London Lakers The London Lakers are a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in London , Ontario , Canada . Until the end of the 2007 - 2008 season , they played in the Southern Ontario Junior Hockey League of the Ontario Hockey Association ( OHA ) , originally in Port Stanley , Ontario and later in West Lorne , Ontario . The Lakers left the OHA in 2008 and played as an independent team . They will join the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League for the 2015 - 16 season . History . The Port Stanley Lakers were founded in 1989 as members of the Western Ontario Junior D Hockey League . A large league comprising the remnants of multiple other Southern Ontario Junior leagues . In 1991 , this league renamed itself the OHA Junior Development League . In 1994 , the Lakers finished first amongst all OHAJDL teams in the regular season with a stellar record of 36 wins , 2 losses , and 2 ties . They made it all the way to the league finals in the playoffs and found themselves nose - to - nose with the Mitchell Hawks . The Hawks were not to be denied as they swept the Lakers aside 4 - games - to - none to win the OHA Cup as league champions . The 1995 season saw the Lakers pull off a rock solid performance , finishing second overall . They pushed all the way to the OHAJDL finals once again . Their opponents this time around were the Thamesford Trojans . The Trojans defeated the Lakers 4 - games - to - 2 to win the OHA Cup . The next season , the Lakers entered the playoffs and met the Lambeth Lancers in the first round . The Lancers meant business and defeated the Lakers 4 - games - to - 2 to put them out of the playoffs . The Lakers finished the 1996 - 97 season in fifth place overall . In the first round of the playoffs , they met the Thamesford Trojans . They defeated the Trojans 4 - games - to - none . In the second round , the Lakers were defeated by the Mount Brydges Bulldogs 4 - games - to - 2 . The Lakers showed great promise in the 1997 - 98 season , finishing second overall . They entered the playoffs against the Lambeth Lancers , whom they defeated 4 - games - to - 1 . In the second round , the Lakers were up against the Thamesford Trojans who they also beat in five games . In the conference final , Port Stanley ran into the Exeter Hawks . In a drawn out series , the Hawks bested the Lakers in the seventh game to win the series 4 - games - to - 3 and deny the Lakers a chance at the OHA Cup . The 1999 - 00 proved to be one for the ages for the Port Stanley Lakers . After finishing first overall in the OHAJDL with a record of 31 wins and 9 losses , the Lakers pushed deep into the playoffs . Their first opponents were the Lambeth Lancers , who the Lakers defeat 4 - games - to - 2 . In the second round , the Lakers came up against the Thamesford Trojans and swept them 4 - games - to - none . The conference finals were next and the Lakers were up against a tough Lucan Irish squad . The Irish couldn ' t handle the Lakers , as Port Stanley took the series 4 - games - to - 1 . This earned the Lakers their first OHAJDL final since 1995 . The Lakers challenged the Burford Bulldogs and defeated them 4 - games - to - 1 to win their franchises first ever OHA Cup . The 2000 - 01 season marked the end of an era of domination for the Lakers . This was the last season for many that they would ride amongst the top teams in the standings . After finishing first overall in the league , the Lakers entered the playoffs against the North Middlesex Stars . The Lakers swept the Stars 4 - games - to - none . In the second round of the playoffs , the Lakers met the Seaforth Centenaires . The underdog Centenaires took the Lakers to game seven and defeated them in an upset . In 2004 , the Lakers met Thamesford in the first round of the playoffs and defeated them 4 - games - to - none . In the second round , they met Lambeth and defeated them 4 - games - to - 2 . In the conference final , the Lakers met the Exeter Hawks and were swept in four games . During the off - season , the Lakers moved to West Elgin and became the West Lorne Lakers . In 2005 , the Lakers met Lambeth in the first round of the playoffs and defeated them in seven games . They then met the Lucan Irish and again won the series in seven games . In the conference final , it appeared that the Lakers might do it again in game seven to the Mount Brydges Bulldogs . This time , the opponents prevailed and the Bulldogs won the series in seven games . In 2006 , the Lakers met the Exeter Hawks in the first round of the playoffs . The Hawks fell to the Lakers 4 - games - to - 2 . In the second round of the playoffs , the Lakers fell to Thamesford 4 - games - to - none . In the off - season , the OHAJDL disbanded and the Southern Ontario Junior Hockey League was formed in its place . West Lorne finished low in the standings but still made the playoffs . They met the Lambeth Lancers in the first round and defeated them 4 - games - to - 2 . In the second round of the playoffs , the Lakers lost to the North Middlesex Stars 4 - games - to - 2 . After nineteen seasons in the Ontario Hockey Association , the Lakers franchise announced that they will be leaving the OHA . " The Lakers will continue play in various forms at other venues outside the OHA , " said team President Wayne Bedford . As of the 2008 - 09 season , the Lakers joined the local men ' s recreational league in London , posing a 19 - 1 - 0 record in their first year and winning their league in 2009 , 2010 , and 2011 . On January 3 , 2015 , the Lakers ' website announced that the London Lakers would be joining the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League for the 2015 - 16 season . Under new owners , the Lakers will play out of the newly renovated London Sports Park . The Lakers then brought on Hayden Maass to serve as General Manager and Director of Marketing for the Lakers leading up to their first season of GMHL hockey .