Kings Chasing The Crown

When the Dresden Kings sat atop the PJHL’s Stobbs Division standings this weekend, however temporary, it was the first time in a while a team other than Essex or Lakeshore had held the spot, and perhaps even more so, this late in the season.

A North team hasn’t won the PJHL Stobbs Division regular season crown, or former Great Lakes Junior C league title since 2010-2011, when believe it or not, the Wallaceburg Lakers finished first during the regular season.

The last team to win a Stobbs/ Great Lakes championship from Chatham-Kent or Lambton however, were the Dresden Kings in 2004.

Those same Kings are one of the hottest teams in the PJHL Stobbs Division with less than a month remaining in the regular season.

Despite a dismal road record, the Kings are 21-9-1-3 to open the season, and have been led by veterans Kevin Ritzer, Brendan Ritchie and Geoffry Vandenboorn, along with the addition of four Junior B players in Brendan Johnston, Nolan Vandenboorn, Brady Hogg, and Jeff Williams, as well as the veteran additions of Lucas Spence and Brantley Kuipers.

Considering the Kings started the first weeks of the season without many of these key additions, it’s conceivable to think Dresden would already be firmly in first had the season restarted with their current roster.

With only 3 weeks remaining in the regular season, could the Kings break the more than decade long reign of the Essex 73s and Lakeshore Canadiens? Time will tell.