Temiscaming Titans
| Temiscaming Titans Les Titans de Témiscaming | |
|---|---|
 2016–17 GMHL season | |
 | |
| City | Témiscaming, Quebec |
| League | Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League |
| Division | Northern |
| Founded | 2011 |
| Home arena | Le Centre de Témiscaming |
| Colors |
Blue, white, black |
| General manager | Nicolas Tourigny |
| Head coach | Chris Levesque |
| Captain | Ryder Murray |
| Media |
English TVCTK French CKVM-FM |
| Website |
www |
The Temiscaming Titans (French: Les Titans de Témiscaming) are a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in Témiscaming, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northern Division of the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL). The Titans play their home games at the 750 seat (900 capacity) Le Centre de Témiscaming.
The team has had success, qualifying for the Russell Cup playoffs in all five seasons, winning one division title, won the regular season championship once, appeared in the Russell Cup Finals three times, and won the Russell Cup in 2015. The success has been reflected in attendance and has been one of the top teams in attendance in the GMHL.
History
The Temiscaming Titans were officially announced April 12, 2011.[1][2] The Titans are the only Quebec-based team in the GMHL, but the third in their history after the Temiscaming Royals (2007–2008) and the Ville-Marie Dragons (2008–2009).
The Temiscaming Titans played their first game on September 10, 2011, in Temiscaming, Quebec against the Sturgeon Falls Lumberjacks. The Titans defeated the Lumberjacks 7-4 for their first ever win.
On October 20, 2011, Aaron Boyce recorded a 23 save shutout against the Elliot Lake Bobcats, the Titans first ever shutout in franchise history.
The Titans were undefeated in regulation in their first twenty games of the season. Their first loss came on November 25, 2011, 8-1, at the hands of the Elliot Lake Bobcats, largely in part to the Bobcats great defensive skills, and Pavlo Borko and is 19 save shutout performance.
On February 16, 2012, the Titans officially unveiled their banner for the 2011-2012 GMHL Regular Season Champions. Also on the night forwards #88 Andre Leclair and #89 Robin Mendelsohn were honoured as their number banner was hung up into the rafters in front of a crowd of over 400. The Titans would go on to take the game 4-1 over the Elliot Lake Bobcats.
In the 2011-2012 GMHL playoffs, the Temiscaming Titans made it to the GMHL Russell Cup Final Series against the Sturgeon Falls Lumberjacks. Games 1 and 2 were held in Temiscaming which drew crowds of over 500 per game. Game 5 went back to Temiscaming where it drew a crowd of over 700 people. The Titans would fall to the Lumberjacks in 6 games.
2012-13: Trip to the Russell Cup finals
As the 2012-2013 season began, many were wondering what season two of the Titans would bring. Opening night was held on September 7, 2012 which drew a crowd of over 550, the Titans would win 8-1 against the Shelburne Red Wings. During the course of the season the Titans would post a 14-game win streak. In January, 2013 the Titans acquired Ashton Haley and Evgeni Mironov which would help them in their long playoff run. The Titans would post a 35-6-0-1 record during the regular season.
The team finished as the first place in the North Division, drawing a first round playoff matchup against the Mattawa Voyageurs. Temiscaming would end up sweeping the Voyageurs, outscoring them 33-8.
The second round would see the Titans facing the rival Powassan Eagles. Game 1 was held in Temiscaming where 234 penalty minutes was given with the teams combined, with the Titans winning 7-1. They would go on to sweep the Eagles in three games, pushing their playoff record to 6-0. It was a hard fought, penalty filled series. In three games, the teams were combined for 329 penalty minutes. There were 17 game misconducts, 10 fighting majors, and 14 major penaltys.
They would then go on to face the Bracebridge Phantoms in the North Division Final. This series was good fast hockey. The Titans would take Games 1 and 2 with a 6-5, and 7-4 win. However, going to Bracebridge for Games 3 and 4 the Phantoms would take home ice as an advantage and win two straight to tie the series. Game 5 seen the Titans come out strong and win 8-2. The Phantoms weren't done as they beat the Titans 5-3 to stay alive. Game 7 in Temiscaming was loud, the fans played the 7th man role and helped the Titans cruise to a 9-1 victory to secure a berth in the Russell Cup Finals.
