Current season or competition: 2024–25 MJHL season | |
 | |
| Countries | Canada |
|---|---|
| Region | Manitoba |
| Commissioner | Kevin Saurette |
| Former names | Winnipeg and District League |
| Founded | 1918 |
| No. of teams | 13 |
| Championship | Turnbull Cup |
| Associated title | Centennial Cup |
| Recent champions | Winkler Flyers |
| Most successful club | Winnipeg Blues (17) |
| Website | Official website |
TheManitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) is aJunior 'A'ice hockey league operating in the Canadian province ofManitoba and one of nine member leagues of theCanadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL).
The MJHL consists of thirteen teams all based within the province of Manitoba, eight of which qualify for each year's playoffs.[1][2] The playoff champion is awarded the Turnbull Cup, the Junior 'A' championship trophy for the province of Manitoba.[3][4][5] The winner of the MJHL playoffs (Turnbull Cup) earns a berth in the national championship, theCentennial Cup.[6]
The league's first year of operation was the 1918–19 season, making it the oldest junior league in Canada.[7] It was known as theWinnipeg and District League until 1931, when it became the Manitoba Junior Hockey League. During the inaugural season, there were nine teams in two divisions, each playing a six-game schedule. The teams included the Winnipeg Pilgrims, Elmwood, Grand Trunk Pacific, Winnipeg Tigers, Young Men's Lutheran Club, Winnipeg Argonauts, Selkirk Fishermen, Weston, andWinnipeg Monarchs.[citation needed]
In the 1926–27 season, the Winnipeg Junior and Juvenile Hockey League became the north division of the MJHL, withJimmy Dunn as its secretary, convenor andtimekeeper at theOlympic Rink.[8][9]
In the 1936–37 season, both the north and south MJHL divisions wanted to play games at the largerWinnipeg Amphitheatre since they could increase their share of thegate receipts. Multiple disputes arose over the scheduling of games, which led toManitoba Amateur Hockey Association (MAHA) executives forming a special committee to arbitrate that all north division games be played at the Olympic Rink.[10]
Teams in the north division struggled financially duringWorld War II and sought a new financial arrangement for the 1940–41 season.[11] The teams also disagreed on who played in which division, with some teams threatening to disband if their demands were not met. Jimmy Dunn recommended to split the gate receipts evenly between the teams and the rink owners, and for the MAHA to subsidize the teams as needed.[12] The north division played the season reduced to four teams.[13] The 1944–45 season was the first interlocking schedule between the north and south divisions, and the MAHA implemented of limits on the number of player transfers for balanced competition.[14]
In the 1945–46 season, the north division teams threatened to withdraw from the MJHL unless several demands were met. They felt that the south division was given preferential treatment, and sought to equally share games at the larger Winnipeg Amphitheatre and the profits from gate receipts. The north division complained about the lack of available ice time for practices and the deplorable dressing room conditions at the Olympic Rink, and felt that the MAHA had an obligation to make the upgrades if the rink would not.[15] After negotiations broke down, three junior teams withdrew and the MJHL operated with five teams in one division.[16]
The stronger MJHL teams — theWinnipeg Rangers,Winnipeg Monarchs,Brandon Wheat Kings andPortage Terriers — were sponsored byNational Hockey League (NHL) clubs and wanted to form an "A" division and play all games at the Winnipeg Amphitheatre for the 1946–47 season, and relegate all other teams to the "B" division at the Olympic Rink.[17] The four teams were also opposed to any other teams being added to their division.[18]The Winnipeg Tribune felt that these teams had pursued their own selfish interests with disregard for the general welfare of the league, and that creating the division would perpetuate the previous issues unless a "minor miracle" happened.[17][19] The MAHA executive chose to include theSt. James Orioles as a fifth team in the "A" division after being convinced that the team was soundly operated and would be able to compete.[20]
In 1955, the brothersArt andGordon Stratton of theWinnipeg Barons set a league record for most points in a single season with 76 each. In 1957,Ray Brunel of theSt. Boniface Canadiens broke it with 105.[citation needed]
In the 1959–60 season, MAHA presidentEarl Dawson sought a better financial arrangement with theSaskatchewan Amateur Hockey Association (SAHA) to recuperate the costs of developing minor hockey players andon-ice officials inFlin Flon, after theFlin Flon Bombers affiliated with theSaskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) instead of the MJHL.[21] When theBrandon Wheat Kings also wanted to play in the SJHL, the MAHA renegotiated the financial arrangement to prevent the loss of another team to an out-of-province league.[22]
