1971 Memorial Cup

The 1971 Memorial Cup was the 53rd annual Memorial Cup competition, organized by the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) to determine the champion of major junior A ice hockey. It was a best-of-three series between the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Junior Hockey League (QJHL) and the Edmonton Oil Kings of the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL). Quebec won the series in two games, both held at the Colisée de Québec, to win the first Memorial Cup championship in the city's history.

The national playdowns were marred by controversy as the Remparts advanced to the championship series when the Ontario Hockey Association's (OHA) St. Catharines Black Hawks forfeited the eastern championship series after five games rather than return to Quebec City for a sixth game in the face of a hostile and violent crowd and threats from the Front de libération du Québec. The Remparts then refused a challenge from the Oil Kings for the national championship as result of disagreements on player eligibility and travel subsidies. The two teams resolved their differences in time for an abbreviated best-of-three series to be held rather than the typical best-of-seven.

The CAHA reorganized junior A hockey prior to this season, splitting this top level into two tiers. The OHA, QJHL and WCHL formed the "Tier I Major Junior A" rank (simply "Major Junior" starting in 1980). The Memorial Cup became the national championship of the new tier. The remaining teams and leagues remained in the Junior A rank. A new championship, the Manitoba Centennial Trophy, was created for teams at this level.

The Memorial Cup tournament remained in an east vs. west format for 1971. The champions of the OHA and QJHL were to play for the Eastern championship and then face the WCHL winner for the national title. This format lasted only one year, as for 1972, the CAHA reorganized the Memorial Cup into a three-team round-robin tournament between the winner of each league.

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