The Niagara & District Junior C Hockey League is a former Junior "C"

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 in

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

, Canada, sanctioned by 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 ...

. The Champion of the Niagara competed for the All-Ontario Championship and the

Clarence Schmalz Cup The Clarence Schmalz Cup is the Ontario Hockey Association's Junior "C" ice hockey championship and championship trophy. The champions of the Provincial Junior Hockey League (PJHL) are awarded the Cup. The PJHL was formed in 2016 from the forme ...

. In the summer of 2016, the NDJCHL merged into the

Provincial Junior Hockey League The Provincial Junior Hockey League (PJHL) is a Canadian junior ice hockey league spanning parts of Southern Ontario. The PJHL is the third tier of the Ontario Hockey Association and is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation and Hockey Canada ...

History

The Niagara & District Junior C Hockey League was formed in 1974. Although corresponding with the founding of the

Golden Horseshoe Junior Hockey League The Golden Horseshoe Junior Hockey League (GHL) was a junior ice hockey league in Ontario, Canada, sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Association from 1974 until 2007. In 2007, the league became a division of the newly formed Greater Ontario Junio ...

, the Niagara District league was actually founded by removing the Niagara-area teams from the Central Junior C Hockey League and placing them in the new Niagara District league. The Central league is now known as the

Western Ontario Junior C Hockey League The Western Ontario Junior C Hockey League was a Junior "C" ice hockey league in Ontario, Canada, sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Association. The Champion of the Western will compete for the All-Ontario Championship and the Clarence Schmalz Cup. ...

. In 1984, the entire Western Division of the league broke away and formed the Southwestern Junior C Hockey League. The league only lasted one year before it was reabsorbed by the Niagara & District League. The Southwestern league comprised teams from Norwich, Woodstock, Tillsonburg, Simcoe, and New Hamburg. Local publications, like the Simcoe Reformer, did not recognize the Southwestern League as anything but the Western Division of the Niagara District league. In the Spring of 2013, Junior C hockey in Ontario had its first major realignment since the creation of the

Georgian Mid-Ontario Junior C Hockey League The Georgian Mid Ontario Junior C Hockey League is a former Junior "C" ice hockey league in Ontario, Canada, sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Association. The Champion of the league competed for the All-Ontario Championship and the Clarence Schma ...

in 1994. The 27 teams between the Niagara & District League and the

Southern Ontario Junior Hockey League The Southern Ontario Junior Hockey League (SOJHL) is a former Canadian Junior ice hockey league sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Association based out of Southwestern Ontario. Prior to the 2012-13 season, the SOJHL was promoted to the Junior C l ...

were reshuffled. The Niagara & District League jumped from 12 to 18 teams, losing the

Aylmer Spitfires The Aylmer Spitfires are a Canadian junior hockey team based in Aylmer, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Provincial Junior Hockey League. History The franchise began in Tillsonburg as a Junior B team in 1974, first known as the Mavericks, then ...

, but gaining the

Ayr Centennials The Ayr Centennials are a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in Ayr, Ontario. They play in the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League of the Ontario Hockey Association. History The Ayr Centennials were founded in 1982 as members of the Sout ...

Burford Bulldogs The Burford Bulldogs were a Canadian Junior Hockey team based in Burford, Ontario, Canada. They played in the Provincial Junior Hockey League. History The Burford Bulldogs were founded in 1988 after a long layoff of junior hockey in the town of ...

Delhi Travellers The Delhi Travellers are a junior hockey team based in Delhi, Ontario, Canada. The Travellers play in the Provincial Junior Hockey League of the Ontario Hockey Association. History Prior to 1966, the Delhi franchise was a member of the Shamrock ...

Hagersville Hawks The Hagersville Hawks are a Junior ice hockey team from Hagersville, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Provincial Junior Hockey League in the Ontario Hockey Association. History The Hagersville Hawks were founded in 1992. The town was ...

Norfolk Rebels The Port Dover Sailors are a junior hockey team based in Port Dover, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Niagara & District Junior C Hockey League of the Ontario Hockey Association until the 2016-17 season when the league joined the Provincial Ju ...

(Port Dover),

Tavistock Braves The Tavistock Braves are a Junior ice hockey team based in Tavistock, Ontario, Canada. They currently play in the Provincial Junior Hockey League of the Ontario Hockey Association. History During the 1981-82 season Tavistock finished first over ...

, and

Wellesley Applejacks The Wellesley Apple Jacks are a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in Wellesley, Ontario. They play in the Provincial Junior Hockey League of the Ontario Hockey Association. History The Wellesley Apple Jacks joined the Western Junior D Hoc ...

. Not long after, the OHA split off the Western Division of the Niagara League to form the new

Midwestern Junior C Hockey League The Midwestern Junior C Hockey League (MWJCHL) was a Canadian Junior ice hockey league in Southwestern Ontario. The MWJCHL was a member of the Ontario Hockey Association and Hockey Canada. Its champion competed for the Clarence Schmalz Cup, ...

, taking long time Niagara League members the

Woodstock Navy-Vets The Woodstock Navy-Vets are a junior hockey team based in Woodstock, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Provincial Junior Hockey League of the Ontario Hockey Association. The team was known as the Woodstock Renegades for three seasons fro ...

New Hamburg Firebirds The New Hamburg Firebirds are a Junior ice hockey team based in New Hamburg, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Provincial Junior Hockey League of the Ontario Hockey Association. History The Hahns started out in the Interbrew Junior "C" H ...

Norwich Merchants The Norwich Merchants are a junior hockey team based in Norwich, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Provincial Junior Hockey League of the Ontario Hockey Association. History Founded in 1968, the Merchants won the Southern Counties Juni ...

, and

Paris Mounties The Paris Mounties are a junior hockey team based in Paris, Ontario, Canada. They were members of the Midwestern Junior C Hockey League of the Ontario Hockey Association until the 2016-17 season when it became the Pat Dougherty Division of the ...

with them.

Teams

''On hiatus:'' * St. George Dukeshttp://www.brantnews.com/sports/st-george-dukes-suspend-hockey-operations/

2015-16 Playoffs

''Winner moves on to the

.''

Niagara Junior "C" champions

''Niagara District Junior C Champions are bolded. In a year that there is no bolded champion, there seems to have not been an overall Niagara District Champion and both division entered teams against different opponents at the provincial level. In 1985, the Western Division was known as the "Southwestern Junior C Hockey League".''

Regular Season Champions

''Please note: Through much of the 1980s and 1990s, the divisions of the league were semi-autonomous and would often have different numbers of games in their schedules. The winners, in that case, are chosen by winning percentage. The 2001-02 ended up with the two division leaders with exact records, therefore a tie.''

Former teams

* Ancaster Shamrocks *

* Beamsville-Lincoln Blades * Buffalo Trojans *

Caledonia Corvairs The Caledonia Corvairs are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Caledonia, Ontario, Canada. They played in the Golden Horseshoe Conference of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League. The team announced it would not participate in the 2018� ...

* Flamborough Colts * Hagersville Flyers * Merritton Centennials * Niagara-on-the-Lake Bicentennials *

Port Colborne Sailors The Pelham Panthers, formerly the Port Colborne Pirates, are a junior ice hockey team based in Pelham, Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Can ...

* Port Dover Clippers * Rockton Real McCoys * Stoney Creek Warriors * Thorold Paper C's

References

External links

Niagara Junior C WebsiteOHA Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Niagara and District Junior C Hockey League C C 1974 establishments in Ontario Sports leagues established in 1974 2016 disestablishments in Ontario Sports leagues disestablished in 2016