In the early 1960s, the powerhouseBrandon Wheat Kings, built byJake Milford, won three titles in a row, and four in five years. In 1961, goalieErnie Wakely of theWinnipeg Braves was named Canada's outstanding junior hockey player for the month of January.[citation needed]
The MJHL began the 1961–62 season using internationalice hockey rules withoutbody checking as an effort to attract more spectators, and hired a new promotional director.[23] In November 1961, CAHA presidentJack Roxburgh ordered the MJHL to revert to standard Canadian rules since it had not been approved by the national body.[24]
In 1962,Clarence Campbell president of the NHL attended inaugural Manitoba–Saskatchewan all-star game in Winnipeg. In 1963,Jim Irving, captain of theWinnipeg Rangers, was named Manitoba's outstanding junior athlete and received the Carl Pederson Memorial Award.[citation needed]
Jimmy Dunn was hired as commissioner of the MJHL in May 1964. The league had been reduced to four teams based in theGreater Winnipeg area after the withdrawal of theBrandon Wheat Kings and theFort Frances Royals.[25] The MJHL transitioned from adraft of players in the Greater Winnipeg Minor Hockey Association, into a system where each team chose players from a set geographic district. The new "zoning" arrangement was planned to be in effect for three seasons to stimulate more localized interest in junior hockey and aimed to keep teammates together from the minor hockey level to the junior hockey level.[25] Dunn supported the change and noted that the concept had producedforward lines on previousMemorial Cup championship teams from Winnipeg.[25]
For the1964–65 MJHL season, theCharlie Gardiner Memorial Trophy series was revived as a preseason tournament for the league's teams.[26] Dunn reached an agreement to televise MJHL games onCJAY-TV, and the league experimented with playing games on Sunday evenings instead of afternoons to increase its attendance and avoid competing with televised football games.[27] Dunn requested to theCanadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) that the MJHL waive itsbye into theAbbott Cup finals and its playoffs champion meet theThunder Bay Junior A Hockey League champion in the first round. He felt that the loss ofgate receipts from a bye was a financial hardship for the MJHL, and shorten the league's playoffs to accommodate the change approved by the CAHA.[28] GoaltenderWayne Stephenson led the Winnipeg Braves to the MJHL Championship in 1965.[citation needed]
For the1965–66 MJHL season, Dunn implemented an automatic one-game minimum suspension for any player who received amatch penalty.[29] He felt that professional hockey influenced fisticuffs in junior hockey and said that, "Any time there's a big fight in theNational Hockey League, the kids drop their sticks and put up their dukes in the next game. It happens almost every time".[30]
The MJHL expanded from four to six teams for the1966–67 MJHL season when it readmitted the Brandon Wheat Kings and accepted theSelkirk Steelers.[31] Dunn announced his resignation as commissioner on October 24, 1966, and cited personal reasons. Despite being offered a pay raise, he felt that the increase in teams made the job too much for him and had "taken the fun out of it".[32] His resignation came shortly after a game between theWinnipeg Rangers and the Brandon Wheat Kings in which 242penalty minutes were given in the first period.[8]
In 1966–67, future Hall of FamerBobby Clarke of theFlin Flon Bombers set league records for most goals (71), assists (112), and points (183) in a single season. Clarke led the Bombers to win the MJHL title.[citation needed]
On September 19, 1968, the Winnipeg Monarchs announced the signing ofHiroshi Hori, a defenceman fromJapan. Hori, a high school all-star in his homeland, would spend a year with the team and then return home to pass on what he had learned. A Canadian missionary to Japan, Father Moran was behind the idea. WithCAHA approval, Moran convinced the Japanese Skating Union to sponsor one player to a year in Canada. The CAHA chose Winnipeg as the site because of the added experience from watching theCanadian National Team, and the Monarchs volunteered.[citation needed]
During the summer of 1967, theMAHA allowed three teams from Manitoba to enter the newWestern Canadian Hockey League (WCHL): theBrandon Wheat Kings andFlin Flon Bombers from the MJHL, andBen Hatskin's newWinnipeg Jets club. Hatskin already owned three MJHL teams, so as part of the agreement, divested his entire MJHL portfolio to local interests. The Winnipeg Warriors became theWest Kildonan North Stars, the St. James Braves became theSt. James Canadians, and the Winnipeg Rangers became theSt. Boniface Saints. These three teams and theWinnipeg Monarchs became "the new MJHL". TheSelkirk Steelers instead departed for the upstartCentral Manitoba Junior Hockey League (CMJHL).[citation needed] The CMJHL was short-lived and its four teams were absorbed by the MJHL the following year. The Steelers,Portage Terriers,Dauphin Kings, andKenora Muskies, who had operated out ofFort Garry the previous year, were placed in the MJHL's new North Division, while the existing MJHL teams made up the South Division.[33]
