| Sport | Ice hockey |
|---|---|
| League | Ontario Hockey League |
| Awarded for | Playoffs champion |
| Country | Canada |
| History | |
| First award | 1910–11 |
| First winner | Kingston Frontenacs |
| Most wins | Oshawa Generals (13) |
| Most recent | London Knights (6) |
TheJ. Ross Robertson Cup is a Canadianice hockey trophy. It is awarded annually injunior ice hockey to the champion of theOntario Hockey League playoffs. It was donated byJohn Ross Robertson to theOntario Hockey Association in 1910, and is the third of three similarly named trophies he established. His other eponymous trophies for the OHA include, theJ. Ross Robertson Cup awarded to the annual champions ofAllan Cup Hockey, and theJ. Ross Robertson Cup which was awarded to the annual champions of the discontinued intermediate division.
The J. Ross Robertson Cup has continuously been awarded as the playoffs championship trophy for the top tier of junior hockey in Ontario. The cup transitioned from the Ontario Hockey Association to the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League in 1974, and has been the championship trophy of the Ontario Hockey League since 1980. The winner of the J. Ross Robertson Cup has been eligible to compete for theMemorial Cup as the junior hockey champion of Canada since 1919.

The J. Ross Robertson Cup was donated byJohn Ross Robertson on November 19, 1910, to be awarded annually to the champion of thejunior ice hockey division in theOntario Hockey Association (OHA).[1] Robertson served as president of the OHA from 1899 to 1905, had founded theToronto Evening Telegram in 1876, helped establishThe Hospital for Sick Children, and was a member of theHouse of Commons of Canada forToronto East.[2] He was against professionalism in sports, and felt that "sport should be pursued for its own sake, for when professionalism begins, true sport ends".[3]
The OHA first established a junior hockey division for the 1892–93 season, and the J. Ross Robertson Cup was first awarded during the 1910–11 season.[1][4] The cup is a sterling silver bowl 18.5 inches (47 cm) tall, engraved with a hockey-playing scene and interlaced maple leaves in bas-relief.[1] The cup is the third of three similarly named trophies Robertson donated to the OHA, which included theJ. Ross Robertson Cup for the annual champions of the senior division, and theJ. Ross Robertson Cup for the annual champions of intermediate division.[2][5]
TheMemorial Cup was founded in 1919, which gave the opportunity for each season's J. Ross Robertson Cup winner to partake in national playoffs arranged by theCanadian Amateur Hockey Association for the junior hockey championship of Canada.[6] The national playoffs culminated in an east-versus-west final, and the Eastern Canada junior champion was also awarded theGeorge Richardson Memorial Trophy from 1932 to 1971.[7] In 1972, the Memorial Cup format changed to around-robin tournament and the J. Ross Robertson Cup winner received an automatic berth in the tournament along with theQuebec Major Junior Hockey League andWestern Hockey League champions.[6]
The OHA split junior hockey into A and B levels for the 1933–34 season. The junior-A level competed for the J. Ross Robertson Cup, and the junior-B level competed for the newly establishedSutherland Cup.[8] The J. Ross Robertson Cup remained the playoffs championship trophy for the top tier of junior hockey in the OHA. The cup was awarded to the OHA Major Junior A Series champion from 1972 to 1974, the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League champion from 1974 to 1980, and has been the championship trophy of theOntario Hockey League since 1980.[9]
The Ontario Hockey League established theBobby Orr Trophy and theWayne Gretzky Trophy in 1999, for the respective Eastern Conference and Western Conference champions which compete for the J. Ross Robertson Cup.[10] TheWayne Gretzky 99 Award was established in 1999, and is given to themost valuable player of the Ontario Hockey League playoffs at the conclusion of the J. Ross Robertson Cup finals.[11]


