MYHockey News
The Road to the 2024 Centennial Cup
Updated May 3 at 10:30 a.m. EDT
While the Tier 1 United States Hockey League (USHL) and Major Junior Canadian Hockey League (CHL) get most of the attention when it comes to North American junior hockey, some great U20 hockey is being played in all corners of the continent as the Tier 2 North American Hockey League (NAHL) Robertson Cup Playoffs ramp up in the U.S. and with the Junior A Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) Playoffs already in full swing.
In the States, the USHL is the only Tier 1 junior league. It is tuition free for the players and includes top NCAA Division I and NHL prospects. The USHL Clark Cup Playoffs began April 15.
The CHL consists of the Western Hockey League (WHL), the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). Each of those circuits crowns its own champion, with the league winners competing for the Memorial Cup May 24 through June 2 in Saginaw, Mich.
Those two leagues already get the majority of the junior hockey coverage, so our focus at this time of year turns to the next tier of North American junior hockey. The NAHL and CJHL also produce many NCAA Division I hockey players and players who move on to have successful professional careers.
The NAHL is the only USA Hockey-sanctioned Tier 2 junior league in the U.S. Like the USHL, the league is tuition-free for players and is No. 2 in terms of producing NCAA D1 players. There are 32 teams in the NAHL, with teams from all over the country split into four divisions. The league includes teams as far north as Maine, as far west as Alaska and as far south as Texas and Louisiana.
North of the border, the CJHL, which also sends players to the professional ranks as well as to NCAA divisions I, II and III and Canadian college programs, is comprised of nine leagues covering the entire country.
The leagues included in the CJHL are:
- Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL)
- Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL)
- Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL)
- Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL)
- Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL)
- Superior International Junior Hockey League (SIJHL)
- Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL)
- Quebec Junior Hockey League (LHAAAQ)
- Maritime Hockey League (MHL)
The British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) parted ways with the CJHL three years ago. The nine CJHL league champions, along with the host Oakville Blades (OJHL), will compete for the Centennial Cup May 9-19 at Sixteen Mile Sports Complex in Oakville, Ontario. The individual league playoffs are in progress, with championship-series participants or champions having been crowned in many leagues. There are 117 teams competing across the nine leagues in the CJHL.
CLICK HERE for the Centennial Cup schedule.
CLICK HERE for Centennial Cup bracket.
All Centennial Cup games can be viewed via webstream by CLICKING HERE.
Here are the teams that have qualified for the Centennial Cup:
- Calgary Canucks (AJHL)
- Winkler Flyers (MJHL)
- Melfort Mustangs (SJHL)
- Greater Sudbury Cubs (NOJHL)
- Colingwood Blues (OJHL)
- College Francais de Longueuil (LHAAAQ)
- Miramichi Timberwolves (MHL)
- Sioux Lookout Bombers (SIJHL)
- Navan Grads (CCHL)
- Oakville Blades (Host – OJHL)
The Calgary Canucks rolled through the AJHL playoffs, compiling a 12-3 postseason record and sweeping the Whitecourt Wolverines in the best-of-seven AJHL Finals to win their 10th league championship. Despite capturing their 10th league crown, the title represented the Canucks’ first since 1999.
CLICK HERE for all the AJHL Playoff results
MJHL Playoffs
Similar to the AJHL champs, the Winkler Flyers ended a 26-year MJHL championship drought by sweeping the defending-champion Steinbach Pistons in four games to capture the Turnbull Cup. The finals were much closer than the final result indicated as Winkler needed overtime to win Games 3 and 4. The Flyers posted a 12-3 postseason record in capturing the Turnbull Cup.
CLICK HERE for all of the MJHL Playoff results
The SJHL Canterra Seeds Cup Finals concluded April 30, with the Melfort Mustangs earning a four-games-to-two victory over the Flin Flon Bombers. Flin Flon also fell to the Battlefords stars in four games in the 2023 SJHL Finals. Two of the championship-series games required overtime, with the Bombers earning a 4-3 OT victory April 25 to stay alive and avoiding elimination again April 27 with a 5-2 victory. The Mustangs clinched the series with a 4-2 Game 6 victory. Melfort needed five games to get past the Estevan Bruins in the opening round and went the distance before knocking off the Humboldt Broncos in the semifinals. Flin Flon swept its first two series, avenging last season’s loss to Battlefords in the semifinals.
CLICK HERE for the SJHL Playoff results & schedule
The Greater Sudbury Cubs defeated the Powassan Voodoos, four games to one, to capture the NOJHL championship and claim the Copeland Cup-McNamara Trophy. Sudbury compiled a 12-4 record in winning the title and won four-straight games in the Finals after dropping the opener, 5-2.
CLICK HERE for all of the NOJHL Playoff results
The Collingwood Blues and Trenton Golden Hawks faced off again for the Frank L. Buckland Trophy after Collingwood captured the championship a year ago. Colingwood. Collingwood rolled to the Finals with a 12-1 postseason record, while Trenton went 12-2. And for the second-straight year, Collingwood captured the Buckland Trophy and advanced to the Centennial Cup thanks to a 3-2 Game 6 victory April 29.
CLICK HERE for all the OJHL Playoff results
The Sioux Lookout Bombers swept the Kam River Fighting Walleye in four games to capture the Bill Salonen Cup and earn a trip to the Centennial Cup. Sioux Lookout dropped just one of its 13 games en route to the championship and outscored the defending champs, 18-9 in the Finals.
CLICK HERE for all of the SIJHL Playoff results
The Smith Falls Bears advanced to the CCHL Finals again after falling to the Ottawa Jr. Senators in seven games a year ago. Smith Falls knocked out the Cornwall Colts in five games to win its semifinal series and advance to the best-of-seven Finals vs. the Navan Grads. Navan beat Rockland, 4-1, to earn a trip to the championship series. The Bears dropped two games en route to the Finals, while Navan posted an 8-3 record. Unfortunately for the Bears, they fell in the championship series for the second year in a row after dropping Game 6, 5-2, May 1. As the CCHL champions, Navan was awarded the Bogart Cup.
CLICK HERE for all of the CCHL Playoff results
College Francais de Longueuil has captured the Napa Cup and advanced to the Centennial Cup.
CLICK HERE for LHJAAAQ playoff schedule and results
The Maritime Hockey League is a 12-team Junior A hockey circuit based in Eastern Canada. The Miramichi Timberwolves defeated the Summerside Western Capitals in the Matalfab Cup Finals, four games to two, after cliniching their first-ever title with a 5-4 Game 6 victory. They also won Game 4, 4-3, April 28, but Summerside stayed alive with a 2-1 double-overtime Game 5 victory April 30. The Western Caps also won Game 1, 6-5, in two overtimes, but the Timberwolves rallied to take the next two contests, 5-1 and 3-4.
CLICK HERE for all of the MHL playoff results