On Sunday February 9, 1969, the MJHL held a special emergency meeting to discussButch Goring leaving the Winnipeg Jets of the WCHL and joining theDauphin Kings. Goring played the night before in Kenora for the Kings during a regular season game. The MJHL gave the Kings approval to use Goring in regular season and playoff games. Goring was leading the WCHL in goals at the time. Monday, WCHL presidentRon Butlin said a court injunction would be sought against Goring and another Jet forwardMerv Haney from playing with the Dauphin Kings. Also saying the CHA would be "taking whatever action is necessary against Dauphin and the MAHA for damages." Goring and Haney would play for the Kings, all the way to the WesternMemorial Cup Finals.[citation needed]
The reorganization of junior hockey in Canada in 1970 relegated the MJHL to Tier II status, now to be called Junior 'A'. MJHL champions would no longer play for the Memorial Cup; instead, a new national junior 'A' championship, the Manitoba Centennial Cup (now theCentennial Cup) was created. This new alignment would eventually lead to the formation of theCanadian Junior Hockey League in 1993.[citation needed]
TheDauphin Kings were the first "dynasty" of the new MJHL, winning the league three out of four years, 1969, 1970, and 1972, and boasting such stars asRon Low,Butch Goring, andRon Chipperfield. The Kings went to the WesternMemorial Cup final in 1969, and in 1972 recorded 40 wins, a modern-day MJHL record.Charlie Simmer of theKenora Muskies won the scoring title in 1973, the same year thePortage Terriers were crowned National Champs, winning theCentennial Cup. In 1974, theSelkirk Steelers won the national crown, giving the MJHL back to back "Canadian Championships". It was players such as Low, Goring, Chipperfield, Simmer,Chuck Arnason,Murray Bannerman,Paul Baxter,John Bednarski,Rick Blight,Dan Bonar,Brian Engblom,Glen Hanlon,Bob Joyce,Barry Legge,Perry Miller,Chris Oddleifson,Curt Ridley,Rick St. Croix,Blaine Stoughton, andAndy Van Hellemond who gave the new MJHL its foundation.[citation needed]
TheSelkirk Steelers dominated, between 1974 and 1987, winning eight MJHL championships, including three in a row. The 1974 Steelers were inducted into theManitoba Hockey Hall of Fame, as were the 1973Portage Terriers. In 1975,Jim Misener of theDauphin Kings led the league in goals with 73, breakingBobby Clarke's single season record of 71. In 1977, the Dauphin Kings won their fourth MJHL title in a decade, led by Misener who became the MJHL career leader in goals, assists, and points.[citation needed]
In September 1971, Winnipeg Monarchs PresidentBob Westmacott announced 17-year-oldStephan Lindberg of Sweden had been invited to training camp.Jack Bownass, former coach ofCanada's national team, recommended Lindberg to the Monarchs.[citation needed]
On April 5, 1977, MJHL commissionerBill Addison called off the Turnbull Cup Finals between theDauphin Kings andKildonan North Stars, saying "No, I am not going to allow these characters an opportunity to beat on each other any longer. I am calling the series (a best-of-seven) and awarding it to Dauphin on the basis they won two of the three games completed." The decision came just hours after the two clubs had engaged in a pre-game brawl, in which two Kings players were taken to hospital and two North Stars were criminally charged.Chris Walby was convicted of common assault, and granted a conditional discharge. TheCanadian Amateur Hockey Association was not as kind, suspending Walby for life.[citation needed]
Grant Ledyard led theWinnipeg South Blues to the first of four MJHL Championships in 8 years in 1982. In 1983,Mike Ridley of theSt. Boniface Saints broke bothJim Misener's goal scoring record andBobby Clarke's points record. In 95,Cory Cyrenne of the Saints was chosenCanadian Junior A Hockey League (CJAHL) Player of the Year, and the Winnipeg South Blues won their fifth championship, on their road to a secondAnavet Cup, and anAbbott Cup. The 1995 Blues were inducted intoManitoba Hockey Hall of Fame. In 1998,Jedd Crumb of the Blues led the CJAHL in goals with 61.[citation needed]
In 1979, the rivalNorMan Junior Hockey League was granted Junior 'A' status, putting it into Turnbull Cup competition alongside the MJHL. This arrangement lasted until the demise of the NJHL in 1985, although during this era, no NJHL was ever successful in the provincial playoffs.
