Wiarton Rock (GMHL)

The Wiarton Rock were a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in Wiarton, Ontario. The team was in the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL). The Rock have been relocated multiple times, spending time in King, Nobleton, Lefroy, and Markdale, Ontario. A new team known as the Wiarton Schooners was sold to John and Beth Dyer, who were previously host parents to players, on March 20, 2017 after the Rock had folded on December 16, 2016.
==Point of Clarification==
Originally, the Schooners were listed as a continuation of the previous Rock franchise but they are in fact a new team.
==History==
The King Wild's first game was the first game in the GMHL's history taking place on September 8, 2006, against the Richmond Hill Rams in Richmond Hill, Ontario. The Wild lost 6-0 to the Rams despite outshooting them. The Wild's first victory was a 5-1 decision over the Toronto Canada Moose on September 9, 2006. The team's first home game was against the Nipissing Alouettes on September 10, 2006. The Wild were victorious, winning by a 5-3 score.
The 2006–07 finalists started the 2007–08 season off rather slow. After playing poorly for most of the season, the Wild surged in the last quarter with a long winning streak to pull to a .500 record by the final regular season game. In the bye round of the playoffs, all byes had been picked and the final two teams remaining were the Wild and the Douro Dukes who would play in the first round by default. Although the Dukes played well, the Wild swept the series 4-0. The Wild continued to play well against the Temiscaming Royals in the league quarter-finals, but were still defeated by the second-seeded team in six games.
In March 2008, the Wild and the Richmond Hill Rams challenged the Mexico national ice hockey team to a set of four exhibition games. The first of two games for the Wild happened on March 22, as the Wild defeated the Mexican Senior team 7-6 in overtime. On March 25, the Wild beat them again 7-6, this time in regulation.
At the 2010 Summer Annual Governor's Meeting, it was announced that the Wild would relocate to the Vaughan Ice Plex in Vaughan, Ontario, after two seasons in Nobleton and two previous in King City.
In the summer of 2011, the Vaughan Wild moved to Lefroy, Ontario, and became the Lefroy Wave. In the spring of 2014, the Wave moved to Markdale, Ontario, and became the Grey Highlands Bravehearts. The Bravehearts were the first junior team to call home since the Junior D Markdale Mohawks played their final season in 1984–85.
After two seasons in Markdale, the Bravehearts moved again to Wiarton, Ontario, for the 2016–17 season where they became the Wiarton Rock.
The team folded December 14th, the team had struggled on the ice and financially. The team was previously kept afloat with some financial help from the ownership of the Meaford Knights. The team finished with a record of 1-24-1 with 69 goals score and 243 goals allowed.
==A New Beginning==
On March 20, 2017 the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League announced that an expansion team had been sold to former host parents John and Beth Dyer and would begin play for the 2017-18 season with the name of Wiarton Schooners. The new owners have made it abundantly clear the Schooners have nothing to do with the previous Rock franchise (and its ownership) and want this team to be a positive part of the community.
==Season-by-season records==
Season 	GP 	W 	L 	T 	OTL 	GF 	GA 	Pts 	Regular Season Finish 	Playoffs
King Wild 	King Wild 	King Wild 	King Wild 	King Wild 	King Wild 	King Wild 	King Wild 	King Wild 	King Wild 	King Wild
2006–07 	42 	26 	13 	— 	3 	190 	152 	55 	2nd GMHL 	Lost Finals
2007–08 	42 	20 	20 	— 	2 	186 	179 	42 	8th GMHL 	Lost Quarter-finals
2008–09 	43 	26 	15 	— 	2 	241 	200 	54 	7th GMHL 	Lost Division Quarter-finals
2009–10 	42 	18 	20 	— 	4 	212 	205 	40 	7th GMHL 	Lost Quarter-finals
Vaughan Wild 	Vaughan Wild 	Vaughan Wild 	Vaughan Wild 	Vaughan Wild 	Vaughan Wild 	Vaughan Wild 	Vaughan Wild 	Vaughan Wild 	Vaughan Wild 	Vaughan Wild
2010–11 	42 	13 	24 	— 	5 	173 	215 	31 	11th GMHL 	Lost Qualifier
Lefroy Wave 	Lefroy Wave 	Lefroy Wave 	Lefroy Wave 	Lefroy Wave 	Lefroy Wave 	Lefroy Wave 	Lefroy Wave 	Lefroy Wave 	Lefroy Wave 	Lefroy Wave
2011–12 	42 	23 	18 	— 	1 	179 	186 	47 	6th GMHL 	Lost Quarter-finals
2012–13 	42 	4 	35 	1 	2 	110 	252 	11 	15th GMHL 	Lost Division Quarter-finals
2013–14 	42 	5 	34 	— 	3 	121 	274 	13 	19th GMHL 	Lost Qualifier
Grey Highlands Bravehearts	Grey Highlands Bravehearts	Grey Highlands Bravehearts	Grey Highlands Bravehearts	Grey Highlands Bravehearts	Grey Highlands Bravehearts	Grey Highlands Bravehearts	Grey Highlands Bravehearts	Grey Highlands Bravehearts	Grey Highlands Bravehearts 	Grey Highlands Bravehearts
2014–15 	42 	18 	21 	— 	3 	202 	245 	39 	3rd North-Central Div.12th GMHL	Lost Division Semi-finals, 2-3 (Aces)
2015–16 	42 	18 	22 	0 	2 	217 	256 	38 	7th Central Div.20th GMHL 	Lost Div. Quarterfinals, 3-0 (Coyotes)
Wiarton Rock 	Wiarton Rock 	Wiarton Rock 	Wiarton Rock 	Wiarton Rock 	Wiarton Rock 	Wiarton Rock 	Wiarton Rock 	Wiarton Rock 	Wiarton Rock 	Wiarton Rock
2016-17 	26 	1 	24 	- 	1 	69 	243 	3 	N/A 	folded December 14, 2016
===Playoffs===
*2007 Lost final
:King Wild defeated Toronto Canada Moose 4-games-to-1 in quarter-final
:King Wild defeated Richmond Hill Rams 4-games-to-2 in semi-final
:Bradford Rattlers defeated King Wild 4-games-to-1 in final
*2008 Lost quarter-final
:King Wild defeated Douro Dukes 4-games-to-none in bye round
:Temiscaming Royals defeated King Wild 4-games-to-2 in quarter-final
*2009 Lost division quarter-final
:Deseronto Storm defeated King Wild 3-games-to-none in division quarter-final
*2010 Lost quarter-final
:South Muskoka Shield defeated King Wild 3-games-to-none in quarter-final
*2011 Lost last minute qualifier
:Toronto Canada Moose defeated Vaughan Wild 9-1 in last minute qualifier
*2012 Lost quarter-final
:Lefroy Wave defeated Shelburne Red Wings 2-games-to-none in bye round
:Bradford Rattlers defeated Lefroy Wave 3-games-to-2 in quarter-final
*2013 Lost division quarter-final
:Bradford Rattlers defeated Lefroy Wave 3-games-to-none in division quarter-final
*2014 Lost qualifier
:Toronto Predators beat Lefroy Wave 5-3 in qualifier
==External links==
*Rock website
Category:Established in 2006
Category:Disestablished in 2017
Category:Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League teams