Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights are an USA Hockey-sanctioned Tier II Jr. A ice hockey team from Pittston, Pennsylvania.http://www.skatenepa.com/ Starting in the 2015–16 season they will play in the North Division of the North American Hockey League (NAHL) after purchasing the dormant Dawson Creek Rage franchise, moving up from the Central Division of the Tier III Eastern Hockey League (formerly the Atlantic Junior Hockey League until 2013).
The players, ages 16–20, carry amateur status under Junior A guidelines and hope to earn a spot on higher levels of junior hockey in the United States and Canada, Canadian Major Junior, Collegiate, and eventually professional teams.
==History==
===AtJHL/EHL===
Until 2010 the team played in Binghamton, New York as the Binghamton Jr. Senators at the Chenango Ice Rink in the Atlantic Junior Hockey League (AtJHL). After relocating, the organization would also field a team at the Jr. B level in the Metropolitan Junior Hockey League as well as youth hockey select teams at the Midget U18, Midget 16U, Bantam, Peewee, and Squirt and Mite levels. The Knights have taken their name from the youth organization which was formed in 2005. Along with Revolution Ice Centre, the Knights also practice at Revolution Training Centre in Dunmore, PA. The training center has two skating surfaces: one synthetic ice and the other is an 85 x 45 ice surface.http://www.jrknightshockey.com/
The Knights won the AtJHL Championship during the 2012–13 season. The Knights came out victorious in the best of three series against the Northern Cyclones and earned the AtJHL President's Cup. The Knights lost the first game of the series 0-2 against the Cyclones, however, the Knights bounced back from their first loss of the playoffs with a lopsided 9-2 win. During the last game the Cyclones had a 2-1 lead and it looked like they would hoist the President's Cup, but Knights forward Matt Cessna tied the game at 2-2 with just 22 seconds remaining in the third period. Then, with just over four minutes remaining in the first overtime, Matt Cessna scored the game-winner. For his in-game heroics, Cessna was named the Most Valuable Player of the Playoff Championship Series. The Knights 2012–13 AtJHL Championship Team contained some well-known last names in the hockey world, including team captain Jack Ceglarski (Grandson of Len Ceglarski) and the defenceman Oscar Nyquist (Brother of Gustav Nyquist).http://wbsknights.com/feature/knights-win-ajhl-championship/http://www.eliteprospects.com/team.php?team=4518&year0=2013&status=stats
===NAHL===
On May 1, 2015, it was announced that the Knights had purchased the dormant Dawson Creek Rage franchise in the North American Hockey League and will begin play as a Tier II team in the 2015–16 NAHL season.
On May 11, 2020 the NAHL announced the relocation of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights to Danbury, Connecticut where they would be renamed the Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks.http://www.nahl.com/news/story.cfm?id=29523
===NA3AHL/EHL===
The organization would start back up a tier-III team for the 2016-17 season with a team placed in the North American 3 Atlantic Hockey League. This team would move along with most of the league's membership to the Eastern Hockey League for the 2017-18 season. The team would transfer to the NA3HL for the 2019-20 season but the team would fold due to a lack of players in mid-September.https://thejuniorhockeynews.com/the-death-pool-na3hl-has-two-fold/
===USPHL===
On February 3, 2022 the USPHL announced the addition of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights to the NCDC for the 2022-23 season. The team will be based out of the Revolution Ice Centre in Pittston, Pennsylvania with a secondary home of in Binghamton, New York.https://www.usphl.com/news_article/show/1207253
==Season-by-season records==
===Eastern Hockey League===
Season 	GP 	W 	L 	OTL 	SOL 	Pts 	GF 	GA 	Finish 	Playoffs
Eastern Hockey League (Tier III)	Eastern Hockey League (Tier III)	Eastern Hockey League (Tier III)	Eastern Hockey League (Tier III)	Eastern Hockey League (Tier III)	Eastern Hockey League (Tier III)	Eastern Hockey League (Tier III)	Eastern Hockey League (Tier III)	Eastern Hockey League (Tier III)	Eastern Hockey League (Tier III)	Eastern Hockey League (Tier III)