The 1980s and 1990s saw the MJHL expand its footprint outside of Winnipeg with the addition of teams inWinkler,Neepawa,Swan River, and three First Nations communities:Sagkeeng,Opaskwayak (The Pas) andWaywayseecappo. Teams were also added inSteinbach andThunder Bay, Ontario, however neither played more than three seasons before folding. At the same time, the league's presence in Winnipeg began a period decline with the demise of the Kildonan North Stars in 1990. This was the first of several Winnipeg-based teams to fold or relocate from the city; by 2012, only one team remained in the provincial capital.
As the twenty first century dawned, theOCN Blizzard were dominating the MJHL, winning five straight MJHL championships from 1999 to 2003. This was a record previously achieved by only the legendaryElmwood Millionaires (1927–1931).Junior Lessard of thePortage Terriers was named CJAHL Player of the Year in 2000. Blizzard goaltendersPreston McKay (1998) andMarc Andre Leclerc (2001) led the CJAHL ingoals against average, and left wingerAndrew Coates (2003) led in goals. In 2004,Aaron Starr of the Blizzard became the first MJHL player to lead the CJAHL in scoring with 118 points.[citation needed]
As the Blizzard's dynasty came to an end, thePortage Terriers began their own golden age with a trip to the MJHL finals in 2003–04. The Terriers lost the series, but laid claim to the Turnbull Cup and ANAVET Cup titles the following season. This would start a run of nine championships over fifteen seasons, plus three ANAVET Cup wins and the 2015 national championship. The2014-15 Terriers set a new league record for single-season winning percentage (.917) when they dominated the MJHL with a 53-3-4 record during the regular season and went undefeated in the playoffs to capture their ninth Turnbull Cup. The Terriers capped off their dream season by winning the2015 Royal Bank Cup on home ice inPortage la Prairie.[34] The Terriers dominated againthe following season, putting up an impressive 31-game winning streak on their way to a second consecutive Turnbull Cup.[35] TheSteinbach Pistons have also been a dominant club since relocating toSteinbach in 2009, posting the top regular season record four times, two Turnbull Cup victories, and an ANAVET Cup championship in 2018.
The demise of theSt. James Canadians in 2003 and the relocation of theWinnipeg Saints toVirden in 2012 left the Blues and Steelers as the only remaining clubs in theWinnipeg Metropolitan Region. The league reversed this trend in the 2020s by granting a second franchise (Winnipeg Freeze) to 50 Below Sports + Entertainment (which already owned the Blues). The Town ofNiverville was also granted a franchise, theNiverville Nighthawks, to begin play in 2022.[1]
In October 2011, theNeepawa Natives were involved a hazing incident that garnered significant negative publicity, both locally and nationally. After the league conducted its investigation, commissioner Kim Davis confirmed that a 15-year-old player had come forward with allegations of sexual-based rookie hazing in the team's locker room. A record $5,000 fine and 18 suspensions resulted from the incident and the matter was referred to theRoyal Canadian Mounted Police, although no criminal charges resulted. The team gained even more negative press by benching and refusing to release or trade the 15-year-old who brought the issue to light.[36]
The onset of theCOVID-19 pandemic during the first round of the MJHL playoffs in March 2020 forced the cancellation of the remainder of the2019-20 season, marking the first time in its history that the Turnbull Cup was not awarded. The pandemic also forced the cancellation of the 2020ANAVET andCentennial Cups, the latter of which was to be played in Portage la Prairie in honour of the national championship's 50th season.[37] The league attempted a shortened schedule for the2020-21 season but was thwarted when tightened health restrictions were enacted by the provincial government that November, requiring the cancellation of all remaining games for a second consecutive season.[38] The MJHL returned to its regular format for the start of the2021-22 season with a strict COVID-19 vaccination policy, in accordance with provincial health directives, requiring all players, coaches, officials to be immunized and all volunteers and spectators to provide proof of immunization before entering any league venue. This policy lasted until the provincial government dropped most of its public health measures in March 2022.[39][40]
The MJHL consists of thirteen teams separated geographically into two divisions. The league has gone to a single division format on occasion, most notably from 1945 to 1968 and more recently from 2014 to 2020. A three-division format was implemented for the partially completed 2020–21 season that was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[41]
| East Division | |||
| Team | City | Arena | Joined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Niverville Nighthawks[1] | Niverville | Niverville Community Resource & Recreation Centre | 2022 |
| Portage Terriers | Portage la Prairie | Stride Place | 1942 |
| Selkirk Steelers | Selkirk | Selkirk Recreation Complex | 1966 |
| Steinbach Pistons | Steinbach | Southeast Event Centre | 1988 |
| Winkler Flyers | Winkler | Winkler Arena | 1980 |
| Winnipeg Blues | Winnipeg | The Rink Training Centre | 1930 |
| Winnipeg Monarchs | Winnipeg | Hockey for All Centre | 2020 |
| West Division | |||
| Team | City | Arena | Joined |
| Dauphin Kings | Dauphin | Credit Union Place | 1967 |
| Neepawa Titans | Neepawa | Yellowhead Centre | 1989 |
| Northern Manitoba Blizzard | The Pas | Roy H Johnston Arena | 1996 |
| Swan Valley Stampeders | Swan River | Swan River Centennial Arena | 1999 |
| Virden Oil Capitals | Virden | Tundra Oil & Gas Place | 1956 |
| Waywayseecappo Wolverines | Waywayseecappo | Waywayseecappo Wolverines Complex | 1999 |
The Turnbull Memorial Trophy, or Turnbull Cup, is awarded byHockey Manitoba to the provincial Junior 'A' hockey champion each season. As the MJHL is the only Junior 'A' league based in Manitoba, its playoffs also serve as the provincial championship. In past years, rival Junior 'A' leagues, namely the Central Manitoba Junior Hockey League (1968) andNorMan Junior Hockey League (1980–85), were sometimes included in Turnbull Cup competition, in which case a playoff series between the respective league champions was held to determine the provincial title.
