Dudley Hewitt Cup

Dudley-Hewitt Cup

Sport	Ice hockey
League	Canadian Junior Hockey League
Awarded for	Central region champion
Country	Canada
History
First award	1971
Most wins	Guelph Platers (5)
Most recent	Oakville Blades (2019)

The Dudley-Hewitt Cup is a championship ice hockey trophy awarded to the Central Canadian Junior A champion. The trophy is currently decided by round robin tournament format, at the conclusion of the playoffs of the Ontario Junior Hockey League, Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League, and Superior International Junior Hockey League, to determine the central representative at the Centennial Cup, the national Junior A championship.

The current format includes the champions of the OJHL, NOJHL, and SIJHL and a pre-selected host city, but in the past has included the champions of the Central Canada Hockey League, Quebec Junior Hockey League, and even the champion of the Callaghan Cup.

The trophy is named after George Dudley and W. A. Hewitt, who served as administrators for the Ontario Hockey Association and are inductees of the Hockey Hall of Fame. ^[1]

History

The trophy was first awarded in 1971.

From 1984 until 1995, the Thunder Bay Flyers of the United States Hockey League competed for the Dudley Hewitt Cup, winning four titles in 12 years.

The 2002 Dudley-Hewitt Cup marked a new chapter in Ontario hockey history. Since the mid-1990s, the OPJHL and NOJHL had squared off in a head-to-head series to determine the Central Canadian seed in the Royal Bank Cup. In 2001, a new Thunder Bay-area league, called the Superior International Junior Hockey League, was founded. Late in the 2001–02 season the CJAHL informed all three leagues that instead of a series, the Dudley would be contested through a round-robin format. Initially, both the OPJHL and NOJHL threatened to boycott the DHC. The CJAHL announced that if the OPJHL and NOJHL did not send a champion, the SIJHL champion would move on by default to the national championship. The OPJHL did not budge, but the NOJHL gave in and in January announced that their champion would play the SIJHL champion for the DHC in a best-of-three series. ^[2]

The 2014 Dudley Hewitt Cup saw its fourth all-OJHL Dudley-Hewitt Cup final between the Wellington Dukes and the Toronto Lakeshore Patriots. Toronto won 2–1 advancing to the Royal Bank Cup in Vernon, British Columbia.

The City of Sudbury and the Sudbury Nickel Barons were awarded the 2016 Dudley-Hewitt Cup, but in the spring of 2015 the city withdrew as a result of the Sudbury Nickel Barons moving to Rayside-Balfour. The tournament was awarded to Kirkland Lake, Ontario, and the Kirkland Lake Gold Miners.

The 2017 Dudley-Hewitt Cup was awarded to Trenton - the same year the Royal Bank Cup was being hosted by the OJHL's Cobourg Cougars. The Trenton Golden Hawks became the ninth different OJHL team to win the Dudley-Hewitt Cup since 2003. The Aurora Tigers (2004 and 2007), Oakville Blades (2008 and 2010), and the Wellington Dukes (2003 and 2011) won the tournament twice. As of 2016, the Soo Thunderbirds appeared in their sixth tournament since 2004.

Dryden, Ontario, and the Dryden Ice Dogs of the Superior International Junior Hockey League were hosts of the 2018 Dudley Hewitt Cup. ^[3]

The 2019 edition of the Dudley Hewitt Cup was hosted in Cochrane, Ontario, of the NOJHL, after the Cochrane Crunch and the Timmins Rock were the only teams to submit bids. ^[4]

In early January 2019, the Wellington Dukes were awarded the 2020 Dudley-Hewitt Cup tournament, but shortly afterwards, Hockey Canada levied sanctions against the OJHL for trades made after the January 10 deadline. ^{[5] [6] [7]} The OJHL was fined $50,000 and were banned from hosting the Dudley-Hewitt Cup and Royal Bank Cup tournaments for a period of five years. The 2020 tournament was then awarded to Fort Frances, Ontario, before it was cancelled entirely due to the coronavirus pandemic.

American-based team participation

In 1971, the Detroit Jr. Red Wings of the Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League lost the inaugural championship in six games to the Charlottetown Islanders.

In 1973, the St. Paul Vulcans of the Can-Am Junior Hockey League were mowed down by the Pembroke Lumber Kings in the Central semi-final. ^[8]

In 2007, the Soo Indians of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League finished last in the round robin. At that point, no American team had made it to either the Centennial Cup or Royal Bank Cup round robin or final series. This changed on May 4, 2013 when the SIJHL's Minnesota Wilderness defeated the OJHL's St. Michael's Buzzers 4–3 in overtime to win the Dudley and gain entry into the 2013 Royal Bank Cup. Beforehand, the City of Sudbury and the Sudbury Cubs were slated to host the 2013 tournament, but was soon allocated to the City of North Bay and the North Bay Trappers because the Cubs owners backed out.