2013–14 	44 	19 	16 	8 	1 	47 	121 	111 	4th, Central Div.8th of 17, EHL 	Won Round 1, 2-0 vs. Philadelphia Junior FlyersLost Quarterfinals, 0-2 vs. Northern Cyclones
2014–15 	44 	28 	14 	2 	0 	58 	155 	126 	2nd, Central Div.6th of 19, EHL 	Won Round 1, 2-1 vs. Boston BanditsLost Quarterfinals, 0-2 vs. Northern Cyclones
===North American Hockey League===
====Dawson Creek Rage====
Season 	GP	W 	L 	OTL	SOL	Pts	GF 	GA 	Finish 	Playoffs
2010–11	58	24	31	2 	1 	51 	160	209	5th of 6, West	Do not qualify
2011–12	60	12	44	2 	2 	28 	139	265	6th of 6, West	Do not qualify
====Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights====
Season 	GP 	W 	L 	OL 	SL 	Pts 	GF 	GA 	Finish 	Playoffs
NAHL (Tier II)	NAHL (Tier II)	NAHL (Tier II)	NAHL (Tier II)	NAHL (Tier II)	NAHL (Tier II)	NAHL (Tier II)	NAHL (Tier II)	NAHL (Tier II)	NAHL (Tier II) 	NAHL (Tier II)
2015–16 	60 	22 	28 	10 	- 	54 	150 	232 	4th of 4, East Div.20th of 22, NAHL 	Lost Div. Semifinals, 0-3 vs. Aston Rebels
2016–17 	60 	30 	25 	1 	4 	65 	201 	193 	4th of 5, East Div.T-12th of 24, NAHL	Lost Div. Semifinals, 0-3 vs. Aston Rebels
2017-18 	60 	30 	24 	5 	1 	66 	175 	196 	3rd of 5, East Div.12th of 23, NAHL 	Won Div. Semifinals, 3-2 vs New Jersey TitansWon Div. Final, 3-0 vs Philadelphia RebelsL Robertson Cup Semifinals, 0-2 vs Shreveport Mudbugs
2018-19 	60 	26 	29 	4 	1 	57 	153 	175 	5th of 6, East Div.T-17th of 24 	Did not qualify
2019-20 	53 	26 	22 	4 	1 	57 	165 	181 	3rd of 7, East Div. 	Playoffs cancelled
Season 	GP 	W 	L 	OL 	Pts 	GF 	GA 	Finish 	Playoffs 	
NA3AHL (Tier III) 	NA3AHL (Tier III) 	NA3AHL (Tier III) 	NA3AHL (Tier III) 	NA3AHL (Tier III) 	NA3AHL (Tier III) 	NA3AHL (Tier III) 	NA3AHL (Tier III) 	NA3AHL (Tier III) 	NA3AHL (Tier III) 	NA3AHL (Tier III)
2016–17 	36 	32 	4 	0 	64 	289 	100 	2nd of 7 	Lost, Final 	
Eastern Hockey League (Tier III)	Eastern Hockey League (Tier III)	Eastern Hockey League (Tier III)	Eastern Hockey League (Tier III)	Eastern Hockey League (Tier III)	Eastern Hockey League (Tier III)	Eastern Hockey League (Tier III)	Eastern Hockey League (Tier III)	Eastern Hockey League (Tier III)	Eastern Hockey League (Tier III) 	Eastern Hockey League (Tier III)
2017-18 	50 	24 	25 	1 	49 	170 	180 	3rd Mid-Atlantic 	L, Conf Quarterfinals 1-2 (New York Applecore) 	
2018-19 	44 	27 	13 	4 	58 	167 	116 	3rd Central 	W, Conf Quarterfinals 2-0 (New York Applecore)W, Conf Semifinals 2g-1 (New Jersey 87's)Eliminated in Semifinal Round Robin	
===USPHL===
Season 	GP	W 	L 	OL	SL 	GF 	GA 	Pts 	Finish 	Playoffs
2021-22 USPHL Elite 	44	35	8 	0 	1 	192	97 	71 	1st Mid-Atlantic 	Lost Semifinal
2021-22 USPHL Premier	44	39	3 	2 	- 	228	89 	80 	1st Atlantic East 	W, DSF 2-0 (Buffalo Jr. Stampede)Finish in 1st Pool AW, QF 2-1 (ot) (Minnesota Blue Ox)L, SF 1-8 (Metro Jets)
2022-23 USPHL Elite 	44	39	3 	2 	0 	260	105	80 	1st Mid-Atlantic 	Lost Championship game
2022-23 USPHL Premier	44	35	7 	2 	0 	217	92 	72 	2nd Mid-Atlantic 	W, DQF 2-0 (Elmira Jr. Enforcers)W, 2-1 (Utica Jr. Comets)W, 5-1 eighthfinal (Tampa Bay Juniors)L, QF 1-2 (Northern Cyclones)
2022-23 NCDC 	50	17	28	2 	3 	138	190	39 	7th South 	Did not qualify
2023-24 NCDC 	52	20	25	6 	1 	147	177	47 	6th Altantic 	Did not qualify
2023-24 Premier 	44	30	7 	3 	4 	209	110	67 	2nd Atlatnic 	Lost National eighthfinals
2023-24 USPHL Elite 	44	28	15	0 	165	138	57 	1st Atlantic	Lost Quarterfinals	
==Alumni==
The Junior Senators have produced a number of alumni playing in higher levels of junior hockey, NCAA Division I, Division III, ACHA college and professional programs, including:http://www.wbsknights.com/home/pages/alumni.php?last=a
* Jerry D'amigo Toronto Maple Leafs 2009 NHL Entry Draft - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (ECAC Hockey)http://www.rpiathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=3025
==See also==
*Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins 
==References==
==External links==
* Official W-B/S Knights web site
* North American Hockey League webpage
* Championship Article
Category:North American 3 Atlantic Hockey League team
Category:Eastern Hockey League teams
Category:American ice hockey teams
Category:Atlantic Junior Hockey League team
Category:Established in 2005