The trophy was donated by theWinnipeg Hockey Club in 1920 to honour Walter James "Ollie" Turnbull, a captain in the10th Brigade Canadian Field Artillery, who was killed in theFirst World War.[42] The trophy underwent a major refurbishment in 2018.[43]
Each season's Turnbull Cup champion advances toCentennial Cup, the Canadian National Junior 'A' championship. From 1970 to 2021, the Turnbull Cup champion first played the Saskatchewan champion, the winner of theSaskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) playoffs, for theANAVET Cup. The winner of that series earns a berth in the Centennial Cup (known as the Royal Bank Cup from 1996 to 2018). Between 2013 and 2017, the ANAVET and Doyle Cups were replaced by theWestern Canada Cup (WCC), a regional tournament that determined the two Western Canadian seeds at the national championship.
Prior to 1991, the ANAVET Cup champions advanced to theAbbott Cup against the winner ofDoyle Cup with the winner going on to face the Eastern Canada champions for the national Junior 'A' title. Beginning in 1991, the national championship format was expanded to include both the ANAVET and Doyle Cup champions, after which the Abbott Cup series no longer was played and the champion was crowned from the results of the round robin part of the national championship. The Abbott Cup was formally retired in 1999.
Since the tournament format for the Centennial Cup began in 1985, MJHL clubs have hosted national championships on three occasions:1992 in Winnipeg,2010 in Dauphin, and2015 in Portage la Prairie. Portage la Prairie was also selected to host the2020 championship which was cancelled at the onset of theCOVID-19 pandemic.
Prior to the reorganization of Canadian junior hockey in 1970, the MJHL champion played for theMemorial Cup, the former Canadian Tier I Junior championship. These post-MJHL playoffs were commonly known as the Memorial Cup playoffs. For the MJHL clubs, the road was firstly the western semi-finals and finals for the Abbott Cup, and then the Memorial Cup Finals. During this 53-year era (1918–1970), MJHL clubs won 18 Abbott Cups, and 11 Memorial Cups.
ANAVET Cup (1971–2012, 2017–2021)
Abbott Cup (1919–1970) Western Canadian Junior Championships
Abbott Cup (1971–1999) Western Canadian Junior ‘A’ Championships
Memorial Cup (1919–1970) National Junior Championships
Centennial Cup (1971–1995, 2019–present) National Junior ‘A’ Championships
Royal Bank Cup (1996–2018) National Junior ‘A’ Championships
Over the years, more than 200 MJHL players have gone on to theNational Hockey League (NHL), and 11 of those MJHL graduates have been inducted into theHockey Hall of Fame including;Andy Bathgate,Turk Broda,Art Coulter,Bobby Clarke,Charlie Gardiner,Bryan Hextall,Tom Johnson,Harry Oliver,Babe Pratt,Terry Sawchuk, andJack Stewart.[citation needed]
;"M.A.H.A. Executive Appoints Committee to Handle Matter".Winnipeg Free Press. Winnipeg, Manitoba. 10 November 1936. p. 16.;"Hannibal Re-elected M.A.H.A. Prexy".Winnipeg Free Press. Winnipeg, Manitoba. 30 October 1944. p. 14.;"Junior Teams Rule On Transfers".Winnipeg Free Press. Winnipeg, Manitoba. 6 November 1944. p. 12.
