The Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL) is a Canadian developmental

junior ice hockey Junior hockey is a level of competitive ice hockey generally for players between 16 and 21 years of age. Junior hockey leagues in the United States and Canada are considered amateur (with some exceptions) and operate within regions of each cou ...

league. The league has primarily had teams in the

Greater Toronto Area The Greater Toronto Area, commonly referred to as the GTA, includes the City of Toronto and the regional municipalities of Durham, Halton, Peel, and York. In total, the region contains 25 urban, suburban, and rural municipalities. The Greater T ...

Central Ontario Central Ontario is a secondary region of Southern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario that lies between Georgian Bay and the eastern end of Lake Ontario. The population of the region was 1,123,307 in 2016; however, this number does not in ...

Northeastern Ontario Northeastern Ontario is a secondary region of Northern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario, which lies north of Lake Huron and east of Lake Superior. Northeastern Ontario consists of the districts of Algoma, Sudbury, Cochrane, Timiska ...

, and

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

. In 2019, they added three teams from

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

. As of December 2019, the league's alumni page lists 889 players from 2006 to 2019 who graduated from the GMHL to play for NCAA colleges, various professional leagues, major junior teams, or represented their country in various

IIHF World Championships The Ice Hockey World Championships are an annual international men's ice hockey tournament organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). First officially held at the 1920 Summer Olympics, it is the sport's highest profile annual ...

. The GMHL is an independent junior league and is not a member 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 ...

or sanctioned by

Hockey Canada Hockey Canada (which merged with the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association in 1994) is the national governing body of ice hockey and ice sledge hockey in Canada. It is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation and controls the majority ...

History

The league, founded by Bob Russell and Hockeyworks International Ltd., opened its doors in early 2006, with a unique concept and approach to improving the standard of developing young hockey players within a Junior 'A' league format setting. A draft showcase event took place from May 5 until May 7, 2006 with players from Canada, United States, and Europe taking up residence at the Hockeyworks' World Hockey Centre near Shelburne, Ontario to take part in the league's first tryout camp. As of September 2006, it became clear that the league would operate its first season with seven teams. The original seven were the Bradford Rattlers,

Deseronto Thunder The Deseronto Storm were a Junior ice hockey team based in Deseronto, Ontario, Canada. They played in the Empire B Junior C Hockey League but are former original members of the Greater Metro Junior 'A' Hockey League. History 2006-07 The Thund ...

King Wild King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

Nipissing Alouettes The Nipissing Alouettes were a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based out of Sturgeon Falls, Ontario. They played in the Greater Metro Junior 'A' Hockey League. History The Alouettes follow in the town's hockey tradition of the Sturgeon Falls L ...

Richmond Hill Rams The Richmond Hill Rams were a Junior ice hockey team based in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada. They played in the Greater Metro Junior 'A' Hockey League. History Richmond Hill Rams The Rams were a resurrection of the Richmond Hill Rams of the ...

South Muskoka Shield The Muskoka Shield are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Gravenhurst, Ontario. The Shield are members of the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL). History The Shield are a community-based team with a number of corporate sponsors ...

, and

Toronto Canada Moose The Toronto Blue Ice Jets were a Junior ice hockey team based out of Thornhill, Ontario, Canada. The team played in the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL). History The Jets were Thornhill's only Junior hockey team after the Ontario Provi ...

. The league's first ever game took place on September 8, 2006 between the

and the

. The final result was a 6–0 victory for the Rams, despite being badly outshot by the Wild. The first goal in the league's history was scored by the Rams'

Darren Archibald Darren Archibald (born February 9, 1990) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is currently playing for the Grizzlys Wolfsburg in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). He played major junior hockey in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for ...

