2002–03 OPJHL season

The 2002–03 OPJHL season is the tenth season of the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League (OPJHL). The thirty-five teams of the North, South, East, and West divisions competed in a 49-game schedule.

2002–03 OPJHL season
League	Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League
Sport	Hockey
Duration	Regular season 2002-09 – 2003-02 Playoffs 2003-02 – 2003-04
Number of teams	35
Finals champions	Wellington Dukes

Come February, the top eight teams of each division competed for the Frank L. Buckland Trophy, the OPJHL championship. The winner of the Buckland Cup, the Wellington Dukes, went on to win the Dudley Hewitt Cup as Central Canadian Champions. The Dukes were not successful in winning the 2003 Royal Bank Cup.^[1]

Changes

• Parry Sound Shamrocks leave the OPJHL.

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

East Division Team GP W L T OTL GF GA P Wellington Dukes 49 47 1 1 0 298 87 95 Trenton Sting 49 32 14 2 1 235 144 67 Kingston Voyageurs 49 31 13 4 1 206 132 67 Cobourg Cougars 49 27 18 3 1 187 148 58 Lindsay Muskies 49 26 17 3 3 216 174 58 Bancroft Hawks 49 21 22 3 3 206 254 48 Bowmanville Eagles 49 19 24 5 1 163 178 44 Peterborough Bees 49 15 31 1 2 133 212 33 Port Hope Predators 49 10 36 1 2 119 251 23 Syracuse Jr. Crunch 49 4 43 1 1 114 308 10 North Division Team GP W L T OTL GF GA P Aurora Tigers 49 43 3 2 1 265 103 89 Newmarket Hurricanes 49 31 14 1 3 221 163 66 Stouffville Spirit 49 29 18 2 0 241 154 60 Collingwood Blues 49 23 25 0 1 204 176 47 Couchiching Terriers 49 21 23 4 1 178 184 47 Huntsville Wildcats 49 2 46 0 1 121 406 5 South Division Team GP W L T OTL GF GA P Wexford Raiders 49 32 12 2 3 231 152 69 Markham Waxers 49 30 12 6 1 239 173 67 St. Michael's Buzzers 49 25 15 6 3 209 174 59 Vaughan Vipers 49 26 17 2 4 205 204 58 North York Rangers 49 23 18 3 5 180 182 54 Oshawa Legionaires 49 24 21 3 1 189 184 52 Pickering Panthers 49 13 31 3 2 154 218 31 Ajax Axemen 49 12 31 3 3 142 202 30 Thornhill Rattlers 49 11 34 3 1 129 240 26 West Division Team GP W L T OTL GF GA P Milton Merchants 49 41 6 1 1 279 139 84 Georgetown Raiders 49 37 7 3 2 280 155 79 Hamilton Kiltys 49 38 8 2 1 286 157 79 Burlington Cougars 49 29 17 2 1 227 201 61 Oakville Blades 49 27 20 2 0 219 197 56 Mississauga Chargers 49 24 19 3 3 189 203 54 Buffalo Lightning 49 12 32 1 4 167 229 29 Streetsville Derbys 49 10 30 3 6 172 293 29 Bramalea Blues 49 10 35 3 1 168 282 24 Brampton Capitals 49 10 36 2 1 208 320 23

2002-03 Frank L. Buckland Trophy Playoffs

For the Central Canada Championship, see Dudley Hewitt Cup. For the national championship, see 2003 Royal Bank Cup.

