Canadian Hockey League
Encyclopedia
The Canadian Hockey League is an umbrella organization
that represents the three Canadian
-based major junior
ice hockey
leagues for players 16 to 20 years of age. The CHL was founded in 1975 as the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League, and is composed of its three member leagues, the Western Hockey League
, Ontario Hockey League
, and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
. Its three leagues and 59 teams represent nine Canadian
provinces as well as four American
states.
The CHL schedule culminates in the Memorial Cup
tournament, which sees each of the three league champions, as well as a host team, play a round-robin tournament to determine a national champion. The CHL also hosts the CHL Top Prospects Game
, for the top draft eligible
players in the league, as well as the Subway Super Series, a six-game all-star exhibition series against a team of Russian juniors.
(WHL), the Ontario Hockey League
(OHL) and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
(QMJHL). All three leagues have teams in both Canada and the United States. Each league plays individual regular season schedules, and playoffs. The annual CHL championship is determined by the Memorial Cup
tournament held in May.
Differences in styles of play can be identified from the three leagues. In recent history, the WHL has been known for a much grittier, east-west style of hockey, producing heavy hitting and defensively sound defensemen as well as strong goaltenders. The QMJHL is typically known for a much faster, wide open and offensive north-south style of play, producing many offensively gifted forwards and puck rushing defensemen but much fewer professional-material goalies. The OHL has tended to be a moderate combination of both styles and is commonly commended with producing an assortment of professional-ready players and goalies. The OHL also owns a repuation for producing the most complete players, skill and maturity-wise compared to the WHL and QMJHL.
More than half the players in the National Hockey League for the 2005–06 NHL season had played in the CHL. The CHL is generally considered the world's top professional development junior hockey league. It is a key supplier of new players and officials for the many North American professional hockey leagues, such as the National Hockey League
, American Hockey League
, ECHL
, and the Central Hockey League
. Many CHL players also opt for Canadian Interuniversity Sport
(CIS).
The CHL also seeks to raise the profile of the junior game by hosting annual events such as the Memorial Cup, the CHL Top Prospects Game
and the Subway Super Series. The organization also provides many scholarships and bursaries for its players who exemplify extraordinary efforts and community involvement. These programs are supported by the many corporate sponsors.
Tournament is the championship of Junior Canadian hockey. Each year it features the champions from the (WHL
, OHL
, QMJHL
) and the host CHL team. The host team changes from year to year, and is selected by a bidding process prior to the start of each season. The annual event is one of the biggest sporting events in North America, attracting thousands of spectators and generating increasing revenue for both the CHL teams and the host city. MasterCard is the official sponsor of the championship.
is an annual event sponsored by Home Hardware
and hosted by the CHL in which 40 of the top NHL Entry Draft
eligible prospects in the Canadian Hockey League play against each other much like an all-star game. Each draft prospect hopes to boost their draft ranking with the NHL scouts and general managers who attend. The players are typically coached by a pair of hockey celebrities, usually Don Cherry and Bobby Orr
. The event has been held annually since 1992. From 1992 to 1995 the event was known as the CHL All-Star Challenge and usually pitted one of the CHL's leagues against the other two.
to showcase Canadian junior talent versus Russian junior talent. Each year a Russian junior team plays 6 games in total in Canada, two games against each CHL member league (WHL, OHL, QMJHL).
The OHL has yet to lose a game.
states. For lists of teams see the articles about each member league. In 2008, the St. John's Fog Devils
moved to Montreal
, becoming the Montreal Junior Hockey Club
, and left Newfoundland and Labrador
as the only province without a team. The newest team is the Edmonton Oil Kings
of the WHL, which began play in the 2007–08 season.
Umbrella organization
An umbrella organization is an association of institutions, who work together formally to coordinate activities or pool resources. In business, political, or other environments, one group, the umbrella organization, provides resources and often an identity to the smaller organizations...
that represents the three Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
-based major junior
Junior ice hockey
Junior hockey is a catch-all term used to describe various levels of ice hockey competition for players generally between 16 and 20 years of age...
ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
leagues for players 16 to 20 years of age. The CHL was founded in 1975 as the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League, and is composed of its three member leagues, the Western Hockey League
Western Hockey League
The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada...
, Ontario Hockey League
Ontario Hockey League
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 of Hockey Canada....
, and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League...
. Its three leagues and 59 teams represent nine Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
provinces as well as four American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
states.
The CHL schedule culminates in the Memorial Cup
Memorial Cup
The Memorial Cup is a junior ice hockey club championship trophy awarded annually to the Canadian Hockey League champion. It is awarded following a four-team, round robin tournament between a host team and the champions of the CHL's three member leagues: the Ontario Hockey League , Quebec Major...
tournament, which sees each of the three league champions, as well as a host team, play a round-robin tournament to determine a national champion. The CHL also hosts the CHL Top Prospects Game
CHL Top Prospects Game
The CHL Top Prospects Game is an annual event in which forty of the top draft eligible prospects in the Canadian Hockey League play against each other, each hoping to boost their draft ranking with the National Hockey League scouts and general managers who attend.The players are typically coached...
, for the top draft eligible
NHL Entry Draft
The NHL Entry Draft is an annual meeting in which every franchise of the National Hockey League systematically select the rights to available amateur ice hockey players who meet draft eligibility requirements...
players in the league, as well as the Subway Super Series, a six-game all-star exhibition series against a team of Russian juniors.
Introduction
The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) is the governing body for Major Junior Hockey (formerly known as Tier One Junior A) in Canada. Its precursor was the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA). The CHL currently oversees the Western Hockey LeagueWestern Hockey League
The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada...
(WHL), the Ontario Hockey League
Ontario Hockey League
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 of Hockey Canada....
(OHL) and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League...
(QMJHL). All three leagues have teams in both Canada and the United States. Each league plays individual regular season schedules, and playoffs. The annual CHL championship is determined by the Memorial Cup
Memorial Cup
The Memorial Cup is a junior ice hockey club championship trophy awarded annually to the Canadian Hockey League champion. It is awarded following a four-team, round robin tournament between a host team and the champions of the CHL's three member leagues: the Ontario Hockey League , Quebec Major...
tournament held in May.
Differences in styles of play can be identified from the three leagues. In recent history, the WHL has been known for a much grittier, east-west style of hockey, producing heavy hitting and defensively sound defensemen as well as strong goaltenders. The QMJHL is typically known for a much faster, wide open and offensive north-south style of play, producing many offensively gifted forwards and puck rushing defensemen but much fewer professional-material goalies. The OHL has tended to be a moderate combination of both styles and is commonly commended with producing an assortment of professional-ready players and goalies. The OHL also owns a repuation for producing the most complete players, skill and maturity-wise compared to the WHL and QMJHL.
More than half the players in the National Hockey League for the 2005–06 NHL season had played in the CHL. The CHL is generally considered the world's top professional development junior hockey league. It is a key supplier of new players and officials for the many North American professional hockey leagues, such as the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
, American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
, ECHL
ECHL
The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...
, and the Central Hockey League
Central Hockey League
The Central Hockey League is a mid-level professional hockey league, owned by Global Entertainment Corporation. Its current champions are the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs, which defeated the Colorado Eagles four games to three in the 2011 playoffs....
. Many CHL players also opt for Canadian Interuniversity Sport
Canadian Interuniversity Sport
Canadian Interuniversity Sport is the national governing body of university sport in Canada, comprising the majority of degree granting universities in the country. Its equivalent body for organized sports at colleges in Canada is The Canadian Colleges Athletic Association...
(CIS).
