Ontario Hockey League

History

Main article: History of the Ontario Hockey League

Leagues for ice hockey in Ontario were first organized in 1890 by the newly created Ontario Hockey Association (OHA). In 1892 the OHA recognized junior hockey - referring to skill rather than age. In 1896 the OHA moved to the modern age-limited junior hockey concept, distinct from senior and intermediate divisions. Since then the evolution to the Ontario Hockey League has developed through four distinct eras of junior-aged non-professional hockey in Ontario. In 1933, the junior division was divided into two levels, Junior A and Junior B. In 1970 the Junior A level was divided into two levels, Tier I (or Major Junior A) and Tier II (or Minor Junior A). In 1974 the Tier I/Major Junior A group separated from the OHA and became the independent Ontario Major Junior Hockey League (OMJHL). In 1980, the OMJHL became the Ontario Hockey League.

The OHL split from the OHA in July 1982. The OHA and OHL disagreed on financial terms of affiliation, then the OHL decided to handle its own administration. The OHA and the OHL later reached an interim affiliation agreement, which allowed the OHL to compete at the Memorial Cup.

In March 2005, the league announced the launch of OHL Live Stream, resulting in OHL games being broadcast live on a pay-per-view (PPV) broadband basis.

Commissioners

OMJHL and OHL Commissioners (years in office)

• Tubby Schmalz (September 23, 1974December 15, 1978)
• Bill Beagan (December 15, 1978January 1979)
• Sherwood Bassin (interim; JanuarySeptember 1979)
• David Branch (September 17, 1979 August 6, 2024)
• Bryan Crawford (August 6, 2024present)

Teams

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Former teams

• Cornwall Royals 1981–1992, moved to Newmarket
  • Newmarket Royals 1992–1994, moved to Sarnia
• Niagara Falls Flyers 1980–1982, moved to North Bay
  • North Bay Centennials 1982–2002, moved to Saginaw
• Brantford Alexanders 1980–1984, moved to Hamilton
  • Hamilton Steelhawks 1984–1988, moved to Niagara Falls
  • Niagara Falls Thunder 1988–1996, moved to Erie
• Guelph Platers 1982–1989, moved to Owen Sound
• Toronto Marlboros 1980–1989, moved to Hamilton
  • Dukes of Hamilton 1989–1991, moved to Guelph
• Detroit Junior Red Wings 1992–1995, became the Detroit Whalers
  • Detroit Whalers 1995–1997, moved to Plymouth
  • Plymouth Whalers 1997–2015, moved to Flint
• Brampton Battalion 1998–2013, moved to North Bay
• Mississauga IceDogs 1998–2007, moved to St. Catharines
• Toronto St. Michael's Majors 1996–2007
  • Mississauga St. Michael's Majors 2007–2012, became the Mississauga Steelheads
  • Mississauga Steelheads 2012–2024, moved to Brampton
• Belleville Bulls 1981–2015, moved to Hamilton
  • Hamilton Bulldogs 2015–2023, moved to Brantford

Timeline of franchises (since 1980)

Note: The 12 original OHL franchises were all previously members of the OMJHL. Some other franchises played in different junior leagues prior to joining the OHL. DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:25 Period = from:01/01/1979 till:2025 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal PlotArea = right:20 left:0 bottom:50 top:5 # to display a count on left side of graph, use "left:20" to suppress the count, use "left:20"

Define $Right = anchor:till align:right Define $RightMargin = anchor:till align:right shift:(-1) Define $UpRight = anchor:till align:right shift:(3,1) Define $UpLeft = anchor:from align:left shift:(5,1) Define $Down = shift:(,-7) Define $t = textcolor Define $champ = text:"*" $t:gold2 fontsize:XL shift:(-1,-10)

Colors = id:barcolor id:line value:pink id:bg value:white id:black value:rgb(0.0,0.0,0.0) id:Former value:rgb(0.82,0.80,0.80) # Use this color to denote a team that is a former league member id:Current value:rgb(0.0,0.16,0.36) # Use this color to denote a team that is a current league member id:gold2 value:rgb(1,0.75,0.0) id:gray value:rgb(0.62,0.60,0.60) id:lineColor value:gray(0.5) id:silver value:rgb(0.75,0.75,0.75)

