History
In 1970, in Ontario, what would become the Ontario Hockey League vacated the rank of Junior A and declared itself "Major Junior" and eventually became separate from OHA jurisdiction. The remaining Junior A leagues in Ontario remained at the Junior A level, such as the Thunder Bay Junior A Hockey League of the Thunder Bay Amateur Hockey Association, the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey Association of the Northern Ontario Hockey Association, and the Central Junior A Hockey League of the Ottawa District Hockey Association. The departure of the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League left the Ontario Hockey Association with no available Junior A league. An independent league, the Western Ontario Junior A Hockey League, was negotiated with and eventually joined the OHA as the Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League. In 1972, a rival league was created for the SOJHL called the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League, the OPJHL was created by taking the top teams from the Metro Junior B Hockey League. In 1977 the SOJHL folded and in 1981 the OPJHL became the Ontario Junior Hockey League. This league dwindled in size and folded in 1987.
Contents
- History
- SOJHL seasons
- OPJHLOJHL 1972 1987 seasons
- MetJHL seasons
- OPJHLOJHL 1993Present seasons
- References
In 1989, the Metro Junior B Hockey League left the OHA because the OHA refused to promote it to Junior A. In 1991, the Metro declared itself Junior A. The Metro was a founding member of the Canadian Junior A Hockey League in 1993 and rejoined the OHA, only to leave again in 1995 and then rejoin in 1997. In 1992, the Central Junior B Hockey League was given Junior A status by the OHA but continued to play at the Junior B level until 1993 when it was renamed the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League and joined the CJAHL. In 1998, the MetJHL and OPJHL merged to create a single 37-team super-league. In 2008, the OPJHL was renamed the Ontario Junior Hockey League, but was dissolved in the summer of 2009.
Starting in 2009, there are two Junior A leagues in the OHA: the Central Canadian Hockey League and the Ontario Junior A Hockey League.
SOJHL seasons
1970–71 | 1971–72 | 1972–73 | 1973–74 | 1974–75 | 1975–76 | 1976–77
WOJHL seasons
1968–69* | 1969–70*
(*) denotes season where league was independent of OHA.
OPJHL/OJHL (1972-1987) seasons
1972–73 | 1973–74 | 1974–75 | 1975–76 | 1976–77 | 1977–78 | 1978–79 | 1979–80 | 1980–81 | 1981–82 | 1982–83 | 1983–84 | 1984–85 | 1985–86 | 1986–87
MetJHL seasons
1991–92* | 1992–93* | 1993–94 | 1994–95 | 1995–96* | 1996–97* | 1997–98
(*) denotes season where league was independent of OHA.
OPJHL/OJHL (1993–Present) seasons
1992–93* | 1993–94 | 1994–95 | 1995–96 | 1996–97 | 1997–98 | 1998–99 | 1999–00 | 2000–01 | 2001–02 | 2002–03 | 2003–04 | 2004–05 | 2005–06 | 2006–07 | 2007–08 | 2008–09 | 2009-10 CCHL/OJAHL | 2010–11 | 2011–12 | 2012–13 | 2013–14 | 2014–15 | 2015–16 | 2016–17
(*) denotes league was known as Central Junior A League within OHA, despite there being a Central Junior A Hockey League in the Ottawa District Hockey Association. The league competed in the OHA's Junior B playoffs instead of the Junior A national playdowns.