Previous to Junior A coming to Port Hope, and subsequently leaving it, the town has operated a series of Junior C teams by the name
Port Hope Panthers.
Port Hope (1996–2009) In 1996, the Port Hope Buzzards were founded in the
Metro Junior A Hockey League. The league only lasted until 1998, when the Metro was absorbed by the larger and healthier
Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League. In November 2005, coach Bret Meyers was suspended for one season and the team was fined $4000 after the
Ontario Hockey Association investigated the Predators over allegations of hazing and irresponsible public behaviour by the players of the team. In January 2006, the Predators were fined $1000 and their director of operations Tim Clayden was suspended for one month for signing a player to a Junior C card without his knowledge. In June 2007, the
Ontario Hockey Association found Clayden guilty of tampering with players from the
Cobourg Cougars' roster. He was suspended for one year and the team was fined $5000. In September 2007, Port Hope coach Brian Drumm was suspended for 20 games for striking a
Lindsay Muskies player in the face during a game. The team was also fined $3500.
Trenton (2009–present) In early 2009, the
Trenton Hercs announced that they were folding mid-season and leaving the
Ontario Junior Hockey League. In March, rumblings of team moving into the
Trenton market came afloat. It turned out to be the Port Hope Predators. According to OJHL commissioner Bob Hooper: "The league never really wanted a team in Port Hope in the first place." The Trenton Golden Hawks won their first Frank L Buckland Cup Trophy as OJHL playoff champions in 2016, by defeating the
Georgetown Raiders in 7 games. From there, the Golden Hawks traveled north to Kirkland Lake to compete for the
Dudley Hewitt Cup, where they went 3–0 in round-robin play and defeated the defending champions
Soo Thunderbirds in the final. The Golden Hawks went on to compete in the
2016 Royal Bank Cup national championship tournament in
Lloydminster where they were eliminated by the
Lloydminster Bobcats of the
Alberta Junior Hockey League in the semifinal. ==Season-by-season results==