National Ringette League

National Ringette League
Current season, competition or edition:
Current sports event 2018 National Ringette League playoffs
Sport Ringette
CEO vacant
No. of teams 15
Country  Canada
Most recent
champion(s)		 Atlantic Attack
Most titles Cambridge Turbos (6 times)
Official website NRL.ca

The National Ringette League (NRL) is the top level ringette league in Canada. It is a showcase league, with all players involved unpaid, and is guided by the sports national non-profit sports organization, Ringette Canada.

The NRL currently consists of sixteen teams in two conferences - a western conference of five teams and an eastern conference of eleven. The great majority of the players come from Canada with a few from the United States, Finland, and other countries.

Jeanne Sauvé Memorial Cup

The final competition for the National Ringette League is held annually at the Canadian Ringette Championships. The winning team in the NRL division is awarded the Jeanne Sauvé Memorial Cup[1] named after the late Governor General of Canada, Jeanne Sauvé. Initially coined the Jeanne Sauvé Cup, and initiated in December 1984, it was first presented at the 1985 Canadian Ringette Championships in Dollard des Ormeaux, Québec. It is now entitled the Jeanne Sauvé Memorial Cup, in memory of the late Governor General of Canada.

NRL general regulation

Characteristic of North American sports, the NRL is a closed league with no relegation. There is an annual draft in between seasons, which is the main entry for new players in the league. The NRL runs four regional drafts; in 2011, there was one for the region of Ottawa and Gatineau,[2] another one for Manitoba,[3] another for Southern Ontario,[4] and another for the Montreal region.[5] Trading among teams is also common.[6]

History

Ringette is a Canadian sport that was first introduced in 1963 in North Bay, Ontario.[7] For ten years, play was confined to Ontario and Quebec, however the sport spread quickly and is now played by 50,000 girls[8] across Canada.

However, it took the success of the 2002 Ringette world championships at Edmonton, where Canada took the golden medal, to spur the creation of the National Ringette League. The first NRL season began in November 2004 with 17 teams. There was no championship match after the first NRL season.

Season 2005-2006

In 2005-2006, the National Ringuette League, for its second season, competed with 19 teams (two new teams joined the league). These teams are now distributed in four conferences: the West Conference – five teams, Central Conference – five teams, Ontario Conference – five teams and Quebec Conference – four teams. The dominant teams were the Cambridge Turbos in the Ontario Conference, Montreal Mission in the Quebec Conference, in the Western Division the Edmonton WAM! and the champions of the Central Division, the APFG Sixers. At the end of the regular season were qualifying rounds: eight teams participate in the NRL Playoffs which crown the team champion of the league. The championship match of the LNR took place in the Centre Étienne Desmarteau in Montreal, on April 1, 2006 and Cambridge Turbos won. During the off season three teams folded, citing low attendance revenue.

Season 2006-2007

In its third season (2006–2007), the NRL consisted of 16 teams distributed in three conferences: the West Conference – seven teams, Ontario Conference – five teams, all in Ontario, and Quebec Conference – four teams. The Championship finale match took place in Halifax, on April 10, 2007, won by the Edmonton WAM!.

Season 2007-2008

In 2007-2008, 17 teams competed in two conferences, the Western Conference including seven teams, and East Conference including ten teams. The Cambridge Turbos won the NRL Championship by beating the Montreal Mission 2-1 in extra time.[9][10]

Season 2008-2009

In 2008-2009, the NRL contained 18 teams[11] grouped in a Western Conference with six teams and an East Conference with twelve teams. The NRL Championship Game took place in Charlottetown, PEI, and the Cambridge Turbos won again[12][13][14] Also in 2008, the first World Club Ringuette Championship was held in Sault-Sainte-Marie, Ontario. Four NRL teams faced two teams from the Professional Ringette Elite League of Finland, the Ringeten SM-Sarja.[15] The Cambridge Turbos won the world title having overcome in finale the Finnish champion team, LuKi-82 Luvia.[16][17]

