Kirkland Lake Gold Miners

The Kirkland Lake Gold Miners are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Kirkland Lake, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League.

Kirkland Lake Gold Miners
CityKirkland Lake, Ontario, Canada
LeagueNorthern Ontario Junior Hockey League
DivisionEast
Founded2003
Home arenaJoe Mavrinac Community Complex
ColoursBlue, light blue, yellow, and white
                   
General managerKyle Smart
Head coachKyle Smart
Franchise history
2003–2005Manitoulin Wild
2005–2011Manitoulin Islanders
2011–2012Kirkland Lake Blue Devils
2012–presentKirkland Lake Gold Miners
Championships
Playoff championships1: 2014

History

Manitoulin
Manitoulin Islanders' Logo

Founded in 2003 as the Manitoulin Wild, the franchise changed its name to the Manitoulin Islanders in 2005. They were eventually taken over by former NHLer Reggie Leach and the team started to split its time between Little Current, Ontario and the Wiikwemkoong Unceded Reserve's Arena. Win totals dwindled, debts added up, and by 2011 the team was set to move from the Island.

Kirkland Lake

After eight years on Manitoulin Island, the team had to either move or fold.[1] In mid-May 2011, the NOJHL conditionally approved the move of the Manitoulin Islanders to Kirkland Lake, Ontario to become the Kirkland Lake Blue Devils.[2] In their final four seasons in Little Current, the Islanders managed 17 wins in 200 games played.

The Blue Devils moniker was a long used traditional team name in Kirkland Lake, the most notable team to use the name was the Kirkland Lake Blue Devils who defeated the Calgary Stampeders 3-games-to-none to win the 1940 Allan Cup.

On September 9, 2011, the Blue Devils played their inaugural home game and regulation game in their history. The Blue Devils dropped a 9-2 decision to the North Bay Trappers. On October 12, 2011, the Blue Devils won their first game since relocation 3-2 in a shootout against the Sudbury Cubs. Two nights later, the Blue Devils scored their first ever home win, 5-4 in a shootout, against the Blind River Beavers.

On January 12, 2012, team owner, Robert Kasner, announced that he was folding the club mid-season.[3] The folding of the team happened right after Kasner was suspended by the league for six months for multiple roster violations.[4] Soon after the folding, the league announced that a new ownership group was to be brought in to run the team, keeping the team in Kirkland Lake, and renamed to the Gold Miners.[5] The Gold Miners won their first NOJHL championship just two and a half years into the league when they defeated the Soo Thunderbirds in 2014. The Gold Miners traveled down to the Wellington, Ontario, to participate in the Dudley Hewitt Cup where they failed to record a win. In 2014–15, the Gold Miners and the Soo Thunderbirds were fighting for first place all season, but Kirkland Lake finished second and the Powassan Voodoos took the playoff series against Kirkland Lake.

The Kirkland Lake Gold Miners were awarded hosting duties for the 2016 Dudley Hewitt Cup in the spring of 2015.

Season-by-season results
SeasonGPWLTOTLGFGAPtsResultsPlayoffs
Manitoulin Wild
2003–0448153201179245316th NOJHLLost Quarterfinal
2004–0548143013164266326th NOJHLLost Quarterfinal
Manitoulin Islanders
2005–064883631114229207th NOJHLLost Quarterfinal
2006–0748113007138232297th NOJHLLost Quarterfinal
2007–0850247—110931166th NOJHLLost Quarterfinal
2008–0950740—3141322178th NOJHLLost Quarterfinal
2009–1050445—113135998th NOJHLLost Quarterfinal
2010–1150446—013334788th NOJHLLost Quarterfinal
Kirkland Lake Blue Devils
2011–1250939—2138288206th NOJHLLost Quarterfinals, 0–4 vs. Sudbury Cubs
Kirkland Lake Gold Miners
2012–1348251823173145554th NOJHLWon Quarterfinals, 4–0 vs. Blind River Beavers
Lost Semifinals, 1–4 vs. North Bay Trappers
2013–145643715234118922nd NOJHLWon Quarterfinals, 4–0 vs. North Bay Trappers
Won Semifinals, 4–1 vs. Elliott Lake Bobcats
Won League Finals, 4–2 vs. Soo Thunderbirds
NOJHL CHAMPIONS
2014–1552381022264131801st of 5, East
2nd of 9, NOJHL		Lost Div. Semifinals, 2–4 vs. Powassan Voodoos
2015–1654391212247135813rd of 6, East
4th of 12, NOJHL		Won Div. Semifinals, 4–2 vs. Powassan Voodoos
Won Div. Finals, 4–1 vs. Cochrane Crunch
Lost League Finals, 0–4 vs. Soo Thunderbirds
Dudley Hewitt Cup as Hosts
2016–1756282143232190634th of 6, East
6th of 12, NOJHL		Won Div. Play-in series, 2–1 vs. Iroquois Falls Eskis
Lost Div. Semifinals, 0–4 vs. Powassan Voodoos
2017–1856242147163180593rd of 6, East
7th of 12, NOJHL		Lost Div. Semifinals, 1–4 vs. Cochrane Crunch
2018–19563317—6194156722nd of 6, East
3rd of 12, NOJHL		Lost Div. Semifinals, 2–4 vs. Powassan Voodoos
2019–20561832—6154228425th of 6, East
9th of 12, NOJHL		Lost Div. Quarterfinals, 1–2 vs. Cochrane Crunch

Dudley Hewitt Cup

Central Canada Championships
Winners of the NOJHL, OJHL, SIJHL, and Host
Round robin play with 2nd vs 3rd in semifinal to advance against 1st in the finals.

YearRound RobinRecordStandingSemifinalGold Medal Game
2014L, Wellington Dukes (OJHL/Host) 1–4
L, Toronto Lakeshore Patriots (OJHL) 1–4
L, Fort Frances Lakers (SIJHL) 3–6		0–3–04th of 4Did not qualify
2016
Host		W, Fort Frances Lakers (SIJHL) 8–5
L, Trenton Golden Hawks (OJHL) 1–5
L, Soo Thunderbirds (NOJHL) 2–3		1–2–03rd of 4L, Soo Thunderbirds 1–4—
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References
  3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-07-09. Retrieved 2012-01-13.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-07-12. Retrieved 2012-01-13.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. "Home". nojhl.com.
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