Metro Junior A Hockey League
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The Metro Junior "A" Hockey League was a junior level
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 based out of
Southern Ontario Southern Ontario is a primary region of the province of Ontario, Canada, the other primary region being Northern Ontario. It is the most densely populated and southernmost region in Canada. The exact northern boundary of Southern Ontario is disp ...
. The league originated in 1956 as the Metro Junior "B" Hockey League, which lasted until 1991, when it changed its designation from Junior B to Junior A. It remained a Jr. A league from 1991 until 1998 when it was absorbed by the
Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League The Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) is a Junior A ice hockey league in Ontario, Canada. It is under the supervision of the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) and the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL). The league was listed as the 7th best d ...
.


History

The teams that formed the Metropolitan league played in the ''Big Six Junior B'' league in 1950 until 1953, when a new, nine-member OHA Jr.B league was formed. The league officially took on the Metropolitan Toronto junior hockey league name in 1956. For some time, was a part of the
Ontario Hockey Association The Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) is the governing body for the majority of junior and senior level ice hockey teams in the Province of Ontario. The OHA is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation along with the Northern Ontario Hockey As ...
and the
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 ...
. As the name suggests, the league originally consisted of Junior B teams in the Toronto area. However, over time, with the defection of teams to the Junior A league, the Metro league accepted teams from wider regions. The league featured many future
NHL 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 ...
stars, including
Brad Park Douglas Bradford "Brad" Park (born July 6, 1948) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. A defenceman, Park played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New York Rangers, Boston Bruins and Detroit Red Wings. Considered to be on ...
(
Toronto Westclairs 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 ...
),
Wayne Gretzky Wayne Douglas Gretzky ( ; born January 26, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979 to 1999. Nicknamed "the Great One ...
( Toronto Nationals),
Eric Lindros Eric Bryan Lindros (; born February 28, 1973) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Lindros was born in London, Ontario, but grew up in Toronto. He played junior hockey in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for the Oshawa Generals pr ...
(
St. Michael's Buzzers The St. Michael's Buzzers are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They compete in the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL). History The St. Michael's Buzzers date back to at least 1920, as future NHLer Bobby Bauer had ma ...
),
Dale Hawerchuk Dale Martin Hawerchuk (April 4, 1963 – August 18, 2020) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach. Drafted first overall by the Winnipeg Jets in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft, Hawerchuk played in the National Hockey League (NHL) fo ...
(
Oshawa Legionaires 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 ...
),
Ken Dryden Kenneth Wayne Dryden (born August 8, 1947) is a Canadian politician, lawyer, businessman, author, and former National Hockey League (NHL) goaltender. He is an Officer of the Order of Canada and a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. He was a Liber ...
(
Etobicoke Indians Etobicoke (, ) is an administrative district of, and one of six municipalities amalgamated into, the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Comprising the city's west-end, Etobicoke was first settled by Europeans in the 1790s, and the municipalit ...
), and
Curtis Joseph Curtis Shayne Joseph (né Munro; born April 29, 1967) is a Canadian ice hockey coach and former professional player. Nicknamed "Cujo", Joseph was immediately recognizable on the ice for his masks featuring a snarling dog, drawing inspiration fro ...
( King City Dukes). During the early years, the "Junior B" league was essentially the minor league feeder for the "Junior A" Ontario Hockey Association. Almost all of the Metro players eventually moved on to play in the OHA. Following the NCAA's 1980 rule change that deemed any OHL players to be professionals, amateur leagues such as the Junior B leagues grew. The Metro league became a key feeder to college hockey programs during the 1980s and 1990s, producing more than 200 future NCAA players.


