National Ringette League

Semi-professional ringette league in Canada
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  • Edmonton WAM!
  • (2022-23)
Most titlesCambridge Turbos
(6 times)Official websitewww.nationalringetteleague.ca
A 2018 game between the Atlantic Attack and Richmond Hill Lightning.

The National Ringette League (NRL) (French: Ligue Nationale de Ringuette, LNR) is the premier league for the sport of ringette in North America and Canada's national league for elite ringette players aged 18 and up. The NRL is not a women's variant of a more well-known men's league or sport like professional women's ice hockey or bandy; one of ringette's distinctive features is that all of its players are girls and women. As such, the NRL is the continent's first and only winter team sports league whose entire athlete roster is made up of women.

The NRL is semi-professional and operates as a showcase league for ringette in North America. The league functions as a committee under Ringette Canada, a non-profit sports organization and Canada's national governing body for ringette. It's Finnish equivalent is the SM Ringette league in Finland.

League history

Ringette is a Canadian sport that was first introduced in 1963 in North Bay, Ontario.[1] For ten years, play was confined to Ontario and Quebec; however, the sport spread quickly and is now played by over 30,000 players and involves over 50,000 participants across Canada.[2] The success of the 2002 World Ringette Championships in Edmonton, Alberta, where Canada won the gold medal, sparked the desire to create the National Ringette League. Former Team Canada goaltender, Keely Brown, was a key figure in getting the NRL established.[3] The NRL was founded in 2002 and began play the following year, with November 2004 marking the start of its official inaugural season.[4] The first NRL season included seventeen teams in three cross-country divisions.[5]

The National Ringette League playoffs at the Canadian Ringette Championships (CRC) began in 2008 when they replaced the national championships for Under-19 years and Open divisions.[6] Playoffs are held annually at CRCs to determine an annual league champion. Historically, they consisted of knockout matches, round robins, and tournaments in various cities, but currently the tournament takes place in just one city. The winning National Ringette League team is awarded with the Jeanne Sauvé Memorial Cup, named after Canada’s first female Governor General.

A 2009 episode of Rick Mercer Report called "Ringette Night In Canada" featured the NRL's Cambridge Turbos.[7] In 2013, Télé Québec broadcast a short documentary film titled 'Tout le monde dehors - La Ringuette', which focused on the NRL's Gatineau Fusion, along with Yvon Brault, who devotes his life to this sport.[8]

Structure and competition

Teams compete in two conferences: the Western Conference, which consists of teams from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, and the Eastern Conference, which is further divided into Red and White sub-conferences and includes teams from Ontario, Quebec, and Atlantic Canada. Currently the league operates based on hub-style tournaments, and a team can expect to host 1-2 such tournaments a season, while traveling for an additional 4-5.[9] NRL games are divided into four 13-minute periods.[10]

Characteristic of North American sports, the NRL is a closed league with no relegation. There is an annual draft in between seasons, which is the main entry for new players in the league. The NRL runs four regional drafts; in 2011, there was one for the region of Ottawa and Gatineau,[11] another one for Manitoba,[12] another for Southern Ontario,[13] and another for the Montreal region.[14] Trading among teams is also common.[15]

Some players are selected from the league to help form Canada's national ringette teams, while the league also draws some international players, especially from Finland. In some cases, players have been traded between clubs in Canada's NRL to Ringette Finland's semi-professional ringette league, SM Ringette (formerly called Ringeten SM-sarja [fi]), and vice versa.

The NRL maintains a collaboration with the lower Ringette leagues in regards to the development of the young female players, therefore several teams of the NRL have affiliated development teams for Under 19 years old and Under 16 years old. The Canadian Ringette Championships for U16 and U19 takes place in the same place as the NRL playoff tournament elimination.[16][17] It is this tournament which allows the tracers and talent scouts for the NRL teams to identify emerging young athletes as potential future NRL players.

In 2008, the budget of each NRL team varied between $15,000 and $20000.[18] The teams and the league contribute to cover all the transport spending, accommodation, and rent of arenas. The players must find their own financiers to pay for their equipment and personal spending and the players are not paid for play.

