Tavistock Braves

The Tavistock Braves are a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in Tavistock, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Provincial Junior Hockey League (formerly Midwestern Junior C Hockey League) of the Ontario Hockey Association.
==History==
During the 1981-82 season Tavistock finished first overall in regular season league play for the first time in franchise history. In 1982-83 the feat was repeated and was upstaged with the first and only OHA Cup in franchise history. In 1986-87 and 1987-88 Tavistock would once again post back-to-back first overall regular season finishes. However in both seasons they would fall short of the OHA Cup.
After suffering relative mediocrity through the 1990s Tavistock would return as a power in the 2000s. In the early 2000s Tavistock was consistently held just short of a championship by a pair of Hawks. Both Exeter and Hagersville took turns ending Tavistock's postseason runs a little earlier than expected.
As the decade progressed Tavistock would encounter a new rival. In the spring of 2006 the Delhi Travellers would be responsible for eliminating the Braves in the conference finals in four games. In 2006-07 Tavistock finished first place overall during the regular season. The league's top two scorers, Jeff Roes and Joe Voll played for the Tavistock Braves during the 06-07 season, Voll set a team and conference record tallying 122 points in 42 games. However come playoff time the Braves again found themselves in a battle for the conference title with Delhi. This time falling short in a dramatic game seven double overtime loss. In 2007-08 Tavistock would again meet the rival Travellers in the McConnell Conference final, however unlike the previous two years the Braves managed to come back from a 3-1 series deficit to take the Conference title. Twenty-five years after their previous OHA Cup Championship the Braves were unable to duplicate the accomplishment and fell to a strong Thamesford Trojans team in four games.
With the restructuring of the Southern Ontario Junior Hockey League for the 2008-09 season Tavistock found themselves in a conference with longtime local rivals the Ayr Centennials and Wellesley Applejacks as well as a newly formed foe in Thamesford. Due to an imbalanced schedule Tavistock and Thamesford would play each other eight times during the regular season. The two heavy weights of the division battled it out for the conference title until January when Thamesford began to pull away. As expected the two teams breezed through their first rounds and met up in the conference finals. Tavistock came out with the short end of the stick losing an extremely close series four games to one with no games were decided by more than a goal.
In the Summer of 2013, the Ontario Hockey Association realigned and the Braves ended up in the Midwestern Junior C Hockey League.
For the 2016-17 season the eight Ontario Junior "C" hockey leagues amalgamated into one league, the Provincial Junior Hockey League. The Midwestern League was placed in the South Conference and re-branded the Pat Doherty division.
==Season-by-season standings==
Season 	GP 	W 	L 	T 	OTL 	GF 	GA 	P 	Results 	Playoffs 	 	
1970-71	34 	17 	12 	5 	- 	210 	177 	39 	2nd WJDHL 	 	 	
1971-72	30 	7 	22 	1 	- 	138 	210 	15 	7th WJDHL 	 	 	
1972-73	29 	4 	22 	3 	- 	114 	202 	11 	8th WJDHL 	 	 	
1973-74	34 	6 	27 	1 	- 	141 	269 	13 	8th WJDHL 	 	 	
1974-75	32 	12 	18 	2 	- 	168 	198 	28 	7th WJDHL 	 	 	
1975-76	28 	16 	8 	4 	- 	173 	131 	36 	3rd WJDHL 	 	 	
1976-77	31 	21 	8 	2 	- 	216 	150 	44 	3rd WJDHL 	 	 	
1977-78	34 	8 	25 	1 	- 	149 	239 	17 	8th WJDHL 	 	 	
1978-79	34 	9 	21 	4 	- 	158 	236 	21 	8th WJDHL 	 	 	
1979-80	33 	10 	19 	4 	- 	148 	182 	24 	8th WJDHL 	 	 	
1980-81	34 	19 	10 	5 	- 	217 	150 	43 	4th WJDHL 	 	 	
1981-82	38 	27 	7 	4 	- 	260 	165 	58 	1st WJDHL 	 	 	
1982-83	38 	31 	5 	2 	- 	278 	147 	64 	1st WJDHL 	 	 	
1983-84	34 	15 	17 	2 	- 	220 	186 	32 	5th WJDHL 	 	 	
1984-85	34 	23 	9 	2 	- 	230 	158 	48 	3rd WJDHL 	 	 	
1985-86	42 	20 	15 	7 	- 	206 	195 	47 	5th WJDHL 	 	 	
1986-87	40 	28 	8 	4 	- 	-- 	-- 	60 	1st SJDHL 	 	 	
