Norwich Merchants

The Norwich Merchants are a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in Norwich, Ontario, Canada. They are playing in the Provincial Junior Hockey League after playing in the Niagara & District Junior C Hockey League.
==History==
Founded in 1968, the Merchants won the Southern Counties Junior D Hockey League championship the next season, then went on to win the OHA Cup as provincial champions by defeating the Haliburton Huskies of the Central League.
In 1980, the Merchants were promoted to Junior C and joined the Niagara & District Junior C Hockey League. In 1986, the Merchants were Niagara League champions. They went on to defeat the Bradford Blues of the Mid-Ontario Junior Hockey League to win the Clarence Schmalz Cup as OHA Junior C champions. In 1987, they were again Niagara League champions. They again made it to the provincial final, but this time lost to the Lakefield Chiefs of the Central Ontario Junior C Hockey League.
In November 2011, the Merchants were sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Association for the overpayment of a former player during his time with the team. Although the team claimed the money was for education purposes, the OHA fined the team $25,000, suspended three board members for the rest of the season and three additional seasons, their 2011-12 roster was frozen for the rest of the season, and they were barred from signing imports for three following seasons.http://www.cambridgetimes.ca/sports-story/3376224-hockey-team-fined/ The Merchants appealed the decision to the Ontario Hockey Federation. The OHF overturned the roster freeze and import restrictions saying that it was not within the OHA's constitution to wield those powers. Both sides appealed to Hockey Canada next, the OHA to reinstate the penalties and the Merchants to wipe them out. Hockey Canada sided with neither party, which left the fine and suspensions in place.http://www.newhamburgindependent.ca/sports/hockey-canada-rejects-both-sides-appeals-in-norwich-merchants-jr-c-hockey-scandal/
After thirty-three years as members of the Niagara & District Junior C Hockey League, the Ontario Hockey Association realigned and the Merchants ended up in the new Midwestern Junior C Hockey League. Three years later the eight Southern Ontario junior "C" hockey leagues amalgamated into one league, the Provincial Junior Hockey League. For the Firebirds this meant they are now competing in the Central Conference - Pat Doherty Division.
==Season-by-Season record==
Note: GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OL = Overtime Losses, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
Season 	GP 	W 	L 	T 	OL 	GF 	GA 	Points 	Finish 	Playoffs 	 	
1968-69	30 	15 	14 	1 	- 	170 	145 	31 	4th SCJDHL 	 	 	
1969-70	30 	15 	14 	1 	- 	157 	127 	31 	4th SCJDHL 	Won League, Won OHA Cup 	 	
1970-71	30 	18 	10 	2 	- 	160 	138 	38 	2nd SCJDHL 	 	 	
1971-72	28 	12 	13 	3 	- 	129 	120 	27 	4th SCJDHL 	 	 	
1972-73	30 	18 	10 	2 	- 	200 	147 	38 	3rd SCJDHL 	 	 	
1973-74	28 	14 	14 	0 	- 	163 	162 	28 	4th SCJDHL 	 	 	
1974-75	30 	15 	15 	0 	- 	172 	159 	30 	3rd SCJDHL 	 	 	
1975-76	35 	21 	13 	1 	- 	-- 	-- 	43 	4th SCJDHL 	 	 	
1976-77	28 	15 	12 	1 	- 	-- 	-- 	31 	3rd SCJDHL 	 	 	
1977-78	35 	9 	22 	4 	- 	155 	226 	22 	7th SJDHL 	 	 	
1978-79	32 	12 	20 	0 	- 	157 	189 	22 	8th SJDHL 	 	 	
1979-80	34 	18 	15 	1 	- 	204 	186 	37 	4th SJDHL 	 	 	
1980-81	32 	15 	13 	4 	- 	-- 	-- 	34 	4th NJC-W 	 	 	
1981-82	32 	26 	5 	1 	- 	-- 	-- 	53 	1st NJC-W 	 	 	
1982-83	36 	24 	8 	4 	- 	-- 	-- 	52 	2nd NJC-W 	 	 	