Background

Over thirty different teams have competed in the NRL since it began in 2004. For the 2021-22 season, there were 12 teams playing in a hub format, down from 15 teams from the previous year, due to COVID-19. The Cambridge Turbos have won the most NRL titles. The Lower Mainland Thunder in British Columbia[19] and the Ottawa Ice in Ontario[19] are the only now-defunct NRL teams in league history to have won a Canadian Ringette Championship along with the Jeanne Sauvé Memorial Cup, and the league's national championship gold medal. The LMRL Thunder won in 2011–12, and the Ottawa Ice won the league title in 2013–14.[20] Both the LMRL Thunder and the Ottawa Ice won the NRL championship once in their team's history while their clubs were active.[21]

For the 2005–06 season, the league had 19 teams competing in four divisions.[22] The Eastern Conference in 2005-06 included the Ontario and Québec divisions. Ontario teams included the Cambridge Turbos, Gloucester Devils, Ottawa Ice, Richmond Hill Lightning and Waterloo Wildfire. The Ottawa Ice was an expansion team. The Québec division included the BLL Nordiques (who later became the Bourassa Royal) the Cyclones de Québec, the Montreal Mission, and Rive–Sud Revolution, all returning from the previous season. Teams in the Central Division included the APFG Sixers, BoniVital Angels, Eastman Flames, Hix with Stix, and Manitoba Moose. The Western Division included the returning league champion, the Edmonton WAM!, the Calgary RATH, BC Reign, the Saskatoon Wild, and the previous year's wild card team, the Edmonton Edge. With nineteen teams competing, it was this NRL season which recorded the highest number of teams competing in the NRL in a single season in league history. The 2005–06 NRL season also marked the inaugural season of the NRL Championship.

A Montreal Mission player taking a free pass

NRL National Championship format

The NRL Championship, which crowns the team champion of the league, is played annually by the eight best teams in the league at the Canadian Ringette Championships in the National Ringette League division.

History

In 2010–11, the introduction of a new NRL Championship Tournament replaced the Championship qualifying rounds. The tournament took place in just one city. The format was intended to allow the league to create a media event and to hold attention. The top ten teams in the regular season of the league participated in the tournament.

Starting in 2011–12, eight teams play a full round robin to determine the champion, also called the Elite Eight.

Awards and honours

Jeanne Sauvé Memorial Cup

The final competition for the National Ringette League is held annually at the Canadian Ringette Championships. The Jeanne Sauvé Memorial Cup[23] is the championship trophy awarded annually to the winning team in the National Ringette League. Initially coined the "Jeanne Sauvé Cup", and initiated in December 1984, it was first presented at the 1985 Canadian Ringette Championships in Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Québec.

NRL Annual Award nominees

At the end of March, during the week break before the National Ringette League Championships, the League names its annuals Award Nominees. Award winners are announced at the closing banquet of the Canadian Ringette Championships. The awards program recognizes the performance of NRL athletes during regular season play with trophies for:

Teams

Top left: Montreal Mission in 2012.
Top right: Bourassa Royal in 2012.
Bottom: Atlantic Attack in 2016.

As of the 2022–23 season, there are 13 teams in the NRL, all of them based in Canada. The number of teams in the NRL can vary from season to season, as new teams may be added or existing teams may withdraw. However, the league typically has around 15-20 teams competing in a given season.

Current teams

National Ringette League is located in Canada
class=notpageimage|
2022–23 NRL team locations (Western Conference teams in blue, Eastern Conference Red teams in red and pink, Eastern Conference White teams in yellow and white)
2022–23 NRL Teams (13 teams)
Team City/Area Founded Cups G S B
Western Conference
BC Thunder British Columbia 2011 1 1 0 0
Edmonton Black Gold Rush Edmonton, Alberta 2015 0 0 0 0
Calgary RATH Calgary, Alberta 2007 3 3 0 2
Edmonton WAM! Edmonton, Alberta 2004 4 4 3 2
Manitoba Herd Winnipeg, Manitoba 2021 0 0 0 0
Saskatchewan Heat Saskatoon, Saskatchewan 2021 0 0 0 0
Eastern Conference Red
Gatineau Fusion Gatineau, Quebec 2008 0 0 0 0
Cambridge Turbos[24][25] Cambridge, Ontario 2003 6 6 3 4
Waterloo Wildfire[24][26] Waterloo, Ontario 2004 0 0 0 1
Nepean Ravens[24] Nepean, Ontario 2021 0 0 0 0
Eastern Conference White
Atlantic Attack Cocagne, New Brunswick 2011 1 1 2 0
Montréal Mission Montréal, Quebec 2004 0 0 2 1
Rive-Sud Révolution[27] South Shore, Quebec 2004 0 0 0 0
Former NRL Teams
Ottawa Ice Ottawa, Ontario 2005[22] 1 1 0 2[28]
Gloucester Devils Gloucester, Ontario 2004 0 0 1 0
Winnipeg Prairie Fire Winnipeg, Manitoba 2006 0 0 1 1
LMRL Thunder British Columbia 2011 1 1 0 0