TheOHA's J. Ross Robertson Cup champion was determined by a total-goals series from 1911 to 1932. The number of games played varied by season from one to three games.[13][14]
List of winning teams and finalists from 1911 to 1932.[note 1]
| denotes team later won that season's nationalMemorial Cup championship |
| Season | Champion | Total goals | Finalist | OHA Champion's subsequentMemorial Cup result[note 2] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1910–11 | Kingston Frontenacs | 21–11 | Orillia Hockey Club | not applicable[note 3] |
| 1911–12 | Toronto Canoe Club Paddlers | 16–7 | Orillia Hockey Club | |
| 1912–13 | Orillia Hockey Club | 14–8 | Woodstock Juniors | |
| 1913–14 | Orillia Hockey Club | 13–7 | University of Toronto Schools | |
| 1914–15 | University of Toronto Schools | 16–11 | Berlin Union Jacks | |
| 1915–16 | Toronto Aura Lee | 6–4 | Berlin Union Jacks | |
| 1916–17 | Toronto Aura Lee | 18–5 | Kitchener Union Jacks | |
| 1917–18 | Toronto De La Salle College | 10–8 | Barrie Canoe Club | |
| 1918–19 | University of Toronto Schools | 8–7 | Woodstock Juniors | 1919 Memorial Cup champion |
| 1919–20 | Toronto Canoe Club Paddlers | 15–8 | Stratford Midgets | 1920 Memorial Cup champion |
| 1920–21 | Stratford Midgets | 7–3 | Queen's University | 1921 Memorial Cup finalist |
| 1921–22 | Toronto Aura Lee | 6–4 | Toronto St. Mary's | Eastern Canada finalist |
| 1922–23 | Kitchener Colts | 7–4 | University of Toronto Schools | 1923 Memorial Cup finalist |
| 1923–24 | Owen Sound Greys | 12–7 | Kitchener Colts | 1924 Memorial Cup champion |
| 1924–25 | Toronto Aura Lee | 14–11 | Owen Sound Greys | 1925 Memorial Cup finalist |
| 1925–26 | Queen's University | 7–4 | Owen Sound Greys | 1926 Memorial Cup finalist |
| 1926–27 | Owen Sound Greys | 7–3 | Newmarket Redmen | 1927 Memorial Cup champion |
| 1927–28 | Toronto Marlboros | 4–3 | Newmarket Redmen | Eastern Canada finalist |
| 1928–29 | Toronto Marlboros | 4–3 | Kitchener Greenshirts | 1929 Memorial Cup champion |
| 1929–30 | West Toronto Nationals | 11–9 | Niagara Falls Cataracts | 1930 Memorial Cup finalist |
| 1930–31 | Niagara Falls Cataracts | 12–7 | West Toronto Nationals | Eastern Canada finalist |
| 1931–32 | Toronto Marlboros | 4–1 | Newmarket Redmen | Eastern Canada quarter-finalist |
Since 1933, the J. Ross Robertson Cup champion has been determined by either the most wins in total-games series, or the mostpoints earned in a series.[13][14]
List ofOHA (to 1979) /OHL (since 1980) winning teams and runner-up finalists since 1933.[note 4]
| denotes team later won that season's nationalMemorial Cup championship |
| Season | Champion | Series (W–L–T) | Finalist | OHA / OHL Champion's subsequentMemorial Cup result[note 5][note 6] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1932–33 | Newmarket Redmen | 2–1–1 | Stratford Midgets | 1933 Memorial Cup champion |
| 1933–34 | Toronto St. Michael's Majors | 2–0 | Stratford Midgets | 1934 Memorial Cup champion |
| 1934–35 | Kitchener Greenshirts | Default [note 7] | Oshawa Majors | did not participate[note 7] |
| 1935–36 | West Toronto Nationals | 2–0 | Kitchener Greenshirts | 1936 Memorial Cup champion |
| 1936–37 | Toronto St. Michael's Majors | 3–2 | Stratford Midgets | Eastern Canada quarter-finalist |
| 1937–38 | Oshawa Generals | 3–0 | Guelph Indians | 1938 Memorial Cup finalist |
| 1938–39 | Oshawa Generals | 3–0 | Toronto Native Sons | 1939 Memorial Cup champion |
| 1939–40 | Oshawa Generals | 3–2 | Toronto Marlboros | 1940 Memorial Cup champion |
| 1940–41 | Oshawa Generals | 4–3 | Toronto Marlboros | Eastern Canada finalist |
| 1941–42 | Oshawa Generals | 3–2 | Guelph Biltmore Mad Hatters | 1942 Memorial Cup finalist |
| 1942–43 | Oshawa Generals | 4–1 | Brantford Lions | 1943 Memorial Cup finalist |
| 1943–44 | Oshawa Generals | 4–1 | Toronto St. Michael's Majors | 1944 Memorial Cup champion |
