Brantford Blast

Brantford Blast were a Canadian senior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association's Allan Cup Hockey, from Brantford, Ontario. The team was established in 2000, and played their games at the Brantford Civic Centre.

Brantford Blast
CityBrantford, Ontario
LeagueAllan Cup Hockey
Founded2000 (2000)
Home arenaBrantford Civic Centre
ColoursRed, White, and Black
General managerTony Falasca
Head coachBryan Hamm
Franchise history
2000-2001Brantford Prowl
2002-presentBrantford Blast

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 of the Ontario Hockey League, who left in 1984 and the Brantford Smoke of the Colonial Hockey League, 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 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 for the league's playoffs championship in 2013 and 2014.[1]

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 Dundas Real McCoys.

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. 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 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 Dundas Real McCoys 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

SeasonGPWLTOTLGFGAPResults
2000-0130121710----255th SWSHL
2001-02Did Not Participate
2002-033192110130189205th OHA Sr. A
2003-0432161141162141375th OHA Sr. A
2004-053482510136195176th MLH
2005-0632189-5161137411st MLH
2006-07301513-2156142323rd MLH
2007-0830219-0131100422nd MLH
2008-09281315-0127120265th MLH
2009-10Did Not Participate
2010-11241311-0133127262nd MLH
2011-12281710-1148131353rd ACH
2012-1324202-214882421st ACH
2013-1424167-112680333rd ACH
2014-1524166-213698342nd ACH, Lost league final
2015-1624175-210586512nd ACH, Lost league final
2016-17241210-2112111514th ACH, Lost quarterfinal
2017-1823815-0103126245th ACH
2018-19 Did Not Participate
2019-2020118-1105108313rd ACH, Playoffs cancelled during final with team trailing 2-0

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
  • 2017-18 - Most Sportsmanlike - Cameron Sault
  • 2019-20 - Most Gentlemanly - Deron Cousens

Notable alumni

References
  1. "Senior Series". Ontario Hockey Association. 2019. Archived from the original on March 15, 2015. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
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