Western Conference

Edmonton Black Gold Rush

Edmonton Black Gold Rush
NicknameRushies
CityAlberta Edmonton, Alberta
LeagueNational Ringette League
ConferenceWestern
DivisionWestern
Founded2015; 9 years ago (2015)
Coloursgrey, gold, black, red
       
WebsiteNRLRush.ca
Franchise history
2015 to presentEdmonton Black Gold Rush (NRL)
Championships
Playoff championshipsCanadian Ringette Championships (NRL):
Current season

The Edmonton Black Gold Rush, (commonly called "The Rush" or "Rushies"), is a ringette team in the National Ringette League (NRL) based in Edmonton, Alberta. The team competes in the NRL Western Conference and was founded in 2015.

The following is the Rush roster for the 2022–23 season.

Edmonton Black Gold Rush 2022–23
No Player Position
Victtoria Barbieri
Danielle Bechard
Brooklyn Bilyk
Kaley Bilyk
Molly Chorney
Kat Eamon
Sydney George
Annie Hood
Justine Kearney
Nicole Pelletier
Reid Petersen
Jordyn Scoot
Reeve Spanakis
Jamie Tuininga
Jordyn Vandenbrand
Paytyn Wood

Eastern Conference Red

Waterloo Wildfire

Waterloo Wildfire
CityOntario Waterloo, Ontario
LeagueNational Ringette League
ConferenceEastern
DivisionRed
Founded ()
Coloursblack, white, yellow, red, />       
WebsiteNRLWaterlooRingette.com
Championships
Playoff championshipsCanadian Ringette Championships (NRL):
Current season

The Waterloo Wildfire[29] is a ringette team in the National Ringette League (NRL) based in Waterloo, Ontario. The team competes in the NRL Eastern Conference in the Red Division.

The following is the Wildfire's roster for the 2022–23 season.[30][24]

Waterloo Wildfire 2022–23
No Player Position
Elyssa Perron (AP/GUEST)
Emily Sharpe (AP/GUEST)
Katie Bray (AP/GUEST)
Brooklyn Norris (AP/GUEST)
Isabel Lorentz (AP/GUEST)
2 Maddie MacLean
4 Jackie Gaudet
5 Emma Heaney
6 Jordan McClement (Rookie)
7 Lydia Duncan
8 Meghan Hanton-Fong
9 Erin Markle
10 Erika Kiviaho
12 Sydney Granger
16 Tatum Allen
17 Laura Dayman
18 Megan Heaney (Rookie)
23 Kelsey Youldon
24 Brianna Jacobi (Rookie)
25 Emily Power
29 Camrynn Schnarr

Nepean Ravens

Nepean Ravens
CityNepean, Ontario
LeagueNRL
ConferenceEastern
DivisionRed Division
Founded2021; 3 years ago (2021)
ColoursBlue, white, black
     
Team colours
Team colours
Team colours
Team colours
Home colours
Team colours
Team colours
Team colours
Team colours
Away colours
Franchise history
2021 to presentNepean Ravens (NRL)
Current uniform
NationalRingetteLeague.ca
Current season

The Nepean Ravens is a ringette team in the National Ringette League (NRL) based in Nepean, Ontario (Ottawa). The team competes in the NRL Eastern Conference in the Red Division and was founded in 2021.

The following is the Ravens roster for the 2022–23 season.[24][31]

Nepean Ravens 2022–23
No Player Position
K Gagnier (AP/GUEST)
T forrest (AP/GUEST)
R Steckly (AP/GUEST)
J Wilson (AP/GUEST)
2 Amanda Law (Rookie) Defence
3 C Chestnut (AP/GUEST)
4 Olivia Edissi Defence
5 Laiya Evraire (Rookie) Forward
9 Josiane Labelle (Rookie) Forward
11 Allison Biewald Forward
12 Amanda Gour Defence
13 Samantha Jones Defence
14 Molly Lewis Forward
16 Brooke Wasylyshyn (Rookie) Forward
17 Emma Kelly Forward
19 Jalena Marelic Forward
21 Rebecca Bastien Defence
23 Abby Manson Forward
25 Alyssa Wong (Rookie) Defence
30 Rachael Pelisek Goalie
32 E Harvie (AP/GUEST) Goalie

