The Hawkesbury Hawks are a Junior A ice hockey team based in Hawkesbury, Ontario. The Hawks compete in the Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL) as a member of the East Division. The team plays its home games at Robert Hartley Sports Complex.
The Hawks joined the league in 1974 as an expansion team along with the Navan Grads. The team has advanced to the Bogart Cup Finals three times, winning six times; the last time being in the 2004–05 season. They have won the Fred Page Cup once in franchise history, in 2005, after they won their last Bogart Cup.
The Hawks have a rivalry with the Rockland Nationals, also known as the Battle of Highway 17, in result of both arenas located alongside Highway 17, which starts after Trim Road in Orleans, all the way to East Hawkesbury.
History The Hawks were formed by a group of local businessmen in March 1974. From 1974 until 1976 the Hawks were a part of the Eastern Ontario Junior B Hockey League. After making the jump to the Central Junior A Hockey League in 1976, the Hawks found themselves in the basement of the league in their first season—although they quickly rose through the ranks in the seasons following. In 1979, the team won the CJHL Championship and moved on to the Centennial Cup where they lost the semi-finals to the Ontario Hockey Association's Guelph Platers—the eventual champion. The 1980 season saw them win the Bogart Cup as CJHL Champions again. This time they lost in the quarter-finals of the National Championship to Quebec Junior AAA Hockey League Champion Joliette Cyclones.
1990 saw the Hawks rise to glory once again as CJHL Champions, but an opening round loss in the national Championships to Quebec's Le Collège Français de Longueuil spelled the end of a National Championship run. In 1991, the team won the league again and then also hosted the Central Canadian Championship where they lost the semi-final to the Sudbury Junior Wolves of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League.
1998-99 was a big year for the Hawkesbury Hawks as they won their first CJHL championship since 1991 by defeating the defending Art Bogart Cup and Fred Page Cup champions Brockville Braves in 6 games. Their trip to the Royal Bank Cup in Yorkton would be cut short as they were defeated by the hosts Charlottetown Abbies 2-0 in the Fred Page Cup final.
The Hawkesbury Hawks would go from not winning a quarter-final series from 2000 to 2004, until the 2004-05 season came as a surprise as they managed to defeat the Gloucester Rangers in 7 games, despite leading 3-0 and the Rangers coming back to force game 7. They would also defeat the second-heavily favored Cornwall in 6 games, and make the league finals against Nepean. Ironically, this series went to game 7 where the Hawks won 6-1 (they broke a league record for the most goals in a short time). Hawkesbury clinched their first Art Bogart Cup since 1999. At the Fred Page Cup, it wasn't the exact measure of revenge as the Hawks defeated the hosts Yarmouth Mariners 4-3 in the final, but it was still a trip earned to the Royal Bank Cup in Weyburn, Saskatchewan. The Hawks lost their best player and captain Martin Beaulne, who ruptured his spleen. On the way home to Hawkesbury, the team turned around and went to the hospital in Fredericton, New Brunswick because Beaulne was in pain and needed medical attention. The Hawks traveled without their captain able to play in the tournament, and the Hawks, who were needing a win against Portage to earn a berth in the quarter-finals, got the win in overtime. However, it was the Weyburn Red Wings they were facing. The Hawks tied the game seconds left in regulation, and lost the game in overtime sending the eventual Royal Bank Cup champions to the final.
With plenty of returning players, the Hawkesbury Hawks lost their coach Éric Veilleux (who became head coach in 2002-03) took a job with the Shawinigan Cataractes of the QMJHL. This left the Hawks finding a replacement in Jeff Carter, who managed to lead the Hawks back to the league finals and win back-to-back CCHL champions, this time against the Nepean Raiders. However, their venture at the Fred Page Cup in Pembroke ended in the semi-finals after losing to the Joliette Action.
The Hawks fell apart as players, who played in the championship years graduated. The Hawks hit rock-bottom in the standings with only eight wins in 2008–09. Several players demanded trades, walked off the team or went elsewhere to resume their Junior A hockey careers.
The 2009–10 season saw the Hawks go under new ownership, management and coaching staff. The Hawks brought in rookie coach Martin Dagenais, who also served as the acting general manager. Richard Morris stepped in as assistant coach., while Ian Henderson was brought on to the staff as assistant general manager and the director of player personnel. An entire new scouting staff was added as part of the new groups rebuilding plan for the franchise. By December, the Hawks had already matched the win total from the previous season with one of the youngest teams in the CJHL.
