The Mississauga Chargers are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of the Ontario Junior A Hockey League. They are the product of a 1990 merger of two former Metro Junior B franchises, the Thornhill Thunderbirds and the Markham Connection. After the 1990 merger the team spent one year in Markham known as the Markham Thunderbirds, and in 1991 they returned to their Thornhill Thunderbirds name for one season. In 1992, the team moved to Mississauga. As a member of the Metro Junior A Hockey League they participated for 3 seasons. They left for the OPJHL in 1995. They have had a glim past few years, but in the 2007–08 season they saw a rare light when team captain Bruce Crawford lead the entire OPJHL in scoring (41-57-98).
History
Richmond Hill/Thornhill franchise This franchise had begun in 1981 as the Weston Dukes, becoming the King City Dukes in 1984, and becoming the Richmond Hill Dukes in 1987 for one season. The team moved to Thornill in 1988, and was named the Thunderbirds for two seasons before the merger.
Markham Travelways/Connection franchise In 1983 the North York Flames moved to Markham, and were named as the Travelways. In 1989 they were renamed the Markham Connection after the Travelways bus sponsor was sold.
Season-by-season results
The Thornhill franchise Season GP W L T OTL GF GA P Results PlayoffsWeston Dukes1980-81 42 14 22 6 - 183 201 34 10th Metro B DNQ1981-82 34 11 19 4 - 148 202 26 10th Metro B 1982-83 35 3 25 7 - 149 255 13 12th Metro B 1983-84 42 16 19 7 - 198 216 39 7th Metro B Lost quarter-finalKing City Dukes1984-85 36 15 21 0 - 192 195 30 8th Metro B 1985-86 37 12 22 3 - 205 243 27 9th Metro B DNQ1986-87 37 17 17 3 - 202 223 37 8th Metro B Lost quarter-finalRichmond Hill Dukes1987-88 37 9 24 4 - 178 244 22 11th Metro B DNQThornhill Thunderbirds1988-89 38 19 13 6 - 190 172 44 3rd Metro B1989-90 44 27 9 8 - 246 147 62 3rd Metro B Won LeagueMarkham Thunderbirds1990-91 44 18 20 6 - 176 171 42 8th Metro BThornhill Thunderbirds1991-92 44 36 6 2 - 245 113 74 1st Metro AMississauga Senators1992-93 48 25 18 5 - 212 177 55 5th Metro A1993-94 50 17 31 2 - 213 260 36 12th Metro A DNQMississauga Chargers1994-95 50 23 24 3 - 249 271 49 7th Metro A1995-96 50 30 15 5 - 258 203 65 3rd OPJHL-Me1996-97 51 29 19 3 - 234 220 62 3rd OPJHL-Me1997-98 51 15 29 3 4 178 265 37 4th OPJHL-Me1998-99 51 6 41 3 1 161 321 16 12th OPJHL-W1999-00 49 19 24 2 4 190 220 44 7th OPJHL-W2000-01 49 25 16 3 5 216 194 58 4th OPJHL-W2001-02 49 18 23 4 4 174 164 44 7th OPJHL-W2002-03 49 24 19 3 3 189 203 54 6th OPJHL-W2003-04 49 25 21 0 3 214 225 53 5th OPJHL-W2004-05 49 14 32 2 1 197 260 31 8th OPJHL-W2005-06 49 16 29 4 0 173 221 36 8th OPJHL-W Lost Conf. QF2006-07 49 15 33 0 1 179 272 31 7th OPJHL-W Lost Conf. QF2007-08 49 22 23 - 4 213 245 48 7th OPJHL-W 2008-09 49 11 33 - 5 186 300 27 9th OJHL-M2009-10 56 18 34 - 4 207 273 40 12th OJAHL DNQ2010-11 50 12 34 - 4 184 299 28 7th OJHL-W DNQ2011-12 49 11 38 - 0 140 282 22 7th OJHL-S