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108-1023: The CMC's were founded as members of the Central Junior B Hockey League, now the Ontario Junior Hockey League , in 1968. In 1970, the CMC's merged with and took the place of the Guelph Beef Kings of the Western Junior "A" Hockey League (formerly the Western Division of the Big 10). The league was reincorporated into the Ontario Hockey Association and changed its name to the Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League for

216-735: A controversial series that went to a seventh game. The Kingston Voyageurs won the Ruddock Division who beat the Phillips Division champion Huntsville Otters 4-games-to-1 to go to the Buckland Cup finals. Kingston would defeat Oakville 4-games-to-2 in the league final for the Buckland Cup. The Voyageurs moved on to the Dudley Hewitt Cup in Schreiber, Ontario where they started the tournament by beating

324-533: A pair of hockey celebrities, usually Don Cherry and Bobby Orr . The event has been held annually since 1992. From 1992 to 1995 the event was known as the CHL All-Star Challenge and usually pitted one of the CHL's leagues against the other two. The CHL Canada/Russia Series is an annual junior ice hockey exhibition tournament held between a select team of Russian players and all-star teams representing

432-676: A second time. The Biltmores were defeated 4-games-to-2 (3-4, 2–3, 4–1, 5–2, 6–3, 6-5 OT) by the Spruce Grove Mets of the Alberta Junior Hockey League . The 1975 Biltmores were bolsterted on defence by late season pick-up Craig Hartsburg of Minnesota North Stars fame. Following the season, the Biltmores were bought by the Holody family, the owners of a local electroplating company. The Holodys changed

540-859: A shootout in North York. The West Division Champion Newmarket Hurricanes defeated the East Division Champion Bowmanville Eagles 4-games-to-2 in the CCHL final to win their first and what will be the only CCHL Championship. As the 2009–10 season wore on, the Ontario Hockey Association presented the Tomorrow's Game plan. An attempt to downsize the OHA's Jr. A and Jr. B teams from 63 teams of near equal calibre to about 12-16 teams of high calibre and

648-911: A team other than the Derbys show dominance, as the Burlington Cougars won the Central League championship. They kept on winning and found themselves in the Sutherland Cup final. The Cougars came up against the Stratford Cullitons of the Mid-Western League and were victorious, winning 8-points-to-4. In 1982, the Oakville Blades won the Central league for the first time in seven years. From

756-504: A tight 3–2 game to Humboldt in the semi-final to end their national championship hopes. The 2003–04 Aurora Tigers achieved much in with Spring of 2004. After defeating the St. Michael's Buzzers 4-games-to-2 to clinch the Buckland Cup and their fifth victorious best-of-7 series of the playoffs, the Tigers moved on to North Bay, Ontario to compete for the Dudley Hewitt Cup . The Tigers swept

864-690: Is an umbrella organization that represents the three Canada -based major junior ice hockey leagues. The CHL was founded in 1975 as the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League , and is composed of its three member leagues, the Western Hockey League (WHL), Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). For the 2023–24 season, its three leagues and 60 teams represent nine Canadian provinces (51 teams) as well as four American states (nine teams). The CHL schedule culminates in

972-546: Is conducted online, during the last week of June, or first week of July. Teams from the Western Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League, and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League, systematically take turns making selections in reverse order of the team's standings in the CHL from the previous season. Teams can have a maximum of two imports, which may only be obtained through the draft. The Canadian Hockey League awards sixteen annual trophies for accomplishments during

1080-755: Is now mostly based in the Greater Toronto Area with a few teams eastward towards Kingston . The exception to this is the Buffalo Jr. Sabres located in the American state of New York . The winner of the OJHL playoffs and Frank L. Buckland Trophy compete for the centennial cup with the winners of the eight remaining tier two junior A leagues across canada. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic taking place, there were several smaller tournaments held around

1188-830: Is now the MacKinnon Division, the North Division is now the Phillips Division, and the East Division is the Ruddock Division. The South Division is scattered between the Phillips and MacKinnon Divisions. The 2008–09 season finished with the Couchiching Terriers taking the overall best record. The finish in the Central Division was quite unique. First and last place in the division was the least spread out of all four divisions,

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1296-465: Is the championship of Junior Canadian hockey. Each year it features the champions from the ( WHL , OHL , QMJHL ) and the host CHL team. The host team changes from year to year, and is selected by a bidding process prior to the start of each season. The annual event is one of the biggest sporting events in North America, attracting thousands of spectators and generating increasing revenue for both

1404-625: The 2007 Royal Bank Cup . Aurora started off the national championship with a 4–2 victory over the MJHL 's Selkirk Steelers . They then lost to the Central Junior A Hockey League 's Pembroke Lumber Kings 5–3. The Tigers then beat the host Prince George Spruce Kings 6-3 and the AJHL 's Camrose Kodiaks 7–4 to clinch first place in the round robin. In the semi-final, the Tiger ended up defeating

1512-626: The 2009 Royal Bank Cup . The event was a learning experience for the Voyageurs who started off the event with a 5–0 loss to the host Victoria Grizzlies . In their next game, the Voyageurs edged the MJAHL 's Summerside Western Capitals with a wild 7–5 win. They then lost to the SJHL 's Humboldt Broncos 5–2 and then the BCHL 's Vernon Vipers 8–5. Edging into the semi-finals via a head-to-head win over

