OCN Blizzard
| OCN Blizzard | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| City | The Pas, Manitoba |
| League | Manitoba Junior Hockey League |
| Founded | 1996 |
| Home arena | Gordon Lathlin Memorial Centre |
| Colours | Blue, Red, White |
| General manager | Doug Hedley (2016-17) |
| Head coach | Doug Hedley (2016-17) |
The Opaskwayak Cree Nation Blizzard are a Canadian Junior "A" ice hockey team from The Pas, Manitoba, Canada. They are members of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, a part of the Canadian Junior A Hockey League and Hockey Canada. The team is owned by the Opaskwayak Cree Nation.
The Blizzard were founded in 1996 by the Opaskwayak Cree Nation near The Pas, Manitoba. The team was a year in the making with the Cree Nation's eye on entering the SJHL. Their hockey development and recreation department spent many months prior getting the community members on board through community meetings and house to house visits. Boh Kubrakovich, Jim Smith and Nathan McGillivary spent time working with the SJHL prior to entering the current league MJHL. The Blizzard name and jersey was styled after the Utica Blizzard of the Colonial Hockey League. It was through a Blizzard like snow storm that the new directors of the team made it to Winnipeg to announce the team. During the press conference the directors decided to call the team the Opaskwayak Blizzard.
Founding directors were James Smith, Chief Frances Flett(late), Gordon Lathlin(late), Gilbert Lathlin(Rat), Nathan McGillivary and Recreation Director/Director of Hockey Boh Kubrakovich. A search for a Head Coach/Director of Hockey did not last long as the directors selected Gardiner MacDougall as their first choice to operate the newly established hockey club. Leonard Strandberg was then hired as the General Manager in 1996.
From the 1998-99 season until 2002-03, the Blizzard became the second team in MJHL history and the first team in over sixty years to win five straight Turnbull Cups as MJHL Playoff Champions. In the Anavet Cup Regional title, in succession, the Blizzard lost to the SJHL's Estevan Bruins in 1999, Lost to the Battlefords North Stars in 2000, the Weyburn Red Wings in 2001, defeated the Red Wings the next year, and then lost in 2003 to the Humboldt Broncos. When they won the Anavet Cup in 2002, it earned them the right to compete in Royal Bank Cup 2002. They finished the National Championship round robin with a 2-2 record. In the semi-final they defeated the BCHL's Chilliwack Chiefs 4-3, but lost in the National Final to the Halifax Exports 3-1.
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