Junior hockey is a catch-all term used to describe various levels of
ice hockeyIce Hockey is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use sticks to direct a puck into the opposing team's goal. It is a fast-paced and physical sport...
competition for players generally between the ages of 16 and 20 years old.
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and
CanadianCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
junior hockey leagues are considered to be amateur hockey, except for franchises that play in the
Canadian Hockey LeagueThe 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 Ontario Hockey...
who are recognized as professional by organizations such as the
NCAAThe National Collegiate Athletic Association is a voluntary association of about 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States and Canada...
as players receive a small stipend. However, the earnings for junior players are invariably far smaller than can be earned in most levels of professional hockey. The vast majority of current NHL players played some level of junior hockey.
Canada
Junior hockey in Canada is broken into several tiers, and players aged 16–20 at the beginning of the season are eligible.
Hockey CanadaHockey Canada, formally known as the Canadian Hockey Association, is the national governing body of ice hockey in Canada and is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation. Hockey Canada controls a vast majority of ice hockey in Canada, with a few exceptions...
is enacting rules designed to limit the number of 16 year olds allowed to play junior hockey, preferring most remain at the midget level.
Major-Junior
Major-Junior hockey is overseen by the
Canadian Hockey LeagueThe 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 Ontario Hockey...
, which acts as the governing body for its three constituent leagues:
- 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...
, operating in QuebecQuebec is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking identity and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Atlantic CanadaAtlantic Canada, also known as the Atlantic provinces, is the region of Canada comprising four provinces located on the Atlantic coast: the three Maritime provinces – New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island – and Newfoundland and Labrador...
and MaineThe State of Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordering the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, New Hampshire to the southwest, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is the northernmost portion of...
- 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....
, operating in OntarioOntario is a province located in east-central Canada, the largest by population and second largest, after Quebec, in total area. Ontario is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba to the west and Quebec to the east, and 5 U.S...
, PennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania , often colloquially referred to as PA by natives and Northeasterners, is a state located in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States...
, and MichiganMichigan is a Midwestern state of the United States of America. It was named after Lake Michigan, whose name is a French adaptation of the Ojibwe term mishigama, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
- Western Hockey League
The Western Hockey League is a Major Junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest of the United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada...
, operating in Western CanadaWestern Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces and commonly as the West, is a region of Canada generally including all parts of Canada west of the province of Ontario. The West is considered by many to be a cultural region with an identity separate from that of the rest of Canada...
and the U.S. Pacific NorthwestThe Pacific Northwest is a region in the northwest of North America, bound by the Pacific Ocean to the west. There are several partially overlapping definitions of the region, but they generally include the Canadian province of British Columbia and the U.S. states of Washington and Oregon, and...
The CHL currently places a cap of three 20 year old or overage players per team, while only four 16 year olds are permitted. While Fifteen year old players were formerly permitted to play a limited number of games per season at the CHL level, they are now permitted to play only if they are deemed exceptional by the CHL. The only player to qualify under this rule thus far is John Tavares. CHL teams are currently permitted two imports, or European players each, though this cap is expected to be reduced to one within a couple of seasons.
CHL teams are considered professional by the NCAA; thus any player who plays a game at the Major Junior level loses their eligibility to play for American universities. They retain eligibility for Canadian universities however, and all three leagues have programs in place to grant scholarships for any player who plays in these leagues provided they do not turn professional once their junior career ends. Many of the top North American prospects for the NHL play in the CHL.
The champion of each league competes in an annual tournament with a predetermined host team for the
Memorial CupThe Memorial Cup is a junior ice hockey club championship trophy awarded annually to the Canadian Hockey League champion. Each year the champions from three CHL member leagues; the Western Hockey League , Ontario Hockey League , and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League , along with a host team,...
, Canada's national Major Junior championship.
Up until 1970, the leagues that became Major Junior and Junior A today were both known as Junior A. In 1970 they were divided into Tier I Junior A or Major Junior A and Tier II Junior A. In 1980, the three Major Junior A leagues opted for self control over being controlled by the branches of the
Canadian Amateur Hockey AssociationThe Canadian Amateur Hockey Association was the national governing body of amateur ice hockey play in Canada from 1914 until 1994 when it merged with the Canadian Hockey Association or Hockey Canada....
and became Major Junior hockey, Tier II Junior A became the top tier of hockey in these branches and became Junior A hockey.