(future

Vancouver Canucks The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference, and play their home games at Rogers Arena. Bruce B ...

prospect) on the power play during the first period. Rams' goaltender Daniel Jones picked up the historical first victory, as well as the league's first shutout in history. Grey Highlands Bravehearts goalie pink 2014

Grey Highlands Bravehearts goalie pink 2014

On November 15, 2006, the GMJHL announced its affiliation with the

World Hockey Association The World Hockey Association (french: Association mondiale de hockey) was a professional ice hockey major league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major league to compete with the National Hockey League (NHL) ...

and creation of the ''National Junior Hockey Alliance''. The affiliation resulted in a national championship between the GMJHL playoff champion and the winner of the

WHA Junior West Hockey League The WHA Junior Hockey League was an independent Canadian junior ice hockey league based out of British Columbia, Canada. The league marketed itself as a Junior A league, but was an unsanctioned independent loop with its own rules, processes and pro ...

after the 2006–07 season. The first ever regular season of the GMJHL concluded on February 25, 2007 with the Bradford Rattlers leading the way as regular season champs with a record of 37 wins, 1 regulation loss, and 4 overtime losses. In the playoffs, the Rattlers beat the

in six games, and then the

in five games to win the first ever Russell Cup as playoff champions. In September 2007, the GMJHL started its second season with six new teams, the

Douro Dukes The Colborne Cramahe Hawks were a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in Colborne, Ontario. The Hawks were members of the World United Hockey League. Competing in the Greater Metro Junior 'A' Hockey League from 2007 until 2014, the Hawks orig ...

Elliot Lake Bobcats The Cochrane Crunch are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based out of Cochrane, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League and are former members of the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League. The team was known as th ...

Espanola Kings The Espanola Kings were a junior ice hockey team based in Espanola, Ontario, Canada. They played in the Greater Metro Junior 'A' Hockey League. History On February 18, 2007, Bob Russell announced the expansion of the Espanola Kings for the 200 ...

Innisfil Lakers The Innisfil Lakers were a Junior ice hockey team based in Innisfil, Ontario, Canada. They played in the Greater Metro Junior 'A' Hockey League. History The Lakers are one of six expansion teams for the 2007-08 GMHL season. On September 6, 2007 ...

Tamworth Cyclones The Tamworth Cyclones were a Junior ice hockey team based in Tamworth, Ontario, Canada. They played in the Greater Metro Junior 'A' Hockey League. History The Cyclones are one of six expansion teams for the 2007-08 GMHL season. The Cyclones we ...

, and

Temiscaming Royals The Temiscaming Royals were a Junior ice hockey team based in Témiscaming, Quebec, Canada. They were members of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League, but originated in the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League. History The announcement of t ...

. The Deseronto Thunder ran into financial trouble after their first season and ownership of the team was transferred to the town. The team is now known as the Deseronto Storm. Knights of Meaford player black 2014

On December 11, 2007, the GMJHL announced a seven-game challenge series versus a

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

n team known as the Moscow Selects. In late December and early January, the top seven teams of the GMJHL will compete against the Moscow Selects—a mixture of top Top Junior talent from the City of

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

. The Selects played seven games, against Bradford, Innisfil, Temiscaming, Elliot Lake, Richmond Hill, Deseronto, and South Muskoka, winning each game. In March 2008, the

and

played two games each against the

Mexico national ice hockey team The Mexican national ice hockey team ( es, Selección Mexicana de hockey sobre hielo) is the national men's ice hockey team of Mexico. The team is governed by the Mexico Ice Hockey Federation (FDMHSH) ( es, Federación Deportiva de Mexico de Hoc ...

. The Wild won both their games, while the Rams lost both of theirs. For the 2008–09 season, the GMJHL adopted much of the

National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

's ice hockey rulebook. The GMJHL added the

Minden Riverkings The Minden Riverkings were a Junior ice hockey team based in of Minden, Ontario, Canada. They played in the Greater Metro Junior 'A' Hockey League. History In April 2008, it was announced that Minden had been chosen as a 2008-09 season expansio ...

and the

Oro-Medonte 77's The Oro-Medonte 77's were a Junior ice hockey team based out of Oro-Medonte, Ontario, Canada. Their arena was in the community of Guthrie, Ontario. They played in the Greater Metro Junior 'A' Hockey League. History In April 2008, it was announ ...

to the mix, and the Dukes relocated to become the Brock Bucks. At the same time, the

-based

walked away from the league to join the

Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League The Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL) is a Canadian Junior ice hockey league and member of the Canadian Junior Hockey League and Northern Ontario Hockey Association. The winner of the NOJHL playoffs competes for the Dudley Hewitt Cup ...