1620-804: The 2020 Memorial Cup , due to the COVID-19 pandemic in North America . The QMJHL and WHL played a 2020–21 season with limitations; the WHL played a shortened season consisting exclusively of regional play and no playoffs, with " bubbles " used for all B.C. and East Division games. The QMJHL was the only CHL league to play a full season with playoffs, albeit with disruptions and the use of bubbles due to public health orders in Quebec and travel restrictions in Atlantic Canada. Due to public health orders in Ontario,

1728-617: The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine , the Canadian Hockey League cancelled the event in 2022. The current president of the CHL is Dan MacKenzie . The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) is the governing body for Major Junior hockey (formerly known as Tier One Junior A), the top level of amateur hockey in Canada. The CHL currently oversees the Western Hockey League (WHL), the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and

1836-540: The AJHL 's Camrose Kodiaks 2–1. They again drew Camrose in the semi-final and were walloped 8–2 to end their season. In 2006, the St. Michael's Buzzers won the Buckland Cup again by defeating the Stouffville Spirit 4-games-to-2. It seemed like the Buzzers were set to avenge their Dudley Hewitt Cup losses from the previous year, but it did not go as planned. In their first game, the Buzzers lost 3–2 to

1944-810: The Barrie Colts dominated the league with three straight championships. None of these championships transpired into a Sutherland Cup. In 1991, the Oakville Blades won the Central League, but lost the Sutherland Cup final to the Waterloo Siskins 4-games-to-none. In 1992, the Milton Merchants won the league championship, but also fell in the Sutherland Cup final, this time to the Kitchener Dutchmen . During

2052-915: The Bramalea Blues , Kingston Voyageurs , Mississauga Chargers , and St. Michael's Buzzers ; fled to join the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League. In 1996, The Newmarket 87's were OPJHL champions. They went to the Dudley Hewitt Cup in Cobourg, Ontario to compete for the Central Canadian Championship. Also attending from the OPJHL were the Cobourg Cougars as hosts and the Brampton Capitals as OPJHL finalists. Cobourg lost to

2160-762: The Brampton Capitals , but they failed to win the Dudley Hewitt Cup, losing a best-of-7 series to the Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats . The 2001 Buckland Cup champions were the Thornhill Rattlers . The Rattlers defeated Rayside-Balfour to win the Dudley Hewitt Cup and moved on to Flin Flon, Manitoba for the Royal Bank Cup 2001 . The Rattlers were unsuccessful in their venture, losing four straight games and not qualifying for

2268-693: The Canadian Hockey League . In 1986, the Guelph Platers caught the entire Canadian Hockey League off-guard. Led by coach Jacques Martin , the team reached the playoffs for the first time in franchise history by finishing second in the Emms Division (Western Conference). The Platers continued their hard work through the playoffs, winning the J. Ross Robertson Cup by defeating the Belleville Bulls 8 points to 4 in

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2376-811: The Dudley Hewitt Cup . After defeating the SIJHL 's Fort Frances Borderland Thunder 7–1, they lost to the NOJHL 's North Bay Skyhawks 2–1. The Dukes came back and defeated the SIJHL's Thunder Bay Bulldogs 7–4 to earn a berth into the DHC semi-final. In the semi-final, they defeated the Borderland Thunder 4-2 and then defeated North Bay 4–0 in the final to win the Central Canadian crown. The Dukes then moved on to Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island for

2484-674: The Hamilton Mountain A's , became part of the Ontario Hockey Association Junior "A" League . The Platers, featuring future Montreal Canadiens goaltender Brian Hayward , won the 1977–78 Manitoba Centennial Trophy as national Junior 'A' champions. It was the second national title for the franchise, which had also won the Centennial Cup in 1972 as the CMC's. In 1978–79, the Platers became

2592-411: The Memorial Cup tournament, which sees each of the three league playoff champions, as well as a host team, play a round-robin tournament to determine a national champion. The CHL also hosts the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game , for the top draft eligible players in the league, as well as the CHL Canada/Russia Series , a six-game all-star exhibition series against a team of Russian juniors . In response to

2700-427: The NHL , CHL players were historically considered to be professionals by the NCAA , and thus ineligible to play college hockey in the United States. However, the NCAA changed its position and decided that CHL players were no longer ineligible as of the 2025–26 season. The decision was made after a class action was filed on behalf of a player who was declared ineligible after having played two exhibition games in

2808-449: The NOJHL 's Sudbury Jr. Wolves 5–3, and the host Newmarket Hurricanes 5–2. The other two games for Newmarket had them defeat Sudbury 5-1 and Dryden 7–1. In the semi-final, Newmarket defeated Dryden again 2-1 and in the final Oakville finished off Newmarket's season with a 6–3 victory. In the process, Oakville lost their star goaltender, mid-tournament, in order for him to maintain hist NCAA eligibility due to his age. This loss cost

2916-420: The NOJHL 's Timmins Golden Bears 5-3 and the USHL 's Thunder Bay Flyers 5–2. Their undefeated record gave the Capitals a bye directly into the DHC final, which they lost in a 6-4 heart-breaker to the Thunder Bay Flyers. The summer of 1995 brought crisis to the rival Metro Junior A Hockey League . In the midst of perceived corruption by the league, five teams walked away from the Metro. Four of these teams;