Junior A
Junior A hockey is one level below the CHL. Junior A was referred to as Tier II Junior A in the 1970s, until what was called Major Junior A broke away from their regional branches in 1980 and became the
Canadian Hockey LeagueThe 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 Ontario Hockey...
and Major Junior hockey, at this time, the term Tier II was dropped from what is now Junior A hockey. It is governed by the Canadian Junior Hockey League, which oversees ten constituent leagues across Canada. The national championship is the
Royal Bank CupThe Royal Bank Cup is an annual ice hockey tournament held to determine the Canadian Junior A champion. The winner of the tournament wins the Royal Bank Cup...
. This level of hockey was created in 1970 when the Major Junior level broke away from the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association, although the affiliation was later amended.
Junior A teams are considered amateur by the NCAA, thus players intending to go to American universities tend to choose this route rather than play in the CHL. Junior A teams tend to play in much smaller markets than CHL teams, and thus play to much smaller crowds.
Some leagues that refer to themselves as Junior A also operate outside the control of the CJHL and Hockey Canada. Presently, the
Greater Metro Junior A Hockey LeagueThe Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League is a Canadian Developmental Junior "A" ice hockey league. The GMHL is not affiliated with the Canadian Junior Hockey League or a member by Hockey Canada...
in Ontario is operating as a rebel league. The WHA Junior West Hockey League is another such league, though it has apparently folded.
Junior B, C, D
Junior B was created in 1933, to differentiate between teams capable for
Memorial CupThe Memorial Cup is a junior ice hockey club championship trophy awarded annually to the Canadian Hockey League champion. Each year the champions from three CHL member leagues; the Western Hockey League , Ontario Hockey League , and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League , along with a host team,...
competition and those who were not. The major championships across Canada are the
Sutherland CupThe Sutherland Cup is the ice hockey Ontario Junior "B" Provincial Championship trophy. The Sutherland Cup is now the championship trophy of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League. Until 2007, the Cup served as an interleague provincial championship...
in
Southern OntarioThe Ontario Hockey Association is the governing body for the majority of Junior and Senior level ice hockey teams in the Province of Ontario. The OHA is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation along with the Northern Ontario Hockey Association. Other Ontario sanctioning bodies along with the...
, the Carson Trophy in the
Ottawa DistrictThe Eastern Ontario Junior Hockey League is a Canadian Junior ice hockey league operating in Eastern Ontario. The league is sanctioned by the Ottawa District Hockey Association and Hockey Canada. The 22 member team of the league compete for the D. Arnold Carson Memorial Trophy.-History:The EOJHL...
, the
Coupe DodgeThe Coupe Dodge or Dodge Cup is an ice hockey event in the Quebec, Canada that determines the top Junior "AA" team in the province. Junior "AA" is the equivalent of Junior "B" in the rest of the country. The event is sanctioned by Hockey Quebec and Hockey Canada. This tournament also runs for...
in
QuebecQuebec is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking identity and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, the
Don Johnson CupThe Don Johnson Cup is the Junior "B" ice hockey championship for the Atlantic Provinces of Canada -- Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island....
in the Atlantic Provinces, and the
Keystone CupThe Keystone Cup is the Junior "B" ice hockey championship and trophy for Western Canada. The Championship is the culmination of the champions of 12 hockey leagues in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Northwestern Ontario.-History:...
which represents all of Western Canada, from
British ColumbiaBritish Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is famed for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . In 1871, it became the sixth province of Canada.The capital of British Columbia is Victoria, the 15th largest metropolitan region in Canada...
to
Northwestern OntarioNorthwestern Ontario is the region within the Canadian province of Ontario which lies north and west of Lake Superior, and west of Hudson Bay and James Bay. It includes most of subarctic Ontario. Its western boundary is the Canadian province of Manitoba, which disputed Ontario's claim to the...
.
Junior C is generally a local based system, but is considered competitive in some regions, and serve as seeding or farm-teams for Junior B teams. Ontario Junior C Hockey has 6 rounds of playoffs (up to 42 games of best-of-seven playoff rounds) for the
Clarence Schmalz CupThe Clarence Schmalz Cup is the Ontario Hockey Association's Junior "C" ice hockey championship and championship trophy. The tournament to determine the winner of the Cup is commonly called the All-Ontario Championships...
which was first awarded in 1938. The Ontario playdowns are played for between 6 of the Province's 7 different regional leagues. In Quebec and West of Manitoba, Junior C hockey tends to be an extension of the local minor hockey system and is sometimes called Juvenile or House League. In Ontario, Manitoba, and the Maritimes, Junior C is run independently of minor hockey systems, though with the same mostly recreational purpose.
