Canadian Junior Hockey League Head Office Calgary, Alberta Official Website http://cjhlhockey.com/ Chairman Paul Lake Founded 1993 Member Leagues 11 Member Teams 143 2008-09 Champion Vernon Vipers (BCHL)

The Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL), an association of Canadian Junior A ice hockey leagues and teams, formed in November 1993, emerging from the Canada West Association of Junior 'A' Hockey. The champion of the Canadian Junior Hockey League wins the Royal Bank Cup.

[edit] History

In reality, the CJHL received its start in 1970 when the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, and Western Canada Hockey League tore away from the major branches of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association and became its own governing body (what would become the Canadian Hockey League). These "Major Junior" Leagues only competed against each other and did not include other Junior "A" leagues that were left behind. The Major Junior League also were permitted to exclusively compete for the Memorial Cup, a right given to all Junior "A" leagues prior to 1970.

In May 1970, Frank McKinnon tabled a motion at the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association AGM to allow the remaining Junior "A" Leagues to compete at a national level for a national 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. The leagues that would be involved in that first year were the British Columbia Junior Hockey League (BCJHL), Alberta Junior Hockey League, Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL), Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL), Thunder Bay Junior A Hockey League (TBJHL), Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League (SOJHL), Central Junior A Hockey League (CenJHL), Northern Ontario Junior Hockey Association (NOJHA), Maritime Junior Hockey League (MarJHL), and New Brunswick Junior Hockey League (NBJHL).

Some of these leagues formed a formal precursor to the CJHL in 1990 that would be known as 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".

Leagues that have been involved in the CAHA Junior "A" playoff structure have been: the Pacific Coast Junior Hockey League (PCJHL), the Rocky Mountain Junior Hockey League (RMJHL), KJHL, the Thunder Bay Junior Hockey League (TBJHL), SOJHL, the Metro Junior A Hockey League (MetJHL), and the PEIJHL. Also, a single team from the United States Hockey League known as the Thunder Bay Flyers, which originated in the TBJHL, played sporadically in the National structure between 1984 and 1995.

To determine a Grand Champion, the winners of each league playdown in four regional championships -- the Fred Page Cup, the Dudley Hewitt Cup, the Anavet Cup, and the Doyle Cup. The winners of the four regionals playoff with a host city for the Royal Bank Cup to determine the National Champion.

[edit] Leagues

[edit] 2010 Royal Bank Cup

Locations of Regions and Leagues of the CJHL (2009).

Click Here to see the Canadian Junior A Hockey League's Playoff and National Championship.

[edit] 2010 Championships

[edit] National Hockey League Draft

The leagues of the CJHL have been quite active in the National Hockey League Entry Draft since the organization's inception in 1993. In sixteen drafts, 169 players have been drafted directly off of CJHL teams and into the NHL, including 9 first round picks. The following chart shows how many players have been picked from each charter league over the past fourteen drafts and how many picks are drafted on average from each league per year. These numbers do not include the hundreds of players who played in the CJHL, moved up to Canadian Hockey League, NCAA, or United States Hockey League and were then drafted.

(*) BCHL totals includes picks from defunct Rocky Mountain Junior Hockey League

(**) OPJHL totals include picks from defunct Metro Junior A Hockey League

[edit] CJHL Prospects Game

The President's Cup is awarded to the winning team at the CJHL Prospects Game. Team East (CenJHL, MJAHL, NOJHL, CCHL, OJAHL, and QJAAAHL players) and Team West (AJHL, BCHL, MJHL, SJHL, and SIJHL players) playoff in an annual event for the President's Cup at a predetermined host city in front of scores of fans and scouts. From 2005 until 2008, the event ran as a single game, but starting in 2009 the President's Cup will be played for in a two game series where the combined score of the games determines the winner of the event.

Single Game Event

2005 Team West defeated Team East 5-4 in Yorkton, Saskatchewan

2006 Team West defeated Team East 6-2 in Vernon, British Columbia

2007 Team East defeated Team West 5-3 in Winkler, Manitoba

2008 Team East defeated Team West 6-3 in Summerside, Prince Edward Island

Two Game Series

2009 Team West defeated Team East 8-3 (8-1, 0-2) in Winkler, Manitoba

[edit] Player of the Year Award

• 1971-1978 Unknown
• 1979 Tom Manley - Nepean Raiders (CenJHL)
• 1980 Bruce Campbell - North River North Stars (IJHL)
• 1981 James Patrick - Prince Albert Raiders (SJHL)
• 1982-1988 Unknown
• 1989 Greg Johnson - Thunder Bay Flyers (USHL)
• 1990 Duane Saulnier - Halifax Jr. Canadians (MVJHL)
• 1991 Devin Edgerton - Humboldt Broncos (SJHL)
• 1992 Paul Kariya - Penticton Panthers (BCHL)
• 1993 Derek Cormier - Moncton Beavers (MJAHL)
• 1994 Martin Duval - Chateauguay Elites (QPJHL)
• 1995 Cory Cyrenne - St. Boniface Saints (MJHL)
• 1996 Trent Walfort - Newmarket 87's (OPJHL)
• 1997 Darryl Moxam - Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats (NOJHL)
• 1998 Mike Comrie - St. Albert Saints (AJHL)
• 1999 Dany Heatley - Calgary Canucks (AJHL)
• 2000 Junior Lessard - Portage Terriers (MJHL)
• 2001 Tyler Brosz - Olds Grizzlys (AJHL)
• 2002 Jeff Tambellini - Chilliwack Chiefs (BCHL)
• 2003 Mark Bomersback - Canmore Eagles (AJHL)
• 2004 Nick Johnson - St. Albert Saints (AJHL)
• 2005 Sam Colizza - Kingston Voyageurs (OPJHL)
• 2006 Jordan Knox - Summerside Western Capitals (MJAHL)
• 2007 Kyle Turris - Burnaby Express (BCHL)
• 2008 Joe Colborne - Camrose Kodiaks (AJHL)
• 2009 Eric Delong - Portage Terriers (MJHL)

[edit] Former Competing Leagues & Entities

• Eastern Junior Hockey League (Cape Breton Island)
• Island Junior Hockey League
• Maritime Junior Hockey League
• Metro Junior A Hockey League
• New Brunswick Junior Hockey League
• Northern Manitoba Junior Hockey League
• Northern Ontario Junior Hockey Association
• Ontario Junior Hockey League
• Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League (1972-1987)
• Pacific Coast Junior Hockey League
• Quebec Junior A Hockey League
• Rocky Mountain Junior Hockey League
• St. John's Junior and Senior Hockey League
• St. John's Junior Hockey League
• Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League
• Thunder Bay Flyers (USHL)
• Thunder Bay Junior A Hockey League

[edit] See also

• Royal Bank Cup
• Dudley Hewitt Cup
• Fred Page Cup
• Anavet Cup
• Doyle Cup
• World Junior A Challenge
• Ontario Hockey Association
• List of ice hockey leagues

[edit] External links

• CJHL site