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bar:1 color:Former from:01/01/1979 till:06/01/1984 text:Brantford Alexanders bar:1 color:Former from:09/01/1984 till:06/01/1988 shift:(-2) text:Ham.Steelhawks bar:1 color:Former from:09/01/1988 till:06/01/1996 text:Niagara Falls Thunder bar:1 color:Current from:09/01/1996 till:end $t:white $Down text:Erie Otters bar:1 at:06/01/2002 $champ bar:1 at:06/01/2017 $champ

bar:2 color:Current from:01/01/1979 till:end $t:white text:Kingston Canadians / Raiders / Frontenacs

bar:3 color:Current from:01/01/1979 till:end $t:white $Down text:Kitchener Rangers bar:3 at:06/01/1981 $champ bar:3 at:06/01/1982 $champ bar:3 at:06/01/2003 $champ bar:3 at:06/01/2008 $champ

bar:4 color:Current from:01/01/1979 till:end $t:white $Down text:London Knights bar:4 at:06/01/2005 $champ bar:4 at:06/01/2012 $champ bar:4 at:06/01/2013 $champ bar:4 at:06/01/2016 $champ bar:4 at:06/01/2024 $champ bar:4 at:06/01/2025 $champ

bar:5 color:Former from:01/01/1979 till:06/01/1982 text:Nia.Falls Flyers bar:5 color:Former from:09/01/1982 till:06/01/2002 $Down text: North Bay Centennials bar:5 color:Current from:09/01/2002 till:end $t:white text:Saginaw Spirit bar:5 at:06/01/1994 $champ

bar:6 color:Current from:01/01/1979 till:end $t:white $Down text:Oshawa Generals bar:6 at:06/01/1983 $champ bar:6 at:06/01/1987 $champ bar:6 at:06/01/1990 $champ bar:6 at:06/01/1997 $champ bar:6 at:06/01/2015 $champ

bar:7 color:Current from:01/01/1979 till:end $t:white $Down text:Ottawa 67's bar:7 at:06/01/1984 $champ bar:7 at:06/01/2001 $champ

bar:8 color:Current from:01/01/1979 till:end $t:white $Down text:Peterborough Petes bar:8 at:06/01/1980 $champ bar:8 at:06/01/1989 $champ bar:8 at:06/01/1993 $champ bar:8 at:06/01/1996 $champ bar:8 at:06/01/2006 $champ bar:8 at:06/01/2023 $champ

bar:9 color:Current from:01/01/1979 till:end $t:white $Down text:Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds bar:9 at:06/01/1985 $champ bar:9 at:06/01/1991 $champ bar:9 at:06/01/1992 $champ

bar:10 color:Current from:01/01/1979 till:end $t:white text:Sudbury Wolves

bar:11 color:Former from:01/01/1979 till:06/01/1989 text:Toronto Marlboros bar:11 color:Former from:09/01/1989 till:06/01/1991 shift:(-15) text:Ham.Dukes bar:11 color:Current from:09/01/1991 till:end $t:white $Down text:Guelph Storm bar:11 at:06/01/1998 $champ bar:11 at:06/01/2004 $champ bar:11 at:06/01/2014 $champ bar:11 at:06/01/2019 $champ

bar:12 color:Current from:01/01/1979 till:end $t:white $Down text:Windsor Spitfires bar:12 at:06/01/1988 $champ bar:12 at:06/01/2009 $champ bar:12 at:06/01/2010 $champ

bar:13 color:Former from:09/01/1981 till:06/01/2015 $Down text:Belleville Bulls bar:13 color:Former from:09/01/2015 till:06/01/2023 $Down text:Hamilton Bulldogs bar:13 color:Current from:09/01/2023 till:end shift:(-15) $t:white text:Brantford Bulldogs bar:13 at:06/01/1999 $champ bar:13 at:06/01/2018 $champ bar:13 at:06/01/2022 $champ

bar:14 color:Former from:09/01/1981 till:06/01/1992 text:Cornwall Royals bar:14 color:Former from:09/01/1992 till:06/01/1994 shift:(-15) text:Newmarket bar:14 color:Current from:09/01/1994 till:end $t:white text:Sarnia Sting

bar:15 color:Former from:09/01/1982 till:06/01/1989 $Down text:Guelph Platers bar:15 color:Current from:09/01/1989 till:end $t:white $Down text:Owen Sound Platers / Attack bar:15 at:06/01/1986 $champ bar:15 at:06/01/2011 $champ

bar:16 color:Former from:09/01/1990 till:06/01/1997 $Down text:Detroit Amb./Jr.Red W./Whalers bar:16 color:Former from:09/01/1997 till:06/01/2015 $Down text: Plymouth Whalers bar:16 color:Current from:09/01/2015 till:end $t:white text:Flint Firebirds bar:16 at:06/01/1995 $champ bar:16 at:06/01/2007 $champ

bar:17 color:Current from:09/01/1995 till:end $t:white $Down text:Barrie Colts bar:17 at:06/01/2000 $champ

bar:18 color:Former from:09/01/1997 till:06/01/2007 text:Toronto St. Michael's Majors bar:18 color:Former from:09/01/2007 till:06/01/2024 text:Mississauga St. Michael's Majors / Steelheads bar:18 color:Current from:09/01/2024 till:end shift:(-35) $t:white text:Brampton Steelheads

bar:19 color:Former from:09/01/1998 till:06/01/2007 text:Mississauga IceDogs bar:19 color:Current from:09/01/2007 till:end $t:white text:Niagara IceDogs

bar:20 color:Former from:09/01/1999 till:06/01/2013 text:Brampton Battalion bar:20 color:Current from:09/01/2013 till:end $t:white text:North Bay Battalion