, but were replaced within weeks by the

Ville-Marie Dragons The Parry Sound Islanders were a Junior ice hockey team based out of Parry Sound, Ontario, Canada. They played in the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League. History In 2007, Ville-Marie first attempted to form a team in one of the established O ...

. In December 2008 and January 2009, eight teams of the GMHL hosted

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...

's Under-18

Torpedo UST-Kamenogorsk Torpedo Hockey Club ( kk, «Торпедо» хоккей клубы, ''«Torpedo» hokkeı klýby''; russian: Хоккейный клуб «Торпедо»), commonly referred to as Torpedo Ust-Kamenogorsk, formerly known as Kazzinc-Torpedo (1999 ...

squad. Victorious were the

(twice),

, Bradford Rattlers,

, and a Nipissing/Ville-Marie combined squad. The only loss for a GMHL team happened to the

. In the summer of 2010, the GMHL expanded in two fashions internationally. First,

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

's only All-Russian team in the

Shelburne Red Wings The Shelburne Stars were a junior ice hockey, junior ice hockey team based in Shelburne, Ontario, Shelburne, Ontario, Canada. They played in the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL). Established in 2010, the team was originally known as the ...

and then late in the summer they expanded to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

through the expansion of the

Jamestown Jets The Jamestown Jets were an American junior ice hockey team based in Jamestown, New York. Originally members of the United Junior Hockey League and later the Northern Junior Hockey League. The Jets played in the Canadian Greater Metro Junior A Hoc ...

. On September 17, 2010, the GMHL played its first international regulation game, in

Jamestown, New York Jamestown is a city in southern Chautauqua County, in the U.S. state of New York. The population was 28,712 at the 2020 census. Situated between Lake Erie to the north and the Allegheny National Forest to the south, Jamestown is the largest pop ...

between the

and

Sturgeon Falls Lumberjacks The West Nipissing Lynx are a junior ice hockey team based in Sturgeon Falls, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL). History The Sturgeon Falls Lumberjacks were announced in summer 2010. The Lumberjacks r ...

, both expansion teams to the league for the 2010–11 season. Jamestown won the game 4–3. In December 2010, the GMHL named

Bob Bernstein Robert "Bob" Bernstein is an American businessman and entrepreneur. He is the co-founder of the advertising company Bernstein-Rein and the founder of Beauty Brands. Bernstein-Rein In 1964, Bernstein and Skip Rein opened Bernstein-Rein, a mark ...

commissioner. After serving as commissioner for seven days, Bernstein was relieved of his duties and

Ken Girard Kenneth "Kenny" Girard (born December 8, 1936) is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player who played 7 games in the National Hockey League with the Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Ho ...

later resumed as full-time commissioner. In mid-January 2011, it was announced that the town of

Iron Bridge, Ontario Iron () is a chemical element with symbol Fe (from la, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, right in front ...

and its 500-seat outdoor arena would host a regular season game, known as the North Shore Winter Classic, between the

and

Algoma Avalanche The Algoma Avalanche were a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in Thessalon, Ontario, Canada. They played in the Greater Metro Junior 'A' Hockey League. History The Avalanche were formed in the summer of 2009. The Avalanche are the first ju ...

on January 29, 2011. This is the first known regulation outdoor game in Ontario in the modern era. Elliot Lake would win the game 8–2 in front of an estimated 400 fans. At the conclusion of the 2011–12 season, the league lost the Elliot Lake Bobcats to the

. Relocation of teams and expansion was busier than ever in 2014. The Mattawa Voyageurs moved to Sundridge to make way for an NOJHL team. The Powassan Eagles moved to Parry Sound to make way for an NOJHL team. The league expanded rapidly with a total of 15 new teams in the off-season of 2014 and 2015. There was a total of 30 teams, with a total of six teams playing in the same market (two teams per town). The Shelburne Red Wings were sold after the 2013–14 season, and were renamed the Shelburne Stars. However, the Stars did not play in 2014–15 and changed their name to the Shelburne Sharks and began play in 2015–16. In May 2015, the Rama Aces took a leave of absence but never returned. In November 2015, the Brantford Steelfighters suspended their operations after 18 games. The Shelburne Sharks returned as the Shelburne Stars in June 2016, but the team folded soon afterwards. The Sturgeon Falls Lumberjacks re-branded as the West Nipissing Lynx, but remained in Sturgeon Falls. Early into the 2016–17 season, the