Season 2009-2010

In the 2009-10 season, the National Ringuette League was for its sixth season comprised 18 teams grouped together in a Western Conference with six teams and an East Conference with twelve teams there. The competition remained very intense and marked the return of the ascendancy of different west teams:[18] Edmonton WAM! became again the NRL Championship after an eclipse of two years at the hands of the Cambridge Turbos. Edmonton beats Cambridge 2-0 in National Finals.[19]

Season 2011-2012

From March 27 till April 2, 2011, the NRL Championship Tournament took place in Cambridge, Ontario. In the Final game, the Edmonton WAM! triumphed over the Cambridge Turbos[20]

In the 2011-12 season, the NRL entered its eighth season with 19 teams playing in two conferences. The NRL knows a new expansion, with the creation of two new teams:[21] Atlantic Attack (of Moncton in New Brunswick)[22] and Lower Mainland Ringette League (LMRL Thunder of British Columbia).

The 2011-12 regular season began on October 15, 2011 and concluded on March 18, 2012. All in all, thirty matches are competed by each of the teams during the regular season. Each of the teams faces only teams of his conference. This structure allows teams to reduce the costs of transport given the size of the Canadian territory covered by the league. At the end of the regular season, there is a break of a week when the various individual distinctions are awarded, then a NRL Championship Tournament.

Teams

Conference Team City/Area Head Coach
Eastern Conference
East - Red Gatineau Fusion Quebec Gatineau, Quebec Courtney Wolfe
East - Red Ottawa Ice Ontario Ottawa, Ontario Al Bateman
East - White Atlantic Attack New Brunswick Moncton, New Brunswick Gilles Proulx
East - White Bourassa Royal Quebec Bourassa-Laval-Lanaudière, Quebec Yves Leclair
East - White Lac-Saint-Louis Adrenaline Quebec Lac-Saint-Louis, Quebec David Singh
East - White Montreal Mission Quebec Montréal, Quebec Daniel Dussault
East - White Rive Sud Revolution Quebec South Shore (Montreal), Quebec Luc Plante
East - Red Cambridge Turbos Ontario Cambridge, Ontario Glen Gaudet
East - Red Richmond Hill Lightning Ontario Richmond Hill, Ontario Keith Jasper
East - Red Waterloo Wildfire Ontario Waterloo, Ontario Doug Miners
Western Conference
Western BC Thunder British Columbia British Columbia Chris Wakefield
Western Black Gold Rush Alberta Edmonton, Alberta Paul Bechard
Western Calgary RATH Alberta Calgary, Alberta Paul Geddes
Western Edmonton WAM! Alberta Edmonton, Alberta Michelle Brown
Western Manitoba Intact Manitoba Winnipeg, Manitoba Rob Walker

NRL National Champions

In 2010-11 season, new fact, a NRL Championship Tournament replaces the Championship qualifying rounds, this tournament takes place in just one city. This allows the league to create a media event and to hold attention. Ten better teams in the regular season of the league, participate in this tournament which crowns the team champion of the league. The championship final game is broadcast on Rogers TV.

Starting in 2011-12, eight teams are playing a full round robin to determine the champion which is also called Elite Eight.

List of NRL champions season by season

  • 2017-18 : Atlantic Attack
  • 2016-17 : Cambridge Turbos
  • 2015-16 : Cambridge Turbos
  • 2014-15 : Cambridge Turbos
  • 2013-14 : Ottawa Ice
  • 2012-13 : Calgary Rath
  • 2011-12 : LMRL Thunder
  • 2010-11 : Edmonton WAM!
  • 2009-10 : Edmonton WAM!
  • 2008-09 : Cambridge Turbos
  • 2007-08 : Cambridge Turbos
  • 2006-07 : Edmonton WAM!
  • 2005-06 : Cambridge Turbos
  • 2004-05 : No championship match

Awards and honours

At the end of each season (at the end of March) the League quotes its annuals awards during the week of break pre-tournament eliminating playoffs. The annual NRL honors reward the athletes having obtained excellent performances during the regular season. Each of 2 conference presents one athlete and a coach as finalist in every category, and the National Championship Tournament are chosen among these finalists.

