Summerside Western Capitals

The Summerside Western Capitals are a Junior "A" hockey team based out of Summerside, Prince Edward Island. They play out of the Maritime Junior A Hockey League. The team currently plays their home games at the Consolidated Credit Union Place. Until 2007 the team played at the former Cahill Stadium.

Summerside Western Capitals
CitySummerside, Prince Edward Island, Canada
LeagueMaritime Junior A Hockey League
DivisionMeek
Foundedc. 1970 (Summerside Crystals)
Home arenaConsolidated Credit Union Place
ColoursBlue, red, white      
General managerPat McIver
Head coachBilly McGuigan
Franchise history
1976–80
1981–82
1983–86
Summerside Crystals
1982–83
1986–present
Summerside Western Capitals

History

The Hemphill Pontiac Western Capitals began in the Island Junior Hockey League. Summerside is in the Western end of the province, & sometimes referred to as 'The Western Capital', thus the reference to 'western' in the original team name. The Capitals joined the MJAHL in 1991. They hosted the Centennial Cup 1989 on behalf of the IJHL. This team was coached by former NHL coach, General Manager, & Team President of the Columbus Blue Jackets, Doug MacLean, a Summerside native.

The 1996-97 Western Capitals created a come from behind, story book tale during the year. They were coached by current NHL coach and former Detroit Red Wings player, Gerard Gallant, and they dominated the MJAHL Roger Meek Division during the regular season. In the first round of the playoffs they routed the Restigouche River Rats in five games. They beat out the Charlottetown Abbies in the second round before going on to win the Callaghan Cup by clinching a seven-game league final in Dartmouth. Following the tough playoffs came a long bus trip to Brockville, Ont for the 1997 Fred Page Cup. The winner of that tournament would advance to the Royal Bank Cup, which the Capitals were hosting that year. They would go on to lose all 3 games in the round robin and be eliminated.

At the 1997 Royal Bank Cup in Summerside, the Western Capitals won the first game, 5-1n over the Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats. They would then hit a stumbling block, losing their second and third games 7-5 and 8–2 to the Kanata Valley Lasers and the Weyburn Red Wings. They would finish the round robin by losing 3–2 to the South Surrey Eagles in overtime. Because the Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats had already lost 4 games, the overtime loss game, the Capitals 3 points which was good enough for 4th place. After being shut out of the player awards, the Capitals had to come together as a team. In the regulation round, the Capitals did just that defeating the tournament's MVP and future NHLer, Mark Hartigan, and his Weyburn Red Wings 4–3 in a very exciting overtime. The Capitals used that win as a moral boost to defeat another Future NHLer, Scott Gomez, and his South Surrey Eagles by a very close score of 4–3. With that win the Summerside Western Capitals would become the first team in Eastern Canada to win the national jr. A (Tier II) junior championship, Royal Bank Cup.

In 2001 the team made a run for the league championship. After sweeping the first two rounds without one of their top players, Denis White, the Antigonish Bulldogs took advantage of the Capitals beating them in five games to go on the Fred Page Cup. They did not make another significant run again until former Philadelphia Flyer, Forbes Kennedy, was hired as head coach in 2004–05. They were one of the leagues elite teams for the three years that he coached the team, going to the division final in 2005-06 but losing to the Woodstock Slammers in 7 games. In the 2006–07 season they won 15 games in a row to end the season and went on to win the Meek division title before losing in 6 games in the league final against the Truro Bearcats.

In the 2008–2009 season, the Capitals finished first place in the Meek division, and later went on to defeat the Dieppe Commandos, and Miramichi Timberwolves in 4 game sweeps to advance to the league championship series, to take on the Truro Bearcats for the second time in 3 years. This time though, the Capitals defeated Truro in 5 games, and won their first league championship since 1997, on home ice. The Capitals entered the Fred Page Cup tournament, and after going 2–1 in the round robin portion, they defeated the Pembroke Lumber Kings 4–1 in the semifinal to move to the final against the Dieppe Commandos. The Caps won the game 3–2 in double overtime after Mike MacIsaac scored, to send the Caps to their first Royal Bank Cup since winning it in 1997 as the host team. The Capitals travelled to the Pacific coast to Victoria, BC to participate in their 2nd tournament. Summerside had a 0–4 record heading into their final game against the defending RBC champions Humboldt Broncos. Summerside won the game 5–0, but were already eliminated from the tournament and finished 5th. The players were angry and upset about the outcome and engaged in roughing up one of the hotel employees at the team's hotel. They behaviour resulted in the Capitals losing the right to host the 2011 Royal Bank Cup. Summerside got their chance to host the tournament in 2014.