The 2011 Dudley Hewitt Cup made history as for the first time at the interleague level, more than one American team would be in direct contention for the Central Canadian crown. Wisconsin Wilderness represented the Superior International Junior Hockey League while the Soo Eagles represented the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League. Wellington Dukes defeated host Huntsville Otters in the final. ^[9]

Format

Hosts from the OJHL, NOJHL and SIJHL go through a selection process with teams and centres bidding for the rights to host.

Copeland-NcNamara Trophy champions of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League, Salonen Cup champion from the Superior International Junior Hockey League and Buckland Cup winners of the Ontario Junior Hockey League compete in a round robin hosted by a predetermined host team and city to determine the Central Canadian champion.

The winner of the Dudley-Hewitt Cup moves on to compete for the Centennial Cup Junior A national championship. ^[10]

Champions

Dudley Hewitt Cup logo.

Dudley-Hewitt Cup champions Year Champions Runners-up Result Host Eastern Canadian champions 1971 Charlottetown Islanders (MJAHL) Detroit Jr. Red Wings (SOJHL) 4-2 (best-of 7) 1972 Guelph CMC's (SOJHL) Charlottetown Islanders (Independent) 4-0 (best-of 7) 1973 Pembroke Lumber Kings (CJHL) St. Jerome Alouettes (QJAHL) 4-1 (best-of 7) 1974 Smiths Falls Bears (CJHL) Thunder Bay Hurricanes (TBJHL) 4-3 (best-of 7) 1975 Guelph Biltmore Mad Hatters (SOJHL) Smiths Falls Bears (CJHL) 4-2 (best-of 7) 1976 Rockland Nationals (CJHL) Charlottetown Colonels (IJHL) 4-0 (best-of 7) 1977 Pembroke Lumber Kings (CJHL) Charlottetown Generals (IJHL) 4-0 (best-of 7) 1978 Guelph Platers (OPJHL) Charlottetown Eagles (IJHL) 4-2 (best-of 7) Central region champions 1979 Guelph Platers (OPJHL) Hawkesbury Hawks (CJHL) 4-2 (best-of 7) 1980 North York Rangers (OPJHL) Joliette Cyclones (QJAHL) 4-2 (best-of 7) 1981 Belleville Bulls (OPJHL) Gloucester Rangers (CJHL) 4-3 (best-of 7) 1982 Guelph Platers (OJHL) Pembroke Lumber Kings (CJHL) 4-0 (best-of 7) 1983 North York Rangers (OJHL) Thunder Bay Kings (TBHL) 4-0 (best-of 7) 1984 Orillia Travelways (OJHL) Pembroke Lumber Kings (CJHL) 4-0 (best-of 7) 1985 Orillia Travelways (OJHL) Aurora Tigers (OJHL) 11-3 1986 Orillia Travelways (OJHL) Brockville Braves (CJHL) 4-3 (best-of 7) 1987 Pembroke Lumber Kings (CJHL) Nickel Centre Power Trains (NOJHL) 4-1 (best-of 7) 1988 Pembroke Lumber Kings (CJHL) Thunder Bay Flyers (USHL) 4-0 (best-of 7) 1989 Thunder Bay Flyers (USHL) Pembroke Lumber Kings (CJHL) 4-0 (best-of 7) 1990 Longueuil Collège Français (QPJHL) Sudbury Cubs (NOJHL) 4-3 (best-of 7) 1991 Thunder Bay Flyers (USHL) Sudbury Cubs (NOJHL) 5-1 Hawkesbury, Ontario 1992 Thunder Bay Flyers (USHL) Kanata Valley Lasers (CJHL) 5-1 Thunder Bay, Ontario 1993 Chateauguay Elites (QPJHL) Ottawa Senators (CJHL) 9-2 St. Hubert, Quebec 1994 Chateauguay Elites (QPJHL) Thunder Bay Flyers (USHL) 9-5 Timmins, Ontario 1995 Thunder Bay Flyers (USHL) Brampton Capitals (OPJHL) 6-4 Thunder Bay, Ontario 1996 Newmarket 87's (OPJHL) Brampton Capitals (OPJHL) 8-2 Cobourg, Ontario 1997 Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats (NOJHL) Milton Merchants (OPJHL) 4-1 (best-of 7) 1998 Milton Merchants (OPJHL) Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats (NOJHL) 4-2 (best-of 7) 1999 Bramalea Blues (OPJHL) Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats (NOJHL) 4-0 (best-of 7) 2000 Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats (NOJHL) Brampton Capitals (OPJHL) 4-1 (best-of 7) 2001 Thornhill Rattlers (OPJHL) Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats (NOJHL) 4-3 (best-of 7) 2002 Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats (NOJHL) Dryden Ice Dogs (SIJHL) 2-0 (best-of 3) 2003 Wellington Dukes (OPJHL) North Bay Skyhawks (NOJHL) 4-0 Fort Frances, Ontario 2004 Aurora Tigers (OPJHL) North Bay Skyhawks (NOJHL) 5-1 North Bay, Ontario 2005 Georgetown Raiders (OPJHL) St. Michael's Buzzers (OPJHL) 3-1 Georgetown, Ontario 2006 Fort William North Stars (SIJHL) Sudbury Jr. Wolves (NOJHL) 7-6 (OT) Thunder Bay, Ontario 2007 Aurora Tigers (OPJHL) Schreiber Diesels (SIJHL) 10-0 Iroquois Falls, Ontario 2008 Oakville Blades (OPJHL) Newmarket Hurricanes (OPJHL) 6-3 Newmarket, Ontario 2009 Kingston Voyageurs (OJHL) Fort William North Stars (SIJHL) 4-1 Schreiber, Ontario 2010 Oakville Blades (OJAHL) Fort William North Stars (SIJHL) 2-1 Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario 2011 Wellington Dukes (OJHL) Huntsville Otters (OJHL) 5-3 Huntsville, Ontario 2012 Soo Thunderbirds (NOJHL) Stouffville Spirit (OJHL) 5-3 Thunder Bay, Ontario 2013 Minnesota Wilderness (SIJHL) St. Michael's Buzzers (OJHL) 4-3 (OT) North Bay, Ontario 2014 Toronto Lakeshore Patriots (OJHL) Wellington Dukes (OJHL) 2-1 Wellington, Ontario 2015 Soo Thunderbirds (NOJHL) Fort Frances Lakers (SIJHL) 3-2 Fort Frances, Ontario 2016 Trenton Golden Hawks (OJHL) Soo Thunderbirds (NOJHL) 4-0 Kirkland Lake, Ontario 2017 Trenton Golden Hawks (OJHL) Georgetown Raiders (OJHL) 2-1 Trenton, Ontario 2018 Wellington Dukes (OJHL) Dryden Ice Dogs (SIJHL) 7-4 Dryden, Ontario 2019 Oakville Blades (OJHL) Hearst Lumberjacks (NOJHL) 2-0 Cochrane, Ontario 2020 Not awarded due to COVID-19 pandemic [lower-alpha 1] --- Fort Frances, Ontario 2021 Not awarded due to COVID-19 pandemic [lower-alpha 1] --- Fort Frances, Ontario

