Brantford Blast were a Canadian

senior ice hockey Senior hockey refers to amateur or semi-professional ice hockey competition. There are no age restrictions for Senior players, who typically consist of those whose junior ice hockey, Junior eligibility has expired. Senior hockey leagues operate un ...

team in the

Ontario Hockey Association The Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) is the governing body for the majority of junior and senior level ice hockey teams in the province of Ontario. Founded in 1890, the OHA is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation along with the Northern ...

Allan Cup Hockey Allan Cup Hockey (ACH), also known as the OHA Senior “AAA” Hockey League, is a senior ice hockey league with three teams in Southern Ontario. The league was founded in 1990 as the Southwestern Senior "A" Hockey League. It is governed by th ...

, from

Brantford Brantford ( 2021 population: 104,688) is a city in Ontario, Canada, founded on the Grand River in Southwestern Ontario. It is surrounded by Brant County but is politically separate with a municipal government of its own that is fully indep ...

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 ...

. The team was established in 2000, and played their games at the Brantford Civic Centre. The Blast were the winners of the 2008 Allan Cup as Canadian Senior "AAA" Champions.

History

In 2000, the

allowed for the expansion of the first Brantford team since 1987 into Ontario's top tier of Senior hockey. The Brantford Prowl competed during the 2000-01 Southwestern Senior A Hockey League season and finished in fifth place with a record of 12 wins, 17 losses, and a tie. The team took 2001-02 off, but then re-emerged in 2002 as the Blast. In 2002, Brantford rejoined the top tier of Ontario senior hockey this time known as the Brantford Blast. At the time, the city had the Brantford Golden Eagles in the

, but had also lost teams, like the

Brantford Alexanders The Brantford Alexanders were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League and Ontario Hockey League from 1978 to 1984. The team was based in Brantford, Ontario, Canada. History The Hamilton Fincups were relocated in 1978 b ...

of the

Ontario Hockey League The Ontario Hockey League (OHL; ) is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League, alongside the Western Hockey League and the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League. The league is for players ag ...

, who left in 1984 and the Brantford Smoke of the Colonial Hockey League, who left in 1998. The Blast would play their home games at the Brantford Civic Centre as well. The Blast have made it to the post season twice. In the 2005–06 season, when they won the league, but lost in the first round to the Dundas Real McCoys 4 games to 2. In the 2006–07 season, they placed third, defeating the Petrolia Squires 4 games to 3, and the Windsor St. Clair Saints 4 games to none to capture their first MLH Championship after a 4–3 win Monday March 12 in front of the home town crowd in Brantford. Brantford won the J. Ross Robertson Cup for the league's playoffs championship in 2013 and 2014. The Blast's was initially withdrawn from the

for the 2022–23 season only. However, the application for the 2023-24 season was not submitted.

2008 Allan Cup

The Blast finished the 2007–08 season in second place. They swept the Windsor St. Clair Saints 4-games-to-none in the Major League Hockey semi-final, but were defeated 4-games-to-2 to the Dundas Real McCoys. The Brantford Blast were the host team of the 2008 Allan Cup, which was held in Brantford from April 14-April 19, 2008. This was also the 100th anniversary for the event, one of the reasons that the Blast wanted to host it. The Brantford Blast became the first

team since the Brantford Motts Clamatos, in 1987, to win the

Allan Cup The Allan Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the senior ice hockey champions of Canada. It was donated by Sir Montagu Allan of Ravenscrag, Montreal, and has been competed for since 1909. It was most recently won by the Wentworth Gryphins ...

. As hosts of the 2008 Allan Cup, the Blast failed to win their league and were allowed to bypass the OHA Final against the Whitby Dunlops and the Renwick Cup against the Thunder Bay Hawks. After almost a months rest, the Blast competed at home for the Allan Cup and won the entire thing. After suffering their only loss of the tournament to the Shawinigan Xtreme 3–2 in the first game, the Blast defeated the Bentley Generals 5–3 to clinch second in their division. They defeated the Robertson Cup and EOSHL champion Whitby Dunlops in the quarter-final handily, 7–2. They then knocked off the Major League Hockey and Renwick Cup champion Dundas Real McCoys in the semi-final 3–2 in overtime. They met Bentley again in the final, who defeated the 2007 champions Lloydminster Border Kings and the Shawinigan Xtreme, and defeated them 3–1 to win the Canadian National Senior "AAA" crown.

Season-by-season record

''Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

Awards

*2004/2005 - All Star Centre - Paul Polillo *2004/2005 - Most Sportsmanlike - Tyler Pelton *November 2005 - Player of the Month - Adriano Fiacconi *December 2005 - Player of the Month - Tyler Pelton *2005-06 - League All-Star Game players - Tyler Pelton, Adriano Fiacconi, Brett Leggat *2005-06 - Season Champions *2005-06 - Best Team Goaltending *2006-07 - Major League Hockey Champions *2007-08 - Allan Cup Champions *2011-12 - Allan Cup Hockey - Robertson Cup Champions *2011-12 - Best Team Goaltending - Brett Leggat, Anthony Marshall, Ben Thomas *2011-12 - League Best player award - Mike Ruberto *2011-12 - League Leader Points - Mike Ruberto *2011-12 - League Best goaltender award - Brett Leggat *2011-12 - League Leader Goaltending - Brett Leggat *2012-13 - League Best goaltender award - Brett Leggat *2012-13 - League Leader Goltending - Brett Leggat *2013-14 - League Best goaltender award - Brett Leggat *2013-14 - League Most valuable player - Joel Prpic *2013-14 - League Leader Goaltending - Brett Leggat *2014-15 - League Best goaltender award - Anthony Marshall *2014-15 - League Leader Goltending - Anthony Marshall *2015-16 - League Best goaltender award - Brett Leggat *2015-16 - League Leader Goaltending - Brett Leggat *2017-18 - Most Sportsmanlike - Cameron Sault *2019-20 - Most Gentlemanly - Deron Cousens

Notable alumni

* Tyrone Garner *

Brent Gretzky Brent Gretzky (born February 20, 1972) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who briefly played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Tampa Bay Lightning. He is the brother of Wayne and Keith Gretzky. Playing career Gretzky ...

* Grant Ledyard * Jeff MacMillan * Joel Prpic * Steven Rice * Jason Williams

References

External links

Official web site
{{OHA Senior Defunct ice hockey teams in Ontario Senior ice hockey teams Sport in Brantford 2000 establishments in Ontario 2022 disestablishments in Ontario Ice hockey clubs established in 2000 Ice hockey clubs disestablished in 2022