Central Canada Hockey League
Ligue de hockey centrale du Canada

Current season, competition or edition: 2025–26 CCHL season
Sport	Ice hockey
Founded	1961 (64 years ago),Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
First season	1961–62
Commissioner	Jesse Winchester
No. of teams	12
Country	Canada
Headquarters	Richcraft Sensplex 813 Shefford Road Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Continent	North America
Most recent champions	Rockland Nationals (1st title) (2024–25)
Most titles	Pembroke Lumber Kings (14 titles)
Streaming partner	FloSports
Official website	www.thecchl.ca

TheCentral Canada Hockey League (CCHL;French:Ligue de hockey centrale du Canada,LHCC) is a Junior Aice hockey league inEastern Ontario composed of 12 teams — all within theNational Capital Region. The CCHL is one of the nineJunior A hockey leagues in Canada and is considered as the highest level of Junior A hockey talent wise in the country.^[1] The Bogart Cup, the oldest Junior A hockey trophy in Canada, is awarded annually to the league playoff champion at the end of each season. TheInternational Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) views the Bogart Cup as one of the "most important championships available to junior hockey". The CCHL is headquartered inOttawa, Ontario.

The CCHL was created under the sponsorship of theNational Hockey League'sMontreal Canadiens in 1961, after the suspension of operations of a Junior A league in the city of Ottawa. The creation of the CCHL was to act as a development league in the National Capital Region. At that time, teams that were not located in the Ottawa area, except for thePembroke Lumber Kings, were not allowed to participate in the playoffs. The league was originally known as theOttawa-Hull District Junior Hockey League(OHDJHL).

At its inception, the CCHL only had six teams. The original members included the Hawkesbury Braves, Hull Hawks,Cornwall Royals, Ottawa Primrose,Smiths Falls Bears, and thePembroke Lumber Kings.^[2] For the first two seasons, the CCHL had only six teams, collectively nicknamed the "Original Six", like the National Hockey League'sOriginal Six teams. The league added two new teams as a result of their first expansion in 1963, then increased to 12 teams by 1976 due to the 1976 CJHL expansion. The CCHL is sanctioned byHockey Eastern Ontario andHockey Canada, and is a member of theCanadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL).^[3] The winner of the CCHL playoffs competes for the nationalCentennial Cup, an annual tournament organized by Hockey Canada and the CJHL, which determines the national champion of Junior A ice hockey.^[4][5]

The CCHL is the fifth-highest grossing junior ice hockey league in Canada by revenue, after theOntario Hockey League (OHL),Western Hockey League (WHL), theQuebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), and theOntario Junior Hockey League (OJHL). The league's headquarters have been in Ottawa since 2014, when the Richcraft Sensplex opened.

The league's regular season is typically held from September to March, with each team playing 55 games. Following the conclusion of the regular season, 8 teams advance to the Bogart Cup playoffs, a three-round tournament that runs into May to determine the league champion. Since the league's founding in 1961, thePembroke Lumber Kings have won the most combined CCHL titles with 14, including five in a row between 2006–07 and 2010–11. The reigning league champions are theRockland Nationals, who defeated theCarleton Place Canadians in the 2025 Bogart Cup Final.^[6][7]

The league was founded in 1961 under the sponsorship of theMontreal Canadiens in hope of a better development program. The league has featured such NHL stars asSteve Yzerman andLarry Robinson, for which its two divisions are named. As this league was for the Ottawa District, teams out of the area were not allowed to compete, with one exemption:Pembroke. In the early years, any player in the league was automatically a member of the Montreal Canadiens, and were forced into a contract which would disallow them to sign with any other NHL team if they wanted to play in the NHL. The Canadiens also wanted the league to be strictly for development, allowing four 19-year-olds and five 18-year-olds per team with the rest of the players being 17 or younger. This was met with much anger and disappointment with players who had just reached their 20s, but the league substantially gained in popularity and did not step back from the changes.^[8] In 1963, the Montreal Canadiens allowed theChicago Blackhawks-sponsoredBrockville Braves into the league. The league rebranded itself as theCentral Junior A Hockey League (CJHL) starting with the 1964–65 season.

