The Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) is a
Junior 'A' ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...
league operating in the Canadian province of
Manitoba
Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...
and one of nine member leagues of the
Canadian Junior Hockey League
The Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) is an association of Canadian junior A ice hockey leagues and teams and was formed in November 1993, emerging from the Canada West Association of Junior 'A' Hockey. The champion of the Canadian Junior H ...
(CJHL).
The MJHL consists of thirteen teams all based within the province of Manitoba, eight of which qualify for each year's playoffs.
The playoff champion is awarded the Turnbull Cup, the Junior 'A' championship trophy for the province of Manitoba. The winner of the MJHL playoffs (Turnbull Cup) competes against the champion from
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada, western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on t ...
for the
ANAVET Cup and a berth in the
Centennial Cup
The Centennial Cup is an annual ice hockey tournament organized by Hockey Canada and the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL), which determines the national champion of junior A ice hockey. It is a ten-team round robin featuring the winners of ...
(formerly known as the Royal Bank Cup).
History
Early years (1918 to 1949)
The league's first year of operation was the 1918–19 season, making it the oldest junior league in Canada. It was known as the Winnipeg and District League until 1931, when it became the Manitoba Junior Hockey League. During the inaugural season, there were nine teams in two divisions, each playing a six-game schedule. The teams included the Winnipeg Pilgrims, Elmwood, Grand Trunk Pacific, Winnipeg Tigers, Young Men's Lutheran Club, Winnipeg Argonauts, Selkirk Fishermen, Weston, and
Winnipeg Monarchs Winnipeg Monarchs is a name used by several Canadian ice hockey teams in Winnipeg, Manitoba and may refer to:
*Winnipeg Monarchs (senior), a defunct ice hockey team, 1935 World Ice Hockey Champions
*Winnipeg Monarchs (MJHL)
The Winnipeg Monarch ...
.
![Olympic Rink in Winnipeg circa 1925](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b1/Olympic_Rink_in_Winnipeg_circa_1925.png)
In the 1926–27 season, the Winnipeg Junior and Juvenile Hockey League became the north division of the MJHL, with
Jimmy Dunn as its secretary, convenor and
timekeeper
A timekeeper is an instrument or person that measures the passage of time.
Person
A timekeeper is a person who measures time with the assistance of a clock or a stopwatch. In addition, a timekeeper records time, time taken, or time remaining duri ...
at the
Olympic Rink
Olympic or Olympics may refer to
Sports
Competitions
* Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896
** Summer Olympic Games
** Winter Olympic Games
* Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece b ...
.
In the 1936–37 season, both the north and south MJHL divisions wanted to play games at the larger
Winnipeg Amphitheatre
Shea's Amphitheatre, also known as the Winnipeg Amphitheatre, was an indoor arena located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It seated 6,000 spectators.
Constructed between 1908-1909 for horse shows, the Amphitheatre was also used as an indoor ice ...
since they could increase their share of the
gate receipts Gate receipts, or simply "gate", is the sum of money taken at a sporting venue for the sale of tickets.
Traditionally, gate receipts were largely or entirely taken in cash. Today, many sporting venues will operate a season ticket scheme, which wil ...
. Multiple disputes arose over the scheduling of games, which led to
Manitoba Amateur Hockey Association (MAHA) executives forming a special committee to arbitrate that all north division games be played at the Olympic Rink.
Teams in the north division struggled financially during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
and sought a new financial arrangement for the 1940–41 season. The teams also disagreed on who played in which division, with some teams threatening to disband if their demands were not met. Jimmy Dunn recommended to split the gate receipts evenly between the teams and the rink owners, and for the MAHA to subsidize the teams as needed. The north division played the season reduced to four teams. The 1944–45 season was the first interlocking schedule between the north and south divisions, and the MAHA implemented of limits on the number of player transfers for balanced competition.
![Sheasamphitheatre](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1a/Sheasamphitheatre.png)
In the 1945–46 season, the north division teams threatened to withdraw from the MJHL unless several demands were met. They felt that the south division was given preferential treatment, and sought to equally share games at the larger Winnipeg Amphitheatre and the profits from gate receipts. The north division complained about the lack of available ice time for practices and the deplorable dressing room conditions at the Olympic Rink, and felt that the MAHA had an obligation to make the upgrades if the rink would not. After negotiations broke down, three junior teams withdrew and the MJHL operated with five teams in one division.
The stronger MJHL teams — the
Winnipeg Rangers,
Winnipeg Monarchs Winnipeg Monarchs is a name used by several Canadian ice hockey teams in Winnipeg, Manitoba and may refer to:
*Winnipeg Monarchs (senior), a defunct ice hockey team, 1935 World Ice Hockey Champions
*Winnipeg Monarchs (MJHL)
The Winnipeg Monarch ...
,
Brandon Wheat Kings
The Brandon Wheat Kings are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Brandon, Manitoba. They are members of the Western Hockey League (WHL) since joining the league in the 1967–68 season. Previously, they played in the Manitoba Junior Hoc ...
and
Portage Terriers
The Portage Terriers are a Canadian junior "A" ice hockey team from Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, Canada. They are members of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, a part of the Canadian Junior Hockey League.
History
The Portage Terriers were fou ...
— were sponsored by
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
(NHL) clubs and wanted to form an "A" division and play all games at the Winnipeg Amphitheatre for the 1946–47 season, and relegate all other teams to the "B" division at the Olympic Rink.
The four teams were also opposed to any other teams being added to their division. ''
The Winnipeg Tribune
''The Winnipeg Tribune'' was a metropolitan daily newspaper serving Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada from January 28, 1890 to August 27, 1980. The paper was founded by R.L. Richardson and D.L. McIntyre who acquired the press and premises of the old '' ...
'' felt that these teams had pursued their own selfish interests with disregard for the general welfare of the league, and that creating the division would perpetuate the previous issues unless a "minor miracle" happened.
The MAHA executive chose to include the
St. James Orioles as a fifth team in the "A" division after being convinced that the team was soundly operated and would be able to compete.
1950s and 1960s
In 1955, the brothers
Art
Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas.
There is no generally agreed definition of wha ...
and
Gordon Stratton
Gordon Stratton (born October 4, 1934) was a Canadian ice hockey right winger who recording 474 goals and 502 assists for 976 points as a pro. Stratton was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
Awards and achievements
*MJHL Goal Scoring Leader (1954 ...
of the
Winnipeg Barons
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,60 ...
set a league record for most points in a single season with 76 each. In 1957,
Ray Brunel
Raymond Edward Joseph Brunel (September 28, 1936 – February 24, 2010)
MANITOBA HOCKEY HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUM was ...
of the
St. Boniface Canadiens broke it with 105.
In the 1959–60 season, MAHA president
Earl Dawson
Earl Phillip Dawson (December 17, 1925March 28, 1987) was a Canadian ice hockey administrator, politician and civil servant. He rose to prominence in Canadian hockey when he served as president of the Manitoba Amateur Hockey Association from 1 ...
sought a better financial arrangement with the
Saskatchewan Amateur Hockey Association (SAHA) to recuperate the costs of developing minor hockey players and
on-ice officials in
Flin Flon
Flin Flon (pop. 5,185 in 2016 census; 4,982 in Manitoba and 203 in Saskatchewan) is a mining city, located on a correction line on the border of the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, with the majority of the city located within M ...
, after the
Flin Flon Bombers
The Flin Flon Bombers are a Canadian junior ice hockey team in Flin Flon, a city located on the Manitoba-Saskatchewan provincial border. The Bombers are members of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL), which is a member of the Canadian ...
affiliated with the
Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League
The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League is a Junior 'A' ice hockey league operating in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan and one of nine member leagues of the Canadian Junior Hockey League.
Open to North American-born players 20 years of ...
(SJHL) instead of the MJHL. When the
Brandon Wheat Kings
The Brandon Wheat Kings are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Brandon, Manitoba. They are members of the Western Hockey League (WHL) since joining the league in the 1967–68 season. Previously, they played in the Manitoba Junior Hoc ...
also wanted to play in the SJHL, the MAHA renogotiated the financial arrangement to prevent the loss of another team to an out-of-province league.
In the early 1960s, the powerhouse
Brandon Wheat Kings
The Brandon Wheat Kings are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Brandon, Manitoba. They are members of the Western Hockey League (WHL) since joining the league in the 1967–68 season. Previously, they played in the Manitoba Junior Hoc ...
, built by
Jake Milford
John Calverley "Jake" Milford (July 29, 1914 – December 24, 1984) was a general manager in the National Hockey League.
In the early sixties, Milford built the Brandon Wheat Kings of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League into a powerhouse winning t ...
