibruck, Defence, Peterborough Petes
- Craig Hillier, Goaltender, Ottawa 67's
- Brian Kilrea, Coach, Ottawa 67's
Second team
- Aaron Brand, Centre, Sarnia Sting
- Sean Haggerty, Left Wing, Detroit Whalers
- Jeff Johnstone, Right Wing, Niagara Falls Thunder
- Sean Brown, Defence, Sarnia Sting
- Jay McKee, Defence, Niagara Falls Thunder
- Dan Cloutier, Goaltender, Guelph Storm
- Bert Templeton, Coach, Barrie Colts
Third team
- Sean Venedam, Centre, Sudbury Wolves
- Jamie Wright, Left Wing, Guelph Storm
- David Nemirovski, Right Wing, Sarnia Sting
- Marc Moro, Defence, Kingston Frontenacs
- Ryan Risidore, Defence, Guelph Storm
- David Belitski, Goaltender, Kitchener Rangers
- Travis Scott, Goaltender, Oshawa Generals
- Mark Hunter, Coach, Sarnia Sting
Awards
| Bobby Smith Trophy: | Boyd Devereaux, Kitchener Rangers |
|---|
1996 OHL Priority Selection
On June 1, 1996, the OHL conducted the 1996 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium in Kitchener, Ontario. The London Knights held the first overall pick in the draft and selected Rico Fata from the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. Fata was awarded the Jack Ferguson Award, awarded to the top pick in the draft.
Below are the players who were selected in the first round of the 1996 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection.
| # | Player | Nationality | OHL Team | Hometown | Minor Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rico Fata (C) | Canada Canada | London Knights | Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | ||||||||||||||||||
| Tyler Rennette (C) | Canada Canada | North Bay Centennials | Powassan, Ontario | Waterloo Siskins | ||||||||||||||||||
| Norm Milley (RW) | Canada Canada | Sudbury Wolves | North York, Ontario | Toronto Red Wings | ||||||||||||||||||
| Kip Brennan (D) | Canada Canada | Windsor Spitfires | Toronto, Ontario | St. Michael's Buzzers | ||||||||||||||||||
| Mike Henrich (RW) | Canada Canada | Barrie Colts | Thornhill, Ontario | Wexford Midgets | ||||||||||||||||||
| Wes Goldie (RW) | Canada Canada | Owen Sound Platers | London, Ontario | St. Thomas Stars | ||||||||||||||||||
| Kevin Grimes (D) | Canada Canada | Kingston Frontenacs | Metcalfe, Ontario | Cumberland Grads | ||||||||||||||||||
| Brett Gibson (C) | Canada Canada | Erie Otters | Gananoque, Ontario | Kingston Voyageurs | ||||||||||||||||||
| Bryan Allen (D) | Canada Canada | Oshawa Generals | Glenburnie, Ontario | Ernestown Jets | ||||||||||||||||||
| Wes Jarvis (D) | Canada Canada | Kitchener Rangers | Ottawa, Ontario | Gloucester Rangers | ||||||||||||||||||
| Justin Papineau (C) | Canada Canada | Belleville Bulls | Ottawa, Ontario | Ottawa Jr. Senators | ||||||||||||||||||
| Pat Kavanagh (RW) | Canada Canada | Peterborough Petes | Richmond, Ontario | Kanata Valley Lasers | ||||||||||||||||||
| Nick Robinson (D) | Canada Canada | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | Cavan, Ontario | Lindsay Muskies | ||||||||||||||||||
| Abe Herbst (D) | Canada Canada | Sarnia Sting | Harriston, Ontario | Listowel Cyclones | ||||||||||||||||||
| Mark Bell (C) | Canada Canada | Ottawa 67's | St. Paul's, Ontario | Stratford Cullitons | ||||||||||||||||||
| Harold Druken (LW) | Canada Canada | Detroit Whalers | St. John's, Newfoundland | Noble & Greenough Bulldogs | ||||||||||||||||||
| Manny Malhotra (C) | Canada Canada | Guelph Storm | Mississauga, Ontario | Mississauga Reps |
References
References
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