Port Dover Sailors

{{short description|Canadian junior ice hockey team}} {{notability|date=March 2026}} {{Infobox OHA team |team_name = Port Dover Sailors |league = [[Provincial Junior Hockey League]] |bg_color = blue |text_color = white |logo = Port Dover Sailors.png |conference = South |division = Bloomfield |founded = 1988 |history = 1988–1999: Port Dover Clippers 1999–2011: Port Dover Sailors 2011–2013: Norfolk Rebels 2013–present: Port Dover Sailors |alternate = |arena = Port Dover Arena |city = [[Port Dover, Ontario|Port Dover]], [[Ontario]] |affiliate = |colours = [[Blue]], [[red]], and [[white]] {{color box|blue}} {{color box|red}} {{color box|white}} |owner = John Lennox |head_coach = Mike Walker |gm = Mike Walker(2020-present) |league_champions = None |cs_cup = }}

The '''Port Dover Sailors''' are a [[Junior hockey|junior]] [[ice hockey|hockey]] team based in [[Port Dover, Ontario|Port Dover]], [[Ontario]], Canada. They play in the [[Niagara & District Junior C Hockey League]] of the [[Ontario Hockey Association]] until the 2016-17 season when the league joined the [[Provincial Junior Hockey League]] and placed under the Bloomfield Division of the new league.

==History== The Port Dover Clippers were founded in 1988 as members of the [[Niagara & District Junior C Hockey League]]. The Clippers were 1990 and 1991 Niagara East champions and Niagara co-champions.<ref name="Third">{{cite news |last1=Sonnenberg |first1=Monte |title=Third coming of the Port Dover Sailors |url=https://www.simcoereformer.ca/2013/08/07/third-coming-of-the-port-dover-sailors |access-date=March 21, 2026 |work=Simcoe Reformer |date=August 7, 2013}}</ref> In 1990, the Clippers would fall to the [[Orangeville Crushers]] of the [[Georgian Junior C|Mid-Ontario Junior C Hockey League]] 4-games-to-1 in the [[Clarence Schmalz Cup]] OHA provincial quarter-final. Their western co-champions, the [[New Hamburg Firebirds|New Hamburg Spirit 83's]] would fare no better, dropping one of the other quarter-finals in four-straight games to the [[Great Lakes Junior C Hockey League]] champion [[Belle River Canadiens]]. The next year was more of the same, as Port Dover and New Hamburg were the co-champions, New Hamburg lost the provincial quarter-final to Belle River again (this time in six games), and Port Dover fell to Orangeville again in five.

In 1999, the Clippers took leave of the Niagara District league. Clippers changed their name to the Port Dover Sailors and applied for membership in the Ontario Hockey Association Junior Development League.<ref name="Third" />

In 2006, the OHAJDL changed its name to the [[Southern Ontario Junior Hockey League]]; the Sailors competed in this league until 2013.<ref name="Rename" />

For the 2011―2012 season, the team was rebranded as the Norfolk Rebels and split time between Port Dover and [[Waterford, Ontario]].<ref name="Rename">{{cite news |last1=Doktor |first1=Sarah |title=Rebels name sails away |url=https://www.simcoereformer.ca/2013/04/30/rebels-name-sails-away |access-date=March 21, 2026 |work=Simcoe Reformer |date=April 30, 2013}}</ref> The 2012―2013 season saw the Rebels have a [[winless season]].<ref name="Third" />

In 2013, the team was renamed the Port Dover Sailors. Along with the rename, the Sailors were moved to the [[Niagara & District Junior C Hockey League]] from the [[Southern Ontario Junior Hockey League]] as the OHA elminated Jr. "D" hockey.<ref name="Rename" /><ref name="Third" />

The playoffs for the 2019-20 season were cancelled due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario|COVID-19 pandemic]], leading to the team not being able to play a single game.

In 2022-23 The Sailors created a record breaking season led by Captain Benjamin Mason. Assistant Captain Nick D’Agostino set a new record for Points in a Season and won Most Sportsmanlike Player. Goaltender Finn Wilson won Rookie of the Year, also, head coach Mike Walker won Coach of the Year.<ref>{{cite web |title=Conference Awards Archives |url=https://www.thepjhl.ca/conference-award-archives |website=www.thepjhl.ca |access-date=21 March 2026}}</ref>