In February 1966, players from the Hawkesbury Braves went on strike over coaching issues. The Braves brought in replacement players from midget and Jr. B leagues for a game against the CJHL's perennial champions, theCornwall Royals. The Royals went on to win 43–0, which still stands as the highest margin of victory in the league. As CJHL champions, the Royals represented the league at the playdowns for the1966,1967 and1968 Memorial Cup national junior hockey championships. They applied to enter into the strongerOntario Hockey Association (today's OHL) but were turned away; they next applied to join the newQuebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) and were accepted as one of the inaugural teams for the 1969–70 season. In 1973, theHull Festivals, also departed for the QMJHL. In 1975, the Canadian Hockey Association informed the league that they had to allow 20-year-olds into their league, matching what all other leagues of their calibre were doing.^[8]

In 1976,Bryan Murray took over as head coach of theRockland Nationals. With Murray at the wheel, the Nationals won the league, the region, and then went on to win the Junior A National ChampionshipCentennial Cup. The financial cost of the playoff run was too much for the team's backers to handle and they declared bankruptcy one disappointing season after winning it all.^[8] The Nationals have resurrected since then as a member of theEastern Ontario Junior C Hockey League.^[9]

After the ruling that allowed 20-year-olds to play in the league, teams began attempting to "buy" championship teams by going after former Major Junior players. The effect of this resulted in the labeling of the league as a "goon league" or "bush league" as the league got more violent. The fan base dwindled, and by 1984 there were only five teams left in the league, all on the verge of bankruptcy.^[8] The owners of the five teams approached the owners of Ottawa's Talisman Hotel and asked them to purchase the league. Through new management and rule changes, the league barred 20-year-olds from the Major Junior ranks, created a limit of five 20-year-olds (homegrown from the CJHL), and banned the paying of players. The new rules worked, and the league was once again successful.^[8] The league then approached the Canadian Hockey Association, and requested a new system. After the fall of the Rockland Nationals, the league realized there was a revenue problem amongst its teams. The league demanded longer regular seasons and a shorter National playdown schedule to determine the National Champion. This new system was guaranteed to increase revenue amongst all teams nationwide as they were allowed to have more home games, increasing revenue through ticket sales, and decreased the travel expenditures that forced the Rockland Nationals to fold soon after they won the National Championship.^[8]

The league began flourishing, and by the early 1990s, had more than doubled. Teams that had folded during the "dark days" of the late 1970s and early 1980s came back. The league even allowed for the expansion of their firstAmerican hockey team, theMassena Americans. Also, now a member of the OHL, the Cornwall Royals moved from Cornwall. In response, the CJHL allowed the Massena Americans to move toCornwall, hoping theCornwall Colts could help the city fill its competitive hockey "void".^[8]

TheGloucester Rangers hosted the last Centennial Cup tournament in 1995 before it was transformed into the Royal Bank Cup. The Rangers boosted NHL stars likeMathieu Dandenault andRobert Esche. The Gloucester Rangers were seconds away from defeating theCalgary Canucks in the final, until the Canucks scored a last-minute goal and won it all in overtime, to continue the drought of a CJHL team winning the National Junior A Championship.

On April 26, 2010, the league changed its name to the Central Hockey League. Aleague by the same name already existed, a minor professional league below theECHL, which was 15 teams throughout the mid-western United States. In January 2011, the league rebranded itself as the Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL).^[10]

On May 8, 2011, at the2011 Royal Bank Cup inCamrose, Alberta, thePembroke Lumber Kings defeated theBCHL'sVernon Vipers 2–0 to win the CCHL's second ever National Title during the league's 50th anniversary season.

Prior to the 2014–15 season, the CCHL announced it was adapting theAmerican Hockey League's overtime format.