The CHL also seeks to raise the profile of the junior game by hosting annual events such as the Memorial Cup, the CHL Top Prospects Game
CHL Top Prospects Game
The CHL Top Prospects Game is an annual event in which forty of the top draft eligible prospects in the Canadian Hockey League play against each other, each hoping to boost their draft ranking with the National Hockey League scouts and general managers who attend.The players are typically coached...
and the Subway Super Series. The organization also provides many scholarships and bursaries for its players who exemplify extraordinary efforts and community involvement. These programs are supported by the many corporate sponsors.
The MasterCard Memorial Cup
The Memorial CupMemorial Cup
The Memorial Cup is a junior ice hockey club championship trophy awarded annually to the Canadian Hockey League champion. It is awarded following a four-team, round robin tournament between a host team and the champions of the CHL's three member leagues: the Ontario Hockey League , Quebec Major...
Tournament is the championship of Junior Canadian hockey. Each year it features the champions from the (WHL
Western Hockey League
The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada...
, OHL
Ontario Hockey League
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 of Hockey Canada....
, QMJHL
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League...
) and the host CHL team. The host team changes from year to year, and is selected by a bidding process prior to the start of each season. The annual event is one of the biggest sporting events in North America, attracting thousands of spectators and generating increasing revenue for both the CHL teams and the host city. MasterCard is the official sponsor of the championship.
CHL Top Prospects Game
The CHL Top Prospects GameCHL Top Prospects Game
The CHL Top Prospects Game is an annual event in which forty of the top draft eligible prospects in the Canadian Hockey League play against each other, each hoping to boost their draft ranking with the National Hockey League scouts and general managers who attend.The players are typically coached...
is an annual event sponsored by Home Hardware
Home Hardware
Home Hardware is a privately held Canadian home improvement, construction materials, and furniture retailer. Co-founded in 1964 by Walter Hachborn and headquartered in St...
and hosted by the CHL in which 40 of the top NHL Entry Draft
NHL Entry Draft
The NHL Entry Draft is an annual meeting in which every franchise of the National Hockey League systematically select the rights to available amateur ice hockey players who meet draft eligibility requirements...
eligible prospects in the Canadian Hockey League play against each other much like an all-star game. Each draft prospect hopes to boost their draft ranking with the NHL scouts and general managers who attend. The players are typically coached by a pair of hockey celebrities, usually Don Cherry and Bobby Orr
Bobby Orr
Robert Gordon "Bobby" Orr, OC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Orr played in the National Hockey League for his entire career, the first ten seasons with the Boston Bruins, joining the Chicago Black Hawks for two more. Orr is widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest...
. The event has been held annually since 1992. From 1992 to 1995 the event was known as the CHL All-Star Challenge and usually pitted one of the CHL's leagues against the other two.
Canada-Russia Super Series
The CHL hosts annually, the Subway Super Series, sponsored by SubwaySubway (restaurant)
Subway is an American restaurant franchise that primarily sells submarine sandwiches and salads. It is owned and operated by Doctor's Associates, Inc. . Subway is one of the fastest growing franchises in the world with 35,519 restaurants in 98 countries and territories as of October 25th, 2011...
to showcase Canadian junior talent versus Russian junior talent. Each year a Russian junior team plays 6 games in total in Canada, two games against each CHL member league (WHL, OHL, QMJHL).
The OHL has yet to lose a game.
CHL Import Draft
Each year, every team in the CHL has the option to choose up to two players from outside North America to add to its roster. Picks are chosen in reverse order of the team's standings in the CHL. The Import Draft is seen as a way to raise the level of competition in the CHL, as well as to broaden its fan base while retaining high North American content.CHL awards
List of annual awards given by the CHL:
|
Memorial Cup Awards:
|
Teams
The league comprises 60 teams located in nine Canadian provinces and four AmericanUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
states. For lists of teams see the articles about each member league. In 2008, the St. John's Fog Devils
St. John's Fog Devils
The St. John's Fog Devils were a junior ice hockey team in the Eastern Division of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. They were based in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, and played out of Mile One Centre. The QMJHL expanded to St. John's to fill the void created by the departure of the...
moved to Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, becoming the Montreal Junior Hockey Club
Montreal Junior Hockey Club
The Montreal Junior Hockey Club were a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League . The team is based out of the Verdun Auditorium, in Verdun, Quebec. The St. John's Fog Devils franchise relocated at the conclusion of the 2007–08 QMJHL season...
