Bradford Rattlers

The Bradford Rattlers are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based out of Bradford, Ontario, and members of the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League. The Rattlers, formerly known as the Bulls, were bought out by a local group of investors for the purpose of moving the team up to Junior "A" from the Georgian Mid-Ontario Junior C Hockey League.

Bradford Rattlers
CityBradford, Ontario, Canada
LeagueGreater Metro Junior A Hockey League
Founded1971
Home arenaBWG Leisure Centre
ColoursGreen, black, yellow, and white
       
General managerSean Werth (2015–present)
Head coachRic Jackman[1]
Franchise history
1971–1975Bradford Vasey Juniors
1975–1988Bradford Blues
1988–2006Bradford Bulls
2006–presentBradford Rattlers

History

The Bradford franchise was founded in 1971 as they joined the South-Central Junior "D" Hockey League. The league soon became the Central Junior "C", then the Mid-Ontario Junior "C", and finally after merging with the Georgian Junior "C" league became the Georgian Mid-Ontario Junior "C" Hockey League. Their team's first championship was the Junior "D" OHA Cup in 1973. They won the All-Ontario Junior "D" title by defeating the Mitchell Hawks 4-games-to-1. That summer, the SCJDHL was promoted to Junior "C". In 1980, Bradford won their league and went all the way to the Clarence Schmalz Cup All-Ontario Final. In the end, they lost out to the Leamington Flyers 4-games-straight. In 1986, they made it all the way back to the All-Ontario final only to lose to the Norwich Merchants 4-games-to-3. In 1989, the Bulls struck gold. They won their league and then followed it up with a 4-games-to-2 series victory to defeat the Hanover Barons to win their only ever Clarence Schmalz Cup. The Bulls won the league again in 1998, but did not reach the All-Ontario Final. The Most valuable Player of the playoffs was Noah Bell, who was drafted into the Ontario Hockey League a year later by the Sudbury Wolves.

Bulls' Logo

The Bradford Bulls were bought out towards the end of the 2005–06 season by a local party who owned an independent Junior "A" travelling team known as the Toronto Rattlers. The Rattlers toured the United States playing games in junior hockey tournaments and against college teams from 2004 until 2006. A number of alumni received US college offers and Russian Kirill Tulupov was taken by the New Jersey Devils in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.

The new ownership group wanted the thirty-five-year-old Toronto-Area franchise moved up to the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League, but when the Ontario Hockey Association turned down the request the team walked away from the OHA. Under the new name "Rattlers", the team became a member of the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League.

2006–07

The Bradford Rattlers first game in the GMHL was against the South Muskoka Shield on September 15, 2006, in Gravenhurst, Ontario. The Rattlers dismantled the Shield, winning by a score of 10–1. Andreas Goetz picked up the team's first Junior "A" victory in net. Their first home game was on September 17, 2006, against the Toronto Canada Moose, a 5–3 win.

On September 24, 2006, the Bradford Rattlers became the last undefeated team of the GMHL's inaugural season, moving to 5–0–0–0, defeating the (until then undefeated) Richmond Hill Rams by a score of 3–1. The winning streak lasted until October 15, 2006, 10–0–0–0, as the Rattlers picked up an overtime loss to the King Wild, but still had yet to lose a game in regulation. On January 21, 2007, the Rattlers had compiled a 27–0–0–4 record before playing the Deseronto Thunder. The Thunder were leading 5–2 but Bradford came only to lose for the first time in regulation by a score of 6–5.

The Rattlers finished the season in first place, earning a bye into the league semifinals. Their semifinals opponent was the Deseronto Thunder. The Thunder won the first two games of the series. The Rattlers pulled themselves together and won the next four games straight to play in the league finals. The finals were against the league's second seeded King Wild. The Rattlers started with a 2–1 victory but the Wild won the second game 6–3 to even the series. The Rattlers came back and won the next game 5–0 while the fourth and fifth games went to overtime with Bradford winning 2–1 and 4–3, respectively. The Bradford Rattlers won the first ever Bob Russell Cup as GMHL Champions.

