The Pickering Panthers are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Pickering, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of North Division of the Ontario Junior Hockey League.
History In the summer of 2010, the Panthers accepted a merger with the Ajax Attack.
2007 Marathon Game On February 10, 2007, after 154 minutes and 32 seconds of play, the Toronto Jr. Canadiens defeated the Pickering Panthers in Game 2 of the first round of the playoffs. The game-winning goal was credited to Kyle Wetering at the 4:32 mark of the 6th overtime, after the teams played 60 minutes of regulation, 10 minutes in the first overtime period, and then 20 minute overtime periods thereafter. Toronto outshot Pickering 88–86. On February 12, 2007, TSN show That's Hockey showed highlights of the game and announced that it may be honoured in the Hockey Hall of Fame as the longest junior hockey game in history, far surpassing the last recorded record. A feature column also appeared in the Toronto Sun about the historical game. The game has been officially named the longest game in Ontario Hockey Association history.
First OJHL Championship The 2021–22 season marked the most successful season for the Panthers. They finished first in the North Division and was the top team in the Northwest Conference and second in overall in the league. Their success continued into the playoffs claiming the OJHL Championship over Toronto and making it to the Centennial Cup finals, where they would be defeated by the Brooks Bandits.
Season-by-season results Season GP W L T OTL GF GA P Results Playoffs1972–73 35 13 19 3 – 114 158 29 7th Metro B Lost 1st round1973–74 44 34 6 4 – 272 135 72 1st Metro B Lost 2nd round1974–75 38 25 6 7 – 259 133 57 2nd Metro B Lost final (Div Title)1975–76 34 18 12 4 – 163 134 40 4th Metro B Lost 1st round1976–77 34 17 13 4 – 166 164 38 4th Metro B Lost 2nd round1977–78 36 19 14 3 – 217 179 41 3rd Metro B Lost 2nd round1978–79 44 19 19 6 – 214 210 44 8th Metro B Lost 1st round1979–80 42 22 16 4 – 248 185 48 6th Metro B Lost 2nd round1980–81 42 26 14 2 – 210 154 54 3rd Metro B Lost final (Div Title)1981–82 36 15 17 4 – 188 174 34 6th Metro B Lost 1st round1982–83 35 15 15 5 – 141 149 35 6th Metro B Lost final (Div Title)1983–84 42 23 13 6 – 197 174 52 4th Metro B Lost 2nd round1984–85 36 17 15 4 – 183 163 38 6th Metro B Lost 1st round1985–86 36 29 5 2 – 287 128 60 1st Metro B Won League (Div Title)1986–87 37 28 7 2 – 213 115 58 2nd Metro B Lost final (Div Title)1987–88 37 19 12 6 – 191 130 44 4th Metro B Lost 1st round1988–89 39 15 16 8 – 182 181 38 6th Metro B Lost 1st round1989–90 44 7 32 5 – 155 300 19 11th Metro BDNQ1990–91 44 7 32 5 – 150 269 19 11th Metro BDNQ1991–92 44 13 28 3 – 190 235 29 10th Metro AWon Qualifying Rd 3–0 Wellington DukesL quarter-final 0–4 Thornhill Thunderbirds1992–93 48 13 30 5 – 198 292 31 13th Metro ADNQ1993–94 50 4 43 3 – 171 345 11 14th Metro A DNQ1994–95 49 10 37 2 – 161 331 22 14th Metro ADNQ1995–96 52 14 32 6 – 197 259 34 9th Metro A DNQ1996–97 50 34 12 4 – 232 163 72 4th Metro AWon Qualifying Rd 4–2 Oshawa LegionairesEliminated QuarterfinalSixth round robin (0–5–1)1997–98 50 16 27 7 – 173 213 39 13th Metro ALost Qualifying Rd 2–3 Syracuse Jr. Crunch 1998–99 51 37 14 0 0 