The Lucan Irish are a Junior ice hockey team based in Lucan Biddulph, Ontario. They play in the Provincial Junior Hockey League of the Ontario Hockey Association.

Lucan Irish Six
CityLucan Biddulph, Ontario
LeagueProvincial Junior Hockey League
DivisionYeck
Founded1968
Home arenaLucan Community Memorial Centre
ColoursKelly Green, Black, and White, 4th colour Goldenrod
General managerSandra Neubauer
Head coachWill Eros and Zach Wilson
Championships
League champions1982, 1987, 1999, 2006
OHA Cups1982, 1987, 1999, 2006

History

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The Irish were founded in 1968 as the Lucan Irish Six, named after the Black Donnellys.

In 1982, the Irish won the Western Ontario Junior D Hockey League's championship. They went on to defeat the Langton Thunderbirds of the Southern Counties Junior D Hockey League 4-games-to-1 to win the OHA Cup as provincial champions.

In 1987, the Irish again won the Western Junior D's playoff title. They defeated the Tavistock Braves of the Southern Counties Junior D league 4-games-to-3 to win the OHA Cup for the second time as provincial champions.

In 1988, all remaining Junior D leagues were consolidated into the Western Junior league. In 1991, the league dropped the Junior D label and became the OHA Junior Development League. Starting in 1988, the Irish set out to prove they were the "cream of the crop" in this new league. After the 1988-89 season, the Irish made it all the way to the league finals, but were thwarted by the Lambeth Lancers. In 1990, 1991, and 1992, the same scenario repeated over and over again. The Irish would finish highly ranked in their league, would make it all the way to the finals and three years in a row they would meet the Thamesford Trojans who beat them each time.

In 1999, after finishing second overall in the league standings the Irish fought all the way back to the league final. The Irish defeated the Wellesley Applejacks 4-games-to-3 to win their third ever OHA Cup.

In 2006, the Irish twelfth overall in the OHAJDL standings. As low seed in the standings, the Irish were figured to lose out in the early rounds of the league playoffs. They entered the conference quarter-final against the Exeter Hawks and walked right through them with a 4-game-sweep. The conference semi-final had the same result against the North Middlesex Stars. The conference final was against their rivals, the Thamesford Trojans, whom they defeated in five games to enter into the league finals for the first time in seven seasons. In the final, they met the Delhi Travellers. A tight series, the Irish were not to be denied as the defeated the Travellers 4-games-to-2 to win their fourth OHA Cup.

After the 2006-07 season, the OHAJDL was disbanded and the Southern Ontario Junior Hockey League was formed. In the 2006-07 season , they finished seventh overall in the league. In the league's conference quarter-finals, the Irish met their match in the Thamesford Trojans who defeated them 4-games-to-1.

