1998–99 OPJHL season

The 1998–99 OPJHL season is the sixth season of the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League (OPJHL). The thirty-seven teams of the Central, East, and West divisions competed in a 51-game schedule. The top eight of each division made the Buckland Cup playoffs.

1998–99 OPJHL season
League	Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League
Sport	Hockey
Duration	Regular season 1998-09 – 1999-02 Playoffs 1999-02 – 1999-04
Number of teams	37
Finals champions	Bramalea Blues

The winner of the Buckland Cup, the Bramalea Blues, won the 1999 Dudley Hewitt Cup as Central Canadian Champions, but failed to win the 1999 Royal Bank Cup.^[1]

Changes

• OPJHL absorbed folded Metro Junior A Hockey League.
• League realigned from four to three divisions.
• New teams due to merger: Auburn Jr. Crunch (Syracuse Jr. Crunch), Bancroft Hawks (Quinte Hawks), Buffalo Lightning (Niagara Scenic), Caledon Canadians, Durham Huskies, Huntsville Wildcats, Markham Waxers, North York Rangers, Oshawa Legionaires, Pickering Panthers, Port Hope Buzzards, Shelburne Wolves, Thornhill Rattlers, Wellington Dukes, and Wexford Raiders.

Final standings

Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; OTL = Overtime losses; SL = Shootout losses; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; PTS = Points; x = clinched playoff berth; y = clinched division title; z = clinched conference title

Central Division Collingwood Blues 51 41 8 1 1 309 126 84 Couchiching Terriers 51 37 10 4 0 299 193 78 Newmarket Hurricanes 51 36 11 4 0 256 144 76 Aurora Tigers 51 31 12 6 2 216 155 70 Markham Waxers 51 29 16 4 2 249 195 64 Wexford Raiders 51 21 20 8 2 211 206 52 Thornhill Rattlers 51 23 24 3 1 230 213 50 Stouffville Spirit 51 23 27 0 1 215 234 47 North York Rangers 51 15 30 4 2 165 225 36 Shelburne Wolves 51 10 35 4 2 171 314 26 Durham Huskies 51 9 35 3 4 156 292 25 Huntsville Wildcats 51 9 37 4 1 142 323 23 East Division Team GP W L T OTL GF GA P Pickering Panthers 51 37 14 0 0 249 162 74 Trenton Sting 51 33 13 3 2 265 184 71 Lindsay Muskies 51 32 13 4 2 222 153 70 Kingston Voyageurs 51 29 15 5 2 211 179 65 Oshawa Legionaires 51 26 20 3 2 221 214 57 Auburn Jr. Crunch 51 27 22 2 0 232 195 56 Wellington Dukes 51 23 23 3 2 205 223 51 Cobourg Cougars 51 20 20 9 2 213 178 51 Bowmanville Eagles 51 18 23 6 4 188 206 46 Ajax Axemen 51 17 27 6 1 153 233 41 Port Hope Buzzards 51 16 27 6 2 193 266 40 Peterborough Bees 51 15 26 7 3 169 214 40 Bancroft Hawks 51 12 37 1 1 124 224 26 West Division Team GP W L T OTL GF GA P Milton Merchants 51 43 4 3 1 308 138 90 Bramalea Blues 51 38 6 7 0 296 158 83 Brampton Capitals 51 35 10 6 0 293 185 76 Burlington Cougars 51 29 19 2 1 256 203 61 Georgetown Raiders 51 27 18 4 2 264 239 60 Streetsville Derbys 51 27 20 3 1 259 245 58 Oakville Blades 51 22 23 4 2 216 216 50 Hamilton Kiltys 51 19 26 6 0 191 231 44 Caledon Canadians 51 16 30 2 3 203 271 37 Buffalo Lightning 51 11 34 4 2 148 249 28 Vaughan Vipers 51 9 38 2 2 198 346 22 Mississauga Chargers 51 6 41 3 1 161 321 16

1998-99 Frank L. Buckland Trophy Playoffs

For the Central Canada Championship, see Dudley Hewitt Cup. For the national championship, see 1999 Royal Bank Cup.

