Senior hockey refers to

amateur An amateur () is generally considered a person who pursues an avocation independent from their source of income. Amateurs and their pursuits are also described as popular, informal, autodidacticism, self-taught, user-generated, do it yourself, DI ...

semi-professional Semi-professional sports are sports in which athletes are not participating on a full-time basis, but still receive some payment. Semi-professionals are not amateur because they receive regular payment from their team, but generally at a consid ...

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 ...

competition. There are no age restrictions for Senior players, who typically consist of those whose

Junior Junior or Juniors may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * ''Junior'' (Junior Mance album), 1959 * ''Junior'' (Röyksopp album), 2009 * ''Junior'' (Kaki King album), 2010 * ''Junior'' (LaFontaines album), 2019 Films * ''Junior'' (1994 ...

eligibility has expired. Senior hockey leagues operate under the jurisdiction of

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 ...

USA Hockey USA Hockey is the national ice hockey organization in the United States. It is recognized by the International Olympic Committee and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee as the Sport governing body, governing body for organized ice ...

. They are not affiliated in any way with professional hockey leagues. Many former professional players play Senior hockey after their pro careers are over. The top Senior AAA teams in

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 ...

compete annually for the

Allan Cup The Allan Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the national senior amateur men's ice hockey champions of Canada. It was donated by Sir Montagu Allan of Ravenscrag, Montreal, and has been competed for since 1909. The current champions are the ...

History

From the beginning of the 1900s until the 1970s, Senior hockey was immensely popular across Canada, particularly in rural towns. At a time when most households didn't have a television and few hockey games were broadcast, local arenas were filled to capacity to watch the local team take on a rival. The popularity of Senior hockey declined in the 1980s and 1990s. A number of long-running leagues and teams vanished. Today, many players choose to play organized recreational hockey, sometimes referred to as "commercial hockey." The popularity of 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 ...

and

Junior 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 ...

has also supplanted Senior hockey in many towns across Canada.

Senior AAA hockey leagues

* Allan Cup Hockey (Ontario Sr. AAA) * Allan Cup Hockey West (Alberta Sr. AAA)

Other leagues

Canada *

North Peace Hockey League The North Peace Hockey League (NPHL) is a Canadian men's Senior ice hockey league based in Northern Alberta and North Eastern British Columbia. History With a history that dates back to the early 1950s, the NPHL has the distinction of being the ...

Highway Hockey League The Highway Hockey League is a men's senior ice hockey league sanctioned by Hockey Saskatchewan and Hockey Canada. History The league was formed in 1965 with five teams in Bulyea, Drake, Govan, Lumsden, and Strasbourg. Many teams have come and ...

* Big 6 Hockey League *

Qu'Appelle Valley Hockey League The Qu’Appelle Valley Hockey League is a C-level senior ice hockey and junior ice hockey league in the greater Regina area of Saskatchewan, Canada. It is sanctioned by Hockey Saskatchewan and Hockey Canada. Senior history Formed in 1960, ...

Carillon Senior Hockey League Carillon Senior Hockey League is a Canadian senior men's ice hockey league that plays out of southeastern Manitoba. It is affiliated with Hockey Manitoba, the provincial branch of Hockey Canada. History The league was created in 2003 on the prem ...

South Eastern Manitoba Hockey League The South Eastern Manitoba Hockey League (SEMHL) is a senior men's ice hockey league in the province of Manitoba, Canada. Founded in 1951, it is one of Manitoba's longest-running leagues. The SEMHL is affiliated with Hockey Manitoba, the provinc ...

Western Ontario Athletic Association Senior Hockey League The WOAA Senior AA Hockey League is a Canadian senior ice hockey league governed by the Western Ontario Athletic Association. The league operates in Southwestern Ontario. History Format The league uses Hockey Canada playing rules but is not o ...

Avalon East Senior Hockey League The Avalon East Senior Hockey League (AESHL) is a senior ice hockey league with teams based in Newfoundland and Labrador. It is one of two senior hockey leagues in Newfoundland; the other being the Central West Senior Hockey League. History The ...

Central West Senior Hockey League The Central West Senior Hockey League (CWSHL) is a Senior ice hockey, senior A ice hockey league in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The league competes for the Herder Memorial Trophy and its teams can declare themselves eligible for the Allan C ...

Eastern Ontario Super Hockey League Eastern may refer to: Transportation *China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai * Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways * Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 1926 to 1991 * Eastern Air ...

United States * Great Lakes Hockey League * Mountain West Hockey League *

Black Diamond Hockey League The Black Diamond Hockey League (BDHL) is a Semi Professional ice hockey league consisting of teams from the Western United States. Teams compete for the Joe Casey Cup - named in honor of former Jackson Hole Moose team captain who died suddenly a ...

References

{{reflist

External links

Allan Cup

Hockey Canada - Allan Cup

USA Hockey - adult hockey