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42-773: The Nationals were founded in September 2016, when the Cornwall River Kings of the Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey (LNAH) folded just prior to the 2016–17 season. The team was led by general manager Mitch Gagne and team president Rodney Rivette. Prior to creating the Nationals, Rivette led a last-minute fundraising campaign to save the River Kings but did not get enough support in time for the LNAH's deadlines. On September 14, 2016,

84-459: A defence man and a forward, and is allowed, in virtue of this fact, more latitude with respect to leaving his position, than any man on the team, except the rover. In his capacity of a defence player, he should linger around his goals as long as the puck is near... When the play is at the other end of the rink, the cover-point should advance to about the middle, so that when the puck is lifted down, he may return it without loss of time, in order to keep

126-548: A defenceman will often be described as the power play "quarterback", in particular if an umbrella power play formation is used (where a single defenceman is occupying the point, in the middle of the ice). This is also referred to as "playing the point " (this term derives not from the basketball position, but from an older name for the defence position in hockey itself). During faceoffs in the defensive zone, most teams have their defence players pair up with opposing wingers to tie them up while leaving his team's forwards open to move

168-576: A finished season the NHL, the premier ice hockey league in the world, presents the James Norris Memorial Trophy to the best defenceman in the league. Bobby Orr of the Boston Bruins – an eight-time Norris Trophy recipient – is often considered to be the greatest defenceman in NHL and ice hockey history. In addition to his Norris Trophy honours, he is the only defenceman in NHL history to capture

210-499: A goaltender; when a team is on the power play (i.e. the opponent has been assessed a penalty), teams will often play only one defencemen, joined by four forwards and a goaltender. In National Hockey League regular season play in overtime, effective with the 2015-16 season , teams (usually) have only three position players and a goaltender on the ice, and may use either two forwards and one defenceman, or—rarely—two defencemen and one forward. Organized play of ice hockey originates from

252-411: A poor start and a decimated blueline due to injury. The River Kings finished eighth in the LNAH with an 11-25-4 record. A massive overhaul was done at the trade deadline and Cornwall finished the regular season strong. The River Kings went 7-1-1 in a nine-game stretch before the playoffs. Francois Ouimet and Sy Nutkevitch led the River Kings in scoring with 32 points. Newly acquired forward Keven Veilleux

294-408: A shot on net is made, an unguarded forward can often redirect it too quickly for the goalie to adjust or else score on a rebound. Another important duty is clearing rebounds away from the goal, and preferably to the defenceman's teammates, before opposing forwards can get to them. Often, defence players end up covering the opposing team's wingers while in the defensive zone, while their centre will cover

336-415: A sponsor. The team could not offer revenue from beer or concession stands or discounts on ice time. However, on August 23, the final efforts of a group of fans, led by local Rodney Rivette, had claimed to have raised over $ 60,000 in pledged commitments since the announcement about folding in the hopes to convince the league to keep the team. The LNAH Board of Governors were to meet on August 22 to determine

378-490: Is an offensive defenceman , who gets aggressively involved in the team's offence. To accomplish this, the offensive defence player often “pinches in” to keep the play from going offside and moves towards the halfboards and high-slot area for scoring opportunities. This makes it difficult for the opposing team to protect their net from being scored upon if the team can maintain control of the puck . However, this can lead to more odd man rushes and breakaway opportunities for

420-462: Is still referred to as "playing the point", though this term now refers mostly to the role of defencemen on the power-play. Defencemen must possess excellent skating abilities, specifically in speed, constant foot movement and quick transitioning from forward to backward and vice versa. With regard to skating backwards, defencemen must acquire a higher skill level than offensive players. This allows them to face their offensive opponents as they rush down