3024-453: The OHL when he was 16 years old. The CHL also seeks to raise the profile of the junior game by hosting annual events such as the Memorial Cup, the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game and the CHL Canada/Russia Series . The organization also provides many scholarships and bursaries for its players who exemplify extraordinary efforts and community involvement. These programs are supported by the many corporate sponsors. On May 9, 1975, officials from

3132-400: The Portland Winter Hawks (hosts), Kamloops Blazers (WHL Champs) and the Hull Olympiques (QMJHL Champs. Guelph finished first in the round-robin and took a bye to the finals, where they would play the Hull Olympiques of the QMJHL for the championship. The surprise season ended with two pairs of surprise goals 11 and 13 seconds apart respectively. The Platers won the game 5–2 to capture

3240-443: The Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), with the OHL and WHL having teams in both Canada and the United States. Each league plays individual regular season schedules, and playoffs. The annual CHL championship is determined by the Memorial Cup tournament held in May. The CHL is generally considered the world's top junior hockey league for developing professional players and is a key supplier of new players and officials for

3348-401: The Royal Bank Cup 2003 . The Dukes lost their first game 4–1 to the SJHL 's Humboldt Broncos and lost again in their second game 7–1 to the AJHL 's Camrose Kodiaks . It was do-or-die time for the Dukes, and they stepped up to the plate by defeating the host Charlottetown Abbies 1–0 in overtime and the QJAAAHL 's Lennoxville Cougars 5–2 to gain access to the semi-final. The Dukes lost

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3456-463: The SIJHL 's Dryden Ice Dogs despite badly outshooting them. In the next game, the Buzzers found their form again and massacred the host Fort William North Stars 7–1, only to lose to the NOJHL 's Sudbury Jr. Wolves 5–2. Due to tie-breaker, the Buzzers were eliminated from the round robin. The OPJHL still had a single hope left, the Streetsville Derbys were the hosts of the 2006 Royal Bank Cup in Brampton, Ontario . The Derbys finished first in

3564-469: The St. Michael's Buzzers . After defeated the Georgetown Raiders 4-games-to-2 to win the OPJHL, they then traveled to Georgetown, Ontario to compete for the Dudley Hewitt Cup . The Raiders went 3–0 in the tournament, defeating the NOJHL 's North Bay Skyhawks 7–2, SIJHL 's Fort William North Stars 4–0, and then St. Mike's 5–4. On top of St. Mike's loss to Georgetown, they lost to Fort William 6–4, but defeated North Bay 4–3 in quadruple overtime. In

3672-432: The St. Thomas Elgins of the Western Junior B League 4-games-to-1 and in 1964 they defeated Weston of the Metro League 4-games-to-1 to claim another crown. In 1964, began a four-year dynasty for the Kitchener Greenshirts . In 1965, 1966, 1967, and 1968, the Greenshirts were Central League champions. They also won the Sutherland Cup in 1965 by defeating Etobicoke of the Metro League 4-games-to-2 and in 1967 by defeating

3780-412: The Thunder Bay Flyers 5–3, defeated the Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats 5–3, before losing to both Newmarket and Brampton. Newmarket defeated Rayside-Balfour 4–3, Cobourg 3–1, lost to Brampton, and then Thunder Bay 3–2. The Capitals were undefeated in the round robin, defeating Thunder Bay 5–2, Rayside-Balfour 10–6, Newmarket 6–3, and Cobourg 9–3. All three OPJHL teams made the tournament's semi-finals. In

3888-407: The 1970–71 season. CMC was an acronym for Central Mechanical Contractors. After two years playing in the SOJHL, the CMC's won the Junior 'A' league title, in the 1971–72 season. In the Ontario Championship, they took on the Thunder Bay Vulcans of the now defunct Thunder Bay Junior Hockey League . The CMC's were leading 3-games-to-2 (5-4, 5–4, 3–7, 0–7, 6-2) when they won the series by default after

3996-406: The 1982–83 season until the 1985–86 season, the Streetsville Derbys celebrated another period of dominance. In those four seasons, the Derbys won three league championships, made the Ontario final twice, and received a harsh punishment from the Ontario Hockey Association . In 1982–83, the Derbys won their first league title in three season, a year later they won it again and battled all the way to

4104-412: The 87's then lost to the host Melfort Mustangs 11–3, the MJAHL 's Moncton Beavers 4–3, and were defeated in the semi-final by Vernon 7–4. This ended the OPJHL's first odyssey in the Royal Bank Cup . 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,

4212-423: The Beef King's place. Ontario Junior Hockey League The Ontario Junior Hockey League ( OJHL ) is a Junior A ice hockey league in Ontario , Canada. It is under the supervision of the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) and the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL). The league dates back to 1954 where it began as the " Central Junior B Hockey League ". In 1993, the Central Junior B Hockey League

4320-403: The Blades as they traveled to Cornwall, Ontario for the 2008 Royal Bank Cup . The Blades lost their opener to the host Cornwall Colts 5–4. they then lost in overtime to the MJAHL 's Weeks Crushers 4–3. They rebounded in their fourth game, defeating the SJHL 's Humboldt Broncos 7–6, but then had all their hopes erased with a 6–1 loss to the AJHL 's Camrose Kodiaks . With a 1–3 record,