After back to back disappointing seasons 2012-2014 the Hawks needed a change. Owner Sylvain Landers made a dramatic move and brought in Head coach Rick Dorval. Dorval brought with him a successful track record of turning around struggling franchises with the Gloucester Rangers and the Ottawa Junior Senators achieving Coach of the Year in 2012-2013. In the 2014-2015 season the Hawks went from last in the league standings to fifth overall. With a rebuilt team in 2015-2016 the Hawks continued to move forward finishing third overall with only three points separating them from first place.
For the 2015-16 CCHL season, the Hawks dropped their original colors of blue, gold, red and white and adopted the same colors of the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League, consisting of blue, green and white.
Season-by-season record Note: GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against Season GP W L T OTL GF GA Points Finish Playoffs 1976-77 50 9 35 6 0 214 368 24 6th CJHL DNQ 1977-78 48 13 30 5 0 212 284 31 4th CJHL Lost semi-final 1978-79 48 24 19 5 0 257 218 53 2nd CJHL Won League 1979-80 50 39 8 3 0 350 191 81 1st CJHL Won League 1980-81 50 28 15 7 0 244 186 63 3rd CJHL Lost semi-final 1981-82 50 28 20 2 0 259 243 58 3rd CJHL Lost semi-final 1982-83 48 22 24 2 0 194 227 46 4th CJHL Lost semi-final1983-84 54 24 23 7 - 253 265 55 5th CJHL Lost semi-final1984-85 54 36 17 0 1 296 210 73 3rd CJHL Lost semi-final1985-86 60 13 44 1 2 195 372 29 6th CJHL Lost quarter-final 1986-87 54 18 32 4 0 217 295 42 6th CJHL Lost quarter-final 1987-88 56 9 47 0 0 190 382 18 7th CJHL Lost quarter-final 1988-89 56 35 20 1 1 306 258 72 3rd CJHL Lost semi-final1989-90 56 40 14 1 1 343 243 82 1st CJHL Won League1990-91 52 39 7 4 2 305 141 84 1st CJHL Won League1991-92 57 38 14 1 4 318 242 81 4th CJHL Lost quarter-final1992-93 56 31 20 5 0 316 274 67 6th CJHL Lost quarter-final1993-94 57 16 33 3 5 226 293 40 9th CJHL Lost quarter-final1994-95 54 27 22 2 3 257 242 59 5th CJHL Lost semi-final 1995-96 54 2722 5 0 242 246 59 4th in East Lost quarter-final 1996-97 53 9 38 6 0 156274 24 5th in East DNQ 1997-98 56 19 26 11 8 204 227 57 3rd in East Lost quarter-final 1998-99 56 40 11 3 0 299 172 83 1st in East Won League 1999-00 56 29 24 3 0 247 237 61 3rd in East Lost quarter-final 2000-01 55 14 29 12 0 190 283 42 3rd in East Lost quarter-final 2001-02 55 16 30 9 1 187 226 42 4th in East Lost quarter-final 2002-03 55 26 19 10 2 223 218 64 4th in East Lost quarter-final 2003-04 55 25 20 6 4 198 179 60 4th in East Lost quarter-final 2004-05 57 28 19 3 7 228 187 66 2nd in East Won League, won FPC 2005-06 57 30 19 6 2 221 202 68 1st in East Won League 2006-07 55 25 23 6 1 196 197 57 3rd in East Lost semi-final2007-08 60 30 27 3 0 232 214 63 3rd in East Lost semi-final2008-09 60 8 47 - 5 140 300 21 11th CJHL DNQ2009-10 62 12 48 - 2 137 338 26 12th CJHL DNQ2010-11 62 11 46 - 5 154 293 27 12th CCHL DNQ2011-12 62 35 20 - 7 214 177 77 5th CCHL Lost semi-final2012-13 62 29 26 - 7 176 183 65 8th CCHL Lost quarter-final2013-14 62 18 39 - 5 149 248 41 12th CCHL DNQ2014-15 62 35 25 2 0 217 192 72 3rd of 6 in East5th of 12th CCHL Lost quarterfinals, 2-4 (Colts)2015-16 62 40 16 