Division Quarter-final

Collingwood Blues defeated Stouffville Spirit 3-games-to-none

Couchiching Terriers defeated Thornhill Rattlers 3-games-to-2

Newmarket Hurricanes defeated Wexford Raiders 3-games-to-1

Aurora Tigers defeated Markham Waxers 3-games-to-1

Pickering Panthers defeated Cobourg Cougars 3-games-to-none

Trenton Sting defeated Wellington Dukes 3-games-to-none

Lindsay Muskies defeated Auburn Jr. Crunch 3-games-to-none

Oshawa Legionaires defeated Kingston Voyageurs 3-games-to-1

Milton Merchants defeated Hamilton Kiltys 3-games-to-none

Bramalea Blues defeated Oakville Blades 3-games-to-none

Streetsville Derbys defeated Brampton Capitals 3-games-to-2

Georgetown Raiders defeated Burlington Cougars 3-games-to-1

Division Semi-final

Collingwood Blues defeated Aurora Tigers 4-games-to-1

Couchiching Terriers defeated Newmarket Hurricanes 4-games-to-1

Pickering Panthers defeated Oshawa Legionaires 4-games-to-2

Lindsay Muskies defeated Trenton Sting 4-games-to-2

Milton Merchants defeated Georgetown Raiders 4-games-to-1

Bramalea Blues defeated Streetsville Derbys 4-games-to-none

Division Final

Collingwood Blues defeated Couchiching Terriers 4-games-to-3

Bramalea Blues defeated Milton Merchants 4-games-to-2

Pickering Panthers defeated Lindsay Muskies 4-games-to-none

Semi-final

Milton Merchants* defeated Collingwood Blues 4-games-to-2

Bramalea Blues defeated Pickering Panthers 4-games-to-none

(*) denotes that the Merchants were welcomed back into the playoffs for another round despite losing due to their superior playoff winning percentage over Couchiching and Lindsay.

Final

Bramalea Blues defeated Milton Merchants 4-games-to-2

Dudley Hewitt Cup Championship

Best-of-7 series

Bramalea Blues defeated Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats (NOJHL) 4-games-to-none

Bramalea - Rayside-Balfour

Bramalea 2 - Rayside-Balfour 1

Bramalea 3 - Rayside-Balfour 2

Bramalea 3 - Rayside-Balfour 2

1999 Royal Bank Cup Championship

The 1999 Royal Bank Cup was hosted by the Yorkton Terriers of Yorkton, Saskatchewan. The Bramalea Blues were defeated in the semi-final.

Round Robin

Bramalea Blues defeated Vernon Vipers (BCHL) 4-2

Bramalea Blues defeated Estevan Bruins (SJHL) 4-3

Bramalea Blues defeated Yorkton Terriers (SJHL) 5-1

Charlottetown Abbies (MJAHL) defeated Bramalea Blues 5-1

Semi-final

Vernon Vipers (BCHL) defeated Bramalea Blues 3-2

Scoring leaders

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes

Player Team GP G A Pts Stace Page Georgetown Raiders 50 54 69 123 Shawn Baltzer Newmarket Hurricanes 51 42 80 122 Jason Bullock Couchiching Terriers 47 33 83 116 Ed McGrane Milton/Hamilton 49 47 68 115 Kyle Amyotte Bramalea Blues 50 43 72 115 Geoff Schomogyi Milton Merchants 50 43 62 105 Andy Rozak Streetsville Derbys 51 33 71 104 Donald Patrick Auburn Jr. Crunch 51 44 60 104 Mike Cammalleri Bramalea Blues 41 31 72 103 Kevin O'Flaherty Milton Merchants 50 32 71 103

See also

• 1999 Royal Bank Cup
• Dudley Hewitt Cup
• List of OJHL seasons
• Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League
• Superior International Junior Hockey League
• Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League
• 1998 in ice hockey
• 1999 in ice hockey