The 1996–97 season was won by the Milton Merchants. In a best-of-7 for the Dudley Hewitt Cup against the NOJHL's Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats, the Merchants were defeated 4-games-to-1. A year later, the Merchants again won the OPJHL and this time the DHC too. They traveled off to the Royal Bank Cup 1998 in Nanaimo, British Columbia to compete for the National Junior A championship. They defeated the Central Junior A Hockey League's Brockville Braves 5–2, but lost to the host Nanaimo Clippers 6–2, SJHL's Weyburn Red Wings 6–2, and the South Surrey Eagles 3-0 and again in the semi-final 6–2.