The Canadian Hockey League is an umbrella organization that represents the three Canada-based major junior ice hockey leagues. The CHL was founded in 1975 as the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League, and is composed of its three member leagues, the Western Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League, and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League. For the 2023–24 season, its three leagues and 60 teams represent nine Canadian provinces as well as four American states.
The Memorial Cup is the national championship of the Canadian Hockey League, a consortium of three major junior ice hockey leagues operating in Canada and parts of the United States. It is a four-team round-robin tournament played among the champions of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) and Western Hockey League (WHL), and a fourth, hosting team, which alternates between the three leagues annually. The Memorial Cup trophy was established by Captain James T. Sutherland to honour those who died in service during World War I. It was rededicated during the 2010 tournament to honour all soldiers who died fighting for Canada in any conflict.
The Saginaw Spirit are a major junior ice hockey team based in Saginaw, Michigan. They are members of the West Division of the Western Conference of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), one of the Major Junior leagues of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL).
The 2002–03 OHL season was the 23rd season of the Ontario Hockey League. The North Bay Centennials relocated to Saginaw, Michigan, becoming the Saginaw Spirit. Due to the move, several teams changed divisions; the Saginaw Spirit were placed in the west division, the London Knights moved to the midwest division, and the Brampton Battalion moved to the central division. The London Knights moved into the new John Labatt Centre, which replaced the London Ice House. The Tim Adams Memorial Trophy was inaugurated as the MVP of the OHL Cup. Twenty teams each played 68 games. The Mississauga Icedogs qualified for the playoffs for the first time in their existence. The Kitchener Rangers won the J. Ross Robertson Cup, defeating the Ottawa 67's in the final.
The 2007 MasterCard Memorial Cup was played in May 2007 in Vancouver, British Columbia, at the Pacific Coliseum. It was the 89th annual Memorial Cup competition and determined the major junior ice hockey champion of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). The tournament was competed between the WHL champion, the Medicine Hat Tigers; the OHL champion, the Plymouth Whalers; the QMJHL champion, the Lewiston Maineiacs; and the host team and tournament champion, Vancouver Giants, who were competing in their second consecutive national junior championship. The Memorial Cup tournament was a four team tournament with a round-robin format. The Giants won their first Memorial Cup, defeating Medicine Hat 3–1 in the second all-WHL final in tournament history. The tournament set a new Memorial Cup attendance record with 121,561 fans attending the nine games. The previous record of 84,686 was set at the 2003 tournament in Quebec City.
The 2006–07 OHL season was the 27th season of the Ontario Hockey League.
The 2008 Memorial Cup was played in May 2008 in Kitchener, Ontario at the Memorial Auditorium. It was the 90th annual Memorial Cup competition and determined the major junior ice hockey champion of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). Kitchener defeated competing bids from Oshawa, Saginaw, London, Sarnia and Kingston to host the Memorial Cup, with the official announcement being made on May 10, 2007. The tournament was competed between the WHL champion Spokane Chiefs, the QMJHL champion Gatineau Olympiques, the Kitchener Rangers as host of the tournament and OHL champions, and the OHL representative Belleville Bulls, who earned their place by reaching the OHL finals against Kitchener. The Memorial Cup tournament is a four team tournament with a round-robin format.
The 2013 Memorial Cup was a four-team, round-robin format ice hockey tournament played from May 17–26, 2013. It was the 95th Memorial Cup championship and determined the champion of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). The tournament featured the London Knights, champions of the Ontario Hockey League, the Halifax Mooseheads, champions of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, the Portland Winterhawks, champions of the Western Hockey League, and the Saskatoon Blades, who won the right to host the tournament over bids by the Kelowna Rockets and the Red Deer Rebels. This was the first Memorial Cup to be held in Saskatoon since the Blades hosted it in 1989. The Halifax Mooseheads won the Memorial Cup for the first time in franchise history, beating the Portland Winterhawks 6–4 in the final. The Halifax Mooseheads joined the Saint John Sea Dogs in 2011, and the Shawinigan Cataractes in 2012, as the third straight team from the QMJHL to capture the trophy.
