Manitoba Junior Hockey League

Last updated

Manitoba Junior Hockey League
Current season or competition:
Hockey current event.svg 2024–25 MJHL season
Manitoba Junior Hockey League logo.svg
CountriesCanada
Region(s) Manitoba
Commissioner Kevin Saurette
Former name(s)Winnipeg and District League
Founded1918
No. of teams13
Championship Turnbull Cup
Associated Title(s) Centennial Cup
Recent Champions Winkler Flyers
Most successful club Winnipeg Blues (17)
Website Official website OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

The Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) is a Junior 'A' ice hockey league operating in the Canadian province of Manitoba and one of nine member leagues of the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL).

Contents

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, the Centennial Cup. [6]

History

Early years (1918 to 1949)

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 the Winnipeg 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, and Winnipeg Monarchs.[ citation needed ]

Olympic Rink Olympic Rink in Winnipeg circa 1925.png
Olympic Rink

In the 1926–27 season, the Winnipeg Junior and Juvenile Hockey League became the north division of the MJHL, with Jimmy Dunn as its secretary, convenor and timekeeper at the Olympic Rink. [8] [9]

In the 1936–37 season, both the north and south MJHL divisions wanted to play games at the larger Winnipeg Amphitheatre since they could increase their share of the gate receipts. Multiple disputes arose over the scheduling of games, which led to Manitoba 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 during World 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]

Winnipeg Amphitheatre Sheasamphitheatre.png
Winnipeg Amphitheatre

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 — the Winnipeg Rangers, Winnipeg Monarchs, Brandon Wheat Kings and Portage Terriers — were sponsored by National 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 the St. 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]

1950s and 1960s

In 1955, the brothers Art and Gordon Stratton of the Winnipeg Barons set a league record for most points in a single season with 76 each. In 1957, Ray Brunel of the St. Boniface Canadiens broke it with 105.[ citation needed ]

In the 1959–60 season, MAHA president Earl Dawson sought a better financial arrangement with the Saskatchewan Amateur Hockey Association (SAHA) to recuperate the costs of developing minor hockey players and on-ice officials in Flin Flon, after the Flin Flon Bombers affiliated with the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) instead of the MJHL. [21] When the Brandon Wheat Kings also wanted to play in the SJHL, the MAHA renogotiated the financial arrangement to prevent the loss of another team to an out-of-province league. [22]

In the early 1960s, the powerhouse Brandon Wheat Kings, built by Jake Milford, won three titles in a row, and four in five years. In 1961, goalie Ernie Wakely of the Winnipeg Braves was named Canada's outstanding junior hockey player for the month of January.[ citation needed ]

The MJHL began the 1961–62 season using international ice hockey rules without body checking as an effort to attract more spectators, and hired a new promotional director. [23] In November 1961, CAHA president Jack 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 the Winnipeg 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 the Greater Winnipeg area after the withdrawal of the Brandon Wheat Kings and the Fort Frances Royals. [25] The MJHL transitioned from a draft 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 produced forward lines on previous Memorial Cup championship teams from Winnipeg. [25]

For the 1964–65 MJHL season, the Charlie Gardiner Memorial Trophy series was revived as a preseason tournament for the league's teams. [26] Dunn reached an agreement to televise MJHL games on CJAY-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 the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) that the MJHL waive its bye into the Abbott Cup finals and its playoffs champion meet the Thunder Bay Junior A Hockey League champion in the first round. He felt that the loss of gate 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] Goaltender Wayne Stephenson led the Winnipeg Braves to the MJHL Championship in 1965.[ citation needed ]

For the 1965–66 MJHL season, Dunn implemented an automatic one-game minimum suspension for any player who received a match penalty. [29] He felt that professional hockey influenced fisticuffs in junior hockey and said that, "Any time there's a big fight in the National 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 the 1966–67 MJHL season when it readmitted the Brandon Wheat Kings and accepted the Selkirk 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 the Winnipeg Rangers and the Brandon Wheat Kings in which 242 penalty minutes were given in the first period. [8]

In 1966–67, future Hall of Famer Bobby Clarke of the Flin 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 of Hiroshi Hori, a defenceman from Japan. 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. With CAHA 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 the Canadian National Team, and the Monarchs volunteered.[ citation needed ]

