2015-16 OHL Season

This is the 2015-16 Ontario Hockey League season.  This is the league's 46th season dating back to its' founding as the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League.
There are currently 20 teams in the OHL; 16 are based in the Canadian province of Ontario,three teams in the American state of Michigan and one team in the American state of Pennsylvania. Out of the 18 teams based in Ontario, 15 teams are in Southern Ontario, and 3 teams are in Northern Ontario.
The 20 OHL clubs play a 68 game unbalanced schedule, which starts in the third full week of September, running until the third week of March. Ninety per cent (90%) of OHL games are scheduled between Thursday and Sunday to minimize the number of school days missed for its players. Ninety-five per cent (95%) of the players in the league are attending high school or college.
The Flint Firebirds were forced to move a March 16th game against the London Knights to the Dow Event Center in Saginaw, Michigan due to a burst pipe at the Dort Federal Credit Union Event Center.
==The Flint Firebird Fiasco==
On November 8th, the owner of the Flint Firebirds fired the head coach, John Gruden after the team pulled out a come from behind overtime victory over the defending Memorial Cup champions earlier.  According to published reports the issue was the amount of ice time that owner, Rolf Nilson's 17 year old son was receiving.  Upon hearing of the removal of the coach the whole 24 members of the team quit, not wanting to play for anyone else but Coach Gruden.  Among those quitting the team were the owner's son, Håkon Nilsen.  The whole team went into the team's front office and threw their jerseys on the ground, quit the team and then walked out.  OHL commissioner David Branch was scheduled to meet with the ownership of the franchise on Monday November 9th to try to salvage anything out of what is a very bad situation for all involved.  After the meeting the owner issued a release through the OHL's website stating that he made "an irresponsible mistake" and the coaches were reinstated and meetings were held between the league commissioner, ownership, coaches and players.
The Firebirds organization made news headlines again on February 17th when the owner fired Coach (and now GM since January) Gruden and assistant coach Dave Karpa and named director of operations Sergei Kharin interim head coach. The way the handling of the terminations was handled (mainly involving communication to the players and the league) has lead to the league looking into the terminations. Commissioner Branch was in contact with the team's captain, Alex Peters and was planning on meeting with the rest of the players and parents within a few days. At the time of the firings the team was in 9th place in the conference with a 11-31-6 record and lost 8 of their last ten games. The team was actually on a pace for a better record than in 2014-15.
The league made the following announcements after the initial phase of their investigation: The owner and his appointees on the  management and coaching staff (including interim coach Sergei Kharin). The team is to provide counseling services for the players and that the management team is to co-operate with the commissioner and the league  for the rest of the investigation. The league and the commissioner have said they will take any appropriate actions to remedy the situation.
On April 6, 2016 the league annouced that owner Rolf Nilsen was suspended as for five years and fined $250,000 as a result of an investigation conducted by the league.  The report stated that Nilsen had violated an agreement he signed with the league on November 11, 2015.  The team was also penalized with the forfeiture of the team's first round pick in the OHL Priority Selection (the third pick overall in the draft).  The release stated if Nilsen violates any of the terms of the order from the league he will be required to sell 100% of his ownership interest in the Firebirds. Nilsen may file for re-instatement to participate in hockey operations after 3 years.  The league further announced that Joe Birch who took over the hockey operations in February will continue in the position and additional staff (head coach, GM, and other hockey operational staff) would be named shortly.  The team will continue to be under the stewardship, supervision and direction of the league commissioner.
==Franchise changes==
* the Belleville Bulls were sold to the then owner of the Hamilton's AHL franchise and announced as relocating to the city when the Montreal Canadiens purchased the AHL team and announced plans to relocate the AHL franchise to St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador.  The team will be known as the Hamilton Bulldogs, the same as the previous AHL team. 
*The Plymouth Whalers were sold and announced to be relocating to Flint, Michigan and would be renamed the Flint Firebirds.
