NEWS

The Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) today announced the schedule for the 2014 OJHL Championship Series, as well as unveiling a new OJHL Championship Series logo.

The 2014 OJHL Championship Series will see the North-East Conference champion Aurora Tigers face the South-West Conference champion Toronto Lakeshore Patriots.  The Tigers will have home-ice advantage in the series after finishing as runner-up for the OJHL regular season title, three points ahead of the Patriots.

Aurora captured the club's first conference title since winning the RBC Cup, National Junior 'A' Championship in 2006-07 (also won RBC Cup in 2003-04), and fourth time in franchise history since returning to the OJHL after winning the Metro Junior 'A' Hockey League title in 1996-97.  The Tigers defeated the OJHL Regular Season Champion Kingston Voyageurs in a four game sweep to claim the title, after previously having defeated Newmarket in four games and Cobourg in seven games.

After winning the first regular season conference title in franchise history earlier this year, the Toronto Lakeshore Patriots added another first to their history by winning the South-West Conference Championship for the first time since entering the OJHL as the Quinte Hawks in 1996-97.  The Patriots swept the Georgetown Raiders to win the title after previously having defeated the Toronto Jr. Canadiens in four games and North York in five games.

Unfortunately due to a previously scheduled annual Home Show at the Aurora Community Centre, the Tigers will be forced to relocate all home games in the series to Canlan Ice Sports - York on the campus of York University in Toronto, Ontario.  The arena was previously home to the OJHL's Villanova Knights organization that last played in 2010-11.  The Toronto Lakeshore Patriots play all home games at Westwood Arena in Toronto.

The schedule for the 2014 OJHL Championship Series is as follows:

Game One    Toronto Lakeshore Patriots     @    Aurora Tigers            Thursday, April 10    7:30pm
Game Two    Aurora Tigers             @     Toronto Lakeshore Patriots    Sunday, April 13    7:30pm
Game Three    Toronto Lakeshore Patriots    @    Aurora Tigers            Monday, April 14    7:30pm
Game Four    Aurora Tigers            @    Toronto Lakeshore Patriots    Wednesday, April 16    7:30pm
*Game Five     Toronto Lakeshore Patriots    @    Aurora Tigers            Friday, April 18        7:30pm
*Game Six    Aurora Tigers            @    Toronto Lakeshore Patriots    Sunday, April 20    6:30pm
*Game Seven    Toronto Lakeshore Patriots    @    Aurora Tigers            Tuesday, April 22    7:30pm
(*if necessary)

The OJHL also unveiled a new Championship Series logo to continue the new and improved branding of the "League of Choice."  The logo incorporates all the enthusiasm, excitement and passion that the OJHL Championship Series creates as the two best teams battle for the right to hoist the Frank L. Buckland Trophy - more commonly referred to as, the "Buckland Cup" - and the right to represent the OJHL at the 2014 Dudley-Hewitt Cup that is being hosted by the Wellington Dukes.

For more information on the 2014 OJHL Championship Series schedule, statistics and stories, please visit the OJHL website at www.ojhl.ca.