 | |
| Founded | 1968 (1968) |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Calgary |
| Location | Ottawa,Toronto,Montreal,Winnipeg |
| President | Katherine Henderson |
| CEO | Katherine Henderson |
| Replaced | Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (merger in 1994) |
| (founded) | December 4, 1914 |
| Official website | |
| www | |
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Hockey Canada (which merged with theCanadian Amateur Hockey Association in 1994) is the national governing body ofice hockey andice sledge hockey in Canada. It is a member of theInternational Ice Hockey Federation and controls the majority of organized ice hockey in Canada.[1][2] There are some notable exceptions, such as theCanadian Hockey League,U Sports (formerly known as Canadian Interuniversity Sport), and Canada's professional hockey clubs; the former two are partnered with Hockey Canada but are not member organizations. Hockey Canada is based inCalgary, with a secondary office inOttawa and regional centres inToronto,Winnipeg andMontreal.
The Canadian Amateur Hockey Association was founded on December 4, 1914, when 21 delegates from across Canada met at theChateau Laurier inOttawa. The organization was made to oversee the amateur level of the sport at the national level. TheAllan Cup, originally donated in 1908 by SirH. Montagu Allan, was selected as the championship of amateur hockey in Canada.William Northey, the trustee of the Allan Cup, was named the first ever chairman, while Dr.W. F. Taylor was named the inaugural president. TheMemorial Cup was the junior amateur championship of Canada.[3]
In 1920, after theWinnipeg Falcons won theAllan Cup over theUniversity of Toronto, they represented Canada at the1920 Summer Olympic Games. Canada would go 3-0-0 to win the sport's first ever Olympic gold medal.[3]
TheOttawa and District Amateur Hockey Association joined in 1920, followed by the Maritime Amateur Hockey Association in 1928.[3]
On June 30, 1947, the CAHA, theNational Hockey League and theAmateur Hockey Association of the United States made an agreement that no player under the age of 18 could be signed as a professional player without the permission of their amateur club. That same year, theInternational Ice Hockey Federation changed the rules on amateur status. The rule change means the1948 Allan Cup championRoyal Montreal Hockey Club were not eligible for the1948 Winter Olympics, so the CAHA sent theRCAF Flyers instead and were victorious.[3]
At the1952 Winter Olympics, theEdmonton Mercurys won their nation's last Olympic gold until 2002.[3]
In 1961, theTrail Smoke Eaters won Canada's 19th and last world championship for 33 years at the1961 World Ice Hockey Championships. In 1964,Father David Bauer formedCanada's national team in response to the success of the programs set up by theSoviet Union,Czechoslovakia, andSweden. Three years later, the CAHA opened its first ever national office, located inWinnipeg.[3]
TheNewfoundland Amateur Hockey Association, led by association presidentDon Johnson, entered the CAHA in 1966. Johnson became CAHA president in 1975. TheNew Brunswick Amateur Hockey Association left the Maritime AHA brand in 1968 and entered the CAHA as a member.[3]
In 1968, the Hockey Canada organization was founded to oversee Canada's national teams.
In 1970, the CAHA's 13 Junior A league were divided into two tiers. Tier I, theWestern Canada Junior Hockey League, theOntario Hockey Association, and theQuebec Major Junior Hockey League, were eligible to compete for theMemorial Cup. The ten leagues of Tier II, would compete for theManitoba Centennial Cup, donated by theManitoba Amateur Hockey Association (See:Canadian Junior Hockey League).
Also in 1970, Canada pulled out of IIHF competition and would not return to the fold until 1977[3] in protest of the IIHF's soft stance on Soviet and Czechoslovak teams using "professional amateurs" in international competition but not allowing professional players to compete for Canada.
In 1972, Canada and the Soviet Union competed in the1972 Summit Series. Canada's team was composed of NHL stars, while the Soviet players were from the Red Army. The NHLers won the series 4-3-1.[3] Two years later, theWorld Hockey Association represented Canada and lostthe series 1-4-3. In 1976, theCanada Cup was formed as a best-on-best championship.
In 1974, theNova Scotia Amateur Hockey Association andPrince Edward Island Amateur Hockey Association are formed out of the dissolution of the Maritime AHA.[3]
TheWorld Junior Ice Hockey Championships was held for the first time. Canada, who sent Memorial Cup champion teams in early years, eventually set up a national team and won their first gold medal at the1982 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.[3]
In 1975, the QMJHL, WCJHL, and the renamed Ontario Major Junior Hockey League form an umbrella organization known as theCanadian Major Junior Hockey League. With the creation of the CMJHL, the three league began initiating compensation talks with the NHL and WHA without CAHA input. In 1980, the CMJHL separated from the CAHA, only staying loosely affiliated with the national body. With the separation of the CMJHL, Tier II was promoted to simply Junior A, although the Tier II title still persists in hockey vernacular. To this day, the CMJHL (nowCanadian Hockey League) releases its players to Hockey Canada to play at theWorld Junior Ice Hockey Championships.