4428-419: The Blades were eliminated from the tournament despite outshooting their opponent in all four games. The summer of 2008 brought much change to the OPJHL. As approved by the OHA, the semi-autonomous Central Division Hockey pilot program began in 2008–09. This divisions creation was controversial and had been appealed by left out teams to the Ontario Hockey Federation . Although the OHA is attempted to play down

Guelph Platers - Misplaced Pages Continue

4536-404: The Buckland Cup. They then traveled to Iroquois Falls, Ontario for the Dudley Hewitt Cup. The Dudley proved to be little challenge for the Tigers, as they defeated the NOJHL 's Soo Indians 4–1, the SIJHL 's Schreiber Diesels 6–3, and the host Abitibi Eskimos 7–0, before crushing Schreiber 10–0 in the Central Championship final. Next, they traveled to Prince George, British Columbia for

4644-447: The Buffalo Lightning and Syracuse Jr. Crunch. The first season for this super-league was won by the Bramalea Blues . The Blues also won the Dudley Hewitt Cup as Central Canadian Champions and travelled to Yorkton, Saskatchewan to compete in the Royal Bank Cup 1999 . Despite winning the round robin with a 3–1 record, the Blues were upset by the BCHL 's Vernon Vipers , 3–2, in the semi-final. The 1999-00 Buckland Cup champions were

4752-420: The CHL teams and the host city. The CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game is an annual event sponsored by Home Hardware and hosted by the CHL in which 40 of the top NHL Entry Draft eligible prospects in the Canadian Hockey League play against each other much like an all-star game. Each draft prospect hopes to boost their draft ranking with the NHL scouts and general managers who attend. The players are typically coached by

4860-441: The Capitals, the Voyageurs lost their final game of the year 6–3 to the eventual national champion Vipers. A new and thought to be final chapter in the OJHL saga opened in April 2009. Thirteen more teams left the core of the OJHL to join the Central Division, jumping the number of teams in the CDH to 21 and dropping the remainder of the OJHL to 15 for the 2009–10 season. On June 29, 2009, the OHA Board of Directors voted to separate

4968-417: The Centennial Cup. Platers CMC's/Mad Hatters SOJHL Years OPJHL Years The Guelph Platers played at the Guelph Memorial Gardens located in downtown Guelph. The team and the arena played host to the OHL All-Star game in 1984. Demolition of the Gardens began in 2006. The City of Guelph was unhappy with the fact that their Junior A team had been moved to Kitchener in 1963. Left with only

5076-479: The Central League. The teams in the league that year were the Barrie Colts , Markham Waxers , Peterborough Jr. Petes , Newmarket 87's , Orillia Terriers , Lindsay Bears , Ajax Axemen , Collingwood Blues , and Cobourg Cougars in the East Division and the Brampton Capitals , Burlington Cougars , Milton Merchants , Caledon Canadians , Oakville Blades , Streetsville Derbys (played that season in Mississauga ), Georgetown Raiders , and Royal York Rangers in

5184-434: The Derbys make the Sutherland Cup final for the third straight year. In the final, the Derbys met the St. Catharines Falcons of the Golden Horseshoe Junior B Hockey League and defeated them 4-games-to-none to finally win a provincial title. In 1978 the Mid-Ontario league folded, and Orillia Terriers , Thornhill Thunderbirds , the Barrie Colts , and Oak Ridges Dynes joined the Central League. The 1980–81 season had

5292-450: The Derbys won the League title five straight times, made the Ontario finals three times, and won the Sutherland Cup once. In 1977, the Derbys made the All-Ontario final. In the final, they lost to the Stratford Cullitons of the Waterloo-Wellington Junior B Hockey League 4-games-to-2. A year later, the Derbys again met the Stratford Cullitons (now of the Mid-Western Junior B Hockey League ), but lost 9-points-to-5. The 1978–79 season had

5400-402: The Guelph CMC's at the OHA Junior B level, the City jumped at the 1968 offer of the newly-renegade Western Ontario Junior A Hockey League to give the city a new Junior A team. After a pair of losing seasons and a name change to the Beef Kings, the league was reincorporated into the OHA as a Tier II Junior A league and the franchise being bought out by the CMC's. From that point on, the CMC's took

5508-419: The Memorial Cup). CBC Sports will also carry coverage of selected games beginning in the 2021–22 season, including a package of early-season games, and a game of the week package on TSN, RDS, and CBC Gem . Exceptional player status allows skilled, underage hockey players to enter the major junior circuit early. Hockey Canada determines if an underage player is eligible for "exceptional status". The clause

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5616-449: The Memorial Cup. Fame was short-lived for the Platers however. The team suffered through more losing seasons with poor attendance. After the 1988–89 season, the Holodys moved the team to Owen Sound , Ontario , retaining the name "Platers". Alec Campagnaro was given the Bill Long Award for distinguished service to the OHL in 1989. Jacques Martin was a former NCAA goalie turned coach. In his one year in Guelph, he completely turned around

5724-449: 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. The summer of 1998 would change

5832-408: The Metro League's Dixie Beehives 4-games-to-2. In 1968, their sister league, the Western Ontario Junior B Hockey League, went renegade and left the Ontario Hockey Association . As a result, the Strathroy Rockets were homeless and joined the league. In their only year in the CJBHL they won the league championship and lost the Sutherland Cup final 4-games-to-1 with 1 tie to the Markham Waxers of