Season-by-season standings

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Season GP W L T OTL GF GA P Results Playoffs
1969-70 30 16 12 2 - 171 141 34 3rd WJDHL
1970-71 34 18 15 1 - 184 177 37 3rd WJDHL
1971-72 30 11 18 1 - 155 184 23 6th WJDHL
1972-73 34 11 17 6 - 169 202 28 6th WJDHL
1973-74 34 15 16 3 - 211 210 33 5th WJDHL
1974-75 32 17 14 1 - 184 163 35 3rd WJDHL
1975-76 27 17 7 3 - 149 98 37 2nd WJDHL
1976-77 32 9 19 4 - 141 181 22 7th WJDHL
1977-78 34 22 7 5 - 161 123 49 3rd WJDHL
1978-79 33 12 13 8 - 185 160 32 6th WJDHL
1979-80 34 23 9 2 - 198 132 48 3rd WJDHL
1980-81 34 21 10 3 - 212 132 45 2nd WJDHL
1981-82 40 21 17 2 - 205 171 44 6th WJDHL
1982-83 38 21 14 3 - 200 155 45 3rd WJDHL
1983-84 34 16 15 3 - 176 170 35 3rd WJDHL
1984-85 34 16 13 5 - 184 168 37 5th WJDHL
1985-86 42 31 6 5 - 281 132 67 1st WJDHL
1986-87 42 28 7 7 - 274 168 63 1st WJDHL
1987-88 40 16 16 8 - 207 175 40 7th WJDHL
1988-89 36 30 6 0 - 248 146 60 1st WJDHL
1989-90 35 25 4 6 - 218 129 56 1st WJDHL
1990-91 40 30 4 4 2 222 108 66 2nd WJDHL
1991-92 40 27 8 5 0 208 147 59 2nd OHAJDL
1992-93 39 33 3 2 1 252 110 69 1st OHAJDL
1993-94 40 27 11 2 - 225 147 56 3rd OHAJDL
1994-95 40 21 17 1 1 190 173 44 9th OHAJDL
1995-96 38 23 12 3 0 179 133 49 4th OHAJDL
1996-97 38 19 15 3 1 168 145 42 8th OHAJDL
1997-98 40 25 11 2 2 182 133 54 3rd OHAJDL
1998-99 40 28 11 0 1 177 126 57 2nd OHAJDL
1999-00 40 27 11 2 0 185 129 56 6th OHAJDL
2000-01 40 19 16 2 3 -- -- 43 9th OHAJDL
2001-02 40 15 21 3 1 151 175 34 13th OHAJDL
2002-03 40 21 16 3 0 182 152 45 7th OHAJDL
2003-04 40 26 8 4 2 187 132 58 4th OHAJDL
2004-05 40 26 12 2 0 178 139 54 4th OHAJDL
2005-06 38 16 16 4 2 160 145 38 12th OHAJDL
2006-07 40 24 15 0 1 175 152 49 7th SOJHL
2007-08 40 17 22 - 1 151 174 35 12th SOJHL
2008-09 40 18 19 - 3 140 140 39 8th SOJHL
2009-10 36 10 22 - 4 132 194 24 13th SOJHL
2010-11 36 15 16 - 5 128 157 35 12th SOJHL
2011-12 36 11 23 - 2 127 171 24 12th SOJHL
2012-13 37 16 17 - 4 153 171 36 6th SOJHL-Yk
2013-14 40 23 14 - 3 184 151 49 5th SOJHL Lost quarter-final
2014-15 40 28 12 - 0 217 161 56 4th SOJHL Lost quarter - 1-4 - (Dolphins)
2015-16 40 20 19 1 0 182 199 41 5th of 9 SOJHL Lost quarter - 1-4 - (Bulldogs)
2016-17 40 8 30 2 - 112 218 18 9th of 9
Yeck Div - PJHL
did not qualify for playoffs
2017-18 40 6 31 0 3 116 230 15 9th of 9
Yeck Div - PJHL
did not qualify for playoffs
2018-19 40 14 21 3 2 150 189 33 6th of 9
Yeck Div - PJHL
Lost quarters, 2-4 (Lancers)
2019-20 41 9 29 0 3 109 183 21 7th of 8
Yeck Div - PJHL
Lost quarters, 0-4 (Exeter Hawks)
2020-21 Season Lost due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021-22 30 9 16 2 3 81 95 23 7th of 8
Yeck Div - PJHL
Lost quarters, 0-4 (Stars)
2022-23 40 18 19 2 1 146 143 39 6th of 9
Yeck Div - PJHL
Lost quarters, 0-4 (Trojans)
2023-24 40 9 28 3 0 113 192 21 8th of 9
Yeck Div - PJHL
Lost quarters, 1-4 (Trojans)

Playoffs

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  • 1982 Won league, won OHA championship
Lucan Irish defeated Langton Thunderbirds 4-games-to-1 in OHA championship
  • 1987 Won league, won OHA championship
Lucan Irish defeated Tavistock Braves 4-games-to-3 in OHA championship
  • 1989 Lost final
Lambeth Lancers defeated Lucan Irish 4-games-to-1 in final
  • 1990 Lost final
Thamesford Trojans defeated Lucan Irish 4-games-to-2 in final
  • 1991 Lost final
Thamesford Trojans defeated Lucan Irish 4-games-to-1 in final
  • 1992 Lost final
Thamesford Trojans defeated Lucan Irish 4-games-to-0 in final
  • 1999 Won League
Lucan Irish defeated Wellesley Applejacks 4-games-to-3 in final
  • 2006 Won League
Lucan Irish defeated Exeter Hawks 4-games-to-none in conf. quarter-final
Lucan Irish defeated North Middlesex Stars 4-games-to-none in conf. semi-final
Lucan Irish defeated Thamesford Trojans 4-games-to-1 in conf. final
Lucan Irish defeated Delhi Travellers 4-games-to-2 in final
  • 2007 Lost Conference quarter-final
Thamesford Trojans defeated Lucan Irish 4-games-to-1 in conf. quarter-final
  • 2008 Lost Conference quarter-final
Thamesford Trojans defeated Lucan Irish 4-games-to-3 in conf. quarter-final

Notable alumni

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References

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