2002–03 OPJHL season
Introduction The '''2002–03 OPJHL season''' is the tenth season of the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League (OPJHL). The thirty-five teams of the North, South, East, and West divisions competed in a 49-game schedule.Come February, the top eight teams of each division competed for the Frank L. Buckland Trophy, the OPJHL championship. The winner of the Buckland Cup, the Wellington Dukes, went on to win the Dudley Hewitt Cup as Central Canadian Champions. The Dukes were not successful in winning the 2003 Royal Bank Cup.
Changes *Parry Sound Shamrocks leave the OPJHL.
Final standings ''Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; OTL = Overtime losses; SL = Shootout losses; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; PTS = Points; x = clinched playoff berth; y = clinched division title; z = clinched conference title''  '''East Division''''''Team'''	'''GP'''  '''W'''  '''L'''  '''T'''  '''OTL'''  '''GF'''  '''GA'''  '''P'''Wellington Dukes	                                49	47	1	1	0	298	87	95Trenton Sting	                49	32	14	2	1	235	144	67Kingston Voyageurs	                                49	31	13	4	1	206	132	67Cobourg Cougars	                                49	27	18	3	1	187	148	58Lindsay Muskies	                                49	26	17	3	3	216	174	58Bancroft Hawks	                                49	21	22	3	3	206	254	48Bowmanville Eagles	                                49	19	24	5	1	163	178	44Peterborough Bees	        49	15	31	1	2	133	212	33Port Hope Predators	                        49	10	36	1	2	119	251	23Syracuse Jr. Crunch	                        49	4	43	1	1	114	308	10'''North Division''''''Team'''	'''GP'''  '''W'''  '''L'''  '''T'''  '''OTL'''  '''GF'''  '''GA'''  '''P'''Aurora Tigers	                                49	43	3	2	1	265	103	89Newmarket Hurricanes	                        49	31	14	1	3	221	163	66Stouffville Spirit	                                49	29	18	2	0	241	154	60Collingwood Blues	                                49	23	25	0	1	204	176	47Couchiching Terriers	                        49	21	23	4	1	178	184	47Huntsville Wildcats	49	2	46	0	1	121	406	5'''South Division''''''Team'''	'''GP'''  '''W'''  '''L'''  '''T'''  '''OTL'''  '''GF'''  '''GA'''  '''P'''Wexford Raiders	        49	32	12	2	3	231	152	69Markham Waxers	                                49	30	12	6	1	239	173	67St. Michael's Buzzers	                        49	25	15	6	3	209	174	59Vaughan Vipers	                                49	26	17	2	4	205	204	58North York Rangers	                                49	23	18	3	5	180	182	54Oshawa Legionaires	                49	24	21	3	1	189	184	52Pickering Panthers	                                49	13	31	3	2	154	218	31Ajax Axemen	                        49	12	31	3	3	142	202	30Thornhill Rattlers	        49	11	34	3	1	129	240	26'''West Division''''''Team'''	'''GP'''  '''W'''  '''L'''  '''T'''  '''OTL'''  '''GF'''  '''GA'''  '''P'''	Milton Merchants	                49	41	6	1	1	279	139	84Georgetown Raiders	                                49	37	7	3	2	280	155	79Hamilton Kiltys	        49	38	8	2	1	286	157	79Burlington Cougars	                                49	29	17	2	1	227	201	61Oakville Blades	                                49	27	20	2	0	219	197	56Mississauga Chargers	                        49	24	19	3	3	189	203	54Buffalo Lightning	        49	12	32	1	4	167	229	29Streetsville Derbys	                        49	10	30	3	6	172	293	29Bramalea Blues	                                49	10	35	3	1	168	282	24Brampton Capitals	                                49	10	36	2	1	208	320	23