The 2013–14 OHL season was the 34th season of the Ontario Hockey League. The Brampton Battalion relocated to North Bay and became the North Bay Battalion, playing at the North Bay Memorial Gardens. The first two outdoor games in OHL history were held this season, when the Saginaw Spirit, Windsor Spitfires, Plymouth Whalers, and London Knights played at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan as part of the Hockeytown Winter Festival on December 29. On March 11, 2014 Terry Trafford of the Saginaw Spirit, who had been missing for eight days, was found dead in his vehicle at a Wal-Mart in Saginaw, Michigan. His death was ruled a suicide as a result of self-inflicted asphyxiation. Twenty teams played 68 games each according to the regular season schedule, from September 19, 2013 to March 17, 2014. The Guelph Storm won the J. Ross Robertson Cup for the third time in franchise history, and the first time since 2004, as they defeated the North Bay Battalion in five games, and represented the OHL at the 2014 Memorial Cup held at Budweiser Gardens in London, Ontario. The London Knights also qualified for the tournament as the host team.
The 2014 Memorial Cup was a four-team, round-robin format tournament played from May 16–25, 2014 in London, Ontario. It was the 96th Memorial Cup championship and determined the champion of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). The tournament featured the Guelph Storm, champions of the Ontario Hockey League; the Val-d'Or Foreurs, champions of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League; the Edmonton Oil Kings, champions of the Western Hockey League; and the London Knights, who won the right to host the tournament over bids by the Barrie Colts and the Windsor Spitfires. London last hosted the Memorial Cup in 2005.
The 2018 Memorial Cup was a four-team, round-robin format tournament that was held at Brandt Centre in Regina, Saskatchewan from May 18–27, 2018. It was the 100th Memorial Cup championship of junior ice hockey, and determined the champion of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). The CHL chose to allow all three of its constituent leagues to bid for hosting the 100th Memorial Cup, instead of the usual rotation between its leagues. The Regina Pats won the right to host the tournament, over bids from the Hamilton Bulldogs and the Oshawa Generals.
The 2019 Memorial Cup was a four-team, round-robin format tournament held at the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia from May 17–26, 2019. It was the 101st Memorial Cup championship which determine the champion of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). The tournament was hosted by the Halifax Mooseheads, who won the right to host the tournament over the Moncton Wildcats. The Rouyn-Noranda Huskies defeated the Halifax Mooseheads to win their first Memorial Cup. Mario Pouliot became the first coach to win consecutive Memorial Cups while leading different teams.
The 2019–20 OHL season was the 40th season of the Ontario Hockey League, in which twenty teams were scheduled to playing 68 games each according to the regular season schedule, from September 19, 2019 to March 22, 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in North America, the regular season was suspended on March 12, 2020, and cancelled six days later.
The 2021–22 OHL season was the 42nd season of operation of the Ontario Hockey League. After the 2020–21 OHL season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the league played a full 68-game regular season having begun on October 7, 2021, and concluded on April 17, 2022. The post-season began on April 21, 2022 and concluded on June 15, 2022.
The 2022 Memorial Cup was a four-team round-robin format ice hockey tournament held at TD Station in Saint John, New Brunswick from June 20–29, 2022. It was the 102nd Memorial Cup championship which determines the champion of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). The tournament was hosted by the Saint John Sea Dogs, who won the right to host the tournament over the Quebec Remparts. The Saint John Sea Dogs defeated the Hamilton Bulldogs to win their second Memorial Cup. The Memorial Cup returned after two years of absence due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The 2022–23 OHL season was the 43rd season of operation of the Ontario Hockey League. The league played a 68-game regular season which began on September 29, 2022 and concluded on March 26, 2023. The post-season began on March 30, 2023 and concluded on May 21, 2023.
Owen Beck is a Canadian junior ice hockey centre for the Saginaw Spirit of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) as a prospect to the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected in the second round, 33rd overall, by the Canadiens in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.
The 2023 Memorial Cup was a four-team round-robin format ice hockey tournament held at the Sandman Centre in Kamloops, British Columbia, from May 26 to June 4, 2023. It was the 103rd Memorial Cup championship, which determines the champion of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). The tournament was hosted by the Kamloops Blazers, who won the right to host the tournament over the Kelowna Rockets. The Quebec Remparts defeated the Seattle Thunderbirds, for their third Memorial Cup title. Remparts forward James Malatesta was named the tournament's most valuable player, with five goals in four games.
The 2023–24 OHL season is the 44th season of operation of the Ontario Hockey League. The league played a 68-game regular season which began in September 2023 and concluded in March 2024. The post-season will begin in March 2024 and conclude in May 2024.
The 2023–24 QMJHL season is the 55th season of the Quebec Major / Maritimes Junior Hockey League. The league will play a 68-game regular season which began on September 22, 2023, and ends on March 23, 2024.