Division Quarter-final

Wellington Dukes defeated Peterborough Bees 4-games-to-none

Trenton Sting defeated Bowmanville Eagles 4-games-to-1

Kingston Voyageurs defeated Bancroft Hawks 4-games-to-none

Lindsay Muskies defeated Cobourg Cougars 4-games-to-3

Aurora Tigers defeated Bramalea Blues 4-games-to-none

Newmarket Hurricanes defeated Ajax Axemen 4-games-to-1

Stouffville Spirit defeated Couchiching Terriers 4-games-to-none

Collingwood Blues defeated North York Rangers 4-games-to-2

Milton Merchants defeated Streetsville Derbys 4-games-to-none

Buffalo Lightning defeated Hamilton Kiltys 4-games-to-2

Georgetown Raiders defeated Mississauga Chargers 4-games-to-1

Oakville Blades defeated Burlington Cougars 4-games-to-none

Wexford Raiders defeated Port Hope Predators 4-games-to-1

Markham Waxers defeated Thornhill Rattlers 4-games-to-none

St. Michael's Buzzers defeated Pickering Panthers 4-games-to-none

Oshawa Legionaires defeated Vaughan Vipers 4-games-to-2

Division Semi-final

Wexford Raiders defeated Oshawa Legionaires 4-games-to-2

Markham Waxers defeated St. Michael's Buzzers 4-games-to-2

Wellington Dukes defeated Lindsay Muskies 4-games-to-1

Trenton Sting defeated Kingston Voyageurs 4-games-to-2

Milton Merchants defeated Buffalo Lightning 4-games-to-none

Georgetown Raiders defeated Oakville Blades 4-games-to-3

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

Stouffville Spirit defeated Newmarket Hurricanes 4-games-to-3

Division Final

Georgetown Raiders defeated Milton Merchants 4-games-to-3

Aurora Tigers defeated Stouffville Spirit 4-games-to-2

Markham Waxers defeated Wexford Raiders 4-games-to-3

Wellington Dukes defeated Trenton Sting 4-games-to-3

Semi-final

Aurora Tigers defeated Georgetown Raiders 4-games-to-1

Wellington Dukes defeated Markham Waxers 4-games-to-none

Final

Wellington Dukes defeated Aurora Tigers 4-games-to-2

Dudley Hewitt Cup Championship

Hosted by Fort Frances Borderland Thunder in Fort Frances, Ontario. Wellington Dukes won the event.

Round Robin

Wellington Dukes defeated Thunder Bay Bulldogs (SIJHL) 7-4

Wellington Dukes defeated Fort Frances Borderland Thunder (SIJHL) 7-1

North Bay Skyhawks (NOJHL) defeated Wellington Dukes 2-1

Semi-final

Wellington Dukes defeated Fort Frances Borderland Thunder (SIJHL) 3-2

Final

Wellington Dukes defeated North Bay Skyhawks (NOJHL) 4-0

2003 Royal Bank Cup Championship

Hosted by Charlottetown Abbies in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. The Wellington Dukes lost in the semi-final.^[2]

Round Robin

Humboldt Broncos (SJHL) defeated Wellington Dukes 4-1

Camrose Kodiaks (AJHL) defeated Wellington Dukes 7-1

Wellington Dukes defeated Charlottetown Abbies (MJAHL) 1-0 OT

Wellington Dukes defeated Lennoxville Cougars (QJAAAHL) 5-2

Semi-final

Humboldt Broncos (SJHL) defeated Wellington Dukes 3-2

Scoring leaders

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

Player Team GP G A Pts Josh Soares Hamilton Kiltys 48 56 68 124 Brad Efthimiou Milton/Brampton 48 44 70 114 Rich Meloche Milton Merchants 49 49 56 105 Luchiano Aquino Wexford Raiders 48 48 54 102

Players selected in 2003 NHL Entry Draft

• Rd 4 #103 Kevin Jarman - Columbus Blue Jackets (Stouffville Spirit)
• Rd 8 #244 Mike Sullivan - Los Angeles Kings (Stouffville Spirit)
• Rd 9 #270 Kevin Harvey - Calgary Flames (Georgetown Raiders)
• Rd 9 #291 Brian Elliott - Ottawa Senators (Ajax Axemen)

See also

• 2003 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
• 2002 in ice hockey
• 2003 in ice hockey