The Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) is an association of Canadian junior A ice hockey leagues and teams and was formed in November 1993, emerging from the Canada West Association of Junior 'A' Hockey. The champion of the Canadian Junior Hockey League wins the Centennial Cup.
The CJHL spans the majority of Canada, from the Prairies to the Atlantic Coast. The only regional organizations of Hockey Canada to currently not have member teams or a league are BC Hockey, Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador (Hockey NL), and Hockey North. In addition to BC Hockey, Hockey NL, and Hockey North, Hockey New Brunswick and Hockey PEI do not have their own leagues, but have teams from their region playing under Hockey Nova Scotia within the Maritime Junior Hockey League (MHL).
History 1970s In 1970, the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, and Western Canada Hockey League broke away from the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) and became its own governing body (what would become the Canadian Hockey League). These new "Major Junior" leagues were given exclusive permission to compete for the Memorial Cup, which had been Canada's Junior "A" championship prior to 1970.
In May 1970, CAHA chairman Frank McKinnon tabled a motion at the organization's Annual General Meeting to allow the remaining Junior "A" leagues to compete at a national level for their own championship. The motion was granted and McKinnon and the Manitoba Amateur Hockey Association donated the Manitoba Centennial Trophy to the new championship in honour of 100 years of ice hockey in Manitoba.
Leagues The leagues that would be involved in that first year were: British Columbia Junior Hockey League (BCJHL) Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) Saskatchewan Amateur Junior Hockey League (SAJHL) Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League (SOJHL) Thunder Bay Junior A Hockey League (TBJHL) Central Junior A Hockey League (CJHL) Northern Ontario Junior Hockey Association (NOJHA) Maritime Junior A Hockey League (MJAHL) New Brunswick Junior Hockey League (NBJHL)
In 1971, the Newfoundland Amateur Hockey Association jumped on board by allowing their provincial Junior champion to compete in the Centennial Cup playdowns. This lasted until 1977. Also in 1971, the Maritime Junior A Hockey League folded, leaving the Charlottetown Islanders (the defending Dudley Hewitt Cup champions) to enter the Centennial Cup playdowns as an independent team. Also in 1971, the Newfoundland Junior A Hockey League entered the fray. In 1972, the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey Association folded when two of its teams (Sudbury Wolves and Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds) jumped to Major Junior. The Charlottetown Islanders closed their doors after a marginal performance in the 1972 playdowns. Two new leagues came in 1972, the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League was created as a rival league to the Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League. The SOJHL was more in Southwestern Ontario, while the OPJHL focused more on the Greater Toronto Area. The other new league was the Quebec Junior A Hockey League.
In 1973, the Island Junior Hockey League of Prince Edward Island made the jump from Junior B to Junior A. In 1975, the Eastern Junior A Hockey League ascended to Junior A from the Junior B ranks in Cape Breton Island. Then, in 1977, the Metro Valley Junior Hockey League jumped from Junior B to Junior A in mainland Nova Scotia. After one year of playing head-to-head for the provincial Junior A title, the EJHL folded and left the MVJHL as the only league in Nova Scotia. After various attempts to create a stable Junior A system in Newfoundland, the NAHA and its teams pulled out of National play in 1977. The Southern Ontario league folded in 1977, the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League was promoted to Junior A in 1978 and the NorMan Junior Hockey League was promoted to Junior A in Manitoba in 1979. A second league was founded in British Columbia in 1974, the Pacific Coast Junior Hockey League was created to compete with the British Columbia Junior Hockey League - this league was absorbed by the BCJHL in 1979. A year later, the Peace-Cariboo Junior Hockey League was promoted from Junior B in East-Central British Columbia. That same year, the Thunder Bay Junior A Hockey League folded. They were replaced by a single team, the Thunder Bay Kings later to be the two-time Centennial Cup champion Thunder Bay Flyers.
1980s and 1990s The summer of 1982 saw the folding of the Quebec Junior A League. In 1983, the New Brunswick Junior Hockey League folded and merged with the Metro Valley Junior Hockey League. In 1985, the NorMan Junior Hockey League faltered and folded. In 1987, the OPJHL, then known as the Ontario Junior Hockey League, folded after dropping to only four teams. During the 1988 Centennial Cup playoff run, the Black Lake Miners of Quebec were allowed to enter as an independent team. That summer, the Quebec Provincial Junior Hockey League was formed, rebranded the Quebec Junior AAA Hockey League in 1997. In 1989, Newfoundland would take a second shot at Junior A with the promotion of the St. John's Junior Hockey League.
In 1990, the western Junior A leagues in Canada would form the Canada West Association. This organization would be the catalyst for the creation of the Canadian Junior A Hockey League in 1993. In 2008, the league was rebranded the "Canadian Junior Hockey League".