1987-88	31 	24 	4 	3 	- 	-- 	-- 	51 	1st SJDHL 	 	 	
1988-89	36 	19 	16 	1 	- 	238 	194 	39 	10th WJDHL 	 	 	
1989-90	35 	9 	21 	5 	- 	133 	183 	23 	14th WJDHL 	 	 	
1990-91	40 	16 	21 	3 	0 	181 	209 	35 	12th WJDHL 	 	 	
1991-92	34 	16 	16 	2 	0 	162 	172 	34 	12th OHAJDL 	 	 	
1992-93	39 	13 	17 	7 	2 	141 	164 	35 	12th OHAJDL 	 	 	
1993-94	40 	12 	22 	6 	- 	179 	225 	30 	12th OHAJDL 	 	 	
1994-95	39 	21 	11 	3 	4 	189 	172 	49 	5th OHAJDL 	 	 	
1995-96	40 	17 	21 	0 	2 	181 	198 	36 	11th OHAJDL 	 	 	
1996-97	39 	20 	16 	1 	2 	196 	176 	43 	7th OHAJDL 	 	 	
1997-98	37 	8 	28 	1 	2 	115 	168 	17 	16th OHAJDL 	 	 	
1998-99	37 	15 	20 	1 	1 	126 	148 	32 	14th OHAJDL 	 	 	
1999-00	38 	15 	21 	1 	1 	145 	188 	32 	12th OHAJDL 	 	 	
2000-01	40 	29 	9 	2 	0 	-- 	-- 	60 	2nd OHAJDL 	 	 	
2001-02	40 	28 	7 	4 	1 	213 	112 	61 	2nd OHAJDL 	 	 	
2002-03	40 	21 	15 	2 	2 	158 	145 	46 	6th OHAJDL 	 	 	
2003-04	40 	30 	9 	1 	0 	187 	116 	61 	2nd OHAJDL 	 	 	
2004-05	39 	27 	9 	3 	0 	174 	126 	57 	2nd OHAJDL 	 	 	
2005-06	37 	21 	10 	5 	1 	191 	126 	48 	7th OHAJDL 	 	 	
2006-07	42 	34 	7 	0 	1 	243 	116 	69 	1st SOJHL 	Lost Conf. Final 	 	
2007-08	42 	26 	14 	- 	2 	169 	115 	54 	6th SOJHL 	Lost Final 	 	
2008-09	40 	19 	17 	- 	4 	131 	137 	42 	6th SOJHL 	Lost Conf. Final 	 	
2009-10	36 	17 	14 	- 	5 	136 	136 	39 	8th SOJHL 	Lost Conf. Final 	 	
2010-11	35 	26 	6 	- 	3 	160 	91 	55 	1st SOJHL 	Lost Conf. Final 	 	
2011-12	35 	21 	11 	- 	3 	141 	97 	45 	6th SOJHL 	Lost Conf. Quarter-final 	 	
2012-13	38 	17 	18 	- 	3 	151 	129 	37 	5th SOJHL-Mc 	Lost Conf. Semi-final 	 	
2013-14	40 	16 	22 	- 	2 	110 	160 	34 	6th MWJCHL 	Lost Quarter-final 2-4 (Firebirds) 	 	
2014-15	40 	17 	21 	2 	- 	117 	127 	36 	7th MWJCHL 	Lost Quarter-final 1-4 (Firebirds) 	 	
2015-16	40 	19 	20 	1 	- 	131 	151 	39 	5th of 9 MWJCHL 	Lost Quarter-final 1-4 (Applejacks) 	 	
2016-17	40 	18 	22 	0 	- 	153 	153 	36 	7th of 9, PJHLDoherty Div 	Lost Div Quarters 3-4 (Paris Mounties) 	 	
2017-18	40 	29 	6 	2 	3 	215 	115 	63 	2nd of 9, PJHLDoherty Div 	Won Div Quarters 4-1 (Firebirds)Won Div Semis 4-3 (Navy Vets)Won Div Finals 4-3 (Centennials)Lost Conf Finals 0-4 (Rangers)	 	
2018-19	40 	32 	5 	1 	2 	209 	79 	67 	1st of 9, PJHLDougherty Div 	Won Div Quarters 4-0 (Travellers)Won Div Semis 4-3 (Paris Mounties)Lost Div Finals 1-4 (Applejacks) 	 	
2019-20	40 	30 	6 	3 	1 	240 	92 	64 	1st of 9, PJHLDougherty Div 	Division Final tied 2-2 when playoffs cancelled 	 	
2020-21	Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic	Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic	Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic	Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic	Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic	Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic	Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic	Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic	Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic	Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic 	Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic	Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021-22	36 	26 	6 	2 	2 	172 	82 	56 	2nd 	Lost Division Final 	 	
2022-23	41 	21 	15 	2 	3 	142 	121 	47 	4th 	Lost Division Semifinals 	 	
2023-24	42 	23 	16 	2 	1 	142 	114 	49 	3rd 	Lost Division Quarterfinals 	 	
===Playoffs===
*1983 Won league, Won OHA Championship
:Tavistock Braves defeated St. George Dukes 4-games-to-2 in OHA final
*1987 Won league, Lost OHA final
:Lucan Irish defeated Tavistock Braves 4-games-to-3 in OHA final
*2002 Lost league final
:Exeter Hawks defeated Tavistock Braves 4-games-to-none in final
*2004 Lost league final
:Exeter Hawks defeated Tavistock Braves 4-games-to-2 in final
*2006 Lost conference final
:Tavistock Braves defeated St. George Dukes 4-games-to-2 in conf. quarter-final
:Tavistock Braves defeated Wellesley Applejacks 4-games-to-1 in conf. semi-final
:Delhi Travellers defeated Tavistock Braves 4-games-to-none in conf. final
*2007 Lost conference final
:Tavistock Braves defeated Ayr Centennials 4-games-to-0 in conf. quarter-final.