, won three titles in a row, and four in five years. In 1961, goalie
Ernie Wakely
Ernest Alfred Linton Wakely (born November 27, 1940) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender.
Career
Wakely was a goaltender in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Montreal Canadiens and St. Louis Blues. He also played for ...
of the
Winnipeg Braves
The St. James Canadians were a Canadian junior hockey team in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League until 2003, folding officially in 2004. The Canadians played out of the St. James Civic Centre, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. As the Winnipeg Braves, they ...
was named Canada's outstanding junior hockey player for the month of January.
The MJHL began the 1961–62 season using international
ice hockey rules
Ice hockey rules define the parameters of the sport of ice hockey. The sport is governed by several organizations including the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), the National Hockey League (NHL), Hockey Canada, USA Hockey and others. ...
without
body checking as an effort to attract more spectators, and hired a new promotional director. In November 1961, CAHA president
Jack Roxburgh
John Maxwell Roxburgh (February 14, 1901February 27, 1975) was a Canadian ice hockey administrator and politician. He organized minor ice hockey in his hometown of Simcoe, Ontario, co-founded the Ontario Juvenile Hockey Association in 1934, and ...
ordered the MJHL to revert to standard Canadian rules since it had not been approved by the national body.
In 1962,
Clarence Campbell
Clarence Sutherland Campbell, (July 9, 1905 – June 24, 1984) was a Canadian ice hockey executive, referee, and soldier. He refereed in the National Hockey League (NHL) during the 1930s, served in the Canadian Army during World War II, then s ...
president of the NHL attended inaugural Manitoba–Saskatchewan all-star game in Winnipeg. In 1963,
Jim Irving
Jim or JIM may refer to:
* Jim (given name), a given name
* Jim, a diminutive form of the given name James (given name), James
* Jim, a short form of the given name Jimmy (given name), Jimmy
* OPCW-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism
* Jim (comics), ...
, captain of the
Winnipeg Rangers, was named Manitoba's outstanding junior athlete and received the Carl Pederson Memorial Award.
Jimmy Dunn was hired as commissioner of the MJHL in May 1964. The league had been reduced to four teams based in the
Greater Winnipeg area after the withdrawal of the
Brandon Wheat Kings
The Brandon Wheat Kings are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Brandon, Manitoba. They are members of the Western Hockey League (WHL) since joining the league in the 1967–68 season. Previously, they played in the Manitoba Junior Hoc ...
and the
Fort Frances Royals
The Fort Frances Royals were a Junior ice hockey club from Fort Frances, Ontario, Canada. The Royals were members of the Memorial Cup-eligible Thunder Bay Junior A Hockey League.
History
The Fort Frances Royals were founded in 1963 as members of ...
.
The MJHL transitioned from a
draft
Draft, The Draft, or Draught may refer to:
Watercraft dimensions
* Draft (hull), the distance from waterline to keel of a vessel
* Draft (sail), degree of curvature in a sail
* Air draft, distance from waterline to the highest point on a vesse ...
of players in the Greater Winnipeg Minor Hockey Association, into a system where each team chose players from a set geographic district. The new "zoning" arrangement was planned to be in effect for three seasons to stimulate more localized interest in junior hockey and aimed to keep teammates together from the minor hockey level to the junior hockey level.
Dunn supported the change and noted that the concept had produced
forward lines on previous
Memorial Cup
The Memorial Cup () is the national championship of the Canadian Hockey League, a consortium of three major junior ice hockey leagues operating in Canada and parts of the United States. It is a four-team round-robin tournament played between t ...
championship teams from Winnipeg.
For the
1964–65 MJHL season, the
Charlie Gardiner Memorial Trophy series was revived as a preseason tournament for the league's teams. Dunn reached an agreement to televise MJHL games on
CJAY-TV, and the league experimented with playing games on Sunday evenings instead of afternoons to increase its attendance and avoid competing with televised football games. Dunn requested to the
Canadian Amateur Hockey Association
The Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA; french: Association canadienne de hockey amateur) was the national governing body of amateur ice hockey in Canada from 1914 until 1994, when it merged with Hockey Canada. Its jurisdiction include ...
(CAHA) that the MJHL waive its
bye into the
Abbott Cup
The Abbott Memorial Cup, commonly referred to as the Abbott Cup, was awarded annually from 1919 through 1999 to the Junior "A" ice hockey Champion for Western Canada.
The Cup was named after Captain E.L. (Hick) Abbott who was a noted hockey pl ...
finals and its playoffs champion meet the
Thunder Bay Junior A Hockey League
The Thunder Bay Junior A Hockey League (TBJHL) was a Canadian junior ice hockey league that existed from c. 1920 to 1980. The TBJHL operated in Northwestern Ontario, primarily in the Thunder Bay region.
The Thunder Bay Junior A Hockey League wa ...
champion in the first round. He felt that the loss of
gate receipts Gate receipts, or simply "gate", is the sum of money taken at a sporting venue for the sale of tickets.
Traditionally, gate receipts were largely or entirely taken in cash. Today, many sporting venues will operate a season ticket scheme, which wil ...
from a bye was a financial hardship for the MJHL, and shorten the league's playoffs to accommodate the change approved by the CAHA. Goaltender
Wayne Stephenson
Wayne Frederick Stephenson (January 29, 1945 – June 22, 2010) was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. He was born in Fort William, Ontario.
Playing career
Stephenson played primarily with the Canadian National Team early in ...
led the Winnipeg Braves to the MJHL Championship in 1965.
For the
1965–66 MJHL season, Dunn implemented an automatic one-game minimum suspension for any player who received a
match penalty
Match penalty is a term used in some sports for a player having committed such a serious offense that he or she is being sent off for the rest of the game. The term is used in bandy, floorball, and ice hockey.
Bandy
In bandy, it is indicated wi ...
. He felt that professional hockey influenced fisticuffs in junior hockey and said that, "Any time there's a big fight in the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
, the kids drop their sticks and put up their dukes in the next game. It happens almost every time".
The MJHL expanded from four to six teams for the
1966–67 MJHL season when it readmitted the Brandon Wheat Kings and accepted the
Selkirk Steelers
The Selkirk Steelers are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Selkirk, Manitoba, Canada. They are members of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, a part of the Canadian Junior Hockey League and Hockey Canada.
History
Junior "A" hockey in Selkirk ...
. Dunn announced his resignation as commissioner on October 24, 1966, and cited personal reasons. Despite being offered a pay raise, he felt that the increase in teams made the job too much for him and had "taken the fun out of it".
His resignation came shortly after a game between the
Winnipeg Rangers and the Brandon Wheat Kings in which 242
penalty minutes
A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for an infringement of the rules. Most penalties are enforced by sending the offending player to a penalty box for a set number of minutes. During the penalty the player may not participate in play. Penaltie ...
were given in the first period.
In 1966–67, future Hall of Famer
Bobby Clarke
Robert Earle Clarke (born August 13, 1949) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played his entire 15-year National Hockey League (NHL) career with the Philadelphia Flyers and is currently an executive with the team. Popular ...
of the
Flin Flon Bombers
The Flin Flon Bombers are a Canadian junior ice hockey team in Flin Flon, a city located on the Manitoba-Saskatchewan provincial border. The Bombers are members of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL), which is a member of the Canadian ...
set league records for most goals (71), assists (112), and points (183) in a single season. Clarke led the Bombers to win the MJHL title.
On September 19, 1968, the Winnipeg Monarchs announced the signing of
Hiroshi Hori
is a Japanese ice hockey player. He competed in the men's tournaments at the 1972 Winter Olympics, the 1976 Winter Olympics and the 1980 Winter Olympics
The 1980 Winter Olympics, officially the XIII Olympic Winter Games and also known as Lak ...
, a defenceman from
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
. Hori, a high school all-star in his homeland, would spend a year with the team and then return home to pass on what he had learned. A Canadian missionary to Japan, Father Moran was behind the idea. With
CAHA approval, Moran convinced the Japanese Skating Union to sponsor one player to a year in Canada. The CAHA chose Winnipeg as the site because of the added experience from watching the
Canadian National Team, and the Monarchs volunteered.
