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Powassan Voodoos

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Powassan Voodoos
CityPowassan, Ontario
LeagueNorthern Ontario Junior Hockey League
Founded2014
Home arenaPowassan Sportsplex
ColoursDark green, yellow, black, and red
     
Owner(s)Jim & Graeme Bruce, Ray Seguin
General managerChris Dawson
Head coachPeter Goulet
Championships
Playoff championships1: 2017

The Powassan Voodoos are a Canadian junior "A" ice hockey team based out of Powassan, Ontario. They are members of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League and play their home games at the Powassan Sportsplex.

History

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The Voodoos were founded in 2014. The arrival of the team marked the return of junior hockey to Powassan for the first time since 1994, when the Powassan Hawks departed for Sturgeon Falls. The team signed an agreement with the North Bay Battalion of the Ontario Hockey League to serve as an official feeder to this squad.[1] The team adopted a logo featuring a CF-101 Voodoo jet fighter and a roundel similar to the Royal Canadian Air Force's. Scott Wray, a fifteen-year veteran who skated mainly in the ECHL was chosen as head coach. During the 2014–15 season, the Voodoos' first in the league, the club finished with a 15–29–0–8 record.

In only their second year of operation the Voodoos claimed their first regular season Division Championship. In their third year the team repeated as regular season division champions and added the overall regular season league champions and they swept the Blind River Beavers in four games in the finals to advance to the Dudley Hewitt Cup. They finished the round-robin with a record of 1–2–0 and advanced to the semifinals, which they lost to the Georgetown Raiders with a score of 2–1.

Prior to the 2017–18 season, Scott Wray was promoted to an assistant coach position with the North Bay Battalion[2] and Beau Moyer was hired as the team's second head coach.[3] However, he would be fired from the team during the season on 29 January following a league imposed suspension after he had violated a league rule involving drinking with a few players.[4] Both Moyer and his father, who was present in the hotel bar, cited that they had not invited the players to the bar, who were of legal drinking age, but that the players came to the bar on their own and then joined the coaches. After Moyer was fired, assistant coach Bruce Cazabon became the interim coach.[5] Max Gavin was hired as the head coach for the 2018–19 season. Gavin left the team in August 2020 and was not immediately replaced during the COVID-19 pandemic that had curtailed the previous season.[6] Former Hearst Lumberjacks' head coach Mark Lafleur was hired as coach for the 2021–22 season.[7]

Season-by-season records

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Season GP W L T OTL GF GA Pts Result Playoffs
2014–15 52 15 29 0 8 217 262 38 4th of 5, East
7th of 9, NOJHL
Won Quarterfinals, 2–0 vs. Mattawa Blackhawks
Won Div. Semifinals, 4–2 vs. Kirkland Lake Gold Miners
Lost Div. Finals 0–4 Cochrane Crunch
2015–16 54 40 10 1 3 278 137 84 2nd of 6, East
3rd of 12, NOJHL
Lost Div. Semifinals, 2–4 vs. Kirkland Lake Gold Miners
2016–17 56 46 7 1 2 271 121 95 1st of 6, East
1st of 12, NOJHL
Won Div. Semifinals, 4–0 vs. Kirkland Lake Gold Miners
Won Div. Finals, 4–0 vs. Timmins Rock
Won League Finals, 4–0 vs. Blind River Beavers
NOJHL League Champions
2017–18 56 45 7 3 1 299 171 94 1st of 6, East
1st of 12, NOJHL
Lost Div. Semifinals, 2–4 vs. Timmins Rock
2018–19 56 33 19 4 206 172 70 3rd of 6, East
4th of 12, NOJHL
Won Div. Semifinals, 4–2 vs. Kirkland Lake Gold Miners
Lost Div. Finals, 0–4 vs. Hearst Lumberjacks
2019–20 56 45 9 2 264 141 92 1st of 6, East
1st of 12, NOJHL
Postseason cancelled
2020–21 Did not participate due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions[8]
2021–22 48 30 11 6 1 184 145 67 3rd of 6, East
5th of 12, NOJHL
Lost Div. Semifinals, 2-4 Hearst Lumberjacks
2022–23 58 37 20 1 0 225 171 75 3rd of 6, East
6th of 12, NOJHL
Won Div. Semifinals, 4-2 Hearst Lumberjacks
Lost Div Semifinal 0-4 Timmins Rock
2023–24 58 36 19 1 2 253 183 75 3rd of 6, East
6th of 12, NOJHL
Won Div. Semifinals, 4-1 Hearst Lumberjacks
Won Div Semifinal 4-3 Timmins Rock
Lost Finals 1-4 (Greater Sudbury Cubs)

Dudley Hewitt Cup

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Central Canada Championships
NOJHLOJHLSIJHL – Host
Round robin play with second vs. third in semifinal to advance against first in the finals.

Year Round Robin Record Standing Semifinal Championship
2017 L, (Trenton Golden Hawks) 1–5
W, (Dryden Ice Dogs) 4–3
L, (Georgetown Raiders) 2–5
1–2–0 3rd of 4 L, (Georgetown Raiders) 1–2

References

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  1. ^ "Powassan Voodoos Introduced". Bay Today. 23 June 2014.
  2. ^ "Wray joins Battalion coaching staff". North Bay Battalion. 12 June 2017.
  3. ^ "Voodoos bring new head coach back home". Bay Today. 15 June 2017.
  4. ^ "Moyer fired from Powassan Voodoos". North Bay Nugget. 30 January 2018.
  5. ^ "UPDATE: Moyer fired Voodoos head coach suspended over 'innocent mistake'". Bay Today. 29 January 2018.
  6. ^ "Voodoos head coach moving on". Bay Today. 12 August 2020.
  7. ^ "Powassan names Marc Lafleur head coach". NOJHL. 20 April 2021.
  8. ^ "NOJHL January update". NOJHL. January 2, 2021.
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