1997–98 OPJHL season
Introduction The '''1997–98 OPJHL season''' is the fifth season of the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League (OPJHL). The twenty-two teams of the MacKenzie, MacKinnon, Phillips, and Ruddock Divisions competed in a 51-game schedule. The top 4 teams of each division make the playoffs.The winner of the OPJHL playoffs, the Milton Merchants, won the 1998 Buckland Cup as OHA Champions and the Dudley Hewitt Cup as Central Canadian Champions, but failed to win the 1998 Royal Bank Cup.
Changes *Aurora Tigers join OPJHL from MetJHL. *Orillia Terriers move to Rama, Ontario and become Couchiching Terriers. *Newmarket 87's become Newmarket Hurricanes. *Peterborough Jr. Petes become Peterborough Bees.*St. Michael's Buzzers take leave of absence.
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''  '''MacKenzie Division''''''Team'''	'''GP'''  '''W'''  '''L'''  '''T'''  '''OTL'''  '''GF'''  '''GA'''  '''P'''Brampton Capitals              	        51	39	7	1	4	282	163	83Bramalea Blues              	        51	32	11	6	2	244	182	72Streetsville Derbys        	        51	23	24	1	3	226	235	50Mississauga Chargers       	        51	15	29	3	4	178	265	37Vaughan Vipers             	        51	7	40	2	2	192	354	18'''MacKinnon Division''''''Team'''	'''GP'''  '''W'''  '''L'''  '''T'''  '''OTL'''  '''GF'''  '''GA'''  '''P'''Milton Merchants	        51	42	8	1	0	357	127	85Oakville Blades	                        51	31	15	4	1	215	183	67Burlington Cougars                       	51	24	22	5	0	217	207	53Hamilton Kiltys	51	21	22	5	3	222	195	50Georgetown Raiders                     	51	6	44	1	0	134	330	13'''Phillips Division''''''Team'''	'''GP'''  '''W'''  '''L'''  '''T'''  '''OTL'''  '''GF'''  '''GA'''  '''P'''	Collingwood Blues                   	51	35	12	3	1	263	156	74Newmarket Hurricanes	                51	28	17	5	1	249	185	62Aurora Tigers                        	51	27	17	6	1	226	196	61Lindsay Muskies                         	51	23	20	5	3	198	186	54Couchiching Terriers                 	51	23	20	7	1	220	213	54Stouffville Spirit                 	51	16	32	2	1	194	280	35'''Ruddock Division''''''Team'''	'''GP'''  '''W'''  '''L'''  '''T'''  '''OTL'''  '''GF'''  '''GA'''  '''P'''Peterborough Bees	51	29	18	4	0	254	176	62Trenton Sting             51	28	17	6	0	237	193	62Bowmanville Eagles                  	51	27	19	5	0	210	178	59Kingston Voyageurs                 	51	23	16	10	2	224	192	58Ajax Axemen              	50	13	35	2	0	190	282	28Cobourg Cougars                    	50	8	39	3	0	146	315	19
1997-98 OPJHL Playoffs '''''Division Semi-final''''':'''Milton Merchants''' defeated Mississauga Chargers ''4-games-to-none'':'''Hamilton Kiltys''' defeated Brampton Capitals ''4-games-to-1'':'''Bramalea Blues''' defeated Streetsville Derbys ''4-games-to-2'':'''Oakville Blades''' defeated Burlington Cougars ''4-games-to-2'':'''Couchiching Terriers''' defeated Collingwood Blues ''4-games-to-2'':'''Peterborough Bees''' defeated Kingston Voyageurs ''3-games-to-2'':'''Trenton Sting''' defeated Bowmanville Eagles ''4-games-to-1'':'''Newmarket Hurricanes''' defeated Aurora Tigers ''4-games-to-1'''''''Division Final''''':'''Milton Merchants''' defeated Oakville Blades ''4-games-to-2'':'''Hamilton Kiltys''' defeated Bramalea Blues ''4-games-to-2'':'''Couchiching Terriers''' defeated Newmarket Hurricanes ''4-games-to-1'':'''Trenton Sting''' defeated Peterborough Bees ''3-games-to-2'''''''Semi-final''''':'''Milton Merchants''' defeated Hamilton Kiltys ''4-games-to-none'':'''Trenton Sting''' defeated Couchiching Terriers ''4-games-to-1'''''''Final''''':'''Milton Merchants''' defeated Trenton Sting ''4-games-to-none''
OHA Buckland Cup Championship ''Best-of-7 series'':'''Milton Merchants''' defeated Wexford Raiders (MetJHL) ''4-games-to-1''::'''Milton Merchants''' 11 - Wexford Raiders 2::'''Milton Merchants''' 3 - Wexford Raiders 2 2OT::'''Milton Merchants''' 6 - Wexford Raiders 1::'''Wexford Raiders''' 4 - Milton Merchants 3 OT::'''Milton Merchants''' 6 -  Wexford Raiders 1
[[Dudley Hewitt Cup]] Championship ''Best-of-7 series'':'''Milton Merchants''' defeated Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats (NOJHL) ''4-games-to-2''::'''Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats''' 4 - Milton Merchants 1::'''Milton Merchants''' 5 - Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats 2::'''Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats''' 4 - Milton Merchants 1::'''Milton Merchants''' 5 - Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats 4 3OT::'''Milton Merchants''' 2 - Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats 1 OT::'''Milton Merchants''' 3 - Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats 1
[[1998 Royal Bank Cup]] Championship The 1998 Royal Bank Cup was hosted by the Nanaimo Clippers of Nanaimo, British Columbia. The Milton Merchants were defeated in the semi-final. '''''Round Robin''''':'''Nanaimo Clippers''' (BCHL) defeated Milton Merchants 6-2:'''South Surrey Eagles''' (BCHL) defeated Milton Merchants  3-0:'''Milton Merchants''' defeated Brockville Braves (CJHL) 5-2:'''Weyburn Red Wings''' (SJHL) defeated Milton Merchants 6-2'''''Semi-final''''':'''South Surrey Eagles''' (BCHL) defeated Milton Merchants 6-2
Scoring leaders ''Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes''   Player Team GP G A PtsDarren Haydar 	Milton Merchants     51 	71 	69 	140Noel Burkitt 	Trenton Sting        51 	52 	63 	115Martin Miljko 	Brampton Capitals    50 	59 	46 	105Ron Baker  	Milton Merchants     48 	37 	66 	103Darcy King 	Stouffville Spirit   49 	35 	68 	103David Deeves 	Collingwood Blues    51 	39 	63 	102Steve Guiney 	Aurora Tigers        47 	41 	60 	101
See also * 1998 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
References
External links *  Official website of the Ontario Junior Hockey League*  Official website of the Canadian Junior Hockey League