462-717: The Art Ross Trophy as the league's leading scorer. In 1998, Orr was selected as the best defenceman of all-time (second overall player behind Wayne Gretzky ) in The Hockey News ' Top 100 NHL Players of all-time . Conversely, according to the IIHF Centennial All-Star Team (also chosen by The Hockey News ), the greatest defencemen to play in IIHF -sanctioned international competition are Vyacheslav Fetisov and Börje Salming . Defence players are often described by

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504-666: The Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey (LNAH). They played their home games at Ed Lumley Arena at the Cornwall Civic Complex . The team was also formerly known as the Windsor Wild of Windsor, Quebec before moving to Cornwall in 2012. The team was purchased in 2012 by Bernard Villeneuve and brought to Cornwall to play in the Cornwall Civic Complex. Led by veterans Yves Sarault and Eric Meloche , Cornwall went 20-17-3 in its first LNAH season, finishing third overall in

546-415: The defensive zone , the defence player is responsible for keeping the opposing forwards' opportunities to a minimum when they are on a rush, forcing them to the corners and blocking both passing and shooting lanes. The primary responsibility is to cover areas of the defensive zone that would otherwise pose a clear goalscoring threat from the opposing offence. When the opposing offence is putting pressure on

588-543: The 2023/24 season and they will be affiliated with the Belleville Senators . Defenceman (ice hockey) Defence or defense (in American English ) in ice hockey is a player position that is primarily responsible for preventing the opposing team from scoring . They are often referred to as defencemen , D , D-men or blueliners (the latter a reference to the blue line in ice hockey which represents

630-611: The Marquis on home ice in front of more than 3,000 fans. In spring 2014, the team was sold to Cornwall real estate agent Brock Frost. The team was sold again, pending league approval, to Darren Madden in November 2014. On December 4, 2014, Darren Madden withdrew his application to purchase the team. On December 9, 2014, the LNAH took control of the team with hopes of finding a suitable owner. On December 10, 2014, Steve Moreau and family, founders of E-Steam Canada, The Hot Sauce Kiosk and VenLyn Group

672-466: The River Kings compiled 16-20-4 record to finish seventh in the regular season. Nicolas Corbeil led Cornwall in goals (25) and points (44). Chris Cloutier became a fan-favourite at the Civic Complex, earning 277 penalty minutes in 38 games with the River Kings. Cornwall would fall to eventual LNAH champion Jonquiere in a tough first round series (4-2). The River Kings dropped a 3-2 decision at the hands of

714-811: The amount that they participate in offence. The extreme of non-participation in offence is a "stay-at-home" defender, who plays a conservative, risk averse game and does not score much, instead focusing on defensive assignments towards the opposing team. A good example is Rod Langway , who won the 1983 Norris Trophy after having scored only three goals that season, as the award winners before and after him were primarily offensive defencemen such as Bobby Orr , Denis Potvin , and Paul Coffey . Other examples of stay-at-home defencemen include Leo Boivin , Chris Chelios , Tim Horton , Harry Howell , Tom Johnson , Jacques Laperrière , Kevin Lowe , Brad McCrimmon , Bill Quackenbush , and Scott Stevens . The other extreme of participation

756-470: The blue line because his slapshot was simply too fast to block effectively. When a team is on a power play , a defence player can set up plays in the offensive zone, and distribute the puck to the teammate that he or she feels is in the best position to score, similar to a point guard in basketball , a playmaker in soccer , and a quarterback in American football and Canadian football . For this reason,

798-455: The blue line that demarcates where the offensive zone begins. Should the puck cross this line, the offence cannot touch the puck in their opponent's zone without stopping play (see offside ). Defencemen must be quick to pass the puck around, helping their forwards to open up shooting lanes, or taking open shots themselves when they become available. The defence must also be able to skate quickly to cut off any breakaways, moving themselves back into

840-447: The boundary of the offensive zone; defencemen generally position themselves along the line to keep the puck in the zone). They were once called cover-point. In regular play, two defencemen complement three forwards and a goaltender on the ice. Exceptions include overtime during the regular season and when a team is short-handed (i.e. has been assessed a penalty), in which two defencemen are typically joined by only two forwards and