5940-416: The Metro League. In 1969, the Collingwood Blues jumped up to the Central League and stayed until the realignment of 1971, winning both league championships (1970 and 1971). The Blues failed to make the provincial final in either of those years. The teams of the 1970–71 season were the Owen Sound Greys , Collingwood Blues , Waterloo Siskins , Preston Raiders , and Kitchener Ranger B's . This would be

6048-413: The Metro's Wexford Raiders and the NOJHL 's Powassan Hawks . In the summer of 1994, the Barrie Colts left the OPJHL to play in the Ontario Hockey League . In 1995, the Brampton Capitals won the OPJHL's crown, the Buckland Cup, and gained a berth into the Dudley Hewitt Cup round robin in Thunder Bay . In the round robin, the Capitals went undefeated, beating the Metro's Caledon Canadians 4–1,

6156-406: The Mid-Western League. The Cullitons swept the series, 4-games-to-none, and the Derbys lost their discipline. The result was a one-year ban for the Streetsville Derbys from Ontario Hockey Association play. The Derbys were forced to sit out in 1986–87, as the Burlington Cougars won the league, and the Derbys never won another Central League title. From the 1987–88 season until the 1989–90 season,

6264-509: The National Hockey League and the World Hockey Association to work together on a common drafting program to eliminate bidding wars. The CMJHL sought to represent players directly instead of agents, and proposed an escalating development fee schedule if professional teams wanted to sign a player while he was still eligible for junior hockey. The league also proposed to allow some players under professional contracts to continue playing in junior hockey. Ontario's commissioner Tubby Schmalz defended

6372-414: The National title. The team was coached by Bill Taylor and starred Paul Fendley, Doug Risebrough , and John Van Boxmeer . In 1972 the CMC's changed their names to the Guelph Biltmore Mad Hatters. The Biltmores won the SOJHL championship again in 1975, then defeated the Smiths Falls Bears of the Central Junior A Hockey League in 6 games (8-3, 3–4, 7–2, 6–4, 3–6, 5-2) to reach the Centennial Cup finals

6480-605: The OHL indefinitely delayed, and later cancelled the 2020–21 season. The Memorial Cup was cancelled and not awarded for the second consecutive season. On July 21, 2021, the CHL announced a new national media rights deal with Bell Media and the CBC (replacing a long-standing relationship with Sportsnet ), under which TSN (English) and RDS (French) will serve as the CHL's national media partners. TSN will carry 30 regular season games per-season, RDS will carry 20 regular season games per-season, and both will carry coverage of selected playoff games and CHL national events (including

6588-427: The OJAHL final to win their first and what will be the only OJAHL Championship. The Oakville Blades then faced the CCHL's Newmarket Hurricanes for the 2010 Buckland Cup. The Hurricanes kept the series close, but the Blades took it in six games to move on to the Dudley Hewitt Cup . The first game under the CCHL banner was played September 9, 2009. The Streetsville Derbys defeated the North York Rangers 5–4 in

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6696-417: The OJHL into two completely different leagues. The group of 15 teams will be known as the Ontario Junior A Hockey League , and the other 21 teams will be the Central Canadian Hockey League . The first game in the new league's history was on September 9, 2009. The Bramalea Blues defeated the Mississauga Chargers 6–4 in Mississauga. The Oakville Blades defeated the Kingston Voyageurs 4-games-to-3 in

6804-402: The Ontario Hockey League. After being turned down as an OHL expansion team in 1981, Guelph was approved the next year for the 1982–83 season. Guelph's first season in the OHL was dismal. The team set OHL records at the time for losing 63 of their 70 games, for most home and away losses, and most goals against in one season with 555. All of these records have since been surpassed by other teams in

6912-428: The Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League, the original name of the old Junior A League that lasted from 1972 to 1987 . The first ever OPJHL champion was the Orillia Terriers in 1994. Despite much of the hype going into the Ontario Hockey Association Junior A championship round robin, the Terriers lost 3–1 to the Caledon Canadians of the Metro Junior A Hockey League in the OHA final. The other competitors were

7020-411: The Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League, the Ontario Hockey League and the Western Hockey League. The event is organized by the Canadian Hockey League and consists of six games total each year, with the Russian Selects playing two games versus each league's all-star team. All games are broadcast nationally in Canada on Sportsnet. The series often features players from the Canadian national junior team, and

7128-399: The Russian national junior team. In response to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine , the Canadian Hockey League cancelled the event in 2022. The CHL Import Draft is an annual event in which every team in the Canadian Hockey League may select the rights to eligible import players. An import is classified as a player whose parents are not residents of Canada or the United States. The draft

7236-420: The Sutherland Cup final. In the final, the Derbys met the Waterloo Siskins of the Mid-Western League and despite a spirited performance, fell 4-games-to-3 to the Siskins. A year later, the Derbys failed to get out of their league. In 1985–86, the Derbys dominated the Central League again and won their third title in four years. They battled to the Sutherland Cup final and again met the Stratford Cullitons of

7344-444: The Tiger went on a roll, beating the BCHL 's Nanaimo Clippers 4–2, the SJHL 's Kindersley Klippers 5–0, and the then Central Junior A Hockey League 's Nepean Raiders 3–1. In the semi-final, the Tigers played the Raiders again and beat them 7–2, then manhandled the Klippers 7–1 in the final to win the Royal Bank Cup . This marked the first national championship in the OPJHL's 11-year history. The 2005 Buckland Cup champions were

