Junior ice hockey season
The 1995–96 OHL season was the 16th season of the Ontario Hockey League . The league expanded as the Barrie Colts entered into the central division. The Detroit Junior Red Wings become the Detroit Whalers . Seventeen teams each played 66 games. The Peterborough Petes won the J. Ross Robertson Cup , defeating the Guelph Storm .
On May 6, 1994, The Barrie Colts were approved as an expansion team in the Ontario Hockey League beginning in the 1995-96 season. The Colts began their inaugural season playing in the Barrie Arena , however, on December 31, 1995, the Colts moved into their new home, the Barrie Molson Centre . The Colts joined the Central Division.
Detroit Junior Red Wings to Detroit Whalers [ edit ] At the conclusion of the 1994-95 , the Detroit Junior Red Wings severed all ties with the National Hockey League Detroit Red Wings , as Peter Karmanos renamed the franchise the Detroit Whalers .
The Whalers moved out of Joe Louis Arena and into the Palace of Auburn Hills , home of the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association and the Detroit Vipers of the International Hockey League . The Whalers would play 21 of their 33 home games in the regular season at the Palace of Auburn Hills while playing their remaining 12 home games at Oak Park Ice Arena . The Whalers played all of their home playoff games at the Oak Park Ice Arena .
The club remained in the West Division.
1995-96 Ontario Hockey League Division Team City Arena East Belleville Bulls Belleville , Ontario Yardmen Arena Kingston Frontenacs Kingston , Ontario Kingston Memorial Centre North Bay Centennials North Bay , Ontario North Bay Memorial Gardens Oshawa Generals Oshawa , Ontario Oshawa Civic Auditorium Ottawa 67's Ottawa , Ontario Ottawa Civic Centre Peterborough Petes Peterborough , Ontario Peterborough Memorial Centre Central Barrie Colts Barrie , Ontario Barrie Arena Barrie Molson Centre Guelph Storm Guelph , Ontario Guelph Memorial Gardens Kitchener Rangers Kitchener , Ontario Kitchener Memorial Auditorium Niagara Falls Thunder Niagara Falls , Ontario Niagara Falls Memorial Arena Owen Sound Platers Owen Sound , Ontario Bayshore Community Centre Sudbury Wolves Sudbury , Ontario Sudbury Community Arena West Detroit Whalers Detroit , Michigan Auburn Hills, Michigan Oak Park Ice Arena Palace of Auburn Hills London Knights London , Ontario London Ice House Sarnia Sting Sarnia , Ontario Sarnia Arena Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds Sault Ste. Marie , Ontario Sault Memorial Gardens Windsor Spitfires Windsor , Ontario Windsor Arena
East Division
Central Division
West Division
Note: DIV = Division; GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; OTL = Overtime losses; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; PTS = Points; x = clinched playoff berth; y = clinched division title; z = earned first round bye
[ 1]
Division quarter-finals [ edit ] (2) Peterborough Petes vs. (5) Kingston Frontenacs[ edit ] Peterborough wins series 4 – 2
(3) Belleville Bulls vs. (4) Oshawa Generals[ edit ] Belleville wins series 4 – 1
(2) Kitchener Rangers vs. (5) Barrie Colts[ edit ] Kitchener wins series 4 – 3
(3) Niagara Falls Thunder vs. (4) Owen Sound Platers[ edit ] Niagara Falls wins series 4 – 2
(1) Detroit Whalers vs. (4) Windsor Spitfires[ edit ] Detroit wins series 4 – 3
(2) Sarnia Sting vs. (3) Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds[ edit ] March 17 Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds 1 – 5 Sarnia Sting Sarnia Arena
March 18 Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds 2 – 6 Sarnia Sting Sarnia Arena
(C1) Guelph Storm vs. (C3) Niagara Falls Thunder[ edit ]
(W1) Detroit Whalers vs. (C2) Kitchener Rangers[ edit ] Detroit wins series 4 – 1
(E1) Ottawa 67's vs. (E3) Belleville Bulls[ edit ] Belleville wins series 4 – 0
(W2) Sarnia Sting vs. (E2) Peterborough Petes[ edit ] April 7 Peterborough Petes 7 – 6 OT Sarnia Sting Sarnia Arena
Peterborough wins series 4 – 2
(C1) Guelph Storm vs. (E3) Belleville Bulls[ edit ]
(W1) Detroit Whalers vs. (E2) Peterborough Petes[ edit ] Peterborough wins series 4 – 1
