Ontario Hockey League

Ontario Hockey League
Sport	Ice hockey
Founded	1974
Commissioner	David Branch
No. of teams	20
Country(ies)	Canada (17 teams)  United States (3 teams)
Most recent champion(s)	Windsor Spitfires
Most championships	Oshawa Generals – 12
TV partner(s)	Rogers Sportsnet, Cogeco Sports
Official website	OHL

OHL All-Star Game 2006 Opening Face Off. Game played in Belleville's Yardmen Arena. February 1st, 2006.

The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.

The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation (OHF) of Hockey Canada.

The league was formed in 1974 out of the Major Junior A Tier I division of the Ontario Hockey Association.

David Branch has been the only Commissioner of the OHL from this time. Since 1980 the league has grown rapidly into a high profile marketable product, with many games broadcast on television and radio.

There are currently 20 teams in the OHL; 17 are based in Ontario, 2 teams in Michigan and 1 team in Pennsylvania. Out of the 17 teams based in Ontario 15 teams are in Southern Ontario and 2 teams are in Northern Ontario.

The three largest arenas in the OHL are Ottawa's Civic Centre, London's John Labatt Centre, and Windsor's WFCU Centre.

[edit] History

Junior age ice hockey in Ontario began in 1896, organized by the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA). Since then it has gone through four distinct eras in the organization of junior hockey. In 1933, the junior division was divided into two levels, junior A and junior B. In 1972 the upper level was divided into two more levels, Tier I and Tier II. In 1974 the "Major Junior A Tier I" portion of the OHA separated from the OHA and became the 'Ontario Major Junior Hockey League.' (OMJHL) In the 1980, the OMJHL became the "Ontario Hockey League."

[edit] Current member teams

[edit] Schedule

A map of the OHL teams' home cities.

The 20 OHL clubs play a 68 game unbalanced schedule, which starts in the third full week of September, running until the third week of March. Ninety per cent (90%) of OHL games are scheduled between Thursday and Sunday to minimize the number of school days missed for its players. Ninety-five per cent (95%) of the players in the league are attending high school or college.

Approximately 20% of players on active rosters in the National Hockey League have come from the OHL, and about 54% of NHL players are alumni of the Canadian Hockey League.

[edit] 2008–09 OHL season

The current OHL season commenced on September 17, 2008.

[edit] Bell OHL All-Star Classic

The 2009 OHL All-Star Classic was played February 4, 2009, at the WFCU Centre in Windsor.

[edit] OHL playoffs and Memorial Cup

The J. Ross Robertson Cup is awarded annually to the winner of the Championship Series. The Cup is named for John Ross Robertson, who was president of the Ontario Hockey Association from 1901 to 1905.

The OHL playoffs consist of the top 16 teams in the league, 8 from each conference. The teams play a best-of-7 game series, and the winner of each series advances to the next round. The final two teams eventually compete for the J. Ross Robertson Cup.

The OHL champion then competes with the winners of the Western Hockey League, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, and the host of the tournament to play for the Memorial Cup, which is awarded to the junior hockey champions of Canada. The host team of the tournament is alternated between the three leagues every season. This year's tournament is hosted by the Rimouski Oceanic of the QMJHL.

[edit] Memorial Cup champions

The Memorial Cup has been captured 13 times by OHL/OHA teams since the tournament went to a 3-league format in 1972:

The Cup was also won 16 times by OHA teams in the period between 1945 and 1971:

[edit] Priority Selection

The Priority Selection was first conducted the summer before the 1974–75 OMJHL season. It has been conducted annually since then. It is a selection of players aged 16 and 17 years old who are residents of the province of Ontario, the states of Michigan, Pennsylvania and New York, and other designated U.S. states.

Prior to 2001, the OHL held the Priority Selection in a public forum, such as an arena. Drafts were attended by many players and family members. In 2001, the OHL decided to hold the "draft" via the Internet, greatly reducing the costs the league and its member teams incurred in hosting a public draft. This move reduced the stress and pressure that prospective players faced with a large crowd present.

The Jack Ferguson Award is presented annually to the first overall selection . The award was named in honour of long time OHL scout and former Director of Central Scouting Jack Ferguson.

[edit] OHL Records

Individual records

• Most goals in a season: 87, Ernie Godden, 1980–81
• Most assists in a season: 123, Bobby Smith, 1977–78
• Most points in a season: 192, Bobby Smith, 1977–78
• Most penalty minutes in a season: 384, Mike Moher, 1981–82
• Most points in a season, rookie: 182, Wayne Gretzky, 1977–78
• Most points in a season, defenseman: 155, Bryan Fogarty, 1988–89

Team Records

• Most wins in a season: 59, London Knights, 2004–05
• Most points in a season: 120, London Knights, 2004–05
• Most goals in a season: 469, Toronto Marlboros, 1974–75
• Fewest goals against in a season: 125, London Knights, 2004–05

[edit] Trophies and awards

Team Trophies

• J. Ross Robertson Cup - OHL Playoffs Champion
• Bobby Orr Trophy - Eastern Conference Playoffs Champion
• Wayne Gretzky Trophy - Western Conference Playoffs Champion
• Hamilton Spectator Trophy - Regular Season Champion
• Leyden Trophy - East Division Regular Season Champion
• Emms Trophy - Central Division Regular Season Champion
• Holody Trophy - Midwest Division Regular Season Champion
• Bumbacco Trophy - West Division Regular Season Champion

Executive Trophies

• Matt Leyden Trophy - OHL Coach of the Year
• OHL Executive of the Year
• Bill Long Award - Lifetime Distinguished Service

Player Trophies

• Red Tilson Trophy - Most Outstanding Player
• Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy - Scoring Champion
• Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy - Top Scoring Right Winger
• Max Kaminsky Trophy - Most Outstanding Defenceman
• OHL Goaltender of the Year
• Jack Ferguson Award - First Overall Priority Selection
• Dave Pinkney Trophy - Lowest Team Goals Against
• Emms Family Award - Rookie of the Year
• F.W. "Dinty" Moore Trophy - Best Rookie GAA
• Dan Snyder Memorial Trophy - Humanitarian of the Year
• William Hanley Trophy - Most Sportsmanlike Player
• Leo Lalonde Memorial Trophy - Overage Player of the Year
• Bobby Smith Trophy - Scholastic Player of the Year
• Roger Neilson Memorial Award - Top Academic College/University Player
• Ivan Tennant Memorial Award - Top Academic High School Player
• Wayne Gretzky 99 Award - Playoffs Most Valuable Player
• Mickey Renaud Captain's Trophy - "Team captain that best exemplifies... character and commitment."[1]

[edit] See also

• Ontario Hockey League history
• List of OHL seasons
• List of OHA Junior A standings
• List of CHL franchise post-season droughts
• Sports league attendances

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Ontario Hockey League

• Ontario Hockey League Official website
• Canadian Hockey League Official website
• OHL Arena Guide
• Maps to OHL arenas
• Internet Hockey Database archive of standings and statistics