Avalon East Senior Hockey League

This article needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (December 2017)

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Avalon East Senior Hockey LeagueRegion(s)| Avalon Peninsula, Eastern Newfoundland

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Founded| 1967
No. of teams| 6
Associated Title(s)|

* Herder Memorial Trophy (NL Sr. Championship)
* Allan Cup (National Championship)

Recent Champions| St Johns Caps
Website| AESHL.com

The Avalon East Senior Hockey League (AESHL) is a senior ice hockey league with teams based in Newfoundland and Labrador. It is one of two senior hockey leagues in Newfoundland; the other being the West Coast Senior Hockey League.

## History

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The AESHL was founded in 1967 to provide a competitive platform for senior hockey teams in eastern Newfoundland. Over the years, the league has seen various teams compete, with some achieving notable success in provincial championships. In 2017, the league underwent a rebranding and became known as the East Coast Senior Hockey League (ECSHL). However, in 2021, the league reverted to its original name, the Avalon East Senior Hockey League, to honor its longstanding history and the many Hall of Fame players who have participated over its illustrious 54-season history. [1]

## Teams

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Team | City | Home Arena

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Conception Bay Blues | Conception Bay South, Newfoundland and Labrador | Conception Bay South Arena
HGOE CeeBee Stars | Harbour Grace, Newfoundland and Labrador | Danny Cleary Community Centre
Wexford Estates Outer Cove Marines | Torbay, Newfoundland and Labrador | Jack Byrne Arena
St. John's Capitals | St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador | Twin Rinks
Southern Shore Breakers | Witless Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador | Southern Shore Arena
Clarenville Caribous | Clarenville, Newfoundland and Labrador  | Eastlink Clarenville Events Centre

## Former teams

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* Mount Pearl Blades
* Flatrock Flyers

## Controversies

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Allegations of Player Compensation (2017): In September 2017, the Harbour Grace CeeBee Stars were expelled from the AESHL amid accusations from other teams that they were compensating players, which was against league regulations. The CeeBee Stars denied these allegations, with players like Sam Roberts and Matthew Thomey publicly refuting claims of receiving payment. [2]

League Dissolution and Reformation (2017): Following the expulsion of the CeeBee Stars, the remaining four teams—St. John's Capitals, Northeast Eagles, Southern Shore Breakers, and Bell Island Blues—left the AESHL to form a new league. This left the CeeBee Stars as the sole team in the AESHL, leading to significant uncertainty about the league's future [3]

Team Departures and Returns: The AESHL has faced challenges with team stability. For instance, the Outer Cove Marines re-entered the league in 2022 after a two-decade hiatus, highlighting the league's ongoing issues with team retention and participation. [4]

Justin Pender's Off-Ice Altercation (2024): On October 26, 2024, during a game between the Clarenville Ford Caribous and the HGOE CeeBee Stars, Caribous' defenceman Justin Pender was ejected for on-ice misconduct. After his ejection, Pender was taunted by fans near the locker room area. In response, he threw a broken stick towards the fans and engaged in a physical altercation, punching one of them multiple times. This incident led to Pender receiving a three-game suspension from the league and an indefinite ban from the Danny Cleary Community Centre in Harbour Grace. [5]

## Regular season champions

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Season | Team | Points | W-L-T-OTL record

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2015–16 | Northeast Eagles | 40 | 23–20–3–0
2014–15 | Southern Shore Breakers | 28 | 21–14–7–0
2013–14 | Northeast Eagles | 36 | 18-2-0-0
2012–13 |  |  |
2011–12 |  |  |
2010–11 |  |  |
2009–10 |  |  |
2008–09 |  |  |
2007–08 |  |  |
2006–07 |  |  |
2005–06 |  |  |
2004–05 |  |  |
2003–04 |  |  |
2002–03 |  |  |
2001–02 |  |  |
2000–01 |  |  |

## Playoff champions

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* 2006 - Conception Bay North CeeBee Stars
* 2007 - Conception Bay North CeeBee Stars
* 2008 - Conception Bay North CeeBee Stars
* 2009 - Conception Bay North CeeBee Stars
* 2010 - Conception Bay North CeeBee Stars
* 2011 - Conception Bay North CeeBee Stars
* 2012 - St. John's Capitals
* 2013 - St. John's Capitals
* 2014 - St. John's Capitals
* 2015 - Southern Shore Breakers
* 2016 - St. John's Toyota Plaza Caps
* 2017 - CeeBee Stars
* 2022 - Southern Shore
* 2023 - Southern Shore
* 2024 - St Johns Caps

## Herder champions

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* 2006 - Conception Bay North Cee Bee Stars
* 2007 - Conception Bay North Cee Bee Stars
* 2008 - Conception Bay North Cee Bee Stars
* 2017 - Conception Bay North Cee Bee Stars

## References

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1. ^ https://vocm.com/2021/10/29/senior-hockey-returns-to-eastern-newfoundland/
2. ^ https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/ceebee-stars-aeshl-sam-roberts-matthew-thomey-1.4277166
3. ^ https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/ceebees-harbour-grace-conception-bay-senior-hockey-1.4304947
4. ^ https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/outer-cove-marines-return-1.6604844
5. ^ https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/justin-pender-hockey-fight-video-nl-1.7372805

## External links

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* Avalon East Senior Hockey League (AESHL)