• Following tied games, teams will remain at the 3rd period ends and 7:00 minutes will be placed on the clock after a 30-second break. Each team will receive 1 point.
• The first 3 minutes of over time will be played 4 on 4. At the first whistle after 3 minutes (i.e. if the clock reads 4:00 or less) the teams will play 3 on 3. The same penalty regulations apply. The games are again sudden victory with the first team to score collects an additional point.
• In the event the game remains tied after the conclusion of seven minutes of overtime, a 30-second break during which the team coaches will provide a list of 3 shooters will precede a shoot out. Home teams shall determine if they shoot first or second. If the score after 3 rounds of shooters remains tied, there will be a continued sudden death single round shoot out until a winner is declared.
• No shooter may shoot twice until all eligible shooters have shot once.
• Players in the penalty box at the conclusion of overtime shall not be eligible to participate in the shoot out.

In the 2013–14 season, 69 CCHL regular season games were tied after regulation. The outcome of 30 games was determined in the over time session and 39 games required a shoot out.

For the 2015–16 the CCHL made a significant move to the development model for the league. The EOJHL was aligned directly with the CCHL to establish direct affiliations and specific guidelines for players to move up and down between leagues. The EOJHL also took on a re-branding to become theCCHL Tier 2. The development model is also to be extended to affiliation with midget (under18) teams.

In fall 2016, the Gloucester Rangers were sold to new ownership, who relocated the team toClarence-Rockland, Ontario to become theRockland Nationals starting at the 2017–18 season.^[11]

David Frost, the agent of formerSt. Louis Blues playerMike Danton, was banned from all CJHL games and events in fall 2005 after Frost entered an off-limits-to-fans area at the Jim Durrell Arena, home to the Ottawa Jr. Senators, in which Frost "accosted, harassed and threatened an official of the CJHL".^[12] League commissioner Mac MacLean stated "We don't want him around period". The Lumber Kings were fined $1,000 for David Frost's actions, because the league considered Frost to be associated with ownerSheldon Keefe. MacLean sent posters to each league arena to help security staff identify Frost if he were to show up at games, and to refuse entry to Frost. Weeks later, the ban was lifted after Mac MacLean was relieved of his duties of CJHL commissioner. Newly appointed commissioner John Comerford lifted the ban, stating "We can't stop David Frost from entering the rink and I haven't received any complaints from anybody about him".^[13] David Frost had no affiliation with the Pembroke Lumber Kings hockey organization. He was allowed to attend league games, but was barred from restricted areas.^[14] Frost disregarded the advisement not to enter restricted areas, and was seen getting off the Lumber Kings team bus byCBC Fifth Estate film crew, and was filmed following the team to a dressing room during a playoff game inNepean. At the end of the season, Frost severed un-affiliated ties with the league and informed that he would not attend any more league games or events.^[15]

Map of CCHL teams

50km
31miles

Nationals

Senators

Raiders

Grads

Hawks

Colts

Bears

Wolves

Lumber Kings

73's

Canadians

Braves

   

   Robinson Division

   Yzerman Division

• 1961 –Cornwall Royals join league
• 1961 – Hawkesbury Braves join league
• 1961 – Hull Hawks join league
• 1961 – Ottawa Primrose join league