1 5 224 170 86 2nd of 6 in East3rd of 12th CCHL Won quarterfinals, 4-0 (Bears)Lost semifinals 2-4 (Junior Senators)2016-17 62 36 24 0 2 205 185 74 3rd of 6 in East4th of 12th CCHL Lost quarterfinals, 2-4 (73's)2017-18 62 36 23 0 3 200 176 75 2nd of 6 in East4th of 12th CCHL Won quarterfinals, 4-3 (Colts)Lost semifinals, 0-4 (Canadians)2018-19 62 37 19 4 2 290 169 75 3rd of 6 in East4th of 12th CCHL Lost quarterfinals, 1-4 (Nationals)2019-20 62 36 24 2 - 220 182 74 2nd of 6 in East4th of 12th CCHL Playoffs cancelled due to covid-192020-21 Season cancelled due to covid-19 pandemic restrictions2021-22 55 37 13 3 2 205 131 79 2nd of 6 in East2nd of 12th CCHL Won quarterfinals, 4-2 (Grads)Won semifinals 4-1 (Braves)Lost Finals 0-4 (Junior Senators)2022-23 55 30 18 4 3 188 172 67 3rd of 6 in East4th of 12th CCHL Lost quarterfinals, 1-4 (Wolves)2023-24 55 27 22 3 3 179 179 60 4th of 6 in East6th of 12th CCHL Lost quarterfinals, 1-4 (Colts)2024-25 55 24 24 4 3 195 204 55 4th of 6 Yzerman9th of 12th CCHL Did Not Qualify for Post Season2025-2655193042179229445th of 6 Yzerman10th of 12th CCHLDid Not Qualify for Post Season
Fred Page Cup Eastern Canada Championships MHL - QAAAJHL - CCHL - Host Round robin play with 2nd vs 3rd in semi-final to advance against 1st in the finals. Year Round Robin Record Standing Semifinal Gold Medal Game 1999 L, Charlottetown Abbies 3-6W, Antogonish 6-4L, Valleyfield Braves 2-3 1-2-0 3rd of 4 OTW, Valleyfield Braves 6-5L, Charlottetown Abbies 0-2 2005 L, Yarmouth Mariners 1-2W, Truro Bearcats 2-1W, Vaudreuil Mustangs 3-2 2-1-0 2nd of 4 W, Vaudreuil Mustangs 5-4W, Yarmouth Mariners 4-3Fred Page Cup Champions advance to Royal Bank Cup 2006 W, Woodstock Slammers 3-02OTL, Joliette Action 6-7L, Pembroke Lumber Kings 1-5 1-2-0 3rd of 4 L, Joliette Action 4-6
Attendance As of March 7, 2025 SeasonGamesTotalAverage2006–073111,3463662007–08318,4942742008–09317,6882482009–10317,6982482010–11317,8862542011–12317,9052552012–13317,3472372013–14319,1762962014–15318,6482792015–16318,4322722016–17317,2972352017–18319,5833092018–19297,5392602019–20298,3032862020–21DID NOT PLAY DUE TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC2021–22264,9901922022–23267,0062692023–242612,3644762024–252610,432401
Royal Bank Cup CANADIAN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS Dudley Hewitt Champions - Central, Fred Page Champions - Eastern, Western Canada Cup Champions - Western, Western Canada Cup - Runners Up and Host Round robin play with top 4 in semi-final and winners to finals. Year Round Robin Record Standing Semifinal Gold Medal Game 2005 L, Camrose Kodiaks 2-3L, Georgetown Raiders 0-3OTL, Weyburn Red Wings 3-42OTW, Portage Terriers 5-4 1-3 4th of 5 L, Weyburn Red Wings 3-4 n/a
Championships CJHL Bogart Cup Championships: 1979, 1980, 1990, 1991, 1999, 2005, 2006 Eastern Canadian Fred Page Cup Championships: 2005 CJAHL Royal Bank Cup Championships: None
Notable alumni Derek Armstrong Jesse Boulerice Jeff Brown Bruce Cassidy Jim Culhane Jim Kyte Denis Larocque Marquis Mathieu Sandy McCarthy Dan McGillis Ken McRae Gino Odjick Benoit Pouliot Bruce Racine Mike Rowe Martin St. Louis Martin St. Pierre
External links Hawkesbury Hawks Website