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WBS Knights USPHL
CityPittston, Pennsylvania
LeagueUnited States Premier Hockey League
Founded2005 (organization)
Home arenaRevolution Ice Centre
ColorsNavy and white
   
Owner(s)Jody Cordaro
General managerRay Welsh[1]
Franchise history
Tier III franchise
2005–2010Binghamton Jr. Senators
2010–2015
2017–2019		Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights
Tier II franchise
2010–2012Dawson Creek Rage
2015–2019Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights
2020–presentDanbury Jr. Hat Tricks
USPHL franchise
2021–presentWilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights

The WBS Knights USPHL are a junior ice hockey organization from Pittston, Pennsylvania.[2] In 2015, the Knights' junior hockey organization purchased the dormant Dawson Creek Rage franchise in the Tier II North American Hockey League (NAHL) and placed their Tier III franchise in the Eastern Hockey League into dormancy. The organization has reactivated and deactivated their Tier III level teams at various times, but plans to launch teams in the United States Premier Hockey League's Premier and Elite Divisions, non-USA Hockey sanctioned leagues that operate similar to the Tier III level. The organization also has several youth ice hockey teams in its development program.

The players, ages 16–20, carry amateur status and hope to earn a spot on higher level of junior hockey teams in the United States and Canada, Canadian Major Junior teams, collegiate teams, and eventually professional teams.

History

AJHL/EHL (2010–2015)

From 2005 to 2010, the Tier III franchise was operated by an organization in Binghamton, New York, as the Binghamton Jr. Senators at the Chenango Ice Rink in the Atlantic Junior Hockey League (AJHL). In 2010, the franchise was transferred to an organization to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights that had been operating as a youth organization formed in 2005. After relocating, the organization also began a team at the Junior B level in the Metropolitan Junior Hockey League as well as youth hockey select teams at the Midget U18, Midget 16U, Bantam, Peewee, and Squirt and Mite levels. Along with Revolution Ice Centre in Pittston, Pennsylvania, the Knights also practiced at Revolution Training Centre in Dunmore, Pennsylvania. The training center has two skating surfaces: one synthetic ice and the other is an 85 x 45 ice surface.[3]

The Knights won the AJHL Championship during the 2012–13 season in the best of three series against the Northern Cyclones and earned the AJHL President's Cup. The Knights lost the first game of the series 0–2 but came back to win the final two games. During the last game, the Cyclones had a 2–1 lead, but Knights forward Matt Cessna tied the game at 2–2 with 22 seconds remaining in the third period. With four minutes remaining in the first overtime, Cessna also scored the game-winner and was named the Most Valuable Player of the playoff championship series. The Knights' 2012–13 AJHL championship team featured team captain Jack Ceglarski (grandson of Len Ceglarski) and defenceman Oscar Nyquist (brother of Gustav Nyquist).[4][5]

In 2013, Tier III junior hockey leagues underwent a large reorganization and the AJHL re-branded as the Eastern Hockey League (EHL).

NAHL (2015–2020)

See also: Dawson Creek Rage

On May 1, 2015, it was announced that the Knights had purchased the dormant Dawson Creek Rage franchise in the North American Hockey League and began play as a Tier II team in the 2015–16 NAHL season[6] while also dropping their Tier III teams. The organization would re-add Tier III teams in the EHL in 2017. In 2019, the Tier III team left the EHL and joined the NAHL's Tier III league, the North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL),[7] but were removed from the league prior to playing a game.

On May 11, 2020, the Knights announced they had transferred their franchise rights to an organization in Danbury, Connecticut, and became the Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks.[8]

USPHL (2021–present)

In February 2021, the Knights announced they would be reactivating their junior teams in the Premier and Elite Divisions of the United States Premier Hockey LeagueThe Pittston-based USPHL club will be a Tier III Junior A team in the league’s Elite and Premier Divisions. Players’ ages range from 16-to-20 years old. The USPHL is still one of the top development leagues in North America moving players to Tier II and NCAA programs is a daily occurrence.[1]

Season-by-season records

Season GP W L OTL SOL Pts GF GA Finish Playoffs
Eastern Hockey League (Tier III)
2013–14 44 19 16 8 1 47 121 111 4th, Central Div.
8th of 17, EHL		 Won Round 1, 2–0 vs. Philadelphia Junior Flyers
Lost Quarterfinals, 0–2 vs. Northern Cyclones
2014–15 44 28 14 2 0 58 155 126 2nd, Central Div.
6th of 19, EHL		 Won Round 1, 2–1 vs. Boston Bandits
Lost Quarterfinals, 0–2 vs. Northern Cyclones
2017–18 50 24 25 1 — 49 170 180 3rd of 4, Mid-Atlantic Div.
5th of 8, South Conf.
9th of 16, EHL		 Lost First Round, 1–2 vs. New York Apple Core
2018–19 44 27 13 4 — 58 167 116 2nd of 3, North Div.
3rd of 8, Mid-Atlantic Conf.
6th of 18, EHL		 Won First Round, 2–0 vs. New York Apple Core
Won Second Round, 2–1 vs. New Jersey 87's
0–3–0 in Frozen Finals round-robin
(L, 0–4 vs. Avalanche; L, 2–7 vs. Wizards; L, 1–6 vs. Little Flyers)
Season GP W L OTL Pts GF GA Finish Playoffs
NAHL (Tier II)
2015–16 60 22 28 10 54 150 232 4th of 4, East Div.
20th of 22, NAHL		 Lost Div. Semifinals, 0–3 vs. Aston Rebels
2016–17 60 30 25 5 65 193 190 4th of 5, East Div.
12th of 24, NAHL		 Lost Div. Semifinals, 0–3 vs. Aston Rebels
2017–18 60 30 24 6 66 175 196 3rd of 5, East Div.
12th of 23, NAHL		 Won Div. Semifinals, 3–2 vs. New Jersey Titans
Won Div. Finals, 3–0 vs. Philadelphia Rebels
Lost Robertson Cup Semifinals, 0–2 vs. Shreveport Mudbugs
2018–19 60 26 29 5 57 153 175 5th of 6, East Div.
18th of 24, NAHL		 Did not qualify
2019–20 53 26 22 5 57 165 181 3rd of 7, East Div.
14th of 26, NAHL		 Season cancelled

Alumni

The Knights/Jr. Senators franchise has produced a number of alumni playing in higher levels of junior hockey, NCAA Division I, Division III, ACHA college and professional programs, including:[9]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights To Join USPHL Premier, Elite Divisions For 2021-22". USPHL. February 24, 2021.
  2. ^ [1] [dead link‍]
  3. ^ "Home Page". Jrknightshockey.com.
  4. ^ [2] [dead link‍]
  5. ^ "Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights". Eliteprospects.com. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  6. ^ "Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights join NAHL in 2015-16 season". NAHL.com. North American Hockey League. May 1, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
  7. ^ "NA3HL announces new markets for the 2019-20 season". NA3HL. April 17, 2019.
  8. ^ "NAHL announces relocation of WBS Knights to Danbury, Connecticut". NAHL. May 11, 2020.
  9. ^ [3] [dead link‍]
  10. ^ "Jerry d'Amigo - 2009-10 - Men's Hockey". Rpiathletics.com.
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