Toronto Blue Ice Jets The Toronto Blue Ice Jets were a junior ice hockey, Junior ice hockey team based out of Thornhill, Ontario, Canada. The team played in the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL). History The Jets were Thornhill's only Junior hockey team afte ...

were removed from the schedule in the first week, the

Bracebridge Blues The Bracebridge Blues were a Canada, Canadian junior ice hockey, Junior ice hockey team based in Bracebridge, Ontario, Bracebridge, Ontario, Canada. They played in the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL). History The Phantoms were announc ...

in the fifth week, the Komoka Dragons in the seventh week, the Lincoln Mavericks in the twelfth week, and Wiarton Rock in the fifteenth week of the season. The

Orangeville Ice Crushers The Orangeville Ice Crushers were a junior ice hockey team based in Orangeville, Ontario, Canada. They played in the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL). History The Orangeville Americans were announced in the spring of 2011 with the ro ...

would also suspend operations in January 2017 and all remaining games against Orangeville were considered forfeits. For 2017–18, the league added the Fergus Force, Ville-Marie Pirates, Wiarton Schooners, and Windsor Aces while losing the

Toronto Attack The Toronto Attack was a junior ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It played in the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL). History The Attack was announced as an expansion team on March 19, 2012, by the GMHL. On September 15 ...

. In late August 2017, the

Parry Sound Islanders The Parry Sound Islanders were a Junior ice hockey team based out of Parry Sound, Ontario, Canada. They played in the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League. History In 2007, Ville-Marie first attempted to form a team in one of the established ...

announced they were taking a leave of absence and merged with the

Seguin Huskies The Seguin Huskies are a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in Humphrey, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL). History The Seguin Huskies joined the GMHL in spring 2013. The Huskies are the first junio ...

. The Force and Schooners both folded during the season without winning a game. After one season following the Islanders merge, the Seguin Huskies folded in 2018. The GMHL also added two teams originally in the

Canadian Premier Junior Hockey League The Canadian Premier Junior Hockey League (CPJHL) was a Canadian-based junior ice hockey league based in Ontario. The CPJHL was sanctioned by the United Hockey Union, the junior hockey branch of the Amateur Athletic Union. History The CPJHL was ...

in the Niagara-on-the-Lake Nationals and Ottawa Sharpshooters for 2018–19. The Wiarton Schooners returned but folded midseason for the second consecutive season, and third consecutive midseason GMHL team folding in the town of Wiarton. In 2019, the league added the Western Provinces Hockey Association (WPHA) as a Western Division in the GMHL for the 2019–20 season, which then rebranded as the GMHL West. The WPHA had played the previous season in the

Western States Hockey League The Western States Hockey League (WSHL) was a junior ice hockey league established in 1993. It was sanctioned by the United Hockey Union, the junior hockey branch of the Amateur Athletic Union. Previously, it was sanctioned by USA Hockey from 199 ...

as the Provinces Division. The 2020 playoffs were then curtailed by 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 ...

and no champion was named. The following 2020–21 season did not take place as scheduled due to pandemic restrictions in Ontario and Quebec, with six teams playing only two games each in December 2020. The four teams in the GMHL West were able to play a partial season and a playoff in May 2021.

Teams

2022–23 teams

2022–23 changes

*The Plattsville Lakers were suspended following league investigation. * Early February

Kitimat Kitimat is a district municipality in the North Coast region of British Columbia, Canada. It is a member municipality of the Regional District of Kitimat–Stikine regional government. The Kitimat Valley is part of the most populous urban distr ...

Saax announced that they intended to enter a team in the West Division. * Article in Interior news noted the Burns Lake Timbermen and Tumbler Ridge Steel Kings, will join Kitimat in expansion.

Regular season champions

Bolded are overall regular season champions.

Russell Cup playoff champions

Bolded are overall champions, ''Italics'' are finalist.

College Showcase Tournament

Since 2009, the GMHL has had a mid-season prospect tournament. Generally, the top seven teams of the league compete in the tournament with an eighth team, the ''GMHL Selects'' representing the other teams in the league. The 2012 tournament featured both the Bradford Rattlers and

being thrown out in the semifinal round. An incident, both on-ice and later off-ice, involving a player from each team and later two more players and a parent from one team entering the altercation, resulted in a police investigation and one team refusing to continue. The league disqualified both teams after the game failed to continue. Since the 2012 tournament, the league changed the format to a prospect weekend with no championship rounds.