The New MJHL
During the summer of 1967, the
MAHA
Maha and MAHA may refer to:
* Maha (name), an Arabic feminine given name
* ''Maha'' (film), a Tamil thriller film
* MaHa, Nepali comedy duo, Madan Krishna Shrestha and Hari Bansha Acharya
* Maha Music Festival, an annual music festival held on th ...
allowed three teams from Manitoba to enter the new
Western Canadian Hockey League (WCHL): the
Brandon Wheat Kings
The Brandon Wheat Kings are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Brandon, Manitoba. They are members of the Western Hockey League (WHL) since joining the league in the 1967–68 season. Previously, they played in the Manitoba Junior Hoc ...
and
Flin Flon Bombers
The Flin Flon Bombers are a Canadian junior ice hockey team in Flin Flon, a city located on the Manitoba-Saskatchewan provincial border. The Bombers are members of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL), which is a member of the Canadian ...
from the MJHL, and
Ben Hatskin
Benjamin Hatskin (September 30, 1917 – October 18, 1990) was a Canadian businessman and the founder of the Winnipeg Jets.
Early life and education
Ben Hatskin was born in 1917 in Winnipeg to Russian-Jewish parents. As a standout football player ...
's new
Winnipeg Jets
The Winnipeg Jets are a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and is owned by True North Sports & Entertainment, pl ...
club. Hatskin already owned three MJHL teams, so as part of the agreement, divested his entire MJHL portfolio to local interests. The Winnipeg Warriors became the
West Kildonan North Stars
The Kildonan North Stars were a Canadian Junior ice hockey Team in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League from Winnipeg, Manitoba.
History
During the summer of 1967, community-minded sports group purchased the Winnipeg Warriors from Ben Hatskin, ren ...
, the St. James Braves became the
St. James Canadians
The St. James Canadians were a Canadian junior hockey team in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League until 2003, folding officially in 2004. The Canadians played out of the St. James Civic Centre, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. As the Winnipeg Braves, the ...
, and the Winnipeg Rangers became the
St. Boniface Saints. These three teams and the
Winnipeg Monarchs Winnipeg Monarchs is a name used by several Canadian ice hockey teams in Winnipeg, Manitoba and may refer to:
*Winnipeg Monarchs (senior), a defunct ice hockey team, 1935 World Ice Hockey Champions
*Winnipeg Monarchs (MJHL)
The Winnipeg Monarch ...
became "the new MJHL". The
Selkirk Steelers
The Selkirk Steelers are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Selkirk, Manitoba, Canada. They are members of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, a part of the Canadian Junior Hockey League and Hockey Canada.
History
Junior "A" hockey in Selkirk ...
instead departed for the upstart
Central Manitoba Junior Hockey League
The Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) is a Junior 'A' ice hockey league operating in the Canadian province of Manitoba and one of nine member leagues of the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL).
The MJHL consists of thirteen teams all based ...
(CMJHL). The CMJHL was short-lived and its four teams were absorbed by the MJHL the following year. The Steelers,
Portage Terriers
The Portage Terriers are a Canadian junior "A" ice hockey team from Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, Canada. They are members of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, a part of the Canadian Junior Hockey League.
History
The Portage Terriers were fou ...
,
Dauphin Kings
The Dauphin Kings are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Dauphin, Manitoba, Canada. They are members of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL), a part of the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) and Hockey Canada. The Kings were established in ...
, and
Kenora Muskies
The Kenora Muskies, known as the Kenora Thistles from 1975 to 1982, are a defunct Manitoba Junior Hockey League team that played in Kenora, Ontario between 1968 and 1982.
History
The Kenora Muskies were granted expansion into the Memorial Cup ...
, who had operated out of
Fort Garry
Fort Garry, also known as Upper Fort Garry, was a Hudson's Bay Company trading post at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers in what is now downtown Winnipeg. It was established in 1822 on or near the site of the North West Company's ...
the previous year, were placed in the MJHL's new North Division, while the existing MJHL teams made up the South Division.
On Sunday February 9, 1969, the MJHL held a special emergency meeting to discuss
Butch Goring
Robert Thomas "Butch" Goring (born October 22, 1949) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Los Angeles Kings, New York Islanders and Boston Bruins. He is a four- ...
leaving the Winnipeg Jets of the WCHL and joining the
Dauphin Kings
The Dauphin Kings are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Dauphin, Manitoba, Canada. They are members of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL), a part of the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) and Hockey Canada. The Kings were established in ...
. Goring played the night before in Kenora for the Kings during a regular season game. The MJHL gave the Kings approval to use Goring in regular season and playoff games. Goring was leading the WCHL in goals at the time. Monday, WCHL president
Ron Butlin
Ron Butlin (born 1949 in Edinburgh) is a Scottish poet and novelist who was Edinburgh Makar (Poet Laureate) from 2008 to 2014.
Education
Butlin was educated at the University of Edinburgh. He later became writer in residence in 1982 and 1984 a ...
said a court injunction would be sought against Goring and another Jet forward
Merv Haney
Merv Haney (born August 13, 1949) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman.
During the 1972–73 season, Haney played seven games in the World Hockey Association with the Ottawa Nationals
The Ottawa Nationals were a professio ...
from playing with the Dauphin Kings. Also saying the CHA would be "taking whatever action is necessary against Dauphin and the MAHA for damages." Goring and Haney would play for the Kings, all the way to the Western
Memorial Cup
The Memorial Cup () is the national championship of the Canadian Hockey League, a consortium of three major junior ice hockey leagues operating in Canada and parts of the United States. It is a four-team round-robin tournament played between t ...
Finals.
The reorganization of junior hockey in Canada in 1970 relegated the MJHL to Tier II status, now to be called Junior 'A'. MJHL champions would no longer play for the Memorial Cup; instead, a new national junior 'A' championship, the Manitoba Centennial Cup (now the
Centennial Cup
The Centennial Cup is an annual ice hockey tournament organized by Hockey Canada and the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL), which determines the national champion of junior A ice hockey. It is a ten-team round robin featuring the winners of ...
) was created. This new alignment would eventually lead to the formation of the
Canadian Junior Hockey League
The Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) is an association of Canadian junior A ice hockey leagues and teams and was formed in November 1993, emerging from the Canada West Association of Junior 'A' Hockey. The champion of the Canadian Junior H ...
in 1993.
1970s, 1980s, and 1990s
The
Dauphin Kings
The Dauphin Kings are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Dauphin, Manitoba, Canada. They are members of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL), a part of the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) and Hockey Canada. The Kings were established in ...
were the first "
dynasty
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family,''Oxford English Dictionary'', "dynasty, ''n''." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 1897. usually in the context of a monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A ...
" of the new MJHL, winning the league three out of four years, 1969, 1970, and 1972, and boasting such stars as
Ron Low
Ronald Albert Low (born June 21, 1950) is a Canadian former ice hockey goaltender and coach. He played in the National Hockey League with six teams between 1972 and 1985. After retiring he became a coach and was head coach of Edmonton Oilers fro ...
,
Butch Goring
Robert Thomas "Butch" Goring (born October 22, 1949) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Los Angeles Kings, New York Islanders and Boston Bruins. He is a four- ...
, and
Ron Chipperfield
Ronald James Chipperfield (born March 28, 1954) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who served as the Edmonton Oilers' first National Hockey League (NHL) captain. He played for the Oilers in both the World Hockey Association (WHA) ...
. The Kings went to the Western
Memorial Cup
The Memorial Cup () is the national championship of the Canadian Hockey League, a consortium of three major junior ice hockey leagues operating in Canada and parts of the United States. It is a four-team round-robin tournament played between t ...
final in 1969, and in 1972 recorded 40 wins, a modern-day MJHL record.
Charlie Simmer
Charles Robert Simmer (born March 20, 1954) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward, most notably for the Los Angeles Kings in the National Hockey League, who was known for his scoring prowess.
Playing career
After a junior career w ...
of the
Kenora Muskies
The Kenora Muskies, known as the Kenora Thistles from 1975 to 1982, are a defunct Manitoba Junior Hockey League team that played in Kenora, Ontario between 1968 and 1982.
History
The Kenora Muskies were granted expansion into the Memorial Cup ...
won the scoring title in 1973, the same year the
Portage Terriers
The Portage Terriers are a Canadian junior "A" ice hockey team from Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, Canada. They are members of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, a part of the Canadian Junior Hockey League.
History
The Portage Terriers were fou ...
were crowned National Champs, winning the
Centennial Cup
The Centennial Cup is an annual ice hockey tournament organized by Hockey Canada and the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL), which determines the national champion of junior A ice hockey. It is a ten-team round robin featuring the winners of ...
. In 1974, the
Selkirk Steelers
The Selkirk Steelers are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Selkirk, Manitoba, Canada. They are members of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, a part of the Canadian Junior Hockey League and Hockey Canada.