The 2013 Russell Cup Finals included the Titans and the undefeated Bradford Rattlers. Game 1 on March 21, 2013 in Bradford which was a mixed emotion game. The Titans were trailing behind for most of the game, until they hit the halfway mark of the third period. Temiscaming bursted with three goals in the last 10 minutes to tie the game and force overtime. In overtime, the Titans were shorthanded when Ryan Adams intercepted a pass at his own blue line and was sent on a breakaway and beat Rattlers' netminder Jonathan LoParco to give the Titans a 1-0 series lead. Not only did they have the series lead, they were the first team to beat the Rattlers (52-0-0-0) through the regular season and playoffs. Bradford would win games 2 and 3, with Temiscaming taking game 4 to tie the series 2-2. Ultimately, Temiscaming lost the series in 6 games.
First Russell Cup victory (2014-15)
The Titans started off the 2014-15 season with a 6-1-0 record in their first seven games, and went 16-6-0 over the next 22, resulting in a 22-7-0 record overall after the first 29 games. During the course of the year, then Head Coach Robert Miller was let go by the Titans. This resulted in Assistant Coaches Brandon Blanche and Chris Levesque acting as joint members to run the bench. It was then announced that Tyler Fines, formerly Coach of the Orangeville Americans, would be the new Head Coach of the Titans. The Titans would go 13-0-0 under Fines to finish out the regular season with a 35-5-1 record. The Titans clinched first place in the Northern Division.
The Titans headed into the 2015 Russell Cup playoffs against the rival Sturgeon Falls Lumberjacks. After playing two games in Temiscaming, the Titans were up 2-0 in the series. By winning game three in Sturgeon Falls, the Titans advanced to the Conference Semi-final for the fourth straight year. They defeated the Rama Aces in three games to advance to the League Semi-final against the underdog Halton Ravens. The Titans took the first two games in Temiscaming to take a 2-0 lead in the series. However, going back down south to Halton, the Titans lost one and won one to bring it back to Temiscaming with a 3-1 series lead. Halton would stay alive once again with a shootout victory in Game five and six. Game seven was held in Temiscaming where a huge crowd was there to cheer on the home town Titan squad. The Titans would win the game 6-3 and secure a berth to the Russell Cup Finals for the third time in four years.
Temiscaming faced the Seguin Huskies in the Russell Cup Final. Game one was held in Seguin the night after the Titans battled out game 7 of the previous series. The Titans would get edged in overtime by the score of 1-0. Game two was held the very next night which seen the Titans play three games in three nights. This games would see both teams go into overtime once again. Overtime solved nothing, so to a shootout it was. The Titans three shooters were Ryder Murray, Joey Molfetta, and Marc-Antoine Arseneau all of them scored while Craig Wood stopped the third Huskies shooter to tie the series at 1-1. Game three of the Finals took place in Temiscaming, where the home team won 4-2 to take a 2-1 series lead. Game four of the Finals in Temiscaming drew a crowd of over 600 which sounded more like 800. The game was hard fought and tight right until the end. With just 33 seconds left in the third period, Curtis Warren gave the Titans a 3-2 lead. Craig Wood was then tested on the penalty shot with 15 seconds left. He made the stop of the series as the Titans won 5-4 and took a 3-1 series lead. Game 5 at Le Centre in Temiscaming drew a crowd close to 1000. The Titans won game five 3-2 to win the Russell Cup for the first time in franchise history.
Season-By-Season Standings
| Russell Cup Champions | Season Champions | Division Champions | League Leader |
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against.
| Season | GP | W | L | T | OTL | GF | GA | Pts | Finish | Playoffs |
| 2011–12 | 42 | 38 | 3 | - | 1 | 273 | 120 | 77 | 1st GMHL | Won Quarterfinal, 3-0 (Americans) Won Semifinal, 4-0 (Shield) Lost Russell Cup Final, 2–4 (Lumberjacks) |
| 2012–13 | 42 | 35 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 315 | 156 | 71 | 2nd GMHL | Won Div. Quarterfinal, 3-0 (Voyageurs) Won Div. Semifinal, 3-0 (Eagles) Won Div. Final, 4-3 (Phantoms) Lost Russell Cup Final, 2–4 (Rattlers) |
| 2013–14 | 42 | 34 | 5 | - | 3 | 298 | 119 | 71 | 2nd GMHL | Won Div. Quarterfinal, 3-0 (Eagles) Won Div. Semifinal, 3-2 (Shield) Lost Crossover Semifinal, 0-4 (Bulls) |
| 2014–15 | 42 | 36 | 5 | - | 1 | 283 | 105 | 73 | 1st N Div 2nd GMHL | Won Div. Quarterfinal, 3-0 (Lumberjacks) Won Conference Semifinal, 3-0 (Aces) Won Semi-final, 4-3 (Ravens) Won Russell Cup Final, 4-1 (Huskies) |
| 2015–16 | 42 | 34 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 330 | 107 | 70 | 2nd N Div 5th GMHL | Won Div. Quarterfinal, 3-0 (Wolves) Lost Div. Semifinal, 1-3 (Spartans) |
| Totals | 168 | 143 | 19 | 0 | 6 | 1169 | 500 | 292 | — | All-time series record 12–4 |
All-time playoff record versus opponents
This table is current following the 2015-16 season.