League records

Scoring champions

Goals against average champions

Team records

*Best record: 2012–13 Bradford Rattlers (42–0–0–0) *Worst record: 2007–08 Douro Dukes (2–40–0–0) *Most goals for by team, one season: 2017–18 St. George Ravens (404) *Fewest goals for by team, one season: 2013–14 Toronto Predators (91) *Fewest goals against by team, one season: 2015–16 Kingsville Kings (71) *Most goals against by team, one season: 2015–16 Bobcaygeon Storm (491) *Largest margin of victory: Elliot Lake Bobcats 29, Ville-Marie Dragons 1 on December 6, 2008

Individual records

*Most goals, one season: Bryce Yetman (81) — 2018–19 Windsor Aces *Most assists, one season: Chris Haigh (89) — 2017–18 St. George Ravens *Most points, one season: Bryce Yetman (153) — 2018–19 Windsor Aces *Lowest goals against average, one season: Wes Werner (1.20) — 2015–16 Kingsville Kings *Highest save percentage, one season: Jan Pechek (0.951) — 2015–16 Kingsville Kings

Former teams

Timeline of teams

;2006–07 *League is formed with seven teams: Bradford Rattlers, Deseronto Thunder, King Wild, Nipissing Alouettes, Richmond Hill Rams, South Muskoka Shield, Toronto Canada Moose ;2007–08 *Deseronto Thunder become Deseronto Storm *League expands by six teams: Douro Dukes, Elliot Lake Bobcats, Espanola Kings, Innisfil Lakers, Tamworth Cyclones, Temiscaming Royals ;2008–09 *Douro Dukes move and become Brock Bucks *Richmond Hill Rams become Ontario Lightning Rams *Oro-Medonte 77's join league *Ville-Marie Dragons join league *Minden Riverkings join league *Temiscaming Royals leave league for

;2009–10 *Ville-Marie Dragons fold mid-season (January) *Tamworth Cyclones fold mid-season (January) *Ontario Lightning Rams leave league *Espanola Kings leave league *Nipissing Alouettes leave league *Algoma Avalanche join league *Ville-Marie Dragons move and become Powassan Dragons *Minden Riverkings fold mid-season (November) ;2010–11 *Shelburne Red Wings join league *Sturgeon Falls Lumberjacks join league *King Wild move and become Vaughan Wild *Brock Bucks move and become Bobcaygeon Bucks *Innisfil Lakers leave league *Jamestown Jets join league from

Northern Junior Hockey League The Northern Junior Hockey League (NJHL) was an independent regional junior ice hockey league based in Jamestown, New York. The league operated from 2008 to 2010. History United Junior Hockey League The United Junior Hockey League (UJHL) was cre ...

(league's first American team) ;2011–12 *Mattawa Voyageurs join league *Temiscaming Titans join league *Halton Huskies join league *Orangeville Americans join league *Vaughan Stars join league *Vaughan Wild move and become Lefroy Wave *Powassan Dragons change name to Powassan Eagles *Oro-Medonte 77's leave league *Jamestown Jets leave league ;2012–13 * Rama Aces join league * Powassan Eagles return *

Bradford Bulls The Bradford Bulls are a professional rugby league club in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, playing in the Championship. They have won five Challenge Cups, six league championships and three World Club Challenges. The team jersey is predom ...

join league *

join league * Bracebridge Phantoms join league *

leave league for

* Deseronto Storm leave league for

Empire B Junior C Hockey League The Empire B Junior C Hockey League is a former Junior "C" ice hockey league in Ontario, Canada, sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Association. The league was merged into the Provincial Junior Hockey League as the Tod Division in the summer of 201 ...

leave league ;2013–14 *Expansion granted to the

Alliston Coyotes The New Tecumseth Civics are a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in Alliston, Ontario. They play in the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL). History The Alliston Coyotes joined the GMHL in spring 2013. The Coyotes played their first g ...

