Rockland Nationals
CityRockland, Ontario, Canada
LeagueCentral Canada Hockey League
DivisionYzerman
Founded1968
Home arenaCIH Arena
ColoursBlue, Red, and White
General managerCanada Daniel Sauvé
Head coachCanada Daniel Sauvé
CaptainCanada
MediaFasthockey
Franchise history
1968-1973Ottawa M&W Rangers
1973-2005Gloucester Rangers
2005-2008Orleans Blues
2008–2017Gloucester Rangers
2017–Rockland Nationals

The Rockland Nationals are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Rockland, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of the Central Canada Hockey League. The Rockland Nationals began play in 2017–18, after the Gloucester Rangers relocated to Rockland after nearly 50 years in Gloucester.

History

The franchise dates back to the 1968 expansion Ottawa M.&.W (MacIntosh & Watts) Rangers and made their home in Leitrim in south Ottawa. In 1972, the M&W Rangers became the Gloucester Rangers and played out of the Earl Armstrong Arena. The 1972–73 season was coached by Derek Holmes, and included Mark Aubry as a player.[1] The Rangers won their first Art Bogart Cup as league champions in 1981 by defeating the Pembroke Lumber Kings. The 1995 Centennial Cup (now Royal Bank Cup) was awarded to the City of Gloucester and the Gloucester Rangers. The Rangers, who were up by a goal in the championship game against the Calgary Canucks of the AJHL. The Canucks tied the game in the dying seconds and won the Centennial Cup in overtime. After their last playoff appearance of the 20th century, the Rangers fell on hard times missing the playoffs multiple times.

In 2002, new owners decided to change the colours to Black, Purple, and Silver. The team rebuilt with blockbuster trades with cross-town rivals and defending league champions Ottawa Junior Senators. Unfortunately, the Rangers came close to winning the 2004 league championship by one goal in a sudden death game 7 to Nepean. In October 2004, coaching staff walking out of the organization over disagreements with management and ownership leaving the team with a shortage of players throughout the season through trades and releases. The team was sold to a group of Orleans businessmen in April 2005, who re-branded the team as the Orleans Blues, but couldn't move to Orleans, Ontario because of an inadequate arena, and therefore were forced to change back to the Gloucester Rangers for the 2008-09 season.

New ownership and final season in Gloucester

In late September 2016, Paul Jennings sold the Gloucester Rangers to a group of partners being André Chaput, André Charlebois & Amélie Lecompte, Jean-Robert Leger and Robert Bourdeau. Paul Jennings purchased the Orleans Blues franchise from Chaput in 2007. The Gloucester Rangers finished the 2016-17 season and relocated to Rockland, Ontario to become the Rockland Nationals after playing at the aging Earl Armstrong for nearly 50 years.

In 2020, the ownership team changed with the sale of André Chaput’s share to Luc Lavictoire and Julie Budd.

Season-by-season record

Note: GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

SeasonGP W L T OTLGF GA PointsFinishPlayoffs
1968-694011227-145202295th CJHL
1969-70403064-198108641st CJHLWon League
1970-7148261210-235158622nd CJHLWon League
1971-724827201-234188552nd CJHL
1972-735530205-293233652nd CJHL
1973-745025196-297252564th CJHL
1974-755014279-241289375th CJHL
1975-765026213-271203552nd CJHL
1976-775024215-241231533rd CJHL
1977-784830135-261204652nd CJHL
1978-794823232-210235483rd CJHL
1979-805033125-284187712nd CJHL
1980-815028157-248191633rd CJHLWon League
1981-825011363-191266256th CJHL
1982-834815285-189241356th CJHL
1983-845321166-233235486th CJHL
1984-8554183312234328396th CJHL
1985-8660352113311247744th CJHL
1986-8754282123260248613rd CJHL
1987-8856252713275271546th CJHL
1988-8955103915203316269th CJHL
1989-9056341822325281724th CJHL
1990-9154321525347276713rd CJHL
1991-9257401241360233853rd CJHL
1992-9356301835308261685th CJHL
1993-9457371622324245781st CJHLWon League
1994-9555321823263219693rd CJHL
1995-9654351810249177713rd in Robinson
1996-9754262440209221563rd in Yzerman
1997-9856262193223217642nd in Robinson
1998-995474340181492875th in RobinsonOut of Playoffs
1999-0055114140261773075th in RobinsonOut of Playoffs
2000-0155143560371922784th in RobinsonLost quarter-final 4-1 to Cornwall
2001-025564370191623315th in RobinsonOut of Playoffs
2002-03552717112672462103rd in RobinsonLost semi-final 4-3 to Nepean
2003-0455302140188167644thLost final 4-3 to Nepean
2004-0557242616194204553rd in RobinsonLost quarter-final 4-3 to Hawkesbury
2005-0657163713172262365th in RobinsonDNQ
2006-0755262162184190602nd in RobinsonLost quarter-final 4-2 to Nepean
2007-08601438441883013610th CJHLDNQ
2008-09602626-8198247608th CJHLLost quarter-final 4-0 to Nepean
2009-10623521-6277225764th CJHLLost quarter-final 4-2 to Ottawa
2010-11623525-2263244724th CCHLLost semi-final 4-0 to Pembroke
2011-12621346-31863252912th CCHLDNQ
2012-13621935-81662464610th CCHLDNQ
2013-14622332-7219280539th CCHLDNQ
2014-15623130-1199223633rd of 6 Yzerman
9th of 12 CCHL
Won Prelim. Playin, 2-0 (73's)
Lost Quarterfinals, 0-4 (Jr. Senators)
2015-166255232116305156th of 6 Yzerman
12th of 12 CCHL
DNQ
2016-1762223433141204504th of 6 Yzerman
10th of 12 CCHL
DNQ
Rockland Nationals - CCHL
2017-1862282833186204624th of 6 Yzerman
9th of 12 CCHL
Lost Quarterfinals 1-4 (Canadians)

Championships

CJHL Bogart Cup Championships: 1970, 1971, 1981, 1994 (Gloucester Rangers)

Centennial Cup Champions 1976 (Rockland Nationals]

Eastern Canadian Fred Page Cup Championships: None
CJAHL Royal Bank Cup Championships: None

https://www.rocklandnationalsjuniora.com/franchise-record

Notable alumni

References

  1. "Ottawa M and W Rangers 1972-73 roster and scoring statistics". hockeydb.com. Retrieved 2018-08-02.
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