Founded by Paul St. John in 2011, the Canadian Lacrosse League (CLax) was a men's semi-professional indoor lacrosse league based exclusively in Ontario, Canada. CLax ceased operation on August 31, 2016 after the league's single-entity ownership group, Charlesway Corporation Limited and Rodney 'Demon' Hill, deemed the league's business model to be no longer viable.
Similar to the National Lacrosse League, and unlike other Canadian box lacrosse leagues that play in the summer, CLax played its regular season games in the winter with its playoff games and championship culminating in the early spring. CLax opened its inaugural season with six teams in three cities: Brampton Inferno and Peel Avengers in Brampton, Ontario; the Iroquois Ironmen and Ohsweken Demons in Hagersville, Ontario; and the Durham TurfDogs and Oshawa Machine in Oshawa, Ontario.
History The league's original intentions were to feature eastern and western leagues. This plan was modified to have multiple Ontario teams and one Quebec location in the first year.
The first three teams announced were franchises in Ohsweken, Peterborough, and Montreal. A Brampton Guardian article listed a team in London. Of the original three, only Oshweken wound up with an actual team in the 2012 season. With only three teams, the league decided two teams should operate in each announced location, leading to the creation of the Iroquois Ironmen, Peel Avengers, and Durham TurfDogs. Rodney Hill operated the two Oshweken teams, but the league owned the other clubs initially.
The inaugural games took place January 7, 2012 starting in Ohsweken. The first game was an 18–11 win for the Brampton Inferno over the hometown Iroquois Ironmen. In the second game, the Peel Avengers defeated the Durham TurfDogs 16–9. To conclude the opening day of league play, the Oshawa Machine played the Ohsweken Demons, losing 13–9.
It was announced on October 3, 2012 that the league would be expanding to three new markets: Barrie, Toronto, and St. Catharines. The Oshawa Machine would be moving to Toronto to become the Toronto Shooting Stars; the Peel Avengers would relocate to St. Catharines and the city of Barrie would be awarded an expansion team. It was also announced that the Durham Turf Dogs would be changing their name to the Oshawa Turf Dogs.
In November 2013, the defending champion Iroquois Ironmen announced that they were ceasing operations and would no longer compete in CLax. That was followed in December with the news of 2013 finalists, Toronto Shooting Stars also folding. The Brampton Inferno would become a touring team based out of Southwestern Ontario called the SouthWest Cyclops for 2014.
Former Teams TeamCityArenaFirstSeasonLastSeasonStatusBarrie Blizzard Barrie, Ontario Barrie Molson Centre 2013 2016FoldedBrampton Inferno Brampton, OntarioPowerade Centre 2012 2013Relocated (SouthWest)Durham TurfDogs Oshawa, OntarioGM Centre 2012 2016FoldedIroquois Ironmen Hagersville, OntarioIroquois Lacrosse Arena20122013FoldedNiagara Lock Monsters St. Catharines, OntarioMeridian Centre20132016FoldedOhsweken Demons Hagersville, OntarioIroquois Lacrosse Arena20122016FoldedOshawa Machine Oshawa, OntarioGM Centre20122012Relocated (Toronto)Peel Avengers Brampton, OntarioPowerade Centre20122012Relocated (Niagara)SouthWest Cyclops Paris, OntarioSyl Apps Community Centre20142016FoldedToronto Shooting Stars Toronto, OntarioMattamy Athletic Centre20132013Folded
Creators' Cup championship history SeasonChampionFinalistScoreGame MVP2012Ohsweken DemonsIroquois Ironmen15–10Chris Attwood (Ohsweken)2013Iroquois IronmenToronto Shooting Stars14–11Travis Hill (Iroquois)2014Niagara Lock MonstersOhsweken Demons10–9, OTDavide DiRuscio (Niagara)2015Barrie BlizzardOhsweken Demons13–12, OTCaleb Wiles (Barrie)2016Durham TurfDogsOhsweken Demons11–9Dyland Goddard (Durham)
Major awards