7452-399: The Vulcans discontinued. Moving onto the Eastern Canadian Final, the CMC's faced Charlottetown from the Island Junior Hockey League . The result of the series was a four-game sweep (5-2, 6–3, 5–2, 5-2), in favour of Guelph. Guelph travelled to the Centennial Cup versus the Red Deer Rustlers of the Alberta Junior Hockey League . The CMC's swept the Rustlers (4-2, 3–2, 3–1, 3-0), taking

7560-440: The West Division. In 1988, the Metro Junior B Hockey League left the Ontario Hockey Association . In 1991, it declared itself a Junior A hockey league and a couple seasons later was recognized by the Canadian Junior A Hockey League . In response, the Ontario Hockey Association took the Central Junior B Hockey League, the remaining Junior B league closest to Toronto , and promoted it to Junior A. The league changed its name to

7668-423: The Western Canada Hockey League, the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, announced a constitution to establish the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League (CMJHL) composed of the three leagues under one umbrella. The new organization wanted standard contracts for all players, consistent dollar amounts for development fees paid by professional leagues to sign junior players, and for

7776-529: The country (only four champions and a host would show up to the national championship - the tournament has increased in duration and for clubs attending). In 1954, a variety of teams from different leagues and Ontario Hockey Association junior groupings were put together in the Central Junior B Hockey League. The Central League was formed as a sister league to the Western Ontario Junior B Hockey League that had been running since 1950. During

7884-470: The early years, the two leagues were regarded as the two divisions of the OHA's Big 10. The "Big" moniker was often given to OHA leagues as the OHA pushed away from smaller rural multi-level groupings. The 1954–55 season's members were the Woodstock Warriors , Owen Sound Greys , Waterloo Siskins , Burlington Mohawks , Paris Redshirts , Dundas Flyers , and Ingersoll Reems . Woodstock took

7992-645: The face of Junior A hockey. Already at 22 teams, the OPJHL was about to almost double in size. In 1998 came the exodus. The Metro Junior A Hockey League closed its doors after over half a century of action at the Junior A and B levels. The Bancroft Hawks (Quinte), Buffalo Lightning (Niagara), Caledon Canadians , Durham Huskies , Huntsville Wildcats , Markham Waxers , North York Rangers , Oshawa Legionaires , Pickering Panthers , Port Hope Buzzards , Shelburne Wolves , Syracuse Jr. Crunch , Thornhill Rattlers , Wellington Dukes , and Wexford Raiders all made

8100-472: The final incarnation of the league in its original setup. Much change happened in the summer of 1971. In 1971, the league re-aligned itself geographically. The Owen Sound Greys and Collingwood Blues jumped to the Mid-Ontario Junior B Hockey League . The Waterloo Siskins and Kitchener Ranger B's moved over to the Western Ontario Junior B Hockey League . The Burlington Mohawks were

8208-474: The final of the Sutherland Cup, they met the Kitchener Dutchmen and swept them 4-games-to-none to win the Central League its third and final Sutherland Cup since 1971. The 1993 playoff run, aided by their Junior A status, was the final and most successful Provincial Jr. B playoff run of any Central League champion in at least twelve years. The 1992–93 season would be the final Junior B season for

8316-466: The final. Guelph travelled to the Memorial Cup that year, bringing home the national championship to complete their Cinderella season. The Memorial Cup championship of 1986 was hosted by the Western Hockey League , with games originally scheduled for New Westminster, British Columbia , but were switched to Portland, Oregon due to a hotel shortage caused by Expo '86 . Their opponents would be

8424-832: The finals where they were swept by the St. Michael's Buzzers of the Metro Junior B Hockey League . During that streak, the Waterloo Siskins won the Sutherland Cup four times. In 1956 they defeated the Brampton Regents of the Metro league 4-games-to-1 with 1 tie. In 1960, the Siskins defeated the Marlboros of the Metro League 4-games-to-2 with 1 tie to win the provincial crown. In 1962, they defeated

8532-468: The first ever Central League crown as well as that year's Sutherland Cup as provincial champions. From 1955 until 1964, the Waterloo Siskins won the league six out of nine seasons, losing out to Burlington in 1957 and 1958 and the Owen Sound Greys in 1961. Neither Burlington or Owen Sound managed to win the Sutherland Cup with their league championship, in fact only Owen Sound even made to

8640-451: The first semi-final, Brampton defeated Cobourg 5–2, while Newmarket beat Thunder Bay 6–3. This results in a rematch of the OPJHL final in the Dudley Hewitt Cup final. The Newmarket 87's crushed Brampton 8–2. Next, Newmarket flew out to Melfort, Saskatchewan to compete in the Royal Bank Cup 1996 . In their first game they defeated the BCHL 's Vernon Vipers 7–5, then the SJHL 's Yorkton Terriers 5–2. It all went downhill from there as

8748-511: The first team to win the Dudley Hewitt Cup as provincial champions. In the 1980–81 season, the Platers reached the Tier II championship for southern Ontario, but were defeated by another future OHL team, the Belleville Bulls . The 1981–82 season proved to be the last season for the Platers in the OHA-A. As they won their second Dudley Hewitt Cup, they were announced as the latest expansion team of