History
Junior "A" hockey in Selkirk ...
won the national crown, giving the MJHL back to back "Canadian Championships". It was players such as Low, Goring, Chipperfield, Simmer,
Chuck Arnason
Ernest Charles Arnason (born July 15, 1951) is a Canadians, Canadian former professional ice hockey forward (ice hockey), right wing who played 401 games over eight seasons in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens, Atlanta Flames, ...
,
Murray Bannerman
Murray Bannerman (born April 27, 1957) is a Canadian former ice hockey goaltender. He spent the majority of his career with the Chicago Blackhawks, though also briefly played for the Vancouver Canucks, who selected him in the 1977 NHL amateur dr ...
,
Paul Baxter
Paul Gordon Baxter (born October 28, 1955) is a Canadian former ice hockey defenceman who played in the World Hockey Association from 1974 to 1979, the National Hockey League from 1979 to 1987. He featured in the 1986 Stanley Cup Finals with the ...
,
John Bednarski,
Rick Blight
Richard Derek Blight (October 17, 1955 – April 3, 2005) was a professional hockey player.
A native of Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, Blight had a long and varied hockey career as a Right wing for teams in the National Hockey League (NHL), Ce ...
,
Dan Bonar
Daniel Gordon Bonar (born September 23, 1956) is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey forward who played 170 games in the National Hockey League for the Los Angeles Kings. During the playoff series known for the Miracle on Manchester Bona ...
,
Brian Engblom
Brian Paul Engblom (born January 27, 1955) is a Canadian ice hockey broadcaster for the Tampa Bay Lightning, and a former professional hockey defenseman.
Biography
Engblom was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and played for the University of Wiscons ...
,
Glen Hanlon
Glen A. Hanlon (born February 20, 1957) is a Canadian ice hockey coach, executive and former goaltender.
Hanlon played in the National Hockey League for the Vancouver Canucks, St. Louis Blues, New York Rangers and the Detroit Red Wings. He is al ...
,
Bob Joyce,
Barry Legge,
Perry Miller
Perry Gilbert Eddy Miller (February 25, 1905 – December 9, 1963) was an American intellectual historian and a co-founder of the field of American Studies. Miller specialized in the history of early America, and took an active role in a revis ...
,
Chris Oddleifson
Christopher Roy Oddleifson (born September 7, 1950) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1972 until 1981. He is best known for his time with the Vancouver Canucks, where he was on ...
,
Curt Ridley
Charles Curtis Ridley (September 24, 1951 – December 19, 2021) was a Canadian ice hockey goaltender. He played in the National Hockey League between 1974 and 1981.
Ridley was born in Minnedosa, Manitoba, and raised in Portage la Prairie. He pla ...
,
Rick St. Croix,
Blaine Stoughton
Blaine A. Stoughton (born March 13, 1953) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward who played twelve professional seasons. Stoughton played nine seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Toronto Maple L ...
, and
Andy Van Hellemond
Andy Van Hellemond (born February 16, 1948) is a Canadian former National Hockey League referee and a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame since 1999. He is also a former municipal politician, serving on city council for the City of Guelph, Ontario f ...
who gave the new MJHL its foundation.
The
Selkirk Steelers
The Selkirk Steelers are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Selkirk, Manitoba, Canada. They are members of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, a part of the Canadian Junior Hockey League and Hockey Canada.
History
Junior "A" hockey in Selkirk ...
dominated, between 1974 and 1987, winning eight MJHL championships, including three in a row. The 1974 Steelers were inducted into the
Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame The Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame and Museum is a hall of fame and museum for ice hockey in Manitoba, located on the main level of the Canada Life Centre in downtown Winnipeg.
It was established in 1985, when the first honoured members were named an ...
, as were the 1973
Portage Terriers
The Portage Terriers are a Canadian junior "A" ice hockey team from Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, Canada. They are members of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, a part of the Canadian Junior Hockey League.
History
The Portage Terriers were fou ...
. In 1975,
Jim Misener of the
Dauphin Kings
The Dauphin Kings are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Dauphin, Manitoba, Canada. They are members of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL), a part of the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) and Hockey Canada. The Kings were established in ...
led the league in goals with 73, breaking
Bobby Clarke
Robert Earle Clarke (born August 13, 1949) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played his entire 15-year National Hockey League (NHL) career with the Philadelphia Flyers and is currently an executive with the team. Popular ...
's single season record of 71. In 1977, the Dauphin Kings won their fourth MJHL title in a decade, led by Misener who became the MJHL career leader in goals, assists, and points.
In September 1971, Winnipeg Monarchs President
Bob Westmacott
Bob, BOB, or B.O.B. may refer to:
Places
*Mount Bob, New York, United States
* Bob Island, Palmer Archipelago, Antarctica
People, fictional characters, and named animals
*Bob (given name), a list of people and fictional characters
* Bob (surnam ...
announced 17-year-old
Stephan Lindberg
Stephan may refer to:
* Stephan, South Dakota, United States
* Stephan (given name), a masculine given name
* Stephan (surname), a Breton-language surname
See also
* Sankt-Stephan
* Stefan (disambiguation)
* Stephan-Oterma
* Stephani
* Stephe ...
of Sweden had been invited to training camp.
Jack Bownass, former coach of
Canada's national team, recommended Lindberg to the Monarchs.
On April 5, 1977, MJHL commissioner
Bill Addison called off the Turnbull Cup Finals between the
Dauphin Kings
The Dauphin Kings are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Dauphin, Manitoba, Canada. They are members of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL), a part of the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) and Hockey Canada. The Kings were established in ...
and
Kildonan North Stars
The Kildonan North Stars were a Canadian Junior ice hockey Team in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League from Winnipeg, Manitoba.
History
During the summer of 1967, community-minded sports group purchased the Winnipeg Warriors from Ben Hatskin, rena ...
, saying "No, I am not going to allow these characters an opportunity to beat on each other any longer. I am calling the series (a best-of-seven) and awarding it to Dauphin on the basis they won two of the three games completed." The decision came just hours after the two clubs had engaged in a pre-game brawl, in which two Kings players were taken to hospital and two North Stars were criminally charged.
Chris Walby
Chris Walby (born October 23, 1956) is a retired Canadian Football League player who played the offensive tackle position almost exclusively with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He won three Grey Cups with the Bombers in 1984, 1988, and 1990. Walby ...
was convicted of common assault, and granted a conditional discharge. The
Canadian Amateur Hockey Association
The Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA; french: Association canadienne de hockey amateur) was the national governing body of amateur ice hockey in Canada from 1914 until 1994, when it merged with Hockey Canada. Its jurisdiction include ...
was not as kind, suspending Walby for life.
Grant Ledyard
Grant Stuart Ledyard (born November 19, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. Beginning his career in 1984 as an undrafted free agent, Ledyard spent 18 seasons in the NHL as a journeyman; he played at least one game with n ...
led the
Winnipeg South Blues
The Winnipeg Blues are a Manitoba Junior Hockey League team based in Oak Bluff, a suburban area of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The team was founded in 1930 as the Winnipeg Monarchs and also formerly known as the Fort Garry Blues (1978-1984) an ...
to the first of four MJHL Championships in 8 years in 1982. In 1983,
Mike Ridley
Michael Owen Guy Ridley (born July 8, 1963) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played in the NHL for 12 seasons from 1985 until 1997.
Ridley signed with the New York Rangers as an undrafted free agent in September 1985. Ridle ...
of the
St. Boniface Saints broke both
Jim Misener's goal scoring record and
Bobby Clarke
Robert Earle Clarke (born August 13, 1949) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played his entire 15-year National Hockey League (NHL) career with the Philadelphia Flyers and is currently an executive with the team. Popular ...
's points record. In 95,
Cory Cyrenne of the Saints was chosen
Canadian Junior A Hockey League
The Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) is an association of Canadian junior ice hockey#Junior A, junior A ice hockey leagues and teams and was formed in November 1993, emerging from the Canada West Association of Junior 'A' Hockey. The champi ...
(CJAHL) Player of the Year, and the Winnipeg South Blues won their fifth championship, on their road to a second
Anavet Cup, and an
Abbott Cup
The Abbott Memorial Cup, commonly referred to as the Abbott Cup, was awarded annually from 1919 through 1999 to the Junior "A" ice hockey Champion for Western Canada.
The Cup was named after Captain E.L. (Hick) Abbott who was a noted hockey pl ...
. The 1995 Blues were inducted into
Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame The Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame and Museum is a hall of fame and museum for ice hockey in Manitoba, located on the main level of the Canada Life Centre in downtown Winnipeg.
It was established in 1985, when the first honoured members were named an ...
