Timmins Rock

(Redirected from Abitibi Eskimos)

The Timmins Rock are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Timmins, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL).

Timmins Rock
CityTimmins, Ontario, Canada
LeagueNorthern Ontario Junior Hockey League
DivisionEastern
Founded1991
Home arenaMcIntyre Arena
ColoursBlack, gold, maroon, and white
       
General managerBrandon Perry
Head coachBrandon Perry
AffiliateTimmins Majors (GNML)
Franchise history
1991–1999Timmins Golden Bears
1999–2002Iroquois Falls Jr. Eskis
2002–2015Abitibi Eskimos
2015–presentTimmins Rock

History

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The Timmins Golden Bears became members of the NOJHL in 1991. The Golden Bears won their league championship in 1995. In 1999, the Timmins Golden Bears relocated to Iroquois Falls, Ontario, and became the Iroquois Falls Jr. Eskies. After three seasons, the Jr. Eskies re-branded as the Abitibi Eskimos. Attendance improved and the Eskimos played good-quality hockey. The Eskimos hosted the 2007 Dudley Hewitt Cup, but lost the semi-finals to the Schreiber Diesels. Three years later in 2009–10, the Eskimos clinched first overall and won the NOJHL championship over the Soo Thunderbirds, who were hosting the Dudley Hewitt Cup. The Eskimos would finish 4th in the 2010 Dudley Hewitt Cup tournament. The Eskimos never made the NOJHL finals again.

In March 2015, the Abitibi Eskimos announced they were relocating back to Timmins after 16 years in Iroquois Falls. The Timmins NOJHL franchise announced that they were not going to name the team the Timmins Golden Bears, and named the team the Timmins Rock instead when unveiling the team name, colors and jerseys at an event.

The Rock finished their first season in Timmins with a 29–24–1 record, which was good for 4th place in the NOJHL East Division. The Rock swept the Iroquois Falls Eskis in the 1st round of the playoffs, winning 8–1 at home in game one, and 3–1 in Iroquois Falls. However the Cochrane Crunch would be too much for them to handle in the next round, and they defeated the Rock in 4 straight. Jordan Rendle would pace the team with 30 goals, while Zachary Kercz had a team high 55 assists and 81 points. Logan Ferrington appeared in net 35 times for the Rock, and finished with a 20–13–1 record with a 3.94 GAA. The Rock averaged 595 fans per game at the McIntyre Arena, second highest in the league. Kercz would also be awarded a place on the CCM 2nd All-Star Team at the end of the season.

In the 2016–17 season, the Rock finished the regular season with a record of 36–16–3–1 and 76 points, third in the East Division and fourth overall. In the playoffs, they upset the Cochrane Crunch in six games and advanced to the divisional finals where they were swept in four games against regular season champion Powassan Voodoos.

Head coach Paul Gagne retired at the end of the 2016–17 season and Ryan Woodard was named as his replacement, however, in May 2017 he was fired before the season for a non-hockey related matter. Corey Beer was hired as the next head coach in the 2017–18 season. Beer was previously an associate coach of the Cobourg Cougars in the Ontario Junior Hockey League that had won the 2017 Royal Bank Cup. He left before the abbreviated 2020–21 season for the Okanaghan Hockey Academy[1] and the team completed the season without a head coach. Brandon Perry was then hired as the head coach and general manager for the 2021–22 season.[2]

Season-by-season results

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SeasonGPWLTOTLGFGAPtsResultsPlayoffs
Timmins Golden Bears
1991–924833132361173682nd NOJHL
1992–93484242407176861st NOJHLLost final
1993–944019192190192404th NOJHL
1994–95483990303165781st NOJHLWon League
1995–964429141206173593rd NOJHL
1996–974013252131222284th NOJHL
1997–984013207136210334th NOJHL
1998–994012244128189285th NOJHL
Iroquois Falls Jr. Eskis
1999–004020191171180414th NOJHL
2000–0140152401171224315th NOJHL
2001–0242142404165246325th NOJHL
Abitibi Eskimos
2002–034823223210207495th NOJHL
2003–0448261831191156564th NOJHL
2004–0548301341201148652nd NOJHLLost semi-final
2005–0648202431174190445th NOJHLLost quarter-final
2006–0748261606177174583rd NOJHLLost quarter-final
2007–085031145224157942nd NOJHLLost final
2008–095029174198166623rd NOJHLLost semi-final
2009–10504073263141831st NOJHLWon League
2010–115026231216217535th NOJHLLost semi-final
2011–125028184241222604th NOJHLLost quarter-final
2012–1348143103165258317th NOJHLLost quarter-final
2013–1456302204212212644th NOJHLLost semi-final
2014–1552282004243233604th of 5, East
6 of 9, NOJHL
Lost div. semi-finals, 2–4 vs. Cochrane Crunch
Timmins Rock
2015–1654292410257219594th of 6, East
6th of 12, NOJHL
Won Div. Play-in series, 2–0 vs. Iroquois Falls Eskis
Lost div. semi-finals, 0–4 vs. Cochrane Crunch
2016–1756361631271202763rd of 6, East
4th of 12, NOJHL
Won Div. Semifinals, 4–2 vs. Cochrane Crunch
Lost Div. Finals, 0–4 vs. Powassan Voodoos
2017–1856193133142184445th of 6, East
10th of 12, NOJHL
Won Div. Play-in series, 2–1 vs. Hearst Lumberjacks
Won Div. Semifinals, 4–2 vs. Powassan Voodoos
Lost Div. Finals, 1–4 vs. Cochrane Crunch
2018–195633203186156694th of 6, East
5th of 12, NOJHL
Won Div. Quarterfinals, 2–0 vs. Cochrane Crunch
Lost div. semi-finals, 3–4 vs. Hearst Lumberjacks
2019–205642113231100872nd of 6, East
2nd of 12, NOJHL
Led Div. Semifinals, 1–0 vs. Hearst Lumberjacks
Postseason cancelled
2020–21221814011043361st of 4, East
1st of 9, NOJHL
No playoffs were held
2021–22483387225124731st of 6, East
2nd of 12, NOJHL
Won Div. Quarterfinals, 4–0 vs. French River Rapids
Lost div. semi-finals, 3–4 vs. Hearst Lumberjacks
2022–23584585273111951st of 6, East
1st of 12, NOJHL
Won Div. Quarterfinals, 4–1 vs. French River Rapids
Won div. Semi-finals, 4–0 vs. Powassan Voodoos
Won League finals, 4–2 vs. Soo Thunderbirds
WON LEAGUE
Advance to Centennial Cup
2023–2458411520272177731st of 6, East
3rd of 12, NOJHL
Won Div. Semi-finals, 4–0 vs. Iroquois Falls Storm
Lost Div. Finals, 3-4 vs. Powassan Voodoos

Centennial Cup - Revised format 2022

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Canadian Jr. A National Championships
Maritime 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.

YearRound-robinRecordStandingQuarterfinalSemifinalChampionship
2023OTW, Yarmouth Mariners (MarJHL), 4-3
L, Cobras de Terrebonne (LHJQ), 1-2
L, Brooks Bandits (AJHL), 0-9
OTW, Ottawa Jr. Senators (CJHL), 2-1
0-2-2-05th of 5
Pool A
did not qualifieddid not qualifieddid not qualified

Notable alumni

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Golden Bears Logo

References

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  1. ^ "Corey Beer Staff Profile". Elite Prospects. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
  2. ^ "Rock name Brandon Perry head coach/GM". NOJHL. April 30, 2021.
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Eskimos logo