The Capitals named Gordie Dwyer as their Head Coach and Associate General Manager for the 2009–2010 season. Dwyer led a rebuilding team to a regular-season record of 27-20-1-2 (won-lost-overtime losses-shootout losses). The Capitals finished third in the Roger Meek Division, and won a seven-game division semifinal series against second-place Miramichi. The Capitals were then eliminated by eventual league-champion Woodstock in a five-game division final. Dwyer returned for his second season in 2010-2011 as head coach and Associate Director of Hockey Operations.

Since 2001, the Capitals have been owned by a private ownership group consisting of local individuals. In 2013, the Caps were sold to a new private local group.

Season-by-season record

SeasonGPWLTOTLGFGAPResultsPlayoffs
1971-72272133-17082501st IJBHL
1972-73402884-239149602nd IJBHL
1973-742810153-123154234th IJHL
1974-754021181-208198433rd IJHL
1975-763913197-199247334th IJHL
1976-774012253-186276275th IJHL
1977-78403154-----661st IJHL
1978-793920145-206181453rd IJHL
1979-804014206-193235344th IJHL
1980-81Did Not Participate
1981-82428386-189283224th IJHL
1982-834218186-216238423rd IJHL
1983-844025123-244201531st IJHLWon League
1984-853718154-203174402nd IJHL
1985-863615912-231204422nd IJHLWon League
1986-874219203-232216413rd IJHL
1987-88423066-267179661st IJHL
1988-89443374-297161781st IJHL
1989-9040261121213153552nd IJHL
1990-9142152052211247373rd IJHL
1991-9246181612-210206486th MJAHL
1992-9348212142226244485th MJAHL
1993-9448133221182263297th MJAHL
1994-9548242130221206513rd MJAHL
1995-9654282411252232585th MJAHL
1996-9755351442350259762nd MJAHLWon League, Won RBC Cup
1997-9852123334207307319th MJAHL
1998-99485412-157317159th MJAHL
1999-0052242431198229525th MJAHL
2000-0152321244288224721st MJAHLLost in League Finals
2001-0252212632209225478th MJAHL
2002-0352262132240219574th MJAHL
2003-0452192823201225439th MJAHL
2004-0556222644220252529th MJAHL
2005-0656361406274197792nd MJAHLLost Semi-final
2006-0758431401281172872nd MJAHLLost League Finals
2007-08582430-4185219529th MJAHLLost in Mini-Series
2008-09543913-2249149801st MJAHLWon League, Won Fred Page Cup
2009-10502720-3230186574th MJAHLLost Semi-final
2010-11523612-4255186762nd MHLWon League
2011-12522621-5192200577th MHLLost Semi-final
2012-1352437-2222119881st MHLWon League
2013-14522423-5178187538th MHLLost Quarter-Final
2014-15482121-6184197488th MHLDNQ
2015-1648341211207150701st of 6 North
1st of 12 MHL
Won Div. Semi-finals 4-3 (Tigers)
Lost Div. Finals, 2-4 (Commandos)
2016-1750252203169184533rd of 6 North
4th of 12 MHL
Won Div. Semi-finals 4-2) (Commandos)
Lost Div. Finals 0-4 (Timberwolves)
2017-1850331610180137672nd of 6 North
3rd of 12 MHL
Won Div. Semi-finals 4-1 (Tigers)
Lost Div. Finals 3-4 (Blizzard)


Franchise records

Former logo of the team used from 2007–2013.

These are franchise records held by previous team rosters. Figures are updated after each completed MHL regular season.

Team records for a single season
StatisticTotalSeason
Most Points882012–13
Most Wins432012–13
Most Goals For3501996–97
Fewest Goals For1231973–74
Fewest Goals Against821971–72
Most Goals Against3171998–99

Notable alumni

See also


Preceded by
Vernon Vipers
Royal Bank Cup Champions
1997
Succeeded by
South Surrey Eagles
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