. In 1998,
Jedd Crumb
Jedd is a given name. Notable people with the name include:
*Jedd Philo Clark Cottrill (1832–1889), American politician
*Jedd Ebanks (born 1988), Caymanian footballer
* Jedd Fisch (born 1976), American football coach
*Jedd Gardner (born 1988) ...
of the Blues led the CJAHL in goals with 61.
In 1979, the rival
NorMan Junior Hockey League
Norman or Normans may refer to:
Ethnic and cultural identity
* The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries
** People or things connected with the Norm ...
was granted Junior 'A' status, putting it into Turnbull Cup competition alongside the MJHL. This arrangement lasted until the demise of the NJHL in 1985, although during this era, no NJHL was ever successful in the provincial playoffs.
The 1980s and 1990s saw the MJHL expand its footprint outside of Winnipeg with the addition of teams in
Winkler,
Neepawa
Neepawa is a town in Manitoba, Canada located on the Yellowhead Highway at the intersection with Highway 5. its population was 5,685. Neepawa was incorporated as a town in 1883. It is bordered by the Municipality of North Cypress – Langford and ...
,
Swan River, and three First Nations communities:
Sagkeeng
The Sagkeeng First Nation (also known as Sagkeeng Anicinabe) is a Treaty-1 First Nation in the Eastman Region of Manitoba, Canada, that is composed of the Anishinaabe people indigenous to the area at or near the Fort Alexander Indian Reserve #3 ( ...
,
Opaskwayak (The Pas) and
Waywayseecappo. Teams were also added in
Steinbach and
Thunder Bay, Ontario
Thunder Bay is a city in and the seat of Thunder Bay District, Ontario, Canada. It is the most populous municipality in Northwestern Ontario and the second most populous (after Greater Sudbury) municipality in Northern Ontario; its population ...
, however neither played more than three seasons before folding. At the same time, the league's presence in Winnipeg began a period decline with the demise of the Kildonan North Stars in 1990. This was the first of several Winnipeg-based teams to fold or relocate from the city; by 2012, only one team remained in the provincial capital.
2000 to present
As the twenty first century dawned, the
OCN Blizzard
The Opaskwayak Cree Nation (OCN) Blizzard are a junior "A" ice hockey team from The Pas, Manitoba, Canada. They are members of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, a part of the Canadian Junior Hockey League and Hockey Canada. The team is owned ...
were dominating the MJHL, winning five straight MJHL championships from 1999 to 2003. This was a record previously achieved by only the legendary
Elmwood Millionaires The Elmwood Millionaires is a now defunct Canadian Junior Hockey team in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League. The Millionaires, based in Elmwood, Manitoba, won 5 straight Turnbull Cup Championships as Manitoba Junior ‘A’ Champions, 1927, 1928, ...
(1927–1931).
Junior Lessard
Lucien Lessard Jr. (born May 26, 1980), known as Junior Lessard, is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who last played for the Thetford Mines Isothermic of the LNAH.
Playing career
As a youth, Lessard played in the 1993 and 1994 Q ...
of the
Portage Terriers
The Portage Terriers are a Canadian junior "A" ice hockey team from Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, Canada. They are members of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, a part of the Canadian Junior Hockey League.
History
The Portage Terriers were fou ...
was named CJAHL Player of the Year in 2000. Blizzard goaltenders
Preston McKay (1998) and
Marc Andre Leclerc (2001) led the CJAHL in
goals against average
Goals against average (GAA) also known as "average goals against" or "AGA" is a statistic used in field hockey, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, and water polo that is the mean of goals allowed per game by a goaltender or goalkeeper (depending on s ...
, and left winger
Andrew Coates
Andrew is the English form of a given name common in many countries. In the 1990s, it was among the top ten most popular names given to boys in English-speaking countries. "Andrew" is frequently shortened to "Andy" or "Drew". The word is derived ...
(2003) led in goals. In 2004,
Aaron Starr of the Blizzard became the first MJHL player to lead the CJAHL in scoring with 118 points.
As the Blizzard's dynasty came to an end, the
Portage Terriers
The Portage Terriers are a Canadian junior "A" ice hockey team from Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, Canada. They are members of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, a part of the Canadian Junior Hockey League.
History
The Portage Terriers were fou ...
began their own golden age with a trip to the MJHL finals in 2003-04. The Terriers lost the series, but laid claim to the Turnbull Cup and ANAVET Cup titles the following season. This would start a run of nine championships over fifteen seasons, plus three ANAVET Cup wins and the 2015 national championship. The
2014-15 Terriers set a new league record for single-season winning percentage (.917) when they dominated the MJHL with a 53-3-4 record during the regular season and went undefeated in the playoffs to capture their ninth Turnbull Cup. The Terriers capped off their dream season by winning the
2015 Royal Bank Cup
The 2015 Royal Bank Cup was the 45th Canadian junior A Ice Hockey National Championship for the Canadian Junior Hockey League. It was the 45th consecutive year a national championship was awarded to this skill level since the breakaway of Major Ju ...
on home ice in
Portage la Prairie
Portage la Prairie () is a small city in the Central Plains Region of Manitoba, Canada. As of 2016, the population was 13,304 and the land area of the city was .
Portage la Prairie is approximately west of Winnipeg, along the Trans-Canada Hig ...
. The Terriers dominated again
the following season, putting up an impressive 31-game winning streak on their way to a second consecutive Turnbull Cup. The
Steinbach Pistons
The Steinbach Pistons are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Steinbach, Manitoba, Canada. They are members of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, which is a member of the Canadian Junior Hockey League.
History Southeast Thunderbirds/T-Birds/Bl ...
have also been a dominant club since relocating to
Steinbach in 2009, posting the top regular season record four times, two Turnbull Cup victories, and an ANAVET Cup championship in 2018.
The demise of the
St. James Canadians
The St. James Canadians were a Canadian junior hockey team in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League until 2003, folding officially in 2004. The Canadians played out of the St. James Civic Centre, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. As the Winnipeg Braves, the ...
in 2003 and the relocation of the
Winnipeg Saints
The Winnipeg Saints were a Manitoba Junior Hockey League team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The team was known for most of its existence as the St. Boniface Saints and exists today as the Virden Oil Capitals.
History
The St. Boniface Saints wer ...
to
Virden in 2012 left the Blues and Steelers as the only remaining clubs in the
Winnipeg Metropolitan Region
The Winnipeg Metropolitan Region (formerly called the Winnipeg Capital Region and the Manitoba Capital Region) is a metropolitan area in the Canadian province of Manitoba located in the Red River Valley in the southeast portion of the province of ...
. The league reversed this trend in the 2020s by granting a second franchise (
Winnipeg Freeze
The Winnipeg Freeze are a Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The team was founded in 2020 and is owned by 50 Below Sports + Entertainment Inc, owners of the Western Hockey League's Winnipeg Ice and an ...
) to 50 Below Sports + Entertainment (which already owned the Blues). The Town of
Niverville was also granted a franchise, the
Niverville Nighthawks, to begin play in 2022.
Neepawa Natives hazing incident
In October 2011, the
Neepawa Natives
The Neepawa Titans are a Canadian Junior "A" ice hockey team from Neepawa, Manitoba. They are members of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL), a part of the Canadian Junior Hockey League, and play home games at the Yellowhead Centre.
Hist ...
were involved a hazing incident that garnered significant negative publicity, both locally and nationally. After the league conducted its investigation, commissioner Kim Davis confirmed that a 15-year-old player had come forward with allegations of sexual-based rookie hazing in the team's locker room. A record $5,000 fine and 18 suspensions resulted from the incident and the matter was referred to the
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; french: Gendarmerie royale du Canada; french: GRC, label=none), commonly known in English as the Mounties (and colloquially in French as ) is the federal police, federal and national police service of ...
, although no criminal charges resulted. The team gained even more negative press by benching and refusing to release or trade the 15-year-old who brought the issue to light.
COVID-19 pandemic
The onset of the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
during the first round of the MJHL playoffs in March 2020 forced the cancellation of the remainder of the
2019-20 season, marking the first time in its history that the Turnbull Cup was not awarded. The pandemic also forced the cancellation of the 2020
ANAVET and
Centennial Cups, the latter of which was to be played in Portage la Prairie in honour of the national championship's 50th season. The league attempted a shortened schedule for the
2020-21 season but was thwarted when tightened health restrictions were enacted by the provincial government that November, requiring the cancellation of all remaining games for a second consecutive season. The MJHL returned to its regular format for the start of the
2021-22 season with a strict COVID-19 vaccination policy, in accordance with provincial health directives, requiring all players, coaches, officials to be immunized and all volunteers and spectators to provide proof of immunization before entering any league venue. This policy lasted until the provincial government dropped most of its public health measures in March 2022.
