The Avalon East Senior Hockey League (AESHL) is a senior ice hockey league with teams based in Newfoundland, Canada. It is one of two senior hockey leagues in Newfoundland, the other being the West Coast Senior Hockey League.
History
The AESHL was founded in 1967 to provide a competitive platform for senior hockey teams in eastern Newfoundland. Over the years, the league has seen various teams compete, with some achieving notable success in provincial championships. In 2017, the league underwent a rebranding and became known as the East Coast Senior Hockey League (ECSHL). However, in 2021, the league reverted to its original name, the Avalon East Senior Hockey League, to honor its longstanding history and the many Hall of Fame players who have participated over its illustrious 54-season history.
Teams Team City Home arena Conception Bay Blues Conception Bay South, Newfoundland and Labrador Conception Bay South Arena HGOE CeeBee Stars Harbour Grace, Newfoundland and Labrador Danny Cleary Community Centre Wexford Estates Outer Cove Marines Torbay, Newfoundland and Labrador Jack Byrne Arena St. John's Capitals St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador Mary Brown's Centre Southern Shore Breakers Witless Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador Southern Shore Arena Clarenville Caribous Clarenville, Newfoundland and Labrador Eastlink Clarenville Events Centre
Former teams Mount Pearl Blades Flatrock Flyers
Controversies Allegations of Player Compensation (2017): In September 2017, the Harbour Grace CeeBee Stars were expelled from the AESHL amid accusations from other teams that they were compensating players, which was against league regulations. The CeeBee Stars denied these allegations, with players like Sam Roberts and Matthew Thomey publicly refuting claims of receiving payment.
League Dissolution and Reformation (2017): Following the expulsion of the CeeBee Stars, the remaining four teams—St. John's Capitals, Northeast Eagles, Southern Shore Breakers, and Bell Island Blues—left the AESHL to form a new league. This left the CeeBee Stars as the sole team in the AESHL, leading to significant uncertainty about the league's future
Team Departures and Returns: The AESHL has faced challenges with team stability. For instance, the Outer Cove Marines re-entered the league in 2022 after a two-decade hiatus, highlighting the league's ongoing issues with team retention and participation.
Justin Pender's Off-Ice Altercation (2024): On October 26, 2024, during a game between the Clarenville Ford Caribous and the HGOE CeeBee Stars, Caribous' defenceman Justin Pender was ejected for on-ice misconduct. After his ejection, Pender was taunted by fans near the locker room area. In response, he threw a broken stick towards the fans and engaged in a physical altercation, punching one of them multiple times. This incident led to Pender receiving a three-game suspension from the league and an indefinite ban from the Danny Cleary Community Centre in Harbour Grace.
Regular season champions
Season Team Points W-L-OTL record 2022-2023 Clarenville Ford Caribous 33 15–2–3 2021-2022 Pugliesvich Southern Shore Breakers 30 14–4–2 2020-2021 RoofTech Sr. Caps 30 15–1–0 2019-2020 Clarenville Ford Caribous 2 1–0–0 2018-2019 Pugliesvich Southern Shore Breakers 29 14–0–1 2016-2017 RoofTech Sr. Caps 30 15–3–0 2015–16 HGOE CeeBee Stars 37 18–2–1 2014–15 The Bigs Northeast Eagles 40 20–3–0 2013–14 Northeast Eagles 36 18-2-0-0 2012–13 2011–12 The Bigs Northeast Eagles 28 14–4–0 2010–11 RoofTech Sr. Caps 24 11–6–2
Playoff champions 2006 - Conception Bay North CeeBee Stars 2007 - Conception Bay North CeeBee Stars 2008 - Conception Bay North CeeBee Stars 2009 - Conception Bay North CeeBee Stars 2010 - Conception Bay North CeeBee Stars 2011 - Conception Bay North CeeBee Stars 2012 - St. John's Capitals 2013 - St. John's Capitals 2014 - St. John's Capitals 2015 - Southern Shore Breakers 2016 - St. John's Toyota Plaza Caps 2017 - CeeBee Stars 2022 - Southern Shore 2023 - Southern Shore 2024 - St Johns Caps 2025 - Clarenville Caribous
Herder champions 2006 - Conception Bay North Cee Bee Stars 2007 - Conception Bay North Cee Bee Stars 2008 - Conception Bay North Cee Bee Stars 2017 - Conception Bay North Cee Bee Stars
References
External links Avalon East Senior Hockey League (AESHL)