The Making of the OCN Blizzard

The Name

It was during the league Board of Directors meeting prior to the press conference when the team name was actually decided.

Between the founding members and Chief and Council a silent ballot on a napkin was done.

Since there was only a few days after the establishment of the team and the press conference, the original founding members had a few days to consult with the community and come up with names.

The Logo

The OCN Blizzard logo was adapted from the Utica Blizzard logo.

A member of the Opaskwayak Cree Nation, Jason Smith, played there in his first year as a pro in 1994.

When the OCN first entered the MJHL, in May 1996, the original board had only 4 months to put together a team, let alone come up with a name and team logo.In fact the logo was decided in the 59er coffee shop outside of Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Incidentally, the Utica Blizzard were approached and they supported the use of the logo and sweater colors.

The Utica Blizzard logo is triangular in design, while the OCN Blizzard logo is spherical.

Team Achievements

1996-97
Team Record: 33 Wins 23 Loses 6 Ties
MJHL Best Home Record With Only 4 Loses
Allard Division Champions
MJHL Finalists

The Blizzard entered their first season in the MJHL with many people expecting them to go through the typical growing pains that a expansion franchise goes through.

After a 7-4 home victory their first game the Blizzard went on to finish the regular season ten games over .500 and a second place finish in the Allard Division. They picked up veteran defenseman Darren Kirk from the Neepawa Natives part way through the season and he served as Blizzard captain for the remainder of the year. Cliff Duchesne and Konrad McKay both shared top spot in Blizzard scoring with 81 points.

The Blizzard won their first ever playoff series against the 3rd place Portage Terriers in six games and were set to play the league favorites, the Winkler Flyers.

Not only did the Blizzard upset the favored Flyers but they did it in four games with in the final win happening at the GLMC.

The Blizzard's first year run ran out as they lost in five games to the more experienced and disciplined defending champions, the St. James Canadians.

1997-98
Team Record: 43 Wins 12 Loses 7 Ties
MJHL Best Home Record Only 5 Loses
MJHL Best Power Play Percentage
MJHL Best Penalty Kill Percentage
Allard Division Finalist

Coming into 1997-98 season the Blizzard looked to improve from their successful inaugural season.

The Blizzard ended the regular season once again in second place in the Allard Division but with 10 more wins and 11 less losses than the previous season.

The Blizzard once again faced the Portage Terriers in the first round and just like the previous year won the series in 6 games partly thanks to goaltender Tyler Love who replaced Ryan Person in the first period of game 5 and allowed the Blizzard to come back and win the game in OT and then finish the series in game 6 in Portage.

But even Love himself couldn't stop the Winkler Flyers as they got revenge on the Blizzard from the previous year and won the Allard Division final in five games and went on to win the MJHL championship over the St. James Canadians.

The Flyers picked up Love as a third goalie for their Anavet Cup series against the Weyburn Red Wings which they lost in seven games.

1998-99
Team Record: 53 Wins 7 Loses 2 Ties
MJHL Record Most Points In A Season-108
MJHL Record Most Wins In A Season-53
MJHL Record Most Home Wins-29
MJHL Record Most Road Wins-24
MJHL Record Consecutive Wins-19
MJHL Best Goals Against-2.38
League Champions
Allard Division Champions
MJHL Provincial Champions
Anavet Cup Finalist

If there was anytime for the Blizzard to take a serious run for the MJHL Championship this was it. With players such as Konrad McKay, Cliff Duchesne, and Ryan Person who began their Junior careers with the Blizzard in 96 the experience and skill to take a run for it all and that they did.

The Blizzard tore up the league setting a records for most wins, points, road wins, and home wins in a season as well as beat the record for most consecutive wins. Konrad McKay won the league scoring race as well as the penalty minute race and rookie goalie Preston McKay who split regular season duties with Ryan Person won Top Goalie in the Canadian Junior Hockey League.

In the playoffs the Blizzard swept the Dauphin Kings in four games, defeated the Winkler Flyers in five, and swept the Winnipeg South Blues in four games to capture their first MJHL title. The Blizzard picked up 20 year old Scott Cameron from the St. James Canadians as their third goalie going into their first Anavet Cup series against the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League champs, the Estevan Bruins.

The Blizzard started the series off on a good note winning games one and two at home but lost the next three in Estevan and then after giving up the tying goal with less than a minute left in game six lost in double overtime and ended what could have very well been a Royal Bank Cup championship season.

1999-2000
Team Record: 44 Wins 16 Loses 3 Ties
MJHL Best Penalty Kill Percentage
MJHL Best Home Record With Only 3 Losses
League Champions
Allard Division Champions
MJHL Provincial Champions
Anavet Cup Finalist

The opinion of many people on the Blizzard coming into the 1999-00 season was much like that of 1996-97. With only four players returning the Blizzard were expected by many to have a tough time making the playoffs let along defending an MJHL championship.

But thanks to new Head Coach/GM Kerry Clark who took over from Gardiner MacDougal who's contract wasn't renewed by the Blizzard and the rest of the Blizzard staff the Blizzard were able to pick up some key rookie players and build a young but very hard working team backed up by the solid goaltending of Preston McKay. The Blizzard once again ended the regular season in first place and set a MJHL home record with only three losses.

The Blizzard faced the expansion Swan Valley Stampeders in the first round of the playoffs and won the series in five games. The Blizzard faced the Dauphin Kings in the Allard final who had built a team for a run at the championship and the Blizzard had to come from behind every single to win the series in four games with the solid goaltending of Preston McKay arguably being the difference in the series. The Blizzard once again faced the Winnipeg South Blues in the final and were able to defeat the Blues in five games.