The early Junior B years

The early years featured Toronto-based teams such as the St.Mike's Buzzers, Dixie Beehives, Toronto Lakeshore Bruins, Toronto Marlies/Weston Dukes, Unionville Jets, Aurora Tigers, Whitby Dunlops, Leaside Rangers, Brampton 7Ups and the Woodbridge Dodgers. For the most part, the teams served as farm teams at the Junior B level for the Junior A OHA teams. The 1964–65 season starred a 17-year-old
Ken Dryden Kenneth Wayne Dryden (born August 8, 1947) is a Canadian politician, lawyer, businessman, author, and former National Hockey League (NHL) goaltender. He is an Officer of the Order of Canada and a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. He was a Liber ...
in net for the
Etobicoke Indians Etobicoke (, ) is an administrative district of, and one of six municipalities amalgamated into, the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Comprising the city's west-end, Etobicoke was first settled by Europeans in the 1790s, and the municipalit ...
. With Dryden in net, the Indians won the Metro league title and made it all the way to the
Sutherland Cup The Sutherland Cup is the ice hockey Ontario Junior "B" Provincial Championship trophy. The trophy was first awarded in 1934, and named in honour of former OHA and CAHA president, James T. Sutherland. The Sutherland Cup is now the championship t ...
final where they lost 4-games-to-2 to the
Kitchener Greenshirts The Kitchener Greenshirts name has been used by five separate ice hockey teams playing in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. These include one 'Senior A' level hockey team, two 'Junior A' level teams, and two 'Junior B' level teams. The name has also b ...
. Ken Dryden moved on to become one of the most famous
NHL 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 ...
goaltender In ice hockey, the goaltender (commonly referred to as the goalie) is the player responsible for preventing the hockey puck from entering their team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring. The goaltender mostly plays in or near t ...
s of all-time. He played in the
1972 Summit Series The Summit Series, Super Series 72, Canada–USSR Series (russian: Суперсерия СССР — Канада, Superseriya SSSR — Kanada), or Series of the Century (french: Série du siècle, Séries of the Century), was an eight-game ic ...
, won the 1971
Conn Smythe Trophy The Conn Smythe Trophy (french: Trophée Conn Smythe) is awarded annually to the most valuable player (MVP) of his team during the National Hockey League's (NHL) Stanley Cup playoffs. It is named after Conn Smythe, the longtime owner, general man ...
as playoff MVP a season before he was officially a
rookie A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a professional athlete in their first season (or year). In contrast with a veteran who has experience and expertise, a rookie is usually inexperienced ...
(which he won the
Calder Memorial Trophy The Calder Memorial Trophy is an annual award given "to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League (NHL)." It is named after Frank Calder, the first president of the NHL. Serving as ...
in 1972 as Rookie of the Year), he won six
Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup (french: La Coupe Stanley) is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, an ...
s, and is a
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 ...
er.