| Team | SP | SW | SL | Pcnt | GP | W | L | Pcnt | GF | GA | OT | H | AW |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Almaguin Spartans | 1 | 0 | 1 | .000 | 4 | 1 | 3 | .250 | 14 | 19 | 0-1 | 0-2 | 1-1 |
| Bracebridge Phantoms | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 7 | 4 | 3 | .571 | 39 | 29 | 1-0 | 4-0 | 0-3 |
| Bradford Bulls | 1 | 0 | 1 | .000 | 4 | 0 | 4 | .000 | 9 | 28 | 0-0 | 0-2 | 0-2 |
| Bradford Rattlers | 1 | 0 | 1 | .000 | 6 | 2 | 4 | .333 | 23 | 32 | 1-0 | 1-2 | 1-2 |
| Haliburton Wolves | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1.000 | 49 | 1 | 0-0 | 2-0 | 1-0 |
| Halton Ravens | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 7 | 4 | 3 | .571 | 32 | 23 | 1-2 | 3-1 | 1-2 |
| Mattawa Voyageurs | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1.000 | 33 | 8 | 0-0 | 2-0 | 1-0 |
| Orangeville Americans | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1.000 | 15 | 7 | 2-0 | 2-0 | 1-0 |
| Powassan Eagles | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 1.000 | 47 | 11 | 0-0 | 4-0 | 2-0 |
| Rama Aces | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1.000 | 9 | 1 | 0-0 | 2-0 | 1-0 |
| Seguin Huskies | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 5 | 4 | 1 | .800 | 16 | 12 | 1-1 | 3-0 | 1-1 |
| South Muskoka Shield | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | 9 | 7 | 2 | .777 | 46 | 34 | 3-1 | 4-1 | 3-1 |
| Sturgeon Falls Lumberjacks | 2 | 1 | 1 | .500 | 9 | 5 | 4 | .333 | 61 | 32 | 1-0 | 3-2 | 2-2 |
| Totals | 16 | 12 | 4 | .750 | 69 | 45 | 24 | .652 | 393 | 237 | 10-5 | 30-10 | 15-14 |
Players and personnel
Current roster
Updated December 4, 2016.
| # | Nat | Player | Pos | S/G | Age | Acquired | Birthplace |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 |  |
Andersson, HampusHampus Andersson | D | R | 19 | 2016 | Gothenburg, Sweden |
| 97 |  |
Bédard, AnthonyAnthony Bédard | F | R | 17 | 2014 | Val d'Or, Quebec |
| 60 | |
Desrochers, AntoineAntoine Desrochers  |
D | L | 16 | 2015 | Témiscaming, Quebec |
| 66 | |
Fagrell, HampusHampus Fagrell |
D | R | 20 | 2015 | Gothenburg, Sweden |
| 98 | |
Gentes, PhilémonPhilémon Gentes | D | L | 18 | 2016 | Nicolet, Quebec |
| 32 | |
Goes, JasonJason Goes | G | L | 18 | 2016 | Cookstown, Ontario |
| 18 | |
Guenette, AdrienAdrien Guenette | F | L | 21 | 2016 | Sturgeon Falls, Ontario |
| 29 | |
Izzo, RaffaeleRaffaele Izzo | G | L | 19 | 2016 | Pierrefonds, Quebec |
| 21 |  |
Kaitanen, MorrisMorris Kaitanen | F | L | 19 | 2016 | Kirkkonummi |
| 3 |  |
Klust, MatêjMatêj Klust | D | L | 21 | 2016 | Dvur Kralove nad Labem |
| 10 | |
Lefebvre, ZacharyZachary Lefebvre | F | L | 15 | 2016 | Témiscaming, Quebec |
| 31 | |
Mäkinen, Veli-MattiVeli-Matti Mäkinen | G | L | 21 | 2016 | Turku, Finland |
| 7 | |
Murray, RyderRyder Murray (C) | F | L | 21 | 2012 | Spruce Grove, Alberta |
| 70 |  |
Pollitt, LeeLee Pollitt | F | R | 20 | 2016 | Salford, England |
| 96 | |
Proulx, NicolasNicolas Proulx | D | L | 20 | 2016 | Sturgeon Falls, Ontario |
| 91 | |
Rollfelt, GustavGustav Rollfelt | F | R | 20 | 2015 | Stockholm, Sweden |
| 15 | |