In 1983, the firstAbby Hoffman Cup was awarded to the Burlington Ladies as the Canadian national senior champions of women's hockey.
In 1990, the forerunner to theCanadian Junior Hockey League was created as an umbrella organization, within the CAHA, to oversee Junior A hockey.
TheCanada women's national ice hockey team was formed in 1987 and won the first (unofficial) world championship that year. The1990 IIHF Women's World Championship was the first official event, also won by Canada.[3]
In 1994, Team Canada ended a 33-year drought by winning the1994 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships.[3]
In 1994, Hockey Canada and the CAHA merged into one organization. Also, theInternational Olympic Committee elected to allow professional players to compete at the Olympics and created a women's event at the games. That same year,Hockey North became the 13th branch of Hockey Canada.[3]
The Canadianmen and women won gold at the2002 Winter Olympics inSalt Lake City. The Canadian men win their first gold medal in fifty years, while the women win their first in two tries.[3]
In 2004, theCanada men's national ice sledge hockey team was welcomed into the Hockey Canada fold,[3] andMark Aubry was named theChief Medical Officer of Hockey Canada.[4][5]
In 2006, the Canadian women won gold at the2006 Olympics and the sledge team conquered gold at the2006 Winter Paralympics.
TheClarkson Cup, donated by theGovernor General of CanadaAdrienne Clarkson, was created in 2006, and was first awarded in 2009 to the Canadian national senior champions of women's hockey.[6] The Clarkson Cup replaced the Abby Hoffman Cup.
Team Canada's men's and women's teams won gold in both the2010 and2014 Winter Olympics, hosted by Vancouver and Sochi respectively.[7][8]
Tom Renney retired as chief executive officer of Hockey Canada on July 1, 2022, and was succeeded byScott Smith who also served as president.[9]
In June 2022, a scandal emerged over Hockey Canada's handling of sexual assault allegations surrounding the organization, stemming from its May 2022 settlement of alleged abuses by members of Canada's junior team in 2018.Minister for SportPascale St-Onge suspended federal funding of Hockey Canada viaSport Canada, and called for an audit over whether taxpayer money was used to pay out these settlements. Later that month, theStanding Committee on Canadian Heritage opened an inquiry into the settlement.[10][11] which revealed a history of sexual misconduct cases raised against Hockey Canada, and that the organization had spentC$7.6 million out of a "National Equity Fund"—funded with player registration fees—to help pay out settlements in 21 sexual misconduct cases since 1989.[12][13][14]
Amid calls for leadership changes at Hockey Canada, Smith and the entire board of directors resigned on October 11, 2022.[15]
Hockey Canada determines if an underage player is eligible for "exceptional status".[16] Exceptional player status allows skilled, underage hockey players to enter themajor junior circuit early.[17] As of 2024, nine players have been granted exceptional status:John Tavares,Aaron Ekblad,Sean Day,Connor McDavid,Joseph Veleno,Shane Wright,Connor Bedard,Michael Misa andLandon DuPont.[18] As of 2023, seven have gone number one in their respective major junior drafts while four players have been selectedfirst overall in their respective NHL drafts.[19] In 2024, the "Western Canadian Development Model" was approved to allow players granted exceptional status as early as age 12, to play a half season with the local WHL team at age 15, without further application for exceptional status; the change was first exercised byMaddox Schultz.[20]
Katherine Henderson was appointed as chief executive officer and president in 2023.[21]
In 2023, theBritish Columbia Hockey League decided not to renew its agreement with Hockey Canada and became an independent league. The league cited improved recruitment opportunities for 16 and 17 year old players in Canada as well as anticipated improved interest from Americans and players outside of North America as important reasons for the decision.[22] In April 2024, theVancouver Island Junior Hockey League followed suit and announced it would also withdraw and become an independent farm league for theBCHL beginning in the 2024-25 season.[23][24]
In the 2024–25 season, Hockey Canada and its four western affiliates –BC Hockey,Hockey Alberta,Hockey Saskatchewan andHockey Manitoba – will pilot the Western Canadian Development Model (WCDM). Under the WCDM,junior leagues will adopt most of theWestern Hockey League rulebook, excluding some sections, and restrictions on 15-year-old affiliate players in theWestern Hockey League will be loosened. Players that will be 18-years of age or older in the calendar year will be allowed to choose whether to use full-face protection or half-face protection, whilst younger players will be required to use full-face protection.[25]
List of Canadian Amateur Hockey Association presidents (1914–1994), and Hockey Canada presidents (1994–present).[26][27] Prior to the merger of the two organizations in 1994, Hockey Canada leadership includedMax Bell,Charles Hay,Doug Fisher,Lou Lefaive,Bill Hay, andDerek Holmes.
Organizations in cooperation with Hockey Canada
On-ice officials
Non-member partners
| |
| Association name | Hockey Canada |
|---|---|
| IIHF Code | CAN |
| IIHF membership | 1920 |
| President | Katherine Henderson |
| IIHF men's ranking | 1 |
| IIHF women's ranking | 1 |
| https://www.hockeycanada.ca | |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
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