Exodus 1972

In 1972 the Metro B league was reshaped substantially when six members left to join the new Ontario Provincial Junior A league. Metro members Ajax Steelers,
Aurora Tigers The Aurora Tigers are a Canadian ice hockey team from Aurora, Ontario. They play in the Ontario Junior Hockey League. The team has previously played in the Metro Junior A Hockey League, Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League, and the Ontario Jun ...
,
Dixie Beehives Dixie Beehives are a pair of defunct junior ice hockey teams from Weston, Toronto, Weston, Ontario, Canada, which is now part of Toronto, Ontario. They played in the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League (1972–87), Ontario Provincial Junio ...
, Downsview Bees,
North York Rangers The North York Rangers are a Junior "A" ice hockey team located in the North York district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of the South Division of the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) and were previously a part of the Metro Jun ...
, and the
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 ...
left. A year later the
Markham Waxers The Markham Waxers were an Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) Junior "A" ice hockey team based in Markham, Ontario, Canada. The Waxers name is still used by the Markham Waxers minor hockey club with the Eastern AAA Hockey League, a sub league of ...
also left. To make up for the losses, the Metro league took in new members
Belleville Bobcats The Belleville Bobcats were a Junior "B" ice hockey team. The Bobcats played in the Metro Junior B Hockey League. History The Belleville Bobcats were first formed in 1972 as a member of the Metro Junior "B" league. In 1980 the team won the Me ...
and the Peterborough Lions from the folded
Eastern Ontario Junior B Hockey League The Eastern Ontario Junior Hockey League is a Junior ice hockey league operating in Eastern Ontario, Canada. The league is sanctioned by Hockey Eastern Ontario and Hockey Canada and acts as a second tier to the Central Canada Hockey League. The 1 ...
, and expanded with the
Oshawa Legionaires 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 ...
,
Bramalea Blues The Bramalea Blues were a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Bramalea, Ontario, Canada. Their final two seasons were played in Brampton, Ontario at the Powerade Centre. They were a part of the Ontario Junior A Hockey League but also used to be a pa ...
,
Pickering Panthers The Pickering Panthers are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Pickering, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of North Division of the Ontario Junior Hockey League. History In the summer of 2010, the Panthers accepted a merger with the Ajax Attack. ...
, and
Wexford Warriors The Toronto Jr. Canadiens are a Junior "A" ice hockey team based in the Downsview neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They were known as the Wexford Raiders until the end of the 2005–06 season and are a part of Ontario Junior Hockey Leag ...
. The
Etobicoke Selects Etobicoke (, ) is an administrative district of, and one of six municipalities amalgamated into, the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Comprising the city's west-end, Etobicoke was first settled by Europeans in the 1790s, and the municipalit ...
,
Toronto Red Wings Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most pop ...
, and
Markham Waxers The Markham Waxers were an Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) Junior "A" ice hockey team based in Markham, Ontario, Canada. The Waxers name is still used by the Markham Waxers minor hockey club with the Eastern AAA Hockey League, a sub league of ...
joined in 1973. The
Kingston Voyageurs The Kingston Voyageurs were a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Kingston, Ontario, Canada. They were a part of the Ontario Junior A Hockey League. History The Voyageurs entered the Metro Junior B Hockey League in 1974. The Voyageurs filled the J ...
entered the league in 1974. In 1974, the Metro Champion
Bramalea Blues The Bramalea Blues were a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Bramalea, Ontario, Canada. Their final two seasons were played in Brampton, Ontario at the Powerade Centre. They were a part of the Ontario Junior A Hockey League but also used to be a pa ...
defeated the
Owen Sound Greys The Owen Sound Greys were a series of junior ice hockey teams based in Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada. They played in the Mid-Western division of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League. The original Greys, in their early years, won the 1924 and 192 ...
4-games-to-3 to reach the
Sutherland Cup The Sutherland Cup is the ice hockey Ontario Junior "B" Provincial Championship trophy. The trophy was first awarded in 1934, and named in honour of former OHA and CAHA president, James T. Sutherland. The Sutherland Cup is now the championship t ...
All-Ontario Final. Upon reaching the final, the Blues defeated the
Hamilton Red Wings The Hamilton Red Wings were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association from 1960 to 1974. The team was based in Hamilton, Ontario, at the Barton Street Arena, also known as the Hamilton Forum. History The Hamilton Tiger Cubs we ...
of the Niagara & District Junior B Hockey League in Game 1, only to have a brawl involving the teams, officials, and fans breakout to the point that police were called to break up the incident. Due to the brawl, the Blues withdrew from the final and became the only team in
Ontario Hockey Association The Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) is the governing body for the majority of junior and senior level ice hockey teams in the Province of Ontario. The OHA is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation along with the Northern Ontario Hockey As ...
history to forfeit the
Sutherland Cup The Sutherland Cup is the ice hockey Ontario Junior "B" Provincial Championship trophy. The trophy was first awarded in 1934, and named in honour of former OHA and CAHA president, James T. Sutherland. The Sutherland Cup is now the championship t ...
. The 1975 season marked the first junior appearance by a 14-year-old "underage"
Wayne Gretzky Wayne Douglas Gretzky ( ; born January 26, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979 to 1999. Nicknamed "the Great One ...
for the Toronto Nationals. In September,
Walter Gretzky Walter Gretzky, (October 8, 1938 – March 4, 2021) was a Canadian philanthropist who was best known as the father of Canadian ice hockey icon Wayne Gretzky. An avid hockey player as a youth, and a keen analyst of the game, he built a backyar ...
had Wayne moved to the City of
Vaughan Vaughan () (2021 population 323,103) is a city in Ontario, Canada. It is located in the Regional Municipality of York, just north of Toronto. Vaughan was the fastest-growing municipality in Canada between 1996 and 2006 with its population increas ...
to play midget hockey for the Toronto Young Nats instead of playing in his hometown 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 ...
. In October, 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 ...
declared Gretzky and 15-year-old Brian Rorabek ineligible because they had established residency too late. Gretzky sued in the Canadian Courts and los