Scott, LudovicLudovic Scott | F | R | 18 | 2016 | Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec |
| 61 | |
Sjögren, ArvidArvid Sjögren | F | R | 19 | 2016 | Höja |
| 22 | |
Sovinsky, ScottScott Sovinsky | F | L | 20 | 2013 | Témiscaming, Quebec |
| 48 | |
Taupier, GuillaumeGuillaume Taupier (A) | F | L | 20 | 2015 | Sainte-Julienne, Quebec |
| 85 | |
Vartiainen, LarriLarri Vartiainen | D | L | 21 | 2016 | Kirkkonummi |
| 64 | |
Wilhelmsson, JakobJakob Wilhelmsson | F | L | 20 | 2015 | Stockholm, Sweden |
| 23 |  |
Wilton, NicoNico Wilton (A) | F | R | 19 | 2016 | Redondo Beach, California |
Team captains
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Head coaches
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General managers
| Nat | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vincent Labranche | | 2011 | 2015 |
| Nicolas Tourigny | | 2015 | Present |
Honoured members
| No. | Player | Position | Career | No. retirement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Richard Abbott | F | 2011-2014 | February 16, 2014 |
| 71 | Chris Levesque | D | 2011-2014 | February 16, 2014 |
| 88 | Andre Leclair | F | 2011-2012 | February 16, 2012 |
| 89 | Robin Mendelsohn | F | 2011-2012 | February 16, 2012 |
All-time players
Team scoring leaders
These are the top-ten point scorers in franchise history, after the 2015-16 season:
Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game average;
| Player | Pos | GP | G | A | Pts | P/G |
| Ryder Murray* | F | 156 | 102 | 199 | 301 | 1.93 |
| Richard Abbott | F | 105 | 90 | 114 | 204 | 1.94 |
| Andre Leclair | F | 39 | 56 | 66 | 122 | 3.12 |
| Nicolas Jasmin* | D | 123 | 38 | 76 | 114 | 0.93 |
| Robin Mendelsohn | F | 40 | 45 | 59 | 104 | 2.06 |
| Justin Norris | F | 42 | 45 | 56 | 101 | 2.40 |
| Cam Moffat | F | 68 | 53 | 44 | 97 | 1.43 |
| Chris Levesque | D | 105 | 25 | 72 | 97 | 0.92 |
| DJ Tahbazian | F | 49 | 35 | 61 | 96 | 1.96 |
| Francis Beauregard | F | 37 | 43 | 48 | 91 | 2.45 |
* current Titans player
Totals contain only games played for Temiscaming.
Team records
| Franchise record | Name of player | Statistic | Year(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most goals in a season | Andre Leclair | 56 | 2011-12 |
| Most goals in a season, defenceman | Dayton Murray | 27 | 2015-16 |
| Most assists in a season | Ryder Murray | 68 | 2015-16 |
| Most assists in a season, defenceman | Nicolas Jasmin | 37 | 2015-16 |
| Most points in a season | Andre Leclair | 122 | 2011–12 |
| Most points in a season, defenceman | Dayton Murray | 54 | 2015–16 |
| Most penalty minutes in a season | Nicolas Fournier | 169 | 2012-13 |
| Most playoff games played | Ryder Murray | 55 | (milestone) |
| Most goaltender wins in a season | Craig Wood | 19 | 2014–15 |
| Most shutouts in a season | Jonathan D'Onofrio | 5 | 2013–14 |
| Lowest G.A.A. in a season | Craig Wood | 1.84 | 2014–15 |
| Best save percentage in a season | Craig Wood | .945 | 2014–15 |
References
- ↑ http://gmhl.net/news/league-news/295-expansion-continues-gmhl-returns-to-temiscaming
- ↑ http://www.baytoday.ca/content/sports/details.asp?c=41651
