The Espanola Kings were a

junior ice hockey Junior ice hockey is amateur-level ice hockey for 16 to 20 year-old players. National Junior teams compete annually for the IIHF World Junior Championship. The United States men's national junior ice hockey team are the defending champions from ...

team based in Espanola,

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, Canada. They played in the Greater Metro Junior 'A' Hockey League.

History

On February 18, 2007, Bob Russell announced the expansion of the Espanola Kings for the 2007-08 seaso

The announcement corresponded with two games that took place in Espanola between the

King Wild King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a constitutional monarch if his power is restrained by fi ...

and the

Richmond Hill Rams The Richmond Hill Rampage is an expansion Junior ice hockey team based in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Greater Metro Junior 'A' Hockey League. History Richmond Hill Rams The Richmond Hill Rams were a Junior ice hockey te ...

franchises. The Kings are owned by the same ownership group as the Rams and were named after the 1970s Oak Ridges Kings of the

Metro Junior B Hockey League The Metro Junior "A" Hockey League was a junior level ice hockey league based out of Southern Ontario. The league originated in 1956 as the Metro Junior "B" Hockey League, which lasted until 1991, when it changed its designation from Junior B to ...

. The expansion of the Kings makes them the eighth team in the independent GMJHL and one of six 2007 expansion teams. On September 7, 2007, the Espanola Kings played their first ever game in

Elliot Lake Elliot Lake is a city in Algoma District, Ontario, Canada. It is north of Lake Huron, midway between the cities of Greater Sudbury, Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Sault Ste. Marie in the Northern Ontario region. Once dubbed the "uranium ca ...

against the

Elliot Lake Bobcats The Iroquois Falls Storm are a Canadian Junior "A" Hockey team based out of Iroquois Falls, Ontario, Canada. They currently play in the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League and are former members of the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League. T ...

. The Bobcats defeated the Kings 3-2. On September 14, the Kings played their first ever home game, against the

South Muskoka Shield The Muskoka Shield were a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Gravenhurst, Ontario. The Shield were members of the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL). History The Shield are a community-based team with a number of corporate sponso ...

. This resulted in a 6-4 victory — the Kings' first ever win. After the 2009 GMHL Spring General Managers' meeting, it was announced that the Kings would not take part in the 2009-10 season. The Kings did not return, and nor did their sister franchise,

Season-by-season standings

Playoffs

*''2008'' Lost bye round : Temiscaming Royals defeated Espanola Kings ''4-games-to-none'' in bye round *''2009'' Did not qualify

External links

Espanola Kings Webpage
{{GMHL Defunct ice hockey teams in Ontario Sport in Northern Ontario 2007 establishments in Ontario 2009 disestablishments in Ontario Ice hockey clubs established in 2007 Ice hockey clubs disestablished in 2009