DNQ2012-13 55 22 29 - 4 194 228 48 6th OJHL-S DNQ2013-14 53 25 26 - 2 169 206 52 4th OJHL-S Lost Conf. QF2014-15 - - - - - - - - - -2015-16 54 10 41 0 3 177 158 23 6th of 6 South Div10th of 11 SW Conf21st of 22 OJHL DNQ2016-17 54 16 34 2 2 159 238 36 6th of 6 South Div10th of 11 SW Conf18th of 22 OJHL DNQ2017-18 54 19 29 4 2 133 178 44 6th of 6 South Div9th of 11 SW Conf17th of 22 OJHL DNQ2018-19 54 13 35 1 5 118 321 32 5th of 5 South Div10th of 10 SE Conf20th of 22 OJHL DNQ2019-20 54 17 33 1 3 157 231 38 5th of 6 South Div9th of 11 SE Conf19th of 22 OJHL DNQ2020-21 SEASON CANCELLED (COVID-19)2020-21 53 7 44 0 2 119 263 16 5th of 6 South Div9th of 11 SE Conf19th of 22 OJHL DNQ2022-23 54 6 45 1 2 117 303 14 12th of 12 SE Conf20th of 21 OJHL DNQ2023-24 56 4 48 0 4 98 298 12 12th of 12 West Conf24th of 24 OJHL DNQ2024-25 56 14 35 0 7 178 287 35 11th of 12 West Conf20th of 24 OJHL DNQ
Playoffs 1990 Won League Thornhill Thunderbirds defeated Bramalea Blues 4-games-to-2 Thornhill Thunderbirds defeated Henry Carr Crusaders 4-games-to-2 Thornhill Thunderbirds defeated Wexford Raiders 4-games-to-3 METJHL CHAMPIONS 1991 Lost Preliminary Kingston Voyageurs defeated Markham Thunderbirds 2-games-to-1 1992 Lost semi-final Thornhill Thunderbirds defeated Pickering Panthers 4-games-to-none Wexford Raiders defeated Thornhill Thunderbirds 4-games-to-2 1993 Lost quarter-final St. Michael's Buzzers defeated Mississauga Senators 4-games-to-2 1994 DNQ 1995 Lost quarter-final Caledon Canadians defeated Mississauga Chargers 4-games-to-none
Markham Travelways/Connections franchise
Season GP W L T OTL GF GA P Results PlayoffsNorth York Rangers1974-75 38 12 21 5 - 170 201 29 10th Metro B1975-76 36 7 23 6 - 153 208 20 12th Metro B1976-77 36 15 17 4 - 192 172 34 10th Metro B North York Flames1977-78 35 8 19 8 - 167 177 24 12th Metro B 1978-79 44 22 18 4 - 265 235 48 7th Metro B 1979-80 42 24 11 7 - 290 201 55 3rd Metro B 1980-81 42 24 14 4 - 223 178 52 4th Metro B 1981-82 36 13 16 7 - 177 191 33 7th Metro B 1982-83 36 6 26 4 - 153 251 16 11th Metro B Markham Travelways1983-84 42 14 24 4 - 186 225 34 10th Metro B DNQ1984-85 36 23 11 2 - 218 185 48 4th Metro B 1985-86 37 23 6 8 - 245 172 54 3rd Metro B Lost semi-final1986-87 37 19 11 7 - 171 146 45 4th Metro B Lost semi-final1987-88 37 19 12 6 - 196 154 44 5th Metro B Lost final1988-89 40 12 25 3 - 150 229 27 9th Metro BMarkham Connection1989-90 44 12 27 5 - 192 291 29 9th Metro B
1990 Lost Preliminary Oshawa Legionaires defeated Markham Connections 3-games-to-none
Notable alumni Adam Graves Curtis Joseph Manny Legace Jamal Mayers Jeff O’Neill Mark Popovic Kyle Quincey Nick Paul Anthony Cirelli
Other Mississauga teams Before the Chargers, the Mississauga Torspos played in the Metro Junior B league from 1985 until 1988. Also, in 1992, the Central Junior "B" league Streetsville Derbys were known as the Mississauga Derbys for the 1992–93 season, before retaining their original name.
External links Chargers Webpage