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Current teams are listed in blue. Gold stars denote J. Ross Robertson Cup (League championship) winners

Schedule

The 20 OHL clubs play a 68-game unbalanced schedule, which starts in the third full week of September, running until the third week of March. Ninety percent (90%) of OHL games are scheduled between Thursday and Sunday to minimize the number of school days missed for its players.

Approximately 20% of players on active rosters in the National Hockey League (NHL) have come from the OHL, and about 54% of NHL players are alumni of the Canadian Hockey League.

OHL playoffs and Memorial Cup

The J. Ross Robertson Cup is awarded annually to the winner of the Championship Series. The Cup is named for John Ross Robertson, who was president of the Ontario Hockey Association from 1901 to 1905.

The OHL playoffs consist of the top 16 teams in the league, 8 from each conference. The teams play a best-of-seven game series, and the winner of each series advances to the next round. The final two teams eventually compete for the J. Ross Robertson Cup.

The OHL champion then competes with the winners of the Western Hockey League, the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League, and the host of the tournament to play for the Memorial Cup, which is awarded to the junior hockey champions of Canada. The host team of the tournament is alternated between the three leagues every season. The most recent OHL team to win the Memorial Cup was the London Knights in 2025.

Memorial Cup champions

The Memorial Cup has been captured 19 times by OHL/OHA teams since the tournament went to a three-league format in 1972:

The Cup was also won 16 times by OHA teams in the period between 1945 and 1971:

Priority selection

The OHL's predecessor, the OHA, had a midget and juvenile draft dating back to the 50s, until voted out in 1962. In 1966 it was resumed, though not publicized. Starting in the 1970s the draft went through several changes. Originally the draft was for 17-year-old midgets not already associated with teams through their sponsored youth programs. In 1971 the league first allowed "underage" midgets to be picked in the first three rounds. In 1972 disagreements about the Toronto team's rights to its "Marlie" players (and Greg Neeld) and claims to American player Mark Howe led to a revised system. In 1973 each team was permitted to protect eight midget area players (Toronto was allowed to protect 10 players from its midget sponsored teams). In 1975 the league phased out the area protections, and the 1976 OHA midget draft was the first in which all midget players were eligible. In 1999 the league changed the draft to a bantam age (15 and 16 year old). It is a selection of players who are residents of the province of Ontario, the states of Michigan, Pennsylvania and New York, and other designated U.S. states east of the Mississippi River plus Missouri.

Prior to 2001, the OHL held the Priority Selection in a public forum, such as an arena. Drafts were attended by many players and family members. In 2001, the OHL decided to hold the "draft" via the internet, greatly reducing the costs the league and its member teams incurred in hosting a public draft. This move reduced the stress and pressure that prospective players faced with a large crowd present.

The Jack Ferguson Award is presented annually to the first overall selection. The award was named in honour of long time OHL scout and former Director of Central Scouting Jack Ferguson.

Trophies and awards

List of trophies and awards in the Ontario Hockey League.

References

References

1. (2024-06-12). "Golf Canada executive and ex-Argo Bryan Crawford named OHL commissioner". MSN.com.
2. Nelson, Jim. (July 8, 1982). "Breakup now official, OHL, OHA separate". [[Windsor Star]].
3. (August 18, 1982). "Financial dispute with OHA forces OHL to go on its own". [[The Kingston Whig-Standard]].
4. (December 21, 1982). "Rebel OHL now forgiven one". [[Windsor Star]].
5. "Ontario Hockey League launches OHL Live Stream: OHL to Webcast over 2000 PPV Games – INSINC".
6. Bell, Aaron. (2007). "2007–08 Information Guide and Player Register". Ontario Hockey League.
7. (June 12, 2024). "OHL Appoints Golf Canada Executive Bryan Crawford as Incoming Commissioner".
8. "ROB HOLODY — Guelph Sports Hall of Fame".
9. Scott Wheeler. (June 2, 2024). "Saginaw Spirit stun London Knights to claim 2024 Memorial Cup: Which prospects shined?". [[The New York Times]].
10. "OHL Awards". Canadian Hockey League.