National Ringette League - History

History

Ringette is a Canadian sport that was first introduced in 1963 at North Bay, Ontario. Developed originally for girls, ringette is a fast-paced team sport on ice in which players use a straight stick to pass, carry, and shoot a rubber ring to score goals. For ten years, play centered in Ontario and Quebec, however the sport quickly spread across Canada and is now played by 50,000 girls across Canada.

The creation of the National Ringette League is following the success of the 2002 Ringuette world championships at Edmonton where Canada took gained the golden medal. The first NRL season began in November 2004 with 17 teams. There was no championship match after the first NRL season.

In 2005-06, the National Ringuette League, for its second season, competed with 19 teams (two new teams joined the league). These teams are now distributed in four conferences: the West Conference – five teams, Central Conference – five teams, Ontario Conference – five teams and Quebec Conference – four teams. The dominant teams are the Cambridge Turbos in the Ontario Conference, Montreal Mission in the Quebec Conference, in the Western Division the Edmonton WAM! and the champions of the Central Division, the APFG Sixers. Added at the end of the regular season are qualifying rounds: eight teams which qualify themselves in the general standing, participate in the NRL Playoffs which crown the team champion of the league. The championship match of the LNR takes place in the Centre Étienne Desmarteau in Montreal, the April 1, 2006 and Cambridge Turbos won the victory.

The audience in the matches for certain franchisings is limited: during the inter-season three teams closed for lack of adequate financial means to continue operations.

In its third season (2006–07), the NRL consisted of 16 teams distributed in three conferences: the West Conference – seven teams, Ontario Conference – five teams, all in Ontario, and Quebec Conference – four teams. The Championship finale match takes place in Halifax, on April 10, 2007 and the Edmonton WAM! won the league championship.

In 2007-08 season, the National Ringuette League competed in its fourth season, again consisting of 17 teams distributed in two conferences, the Western Conference including seven teams, and East Conference including ten teams. The Cambridge Turbos won the NRL Championship by beating 2-1 Montreal Mission (the winning goal marked in extra time period). · .

In 2008-09 season, the National Ringuette League played its fifth season. In that season the NRL contained 18 teams, grouped together in a Western Conference with six teams and an East Conference with twelve teams. The NRL Championship Game took place in Charlottetown, and the Cambridge Turbos won again the National Championship · . A while later was the first Ringuette World championship of the clubs in Sault-Sainte-Marie, Ontario. Four best NRL teams meet there to face two better clubs of Professional Ringette Elite League of Finland, the Ringeten SM-Sarja. The Cambridge Turbos won the world title having overcome in finale the Finnish champion team, LuKi-82 Luvia · .

In 2009-10 season, the National Ringuette League wasx for its sixth season comprised 18 teams grouped together in a Western Conference with six teams and an East Conference with twelve teams there. The competition remained very intense and marked the return of the ascendancy of different west teams: Edmonton Wam! became again the NRL Championship after an eclipse of two years at the hands of the Cambridge Turbos. Edmonton beats Cambridge 2-0 in National Finals.

From March 27 till April 2, 2011, the NRL Championship Tournament took place in Cambridge, Ontario. In the Final game, the Edmonton WAM! triumphed over the Cambridge Turbos

In 2011-12 season, the NRL entered its eighth season with 19 teams playing in two conferences. The NRL knows a new expansion, with the creation of two new teams: Atlantic Attack (of Moncton in New Brunswick) and Lower Mainland Ringette League ( LMRL Thunder of British Columbia).

The 2011-12 regular season began on October 15, 2011 and concluded on March 18, 2012. All in all, thirty matches are competed by each of the teams during the regular season. Each of the teams faces only teams of his conference. This structure allows to reduce the costs of transport given the size of the Canadian territory covered by the league. At the end of the regular season, there is a break of a week when the various individual distinctions are awarded, then a NRL Championship Tournament.