• 1961 –Pembroke Ironmen join league
• 1961 –Smiths Falls Bears join league

• 1963 –Brockville Braves join league and are sponsored by theChicago Blackhawks
• 1963 – Ottawa Montagnards join league
• 1965 – Ottawa Primrose leave league
• 1965 – Ottawa Montagnards leave league
• 1965 –Arnprior Packers join league
• 1965 – Pembroke Ironmen become the Pembroke Lumber Kings
• 1967 – Arnprior Packers leave league to join theEastern Ontario Junior B Hockey League
• 1968 –Ottawa M.&W. Rangers join league
• 1969 – Cornwall Royals leave league to joinQuebec Major Junior Hockey League
• 1970 – Hawkesbury Braves leave league
• 1972 –Nepean Raiders join league
• 1973 – Hull Hawks leave league to join theQuebec Major Junior Hockey League
• 1973 – Ottawa M.&W. Rangers become the Gloucester Rangers
• 1973 –Rockland Nationals join league
• 1976 –Hawkesbury Hawks join league
• 1976 – Smiths Falls Bears leave league
• 1977 – Rockland Nationals leave league
• 1979 –Ottawa Senators join league
• 1979 – Pembroke Lumber Kings are expelled from the league for failing to remain in good standing
• 1979 – Pembroke Royals play their first and only season in 1979–80
• 1980 – Pembroke Lumber Kings reapply for a franchise and are accepted into the league
• 1985 – Smiths Falls Bears rejoin league
• 1987 –Kanata Valley Lasers join league
• 1988 –Massena Turbines join league
• 1990 – Massena Turbines become the Massena Americans
• 1991 –Cumberland Grads join league from the Eastern Ontario Junior B Hockey League
• 1992 – Massena Americans relocated toCornwall, Ontario to become the Cornwall Colts to fill in the void for the Cornwall Royals, who moved toNewmarket, Ontario
• 1992 – Ottawa Senators re-brand to Ottawa Jr. Senators because of new the NHL expansion teamOttawa Senators
• 2000 – Smiths Falls Bears relocate toPerth, Ontario and become the Lanark Thunder
• 2002 – Kanata Valley Lasers become the Kanata Stallions
• 2002 – Lanark Thunder suspends operations and team is returned to Smiths Falls as the Bears
• 2005 – Gloucester Rangers become the Orleans Blues
• 2007 –Kemptville 73's join league from the Eastern Ontario Junior B Hockey League
• 2008 – Orleans Blues become the Gloucester Rangers after league refuses permit to move team toOrleans
• 2009 –Carleton Place Canadians join league from the Eastern Ontario Junior B Hockey League
• 2014 – Kanata Stallions become the Kanata Lasers
• 2017 – Gloucester Rangers relocate toClarence-Rockland, Ontario and become the Rockland Nationals
• 2021 – Kanata Lasers relocate toRenfrew, Ontario and become theRenfrew Wolves

^[16]

Note: League champion isbolded

Notable players who have played or are playing in the NHL:

• Best record:2013–14 Carleton Place Canadians (54–6–0-2)
• Worst record:1987–88 Smiths Falls Bears (4–52–0)
• Most wins, season:2013–14 Carleton Place Canadians (54)
• Most points, season:Carleton Place Canadians (110) - 2013–14 & 2017–18
• Most consecutive wins:2009–10 Brockville Braves (26)
• Largest margin of victory:Cornwall Royals 43 – Hawkesbury Braves 0 in February 1966
• Most goals, one season:Luc Chabot (101) – 1985–86 Pembroke Lumber Kings
• Most assists, one season:Peter White (136) – 1987–88 Pembroke Lumber Kings
• Most points, one season:Peter White (226) – 1987–88 Pembroke Lumber Kings
• Most penalty minutes, one season:Frank Manson (416) – 1992–93 Ottawa Senators
• Most goals, career:Luc Chabot (255) – Pembroke Lumber Kings
• Most assists, career:George Dupont (332) – Nepean Raiders/Pembroke Lumber Kings
• Most points, career:Luc Chabot (490) – Pembroke Lumber Kings
• Most penalty minutes, career:Travis Albers (942) – Nepean/Cornwall/Kanata/Brockville
• Most minutes played, one season:Francis Marotte (3220.16) – 2015–16 Nepean Raiders
• Most wins, one season:Pete Karvouniaris (40) – 2010–11 Cornwall Colts
• Lowest goals against average, one season:Devon Levi (1.47) – 2019–20 Carleton Place Canadians
• Highest percentage, one season:Devon Levi (0.941) – 2019–20 Carleton Place Canadians
• Most shutouts, one season:Henry Johnson (9) – 2015–16 Brockville Braves
• Most minutes played, career:Mark Byrne (11,143) – Nepean Raiders
• Most wins, career:Grant Robb (87) – Pembroke Lumber Kings
• Highest attendance, game:5,262 – Pembroke Lumber Kings in April 1962
• Highest total attendance, season:55,703 – 1980–81 Pembroke Lumber Kings
• Lowest attendance, game:11 – Nepean Raiders in December 2005
• Lowest total attendance, season:2,071 – 2018–19 Kanata Lasers

• Central Junior Hockey League website

• Central Canada Hockey League
• Ice hockey leagues in Ontario
• Junior ice hockey leagues in Canada
• Canadian Junior Hockey League members
• Hockey Eastern Ontario

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