249 162 74 1st OPJHL-ELost semi-final (4th Rd)1999-00 49 11 32 4 2 154 218 28 9th OPJHL-S Lost 1st round2000–01 49 21 19 7 2 198 194 51 4th OPJHL-S Lost 1st round2001–02 49 20 22 5 2 188 193 47 5th OPJHL-S Lost 2nd round2002–03 49 13 31 3 2 154 218 31 7th OPJHL-S Lost 1st round2003–04 49 12 30 7 0 168 221 31 8th OPJHL-S Lost 1st round2004–05 49 29 15 2 3 218 171 63 5th OPJHL-S Lost 1st round2005–06 49 30 17 1 1 228 173 62 3rd OPJHL-S Lost 2nd round2006–07 49 26 21 2 0 222 189 54 5th OPJHL-S Lost quarter-final (3rd Rd)2007–08 49 10 38 – 1 135 260 21 9th OPJHL-S DNQ2008–09 49 16 30 – 3 148 249 35 8th OJHL-R Lost 1st round2009–10 50 15 31 – 4 178 252 34 10th CCHL-E DNQ2010–11 50 14 33 – 3 142 205 31 8th OJHL-E DNQ2011–12 49 11 37 – 1 141 280 23 6th OJHL-S Lost 1st round2012–13 55 13 37 – 5 145 274 31 5th OJHL-N DNQ2013–14 53 22 25 – 6 168 202 50 3rd OJHL-N Lost 1st round2014–15 54 20 26 1 7 193 242 48 4th OJHL-N DNQ2015–16 54 15 32 2 5 154 223 37 5th of 6 Nor Div10th of 11 NE Conf19th of 22 OJHL DNQ2016–17 54 9 42 1 2 120 253 21 6th of 6 Nor Div11th of 11 NE Conf21st of 22 OJHL DNQ2017–18 54 26 24 1 3 180 165 56 4th of 6 Nor Div7th of 11 NE Conf13st of 22 OJHL Lost Division quarter-final 3–4 (Wellington Dukes)2018–19 55 23 29 0 3 141 183 −42 4th of 5 Nor Div9th of 11 NE Conf17th of 22 OJHL DNQ2019–20 54 32 18 2 2 193 147 46 1st of 5 Nor Div3rd of 11 NW Conf7th of 22 OJHL Won Division quarterfinal 4–0 (Georgetown Raiders)Remaining playoffs cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic2020–21 Season cancelled due to COVID-192021–22 54 39 11 0 4 199 135 82 1st of 5 Nor Div1st of 10 NW Conf2nd of 21 OJHL Won Conf Quarterfinals 2–0 (Stouffville Spirit)Won Conf Semifinals 2–0 (Collingwood Blues)Won Conf Finals 3–0 (Milton Menace)Won OJHL CHAMPIONSHIP 4–3 (Toronto Jr. Canadiens)Advanced to Centennial Cup2022–23 54 32 20 2 0 196 154 66 4th of 10 NW Conf9th of 21 OJHL Lost Conf Quarterfinals 1–4 (Milton Menace)2023–24 56 15 35 1 5 168 267 36 10th of 12 NW Conf20th of 24 OJHL Did Not Qualify for Post Season2024–25 56 25 26 1 4 166 188 55 8th of 12 NW Conf14th of 24 OJHL Lost Conf Quarterfinals 1–4 (Trenton Golden Hawks)
Centennial Cup – Revised format 2022 Canadian Jr. A National ChampionshipsMaritime Junior Hockey League, Quebec Junior Hockey League, Central Canada Hockey League, Ontario Junior Hockey League, Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League, Superior International Junior Hockey League, Manitoba Junior Hockey League, Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, Alberta Junior Hockey League, and Host. The BCHL declared itself an independent league and there is no BC representative.Round-robin play in two 5-team pools with top three in pool advancing to determine a Champion. Year Round-robin Record Standing Quarterfinal Semifinal Championship 2022 W, Red Lake Miners (SIJHL), 9–2W, Estevan Bruins (Host), 10–5OTW, Longueuil Collège Français (LHJQ), 3–2L, Brooks Bandits (AJHL), 1–9 2–1–1–0 2nd of 5 Pool A OTW – 3–2Flin Flon Bombers(SJHL) W – 2–0Dauphin Kings(ManJHL) L – 1–4Brooks Bandits(AJHL)
Notable alumni
Andy Andreoff Glenn Healy Cameron Palmer Tanner Shaw Sean McMorrow Joe Nieuwendyk Bernie Saunders, 5th black player in NHL history
References
External links Panthers webpage