Teams
Current
The MJHL consists of thirteen teams separated geographically into two divisions. The league has gone to a single division format on occasion, most notably from 1945 to 1968 and more recently from 2014 to 2020. A three-division format was implemented for the partially completed 2020–21 season that was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Former/defunct
*
Beausejour Blades
The Steinbach Pistons are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Steinbach, Manitoba, Canada. They are members of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, which is a member of the Canadian Junior Hockey League.
History Southeast Thunderbirds/T-Birds/Bl ...
*
Brandon Elks
*
Brandon Travellers
The Brandon Travellers were a Canadian junior 'A' ice hockey team based in Brandon, Manitoba that played in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League from 1973 to 1980. The team was owned by the Western Hockey League's Brandon Wheat Kings.
Travellers' ...
*
CUAC Blues
*
East Kildonan Bisons
*
Elmwood Maple Leafs Elmwood may refer to:
* James Russell Lowell (1819–1891), who used it as a ''nom-de-plume''
Places Canada
* Elmwood, Edmonton, Edmonton, Alberta
*Elmwood (electoral district), provincial electoral district in Manitoba
* Elmwood, Winnipeg, Manit ...
*
Elmwood Millionaires The Elmwood Millionaires is a now defunct Canadian Junior Hockey team in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League. The Millionaires, based in Elmwood, Manitoba, won 5 straight Turnbull Cup Championships as Manitoba Junior ‘A’ Champions, 1927, 1928, ...
*
Kenora Muskies
The Kenora Muskies, known as the Kenora Thistles from 1975 to 1982, are a defunct Manitoba Junior Hockey League team that played in Kenora, Ontario between 1968 and 1982.
History
The Kenora Muskies were granted expansion into the Memorial Cup ...
*
Kildonan North Stars
The Kildonan North Stars were a Canadian Junior ice hockey Team in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League from Winnipeg, Manitoba.
History
During the summer of 1967, community-minded sports group purchased the Winnipeg Warriors from Ben Hatskin, rena ...
*
Southeast Blades/Thunderbirds
*
St. Boniface Athletics
*
St. Boniface Canadiens
*
St. Boniface Seals
*
Steinbach Hawks
*
Stonewall Jets
*
St. James Canadians (1936–45)
*
St. James Canadians (1967–2003)
*
St. James Orioles
*
Thompson King Miners
The Thompson King Miners were a junior ice hockey team from Thompson, Manitoba, Canada. The King Miners were members of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League and the NorMan Junior Hockey League.
History
The Thompson King Miners joined the Manitoba ...
*
Thunder Bay Hornets
The Thunder Bay Hornets were a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. At their height, they won two consecutive Bronze Medals at the Western Canadian Junior B Championships - the Keystone Cup and later were in competition ...
*
Winnipeg Air Cadets
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers, near the Longitude, longitudinal centre of Nort ...
*
Winnipeg Esquires
*
Winnipeg Monarchs Winnipeg Monarchs is a name used by several Canadian ice hockey teams in Winnipeg, Manitoba and may refer to:
*Winnipeg Monarchs (senior), a defunct ice hockey team, 1935 World Ice Hockey Champions
*Winnipeg Monarchs (MJHL)
The Winnipeg Monarch ...
*
Winnipeg Rangers/Black Hawks/Barons
*
Winnipeg Rangers (1956–67)
*
Winnipeg Hockey Club
The Winnipeg Hockey Club (also known as the Winnipeg Winnipegs) were a former amateur senior-level men's amateur ice hockey team in Winnipeg, Manitoba founded in 1890. After the Winnipegs won the 1931 Allan Cup, they represented the Canada men's ...
*
Winnipeg Junior Falcons The Winnipeg Junior Falcons were a Canadian junior ice hockey team in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League. They were associated with the Winnipeg Falcons senior hockey team.
History
In the 1920–21 season, the Falcons were the first team from Wester ...
*
Winnipeg/St. Boniface Saints
*
Winnipeg Wellingtons
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,60 ...
*
Wolseley Flyers
Turnbull Cup Champions
The Turnbull Memorial Trophy, or Turnbull Cup, is awarded to the Manitoba Junior 'A' hockey champion each season. The provincial championship coincides with the MJHL playoffs and all member clubs are eligible for the dual title of league and provincial champion. Rival Junior 'A' leagues in Manitoba, in some years, have been included in Turnbull Cup competition, in which case a playoff series between league champions determines the provincial championship instead of the MJHL finals. This was the case when the Central Manitoba Junior Hockey League and
NorMan Junior Hockey League
Norman or Normans may refer to:
Ethnic and cultural identity
* The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries
** People or things connected with the Norm ...
were in operation in 1968 and from 1980 to 1985, respectively.
The trophy was donated by the
Winnipeg Hockey Club
The Winnipeg Hockey Club (also known as the Winnipeg Winnipegs) were a former amateur senior-level men's amateur ice hockey team in Winnipeg, Manitoba founded in 1890. After the Winnipegs won the 1931 Allan Cup, they represented the Canada men's ...
in 1920 to honour Walter James "Ollie" Turnbull, a captain in the
10th Brigade Canadian Field Artillery, who was killed in the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. The trophy underwent a major refurbishment in 2018.
;Notes
Post MJHL Playoffs
Formats
Since 1970-71, the Turnbull Cup champion has played the Saskatchewan champion, the winner of the
Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League
The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League is a Junior 'A' ice hockey league operating in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan and one of nine member leagues of the Canadian Junior Hockey League.
Open to North American-born players 20 years of ...
(SJHL) playoffs, for the
ANAVET Cup. The winner of that series earns a berth in the Centennial Cup, the national Junior 'A' championship (known as the Royal Bank Cup from 1996 to 2018).
Prior to 1991, the ANAVET Cup champions advanced to the
Abbott Cup
The Abbott Memorial Cup, commonly referred to as the Abbott Cup, was awarded annually from 1919 through 1999 to the Junior "A" ice hockey Champion for Western Canada.
The Cup was named after Captain E.L. (Hick) Abbott who was a noted hockey pl ...
against the winner of
Doyle Cup
The Doyle Cup is an ice hockey trophy won through a best-of-7 series conducted annually by the Canadian Junior Hockey League to determine the Pacific region berth in the Centennial Cup, the national Junior A championship. From 1971 to 2021, the se ...
with the winner going on to face the Eastern Canada champions for the national Junior 'A' title. Beginning in 1991, the national championship format was expanded to include both the ANAVET and Doyle Cup champions, after which the Abbott Cup series no longer was played and the champion was crowned from the results of the round robin part of the national championship. The Abbott Cup was formally retired in 1999.
Between 2013 and 2017, the ANAVET and Doyle Cups were replaced by the
Western Canada Cup
The Western Canada Cup (WCC); was the Junior 'A' ice hockey championship for western Canada from 2013 to 2017. The annual five-team event consisted of the host team and the champions from the four western leagues (Alberta Junior Hockey League, Bri ...
(WCC), a regional tournament that determined the two Western Canadian seeds at the national championship. No MJHL clubs captured the WCC during its five-year run; however, the Dauphin Kings and Portage Terriers as runners-up in
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
and
2015
File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...
, respectively, to capture the second Western seed at the national championship.
Since the tournament format for the Centennial Cup began in 1985, MJHL clubs have hosted national championships on three occasions:
1992 in Winnipeg,
2010 in Dauphin, and
2015 in Portage la Prairie. Portage la Prairie was also selected to host the
2020 championship which was cancelled at the onset of the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
.
Prior to the reorganization of Canadian junior hockey in 1970, the MJHL champion played for the
Memorial Cup
The Memorial Cup () is the national championship of the Canadian Hockey League, a consortium of three major junior ice hockey leagues operating in Canada and parts of the United States. It is a four-team round-robin tournament played between t ...
, the former Canadian Tier I Junior championship. These post-MJHL playoffs were commonly known as the Memorial Cup playoffs. For the MJHL clubs, the road was firstly the western semi-finals and finals for the Abbott Cup, and then the Memorial Cup Finals. During this 53-year era (1918–1970), MJHL clubs won 18 Abbott Cups, and 11 Memorial Cups.
Manitoba/Saskatchewan Junior ‘A’ Hockey Championships
ANAVET Cup (1971–2012, 2017–present)
Western Canadian Junior Hockey Championships
Abbott Cup
The Abbott Memorial Cup, commonly referred to as the Abbott Cup, was awarded annually from 1919 through 1999 to the Junior "A" ice hockey Champion for Western Canada.
The Cup was named after Captain E.L. (Hick) Abbott who was a noted hockey pl ...