Income and payment for the ringette players

In 2008, the budget of each NRL team of the oscillates between $15 000 and $20 000.[23] The teams and the league contribute to cover all the transport spending, accommodation and rent of arenas. The players however have to find their own financiers to pay for their equipment and their personal spending and aren't paid for play.[23] The audience in the matches for several NRL teams is limited to some supporters' hundreds.

Development of young players

The NRL maintains a collaboration with the lower Ringette leagues as regards the development of the young girls players: So several teams of the NRL have affiliated development's teams Under 19 years old and Under 16 years old. The Canadians Championship U16 and U19 (usually in April) take place in the same place as the NRL playoff tournament elimination.[24][25] What allows the tracers of the teams NRL to identify the young talented players.

Regular season team record

TeamSeasonGPWLSOLGDNP[27]Pct
Atlantic Attack 7186958290199
BC Reign[28] 118018020
BC Thunder[29] 6151677680142
Black Gold Rush 37419478046
Bourassa Royal[30] 1131086207170189
Calgary RATH 1025016167220340
Cambridge Turbos 1130926131171539
Edmonton WAM! 1025015185140316
Fraser Valley Avalanche[28] 1309174022
Gatineau Fusion 1027972193140158
Gloucester Devils[31] 10288150117210321
Lac St.Louis Adrenaline 1130889204152193
Manitoba Intact 24826184056
Manitoba Jets[28] 410340558188
Montreal Mission 1130824453112499
Ottawa Ice 1130720882173433
Prairie Fire[28] 5127913151187
Quebec City Cyclones[31] 61828780150189
Richmond Hill Lighting 11308178113172373
Rive Sud Revolution 11309109188121230
Saskatoon Wild[28] 410424764052
Waterloo Wildfire 11309134158171285
Whitby Wild[28] 4123238911057

See also

Notes and references

  1. ↑ http://www.ringette.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/CRC-Trophies.pdf
  2. ↑ Ottawa-Gatineau 2011 draft results
  3. ↑ Manitoba Draft results 2011
  4. ↑ Southern Ontario draft results/
  5. ↑ Montreal Division draft results 2011/
  6. ↑ Busy trade deadline for National Ringette League
  7. ↑ History of Ringette
  8. ↑ About Ringette Archived 2012-02-01 at the Wayback Machine.
  9. ↑ Turbos complete 'Mission' at nationals
  10. ↑ Cambridge Turbos crowned NRL champions
  11. ↑ National Ringette League announces expansion
  12. ↑ Cambridge Turbos were Eastern Conference champions
  13. ↑ Turbos defend national championship
  14. ↑ Cambridge Turbos are the NRL champions
  15. ↑ (fi) Ringeten SM-Sarja Website
  16. ↑ Cambridge Turbos to meet Luvia in world club championship final Archived 2013-05-16 at the Wayback Machine.
  17. ↑ Cambridge Turbos on top of the ringette world
  18. ↑ Alberta teams dominate ringette championships
  19. ↑ WAM! stops Turbos three-peat
  20. ↑ Edmonton WAM! capture Canadian ringette title
  21. ↑ National Ringette League announces expansion teams
  22. ↑ Atlantic Attack announces coaching staff for inaugural National Ringette League season
  23. 1 2 (in French) Le Fusion de Gatineau lance sa saison inaugurale
  24. ↑ 2011 Tim Hortons Canadian ringette championships underway in Cambridge
  25. ↑ Alberta U16, Quebec U19 and Edmonton WAM! golden at Canadian ringette championships
  26. ↑ Western conference did not play any match this season.
  27. ↑ Stands for games did not play
  28. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Defunct team
  29. ↑ Include one season as LMRL Thunder.
  30. ↑ Include four seasons as BLL Nordiques
  31. 1 2 Inactive team
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