| 1944–45 | Toronto St. Michael's Majors | 4–0 | Galt Red Wings | 1945 Memorial Cup champion |
| 1945–46 | Toronto St. Michael's Majors | 4–2 | Oshawa Generals | 1946 Memorial Cup finalist |
| 1946–47 | Toronto St. Michael's Majors | 4–0 | Galt Red Wings | 1947 Memorial Cup champion |
| 1947–48 | Barrie Flyers | 4–2 | Windsor Spitfires | 1948 Memorial Cup finalist |
| 1948–49 | Barrie Flyers | 4–0 | Toronto Marlboros | Eastern Canada finalist |
| 1949–50 | Guelph Biltmore Mad Hatters | 4–2 | Windsor Spitfires | Eastern Canada finalist |
| 1950–51 | Barrie Flyers | 4–2 | Toronto Marlboros | 1951 Memorial Cup champion |
| 1951–52 | Guelph Biltmore Mad Hatters | 4–1 | St. Catharines Teepees | 1952 Memorial Cup champion |
| 1952–53 | Barrie Flyers | 5–3 | Toronto St. Michael's Majors | 1953 Memorial Cup champion |
| 1953–54 | St. Catharines Teepees | 4–3 | Toronto Marlboros | 1954 Memorial Cup champion |
| 1954–55 | Toronto Marlboros | 4–2 | St. Catharines Teepees | 1955 Memorial Cup champion |
| 1955–56 | Toronto Marlboros | 4–1 | Barrie Flyers | 1956 Memorial Cup champion |
| 1956–57 | Guelph Biltmore Mad Hatters | 4–2 | St. Catharines Teepees | Eastern Canada finalist |
| 1957–58 | Toronto Marlboros | 4–1–1 | Hamilton Tiger Cubs | Eastern Canada finalist |
| 1958–59 | Peterborough TPT Petes | 3–2–3 | Toronto St. Michael's Majors | 1959 Memorial Cup finalist |
| 1959–60 | St. Catharines Teepees | 4–1–1 | Toronto St. Michael's Majors | 1960 Memorial Cup champion |
| 1960–61 | Toronto St. Michael's Majors | 4–2–1 | Guelph Royals | 1961 Memorial Cup champion |
| 1961–62 | Hamilton Red Wings | 4–1 | Toronto St. Michael's Majors | 1962 Memorial Cup champion |
| 1962–63 | Niagara Falls Flyers | 4–2 | Toronto Neil McNeil Maroons | 1963 Memorial Cup finalist |
| 1963–64 | Toronto Marlboros | 4–0–1 | Montreal Junior Canadiens | 1964 Memorial Cup champion |
| 1964–65 | Niagara Falls Flyers | 4–1 | Toronto Marlboros | 1965 Memorial Cup champion |
| 1965–66 | Oshawa Generals | 4–1 | Kitchener Rangers | 1966 Memorial Cup finalist |
| 1966–67 | Toronto Marlboros | 4–0 | Hamilton Red Wings | 1967 Memorial Cup champion |
| 1967–68 | Niagara Falls Flyers | 4–3–1 | Kitchener Rangers | 1968 Memorial Cup champion |
| 1968–69 | Montreal Junior Canadiens | 4–0–2 | St. Catharines Black Hawks | 1969 Memorial Cup champion |
| 1969–70 | Montreal Junior Canadiens | 4–2 | Toronto Marlboros | 1970 Memorial Cup champion |
| 1970–71 | St. Catharines Black Hawks | 4–0 | Toronto Marlboros | Eastern Canada finalist |
| 1971–72 | Peterborough Petes | 3–0–2 | Ottawa 67's | 1972 Memorial Cup finalist |
| 1972–73 | Toronto Marlboros | 3–2–2 | Peterborough Petes | 1973 Memorial Cup champion |
| 1973–74 | St. Catharines Black Hawks | 4–0–1 | Peterborough Petes | 3rd place at1974 Memorial Cup |
| 1974–75 | Toronto Marlboros | 4–3 | Hamilton Fincups | 1975 Memorial Cup champion |
| 1975–76 | Hamilton Fincups | 4–2 | Sudbury Wolves | 1976 Memorial Cup champion |
| 1976–77 | Ottawa 67's | 4–2 | London Knights | 1977 Memorial Cup finalist |
| 1977–78 | Peterborough Petes | 4–3 | Hamilton Fincups | 1978 Memorial Cup finalist |
| 1978–79 | Peterborough Petes | 4–3 | Niagara Falls Flyers | 1979 Memorial Cup champion |
| 1979–80 | Peterborough Petes | 4–0 | Windsor Spitfires | 1980 Memorial Cup finalist |
| 1980–81 | Kitchener Rangers | 3–0–3 | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | 1981 Memorial Cup finalist |
| 1981–82 | Kitchener Rangers | 4–0–1 | Ottawa 67's | 1982 Memorial Cup champion |
| 1982–83 | Oshawa Generals | 4–0 | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | 1983 Memorial Cup finalist |
| 1983–84 | Ottawa 67's | 3–1–2 | Kitchener Rangers | 1984 Memorial Cup champion |
| Kitchener, 1984 Memorial Cup finalist[note 6] | ||||
| 1984–85 | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | 4–2–1 | Peterborough Petes | 3rd place at1985 Memorial Cup |