8856-696: The franchise making them into national champions. He was awarded the Matt Leyden Trophy as OHL Coach of the year in 1986. The following year he was hired as the head coach of the NHL St. Louis Blues . 18 - Paul Fendley , a member of the SOJAHL 's Guelph CMC's who died in an on-ice accident at Guelph Memorial Gardens in 1972. His number has not been issued to a player since, by the Guelph CMC's, Guelph Platers, or Guelph Storm. Paul Fendley's number

8964-407: The game. He tried to catch his balance while still handling the puck and lost his helmet in the process, falling and striking the bare back of his head on the ice. Fendley was the 1972 SOJHL Leading Scorer with 20 goals and 24 assists in 43 games. He also scored 14 goals and 18 assists in 26 playoff games before his accident. The game in which he was fatally injured was the final and clinching game of

9072-564: The host Schreiber Diesels of the SIJHL 9–0. They then were upset by the SIJHL champion Fort William North Stars 1–0. In the third game, the Voyageurs defeated the NOJHL champion Soo Thunderbirds 2–0 to move on directly to the DHC Final. In the final, the Voyageurs defeated a fatigued and fresh off a slim semi-final victory North Stars 4–1 to win the Central Canada crown. They then flew out to Victoria, British Columbia for

9180-462: The jump to the OPJHL. The only team not to come was the Pittsburgh Jr. Penguins , who were not interested in the extra travel. A season before, a sign that this might happen occurred when the 1997 Metro Champion Aurora Tigers defected prior to the 1997–98 season. This swelled the league from 22 to 37 teams. Also, for the first time in its history, the OPJHL had American hockey clubs with

9288-766: The league at the conclusion of the 2011–12 season. The Otters went as far as hosting the Dudley-Hewitt Cup, and playing in the final losing to the Wellington Dukes , while the Vipers were improving and being one of the top teams, and the Capitals went out of business. As of the Summer of 2014, the OJHL has shrunk to 22 teams with only a handful outside of the Greater Toronto Area . Despite the retraction in league size and an increase in overall league talent,

9396-666: The league's teams have suffered at the gate and some teams have been forced to charge player fees. Shortly after Hamilton being announced as a major junior market, the Hamilton Red Wings relocated to Markham, but were not allowed to return as the Markham Waxers and instead re-branded as the Markham Royals and will begin play in 2015–16. Canadian Hockey League The Canadian Hockey League ( CHL ; French : Ligue canadienne de hockey ‒ LCH )

9504-570: The many North American professional hockey leagues, such as the National Hockey League , American Hockey League , and the ECHL . If a CHL player does not sign a professional contract, many also opt to play for U Sports (formerly Canadian Interuniversity Sport - CIS) and go to school due to CHL sponsored scholarship programs. Due to the use of paying player stipends and allowing junior players that have signed entry-level contracts with

9612-510: The only team they lost to in the tournament, Pembroke, 3–2 in overtime. In the final, the Tigers defeated Prince George 3–1 to win their second national title in four years. The 2008 league champions were an exciting Oakville Blades team that had a great regular season and dominated the Buckland Cup playoffs. At the Dudley, the Blades were perfect, defeating the SIJHL 's Dryden Ice Dogs 5–1,

9720-637: The only team to stay put. In return, the Central League gained many teams from the Mid-Ontario Junior B Hockey League, like the Oakville Blades , Milton Flyers , Hespeler Shamrocks and Streetsville Derbys . They also gained the Dundas Blues and the Brampton Vic Woods . The 1972 champion is unknown, but in 1973 Burlington won the Central League and in 1974 and 1975 Oakville won two straight league titles. The 1974–75 season

9828-481: The opposition, defeating the NOJHL 's Soo Thunderbirds 3–1, the SIJHL 's Fort William North Stars 4–0, and the host North Bay Skyhawks 5–3, they moved straight to the final and beat the Skyhawks again 5–1 to clinch the Central Canadian championship. The Tigers then flew out to Grande Prairie , Alberta to compete in the Royal Bank Cup 2004 . After losing their first game to the host Grande Prairie Storm 4–2,

9936-477: The regular and at the Memorial Cup to top individuals and teams among its three member leagues. The Memorial Cup is the top award for the championship team at the end-of-season Memorial Cup tournament. A set of five individual awards are given for performance at the tournament. In the regular season, Canadian Hockey League also presents ten annual awards. The nominees for each individual award are determined by

10044-529: The rest of the league which played a 49-game season. The division had its own website, separate from the league. On September 19, 2008, the league, already a month into the 2008–09 season, announced a name change, a new logo, and a new website. The league will now be known as the Ontario Junior Hockey League. Prior to the start of the season, the three divisions not involved with Central Division Hockey were renamed. The West Division

10152-666: The rest playing in a development division. The two leagues put aside their differences and appealed the move by the OHA to the Ontario Hockey Federation , who sided with the leagues. From this point on, the two leagues have re-amalgamated for the 2010–11 season and have reduced the number of teams in competition by five, buying out or merging the Ajax Attack , Bowmanville Eagles , Bramalea Blues , Couchiching Terriers and Seguin Bruins . The trend continued in

10260-563: The round robin, defeating the BCHL 's Burnaby Express 4–3 in overtime, Fort William 3–2, the SJHL 's Yorkton Terriers 2–1, before dropping a game to the QJAAAHL 's Joliette Action 4–1. Unfortunately, the Derbys failed to win the semi-final against Yorkton, losing 2–1. The 2006–07 season was dominated by the Aurora Tigers . After finishing first in the OPJHL regular season, the Tigers walked through five rounds of playoffs to win