The team went into playoffs as the 3rd ranked team. Completing their first franchise sweep over the Dunnville Mudcats 4-0, and also won there first 2nd round series game (Jr.C) dating back to the 1990-91 season.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Smiley |first1=Brian |title=Corvairs, Falcons series matches the hype |url=https://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/sports/local-sports/corvairs-falcons-series-matches-the-hype |access-date=March 21, 2026 |work=Brantford Expositor |date=March 20, 2023}}</ref>

==Season-by-season record== {|class="wikitable" ! Season !! GP !! W !! L !! T !! OTL !! GF !! GA !! P !! Results !! Playoffs |- align="center" bgcolor="#eeeeff" |1988-89 ||40 ||19 ||13 ||8 ||- ||-- ||-- ||46 ||3rd NJC-E |- align="center" bgcolor="#eeeeff" |1989-90 ||40 ||24 ||10 ||2 ||- ||-- ||-- ||50 ||1st NJC-E ||Won East, lost CSC QF |- align="center" bgcolor="#eeeeff" |1990-91 ||36 ||22 ||10 ||4 ||- ||237 ||152 ||48 ||1st NJC-E ||Won East, lost CSC QF |- align="center" bgcolor="#eeeeff" |1991-92 ||36 ||23 ||8 ||5 ||- ||195 ||145 ||51 ||2nd NJC-E |- align="center" bgcolor="#eeeeff" |1992-93 ||36 ||12 ||16 ||8 ||- ||157 ||181 ||32 ||3rd NJC-W |- align="center" bgcolor="#eeeeff" |1993-94 ||36 ||21 ||11 ||4 ||- ||176 ||144 ||46 ||2nd NJC-W |- align="center" bgcolor="#eeeeff" |1994-95 ||36 ||19 ||14 ||3 ||- ||195 ||171 ||41 ||4th NJC-W |- align="center" bgcolor="#eeeeff" |1995-96 ||40 ||13 ||23 ||4 ||- ||163 ||237 ||30 ||4th NJC-W |- align="center" bgcolor="#eeeeff" |1996-97 ||40 ||1 ||37 ||0 ||2 ||78 ||287 ||4 ||6th NJC-W |- align="center" bgcolor="#eeeeff" |1997-98 ||38 ||2 ||35 ||0 ||1 ||106 ||239 ||5 ||6th NJC-W |- align="center" bgcolor="#eeeeff" |1998-99 ||35 ||4 ||30 ||- ||1 ||-- ||-- ||9 ||6th NJC-W |- align="center" |1999-00 ||38 ||10 ||25 ||1 ||2 ||140 ||242 ||23 ||15th OHAJDL ||Lost Div semi-final 0-4 ([[Hagersville Hawks|Hawks]]) |- align="center" |2000-01 ||40 ||10 ||26 ||0 ||4 ||-- ||-- ||24 ||16th OHAJDL ||DNQ |- align="center" |2001-02 ||40 ||8 ||27 ||4 ||1 ||100 ||212 ||21 ||18th OHAJDL ||DNQ |- align="center" |2002-03 ||40 ||11 ||27 ||1 ||1 ||126 ||187 ||24 ||18th OHAJDL ||DNQ |- align="center" |2003-04 ||40 ||16 ||22 ||1 ||1 ||127 ||148 ||34 ||14th OHAJDL ||Lost Div semi-final 1-4 ([[Hagersville Hawks|Hawks]]) |- align="center" |2004-05 ||40 ||21 ||13 ||3 ||3 ||135 ||129 ||48 ||8th OHAJDL ||Won Div semi-final 4-3 ([[Wellesley Applejacks|Applejacks]]) Lost Div final 1-4 ([[Hagersville Hawks|Hawks]]) |- align="center" |2005-06 ||37 ||10 ||21 ||4 ||2 ||127 ||167 ||26 ||14th OHAJDL ||Lost Conference Quarter-final 1-4 ([[Hagersville Hawks|Hawks]]) |- align="center" |2006-07 ||42 ||8 ||30 ||0 ||4 ||96 ||232 ||20 ||4th SOJHL-BM ||Lost Conference Quarter-final 1-4 ([[Hagersville Hawks|Hawks]]) |- align="center" |2007-08 ||42 ||12 ||27 ||- ||3 ||115 ||218 ||27 ||4th SOJHL-BM ||Lost Conference Quarter-final 0-4 ([[Delhi Travellers|Travellers]]) |- align="center" |2008-09 ||40 ||11 ||20 ||- ||9 ||107 ||172 ||31 ||5th SOJHL-Mc ||DNQ |- align="center" |2009-10 ||36 ||3 ||32 ||- ||1 ||91 ||223 ||7 ||5th SOJHL-Mc ||DNQ |- align="center" |2010-11 ||35 ||1 ||31 ||- ||3 ||83 ||229 ||5 ||8th SOJHL-Mc ||Lost Conference quarter-final 0-4 ([[Tavistock Braves|Braves]]) |- align="center" |2011-12 ||35 ||2 ||30 ||- ||3 ||103 ||284 ||7 ||8th SOJHL-Mc ||DNQ |- align="center" |2012-13 ||38 ||0 ||36 ||- ||2 ||78 ||319 ||2 ||7th SOJHL-Mc ||Won Conference quarter-final 4-3 ([[Lucan Irish|Irish]]) Lost Conference semi-final 0-4 ([[Dorchester Dolphins|Dolphins]]) |- align="center" |2013-14 ||35 ||5 ||28 ||- ||2 ||89 ||184 ||12 ||8th NJCHL ||Lost quarter-final 0-4 ([[Grimsby Peach Kings|Peach Kings]]) |- align="center" |2014-15 ||42 ||13 ||29 ||- ||0 ||140 ||223 ||26 ||7th NJCHL ||Lost quarter-final 1-4 ([[Dundas Blues|Blues]]) |- align="center" |2015-16 ||42 ||13 ||26 ||1 ||2 ||149 ||194 ||29 ||7th of 8 NJCHL ||Lost quarter-final 2–4 ([[Grimsby Peach Kings|Peach Kings]]) |- align="center" bgcolor=beige |2016-17 ||42 ||22 ||20 ||0 ||- ||161 ||165 ||40 ||4th of 8- PJHL Bloomfield ||Lost Div quarter-final 2-4 ([[Dundas Blues|Blues]]) |- align="center" bgcolor=beige |2017-18 ||42 ||23 ||17 ||1 ||1 ||152 ||167 ||48 ||3rd of 8- PJHL Bloomfield ||Won Div quarter-final 4-3 ([[Niagara Riverhawks|Riverhawks]]) Lost div semi-final 0-4 ([[Grimsby Peach Kings|Peach Kings]]) |- align="center" bgcolor=beige |2018-19 ||42 ||13 ||24 ||2 ||3 ||110 ||166 ||31 ||7th of 8- PJHL Bloomfield ||Lost Div quarter-final 0-4 ([[Hagersville Hawks|Hawks]]) |- align="center" bgcolor=beige |2019-20 ||43 ||13 ||27 ||2 ||1 ||137 ||170 ||29 ||7th of 8- PJHL Bloomfield ||Lost Div quarter-final 0-4 ([[Hagersville Hawks|Hawks]]) |- align="center" bgcolor="beige" |2020-21 ||colspan="10" | Season Lost due to COVID-19 pandemic |- align="center" bgcolor=beige |2021-22 ||30 ||15 ||11 ||4 ||0 ||121 ||125 ||34 ||5th of 7- PJHL Bloomfield ||Lost Div quarter-final 2-4 ([[Niagara Riverhawks|Riverhawks]]) |- align="center" bgcolor=beige |2022-23 ||42 ||25 ||11 ||5 ||1 ||158 ||143 ||56 ||3rd of 7- PJHL Bloomfield ||Won Div quarter-final 4-0 ([[Dunnville Jr. Mudcats|Mudcats]]) Lost Div semi-final 2-4 ([[Grimsby Peach Kings|Peach Kings]]) |- align="center" bgcolor=beige |2023-24 ||42 ||8 ||33 ||0 ||1 ||88 ||215 ||17 ||7th of 7- PJHL Bloomfield ||Lost Div quarter-final 0-4 ([[Dundas Blues|Blues]]) |- align="center" bgcolor=beige |2024-25 ||42 ||6 ||32 ||4 ||0 ||113 ||242 ||16 ||8th of 8 Bloomfield 16th of 16 South Conf 59th of 63 PJHL ||Lost Div quarter-final 0-4 ([[Dundas Blues|Blues]]) |- align="center" bgcolor=beige |2025-26 ||42 ||13 ||23 ||5 ||1 ||146 ||202 ||32 ||7th of 8 Bloomfield 13th of 16 South Conf 61th of 61 PJHL ||Lost Div quarter-final 3-4 ([[Grimsby Peach Kings|Peach Kings]]) |}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * [http://jrdportdover.pointstreaksites.com/view/portdover Sailors Webpage]

[[Category:Southern Ontario Junior Hockey League teams]] [[Category:Ice hockey clubs established in 1988]] [[Category:Norfolk County, Ontario]] [[Category:1988 establishments in Ontario]] [[Category:Ice hockey teams in Ontario]]