:Tavistock Braves defeated Hagersville Hawks 4-games-to-2 in conf. semi-final.
:Delhi Travellers defeated Tavistock Braves 4-games-to-3 in conf. final.
*2008 Won McConnell Conference, Lost OHA Cup final
:Tavistock Braves defeated Hagersville Hawks 4-games-to-0 in conf. quarter-final.
:Tavistock Braves defeated St. George Dukes 4-games-to-1 in conf. semi-final.
:Tavistock Braves defeated Delhi Travellers 4-games-to-3 in conf. final.
:Thamesford Trojans defeated Tavistock Braves 4-games-to-none in OHA Cup final.
*2009 Lost conference final
:Tavistock Braves defeated Ayr Centennials 4-games-to-1 in conf. semi-final.
:Thamesford Trojans defeated Tavistock Braves 4-games-to-1 in conf. final.
*2010 Lost conference final
:Tavistock Braves defeated Ayr Centennials 4-games-to-1 in conf. semi-final.
:Thamesford Trojans defeated Tavistock Braves 4-games-to-3 in conf. final.
*2011 Lost conference final
:Tavistock Braves defeated Port Dover Sailors 4-games-to-0 in conf. quarter-final.
:Tavistock Braves defeated Delhi Travellers 4-games-to-3 in conf. semi-final.
:Ayr Centennials defeated Tavistock Braves 4-games-to-2 in conf. final.
*2012 Lost conference quarter-final
:St. George Dukes defeated Tavistock Braves 4-games-to-3 in conf. quarter-final.
*2013 Lost conference semi-final
:Tavistock Braves defeated Burford Bulldogs 4-games-to-2 in conf. quarter-final.
:Ayr Centennials defeated Tavistock Braves 4-games-to-1 in conf. semi-final.
*2014 Lost league quarter-final
:New Hamburg Firebirds defeated Tavistock Braves 4-games-to-2 in league quarter-final.
*2015 Lost league quarter-final
:New Hamburg Firebirds defeated Tavistock Braves 4-games-to-1 in league quarter-final.
*2016 Lost league quarter-final
:Wellesley Applejacks defeated Tavistock Braves 4-games-to-1 in league quarter-final.
*2017 Lost division quarter-final
:Paris Mounties defeated Tavistock Braves 4-games-to-3 in division quarter-final
:
:2018 Lost Schmalz Cup quarter-final
:Tavistock Braves defeated New Hamburg Firebirds 4-games-to-1 in division quarter-final
:Tavistock Braves defeated Woodstock Navy-Vets 4-games-to-0 in division semi-final
:Tavistock Braves defeated Ayr Centennials 4-games-to-3 in division final
:Glanbrook Rangers defeated Tavistock Braves 4-games-to-0 in Schmalz Cup quarter-final
:
:2019 Lost division final
:Tavistock Braves defeated Delhi Travellers 4-games-to-0 in division quarter-final
:Tavistock Braves defeated Paris Mounties 4-games-to-3 in division semi-final
:Wellesley Applejacks defeated Tavistock Braves 4-games-to-1 in division final
:
==Notable alumni==
Jeff Zehr played for the Tavistock Braves during the 1993/94 season.
==External links==
*Braves Homepage
Category:Canadian ice hockey teams
Category:Southern Ontario Junior Hockey League team
Category:OHA Junior Development League teams
Category:Established in 1970
Category:Provincial Junior Hockey League (OHA) teams