J. Ross Robertson Cup [ edit ] (C1) Guelph Storm vs. (E2) Peterborough Petes[ edit ] Peterborough wins series 4 – 3
Alyn McCauley , Centre, Ottawa 67's Daniel Cleary , Left Wing, Belleville Bulls Cameron Mann , Right Wing, Peterborough Petes Bryan Berard , Defence, Detroit Whalers Kevin Bolibruck , Defence, Peterborough Petes Craig Hillier , Goaltender, Ottawa 67's Brian Kilrea , Coach, Ottawa 67's Aaron Brand , Centre, Sarnia Sting Sean Haggerty , Left Wing, Detroit Whalers Jeff Johnstone , Right Wing, Niagara Falls Thunder Sean Brown , Defence, Sarnia Sting Jay McKee , Defence, Niagara Falls Thunder Dan Cloutier , Goaltender, Guelph Storm Bert Templeton , Coach, Barrie Colts Sean Venedam , Centre, Sudbury Wolves Jamie Wright , Left Wing, Guelph Storm David Nemirovski , Right Wing, Sarnia Sting Marc Moro , Defence, Kingston Frontenacs Ryan Risidore , Defence, Guelph Storm David Belitski, Goaltender, Kitchener Rangers Travis Scott , Goaltender, Oshawa Generals Mark Hunter , Coach, Sarnia Sting J. Ross Robertson Cup : Peterborough Petes Hamilton Spectator Trophy : Guelph Storm Leyden Trophy : Ottawa 67's Emms Trophy : Guelph Storm Bumbacco Trophy : Detroit Whalers Red Tilson Trophy : Alyn McCauley , Ottawa 67's Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy : Aaron Brand , Sarnia Sting Matt Leyden Trophy : Brian Kilrea , Ottawa 67's Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy : Cameron Mann , Peterborough Petes Max Kaminsky Trophy : Bryan Berard , Detroit Whalers OHL Goaltender of the Year : Craig Hillier , Ottawa 67's Jack Ferguson Award : Rico Fata , London Knights Dave Pinkney Trophy : Dan Cloutier and Brett Thompson , Guelph Storm OHL Executive of the Year : Bert Templeton , Barrie Colts Emms Family Award : Joe Thornton , Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds F.W. 'Dinty' Moore Trophy : Brett Thompson , Guelph Storm OHL Humanitarian of the Year : Craig Mills , Belleville Bulls William Hanley Trophy : Jeff Williams , Guelph Storm Leo Lalonde Memorial Trophy : Aaron Brand , Sarnia Sting Bobby Smith Trophy : Boyd Devereaux , Kitchener Rangers
1996 OHL Priority Selection [ edit ] On June 1, 1996, the OHL conducted the 1996 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium in Kitchener, Ontario . The London Knights held the first overall pick in the draft and selected Rico Fata from the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds . Fata was awarded the Jack Ferguson Award , awarded to the top pick in the draft.
Below are the players who were selected in the first round of the 1996 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection.[ 2]
# Player Nationality OHL Team Hometown Minor Team 1 Rico Fata (C ) Canada London Knights Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds 2 Tyler Rennette (C ) Canada North Bay Centennials Powassan, Ontario Waterloo Siskins 3 Norm Milley (RW ) Canada Sudbury Wolves North York, Ontario Toronto Red Wings 4 Kip Brennan (D ) Canada Windsor Spitfires Toronto, Ontario St. Michael's Buzzers 5 Mike Henrich (RW ) Canada Barrie Colts Thornhill, Ontario Wexford Midgets 6 Wes Goldie (RW ) Canada Owen Sound Platers London, Ontario St. Thomas Stars 7 Kevin Grimes (D ) Canada Kingston Frontenacs Metcalfe, Ontario Cumberland Grads 8 Brett Gibson (C ) Canada Erie Otters Gananoque, Ontario Kingston Voyageurs 9 Bryan Allen (D ) Canada Oshawa Generals Glenburnie, Ontario Ernestown Jets 10 Wes Jarvis (D ) Canada Kitchener Rangers Ottawa, Ontario Gloucester Rangers 11 Justin Papineau (C ) Canada Belleville Bulls Ottawa, Ontario Ottawa Jr. Senators 12 Pat Kavanagh (RW ) Canada Peterborough Petes Richmond, Ontario Kanata Valley Lasers 13 Nick Robinson (D ) Canada Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds Cavan, Ontario Lindsay Muskies 14 Abe Herbst (D ) Canada Sarnia Sting Harriston, Ontario Listowel Cyclones 15 Mark Bell (C ) Canada Ottawa 67's St. Paul's, Ontario Stratford Cullitons 16 Harold Druken (LW ) Canada Detroit Whalers St. John's, Newfoundland Noble & Greenough Bulldogs 17 Manny Malhotra (C ) Canada Guelph Storm Mississauga, Ontario Mississauga Reps
East Division Central Division Midwest Division West Division Defunct teams