Junior D was popular in the 1960s and 1970s in dense population centers, but fell off in the early 1990s. In Quebec, Junior D is now known as Junior B and is run strictly by minor hockey associations. The last great Junior D league is not even a D league at all. The OHA's
Southern Ontario Junior Hockey LeagueThe Southern Ontario Junior Hockey League is a Junior level ice hockey league sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Association based out of Southwestern Ontario....
is the accumulation of the merger of the Northern, Western, and Southern Junior D leagues in the late 1980s. At 16 teams, the league renamed itself a Junior Development league in the early 1990s, and the SOJHL in 2006. In recent years, the SOJHL has been trying to get itself declared a Junior C league.
Teams at the lower level of junior hockey tend to operate as extensions of local minor hockey systems. While some future NHLers come from the lower levels of junior hockey, they are few. There is no national governing body at these levels, only provincial.
United States
As in Canada, junior hockey in the United States is subdivided into several levels. Presently, there are nine American teams in the Canadian Hockey League, most of them in the WHL, where five teams operate in
WashingtonWashington is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Washington was carved out of the western part of Washington Territory which had been ceded by Britain in 1846 by the Oregon Treaty as settlement of the Oregon Boundary Dispute. It was admitted to the Union as the...
and
OregonOregon 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...
. Outside of the CHL, the United States does not have any other Major Junior Hockey.
Tier 1 Junior A
The
United States Hockey LeagueThe United States Hockey League is the top junior ice hockey league in the United States. The USHL has 14 member teams located in Midwestern United States, consisting of players who are 20 years of age and younger...
(USHL) is currently the only Tier 1 Junior A league in the country, it consists of teams in the central and Midwestern US. The USHL provides an alternative to Major Junior Hockey for kids who want to play in the NCAA. While playing in the USHL, all player expenses are paid for by the team, no membership or equipment fees. Unlike Major Junior teams however, the pro drafting is significantly less and the free-college stipend does not exist (CHL teams pay for 1 year college for every year a player is on the team, typically after they leave). Tier 1 Junior A in the US is roughly on par with Junior A in Canada, though the actual skill levels may vary by region. Although the 2006 and 2007 World Junior A Championships were won by Canada West defeating Canada East in both finals, Team USA did make a fine showing both years and all members of the select team came from the USHL. 11 Junior A Championship players were drafted to the NHL in 2007, 2 in the first round, but all the draftees came from Russia and two Canadian teams. Quality of play in the USHL has improved to Junior A levels in the past 15 years, with about 10% of NHL players having played USHL in their career (compared with 40% who have played NCAA Div I at some time). 40 to 60 percent of USHL players go on the play NCAA hockey, as this is the main reason for playing Tier I A instead of Major Junior in Canada. Many consider the Canadian CIS or American NCAA collegiate systems above this level of play, though under the CHL Major Junior leagues. Tier I Junior A is typically a NCAA feeding system.
Tier 2 Junior A
Currently the
North American Hockey LeagueThe North American Hockey League and the defunct America West Hockey League merged in 2003 to form a 21-team Junior A Tier II league, sanctioned by USA Hockey. The NAHL currently acts as an alternative to the United States Hockey League ....
is the only Tier 2 Junior A league in the United States. The NAHL consists mostly of teams playing in the central and southwestern parts of the United States. The NAHL, like the USHL, provides young players an alternative to Major Junior Hockey, although the skill level is significantly lower than Major Junior (CHL) hockey and typically filled with those who would not or did not make the roster of a Tier 1 team. While playing in the NAHL, all player expenses minus room and board are paid for by the team. This is similar to some of the lower Junior B teams in Canada, and typically a feeding system for NCAA Div I or III.
Tier 3 Junior A
The United States currently has six Tier 3 Junior A leagues, the
Atlantic Junior Hockey LeagueThe Atlantic Junior Hockey League is a Tier III junior A league with 12 teams in the Northeastern part of the United States. The league prepares High school and college aged players for college and pro hockey....