882-710: The city of Cornwall, Ontario , approved a team called the Cornwall Nationals to begin play for the 2016–17 season out of the Ed Lumley Arena . On September 16, the Federal Hockey League (FHL) approved of the addition to the league for the upcoming season. On September 17, Rivette and Gagne presented the first four players ( Lou Dickenson , Jeff Legue , Jason Lepine , and Kris McCarthy) and revealed logo and jerseys. Midway through their first season, team president Rodney Rivette bought out Mitch Gagne's share of

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924-451: The defence's team, the defence skater usually plays closer to the net, attempting again to block shooting lanes but also ensure that the goalie is not screened (prevented from being able to see the puck at all times). It is especially critical for the defenceman to keep opposing forwards from being able to move effectively in front of the net, which is why defencemen are frequently tasked with playing physical hockey in front of their own net. If

966-408: The defensive zone ahead of the onrushing opponent. Essentially in all three zones of the rink, the defence is the backstop for the puck. It should never go behind the defence, unless the player intentionally lets it for strategic reasons. The defence keeps the momentum of play squarely directed towards the opposing goal, or at least away from his own. Because defencemen are often expected to shoot on

1008-424: The fate of the team in order to try to keep eight teams for the 2016–17 season, however, the decision was then postponed to August 24. The league then decided to give an August 29 deadline on whether to find a way to compete with eight teams or rearrange the schedules of the remaining seven teams. On August 29, the LNAH announced that the fundraising by the River Kings' fans fell short of the necessary requirements and

1050-466: The first indoor game in Montreal in 1875. In subsequent years, the players per side were reduced to seven per side. Positions were standardized, and two correspond to the two defencemen of current six-man rules. These were designated as cover point and point , although they lined up behind the center and the rover, unlike today. Decades later, defencemen were standardized into playing left and right sides of

1092-411: The game centered around his opponents' goals, and to save his forwards the trouble of skating up to him so that they may again 'get in to play.' It is by playing far up under these circumstances that a clever cover-point can chine to the advantage of his team. If he has a good opening he should shoot well for the goals, but if he has not, he should, as I have said, return the puck instantaneously." After

1134-421: The ice toward the defensive zone. A defenceman must be as comfortable going backwards and sideways as forwards. Defencemen must also gain confidence in quickly carrying the puck to open up the attack during a defensive zone break-out. This requires the ability to burst out of the defensive zone with speed, yet at the same time having the ability to use their vision to execute quick passes to open forwards, or gaining

1176-476: The ice. According to one of the earliest known books on ice hockey, Farrell's Hockey: Canada's Royal Winter Game (1899), Mike Grant of the Montreal Victorias , describes the point as "essentially defensive. He should not stray too far from his place, because oftentimes he is practically a second goal-minder ... although he should remain close to his goal-keeper, he should never obstruct that man's view of

1218-461: The league decided to play the season with seven teams. The River Kings players would be made available via a dispersal draft on August 31. The team would be quickly replaced by a team in the Federal Hockey League called the Cornwall Nationals in September. The Nationals were created by Rodney Rivette and Mitch Gagne after failing to save the River Kings. But they will be making a return in

1260-414: The offensive momentum without leaving the defenceman out of position should his team lose control of the puck. In certain situations the best option could be to skate the puck into the zone to maintain offensive speed as well as preventing an offside. In the offensive zone , the defence skaters usually "play the blue line". It is their duty to keep the puck in the offensive zone by stopping it from crossing

1302-402: The opposing net from long range, these players often develop the hardest and most accurate slapshots . This is because taking a more stationary position on the blue line rewards pure accuracy and patience, rather than the adept hand–eye coordination attributed to forwards. Al MacInnis , who was seven times decorated with "Hardest Shot" in NHL skills competitions, was able to score frequently from