2002-03 Frank L. Buckland Trophy Playoffs '''''Division Quarter-final''''':'''Wellington Dukes''' defeated Peterborough Bees ''4-games-to-none'':'''Trenton Sting''' defeated Bowmanville Eagles ''4-games-to-1'':'''Kingston Voyageurs''' defeated Bancroft Hawks ''4-games-to-none'':'''Lindsay Muskies''' defeated Cobourg Cougars ''4-games-to-3'':'''Aurora Tigers''' defeated Bramalea Blues ''4-games-to-none'':'''Newmarket Hurricanes''' defeated Ajax Axemen ''4-games-to-1'':'''Stouffville Spirit''' defeated Couchiching Terriers ''4-games-to-none'':'''Collingwood Blues''' defeated North York Rangers ''4-games-to-2'':'''Milton Merchants''' defeated Streetsville Derbys ''4-games-to-none'':'''Buffalo Lightning''' defeated Hamilton Kiltys ''4-games-to-2'':'''Georgetown Raiders''' defeated Mississauga Chargers ''4-games-to-1'':'''Oakville Blades''' defeated Burlington Cougars ''4-games-to-none'':'''Wexford Raiders''' defeated Port Hope Predators ''4-games-to-1'':'''Markham Waxers''' defeated Thornhill Rattlers ''4-games-to-none'':'''St. Michael's Buzzers''' defeated Pickering Panthers ''4-games-to-none'':'''Oshawa Legionaires''' defeated Vaughan Vipers ''4-games-to-2'''''''Division Semi-final''''':'''Wexford Raiders''' defeated Oshawa Legionaires ''4-games-to-2'':'''Markham Waxers''' defeated St. Michael's Buzzers ''4-games-to-2'':'''Wellington Dukes''' defeated Lindsay Muskies ''4-games-to-1'':'''Trenton Sting''' defeated Kingston Voyageurs ''4-games-to-2'':'''Milton Merchants''' defeated Buffalo Lightning ''4-games-to-none'':'''Georgetown Raiders''' defeated Oakville Blades ''4-games-to-3'':'''Aurora Tigers''' defeated Collingwood Blues ''4-games-to-1'':'''Stouffville Spirit''' defeated Newmarket Hurricanes ''4-games-to-3'''''''Division Final''''':'''Georgetown Raiders''' defeated Milton Merchants ''4-games-to-3'':'''Aurora Tigers''' defeated Stouffville Spirit ''4-games-to-2'':'''Markham Waxers''' defeated Wexford Raiders ''4-games-to-3'':'''Wellington Dukes''' defeated Trenton Sting ''4-games-to-3'''''''Semi-final''''':'''Aurora Tigers''' defeated Georgetown Raiders ''4-games-to-1'':'''Wellington Dukes''' defeated Markham Waxers ''4-games-to-none'''''''Final''''':'''Wellington Dukes''' defeated Aurora Tigers ''4-games-to-2''
[[Dudley Hewitt Cup]] Championship Hosted by Fort Frances Borderland Thunder in Fort Frances, Ontario. Wellington Dukes won the event. '''''Round Robin''''':'''Wellington Dukes''' defeated Thunder Bay Bulldogs (SIJHL) 7-4:'''Wellington Dukes''' defeated Fort Frances Borderland Thunder (SIJHL) 7-1:'''North Bay Skyhawks''' (NOJHL) defeated Wellington Dukes 2-1'''''Semi-final''''':'''Wellington Dukes''' defeated Fort Frances Borderland Thunder (SIJHL) 3-2'''''Final''''':'''Wellington Dukes''' defeated North Bay Skyhawks (NOJHL) 4-0
[[2003 Royal Bank Cup]] Championship Hosted by Charlottetown Abbies in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. The Wellington Dukes lost in the semi-final. '''''Round Robin''''':'''Humboldt Broncos''' (SJHL) defeated Wellington Dukes 4-1:'''Camrose Kodiaks''' (AJHL) defeated Wellington Dukes 7-1:'''Wellington Dukes''' defeated Charlottetown Abbies (MJAHL) 1-0 OT:'''Wellington Dukes''' defeated Lennoxville Cougars (QJAAAHL) 5-2'''''Semi-final''''':'''Humboldt Broncos''' (SJHL) defeated Wellington Dukes 3-2
Scoring leaders ''Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes''   Player Team GP G A PtsJosh Soares 	Hamilton Kiltys 48 	56 	68 	124Brad Efthimiou 	Milton/Brampton 48 	44 	70 	114Rich Meloche 	Milton Merchants 49 	49 	56 	105Luchiano Aquino 	Wexford Raiders 48 	48 	54 	102
Players selected in [[2003 NHL Entry Draft]] *''Rd 4 #103''	'''Kevin Jarman''' - Columbus Blue Jackets (Stouffville Spirit)	*''Rd 8 #244''	'''Mike Sullivan''' - Los Angeles Kings	(Stouffville Spirit)*''Rd 9 #270''	'''Kevin Harvey''' - Calgary Flames	(Georgetown Raiders)*''Rd 9 #291''	'''Brian Elliott''' - Ottawa Senators	(Ajax Axemen)
See also * 2003 Royal Bank Cup* Dudley Hewitt Cup* List of OJHL seasons* Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League* Superior International Junior Hockey League* Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League* 2002 in ice hockey* 2003 in ice hockey
References
External links *  Official website of the Ontario Junior Hockey League*  Official website of the Canadian Junior Hockey League