Canadian Hockey LeagueOntario
Hockey League In 1898, the Ontario Hockey Association started a "junior"
division for players under the age of twenty. The J. Ross Robertson Cup was first
awarded to the OHA Junior "A" champions in 1934 and is still the league's championship
trophy today. The OHA operated its junior league until 1974, when the league became
a separate entity and was renamed the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League and eventually,
simply the Ontario Hockey League. Junior hockey in Canada flourished over the
years, and the OHL played a major role in the development of young hockey players,
producing thousands of the country's top hockey players, from Bobby Orr to Wayne
Gretzky to Joe Thornton. 
The legendary Bobby Orr, down to block a shot during his junior days with the
Oshawa Generals.
© Graphic Artists/Hockey Hall of Fame
Western
Hockey League In 1966, with seven teams based in Alberta and Saskatchewan,
the Western Hockey League was born. Originally known as the Canadian Major Junior
Hockey League, it was renamed the Western Canada Hockey League in 1967. With a
franchise transfer into Portland, Oregon in 1976 and the league expanding into
Seattle the next year, the league officially dropped the "Canadian" from its name,
becoming the WHL. Currently the league has eighteen franchises in four provinces
and two states. Like the Ontario League, the WHL is the premier league for developing
young hockey players in Western Canada and has produced many top NHLers, like
Joe Sakic, Theo Fleury and Brad Stuart. Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
In 1969, the last piece of the future Canadian Hockey League fell into place.
The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League formed for the 1969-70 season. The league
featured eleven franchises for its inaugural season and has now swelled to sixteen
with the recent addition of the Montreal Rocket. Originally strictly Quebec-based,
the league attempted U.S. expansion into Plattsburgh with the Pioneers in 1985-86,
but the team lasted only seventeen games. The league had much better luck outside
Quebec when it expanded east into the Maritimes, with franchises now located in
Acadie-Bathurst, Cape Breton, Halifax and Moncton. The QMJHL, with its
accent on offensive hockey, has produced many scoring stars over the years including
Guy Lafleur, Mario Lemieux and Vincent Lecavalier, and recently has become a veritable
goalie factory. The offensive nature of the game seems to help produce top-notch
goaltenders; such as Patrick Roy, Martin Brodeur, and Roberto Luongo. With
the bulk of Canada geographically covered by the three leagues, the Canadian Amateur
Hockey Association felt that the leagues would be best served with some overall
leadership. At the 1975 CAHA annual meeting, held that year in Quebec City, it
was decided that the OHL, WHL and QMJHL would join together to form the Canadian
Hockey League. | |
Wayne Gretzky started wearing his famous #99 shortly after joining the Soo Greyhounds
of the OHL.
© Ottawa Citizen Collection/Hockey Hall of Fame
Defenceman
Bryan McCabe played with Medicine Hat, Spokane, and Brandon in his WHL career.
© Doug MacLellan/Hockey Hall of Fame
Darcy
Tucker captured an amazing three Memorial Cup championships while playing for
the Kamloops Blazers.
© Doug MacLellan/Hockey Hall of Fame
Mario
Lemieux was a dominant force for the Laval Voisin where he scored an amazing 133
goals and 282 points in 1983-84.
© Hockey Hall of Fame
Vincent Lecavalier, who starred with the Rimouski Oceanic, pictured at the CHL
Prospects game, went on to star in the NHL for the Tampa Bay Lightning.
©
Dave Sandford/Hockey Hall of Fame
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