10368-411: The semi-final, St. Mike's defeated Fort William 6–2, only to be defeated 3–1 in the final. Georgetown then traveled to Weyburn, Saskatchewan to compete in the Royal Bank Cup 2005 . They started out with a loss to the host Weyburn Red Wings , then beat the Central Junior A Hockey League 's Hawkesbury Hawks 3–0. In their third game, they defeated the MJHL 's Portage Terriers 6–3, but then lost to

10476-628: The semi-finals. In 2002, the Brampton Capitals once again were the Buckland Cup champions. After defeating the Wellington Dukes to win the OPJHL crown, the Caps failed to win the Dudley Hewitt Cup for a berth in the Royal Bank Cup . A year later, the Wellington Dukes rebounded their OPJHL final defeated from 2002 and won the 2003 Buckland Cup 4-games-to-2 over the Aurora Tigers . The Dukes ventured to Fort Frances, Ontario for

10584-473: The significance of the division in some aspects, they have admitted that the new conference would have slightly different rules than the rest of the divisions and that the CDH would be geared more for development. As well, the member teams would operate at a higher budget and completely partitioned from the rest of the OPJHL until the league semi-final. Additionally, the CDH would play a 53-game schedule, as opposed to

10692-602: The summer of 1992, the OHA promoted the Central League to Junior A status, allowing its teams less limitations on signing players then an average Junior B team would have. In 1992–93, the Barrie Colts dominated the CJAHL. With 47 wins and one tie, the Colts celebrated an unheard of undefeated season. They won the Central League championship, and were granted permission to compete in the Provincial Junior B playdowns. In

10800-761: The summer of 2011, as the Streetsville Derbys merged to leave the league and the Collingwood Blackhawks , Dixie Beehives , and Orangeville Flyers all ceased operations. However, just over a week later, the Orangeville Flyers were reborn as the Villanova Knights filled in the void, and taken the identity of the Flyers. The Huntsville Otters , Vaughan Vipers , and Brampton Capitals have all accepted buyouts from

10908-567: The team name to the Guelph Holody Platers. In 1975, the Biltmores of the Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League (SOJHL) were bought by Guelph , Ontario 's wealthy Holody family, the owners of a local electroplating company. The Holodys changed the team name to the Guelph Holody Platers. The team remained in the SOJHL for the next two years, finishing first both times. The SOJHL folded in 1977. Two of its four teams, Guelph and

11016-576: The top six of eight teams all had even or winning records, the Markham Waxers and Wellington Dukes race for first place lasted until the final game of the season, as did the race for third between the Hamilton Red Wings , Newmarket Hurricanes , and Toronto Jr. Canadiens . The Central Division playoffs was won by Wellington, but they were eliminated by the MacKinnon Division champion and defending league champion Oakville Blades in

11124-463: The validity of the constitution, despite a challenge from Alan Eagleson that it violated antitrust laws in Canada and the United States. On July 30, 2019, Dan MacKenzie was announced as the new full-time president as of September 2019, taking over for David Branch . In March 2020, the CHL and its constituent leagues cancelled the remainder of the 2019–20 regular seasons, playoffs and

11232-525: The winner of the corresponding award handed out by each of the Canadian Hockey League's three member leagues. For the 2023–24 season, the league includes 60 teams located in nine Canadian provinces (51 teams) and four American states (9 teams). Currently, nine of the ten Canadian provinces have a member team. Newfoundland and Labrador is the only province without a team. Ontario Hockey League Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Western Hockey League The CHL single game attendance record

11340-682: Was introduced in the CHL rule book in the 2005–06 season, starting with John Tavares . As of 2024, nine players have been granted exceptional status: Tavares, Aaron Ekblad , Sean Day , Connor McDavid , Joseph Veleno , Connor Bedard , Shane Wright , Michael Misa , and Landon DuPont . The status has been granted six times to OHL prospects, twice in the WHL , and once in the QMJHL . As of 2022, seven have gone number one in their respective major junior drafts and four have been selected first overall in their respective NHL drafts. The Memorial Cup Tournament

11448-446: Was officially retired on Nov 15, 2008. Paul Fendley of Georgetown, Ontario was a member of the 1971-72 Guelph CMC's who died as a result of an on ice accident at Guelph Memorial Gardens during Guelph's Centennial Cup 1972 victory. The 19-year-old player died at Kitchener-Waterloo General Hospital on May 8, 1972, seventy-three hours after striking his head on the arena ice. Fendley was checked by an opponent with 11 minutes to play in

11556-415: Was promoted to the Junior A level and renamed the " Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League ". In 2009, the league was dissolved by the Ontario Hockey Association and split into two leagues: the " Central Canadian Hockey League " and the " Ontario Junior A Hockey League ". By early 2010, the two leagues merged to reform the Ontario Junior Hockey League. At its peak, the league was composed of 37 teams and

11664-417: Was special for the Oakville Blades. After winning the league championship, they won their way all the way to the Sutherland Cup final. Unfortunately for the Blades, the Bramalea Blues of the Metro Junior B Hockey League awaited them. The Blues defeated the Blades 4-games-to-3. From the 1975–76 season until the 1979–80 season, the Central League was dominated by the Streetsville Derbys . In this span,

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