Alliston, Ontario Alliston is a settlement in Simcoe County in the Canadian province of Ontario. It has been part of the Town of New Tecumseth since the 1991 amalgamation of Alliston and nearby villages of Beeton, Tottenham, and the Township of Tecumseth. The p ...

. *Expansion granted to the

Seguin, Ontario Seguin is a township in central Ontario, Canada, in the District of Parry Sound. History The Township of Seguin was created by Minister's Order, dated May 8, 1997. Pursuant to this Order, the Township of Seguin became a newly incorporated munici ...

. *Expansion granted to the

Toronto Predators The Niagara-on-the-Lake Predators are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL). History The Toronto Predators joined the GMHL as an expansion fr ...

Toronto, Ontario Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

. *Expansion granted to Halton Ravens of

Burlington, Ontario Burlington is a city in the Regional Municipality of Halton at the northwestern end of Lake Ontario in Ontario, Canada. Along with Milton to the north, it forms the western end of the Greater Toronto Area and is also part of the Hamilton met ...

. *Expansion granted to

Knights of Meaford The Knights of Meaford are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Meaford, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL). History The Knights of Meaford joined the GMHL in spring 2013. The Knights are the fir ...

Meaford, Ontario Meaford is a municipality in Grey County, Ontario, Canada. Meaford is located on Nottawasaga Bay, a sub-basin of Georgian Bay and Owen Sound Bay, in the traditional territory of the Saugeen Ojibway Nation in southern Ontario. The municipality' ...

. * Toronto Canada Moose renamed

. ;2014–15 *Expansion granted to the

Cambridge Bears The Cambridge Bears were a junior ice hockey team based in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada. The team was a member of the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League during the 2014–15 season however they were pulled from the league by their owners. The cl ...

Cambridge, Ontario Cambridge is a city in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, located at the confluence of the Grand River (Ontario), Grand and Speed River, Speed rivers. The city had a population of 138,479 as of the 2021 Canadian census, 202 ...

. *Lefroy Wave relocate to

Markdale, Ontario Markdale is a community in the Municipality of Grey Highlands, in Grey County, Ontario, Canada. The population was 1,216 in 2016, an increase of 3.5% from 1,175 in 2011. In 2016, the average age of the population was approximately 43 years old. ...

and become

Grey Highlands Bravehearts The Wiarton Rock was a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in Wiarton, Ontario, and a member of the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL). The Rock relocated multiple times, spending time in King City, Nobleton, Lefroy, and Markdale, ...

. *Expansion granted to the

Tottenham Steam The Tottenham Thunder are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Tottenham, Ontario. They play in the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL). The team was known as the Tottenham Steam for its first six seasons. History The Tottenham Stea ...

Tottenham, Ontario Tottenham is a community in the town of New Tecumseth, in south-central Ontario, Canada. It takes its name from its first postmaster, Alexander Totten. The Tottenham Conservation Area is a recreational facility in the village, which is also famou ...

. *

Bobcaygeon Bucks The Colborne Cramahe Hawks were a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in Colborne, Ontario. The Hawks were members of the World United Hockey League. Competing in the Greater Metro Junior 'A' Hockey League from 2007 until 2014, the Hawks origi ...

leave league for CIHL. *Mattawa Voyageurs relocate to

South River, Ontario South River is a village on Highway 124 near Algonquin Park in the Almaguin Highlands region of Parry Sound District of Ontario, Canada. It is about halfway between North Bay "ON-11 S: 40 min." and Huntsville "ON-11 N: 45 min." or a 3-hour driv ...

and become

Almaguin Spartans The Almaguin Spartans are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in South River, Ontario. They play in the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL). They were originally the Mattawa Voyageurs of Mattawa, Ontario. History The Voyageurs were ...

. *Expansion granted to the

North York Renegades The North York Renegades are a junior ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the South Division of the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL). The Renegades were founded in 2014 and joined the GMHL to compete ...

. *Bracebridge Phantoms change name to

. *Expansion granted to Niagara Whalers of

Port Colborne, Ontario Port Colborne is a city in Ontario, Canada that is located on Lake Erie, at the southern end of the Welland Canal, in the Niagara Region of Southern Ontario. The original settlement, known as Gravelly Bay, dates from 1832 and was renamed after S ...