Gatineau Fusion

Gatineau Fusion
CityQuebec Gatineau, Quebec
LeagueNational Ringette League
ConferenceEastern
DivisionRed
Founded2008; 16 years ago (2008)
Colourswhite, blue, black,
     
WebsiteNationalRingetteLeague.ca
Championships
Playoff championshipsCanadian Ringette Championships (NRL):
Current season

The Gatineau Fusion is a ringette team in the National Ringette League (NRL) based in Gatineau, Quebec. The team competes in the NRL Eastern Conference in the Red Division and was founded in 2008.[32]

The following is the Fusion's roster for the 2022–23 season.[33]

Gatineau Fusion 2022–23
No Player Position
5 Amy Whyte (Rookie) Defence
6 Amanda Moisan Forward
7 Émily Chénier Forward
9 Heidi Wippel Defence
10 Jasmine Menard Forward
13 Mariane-Alexandra Fraser Defence
15 Camdyn Wilson (Rookie) Forward
17 Jennifer Hartley Forward
18 Cassandra Duquette Defence
20 Danika Osborne (Rookie) Forward
21 Taylor Maisonneuve Defence
26 Sophie Chenier Forward
27 Sara Plouffe Forward
28 Julie Vandal Defence
32 Gabrielle Ednie Goalie
33 Stéphanie Caron Goalie
61 Alexann Legault Forward
66 Maxim Moisan (Rookie) Forward
71 Véronique Laurin Goalie
74 Alex Violette (AP/GUEST) Forward
91 Chantal St-Laurent Forward

Eastern Conference White

Rive-Sud Révolution

Rive-Sud Révolution
CityQuebec Montérégie, Québec
LeagueNational Ringette League
ConferenceEastern
DivisionWhite
Founded2004; 20 years ago (2004)
Coloursblack, orange-red, grey
     
AffiliateU19 South Shore Revolution
WebsiteNationalRingetteLeague.ca
Franchise history
2004 to presentRive–Sud Révolution (NRL)
Current season

The Rive-Sud Révolution [fr],[27][34] ("South Shore Revolution" in English), is a ringette team in the National Ringette League (NRL) based in Montérégie, the southwestern part of Québec. The Revolution competes in the NRL Eastern Conference in the White Division and was founded in 2004. The Revolution is one of the oldest teams in the NRL.

The team's home arena is in Québec and its headquarters are located in South Shore, Montreal. The South Shore is located within the Quebec administrative region of Montérégie. Its team affiliate is the U19 South Shore Revolution.

The Revolution began competing for their 16th year as a club during the NRL 2022-23 season. The following is the Révolution's roster for the 2022–23 season.[35]

Rive-Sud Révolution 2022–23
No Player Position
Évelyne Martel
Eléonore Sezia
4 Erin Gaudet Defence
5 A Carrier (AP/GUEST)
7 Camille Dumont Defence
8 Audrey Vachon Forward
9 Laurence Larocque Centre
10 Ariane Sagala Forward
11 Emilie Cunial Defence
12 Sarah Bernard-Lacaille Defence
19 Caroline Viola (Rookie) Forward
20 Lauriane Alain (Rookie) Defence
21 Chloé Marcoux (AP/GUEST)
22 Élodie Bourke (AP/GUEST)
25 Brittany Lanouette (Rookie) Forward
26 Laurianne Bourke Defence
28 M Marcoux (AP/GUEST)
29 Sabrina St-Pierre (AP/GUEST)
30 Evelyne Martel Goalie
31 Laurie St-Pierre Goalie
77 Eleonore Sezia (Rookie) Forward
88 Mélissa Demers (AP/GUEST)
91 Audrey-Anne Plante Forward
93 C Cartier (AP/GUEST) Forward
96 Alex Raymond-Couturier Centre
97 Laurence Lacombe (Rookie) Forward
99 Camille Lavoie Centre

Rive-Sud Révolution players have competed for the Canada national ringette team at the World Ringette Championships (WRC) and are listed in the table below.