(1919–1970) Western Canadian Junior Championships
Abbott Cup
The Abbott Memorial Cup, commonly referred to as the Abbott Cup, was awarded annually from 1919 through 1999 to the Junior "A" ice hockey Champion for Western Canada.
The Cup was named after Captain E.L. (Hick) Abbott who was a noted hockey pl ...
(1971–1999) Western Canadian Junior ‘A’ Championships
National Junior Hockey Championships
Memorial Cup
The Memorial Cup () is the national championship of the Canadian Hockey League, a consortium of three major junior ice hockey leagues operating in Canada and parts of the United States. It is a four-team round-robin tournament played between t ...
(1919–1970) National Junior Championships
Centennial Cup
The Centennial Cup is an annual ice hockey tournament organized by Hockey Canada and the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL), which determines the national champion of junior A ice hockey. It is a ten-team round robin featuring the winners of ...
(1971–1995, 2019–present) National Junior ‘A’ Championships
Royal Bank Cup
Royal may refer to:
People
* Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name
* A member of a royal family
Places United States
* Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community
* Royal, Illinois, a village
* Royal, Iowa, a cit ...
(1996–2018) National Junior ‘A’ Championships
Notable players
Over the years, more than 200 MJHL players have gone on to the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
(NHL), and 11 of those MJHL graduates have been inducted into the
Hockey Hall of Fame
, logo = Hockey Hall of Fame Logo.svg
, logo_upright = 0.5
, image = Hockey Hall of Fame, Toronto.jpg
, caption = The Hall's present location on Yonge Street since 1992
, map_type =
, former_name =
, established = 1943
, location = 30 Y ...
including;
Andy Bathgate
Andrew James Bathgate (August 28, 1932 – February 26, 2016) was a Canadian professional ice hockey right wing who played 17 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings and Pittsbu ...
,
Turk Broda
Walter Edward "Turk" Broda (May 15, 1914 — October 17, 1972) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach. A goaltender, Broda played his entire career for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL) between 1935 and 19 ...
,
Art Coulter
Arthur Edmund Coulter (May 31, 1909 – October 14, 2000) was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played for the New York Rangers and Chicago Black Hawks in the National Hockey League.
Coulter, a two time Stanley Cup Champion, help ...
,
Bobby Clarke
Robert Earle Clarke (born August 13, 1949) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played his entire 15-year National Hockey League (NHL) career with the Philadelphia Flyers and is currently an executive with the team. Popular ...
,
Charlie Gardiner,
Bryan Hextall
Bryan Aldwyn Hextall (July 31, 1913 – July 25, 1984) was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played for the New York Rangers in the National Hockey League (NHL). Considered one of the top wingers of the 1940s, he led the NHL in goal ...
,
Tom Johnson,
Harry Oliver
Harry Oliver (April 4, 1888 – July 4, 1973) was an American humorist, artist, and Academy Award nominated art director of films from the 1920s and 1930s. Besides his outstanding work in Hollywood, he is now best remembered for his humorous w ...
,
Babe Pratt
Walter Peter "Babe" Pratt (January 7, 1916 – December 16, 1988) was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman/left winger who played for the New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs and the Boston Bruins in the National Hockey League between 1 ...
,
Terry Sawchuk
Terrance Gordon Sawchuk (December 28, 1929 – May 31, 1970) was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played 21 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Los Angeles Kin ...
, and
Jack Stewart.
Awards and leaders
Individual awards
*
Steve "Boomer" Hawrysh Award MVP
*
Ed Belfour Top Goaltender Trophy Top Goaltender
*
Brian Kozak Award
The Brian Kozak Award is presented annually to the Manitoba Junior Hockey League's defenceman who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position during the regular season. The award was first presented in 1977.
...
Top Defenceman
*
Vince Leah Trophy
The Kim Davis Trophy is an annual award given to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League during the regular season. The trophy is named after former MJHL commissioner Kim Da ...
Rookie of the Year
*
Frank McKinnon Memorial Trophy The Frank McKinnon Memorial Trophy is an annual award given by the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) to the player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability ...
Hockey Ability and Sportsmanship
*
Muzz McPherson Award Coach of the Year
*
Mike Ridley Trophy Scoring Champion
*
MJHL Top Goal Scorers
The Manitoba Junior Hockey League goal-scoring leader during the regular season.
MJHL Top Goal Scorers
CJHL Leaders highlined
See also
* List of top goal scorers in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League
External linksManitoba Junior Hockey Leagu ...
*
MJHL All-Star Teams
*
MJHL All Rookie Team
*
MJHL Playoff MVP
*
CJHL Player of the Year (MJHL)
The MJHL's nominee for CJHL Player of the Year. This award has been discontinued by the CJHL.
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Scholarships
*
RBC Financial Group MJHL Scholarship
*
Ed Belfour High Performance Award
*
Frank McKinnon Scholarship The Frank McKinnon Scholarship is bursary awarded by the Manitoba Junior Hockey League in honour of former Commissioner Frank McKinnon. It provides an opportunity for players to apply for a scholarship based on their academic and hockey accomplish ...
Records
*
MJHL Top 10 Goal Scorers
The top 10 all-time single season goal scorers in Manitoba Junior Hockey League history, as of the 2016–17 MJHL season The 2016–17 season was the Manitoba Junior Hockey League's (MJHL) 100th season of operation. Players and officials wore patc ...
Commissioners
*
Jimmy Dunn, 1964–1966
*Bill Addison, 1972–1988
*Gary Cribbs, 1988–1992
*
Frank McKinnon
Frank Lorne McKinnon, (June 16, 1934 – May 31, 2015) was a Canadian sports administrator. He was a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation Congress, chairman of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA), and vice-president of ...
, 1992–2002
*
Kim Davis
Kimberly Jean Davis (; born September 17, 1965) is a former county clerk for Rowan County, Kentucky, who gained international attention in August 2015 when she defied a U.S. federal court order to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. ...
, 2002–2020
*
Kevin Saurette
Kevin Saurette (born June 27, 1980) is a Canadians, Canadian former professional ice hockey forward (ice hockey), forward.
Saurette began his professional career in 2006 in the ECHL for the Reading Royals where his spell also included two loan s ...
, 2020–present
Timeline of teams in the MJHL
* 1917 – The league is founded as the ''Winnipeg & District League''
* 1924 –
Elmwood Millionaires The Elmwood Millionaires is a now defunct Canadian Junior Hockey team in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League. The Millionaires, based in Elmwood, Manitoba, won 5 straight Turnbull Cup Championships as Manitoba Junior ‘A’ Champions, 1927, 1928, ...
join league
* 1930 –
Winnipeg Monarchs Winnipeg Monarchs is a name used by several Canadian ice hockey teams in Winnipeg, Manitoba and may refer to:
*Winnipeg Monarchs (senior), a defunct ice hockey team, 1935 World Ice Hockey Champions
*Winnipeg Monarchs (MJHL)
The Winnipeg Monarch ...
and
Kenora Thistles
The Kenora Thistles, officially the Thistles Hockey Club, were a Canadian ice hockey team based in Kenora, Ontario. Founded in 1894, they were originally known as the Rat Portage Thistles. The team competed for the Stanley Cup, the ice hock ...
join league
* 1931 – ''Winnipeg & District League'' is renamed the ''Manitoba Junior Hockey League''
* 1931 – Elmwood Millionaires fold
* 1933 – Elmwood Maple Leafs join league
* 1934 –
St. Boniface Seals join league
* 1935 –
Woodhaven Maple Leafs join league
* 1935 – Selkirk Fisherman fold
* 1936 – Woodhaven Maple Leafs become the
St. James Canadians
The St. James Canadians were a Canadian junior hockey team in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League until 2003, folding officially in 2004. The Canadians played out of the St. James Civic Centre, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. As the Winnipeg Braves, the ...
* 1938 –
Brandon Wheat Kings
The Brandon Wheat Kings are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Brandon, Manitoba. They are members of the Western Hockey League (WHL) since joining the league in the 1967–68 season. Previously, they played in the Manitoba Junior Hoc ...
become the
Brandon Elks
* 1939 –
Winnipeg Rangers and CUAC Blues join league
* 1939 – St. Boniface Seals become St. Boniface Athletics
* 1940 – Brandon Elks become the Brandon Wheat Kings
* 1940 – Kenora Thistles and Elmwood Maple Leafs fold
* 1942 –
Portage Terriers
The Portage Terriers are a Canadian junior "A" ice hockey team from Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, Canada. They are members of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, a part of the Canadian Junior Hockey League.
