# 2008–09 GMHL season

The 2008–09 GMHL season was the third season of the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL). The fifteen teams of the GMHL played 43-game schedules.
In February 2009, the top teams of the league played down for the Russell Cup, emblematic of the grand championship of the GMHL. Since the GMHL is independent from Hockey Canada and the Canadian Junior Hockey League, this is where the GMHL's season ended. The South Muskoka Shield won their first Russell Cup beating the Deseronto Storm 4-games-to-2.

## Changes

* Douro Dukes moved and become Brock Bucks
* Richmond Hill Rams become Ontario Lightning Rams
* Oro-Medonte 77's joined the league
* Ville-Marie Dragons joined the league
* Minden Riverkings joined the league
* Temiscaming Royals left the league for Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League
* Ville-Marie Dragons folded mid-season (January)
* Tamworth Cyclones folded mid-season (January)
With fifteen team starting the season, the league was split into a Northern Division (8 teams) and Southern Division (7 teams).

## Final standings

Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; OTL = Overtime Losses; SL = Shootout Losses; GF = Goals For.
Northern Division :
| Team | Centre | W–L–T-OTL | GF | GA | Points |
| South Muskoka Shield | Gravenhurst | 38-4-0-1 | 303 | 128 | 77 |
| Elliot Lake Bobcats | Elliot Lake | 31-8-0-4 | 276 | 119 | 66 |
| Nipissing Alouettes | Sturgeon Falls | 29-13-0-1 | 233 | 157 | 59 |
| Oro-Medonte 77's | Guthrie | 22-15-0-6 | 205 | 165 | 50 |
| Minden Riverkings | Minden Hills | 18-24-0-1 | 172 | 219 | 37 |
| Brock Bucks | Beaverton | 15-26-0-2 | 191 | 242 | 32 |
| x-Espanola Kings | Espanola | 8-34-0-1 | 110 | 334 | 17 |
| x-Ville-Marie Dragons | Ville-Marie, PQ | 2-24-0-0 | 71 | 286 | 4 |
| Southern Division |||||||||||
| Team | Centre | W–L–T-OTL | GF | GA | Points |
| Innisfil Lakers | Innisfil | 36-6-0-1 | 286 | 130 | 73 |
| Bradford Rattlers | Bradford | 34-6-0-3 | 284 | 132 | 71 |
| Deseronto Storm | Deseronto | 29-11-0-3 | 224 | 121 | 61 |
| King Wild | King City | 26-15-0-2 | 241 | 200 | 54 |
| Toronto Canada Moose | Thornhill | 18-21-0-4 | 205 | 204 | 40 |
| Ontario Lightning Rams | Richmond Hill | 13-30-0-0 | 174 | 258 | 26 |
| x-Tamworth Cyclones | Tamworth | 3-24-0-2 | 86 | 290 | 8 |
Tamworth and Ville-Marie folded for the remainder of the season. Their remaining games are scored as 3-0 forfeit victories to their opponent.
(x-) denotes elimination from playoffs.
Teams listed on the official league website.
Standings listed on official league website.

## 2008–09 Russell Cup Playoffs

| Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | | | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Division Finals | Division Finals | Division Finals | | Russell Cup Championship | Russell Cup Championship | Russell Cup Championship |
| N1 | South Muskoka | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| N6 | Brock | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| N6 | Brock | 0 | | | N1 | South Muskoka | 3 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | N3 | Nipissing | 0 | | | | | | | |
| N3 | Nipissing | 3 | | | N3 | Nipissing | 0 | | | | | | | |
| N4 | Oro-Medonte | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| N4 | Oro-Medonte | 0 | | | | | | N1 | South Muskoka | 4 | | | | |
| North | North | North | North | North | North | North | North | N1 | South Muskoka | 4 | | | | |
| North | North | North | North | North | North | North | North | N2 | Elliot Lake | 1 | | | | |
| N2 | Elliot Lake | 3 | | | | | | | | | N2 | Elliot Lake | 1 | | | | |
| N5 | Minden | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| N5 | Minden | 0 | | | N2 | Elliot Lake | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | -- | Bye | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | N1 | South Muskoka | 4 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | S3 | Deseronto | 2 |
| S1 | Innisfil | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | S3 | Deseronto | 2 |
| S6 | Ontario | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| S6 | Ontario | 1 | | | S1 | Innisfil | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | -- | Bye | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | S1 | Innisfil | 2 | | | | |
| South | South | South | South | South | South | South | South | S1 | Innisfil | 2 | | | | |
| South | South | South | South | South | South | South | South | S3 | Deseronto | 4 | | | | |
| S2 | Bradford | 3 | | | | | | | | | S3 | Deseronto | 4 | | | | |
| S5 | Toronto | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| S5 | Toronto | 2 | | | S2 | Bradford | 1 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | S3 | Deseronto | 3 | | | | | | | |
| S3 | Deseronto | 3 | | | S3 | Deseronto | 3 | | | | | | | |
| S4 | King | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Playoff results are listed on the official league website.