. *Powassan Eagles relocate to

Parry Sound, Ontario Parry Sound is a town in Ontario, Canada, located on the eastern shore of the sound after which it is named. Parry Sound is located south of Sudbury and north of Toronto. It is a single tier government located in the territorial District ...

and become

. *Shelburne Red Wings are sold; change name to

Shelburne Stars The Shelburne Stars were a junior ice hockey team based in Shelburne, Ontario, Canada. They played in the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL). Established in 2010, the team was originally known as the Shelburne Red Wings. They are also co ...

and take season off to restructure. ;2015–16 *Expansion granted to Bobcaygeon Storm of

Bobcaygeon Bobcaygeon is a community on the Trent–Severn Waterway in the City of Kawartha Lakes, east-central Ontario, Canada. Bobcaygeon was incorporated as a village in 1876, and became known as the "Hub of the Kawarthas". Its recorded name ''bob-c ...

, Ontario. *Expansion granted to Brantford Steelfighters of

Brantford, Ontario Brantford ( 2021 population: 104,688) is a city in Ontario, Canada, founded on the Grand River in Southwestern Ontario. It is surrounded by Brant County, but is politically separate with a municipal government of its own that is fully independ ...

. *Expansion granted to Colborne Chiefs of Colborne, Ontario. *Expansion granted to Coldwater Falcons of Coldwater, Ontario. *Expansion granted to Grey County Grizzlies of Feversham, Ontario. *Expansion granted to Haliburton Wolves of Haliburton, Ontario. *Expansion granted to Kingsville Kings of

Kingsville, Ontario Kingsville is a town in Essex County in southwestern Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's southernmost municipality with town status. The town had a population of 21,552 in the Canada 2016 Census, up from 21,362 in the Canada 2011 Census. History Ki ...

. *Expansion granted to Komoka Dragons of Komoka, Ontario. *Expansion granted to London Lakers of

London, Ontario London (pronounced ) is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. The city had a population of 422,324 according to the 2021 Canadian census. London is at the confluence of the Thames River, approximate ...

. *Expansion granted to Norfolk Vikings of

Simcoe, Ontario Simcoe is an unincorporated community#Canada, unincorporated community and former town in Southwestern Ontario, Canada near Lake Erie. It is the county seat and largest community of Norfolk County, Ontario, Norfolk County. Simcoe is at the junct ...

. *Expansion granted to Oshawa Riverkings of

Oshawa, Ontario Oshawa ( , also ; 2021 population 175,383; CMA 415,311) is a city in Ontario, Canada, on the Lake Ontario shoreline. It lies in Southern Ontario, approximately east of Downtown Toronto. It is commonly viewed as the eastern anchor of the G ...

. *Orangeville Americans were renamed the

. *Shelburne Stars were renamed the

Shelburne Sharks The Shelburne Stars were a junior ice hockey team based in Shelburne, Ontario, Canada. They played in the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League (GMHL). Established in 2010, the team was originally known as the Shelburne Red Wings. They are also co ...

. *Brantford Steelfighters take leave of absence after 18 games played; league revokes membership. *Grey County Grizzlies cease operations after 23 games played and only one win. *

end season early due to lack of players. ;2016–17 *

relocate to

Wiarton, Ontario Wiarton () is a community in the town of South Bruce Peninsula, Bruce County, Ontario, Canada. It is located at the western end of Colpoys Bay, an inlet off Georgian Bay, on the Bruce Peninsula. Wiarton is notable for the Wiarton Willie Festiva ...

. The newly named Wiarton Rock would then fold midway through their first season on 14 December. *Expansion granted to

Tillsonburg Tillsonburg is a town in Oxford County, Ontario, Canada with a population of 18,615 located about 50 kilometres southeast of London, on Highway 3 at the junction of Highway 19. History Prior to European settlement, the present site of Tillso ...

Hurricanes. *Bobcaygeon Storm membership revoked *Coldwater Falcons membership revoked *Grey County Grizzlies membership revoked *Haliburton Wolves membership revoked *Brantford Steelfighters membership revoked. *Expansion granted to Lincoln Mavericks of

Lincoln, Ontario Lincoln is a town on Lake Ontario in the Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada. The town's administrative and commercial centre is in the community of Beamsville. Geography Lincoln's location between the southern shore of Lake Ontario and the Niagara E ...

