Central Canadian Hockey League For results from the current season, please see: 2009–10 CCHL season. Head Office Bolton, Ontario Official Web site http://www.thecchl.com Founded April 30, 2008 Director Perry Bowles Exec Committee Mike McCarron Marc Mercier Anthony Pietramala 2008-09 Champions Wellington Dukes

OHA Junior "A"
SOJHL	(1970-1977)
OPJHL	(1972–1987)
MetJHL	(1991-1998)
OJHL	(1993-2009)
CCHL	(2008-Present)
OJAHL	(2009-Present)
Ontario Hockey Association
Canadian Junior Hockey League

The Central Canadian Hockey League (CCHL) is an Ontario Hockey Association Tier I Junior ice hockey league in Southern Ontario. The Central Canadian Hockey League is a member of the Ontario Hockey Association and the Canadian Junior Hockey League. The league originated in 2008 as Central Division Hockey, an autonomous division of the Ontario Junior Hockey League.

For season-by-season results from the CCHL, please see: List of Ontario Hockey Association Junior A seasons.

[edit] History

On April 30 2008, a group of teams from the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League brought a proposal to the Ontario Hockey Association about creating a "Premier" division within the OPJHL. The OHA granted the proposal as a pilot project. It was soon announced that the division would be referred to as Central Division Hockey.^[1]

Although the OHA had attempted to play down the significance of the division in some aspects, they did admit 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 playoff semi-final. Additionally, the CDH would play a 53-game schedule, as opposed to the rest of the league which played a 49-game season. The division had its own website, separate from the league.^[2][1]

CDH Logo

The 2008-09 season for the Central Division was quite unique. First and last place in the division was the least spread out of all four OJHL divisions, 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 a controversial series that went to a seventh game.

The CDH's success in its first season led to the OHA granting it an extension and an opening for it to grant more teams entry into the CDH. In the Summer of 2009, 13 more teams voted to enter the division, which was to be renamed Central Conference Hockey. On June 29, 2009, it was announced that the Ontario Junior Hockey League was going to be dissolved and the CDH would become its own league. The remaining 15 teams from the 37-team OJHL formed the Ontario Junior A Hockey League.^[3] In August 2009, it came out that the CDH would be renamed the Central Canadian Hockey League.

The first game under the CCHL banner was played September 9, 2009. The Streetsville Derbys defeated the North York Rangers 5-4 in a shootout in North York.

[edit] Changes for 2009-10

• Toronto Dixie Beehives have relocated to Etobicoke, Ontario and changed name to Dixie Beehives.
• Upper Canada Hockey Club has relocated to Etobicoke, Ontario and changed name to Upper Canada Patriots.

[edit] Teams

[edit] Champions

Note: The bolded team is the overall champion.

[edit] References

1. ^ ^{a b} York region - OHA approves Jr. A pilot, appeal looms
2. ^ [1]
3. ^ http://georgetownraiders.pointstreaksites.com/view/georgetownraiders/news-23/news_4235

[edit] External links

• CCHL Website
• OHA Junior A Series Website