==Current member teams==
Ontario Hockey League	Ontario Hockey League 	Ontario Hockey League 	Ontario Hockey League 	Ontario Hockey League
Eastern Conference 	Eastern Conference 	Eastern Conference 	Eastern Conference 	Eastern Conference
Division 	Team 	City 	Arena 	Capacity
East 	Hamilton Bulldogs 	Hamilton, Ontario, Canada 	FirstOntario Centre 	17,383
East 	Kingston Frontenacs 	Kingston, Ontario, Canada 	Rogers K-Rock Centre 	5,614
East 	Oshawa Generals 	Oshawa, Ontario, Canada 	General Motors Centre 	6,125
East 	Ottawa 67's 	Ottawa, Ontario, Canada 	TD Place Arena 	9,862
East 	Peterborough Petes 	Peterborough, Ontario, Canada 	Peterborough Memorial Centre 	4,329
Central 	Barrie Colts 	Barrie, Ontario, Canada 	Barrie Molson Centre 	4,195
Central 	Mississauga Steelheads 	Mississauga, Ontario, Canada 	Hershey Centre 	5,612
Central 	Niagara IceDogs 	St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada 	Meridian Centre 	5,300
Central 	North Bay Battalion 	North Bay, Ontario, Canada 	North Bay Memorial Gardens 	4,043
Central 	Sudbury Wolves 	Sudbury, Ontario, Canada 	Sudbury Community Arena 	4,640
Western Conference 	Western Conference 	Western Conference 	Western Conference 	Western Conference
Division 	Team 	City 	Arena 	Capacity
Midwest 	Erie Otters 	Erie, Pennsylvania, USA 	Erie Insurance Arena 	6,833
Midwest 	Guelph Storm 	Guelph, Ontario, Canada 	Sleeman Centre 	4,715
Midwest 	Kitchener Rangers 	Kitchener, Ontario, Canada 	Kitchener Memorial Auditorium Complex 	7,777
Midwest 	London Knights 	London, Ontario, Canada 	Budweiser Gardens 	9,046
Midwest 	Owen Sound Attack 	Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada 	Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre	3,500
West 	Flint Firebirds 	Flint, Michigan, USA 	Dort Federal Credit Union Event Center	4,021
West 	Saginaw Spirit 	Saginaw, Michigan, USA 	Dow Event Center 	5,527
West 	Sarnia Sting 	Sarnia, Ontario, Canada 	RBC Centre 	5,500
West 	Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds	Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada	Essar Centre 	4,928
West 	Windsor Spitfires 	Windsor, Ontario, Canada 	WFCU Centre 	6,450
==Standings==
Eastern Conference 	Eastern Conference	Eastern Conference	Eastern Conference	Eastern Conference	Eastern Conference	Eastern Conference	Eastern Conference	Eastern Conference	Eastern Conference	Eastern Conference
East Division 	East Division 	East Division 	East Division 	East Division 	East Division 	East Division 	East Division 	East Division 	East Division 	East Division
Team 	GP 	W 	L 	T 	OTL 	SOL 	GF 	GA 	PIM 	P
Kingston Frontenacs 	68 	46 	17 	- 	3 	2 	252 	189 	1018 	97
Ottawa 67's 	68 	36 	29 	- 	2 	1 	234 	219 	638 	75
Peterborough Petes 	68 	33 	28 	- 	2 	5 	240 	259 	788 	73
Oshawa Generals 	68 	27 	33 	- 	4 	4 	197 	235 	756 	62
Hamilton Bulldogs 	68 	25 	35 	- 	8 	0 	197 	260 	782 	58
Central Division 	Central Division 	Central Division 	Central Division 	Central Division 	Central Division 	Central Division 	Central Division 	Central Division 	Central Division 	Central Division
Team 	GP 	W 	L 	T 	OTL 	SOL 	GF 	GA 	PIM 	P
Barrie Colts 	68 	43 	22 	- 	0 	3 	295 	207 	1051 	89
North Bay Battalion 	68 	35 	23 	- 	6 	4 	240 	227 	727 	80
Niagara IceDogs 	68 	35 	26 	- 	4 	3 	213 	198 	895 	77
Mississauga Steelheads 	68 	33 	30 	- 	2 	3 	215 	229 	901 	71
Sudbury Wolves 	68 	16 	46 	- 	5 	1 	183 	328 	978 	38
Western Conference 	Western Conference	Western Conference	Western Conference	Western Conference	Western Conference	Western Conference	Western Conference	Western Conference	Western Conference	Western Conference
Midwest Division 	Midwest Division 	Midwest Division 	Midwest Division 	Midwest Division 	Midwest Division 	Midwest Division 	Midwest Division 	Midwest Division 	Midwest Division 	Midwest Division
Team 	GP 	W 	L 	T 	OTL 	SOL 	GF 	GA 	PIM 	P
Erie Otters 	68 	52 	15 	- 	1 	0 	269 	183 	655 	105
London Knights 	68 	51 	14 	- 	2 	1 	319 	182 	1037 	105
Kitchener Rangers 	68 	44 	17 	- 	5 	2 	256 	197 	729 	95
Owen Sound Attack 	68 	32 	25 	- 	8 	3 	209 	222 	796 	75
Guelph Storm 	68 	13 	49 	- 	4 	2 	156 	297 	1004 	32
West Division 	West Division 	West Division 	West Division 	West Division 	West Division 	West Division 	West Division 	West Division 	West Division 	West Division
Team 	GP 	W 	L 	T 	OTL 	SOL 	GF 	GA 	PIM 	P
Sarnia Sting 	68 	42 	19 	- 	5 	2 	254 	192 	889 	91
Windsor Spitfires 	68 	40 	21 	- 	6 	1 	253 	200 	880 	87
Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds	68 	33 	27 	- 	7 	1 	243 	233 	605 	74
Saginaw Spirit 	68 	24 	36 	- 	5 	3 	209 	282 	799 	56
Flint Firebirds 	68 	20 	42 	- 	4 	2 	184 	279 	825 	46
==2016 J. Ross Robertson Cup Playoffs==
===Format===
The OHL playoffs consist of 16 teams,the top 8 from each conference. The teams play a best-of-seven game series, and the winner of each series advances to the next round. The final two teams eventually compete for the J. Ross Robertson Cup.