, the
Eastern Junior Hockey LeagueThe Eastern Junior Hockey League is an American Tier III Junior A ice hockey league. Founded in 1993 by Dan Esdale, the EJHL has fourteen teams from across the Northeastern United States. The EJHL is a member of USA Hockey, and the EJHL champion goes on to play for the National Championship...
, the
Central States Hockey LeagueThe Central States Hockey League is an American Tier III Junior "A" ice hockey league that consists of thirteen teams from Illinois, Ohio, Iowa, Michigan and Missouri.The CSHL is a member of USA Hockey...
, the
Minnesota Junior Hockey LeagueThe Minnesota Junior Hockey League is a is a USA Hockey Tier III sanctioned junior ice hockey league operated out of the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul in Minnesota. The league currently has nine member teams in Minnesota and Wisconsin...
, the
Northern Pacific Hockey LeagueNORPAC is a bipartisan, multi-candidate political action committee working to strengthen the United States-Israel relationship. Its activities include fundraising for Senators and Members of the United States Congress who support this relationship, regular emails regarding the situation in the...
, and the
Western States Hockey LeagueThe Western States Hockey League is a Junior 'A' Tier III hockey league that has teams located in the mid-west and western United States. It started its first season in 1994 as a Junior B league with six teams...
. In addition to paying for room and board, players at the Tier 3 level pay a fee, commonly ranging from $4,000 to $6,500. This is for all accounts and purposes an amateur league and players have a chance to go to a Division I school but most likely go to a Division III school. This league was formerly known as Junior B or Junior C before the Tier A I/II/III renaming in 2006.
Tier 3 Junior B
In the United States there are four leagues that are now given the Junior B designation. These Leagues are the Empire Junior B Hockey League, Metropolitan Junior Hockey League, Great Lakes Junior Hockey League, and the
Continental Hockey AssociationThe Continental Hockey Association is a Junior ice hockey league for high school age players to develop hockey skills needed for higher levels of Junior, college hockey, and professional hockey.-Format:...
Premier Division.
Tier 3 Junior C
In The United States there are two leagues considered to be Junior C. These Leagues are
Continental Hockey AssociationThe Continental Hockey Association is a Junior ice hockey league for high school age players to develop hockey skills needed for higher levels of Junior, college hockey, and professional hockey.-Format:...
, and the Southeast Junior Hockey League.
Independent
There are many other leagues that call themselves Junior A teams but are in fact independent. Independent leagues fall outside of the junior structure provided by
USA HockeyUSA Hockey is recognized by the International Olympic Committee and the United States Olympic Committee as the governing body for amateur ice hockey in the United States and is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation. The organization is based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and has...
. Examples of independent leagues are the UJHL. These leagues claim to be comparable to Junior A leagues but due to the lack of regulation, the actual level of play may vary.
Europe
In Europe, junior teams are usually associated with a professional team, and are used by professional teams to develop their own talented youngsters. One example of this is the
J20 SuperElitJ20 SuperElit is a junior ice hockey league composed of 20 teams in Sweden. It is the highest-level junior ice hockey league in Sweden. The teams are divided in two groups, or divisions, Norra and Södra , and are usually associated with a professional team in either Elitserien or HockeyAllsvenskan...
league in
SwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe...
.
The lack of an amateur draft in Europe means that the onus is on the teams to sign the most talented youngsters they can get, and the presence of an affiliated junior team provides a place for young players who aren't yet ready for the rigours of the professional game to develop. However, not all players on a European junior team are necessarily the property of their professional club, and may elect to sign elsewhere.
See also
- List of ice hockey leagues
- World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The International Ice Hockey Federation World Under 20 Championship is an annual event organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation for national under-20 ice hockey teams from around the world...
- World Junior A Challenge
The World Junior A Challenge is an international ice hockey tournament sponsored by Hockey Canada, the Canadian Junior A Hockey League, and the International Ice Hockey Federation. The Championship is to display the best-of-the-best at just the Junior "A" level...
- 2007 Super Series
The 2007 Super Series was an eight-game Under-20 ice hockey challenge between Russia and Canada. The series was won by Canada, who shocked the Russians with seven wins and one tie . Over the course of the eight games, Canada outscored Russia 39-13. The Series was held from August 27 to September 9...
External links