Delhi Travellers

Delhi Travellers
City	Delhi, Ontario
League	Provincial Junior Hockey League
Division	Central / Pat Doherty
Founded	Circa 1960
Home arena	Delhi Community Arena
Colors	Blue, Silver, and White
General manager	Chris Longthorne (2016-17)
Head coach	Rob Hutchison (2016-17)
League Champions	1981, 1986
OHA Cups	None
Franchise history
Circa 1960-1972: Delhi Rockets 1972-1991: Delhi Flames 1991-1998: Delhi Leafs 1998-Pres: Delhi Travellers

The Delhi Travellers are a Canadian junior hockey team based in Delhi, Ontario, Canada. The Travellers play in the Provincial Junior Hockey League of the Ontario Hockey Association.

History

Prior to 1966, the Delhi franchise was a member of the Shamrock Junior D Hockey League. In 1966, they jumped to the Southern Counties Junior D Hockey League. In 1972, the team changed their name from the Rockets to the Flames.

The 1980-81 season saw the Flames raise to the heights of provincial recognition. They finished second overall in the Southern league standings with 21 wins, seven losses, and six ties, a fair distance behind the first place St. George Dukes. Once in the playoffs, the Flames took the Southern league by storm and won their first ever league championship. The victory launched the Flames into the provincial final in competition for the OHA Cup. Their opponents were the Belmont Bombers, the champions of the Western Junior D Hockey League. The Bombers made quick work of the Flames, sweeping the series 4-games-to-none.

In the 1986 playoffs, the Flames once again took the Southern league crown. The victory brought them into line for another crack at the OHA Cup. Once in the provincial final, they found them against the Western league champions Seaforth Centenaires. The Centenaires were battle-hardened from their play in the North Division of the 12-team Western league and kept the Flames at bay for a 4-games-to-1 series victory.

In 1988, Delhi's Southern league folded and merged with the Western league to create a province-wide 18-team super-league. In 1991, the Western league was dropped in favour of the OHA Junior Development League.

From their point of entry into the Western league in 1988, the Delhi Flames found themselves in vast trouble. In 1991, the team changed their names to the Delhi Leafs to honour the towns former Intermediate league representative. The Leafs suffered horrible losing season from 1991 all the way until they opted to change their team name to the Delhi Travellers in 1998. After one season under the Travellers moniker, and one of their worst seasons in franchise history, the team took a leave of absence from the OHAJDL.

In 2000-01, the Travellers were back and finished in thirteenth place overall in the OHAJDL. This marked their best finish since entering the league in 1988. A year later they had a winning record. In fact, as of 2007, every season from 2000-on the Travellers at least matched their previous seasons performance if not bettered it.

After the 2005-06 season, the Travellers found themselves in second place overall in the OHAJDL with 29 wins. In the opening round of the playoffs, the Travellers challenged and defeated the Burford Bulldogs 4-games-to-2. In the conference semi-final, the Travellers then met the Hagersville Hawks and beat them 4-games-to-3. Then Delhi challenged the Tavistock Braves and swept them 4-games-to-none to win their first ever birth into the league final since joining the league eighteen years before. They met the underdog Lucan Irish, a seventh seed berth from the other conference who defied all odds to make it this far. The Irish were not to be denied of the Cinderella Story, as they defeated the Travellers 4-games-to-2 to win the OHA Cup.

After 2006, the OHAJDL was disbanded and replaced by the Southern Ontario Junior Hockey League. In its first season, the Travellers finished in second place despite winning 32 games—three more than the previous season. In the first round of the playoffs, the Travellers challenged the Port Dover Sailors. The Travellers had no problem with the Sailors and swept them 4-games-to-none. The next round had Delhi faced off against the St. George Dukes. The longtime rivals went to six games with Delhi win the series 4-games-to-2. The next round had the Travellers trying for their second straight conference title against the Tavistock Braves. The series went the distance and the Travellers came out on top in Game 7 winning the series 4-games-to-3. In their second straight final, the Travellers met a tough foe in the Mitchell Hawks. The Hawks and Travellers fought, but the Hawks won Game 6 and took the series 4-games-to-2 to take away Delhi's second straight chance at the OHA Cup.

In the Summer of 2013, after much uncertainty, the Travellers ended up in the new Midwestern Junior C Hockey League. In 2014-15, the team finished an Imperfect Season, losing all 40 games played.

For the 2016-17 season the eight Junior "C" hockey leagues in Sourhern Ontario amalgamated into one league, the Provincial Junior Hockey League. The Midwestern League were placed in the Central Conference and re-branded the Pat Doherty division.

Season-by-season record

Playoffs

• 1981 Won league, Lost OHA final

Belmont Bombers defeated Delhi Flames 4-games-to-none in OHA final

• 1986 Won league, Lost OHA final

Seaforth Centenaires defeated Delhi Flames 4-games-to-1 in OHA final

• 2006 Lost final

Delhi Travellers defeated Burford Bulldogs 4-games-to-2 in conf. quarter-final

Delhi Travellers defeated Hagersville Hawks 4-games-to-3 in conf. semi-final

Delhi Travellers defeated Tavistock Braves 4-games-to-none in conf. final

Lucan Irish defeated Delhi Travellers 4-games-to-2 in final

• 2007 Lost final

Delhi Travellers defeated Port Dover Sailors 4-games-to-none in conf. quarter-final

Delhi Travellers defeated St. George Dukes 4-games-to-2 in conf. semi-final

Delhi Travellers defeated Tavistock Braves 4-games-to-3 in conf. final

Mitchell Hawks defeated Delhi Travellers 4-games-to-2 in final

• 2009 Lost final

Delhi Travellers defeated Burford Bulldogs 4-games-to-none in conf. semi final

Delhi Travellers defeated Hagersville Hawks 4-games-to-none in conf. final

Delhi Travellers competed against North Middlesex Stars and Thamesford Trojans in semi-final round robin

Delhi Travellers advanced to finals against North Middlesex Stars

North Middlesex Stars defeated Delhi Travellers 4-games-to-3 in final

• 2010 Lost semi-final

Delhi Travellers defeated St. George Dukes 4-games-to-1 in conf. semi final

Delhi Travellers defeated Hagersville Hawks 4-games-to-1 in conf. final

Exeter Hawks and Thamesford Trojans defeated Delhi Travellers in semi-final round robin

Notable alumni

• Ryan Vandenbussche

External links

• Travellers' Official Webpage