The CJAHL was formed in November 1993, with Fred Page appointed as chairman of the board, and Ronald Boileau as president. The original leagues included: British Columbia Hockey League Rocky Mountain Junior Hockey League Alberta Junior Hockey League Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League Manitoba Junior Hockey League Thunder Bay Flyers (Representative of Hockey Northwestern Ontario) Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League Metro Junior A Hockey League Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League Central Junior A Hockey League Quebec Provincial Junior Hockey League Maritime Junior A Hockey League
The St. John's Junior Hockey League dropped back to Junior B in 1991. Also in 1991, the Island Junior Hockey League folded and merged with the Metro Valley league. The Metro Valley League now had all three Maritime provinces incorporated in it and decided to change its name to the Maritime Junior A Hockey League. Out West in 1991, the Peace-Cariboo league expanded south into the Kootenays and rebranded itself as the Rocky Mountain Junior Hockey League. In 1993, Southern Ontario came back in a big way with two leagues—the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League and the Metro Junior A Hockey League. By 1998, the two leagues would merge under the Ontario Provincial banner with 37 teams under its belt. In 1999, the Rocky Mountain Junior Hockey League folded.
2000s to present In 2000, the Thunder Bay Flyers folded, having competed strictly in the United States Hockey League since the 1996–97 season. A year later, their void was filled by the Superior International Junior Hockey League. In 2008, the Ontario Provincial League rebranded itself the Ontario Junior Hockey League, just to be divided into two leagues in 2009 (Central Canadian Hockey League and Ontario Junior A Hockey League), and be reunited in time for playoffs that year under the Ontario Junior Hockey League banner. In 2010, the Central Junior A Hockey League became the Central Canada Hockey League.
In 2018, the CJHL introduced a concussion protocol funded by the Co-operators, for the assessment and management of concussion, and digitally tracking a player's concussion history. The CJHL later developed a player safety committee to implement educational videos for players, and for uniform ice hockey rules in the constituent leagues.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, the CJHL cancelled the 2019–20 season playoffs for all leagues, the four regional championships, and the national championship. Several return-to-play scenarios were proposed for the 2020–21 season, which included staggered registrations and different opening dates for each league. Due to the pandemic, some leagues in the CJHL played games without spectators in attendance, which greatly reduced league income. The CJHL hoped that the financial assistance given by provincial governments in Alberta and Saskatchewan would be equalled by other provinces. Without national hockey events, some CJHL leagues planned showcases for players to be scouted, and worked with the NHL Central Scouting Bureau to make long-term plans for the NHL entry draft.
The British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) withdrew from the CJHL prior to the 2021–22 season. The BCHL reportedly sought to import players aged 16 and 17 from other provinces, which was opposed by the remainder of the CJHL. Despite the loss of a league, the other nine league were committed to the CJHL. In 2021, all CJHL leagues agreed to truth and reconciliation games in support of First Nations in Canada. The Dryden Ice Dogs were the first team to arrange such a game.
Current leagues
League Provinces TeamsPacific Zone Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) Alberta 12Western Zone Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) Saskatchewan 12 Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) Manitoba 13Central Zone Superior International Junior Hockey League (SIJHL) Northwestern Ontario 7 Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL) Northeastern Ontario 12 Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) Southern Ontario24Eastern Zone Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL) Eastern Ontario 12 Quebec Junior Hockey League (LHJQ) Quebec 13 Maritime Junior Hockey League (MHL) Atlantic Canada 12
Notes
Former leagues Former leagues competing within the CJHL:
Atlantic Canada Eastern Junior A Hockey League Island Junior Hockey League Maritime Junior A Hockey League (1968–1971) New Brunswick Junior Hockey League Newfoundland Junior A Hockey League St. John's Junior Hockey League Quebec Quebec Junior A Hockey League
Ontario Metro Junior A Hockey League Northern Ontario Junior Hockey Association Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League (1972–1987) Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League Thunder Bay Flyers (USHL) Thunder Bay Junior A Hockey League
Manitoba NorMan Junior Hockey League British Columbia British Columbia Hockey League Pacific Junior A Hockey League Rocky Mountain Junior Hockey League
Administrators Kirk Lamb was named the first full-time chairman and president in 2012. Rick Morocco served as executive director from 2014 to 2016, when he was succeeded by Brent Ladds who became president while Lamb continued as chairman. The CJHL sought to restructure its administration to assist the chairman of the board. Ladds was tasked with overseeing all administration, events, planning and corporate partnerships.; Kevin Abrams was appointed chairman in 2017, followed by Robert Mazzuca who was appointed in 2021. Andy Harkness succeeded Ladds as CJHL president on November 7, 2022.
National playoffs and trophies
To determine a National Champion, the winners of each league playdown in three regional championships—the Fred Page Cup (Eastern Region - Maritimes, Quebec, Ottawa District), the Dudley Hewitt Cup (Central Region - Southern Ontario, Northeastern Ontario, Northwestern Ontario), the ANAVET Cup (Western Region - Manitoba and Saskatchewan), and the Doyle Cup (Pacific Region - Alberta and British Columbia). The winners of the four regional playoffs and a host city play in the Centennial Cup national Junior A championship.