Year Team Player
2007 Canada 2007 Team Canada Julie Primard
2010 Canada 2010 Team Canada Julie Primard
2013 Canada 2013 Team Canada Senior Julie Primard[36]

National Ringette League champions

National Ringette League (NRL) champions compete annually at the Canadian Ringette Championships at the end of the NRL season. The 2019–20 and 2020–21 seasons were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

List of NRL champions by season

List of Jeanne Sauvé Memorial Cup winners at the Canadian Ringette Championships:

  • 2013-14 : Ottawa Ice
  • 2012-13 : Calgary Rath
  • 2011-12 : LMRL Thunder
  • 2010-11 : Edmonton WAM!
  • 2009-10 : Edmonton WAM!
  • 2008-09 : Cambridge Turbos
  • 2007-08 : Cambridge Turbos
  • 2006-07 : Edmonton WAM!
  • 2005-06 : Cambridge Turbos
  • 2004-05 : No championship match

NRL final standings season by season

The table below provides a chronological list of Jeanne Sauvé Memorial Cup winners at the Canadian Ringette Championships and the NRL's teams who won the gold, silver, and bronze medals.[37][38]

National Ringette League Champions 2003–2023
Season Location Gold Silver Bronze
2003–04
(CRC Open) 		Calgary Alberta Ontario Wild Card Manitoba
2004–05
(CRC Open) 		Winnipeg Alberta Ontario Ontario Wild Card
2005–06
(CRC Open) 		Longueuil Cambridge Turbos
(Ontario) 		Alberta Quebec
2006–07
(CRC Open) 		Halifax Edmonton WAM!
(Alberta) 		Western Wild Card Ontario
National Ringette League division established
2007–08 St. Albert Cambridge Turbos Montreal Mission Calgary RATH
2008–09 Charlottetown Cambridge Turbos Edmonton WAM! Montreal Mission
2009–10 Saskatoon Edmonton WAM! Cambridge Turbos Winnipeg Prairie Fire
2010–11 Cambridge Edmonton WAM! Cambridge Turbos Calgary RATH
2011–12 Burnaby LMRL Thunder (Lower Mainland Ringette League) Montreal Mission Ottawa Ice
2012–13 Fredericton Calgary RATH Winnipeg Prairie Fire Cambridge Turbos
2013–14[20] Regina Ottawa Ice Cambridge Turbos Edmonton WAM!
2014–15 Wood Buffalo Cambridge Turbos Richmond Hill Lightning Edmonton WAM!
2015–16 London Cambridge Turbos Gloucester Devils Ottawa Ice
2016–17 Leduc Cambridge Turbos Atlantic Attack Waterloo Wildfire
2017–18 Winnipeg Atlantic Attack Edmonton WAM! Cambridge Turbos
2018–19[39] Charlottetown and Summerside Calgary RATH Atlantic Attack Cambridge Turbos
2019-20 Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2020-21 Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021–22 Calgary Calgary RATH Edmonton WAM! Cambridge Turbos
2022–23 Regina Edmonton WAM! Montreal Mission Calgary RATH


NRL complete final standings

2003–04

The 2003–04 NRL season marked the National Ringette League's inaugural year with 17 teams competing across Canada.[which?] The competition was referred to as the "Open Division" and took place in Waterloo, Ontario.[40]

2003–04 National Ringette League season
Number of teams Season champions
17[21] Alberta
Place Team
1st place, gold medalist(s) Alberta
2nd place, silver medalist(s) Ontario Wild Card
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Manitoba
4th Quebec Quebec
5th British Columbia British Columbia
6th Saskatchewan Saskatchewan (Saskatoon Wild)
7th Ontario Waterloo (host)

2004–05

There wasn't an NRL championship for the 2004–05 NRL season but a competition took place at the Canadian Ringette Championships in Calgary, Alberta for the Open division.[41]

2005–06

The 2005–06 season marked the NRL's second season with 19 teams competing and two new teams joined the league, one of which was the Ottawa Ice.[which?][22][21] These teams were 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 were the Cambridge Turbos in the Ontario Conference, Montreal Mission in the Quebec Conference, Edmonton WAM! in the West Conference, and the champions of the Central Division, the APFG Sixers (Assiniboine Park/Fort Garry, an AA provincial team from Manitoba).

The 2005–06 NRL season finals took place at the 2006 Canadian Ringette Championships in Longueuil, Quebec.[42] The championship match of the NRL/LNR took place in the Centre Étienne Desmarteau in Montreal, on April 1, 2006, and was won by the Cambridge Turbos.