History
The Portage Terriers were fou ...
and Wolseley Flyers join league
* 1943 – Wolseley Flyers fold
* 1945 – St. James Canadians become
St. James Orioles
* 1945 – St. Boniface Athletics and CUAC Blues fold
* 1946 – St. James Orioles relocate to Winnipeg and become the
Winnipeg Canadiens
The St. Boniface Canadiens was a Manitoba Junior Hockey League team that operated from 1952-1964. The St. Boniface Canadiens won 4 Turnbull Cup Championships as Manitoba Junior Champions, 1953, 1954, 1956, & 1958.
The franchise was founded ...
* 1947 – Portage Terriers fold
* 1947 – Winnipeg Rangers become the Winnipeg Black Hawks
* 1952 – Winnipeg Black Hawks become the Winnipeg Barons
* 1952 – Winnipeg Canadians relocate to
St. Boniface and become the
St. Boniface Canadiens
* 1956 – Winnipeg Braves and
new Winnipeg Rangers join league
* 1957 – Winnipeg Barons fold
* 1957 – Winnipeg Rangers relocate to Brandon and become the Brandon Rangers
* 1958 – Brandon Rangers relocate to
Transcona
Transcona is a ward and suburb of Winnipeg, Manitoba, located about east of the downtown area.
Until 1972, it was a separate municipality, having been incorporated first as the Town of Transcona on 6 April 1912 and then as the City of Tr ...
and become the Transcona Rangers
* 1959 – Transcona Rangers return to Winnipeg and become the Winnipeg Rangers
* 1963 –
Fort Frances Royals
The Fort Frances Royals were a Junior ice hockey club from Fort Frances, Ontario, Canada. The Royals were members of the Memorial Cup-eligible Thunder Bay Junior A Hockey League.
History
The Fort Frances Royals were founded in 1963 as members of ...
join league for one season
* 1964 – Brandon Wheat Kings leave to join
SJHL
The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League is a Junior 'A' ice hockey league operating in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan and one of nine member leagues of the Canadian Junior Hockey League.
Open to North American-born players 20 years of ...
* 1964 – St. Boniface Canadiens relocate to Winnipeg and become the Winnipeg Warriors
* 1966 – Brandon Wheat Kings rejoin league
* 1966 – Winnipeg Braves become the St. James Braves
* 1966 –
Selkirk Steelers
The Selkirk Steelers are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Selkirk, Manitoba, Canada. They are members of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, a part of the Canadian Junior Hockey League and Hockey Canada.
History
Junior "A" hockey in Selkirk ...
join league
* 1967 – Brandon Wheat Kings leave to join
WCHL
* 1967 – Selkirk Steelers leave to join
CMJHL
* 1967 – St. James Braves become the new
St. James Canadians
The St. James Canadians were a Canadian junior hockey team in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League until 2003, folding officially in 2004. The Canadians played out of the St. James Civic Centre, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. As the Winnipeg Braves, the ...
* 1967 – Winnipeg Rangers relocate to
St. Boniface and become the St. Boniface Saints
* 1967 – Winnipeg Warriors relocate to Kildonan and become the West Kildonan North Stars
* 1968 – MJHL/CMJHL merger:
Dauphin Kings
The Dauphin Kings are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Dauphin, Manitoba, Canada. They are members of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL), a part of the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) and Hockey Canada. The Kings were established in ...
and
Kenora Muskies
The Kenora Muskies, known as the Kenora Thistles from 1975 to 1982, are a defunct Manitoba Junior Hockey League team that played in Kenora, Ontario between 1968 and 1982.
History
The Kenora Muskies were granted expansion into the Memorial Cup ...
join league, Portage Terriers and Selkirk Steelers rejoin league
* 1973 –
Brandon Travellers
The Brandon Travellers were a Canadian junior 'A' ice hockey team based in Brandon, Manitoba that played in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League from 1973 to 1980. The team was owned by the Western Hockey League's Brandon Wheat Kings.
Travellers' ...
join league
* 1975 – Kenora Muskies become the Kenora Thistles
* 1975 –
Thompson King Miners
The Thompson King Miners were a junior ice hockey team from Thompson, Manitoba, Canada. The King Miners were members of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League and the NorMan Junior Hockey League.
History
The Thompson King Miners joined the Manitoba ...
join league
* 1976 – West Kildonan North Stars become
Kildonan North Stars
The Kildonan North Stars were a Canadian Junior ice hockey Team in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League from Winnipeg, Manitoba.
History
During the summer of 1967, community-minded sports group purchased the Winnipeg Warriors from Ben Hatskin, rena ...
* 1976 – Winnipeg Monarchs become the Assiniboine Park Monarchs
* 1977 – Assiniboine Park Monarchs become the Fort Garry Blues
* 1978 – Thompson King Miners leave to join
NJHL
* 1980 – Brandon Travellers fold
* 1980 –
Winkler Flyers
The Winkler Flyers are a Manitoba Junior Hockey League team playing out of the Winkler Arena in Winkler, Manitoba, Canada. The Flyers entered the MJHL as an expansion team for the 1980-81 season and have won three Turnbull Cup Championships as M ...
join league
* 1982 – Kenora Thistles fold
* 1984 – Fort Garry Blues become the Winnipeg South Blues
* 1984 – Thunder Bay Hornets join league
* 1985 –
Steinbach Hawks join league
* 1986 – Thunder Bay Hornets fold
* 1988 – Southeast Thunderbirds join league
* 1988 – Steinbach Hawks fold
* 1989 –
Neepawa Natives
The Neepawa Titans are a Canadian Junior "A" ice hockey team from Neepawa, Manitoba. They are members of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL), a part of the Canadian Junior Hockey League, and play home games at the Yellowhead Centre.
Hist ...
join league
* 1990 – Kildonan North Stars fold
* 1992 – Southeast Thunderbirds relocate to
Sakgeeng and became the Southeast Blades
* 1996 –
OCN Blizzard
The Opaskwayak Cree Nation (OCN) Blizzard are a junior "A" ice hockey team from The Pas, Manitoba, Canada. They are members of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, a part of the Canadian Junior Hockey League and Hockey Canada. The team is owned ...
join league
* 1999 –
Waywayseecappo Wolverines
The Waywayseecappo Wolverines are a Junior A ice hockey team playing in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League. They play their home games in the Waywayseecappo Community Complex in Waywayseecappo, Manitoba, Canada. The team played its first game on ...
and
Swan Valley Stampeders join league
* 2000 – St. Boniface Saints become the
Winnipeg Saints
The Winnipeg Saints were a Manitoba Junior Hockey League team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The team was known for most of its existence as the St. Boniface Saints and exists today as the Virden Oil Capitals.
History
The St. Boniface Saints wer ...
* 2003 – St. James Canadians take a one-year leave of absence and fold one year later
* 2007 – Southeast Blades relocate to
Beausejour and become the Beausejour Blades
* 2009 – Beausejour Blades relocate to
Steinbach and become the
Steinbach Pistons
The Steinbach Pistons are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Steinbach, Manitoba, Canada. They are members of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, which is a member of the Canadian Junior Hockey League.
History Southeast Thunderbirds/T-Birds/Bl ...
* 2010 – Winnipeg Saints relocate to
St. Adolphe
* 2010 – Winnipeg South Blues become the
Winnipeg Blues
The Winnipeg Blues are a Manitoba Junior Hockey League team based in Oak Bluff, a suburban area of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The team was founded in 1930 as the Winnipeg Monarchs and also formerly known as the Fort Garry Blues (1978-1984) and ...
* 2011 – Winnipeg Saints relocate back to Winnipeg
* 2012 – Winnipeg Saints relocate to
Virden and become the
Virden Oil Capitals
* 2020 –
Winnipeg Freeze
The Winnipeg Freeze are a Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The team was founded in 2020 and is owned by 50 Below Sports + Entertainment Inc, owners of the Western Hockey League's Winnipeg Ice and an ...
join league
* 2021 - Neepawa Natives become the Neepawa Titans
* 2022 -
Niverville Nighthawks join league
List of MJHL seasons
See also
*
Hockey Manitoba
Hockey Manitoba is the governing body of amateur ice hockey in the province of Manitoba, Canada. Hockey Manitoba was founded in 1914 as the ''Manitoba Amateur Hockey Association'' and is a branch affiliate of Hockey Canada.
As part of its mandat ...
*
Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame The Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame and Museum is a hall of fame and museum for ice hockey in Manitoba, located on the main level of the Canada Life Centre in downtown Winnipeg.
It was established in 1985, when the first honoured members were named an ...
References
External links
Manitoba Junior Hockey League website
{{Junior Hockey
A
Canadian Junior Hockey League members