The Quebec Senior Hockey League (QSHL) was an ice hockey league that operated between 1941 and 1959 in Quebec, Canada. From 1941, it operated on an amateur basis, before becoming the semi-professional Quebec Hockey League (QHL) in 1953. Most notable of the QSHL's players was Jean Beliveau, who played for the Quebec Aces in 1951-52 and 1952-53.
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History
The origins of the Quebec Senior Hockey League rest with the Quebec Amateur Hockey Association(QAHA) which grew out of the Inter-Provincial Amateur Hockey Union which began play in Quebec from 1908. The bulk of the teams that formed the QSHL were part of the "Montreal Senior Group" of the QAHA. The QAHA re-organized its senior league for 1941 and the QSHL was formed. In 1950, the league was reclassified as a "major" league and became ineligible for the Allan Cup. QSHL championship teams would play in the Alexander Cup championship tournament. The 1951 Valleyfield Braves and the 1952 Quebec Aces won the Alexander Cup.
Most notable of the QSHL's players was Jean Beliveau, who played for the Quebec Aces in 1951-52 and 1952-53. The Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League held Béliveau's professional rights, yet the young phenom refused to play for the club, preferring to stay with Quebec. He received a high salary, already twice the NHL average. Beliveau joined Montreal in 1953. That year, the league had become a professional league and Beliveau would have been obligated to play for Montreal as he had signed a 'B' form as a junior. An often-repeated story is Frank J. Selke, the Canadiens' general manager, eventually became fed up, and in 1953 bought the rights to the entire QSHL, and turned it into the professional Quebec Hockey League, forcing Béliveau to play for the Canadiens. However, the QSHL became a professional league after it left the CAHA due to a dispute. It was not bought by the Canadiens.
In May 1953, the league decided to leave the CAHA by resigning from the QAHA, which was itself under suspension from the CAHA. After leaving the CAHA, the team owners voted to become professional to protect their player contracts. However, QSHL players who had signed forms with NHL clubs to play professionally, could not sign with the new QHL teams. The players who signed QHL contracts became QHL team property and their contracts could be sold or traded to NHL or other professional leagues.
The QHL disbanded following their 1958-59 season, with the Hull-Ottawa Canadiens, Montreal Royals and Trois-Rivières Lions going to the Eastern Professional Hockey League and the Quebec Aces heading to the American Hockey League.
List of all QSHL/QHL teams
List of QSHL/QHL league winners
Amateur QSHL: 1941-42 through 1952-53
Semi-professional QHL: 1953-54 through 1958-59