During the off-season three teams folded citing low attendance revenue.[which?]

2005–06 National Ringette League season
Number of teams Season champions
19[21] Cambridge Turbos
Place Team
1st place, gold medalist(s) Ontario Cambridge Turbos (Ontario)
2nd place, silver medalist(s) Alberta Alberta
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Quebec Quebec
4th Ontario Ontario Wild Card
5th Manitoba Manitoba
6th West Wild Card
7th Host
8th Quebec Québec Wild Card
9th Saskatchewan Saskatchewan (Saskatoon Wild)
10th British Columbia British Columbia

2006–07

In 2006–07, the NRL entered its third season and consisted of 16 teams distributed in three conferences: the West Conference (seven teams), Ontario Conference (five teams), and Quebec Conference (four teams).[21] The 2006–07 NRL Championship finals were played as the "Open Division" at the 2007 Canadian Ringette Championships in Halifax, Nova Scotia.[43] The Championship final match took place in on April 10, 2007, and was won by the Edmonton WAM!.

2006–07 National Ringette League season
Number of teams Season champions
16[21] Edmonton WAM!
Place Team
1st place, gold medalist(s) Alberta Edmonton WAM!
2nd place, silver medalist(s) Western Wild Card
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Ontario Ontario
4th Quebec Quebec Wild Card
5th Manitoba Manitoba
6th Ontario Ontario Wild Card
7th British Columbia British Columbia
8th Quebec Quebec
9th Saskatchewan Saskatchewan (Saskatoon Wild)
10th Nova Scotia Nova Scotia

2007–08

In 2007–08, seventeen teams competed in two conferences. The Western Conference included seven teams and the Eastern Conference included ten teams.[21] The Cambridge Turbos won the NRL Championship by beating the Montreal Mission 2–1 in overtime.[44][45]

The 2007–08 NRL Championship finals were played at the 2008 Canadian Ringette Championships in St. Albert, Alberta.[46]

2007–08 National Ringette League season
Number of teams Season champions
17[21] Cambridge Turbos
Place Team
1st place, gold medalist(s) Ontario Cambridge Turbos
2nd place, silver medalist(s) Quebec Montreal Mission
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Alberta Calgary RATH
4th Alberta Edmonton WAM!
5th Alberta Edmonton Edge
6th Manitoba Manitoba Jets
7th Ontario Richmond Hill Lightning
8th Ontario Gloucester Devils
9th British Columbia BC Reign
10th Atlantic Sixers

2008–09

In 2008–09, the NRL consisted of eighteen teams grouped in a Western Conference with six teams and an Eastern Conference with twelve teams.[47][21] The 2008–09 NRL season final took place at the 2009 Canadian Ringette Championships in Charlottetown, PEI, with the Cambridge Turbos finishing in first place.[48][49][50][51]

Also in 2008, the first Ringette World Club Championship was held in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. Four NRL teams faced two teams from the Finland's elite ringette league, Ringeten SM-sarja [fi], now known as "SM–Ringette".[52] The Cambridge Turbos won the world title having overcome in the Finnish champion team, Luvian Kiekko -82 [fi], in the final.[53][54]

2008–09 National Ringette League season
Number of teams Season champions
18[21] Cambridge Turbos
Place Team
1st place, gold medalist(s) Ontario Cambridge Turbos
2nd place, silver medalist(s) Alberta Edmonton WAM!
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Quebec Montreal Mission
4th Alberta Calgary RATH
5th Ontario Ottawa Ice
6th Manitoba Prairie Fire
7th Quebec Rive-Sud Révolution
8th Ontario Waterloo Wildfire
9th Quebec Cyclones de Quebec
10th New Brunswick Atlantic Attack

2009–10

In the 2009–10 season, the National Ringette League for its sixth season with eighteen teams competing.[21] The league consisted of a Western Conference with six teams and an Eastern Conference with twelve teams. The NRL playoffs took place in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, during the Canadian Ringette Championships.[55] The Edmonton WAM! became the NRL champions again after being eclipsed for two years by the Cambridge Turbos. Edmonton beat Cambridge 2–0 in the NRL league division final.[56][57]