The Rattlers faced the WHA Junior West Hockey League's New Westminster Whalers for the short-lived National Junior Hockey Alliance's "Alliance Cup," the only year in which this competition was contested. The Rattlers swept the series 3-games-to-none.

2007–08

On December 30, 2007, the Rattlers hosted the Moscow Selects All-star team in an exhibition game. The Selects won the game by a score of 8–4. This was the second game of seven that the Moscow team played against different GMHL clubs.

In 2007–08, the Rattlers challenged their 31-game record for regular season games without a regulation loss, but came up short with a still impressive 28-game streak with a 5–3 January 6 loss to the Deseronto Storm. The Rattlers did, however, set a new league record for regular season games without a regulation loss across multiple seasons with 38. This also marked the end of the longest winning streak in GMHL history of 27 straight wins.

The Rattlers began the 2008 playoffs against the Toronto Canada Moose, whom they swept. They then defeated the South Muskoka Shield 4-games-to-1. In the league semifinals, they swept the Elliot Lake Bobcats and in the league finals they swept the Innisfil Lakers to win their second straight Russell Cup.

2008–09
Bradford Rattlers in away jerseys

On January 5, 2009, the Rattlers played against Kazakhstan's Torpedo UST-Kamenogorsk Under-18 squad in Shelburne, Ontario. At one point leading 5–0, the Rattlers played a lot of their younger players in the second half of the game. The final score was 6–5 for Bradford.

The Rattlers finished the 2008–09 season with the second best record in the South Division and third best in the league. In the playoffs, the Rattlers first met the Toronto Canada Moose. After winning the first two games, the Moose came back and took game three and four of the best-of-five series to force a decisive game five. The Rattlers overcame the potential upset and won the series 3-games-to-2. In the division semifinals, the Rattlers drew the Deseronto Storm. The Rattlers took game one, but in game two and three the Storm took control. The Rattlers had to win game four to prolong the best-of-five series, and succeeded with a 5–1 victory. The next morning it was announced that the Deseronto Storm protested the result of game four due to a roster violation by Bradford. Upon review of the league, the result of game four was overturned and the Rattlers were disqualified from the remainder of the playoffs.[2]

2012–13

The 2008 championship passed and in the four following years four different teams would claim the Russell Cup as GMHL. In those four years, the Rattlers failrf to reach the finals in each of those years. The 2012–13 led to the Rattlers turning in the league's first undefeated season with a 42–0–0–0 record. There would be a black mark on this season though when the Rattlers competed in the league's showcase tournament in Bracebridge, Ontario, in late 2012. They turned in a less than stellar performance and were ejected from the tournament, along with longtime rival South Muskoka Shield, for a brawl and an off-ice altercation involving crowd members and ejected players that caused a police investigation. The Rattlers perfect season allowed the a date with the eighth seeded Lefroy Wave. Sweeping the Wave in three games extended the Rattlers winning streak to 45 games. They played the Bobcaygeon Bucks next, sweeping them in three games and extending their streak to 48 games. In the South Division final, the Rattlers faced the Orangeville Americans and swept them in four games. The series victory gave them a record of 52–0–0–0 so far that year. The perfect streak was snapped the very next game in the league final by the Temiscaming Titans 7–6 in overtime. Bradford would win games two and three to extend their record for streak of games without a regulation loss to 55 games before that streak was ended in regulation in game four by the Titans. The Rattlers would win games five and six and the series to claim their third Russell Cup.