1983-84	30 	21 	7 	2 	- 	-- 	-- 	44 	1st NJC-W 	 	 	
1984-85	32 	28 	4 	0 	- 	230 	101 	56 	1st SWJCHL 	 	 	
1985-86	36 	24 	6 	6 	- 	-- 	-- 	54 	2nd NJC-W 	Won League, Won CSC 	 	
1986-87	34 	20 	10 	4 	- 	-- 	-- 	44 	1st NJC-W 	Won League, Lost CSC Final 	 	
1987-88	36 	27 	5 	4 	- 	-- 	-- 	58 	1st NJC-W 	 	 	
1988-89	35 	13 	21 	1 	- 	-- 	-- 	27 	6th NJC-W 	 	 	
1989-90	36 	25 	7 	4 	- 	-- 	-- 	54 	1st NJC-W 	 	 	
1990-91	34 	20 	12 	2 	- 	-- 	-- 	42 	3rd NJC-W 	 	 	
1991-92	35 	16 	14 	5 	- 	190 	165 	37 	4th NJC-W 	 	 	
1992-93	36 	12 	19 	5 	- 	195 	244 	29 	5th NJC-W 	 	 	
1993-94	36 	13 	15 	8 	- 	145 	145 	34 	4th NJC-W 	 	 	
1994-95	36 	21 	11 	4 	- 	198 	135 	46 	3rd NJC-W 	 	 	
1995-96	40 	25 	12 	3 	- 	222 	151 	53 	2nd NJC-W 	 	 	
1996-97	40 	23 	14 	2 	1 	202 	153 	49 	3rd NJC-W 	 	 	
1997-98	40 	26 	13 	1 	0 	232 	160 	53 	2nd NJC-W 	Won Division, Lost Final 	 	
1998-99	35 	24 	10 	- 	1 	-- 	-- 	49 	2nd NJC-W 	Lost Div. Final 	 	
1999-00	36 	23 	10 	- 	3 	-- 	-- 	49 	2nd NJC-W 	Won Division, Lost Final 	 	
2000-01	36 	24 	9 	1 	2 	-- 	-- 	51 	1st NJC-W 	Won Division, Lost Final 	 	
2001-02	36 	19 	13 	2 	2 	-- 	-- 	42 	2nd NJC-W 	Lost Div. Final 	 	
2002-03	36 	23 	10 	1 	2 	150 	117 	49 	3rd NJCHL 	Won Division, Lost Final 	 	
2003-04	36 	25 	6 	1 	4 	160 	96 	55 	2nd NJCHL 	Lost Div. Final 	 	
2004-05	36 	18 	13 	2 	3 	136 	126 	41 	4th NJCHL 	Lost Div. Final 	 	
2005-06	36 	27 	6 	2 	1 	185 	118 	57 	3rd NJCHL 	Lost Div. Final 	 	
2006-07	36 	24 	9 	2 	1 	183 	120 	51 	3rd NJCHL 	Won Division, Lost Final 	 	
2007-08	36 	22 	11 	1 	2 	158 	88 	47 	3rd NJCHL 	Won Division, Lost Final 	 	
2008-09	36 	24 	7 	- 	5 	168 	105 	53 	2nd NJCHL 	Won League, Lost CSC SF 	 	
2009-10	36 	27 	7 	- 	2 	162 	93 	56 	2nd NJCHL 	Lost Final 	 	
2010-11	36 	32 	2 	- 	2 	187 	83 	66 	1st NJCHL 	Lost Final 	 	
2011-12	36 	24 	9 	- 	3 	144 	101 	51 	4th NJCHL 	Lost Div. Final 	 	
2012-13	38 	29 	7 	- 	2 	164 	80 	60 	2nd NJC-W 	Lost Div. Final 	 	
2013-14	40 	27 	11 	- 	2 	170 	115 	56 	4th MWJCHL 	Won Quarters - 4-3 - (Applejacks)Lost Semi's - 0-4 (Mounties) 	 	
2014-15	40 	24 	15 	1 	- 	145 	120 	49 	3rd MWJCHL 	Won Quarters - 4-2 - (Bulldogs)Won Semi's - 4-3 (Firebirds)lost League Finals, 0-4 (Centennials)	 	
2015-16	40 	15 	23 	2 	- 	129 	161 	32 	7th of 9 MWJCHL 	Lost Quarters - 0-4 - (Firebirds) 	 	
2016-17	40 	22 	18 	0 	- 	181 	153 	44 	5th of 9, PJHLDougherty Div - 	Won Div Quarters - 4-1, ((Firebirds)Lost Div. Semifinals - 0-4. (Centennials) 	 	
2017-18	40 	17 	18 	3 	2 	176 	150 	39 	6th of 9, PJHLDougherty Div - 	Lost Div Quarters - 1-4, (Navy-Vets) 	 	
2018-19	40 	21 	16 	0 	3 	176 	138 	45 	5th of 9, PJHLDougherty Div - 	Lost Div Quarters - 2-4, (Mounties) 	 	
2019-20	40 	21 	17 	2 	0 	208 	140 	44 	6th of 9, PJHLDougherty Div - 	Lost Div Quarters 	 	
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 	10 	19 	3 	4 	114 	161 	27 	5th 	Lost Division Quarterfinals 	 	
2022-23	42 	29 	12 	0 	1 	190 	122 	59 	3rd 	Lost Division Semifinals 	 	
2023-24	42 	19 	17 	1 	5 	141 	144 	44 	4th 	Lost Division Semifinals 	 	
==Clarence Schmalz Cup Final appearances==
:1986: Norwich Merchants defeated Bradford Blues 4-games-to-3
:1987: Lakefield Chiefs defeated Norwich Merchants 4-games-to-2
== References ==
==External links==
*Norwich Merchants
Category:Ontario Hockey Association
Category:Canadian ice hockey teams
Category:Established in 1968
Category:Niagara Junior C Hockey League teams
Category:Southwestern Junior C Hockey League teams
Category:Provincial Junior Hockey League (OHA) teams