The ALEXANDRIA FANTASY HOCKEY LEAGUE was formed in 1997 with 10 teams in two divisions -- the Atlantic and the B&B -- named after the businesses belonging to two of the league's founding members.
The "Original 10" in the 1997-98 season were Toots' Screaming Eagles (Dan Brunet), the Glengarry Barflies (Jamie MacDonald), the Hope Street Bullies (Eric Lobb), the Arctic Blast (Wayne Lapierre), the St. George Fighting Saints (Jean Lefebvre), the Hot Doggers (Dominic 'Pato' Laferriere), the Bone Crushers (Jean Theoret), the Chiefs (Todd McDonell), the Lithuanian Lamp Lighters (Robbie Starkauskas) and, the first league playoff champions, Woodie's Bushwhackers (Denis Brunet).
The AFHL expanded in Year 2, adding the Smoke Eaters (Len Pidgeon) and the Ottawa Thunder (Chris Bulpit). The defending champion Bushwhackers changed their name to the Ice Stormers, but couldn't hang on to the championship trophy, which went to Dan Brunet's Screaming Eagles.
Prior to Year 3, a draft of junior and minor league prospects was added to give each club a farm system. There was more roster shuffling. The Lamp Lighters are now the Island Park Pirates while the Thunder and Hot Doggers have folded. Two new teams were added to replace the defunct clubs -- the Green Valley Heartbreakers (Jeff Lapierre) and the South Alberta Buffaloes (Mark Dormer). But at the end of the season, nothing had changed as the Brunet Brothers once again claimed the championship trophy. This time, it was Denis winning his second championship in three years but the first since his club was renamed the Ice Stormers.
In Year 4, the South Alberta Buffaloes relocated back to Ontario and were taken over by Eric Vaillant. The championship was claimed by Jeff Lapierre's Heartbreakers, snapping the three-year run by the Brunet Brothers.
More changes in Year 5 as Eric Vaillant dropped the name "Buffaloes" and became the Hawkesbury Hellfish. The scoring system was modified as goaltenders were credited with 0.2 points per save but lost a point for every goal allowed. Bonus points for one- and two-goal games by goaltenders was dropped to conform with the scoring capabilities our new permanent home, Commissioner.com. No change on the championship trophy however as the title was retained by the Heartbreakers of Green Valley.
Two original owners bowed out before Year 6 as Jean Theoret's Bone Crushers were taken over by Dan Dumont and became the Glen Robertson Nordiques. Dan Brunet, the league champ in 1998-99, turned over team operations to Daniel "Chuck" Martin. History was made as original league member Eric Lobb and his Hope Street Bullies finished in first place and won his first championship.
In Year 7, the Smoke Eaters passed from the hands of previous owner Leonard Pidgeon to Pat Dupuis and wouldn't you know it? The Smokies won their first ever championship, beating the Ice Stormers in the final and preventing Denis Brunet from becoming the AFHL's first three-time champion.
LEAGUE CHAMPIONS