Notes

1. Hockey Canada and the CJHL cancelled the 2020 and 2021 Dudley Hewitt Cups in response to the coronavirus pandemic. ^{[11] [12]}

References

1. Aalto, Sherry (2012). "The Dudley Hewitt Cup and the Business of Hockey". Thunder Bay Business. Retrieved 2019-02-18.
2. "About the cup". Dudley Hewitt Cup. Archived from the original on 2020-04-22. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
3. "Dudley-Hewitt Cup 2018". Dryden GM Ice Dogs. August 23, 2017. Archived from the original on 2021-06-24.
4. "Cochrane awarded 2019 Dudley-Hewitt Cup". Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League. March 1, 2018. Archived from the original on 2020-09-26.
5. "Ontario Jr. A deadline fiasco exposes the ugly side of trading junior hockey players". The Hockey News . January 31, 2019. Archived from the original on 2020-11-08.
6. "Wellington stripped of Dudley Hewitt Cup". Belleville Intelligencer. February 4, 2019. Archived from the original on 2019-02-05.
7. "Wellington's 2020 Dudley-Hewitt bid dropped after sanctions levied". Picton Gazette. February 4, 2019. Archived from the original on 2021-02-28.
8. "St. Paul-Twin Cities Vulcans (1973-1995)". Vintage Minnesota Hockey. Archived from the original on 2013-12-31. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
9. "R-B-C, R-B-C, R-B-C". Wellington Times. April 29, 2011. Archived from the original on 2012-07-23.
10. "Centennial Cup". Hockey Canada . Archived from the original on 2014-02-13. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
11. "Hockey Canada statement in response to coronavirus (COVID-19)". Hockey Canada. March 12, 2020.
12. "Hockey Canada statement on spring 2021 national championships". Hockey Canada. February 5, 2021.

External links

• Dudley Hewitt Cup website