# 1998–99 OPJHL season

The 1998–99 OPJHL season is the sixth season of the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League (OPJHL). The thirty-seven teams of the Central, East, and West divisions competed in a 51-game schedule. The top eight of each division made the Buckland Cup playoffs.
The winner of the Buckland Cup, the Bramalea Blues, won the 1999 Dudley Hewitt Cup as Central Canadian Champions, but failed to win the 1999 Royal Bank Cup.

## Changes

* OPJHL absorbed folded Metro Junior A Hockey League.
* League realigned from four to three divisions.
* New teams due to merger: Auburn Jr. Crunch (Syracuse Jr. Crunch), Bancroft Hawks (Quinte Hawks), Buffalo Lightning (Niagara Scenic), Caledon Canadians, Durham Huskies, Huntsville Wildcats, Markham Waxers, North York Rangers, Oshawa Legionaires, Pickering Panthers, Port Hope Buzzards, Shelburne Wolves, Thornhill Rattlers, Wellington Dukes, and Wexford Raiders.

## Final standings

Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; OTL = Overtime losses; SL = Shootout losses; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; PTS = Points; x = clinched playoff berth; y = clinched division title; z = clinched conference title
Central Division :
| Collingwood Blues | 51 | 41 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 309 | 126 | 84 |
| Couchiching Terriers | 51 | 37 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 299 | 193 | 78 |
| Newmarket Hurricanes | 51 | 36 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 256 | 144 | 76 |
| Aurora Tigers | 51 | 31 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 216 | 155 | 70 |
| Markham Waxers | 51 | 29 | 16 | 4 | 2 | 249 | 195 | 64 |
| Wexford Raiders | 51 | 21 | 20 | 8 | 2 | 211 | 206 | 52 |
| Thornhill Rattlers | 51 | 23 | 24 | 3 | 1 | 230 | 213 | 50 |
| Stouffville Spirit | 51 | 23 | 27 | 0 | 1 | 215 | 234 | 47 |
| North York Rangers | 51 | 15 | 30 | 4 | 2 | 165 | 225 | 36 |
| Shelburne Wolves | 51 | 10 | 35 | 4 | 2 | 171 | 314 | 26 |
| Durham Huskies | 51 | 9 | 35 | 3 | 4 | 156 | 292 | 25 |
| Huntsville Wildcats | 51 | 9 | 37 | 4 | 1 | 142 | 323 | 23 |
| East Division |||||||||||
| Team | GP | W | L | T | OTL | GF | GA | P |
| Pickering Panthers | 51 | 37 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 249 | 162 | 74 |
| Trenton Sting | 51 | 33 | 13 | 3 | 2 | 265 | 184 | 71 |
| Lindsay Muskies | 51 | 32 | 13 | 4 | 2 | 222 | 153 | 70 |
| Kingston Voyageurs | 51 | 29 | 15 | 5 | 2 | 211 | 179 | 65 |
| Oshawa Legionaires | 51 | 26 | 20 | 3 | 2 | 221 | 214 | 57 |
| Auburn Jr. Crunch | 51 | 27 | 22 | 2 | 0 | 232 | 195 | 56 |
| Wellington Dukes | 51 | 23 | 23 | 3 | 2 | 205 | 223 | 51 |
| Cobourg Cougars | 51 | 20 | 20 | 9 | 2 | 213 | 178 | 51 |
| Bowmanville Eagles | 51 | 18 | 23 | 6 | 4 | 188 | 206 | 46 |
| Ajax Axemen | 51 | 17 | 27 | 6 | 1 | 153 | 233 | 41 |
| Port Hope Buzzards | 51 | 16 | 27 | 6 | 2 | 193 | 266 | 40 |
| Peterborough Bees | 51 | 15 | 26 | 7 | 3 | 169 | 214 | 40 |
| Bancroft Hawks | 51 | 12 | 37 | 1 | 1 | 124 | 224 | 26 |
| West Division |||||||||||
| Team | GP | W | L | T | OTL | GF | GA | P |
| Milton Merchants | 51 | 43 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 308 | 138 | 90 |
| Bramalea Blues | 51 | 38 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 296 | 158 | 83 |
| Brampton Capitals | 51 | 35 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 293 | 185 | 76 |
| Burlington Cougars | 51 | 29 | 19 | 2 | 1 | 256 | 203 | 61 |
| Georgetown Raiders | 51 | 27 | 18 | 4 | 2 | 264 | 239 | 60 |
| Streetsville Derbys | 51 | 27 | 20 | 3 | 1 | 259 | 245 | 58 |
| Oakville Blades | 51 | 22 | 23 | 4 | 2 | 216 | 216 | 50 |
| Hamilton Kiltys | 51 | 19 | 26 | 6 | 0 | 191 | 231 | 44 |
| Caledon Canadians | 51 | 16 | 30 | 2 | 3 | 203 | 271 | 37 |
| Buffalo Lightning | 51 | 11 | 34 | 4 | 2 | 148 | 249 | 28 |
| Vaughan Vipers | 51 | 9 | 38 | 2 | 2 | 198 | 346 | 22 |
| Mississauga Chargers | 51 | 6 | 41 | 3 | 1 | 161 | 321 | 16 |