Season-by-season standings
SeasonGPWLTOTLGFGAPtsRegular Season FinishPlayoffs
1971–723016122—168144344th SCJDHLLost Semi-final
1972–73292045—17599472nd SCJDHLWon League, Won OHA Cup
1973–74302334—208106501st Central G1Won League, Lost CSC SF
1974–75312362—223100482nd Central G1Won League, Lost CSC QF
1975–763217105—159132394th Central G1Lost Final
1976–77281783—175147373rd Central G1Lost Final
1977–783218131—175145373rd MOJCHLLost Final
1978–793216124———363rd MOJCHLLost Final
1979–80403361—298136671st MOJCHLWon League, Lost CSC Final
1980–813624120—247142482nd MOJCHLWon League, Lost CSC QF
1981–82403451—328154692nd MOJCHLLost Semi-final
1982–83362970—221138581st MOJCHLWon League, Lost CSC QF
1983–843322110—185137442nd MOJCHLLost Quarter-final
1984–85352672—247123541st MOJCHLWon League, Lost CSC QF
1985–86343121—314137631st MOJCHLWon League, Lost CSC Final
1986–87343040—278121601st MOJCHLWon League, Lost CSC SF
1987–883420131—216164413rd MOJCHLLost Final
1988–89362790—266143542nd MOJCHLWon League, Won CSC
1989–903420131—193150412nd MOJCHLLost Final
1990–913417152———364th MOJCHLLost Semi-final
1991–923416144—163172364th MOJCHLLost Semi-final
1992–9338171470196178413rd MOJCHL
1993–944026131—229188532nd MOJCHLLost Final
1994–95362790———542nd GMOHL
1995–964426171—220159533rd GMOHL
1996–973620151—198193414th GMOHL
1997–983624102—202138501st GMOHLWon League
1998–993621141—188170434th GMOHL
1999–003621132—178174443rd GMOHL
2000–0136161532155150355th GMOHL
2001–02364281391210128th GMOHL
2002–033619845164159474th GMOHLLost Quarter-final
2003–0436151830142146336th GMOHL
2004–0540191452144127455th GMOHL
2005–0642142332148205337th GMOHL
2006–0742371—4266121781st GMHLWon League, Won Alliance Cup
2007–0842374—1314110751st GMHLWon League
2008–0943346—3284132713rd GMHLLost Quarter-final
2009–1042346—2273150703rd GMHLLost Semi-final
2010–11422614—2239178544th GMHLLost Semi-final
2011–1242316—5221127673rd GMHLLost Semi-final
2012–13424200030195841st GMHLWon League
2013–1442308—4230116646th GMHLLost Final
2014–15423111—0238136623rd South-Central Div.
7th GMHL		Lost Division Semi-finals
2015–1642291102219145603rd Central Div.
9th GMHL		Lost Division Quarter-finals
2016–1742281400254185564th of 10, North Div.
8th of 21, GMHL		Lost Division Quarter-finals
2017–1842311100222124562nd of 9, North Div.
5th of 21, GMHL		Lost Division Finals
2018–194235601259133711st of 10, North Div.
2nd of 22, GMHL		Lost Division Finals
2019–2042271302230148564th of 10, North Div.
8th of 23, GMHL		Postseason cancelled

(*) Standings incomplete.