Because Gretzky could remain in Toronto to play junior (rather than midget hockey), Gretzky tried out for the Junior B team, and made the team. In 28 games, Gretzky scored 27 goals and 33 assists to win Metro Rookie of the Year honours. The next year the team moved to Richmond Hill, Ontario, Richmond Hill and became the Seneca Nationals. Gretzky scored 36 goals and 36 assists in 32 games, and then 40 goals and 35 assists in 23 playoff games to lead his team to a Metro Junior "B" Championship. The team came up short of a
Sutherland Cup The Sutherland Cup is the ice hockey Ontario Junior "B" Provincial Championship trophy. The trophy was first awarded in 1934, and named in honour of former OHA and CAHA president, James T. Sutherland. The Sutherland Cup is now the championship t ...
victory, as the Nationals were stopped dead in the 1977 All-Ontario Semi-final by the
Stratford Cullitons The Stratford Warriors are a junior ice hockey team based in Stratford, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Mid-Western division of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League. The team was originally named the Warriors but was changed to Cullitons i ...
of the Wellington-Waterloo Junior B Hockey League. The Henry Carr Crusaders, a team sponsored by the Toronto highschool, joined the Junior "B" ranks in 1980. They won league titles in 1983, 1984, and 1987. Their best season came in 1983, where they went undefeated during the regular season, won the Metro, and then went on to win the
Sutherland Cup The Sutherland Cup is the ice hockey Ontario Junior "B" Provincial Championship trophy. The trophy was first awarded in 1934, and named in honour of former OHA and CAHA president, James T. Sutherland. The Sutherland Cup is now the championship t ...
as All-Ontario Junior "B" Champions. That team featured future
NHL 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 ...
ers
Bob Essensa Robert Earle Essensa (born January 14, 1965) is a Canadian ice hockey coach and former goaltender who played 12 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). Since 2003, he has served as the goaltending coach for the Boston Bruins. Playing career ...
,
Paul Cavallini Paul Edward "Wally" Cavallini (born October 13, 1965) is a Canadian former ice hockey defenceman. He is the younger brother of former player Gino Cavallini, who was his teammate for several years with the St. Louis Blues. He is also the father of ...
and
Victor Posa Victor Posa (born November 5, 1966) is a former ice hockey defenceman. Victor Posa was born in Bari, Italy. Victor played Junior Hockey in the OHL for Toronto and also played college hockey for the Wisconsin Badgers. He was drafted 137th overal ...
and NHL draft picks Rob Bryden and Allister Brown. In 1991, Henry Carr Highschool dropped its sponsorship of the team, and as of 2006 were known as the
Toronto Thunderbirds The Caledon Admirals are a Junior 'A' ice hockey team based in Caledon, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of the Ontario Junior Hockey League. History Henry Carr The Admirals lineage traces back to the Henry Carr Crusaders. Like the Toronto St ...
. During the 1986–87, a strange occurrence happened with the team that is now known as the
Mississauga Chargers The Mississauga Chargers are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of the Ontario Junior A Hockey League. They are the product of a 1990 merger of two former Metro Junior B franchises, the Thornhill Th ...
. Then known as the King City Dukes and in their third season in
King 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 ...
since moving from
Weston Weston may refer to: Places Australia * Weston, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb of Canberra * Weston, New South Wales * Weston Creek, a residential district of Canberra * Weston Park, Canberra, a park Canada * Weston, Nova Scotia * W ...
, the team moved mid-season to
North York North York is one of the six administrative districts of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located directly north of York, Old Toronto and East York, between Etobicoke to the west and Scarborough to the east. As of the 2016 Census, it had a popu ...
and renamed itself the North York Civics. The oddity here is that teams rarely do a complete locational move in the middle of a season. The next year they became the Richmond Hill Dukes and skipped around 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 ...
for the better part of the next decade trying to find a home. During the 1988–89 season Kingston's Scott Martin won his second consecutive scoring title and League MVP award. His season totals of 62 goals and 114 points in a mere 42 games came closest to topping the league records set by NHLers
Patrick Flatley Patrick William Flatley (born October 3, 1963) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward who played in the NHL for 14 seasons between 1983 and 1997 for the New York Islanders and New York Rangers. Playing career Flatley was born in T ...
during the 1980–81 season (137 points for Henry Carr), and Paul Gardner during the 1973–74 season (77 goals and 132 points for St.Mike's).


1990 departure from CJAHL and move to Junior A

The league was classified by the OHA as a Junior B league, until a falling-out in June 1990, when the Ontario Hockey Federation was formed, comprising the OHA, the Ontario major junior league, three minor hockey groups and women's hockey. The OHA was given jurisdiction over junior hockey below major junior excluding junior A in the north. Junior teams in Toronto were not members of the OHA and therefore not members of the CAHA. As a result, in 1990 the Metro league declared itself to be an independent junior league. A year later, during the summer of 1991, the league declared itself to be a Junior A league, and hired a full-time commissioner, Don Linthwaite. The Metro League's move brought into motion changes that ultimately led to the creation of the Ontario Provincial Junior Hockey League. After the Metro league declared itself to be a Junior A league, the Central Junior B league followed, declaring itself a Junior A league after the 1992–93 season. Through November 19–21, 1993, the new junior A leagues joined with teams from the other Canadian provincial junior A leagues, and formed the Canadian Junior A Hockey League.