## 1998-99 Frank L. Buckland Trophy Playoffs

Division Quarter-final
    Collingwood Blues defeated Stouffville Spirit 3-games-to-none
    Couchiching Terriers defeated Thornhill Rattlers 3-games-to-2
    Newmarket Hurricanes defeated Wexford Raiders 3-games-to-1
    Aurora Tigers defeated Markham Waxers 3-games-to-1
    Pickering Panthers defeated Cobourg Cougars 3-games-to-none
    Trenton Sting defeated Wellington Dukes 3-games-to-none
    Lindsay Muskies defeated Auburn Jr. Crunch 3-games-to-none
    Oshawa Legionaires defeated Kingston Voyageurs 3-games-to-1
    Milton Merchants defeated Hamilton Kiltys 3-games-to-none
    Bramalea Blues defeated Oakville Blades 3-games-to-none
    Streetsville Derbys defeated Brampton Capitals 3-games-to-2
    Georgetown Raiders defeated Burlington Cougars 3-games-to-1
Division Semi-final
    Collingwood Blues defeated Aurora Tigers 4-games-to-1
    Couchiching Terriers defeated Newmarket Hurricanes 4-games-to-1
    Pickering Panthers defeated Oshawa Legionaires 4-games-to-2
    Lindsay Muskies defeated Trenton Sting 4-games-to-2
    Milton Merchants defeated Georgetown Raiders 4-games-to-1
    Bramalea Blues defeated Streetsville Derbys 4-games-to-none
Division Final
    Collingwood Blues defeated Couchiching Terriers 4-games-to-3
    Bramalea Blues defeated Milton Merchants 4-games-to-2
    Pickering Panthers defeated Lindsay Muskies 4-games-to-none
Semi-final
    Milton Merchants* defeated Collingwood Blues 4-games-to-2
    Bramalea Blues defeated Pickering Panthers 4-games-to-none
(*) denotes that the Merchants were welcomed back into the playoffs for another round despite losing due to their superior playoff winning percentage over Couchiching and Lindsay.
Final
    Bramalea Blues defeated Milton Merchants 4-games-to-2

## Dudley Hewitt Cup Championship

Best-of-7 series
    Bramalea Blues defeated Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats (NOJHL) 4-games-to-none
       Bramalea - Rayside-Balfour
       Bramalea 2 - Rayside-Balfour 1
       Bramalea 3 - Rayside-Balfour 2
       Bramalea 3 - Rayside-Balfour 2

## 1999 Royal Bank Cup Championship

The 1999 Royal Bank Cup was hosted by the Yorkton Terriers of Yorkton, Saskatchewan. The Bramalea Blues were defeated in the semi-final.
Round Robin
    Bramalea Blues defeated Vernon Vipers (BCHL) 4-2
    Bramalea Blues defeated Estevan Bruins (SJHL) 4-3
    Bramalea Blues defeated Yorkton Terriers (SJHL) 5-1
    Charlottetown Abbies (MJAHL) defeated Bramalea Blues 5-1
Semi-final
    Vernon Vipers (BCHL) defeated Bramalea Blues 3-2

## Scoring leaders

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts |
| Stace Page | Georgetown Raiders | 50 | 54 | 69 | 123 |
| Shawn Baltzer | Newmarket Hurricanes | 51 | 42 | 80 | 122 |
| Jason Bullock | Couchiching Terriers | 47 | 33 | 83 | 116 |
| Ed McGrane | Milton/Hamilton | 49 | 47 | 68 | 115 |
| Kyle Amyotte | Bramalea Blues | 50 | 43 | 72 | 115 |
| Geoff Schomogyi | Milton Merchants | 50 | 43 | 62 | 105 |
| Andy Rozak | Streetsville Derbys | 51 | 33 | 71 | 104 |
| Donald Patrick | Auburn Jr. Crunch | 51 | 44 | 60 | 104 |
| Mike Cammalleri | Bramalea Blues | 41 | 31 | 72 | 103 |
| Kevin O'Flaherty | Milton Merchants | 50 | 32 | 71 | 103 |