| 1985–86 | Guelph Platers | 3–2–2 | Belleville Bulls | 1986 Memorial Cup champion |
| 1986–87 | Oshawa Generals | 4–3 | North Bay Centennials | 1987 Memorial Cup finalist |
| 1987–88 | Windsor Compuware Spitfires | 4–0 | Peterborough Petes | 1988 Memorial Cup finalist |
| 1988–89 | Peterborough Petes | 4–2 | Niagara Falls Thunder | 3rd place at1989 Memorial Cup |
| 1989–90 | Oshawa Generals | 4–3 | Kitchener Rangers | 1990 Memorial Cup champion |
| Kitchener 1990 Memorial Cup finalist[note 6] | ||||
| 1990–91 | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | 4–2 | Oshawa Generals | 4th place at1991 Memorial Cup |
| 1991–92 | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | 4–3 | North Bay Centennials | 1992 Memorial Cup finalist |
| 1992–93 | Peterborough Petes | 4–1 | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | Peterborough,1993 Memorial Cup finalist[note 6] |
| Sault Ste. Marie,1993 Memorial Cup champion | ||||
| 1993–94 | North Bay Centennials | 4–3 | Detroit Junior Red Wings | 4th place at1994 Memorial Cup |
| 1994–95 | Detroit Junior Red Wings | 4–2 | Guelph Storm | 1995 Memorial Cup finalist |
| 1995–96 | Peterborough Petes | 4–3 | Guelph Storm | Peterborough,1996 Memorial Cup finalist |
| Guelph, 4th place at 1996 Memorial Cup[note 6] | ||||
| 1996–97 | Oshawa Generals | 4–2 | Ottawa 67's | 3rd place at1997 Memorial Cup |
| 1997–98 | Guelph Storm | 4–1 | Ottawa 67's | 1998 Memorial Cup finalist |
| 1998–99 | Belleville Bulls | 4–3 | London Knights | 3rd place at1999 Memorial Cup |
| 1999–2000 | Barrie Colts | 4–3 | Plymouth Whalers | 2000 Memorial Cup finalist |
| 2000–01 | Ottawa 67's | 4–2 | Plymouth Whalers | 4th place at2001 Memorial Cup |
| 2001–02 | Erie Otters | 4–1 | Barrie Colts | 3rd place at2002 Memorial Cup |
| 2002–03 | Kitchener Rangers | 4–1 | Ottawa 67's | 2003 Memorial Cup champion |
| 2003–04 | Guelph Storm | 4–0 | Mississauga IceDogs | 4th place at2004 Memorial Cup |
| 2004–05 | London Knights | 4–1 | Ottawa 67's | London,2005 Memorial Cup champion |
| Ottawa, 3rd place at 2005 Memorial Cup[note 6] | ||||
| 2005–06 | Peterborough Petes | 4–0 | London Knights | 4th place at2006 Memorial Cup |
| 2006–07 | Plymouth Whalers | 4–2 | Sudbury Wolves | 3rd place at2007 Memorial Cup |
| 2007–08 | Kitchener Rangers | 4–3 | Belleville Bulls | Kitchener,2008 Memorial Cup finalist |
| Belleville, 3rd place at 2008 Memorial Cup[note 6] | ||||
| 2008–09 | Windsor Spitfires | 4–1 | Brampton Battalion | 2009 Memorial Cup champion |
| 2009–10 | Windsor Spitfires | 4–0 | Barrie Colts | 2010 Memorial Cup champion |
| 2010–11 | Owen Sound Attack | 4–3 | Mississauga St. Michael's Majors | Owen Sound, 4th place at2011 Memorial Cup |
| Mississauga,2011 Memorial Cup finalist[note 6] | ||||
| 2011–12 | London Knights | 4–1 | Niagara IceDogs | 2012 Memorial Cup finalist |
| 2012–13 | London Knights | 4–3 | Barrie Colts | 3rd place at2013 Memorial Cup |
| 2013–14 | Guelph Storm | 4–1 | North Bay Battalion | 2014 Memorial Cup finalist |
| 2014–15 | Oshawa Generals | 4–1 | Erie Otters | 2015 Memorial Cup champion |
| 2015–16 | London Knights | 4–0 | Niagara IceDogs | 2016 Memorial Cup champion |
| 2016–17 | Erie Otters | 4–1 | Mississauga Steelheads | 2017 Memorial Cup finalist |
| 2017–18 | Hamilton Bulldogs | 4–2 | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | 3rd place at2018 Memorial Cup |
| 2018–19 | Guelph Storm | 4–2 | Ottawa 67's | 3rd place at2019 Memorial Cup |
| 2019–20 | OHL playoffs cancelled due to theCOVID-19 pandemic – J. Ross Robertson Cup not awarded[22] | |||
| 2020–21 | Season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic[23] | |||
| 2021–22 | Hamilton Bulldogs | 4–3 | Windsor Spitfires | 2022 Memorial Cup finalist |
| 2022–23 | Peterborough Petes | 4–2 | London Knights | 3rd place at2023 Memorial Cup |
| 2023–24 | London Knights | 4–0 | Oshawa Generals | 2024 Memorial Cup finalist |
| 2024–25 | London Knights | 4–1 | Oshawa Generals | 2025 Memorial Cup champion |