## Torpedo UST-Kamenogorsk exhibition series

In late December 2008 and early January 2009, the teams of the GMHL played a series of exhibition games against the Torpedo Ust-Kamenogorsk Under-18 team of Oskemen, Kazakhstan.
    South Muskoka Shield 5 - Torpedo Ust-Kamenogorsk 4
    Torpedo Ust-Kamenogorsk 8 - Toronto Canada Moose 5
    Innisfil Lakers 5 - Torpedo Ust-Kamenogorsk 3
    Bradford Rattlers 6 - Torpedo Ust-Kamenogorsk 5
    Elliot Lake Bobcats 5 - Torpedo Ust-Kamenogorsk 3
    Nipissing/Ville-Marie 8 - Torpedo Ust-Kamenogorsk 5
    King Wild 5 - Torpedo Ust-Kamenogorsk 4 (OT)
    Elliot Lake Bobcats 5 - Torpedo Ust-Kamenogorsk 1

## Scoring leaders

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty Minutes
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| Andre Leclair | Nipissing Alouettes | 41 | 49 | 61 | 110 | 111 |
| Dylan Sontag | South Muskoka Shield | 40 | 52 | 41 | 93 | 10 |
| Travis Saltz | South Muskoka Shield | 41 | 41 | 52 | 93 | 102 |
| Maxwell Douglas | Innisfil Lakers | 36 | 24 | 65 | 89 | 58 |
| Brian Davidson | Innisfil Lakers | 34 | 47 | 38 | 85 | 48 |
| Connor Hendry | Innisfil Lakers | 35 | 31 | 54 | 85 | 83 |
| Robin Mendolsohn | Nipissing Alouettes | 41 | 25 | 58 | 83 | 38 |
| Jeff Morris | Deseronto Storm | 38 | 29 | 49 | 78 | 50 |
| Brendan Farrugia | King Wild | 34 | 49 | 28 | 77 | 80 |
| Steve Wicklum | King Wild | 34 | 28 | 46 | 74 | 41 |

## Leading goaltenders

Note: GP = Games played; Mins = Minutes Played; W = Wins; L = Losses: OTL = Overtime Losses; SL = Shootout Losses; GA = Goals Allowed; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals Against Average
| Player | Team | GP | Mins | W | L | GA | SO | GAA |
| Shane Buckley | Elliot Lake Bobcats | 19 | 1067 | 12 | 7 | 44 | 3 | 2.47 |
| Travis Elvin | Deseronto Storm | 12 | 718 | 7 | 5 | 34 | 2 | 2.84 |
| Geoffrey Sadjadi | Innisfil Lakers | 17 | 930 | 14 | 3 | 45 | 1 | 2.90 |
| Jens Kensell | Deseronto Storm | 21 | 1284 | 14 | 7 | 62 | 0 | 2.90 |
| Eric Pye | South Muskoka Shield | 28 | 1636 | 26 | 2 | 81 | 2 | 2.97 |

## Awards

* Most Valuable Player - Brett Meyers (Minden Riverkings)
* Top Scorer - Adam Palm (Bradford Rattlers)
* Top Defenceman - Mitch Kriz (Elliot Lake Bobcats)
* Top Goaltender - Nikolajs Zurkovs (Brock Bucks)
* Top Forward - Travis Saltz (South Muskoka Shield)
* Rookie of the Year - Andre Leclair (Nipissing Alouettes)
* Most Heart - Matt Marchese (King Wild)
* Most Sportsmanlike Player - Dylan Sontag (South Muskoka Shield)
* Top Defensive Forward - Chad Meagher (South Muskoka Shield)
* Coach of the Year - Matt Barnhardt (Deseronto Storm)
* Official of the Year - Dave Avery