The West Nipissing Lynx are a junior ice hockey team based in West Nipissing, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL).
History The Sturgeon Falls Lumberjacks were announced in summer 2010. The Lumberjacks replaced the folded Nipissing Alouettes, who left the GMHL in 2009.
On September 10, 2010, the Lumberjacks played their first game against the Elliot Lake Bobcats in Elliot Lake. The Bobcats won the game 7–2. On September 12, 2010, the Lumberjacks played on the road against the Powassan Dragons and earned their franchise's first victory with a 5–2 win.
In their second season, the Lumberjacks finished second place in the GMHL with a record of 35 wins and 7 losses. In the league quarterfinals, the Lumberjacks faced the 2010 league champion Deseronto Storm and survived a five-game series 3-games-to-2. In the semifinals, Sturgeon Falls defeated the league's only two-time champion, the Bradford Rattlers, in a four-game sweep. In the finals, the Lumberjacks drew the first-seeded Temiscaming Titans. Despite being an expansion team, the Titans were created with the remnants of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League's Temiscaming Royals, and were a seasoned and tough team. The Titans finished the season ahead of the Lumberjacks with a record of 38 wins and 4 losses and were undefeated through two rounds of playoffs (7–0). The Lumberjacks quickly went up two games on the Titans, but were defeated in game three. The Lumberjacks took game four but the Titans took game five. Game six was in Sturgeon Falls and the Lumberjacks earned a 6–1 victory and their first Russell Cup as GMHL Champions.
On September 29, 2012, the Lumberjacks became the first GMHL club to ice a female hockey player. Goaltender Alyssa Moyer made her GMHL debut in a 7–5 loss to the Shelburne Red Wings, making 21 saves.Local female goalie first to play in GMHL. Midland Free Press. October 11, 2012. Section B Page 1.
In January 2016, the team announced that it could not finish the 2015–16 season due to lack of uninjured players but planned to return for the 2016–17 season.
In June 2016, Lumberjacks' owner Lui Ricci sold the team to two local owners looking to re-energize the team. The team was then re-branded as the West Nipissing Lynx.
In May 2022, the team hired former NHL player Moe Mantha Jr. as their new head coach starting with the 2022–23 season.
Season-by-season records Season GP W L T OTL GF GA Pts Regular season finish Playoffs Sturgeon Falls Lumberjacks 2010–11 42 10 28 — 4 146 273 24 12th GMHL Lost Qualifier, 1–2 (Dragons) 2011–12 42 35 7 — 0 312 170 70 2nd GMHL Won Quarter-finals, 3–2 (StormWon Semi-finals, 4–0 (Rattlers)Won Finals, 4–2 Titans 2012–13 42 15 27 0 0 195 234 30 12th of 15, GMHL Lost Div. Quarter-finals, 0–3 (Shield) 2013–14 42 6 34 — 2 130 321 14 17th of 20, GMHL Lost Qualifier Game, 8–9 (Bucks) 2014–15 42 11 31 — 0 130 292 22 5th of 10, North Div.17th of 22, GMHL Won Div. Qualifier Game, 5–4 OT (Spartans)Lost Div. Semi-finals, 0–3 (Titans) 2015–16 37 11 25 0 1 196 244 23 7th North Div. (Ceased play mid-season) West Nipissing Lynx 2016–17 42 13 28 — 1 184 268 27 9th of 10, North Div.17th of 21, GMHL Won 1st Rd. Qualifier Game, 6–5 (Huskies)Lost 8th Place Qualifier Game, 0–8 (Knights) 2017–18 42 15 24 0 3 198 228 33 7th of 9, North Div.14th of 21, GMHL Lost Div. Quarter-finals, 0–2 (Rattlers) 2018–19 42 20 19 0 3 189 203 43 6th of 10, North Div.13th of 22, GMHL Won Div. Quarter-finals, 2–1 (Titans)Lost Div. Semi-finals, 0–3 (Rattlers) 2019–20 42 16 25 0 1 177 231 33 8th of 10, North Div.17th of 23, GMHL Won 8th Place Qualifier Game, 7–3 (Shield)Lost Div. Quarter-finals, 0–2 (Titans) 2020–21 Lost season to COVID-19 pandemic 2021–22 38 11 24 0 3 115 191 25 7th of 10, North Div.13th of 19, GMHL Lost Div. Quarter-finals, 0–2 (Rattlers) 2022–23 42 16 26 0 0 136 197 32 5th of 9, North Div.11th of 16, GMHL Lost Div. Quarter-finals, 0–2 (Titans) 2023–24 42 26 12 0 4 237 151 56 3rd of 7, North Div.4th of 16, GMHL Won Div. Quarter-finals, 2-0 (Le Becard De Senneterre)Won Div. Semifinals, 3-1 (Ville-Marie Pirates)Lost Div Finals, 0-4 (Rattlers) 2024–25 42 25 14 0 2 199 171 53 3rd of 6, North Div.6th of 15, GMHL Lost Div. Quarter-finals, 0-2 (Knights) 2025–26 42 22 16 0 4 200 163 48 3rd of 6, North Div.5th of 14, GMHL Won Div. Quarter-finals, 2-0 (Knights)Won Div Semifinals 3-2 (Rattlers)Lost Div Finals 2-4 (Dragons)
References
External links Lynx Webpage GMHL Webpage