2009–10 National Ringette League season
Number of teams Season champions
18[21] Edmonton WAM!
Place Team
1st place, gold medalist(s) Alberta Edmonton WAM!
2nd place, silver medalist(s) Ontario Cambridge Turbos
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Manitoba Prairie Fire
4th Alberta Calgary RATH
5th Ontario Ottawa Ice
6th Saskatchewan Saskatoon Wild
7th Ontario Waterloo Wildfire
8th Quebec Montreal Mission
9th Ontario Gloucester Devils
10th Atlantic Sixers

2010–11

The 2010–11 NRL Championship finals were played at the 2011 Canadian Ringette Championships in Cambridge, Ontario between March 27, 2011, and April 2, 2011.[58] In the final game of the NRL's league division, the Edmonton WAM! triumphed over the Cambridge Turbos.[59]

2009–10 National Ringette League season
Number of teams Season champions
Edmonton WAM!
Place Team
1st place, gold medalist(s) Alberta Edmonton WAM!
2nd place, silver medalist(s) Ontario Cambridge Turbos
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Alberta Calgary RATH
4th Manitoba Prairie Fire
5th Ontario Richmond Hill Lightning
6th Ontario Ottawa Ice
7th Quebec Montreal Mission
8th Quebec Cyclones de Quebec
9th New Brunswick Atlantic Attack
10th Ontario Gloucester Devils

2011–12

In the 2011–12 season, the NRL entered its eighth season with nineteen teams playing in two conferences. The 2011–12 NRL Championship finals were played at the 2012 Canadian Ringette Championships in Burnaby, British Columbia.[60]

The NRL experienced a new expansion during the 2011–12 season, with the creation of two new teams,[61] the Atlantic Attack (of Moncton in New Brunswick)[62] and Lower Mainland 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 were contested by each of the teams during the regular season. Each of the teams only faced teams within their own conference. This structure allowed teams 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 National Ringette League Championship Tournament. This is the year the Elite Eight began.

2011–12 National Ringette League season
Number of teams Season champions
19 LMRL Thunder
(Lower Mainland Ringette League)
Place Team
1st place, gold medalist(s) British Columbia LMRL Thunder
(Lower Mainland Ringette League)
2nd place, silver medalist(s) Quebec Montreal Mission
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Ontario Ottawa Ice
4th Ontario Cambridge Turbos
5th Alberta Calgary RATH
6th Ontario Richmond Hill Lightning
7th Manitoba Prairie Fire
8th Manitoba Manitoba Jets

2012–13

The 2012–13 NRL Championship finals were played at the 2013 Canadian Ringette Championships in Fredericton, New Brunswick.[63]

2012–13 National Ringette League season
Number of teams Season champions
? Calgary RATH
Place Team
1st place, gold medalist(s) Alberta Calgary RATH
2nd place, silver medalist(s) Manitoba Manitoba Prairie Fire
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Ontario Cambridge Turbos
4th British Columbia BC Thunder
5th Ontario Gloucester Devils
6th Quebec Montreal Mission
7th Ontario Richmond Hill Lightning
8th New Brunswick Atlantic Attack

2013–14

The 2013–14 NRL Championship finals were played at the 2014 Canadian Ringette Championships in Regina, Saskatchewan.[64]

2013–14 National Ringette League season
Number of teams Season champions
13 Ottawa Ice
Team
1st place, gold medalist(s) Ontario Ottawa Ice
2nd place, silver medalist(s) Ontario Cambridge Turbos
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Alberta Edmonton WAM!
4th Ontario Richmond Hill Lightning
5th Alberta Calgary RATH
6th Quebec Montreal Mission
7th Ontario Gloucester Devils
8th Ontario Waterloo Wildfire

2014–15

The 2014–15 NRL Championship finals were played at the 2015 Canadian Ringette Championships in Wood Buffalo, Alberta.[65] The season's winners were the Cambridge Turbos, runners-up were the Richmond Hill Lightning, and the Edmonton WAM! finished in third.

2014–15 National Ringette League season
Number of teams Season champions
14 Cambridge Turbos
Place Team
1st place, gold medalist(s) Ontario Cambridge Turbos
2nd place, silver medalist(s) Ontario Richmond Hill Lightning
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Alberta Edmonton WAM!
4th Alberta Calgary RATH
5th Quebec Montreal Mission
6th Ontario Ottawa Ice
7th Ontario Waterloo Wildfire
8th Ontario Gloucester Devils

2015–16

The 2015–16 NRL Championship finals were played at the 2016 Canadian Ringette Championships in London, Ontario.[66] The 2015–16 season's winners were the Cambridge Turbos, runners-up were the Gloucester Devils, and the Ottawa Ice finished in third.