, but withdrew from the league on November 21 during their first season. *Colbourne Chiefs rebranded as Northumberland Stars after ownership change. *Alliston Coyotes rebranded as New Tecumseth Civics after ownership change. *

return to league. Change of ownership and rebranded as the West Nipissing Lynx. *

rebrand as Shelbourne Stars but fold prior to the beginning of the season. *Norfolk Vikings take 2016–17 hiatus *

fold just before start of season. *

removed from schedule after playing five games and forfeiting a sixth. *Komoka Dragons folded after 12 games. *

suspended operations in January. Three of the team's owners had been arrested for drug distribution in November 2016 and were suspended by the league. The league transferred control to another shareholder who ceased operations of the team after two months. ;2017–18 *Fergus Force granted membership as an expansion team. Folded after playing 16 games, all loses, with one credited win for a Wiarton forfeit. *Ville-Marie Pirates granted membership as an expansion team. *Wiarton Schooners granted membership as an expansion team. Folded after eight winless games and a 25–1 loss to the

. *

removed from GMHL's list of teams on website. *Windsor Aces granted membership as an expansion franchise. *

cease operations and merged with

. ;2018–19 * Niagara-on-the-Lake Nationals expansion team added from the

after the Nationals decided to not participate in the CPJHL. * Ottawa Sharpshooters joined as expansion team for 2018–19 season from the Canadian Premier Junior Hockey League. *The

folded prior to the 2018–19 season.
Wiarton Schooners
returned to league after folding during the previous season. Folded again after 17 games played, and a 1–16 record, in 2018. ;2019–20 *

Bancroft, Ontario Bancroft () is a town located on the York River in Hastings County in the Canadian province of Ontario. It was first settled in the 1850s by United Empire Loyalists and Irish immigrants. From the mid-1950s to about 1982, mining was the primar ...

, was granted an expansion franchise with the Bancroft Rockhounds. *Oshawa Riverkings sold and rebranded as Durham RoadRunners. *Niagara-on-the-Lake Nationals folded after one season. *Tillsonburg Hurricanes ceased operations *The Western Provinces Hockey Association (WPHA) joins from the

(WSHL) and rebrands as the GMHL West. The new West Division added five teams from Alberta and Saskatchewan: the Cold Lake Wings, Hinton Wildcats, Northern Alberta Tomahawks, Rosetown Red Wings, and Slave Lake Icedogs. The Hinton Wildcats did not make the final schedule after a lease dispute with the city and the WSHL while the Cold Lake Wings suspended operations and were replaced by YEG Edmonton Academy on the schedule, which then used the Wings branding. The Rosetown team also postponed the start of their season and then never played, while the YEG Edmonton Academy began using their uniforms as the High Prairie Red Wings and settled on a home rink in November. *The Ottawa Sharpshooters folded in December 2019. ;2020–21 *The London Lakers moved to

Plattsville, Ontario Blandford-Blenheim is a township in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in Oxford County. The township had a population of 7,359 in the Canada 2011 Census. Its government consists of a mayor and four councillors. There are no geographic ...

, as the

Plattsville Lakers The Plattsville Lakers are a Semi-Pro ice hockey team based in the township of Blandford-Blenheim in Plattsville, Ontario, Canada. The Lakers joined the Western Ontario Super Hockey League in 2022, after being a part of the Greater Metro Junior A ...

. *The

rebranded as the Tottenham Thunder. *An expansion team called the Fox Creek Ice Kings in

Fox Creek, Alberta Fox Creek is a town in northwest Alberta, Canada. It is located on Highway 43, approximately northwest of Edmonton and southeast of Grande Prairie, and has an elevation of . Fox Creek is within the Upper Peace planning region, and is surroun ...

, added to the West Division. ;2021–22 *The Toronto Predators relocated to

Niagara-on-the-Lake Niagara-on-the-Lake is a town in Ontario, Canada. It is located on the Niagara Peninsula at the point where the Niagara River meets Lake Ontario, across the river from New York, United States. Niagara-on-the-Lake is in the Niagara Region of On ...

as the Niagara-on-the-Lake Predators.

References

External links

Greater Metro Jr. "A" Hockey League official website
{{Junior Hockey O Greater