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1344-432: The opposing team if the defender does not succeed. Bobby Orr's end-to-end rushing allowed him to defend effectively as well as attack, helping his teams win two Stanley Cup Championships. By contrast, Paul Coffey enjoyed high offensive production but his defensive play was considered mediocre for most of his career; he helped his teams win four Stanley Cup Championships, often paired with a "stay-at-home" defender. When in

1386-496: The opposing team's centre. In the neutral zone , the defence hangs back towards his or her own blue line, usually playing the puck up to other teammates. According to Jay Leach, who writes for NHL.com's "learn to play hockey" section, the defence must "Move the puck hard and quick to the open man. Join the rush, [but] do not lead it." Because of this responsibility, defencemen must read the other team's defensive strategy effectively in order to make an effective first pass that furthers

1428-401: The puck, though this is at the discretion of the individual coach. In the offensive zone, the defence player acts in his or her usual role, keeping control of the puck as the forwards fight for position. In the first organized ice hockey, (see Amateur Hockey Association of Canada ), defencemen used to line up in an "I" formation behind the rover (defunct) as point and cover point . Defence

1470-537: The puck. He should, as a rule, avoid rushing up the ice, but if he has a good opening for such a play he should give the puck to one of the forwards on the first opportunity and then hasten back to his position, which has been occupied, in the interim, by the cover-point." Also in Farrell's 1899 book, Hugh Baird, then captain and cover-point of the Montreal Hockey Club , describes the cover-point as "a combination of

1512-501: The regular season. The River Kings were captained by Steve Simons and crowd favourites included Francis Lessard and Tyler Howe. In the first round of the playoffs, the River Kings eliminated St-Georges 3–1. Cornwall was ousted in five games at the hands of Sorel in the LNAH semi-finals. In the summer of 2013, the team was purchased by the David Small led group, just before the team would have folded. The LNAH grew to eight teams in 2013 and

1554-521: The season and were unable to continue citing lack of spectators and income, despite the team sitting in second place in the league standings. Their last game was played on February 17 in a 13–6 win against the North Shore Knights in front of a crowd of 358. Cornwall River Kings The Cornwall River Kings were a professional ice hockey team based in Cornwall, Ontario , Canada and members of

1596-455: The season, became popular with local hockey fans, earning 102 penalty minutes in 13 games with Cornwall. The River Kings took on Sorel in the first round of the LNAH playoffs. Despite finishing 37 points behind the Eperviers, Cornwall took the regular season champions to the limit, eventually falling 4–3. As stability finally arrived at the ownership level, the River Kings could never recover from

1638-475: The team and Gagne left his position of general manager on 18 December. On December 21, the Nationals announced that it had secured another local investor, Will Beauvais, to help support the team. Nationals forward, Basem Awwad, also took over general manager duties at that time. On February 28, 2017, captain Joel Trottier took over as head coach. On February 20, 2018, Rivette announced that the team folded during

1680-414: The team operating during the previous season and they could no longer operate the team. Within 12 hours, the city removed the River Kings logo from centre ice, even while the ownership was working to find last-minute financing. The owners announced on August 23 that they were unable to convince any new investors due to the only thing the team could offer would be revenue from ticket sales and advertisement as

1722-422: Was a force late in the season, scoring 13 points in 12 games. In the playoffs, the River Kings were ousted by the first-place Jonquiere Marquis in four straight games. On August 19, 2016, the River Kings' owners announced that the team would no longer continue operations due to lack of fan support and the heavy financial burdens of running the team. The owners claimed they had to close their other businesses to keep

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1764-412: Was announced as the new team owner. Cornwall went 11-26-3 in 2014–15, finishing last in the league. Rookie forward Antony Courcelles thrilled fans at the Civic Complex with his speed and accurate shot. Courcelles led the River Kings in goals (21) and points (34). Defenceman Sasha Pokulok , the team's first ever draft pick in 2012, had 27 points in 32 games. Enforcer Curtis Tidball, acquired midway through

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