2015–16 National Ringette League season
Number of teams Season champions
15 Cambridge Turbos
Place Team
1st place, gold medalist(s) Ontario Cambridge Turbos
2nd place, silver medalist(s) Ontario Gloucester Devils
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Ontario Ottawa Ice
4th Alberta Edmonton WAM!
5th Quebec Montreal Mission
6th Alberta Calgary RATH
7th New Brunswick Atlantic Attack
8th Alberta Edmonton Black Gold Rush

2016–17

The 2016–17 NRL Championship finals[67] were played at the 2017 Canadian Ringette Championships in Leduc, Alberta.[68]

2016–17 National Ringette League season
Number of teams Season champions
16 Cambridge Turbos
Place Team
1st place, gold medalist(s) Ontario Cambridge Turbos
2nd place, silver medalist(s) New Brunswick Atlantic Attack
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Ontario Waterloo Wildfire
4th Ontario Richmond Hill Lightning
5th Alberta Edmonton WAM!
6th Alberta Calgary RATH
7th Ontario Ottawa Ice
8th Alberta Edmonton Black Gold Rush

2017–18

The 2017–18 NRL season began on September 30, 2017, and ended on April 14, 2018. The 2018 Canadian Ringette Championships took place in Winnipeg, Manitoba, from April 9 to April 14, 2018.[69]

2017–18 National Ringette League season
Number of teams Season champions
15 Atlantic Attack
Place Team
1st place, gold medalist(s) New Brunswick Atlantic Attack
2nd place, silver medalist(s) Alberta Edmonton WAM!
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Ontario Cambridge Turbos
4th Alberta Calgary RATH
5th Ontario Richmond Hill Lightning
6th Quebec Montreal Mission
7th Quebec Gatineau Fusion
8th Manitoba Manitoba Intact

2018–19

The 2018–19 season's winners were the Calgary RATH, runners-up were the Atlantic Attack, and the Cambridge Turbos finished in third.[70]

2018–19 National Ringette League season
Number of teams Season champions
Calgary RATH
Place Team
1st place, gold medalist(s) Alberta Calgary RATH
2nd place, silver medalist(s) New Brunswick Atlantic Attack
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Ontario Cambridge Turbos
4th Ontario Waterloo Wildfire
5th Alberta Edmonton WAM!
6th Quebec Montreal Mission
7th Manitoba Manitoba Intact
8th Ontario Ottawa Ice

2019–21

The 2019–20 and 2020-21 National Ringette League seasons were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2021–22

The 2021–22 season saw the league begin playing in a hub-format due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While the league previously played 15 teams, it was reduced to 12 for the season. 5 teams had withdrawn, including: BC Thunder, Bourassa Royal, Richmond Hill Lightning, Lac-Saint-Louis Adrenaline, and the Ottawa Ice. However, two new teams joined: the Nepean Ravens and the Saskatchewan Heat. The Manitoba Intact were renamed the Manitoba Herd.

The season's winners were the Calgary RATH, runners-up were the Edmonton WAM!, and the Cambridge Turbos finished in third.[71]

2021–22 National Ringette League season
Number of teams Season champions
12 Calgary RATH
Place Team
1st place, gold medalist(s) Alberta Calgary RATH
2nd place, silver medalist(s) Alberta Edmonton WAM!
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Ontario Cambridge Turbos
4th New Brunswick Atlantic Attack
5th Quebec Rive Sud Révloution
6th Manitoba Manitoba Herd
7th Ontario Waterloo Wildfire
8th Quebec Gatineau Fusion
9th Quebec Montreal Mission
10th Alberta Edmonton Black Gold Rush
11th Ontario Nepean Ravens
12th Saskatchewan Saskatchewan Heat

2022–23

The 2023 Canadian Ringette Championships will be hosted in Regina, Saskatchewan from April 9-15th, 2023.

2022–23 National Ringette League season
Number of teams Season champions
13 Edmonton WAM!
Place Team
1st place, gold medalist(s) Alberta Edmonton WAM!
2nd place, silver medalist(s) Quebec Montreal Mission
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Alberta Calgary RATH
4th Ontario Waterloo Wildfire

Broadcasting

The National Ringette League championship final has usually been broadcast on Rogers TV.

Team history