Players YearSeason MVPOutstanding PlayerTop OffensiveTop TransitionTop DefenceTop GoalieTop Rookie2012Mike Attwood (II)Chris Attwood (OD)Chris Attwood (OD)John McClure (DT)Colin Boucher (DT)Jeff Powless (OD)Not awarded2013Wayne VanEvery (OD)Corey Fowler (NLM)Andrew Potter (NLM)Mack O'Brien (TSS)Ben McCullough (BI)Connor Danko (NLM)Caleb Wiles (BB)2014Davide DiRuscio (NLM)Chris Attwood (OD)Caleb Wiles (BB)Tom Montour (OD)Colin Boucher (BB)Davide DiRuscio (NLM)Mike Burke (SWC)2015Angus Dineley (BB)Jesse Guerin (DT)Michael Teeter (BB)Tom Montour (OD)Eric Pitre (SWC)Angus Dineley (BB)Dan Keane (SWC)2016Jay Preece (NLM)Corey Fowler (NLM)Corey Fowler (NLM)Thomas Hoggarth (DT)Mitch Dumont (NLM)Jay Preece (NLM)Vaughn Harris (OD)
Team and League Officials YearTop CoachTop Official2012Jason Crosbie, Jonas Derks, Brad MacArthur (DT)Jon Watson2013Glenn Clark (TSS)Wayne Paddick2014Jeff Dowling (NLM)Brent Coulombe2015Brad MacArthur (BB)Grant Spies2016Mat Giles (DT)Grant Spies
Statistical leaders
Team Regular Season Champions YearTeamRecordGF–GAPoints2012Durham TurfDogs9-5180-176182013Niagara Lock Monsters11-3231-160222014Ohsweken Demons7-1127-97142015Barrie Blizzard6-292-76122016Niagara Lock Monsters7-3130-9414
Runners YearGoalsAssistsPointsPenalty Mins2012Chris Attwood (OD) - 35 &Brad Favero (BI) - 35Kim Squire (PA) - 38Chris Attwood (OD) - 71Chancy Johnson (II) - 1212013Wayne VanEvery (OD) - 41Corey Fowler (NLM) - 48 &Andrew Potter (NLM) - 48Corey Fowler (NLM) - 80Brock Boyle (BI) - 702014Chris Attwood (OD) - 27Chris Attwood (OD) - 27Chris Attwood (OD) - 54Tom Montour (OD) - 34 &Jordan Dance (SWC) - 342015Michael Teeter (BB) - 20Jesse Guerin (DT) - 23Michael Teeter (BB) - 33Tom Montour (OD) - 422016Dylan Goddard (DT) &Shane Scott (BB)Corey Fowler (NLM) - 29Corey Fowler (NLM) - 45Tom Montour (OD) - 54
Goalies YearMinutesWinsGoals Against AveSave Percentage2012John Chesebrough (OM) - 640:15Jeff Powless (OD) - 7Jeff Powless (OD) - 11.52Ben VanEvery (OD) - 0.7932013Jay Preece (BI) - 611:44Connor Danko (NLM) - 7Angus Dinely (TSS) - 9.57Zach Higgins (DT) - 0.8132014Jay Preece (SWC) - 366:01Davide DiRuscio (NLM) - 3Davide DiRuscio (NLM) - 7.95Davide DiRuscio (NLM) - 0.8652015Angus Dineley (BB) - 448:36Angus Dineley (BB) - 6Angus Dineley (BB) - 9.50Angus Dineley (BB) - 0.8012016
All-star teams
First team YearGoalieRunners2012Jeff Powless (OD)Chris Attwood (OD), Colin Boucher (DT), John McClure (DT), Ryan Campbell (PA), Brad Favero (BI)2013Connor Danko (NLM)Ben McCullough (BI), Tom Montour (OD), Mack O'Brien (TSS), Andrew Potter (NLM), Wayne VanEvery (OD)2014Davide DiRuscio (NLM)Colin Boucher (BB), Tom Montour (OD), Chris Attwood (OD), Caleb Wiles (BB), Andrew Potter (NLM)2015Angus Dineley (BB)Jesse Guerin (DT), Tom Montour (OD), Eric Pitre (SWC), Michael Teeter (BB), Roger Vyse (OD)2016Jay Preece (NLM)Mitch Dumont (NLM), Corey Fowler (NLM), Thomas Hoggarth (DT), Dan Keane (SWC), Tom Montour (OD)
Second team YearGoalieRunners2012Mike Attwood (II)Brad Levick (OM), Kim Squire (PA), Jon Arnold (BI), Clay Hill (OD), Ben McCullough (BI)2013Jay Preece (BI)Colin Boucher (BB), Mitch Dumont (DT), Corey Fowler (NLM), Caleb Wiles (BB), Chris Attwood (II)2014Jake Henhawk (OD)Tyler Burton (SWC), Jon Arnold (NLM), Mike Burke (SWC), Mark Farthing (DT), Wayne VanEvery (OD)2015Jay Preece (SWC)Corey Fowler (NLM), Travis Hill (OD), Thomas Hoggarth (DT), Dan Keane (SWC), Mike Mawdsley (BB)2016Angus Dineley (BB)Jake Crans (BB), Dylan Goddard (DT), Vaughn Harris (OD), Shane Scott (BB), Matt Spanger (SWC)
Rookie YearGoalieRunners2013Connor Danko (NLM)Caleb Wiles (BB), Mike Teeter (BB), Dustin Caravello (BI), John St. John (DT), Corey Fowler (NLM)2014Davide DiRuscio (NLM)Matt Spanger (SWC), Patrick McCrory (SWC), Mike Burke (SWC), Tim Bergin (NLM), Dylan Goddard (DT)2015Doug Buchan (NLM)Eric Guiltinan (SWC), Thomas Hoggarth (DT), Dan Keane (SWC), Rodd Squire (OD), Cody Ward (NLM)2016Gowah Adams (OD)Phil Caputo (NLM), Vaughn Harris (OD), Cody McMahon (DT), Tyler Roche (BB), Mike Triolo (DT)
See also Continental Indoor Lacrosse League National Lacrosse League Major Series Lacrosse Western Lacrosse Association
References
External links