Canadian Junior Hockey League
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| Countries | Canada, United States |
|---|---|
| Chairman | Kirk Lamb |
| President | Brent Ladds |
| Former name(s) | Canada West Hockey Association (1990-1993) Canadian Junior A Hockey League (1993-2008) |
| Founded | 1993 |
| Divisions | 10 Leagues |
| Conferences | 3 Regions |
| No. of teams | 132 |
| Championship | Royal Bank Cup |
| Recent Champions | West Kelowna Warriors (BCHL) (1st) |
| Most successful club | Vernon Vipers (BCHL) (6) |
| Headquarters | Calgary, Alberta |
| Website | http://cjhlhockey.com/ |
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.
The CJHL spans the majority of Canada, from the Pacific Coast to the Atlantic Coast. The only regional organizations of Hockey Canada to currently not have member teams or a league are Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador and Hockey North. In addition to 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 with the Maritime Junior A Hockey League.
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.
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