Exodus 1995

In 1995, crisis struck the Metro Junior A Hockey League. In the midst of perceived corruption by the league, five teams walked out on the Metro. Four of these teams, the
Bramalea Blues The Bramalea Blues were a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Bramalea, Ontario, Canada. Their final two seasons were played in Brampton, Ontario at the Powerade Centre. They were a part of the Ontario Junior A Hockey League but also used to be a pa ...
,
Kingston Voyageurs The Kingston Voyageurs were a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Kingston, Ontario, Canada. They were a part of the Ontario Junior A Hockey League. History The Voyageurs entered the Metro Junior B Hockey League in 1974. The Voyageurs filled the J ...
,
Mississauga Chargers The Mississauga Chargers are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of the Ontario Junior A Hockey League. They are the product of a 1990 merger of two former Metro Junior B franchises, the Thornhill Th ...
, and
St. Michael's Buzzers The St. Michael's Buzzers are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They compete in the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL). History The St. Michael's Buzzers date back to at least 1920, as future NHLer Bobby Bauer had ma ...
, fled to join the
Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League The Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) is a Junior A ice hockey league in Ontario, Canada. It is under the supervision of the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) and the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL). The league was listed as the 7th best d ...
(OPJHL). The
Richmond Hill Riot The Mimico Monarchs were a Junior ice hockey team based in the Mimico neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. For some time, the team was known as the Richmond Hill Riot and played in Richmond Hill, Ontario. History The Monarchs were a part o ...
folded. The Metro Junior A Hockey League operated independent from the
Ontario Hockey Association The Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) is the governing body for the majority of junior and senior level ice hockey teams in the Province of Ontario. The OHA is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation along with the Northern Ontario Hockey As ...
(OHA) as of the 1995–96 season, when it was opposed to a ruling by 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 ...
which gave jurisdiction over
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 ...
in the province to the OHA. The Metro Junior A Hockey League insisted on its own administration and was opposed to paying fees to the OHA. The Metro Junior A Hockey League rejoined the OHA in 1997, then merged into the OPJHL in 1998. Hockey history was made on February 21, 1997 whe
Ryan Venturelli
of the
Muskoka Bears The Huntsville Otters are a Canadian Junior ice hockey team from Huntsville, Ontario. Starting from the 2016-17 season the Otters are members of the Provincial Junior Hockey League. Prior to this change they were members of the Georgian Mid-Ontari ...
became the first goaltender in hockey history to score two goals (both empty net) in a hockey game against the
Durham Huskies The Durham Huskies were an ice hockey franchise based in the town of Durham, Ontario, Canada. The team is actually a series of teams that have spanned nine decades and through an uncountable series of leagues. The Huskies have existed under of c ...
. Despite extensive expansion, the league was not able to retain its past glory and was swallowed whole by the OPJHL in 1998. The Metro league folded, with most of its teams being taken in by the OPJHL, as well as many of its players. So far the most successful of these teams seem to be the
Aurora Tigers The Aurora Tigers are a Canadian ice hockey team from Aurora, Ontario. They play in the Ontario Junior Hockey League. The team has previously played in the Metro Junior A Hockey League, Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League, and the Ontario Jun ...
, who after winning the OPJHL and Dudley Hewitt Cup in 2004, they took home the
Royal Bank Cup 2004 The 2004 Royal Bank Cup was the 34th Junior "A" 2004 ice hockey National Championship for the Canadian Junior A Hockey League. The Royal Bank Cup was competed for by the winners of the Doyle Cup, Anavet Cup, Dudley Hewitt Cup, the Fred Page Cup a ...
as
CJAHL 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 ...
National Champions as well. The league produced numerous stars, both in the
NHL 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 ...
and as a feeder for
NCAA 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 ...
college hockey, having produced 350 NCAA Division I scholarship athletes from 1980 to 1998.


Teams


Champions

''Please note: On the chart, the bolded team is the league champion.'' ''(*) denotes that there was no clear winner to the Eastern Division in 1998, but Syracuse did maintain a better record than Oshawa in the 1998 playoffs and is the closest the division has to a playoff champion.''


Sutherland Cup Provincial Jr. B Champions


See also

*
List of ice hockey leagues This is a list of ice hockey leagues, both professional and amateur, from around the world; parentheses denote year of establishment and, where applicable, year of disestablishment. North America Major professional * National Hockey League (1917 ...
*
Ontario Hockey Association The Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) is the governing body for the majority of junior and senior level ice hockey teams in the Province of Ontario. The OHA is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation along with the Northern Ontario Hockey As ...
*
Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League The Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) is a Junior A ice hockey league in Ontario, Canada. It is under the supervision of the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) and the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL). The league was listed as the 7th best d ...
*
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 ...


References


External links


Ontario Provincial League WebsiteOHA Website
{{CJAHL Defunct ice hockey leagues in Ontario Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League 1950 establishments in Ontario Sports leagues established in 1950 1998 disestablishments in Ontario Defunct junior ice hockey leagues in Canada