Playoffs
  • 2007 Won League, Won Alliance Cup
Bradford Rattlers defeated Deseronto Thunder 4-games-to-2 in semi-finals
Bradford Rattlers defeated King Wild 4-games-to-1 in finals
Bradford Rattlers defeated New Westminster Whalers 3-games-to-none in Alliance Cup
  • 2008 Won League
Bradford Rattlers defeated Toronto Canada Moose 4-games-to-none in bye round
Bradford Rattlers defeated South Muskoka Shield 4-games-to-1 in quarter-finals
Bradford Rattlers defeated Elliot Lake Bobcats 4-games-to-none in semi-finals
Bradford Rattlers defeated Innisfil Lakers 4-games-to-none in finals
  • 2009 Lost Division Semi-finals
Bradford Rattlers defeated Toronto Canada Moose 3-games-to-2 in division quarter-finals
Deseronto Storm defeated Bradford Rattlers 3-games-to-1 in division semi-finals
  • 2010 Lost Semi-finals
Bradford Rattlers defeated Brock Bucks 3-games-to-none in quarter-finals
South Muskoka Shield defeated Bradford Rattlers 4-games-to-1 in semi-finals
  • 2011 Lost Semi-finals
Bradford Rattlers defeated Deseronto Storm 3-games-to-none in quarter-finals
South Muskoka Shield defeated Bradford Rattlers 4-games-to-3 in semi-finals
  • 2012 Lost Semi-finals
Bradford Rattlers defeated Lefroy Wave 3-games-to-2 in quarter-finals
Sturgeon Falls Lumberjacks defeated Bradford Rattlers 4-games-to-none in semi-finals
  • 2013 Won League
Bradford Rattlers defeated Lefroy Wave 3-games-to-none in division quarter-finals
Bradford Rattlers defeated Bobcaygeon Bucks 3-games-to-none in division semi-finals
Bradford Rattlers defeated Orangeville Americans 4-games-to-none in division finals
Bradford Rattlers defeated Temiscaming Titans 4-games-to-2 in finals
  • 2014 Lost Finals
Bradford Rattlers defeated Toronto Attack 3-games-to-none in division quarter-finals
Bradford Rattlers defeated Toronto Blue Ice Jets 3-games-to-1 in division semi-finals
Bradford Rattlers defeated Seguin Huskies 4-games-to-none in crossover series
Bradford Bulls defeated Bradford Rattlers 4-games-to-1 in finals
  • 2015 Lost Division Semi-finals
Toronto Blue Ice Jets defeated Bradford Rattlers 3-games-to-2 in division semi-finals
  • 2016 Lost Division Quarter-finals
Knights of Meaford defeated Bradford Rattlers 3-games-to-1 in division quarter-finals
  • 2017 Lost Division Quarter-finals
Temiscaming Titans defeated Bradford Rattlers 3-games-to-1 in division quarter-finals
  • 2018 Lost Division Finals
Bradford Rattlers defeated West Nipissing Lynx 2-games-to-none in division quarter-finals
Bradford Rattlers defeated Ville-Marie Pirates 3-games-to-2 in division semi-finals
Almaguin Spartans defeated Bradford Rattlers 4-games-to-none in division finals
  • 2019 Lost Division Finals
Bradford Rattlers defeated Knights of Meaford 2-games-to-none in division quarter-finals
Bradford Rattlers defeated West Nipissing Lynx 3-games-to-none in division semi-finals
Ville-Marie Pirates defeated Bradford Rattlers 4-games-to-2 in division finals
  • 2020 Postseason cancelled prior to completion
Bradford Rattlers defeated New Tecumseth Civics 2-games-to-none in division quarter-finals
Bradford Rattlers defeated Bradford Bulls 3-games-to-2 in division semi-finals
Temiscaming Titans led Bradford Rattlers 3-games-to-1 in division finals before the postseason was cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic

Clarence Schmalz Cup appearances
1980: Leamington Flyers defeated Bradford Blues 4-games-to-none
1986: Norwich Merchants defeated Bradford Blues 4-games-to-3
1989: Bradford Bulls defeated Hanover Barons 4-games-to-2

Organization staff history
SeasonGeneral managerHead coach
2006–2008Jenya Feldmen
2008–2012Johan Lundskog
2012–2013Johan LundskogJohn Duco
2013–2014Johan LundskogAl Sims
2014–2015Sylvain Cloutier
2015–2017Sean WerthMatt Hamilton
2017–presentSean WerthRic Jackman

[3]

Notable alumni

Blues

References
  1. Bradford Rattlers [@BrdfordRattlers] (12 June 2017). "The #Rattlers have named Stanley Cup winner Ric Jackman in the Head Coaching position for the 2017/18 season.…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  2. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2009-05-01. Retrieved 2009-03-11.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. http://gmhl.net/wrapper/team.php?team_id=55391
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.