The J. Ross Robertson Cup champion advances to the 2016 Memorial Cup which is scheduled to be held in Red Deer, Alberta and be hosted by the Red Deer Rebels.  All of the games will be held at the ENMAX Centrium. This will be the 98th Memorial Cup championship and will determine the champion of the Canadian Hockey League.   The tournament wlll match up the champions of the three member leagues of the Canadian Hockey League (the Western Hockey League, the Ontario Hockey League, and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and the host Red Deer Rebels.
===Eastern Conference Quarterfinals===
*Kingston Frontenacs defeated Oshawa Generals 4 games to 1 (6-0, 7-3, 5-4, 3-4 (ot), 6-0)
*Barrie Colts defeated Mississauga Steelheads 4 games to 3 (5-2, 3-6, 3-4 (ot), 6-5 (ot), 3-0, 0-7, 5-1)
*North Bay Battalion defeated Peterborough Petes 4 games to 3 (2-1, 3-5, 6-7 (ot), 2-0, 2-1 (ot), 5-7, 4-1)
*Niagara IceDogs defeated Ottawa 67's 4 games to 1 (5-4, 5-3, 2-4, 2-1 (ot), 5-2)
===Western Conference Quarterfinals===
*Erie Otters defeated Saginaw Spirit 4 games to none (5-1, 7-3, 6-3, 6-4)
*Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds defeated Sarnia Sting 4 games to 3 (6-3, 5-2, 2-5, 3-2 (ot), 1-5, 1-5, 4-3)
*London Knights defeated Owen Sound Attack 4 games to 2 (4-2, 0-2, 5-1, 8-5, 3-4 (ot), 6-2)
*Kitchener Rangers defeated Windsor Spitfires 4 games to 1 (6-5 (ot), 6-4, 2-1, 4-5 (ot), 5-2)
===Eastern Conference Semifinals===
*Niagara IceDogs defeated Kingston Frontenacs 4 games to none (3-1, 6-5 (ot), 3-2 (ot), 3-1)
*Barrie Colts defeated North Bay Battalion 4 games to none ( 5-2, 3-2 (ot), 4-2, 6-0)
===Western Conference Semifinals===
*Erie Otters defeated Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds 4 games to 1 (3-2 (ot), 3-1, 2-3, 5-2, 5-2)
*London Knights defeated Kitchener Rangers 4 games to none (6-3, 5-3, 2-1 (ot), 6-4)
===Eastern Conference Final===
*Niagara IceDogs defeated Barrie Colts 4 games to none (3-2, 4-1, 6-3, 3-2)
The Niagara IceDogs win the Bobby Orr Trophy as Eastern Conference Champions
===Western Conference Final===
*defeated Erie Otters 4 games to none (7-4, 6-1, 5-1, 5-1)
The London Knights win the Wayne Gretzky Trophy as Western Conference Champions
===J. Ross Robertson Cup Final===
*London Knights defeated Niagara IceDogs 4 games to none (4-1, 6-1, 6-5 (ot), 1-0)
The J. Ross Robertson Cup champion London Knights advance to the 2016 Memorial Cup which is scheduled to be held in Red Deer, Alberta and be hosted by the Red Deer Rebels.
Category:2016 in hockey
Category:Ontario Hockey League seasons
Category:Ontario Hockey League