, and left Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
as the only province without a team. The newest team is the Edmonton Oil Kings
Edmonton Oil Kings
This article refers to the original Oil Kings franchises that existed until 1978. For the current team that began play in 2007, see Edmonton Oil Kings...
of the WHL, which began play in the 2007–08 season.
- The Western Hockey LeagueWestern Hockey LeagueThe Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada...
, with 22 teams in British ColumbiaBritish ColumbiaBritish Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, AlbertaAlbertaAlberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, SaskatchewanSaskatchewanSaskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, ManitobaManitobaManitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, Washington, and OregonOregonOregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. - The Ontario Hockey LeagueOntario Hockey LeagueThe 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 of Hockey Canada....
, with 20 teams in OntarioOntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, MichiganMichiganMichigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, and PennsylvaniaPennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. - The Quebec Major Junior Hockey LeagueQuebec Major Junior Hockey LeagueThe Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League...
, with 17 teams in QuebecQuebecQuebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, New BrunswickNew BrunswickNew Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
, Nova ScotiaNova ScotiaNova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, and Prince Edward IslandPrince Edward IslandPrince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
.
Attendance
Top CHL teams by average attendance, 2010–11 regular season. Teams with an average attendance over 6,000 shown.| 1. | Quebec Remparts Québec Remparts There have been two junior ice hockey franchises known as the Quebec Remparts that played in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The first franchise played from 1969 to 1985; the current franchise has played since 1997. Both franchises were based out of Quebec City, Quebec... |
(QMJHL) | 10928.9 |
| 2. | London Knights London Knights The London Knights are a junior ice hockey team from London, Ontario, Canada, playing in the Ontario Hockey League, one of the leagues of the Canadian Hockey League.-Early days–1968:... |
(OHL) | 8947.5 |
| 3. | Calgary Hitman | (WHL) | 8263.1 |
| 4. | Ottawa 67's Ottawa 67's The Ottawa 67’s are a junior ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario. They have played in the Ontario Hockey League since 1967, Canada's centennial year. The current coach is Chris Byrne.-History:... |
(OHL) | 7880.6 |
| 5. | Vancouver Giants Vancouver Giants The Vancouver Giants are a major junior ice hockey team playing in the Western Hockey League . Inaugurated in 2001–02, the Giants have won one President's Cup in 2006 and one Memorial Cup in 2007 in their ten-season history... |
(WHL) | 7044.4 |
| 6. | Kitchener Rangers Kitchener Rangers The Kitchener Rangers are a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League that have called Kitchener, Ontario, Canada their home since 1963. The Rangers are a publicly owned hockey team, governed by a 40-person Board of Directors made up of season ticket subscribers. The Rangers hosted... |
(OHL) | 6340.6 |
| 7. | Windsor Spitfires Windsor Spitfires The Windsor Spitfires are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. The team is based in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. The franchise was granted for the 1975–76 season and revived a previous OHA Jr. A Spitfires team which moved to become the Hamilton Tiger Cubs in 1953.-History:The... |
(OHL) | 6111 |
| 8. | Kelowna Rockets Kelowna Rockets The Kelowna Rockets are a major junior ice hockey team based in Kelowna, British Columbia. The Rockets play in the Western Hockey League , out of the Canadian Hockey League . They play their home games at Prospera Place.... |
(WHL) | 6078.1 |
External links
- Canadian Hockey League Official web site
- Ontario Hockey League Official web site
- Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Official web site
- Western Hockey League Official web site