After picking up Greg Johnson from the Dauphin Kings as their third goalie the Blizzard faced the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League Champions, the North Battleford North Stars. The lack of experience finally caught up to the Blizzard as they were defeated in five games by the North Stars.

2000-01
MJHL Best Home Record With Only 2 Loses
League Champions
Allard Division Champions
MJHL Provincial Champions
Anavet Cup Finalist

The Blizzard entered the 2000-01 with only four players not returning. Steve Ried graduated due to his age while Tom Herman and Preston McKay picked up scholarships at the University of Fairbanks, Alaska. And finally Daryll Crumb was dealt to the Neepawa Natives for goalie Tim Haun who had started the 99-2000 season with the Blizzard before being dealt to the Natives.

The Blizzard didn't quite get off to the start they wanted and coach Kerry Clark felt a change needed to be made between the pipes. The Blizzard picked up goalie Marc-Andre Leclerc from the Melville Millionaires and traded 99-2000 backup Rob Hrabec to the Waywayseecappo Wolverines. Leclerc would turn out to be one of the main components in the Blizzard's drive for an Anavet Cup for the next two seasons. The Blizzard also picked up veteran forward Curtis Campbell from the Dauphin Kings and then Matko Malbasa who Clark had tried to acquire in the offseason but was outbid by the Swan Valley Stampeders.

The Blizzard once again ended the season in first place and picked up home ice advantage in the playoffs. They defeated the Swan Valley Stampeders in the first round, knocked off the Neepawa Natives to win their third straight Allard Division title, and finally swept the Winkler finals to win their third straight MJHL title.

The Blizzard picked up Winkler goaltender Rejean Legace for the Anavet Cup against the Weyburn Red Wings. Like the 98-99 season the Blizzard won the first two games at home but ended up losing the next three in Weyburn and despite Trevor Len tying Game 6 up with 0.4 seconds left lost to the Wings in double overtime. This Anavet Cup loss was especially disappointing as the Royal Bank Cup was being held an hour or so north in Flin Flon.

2001-02
Team Record: 56 Wins 5 Loses 3 OTL/SOL
League Champions
Sher-Wood Division Champions
MJHL Provincial Champions
Anavet Cup Champions
Royal Bank Cup Finalists

During the offseason Head Coach/GM Kerry Clark left the Blizzard to join the Prince George Cougars along with defenseman Jared Lang. The Blizzard hired Glen Watson who coached the same Estevan Bruins team that defeated the Blizzard in the 99 Anavet Cup.

Just like the 98-99 season it was a record breaking year as they broke the league recorded previously owned by the 98-99 Blizzard for wins and points. Justin Tetrault broke a team record for most points in a season (114), Mike Ouellet broke a team record for most goals in a season(54) and Marc-Andre Leclerc broke a team record and tied a CJAHL record for shutouts(8). The Blizzard ended the season 19 points ahead of the second place Winkler Flyers in the league standings and were statistically ranked first in the CJAHL.

The Blizzard started the playoffs once again against the Swan Valley Stampeders and easily defeated them in four games. The Blizzard faced the Portage Terriers in the Sher-Wood Division finals and it took all seven games for the Blizzard to defeat the Terriers. Something that no other team has been able to do against the Blizzard in a playoff series. That series may have very well been the wake up call the Blizzard needed as they played some of their best hockey all year in the finals against the Winkler Flyers once again sweeping them in four games this time finally winning the MJHL championship at home.

The Blizzard were now set for their fourth straight try and the Anavet Cup. After an SJHL final that went seven games the Blizzard were set to play the Kindersley Klippers.

The series started in Kindersley and the Blizzard picked up their first ever win on Saskatchewan soil winning game one 2-1 on an overtime goal by Russell Spence followed by a 7-4 loss in a game two. The Blizzard came back home and won game three once again 2-1 on an OT goal by Russell Spence, a 6-3 win in game four, and a 6-0 win in game five to capture their first ever Anavet Cup and finally advance to the Royal Bank Cup.

The Blizzard started their first round robin game at the Royal Bank Cup against the host Halifax Oland Exports on a good note gaining a 3-0 lead in the first 9 minutes of the game. But they were unable to continue that intensity for the rest of the game as Halifax eventually tied the game in the third period and then won it in overtime. The Blizzard won their second game 4-3 in overtime against the Ottawa Junior Senators on a breakaway goal by Jamie Muswagon followed by an 8-5 loss against the Chilliwack Chiefs in a penalty filled game, and finally defeated the Rayside Balfour Sabrecats 5-0 in a game which backup goalie Louis Chabot played because starter Marc-Andre Leclerc hurt his knee in the loss to Chilliwack.

Thanks to a days rest and physiotherapy Leclerc was able to play in the semifinal game against the Chilliwack Chiefs and helped the Blizzard pick up a 4-3 win and advance to the Royal Bank Cup final against the host Halifax Oland Exports.

In the final game which was televised live on TSN the Blizzard managed to score the game's first goal on a goal by Russell Spence in the first period but that would be the only goal they would get as after a second period tying goal by the Exports and after a game saving glove save by Andrew Sim in the third period off of Michael Young the Exports were able to capitalize off of that momentum scoring the go ahead goal and then with 30 seconds left scored an empty net goal to seal the victory. Once again the Blizzard's bid for a National Championship was cut short. This time only by one game.

During the off-season forward Russell Spence who had accepted a scholarship with the University of Fairbanks Alaska was drafted 280th overall by the Phoenix Coyotes in the NHL Entry drafted.