The New MJHL

During the summer of 1967, the MAHA allowed three teams from Manitoba to enter the new Western Canadian Hockey League (WCHL): the Brandon Wheat Kings and Flin Flon Bombers from the MJHL, and Ben Hatskin's new Winnipeg 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 the West Kildonan North Stars, the St. James Braves became the St. James Canadians, and the Winnipeg Rangers became the St. Boniface Saints. These three teams and the Winnipeg Monarchs became "the new MJHL". The Selkirk Steelers instead departed for the upstart Central 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, and Kenora Muskies, who had operated out of Fort 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 discuss Butch Goring leaving the Winnipeg Jets of the WCHL and joining the Dauphin 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 president Ron Butlin said a court injunction would be sought against Goring and another Jet forward Merv 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 Western Memorial 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 the Centennial Cup) was created. This new alignment would eventually lead to the formation of the Canadian Junior Hockey League in 1993.[ citation needed ]

1970s, 1980s, and 1990s

The Dauphin 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 as Ron Low, Butch Goring, and Ron Chipperfield. The Kings went to the Western Memorial Cup final in 1969, and in 1972 recorded 40 wins, a modern-day MJHL record. Charlie Simmer of the Kenora Muskies won the scoring title in 1973, the same year the Portage Terriers were crowned National Champs, winning the Centennial Cup. In 1974, the Selkirk 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, and Andy Van Hellemond who gave the new MJHL its foundation.[ citation needed ]

The Selkirk Steelers dominated, between 1974 and 1987, winning eight MJHL championships, including three in a row. The 1974 Steelers were inducted into the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame, as were the 1973 Portage Terriers. In 1975, Jim Misener of the Dauphin Kings led the league in goals with 73, breaking Bobby 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 President Bob Westmacott announced 17-year-old Stephan Lindberg of Sweden had been invited to training camp. Jack Bownass, former coach of Canada's national team, recommended Lindberg to the Monarchs.[ citation needed ]

On April 5, 1977, MJHL commissioner Bill Addison called off the Turnbull Cup Finals between the Dauphin Kings and Kildonan 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. The Canadian Amateur Hockey Association was not as kind, suspending Walby for life.[ citation needed ]

Grant Ledyard led the Winnipeg South Blues to the first of four MJHL Championships in 8 years in 1982. In 1983, Mike Ridley of the St. Boniface Saints broke both Jim Misener's goal scoring record and Bobby Clarke's points record. In 95, Cory Cyrenne of the Saints was chosen Canadian Junior A Hockey League (CJAHL) Player of the Year, and the Winnipeg South Blues won their fifth championship, on their road to a second Anavet Cup, and an Abbott Cup. The 1995 Blues were inducted into Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame. In 1998, Jedd Crumb of the Blues led the CJAHL in goals with 61.[ citation needed ]

In 1979, the rival NorMan 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 in Winkler, Neepawa, Swan River, and three First Nations communities: Sagkeeng, Opaskwayak (The Pas) and Waywayseecappo. Teams were also added in Steinbach and Thunder 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.

2000 to present

As the twenty first century dawned, the OCN Blizzard were dominating the MJHL, winning five straight MJHL championships from 1999 to 2003. This was a record previously achieved by only the legendary Elmwood Millionaires (1927–1931). Junior Lessard of the Portage Terriers was named CJAHL Player of the Year in 2000. Blizzard goaltenders Preston McKay (1998) and Marc Andre Leclerc (2001) led the CJAHL in goals against average, and left winger Andrew 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, the Portage 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. The 2014-15 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 the 2015 Royal Bank Cup on home ice in Portage la Prairie. [34] The Terriers dominated again the following season, putting up an impressive 31-game winning streak on their way to a second consecutive Turnbull Cup. [35] The Steinbach Pistons have also been a dominant club since relocating to Steinbach in 2009, posting the top regular season record four times, two Turnbull Cup victories, and an ANAVET Cup championship in 2018.

The demise of the St. James Canadians in 2003 and the relocation of the Winnipeg Saints to Virden in 2012 left the Blues and Steelers as the only remaining clubs in the Winnipeg 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 of Niverville was also granted a franchise, the Niverville Nighthawks, to begin play in 2022. [1]

Neepawa Natives hazing incident

In October 2011, the Neepawa 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 the Royal 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]

COVID-19 pandemic

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic during the first round of the MJHL playoffs in March 2020 forced the cancellation of the remainder of the 2019-20 season, marking the first time in its history that the Turnbull Cup was not awarded. The pandemic also forced the cancellation of the 2020 ANAVET and Centennial 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 the 2020-21 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 the 2021-22 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]

Teams

Current

Map of MJHL teams
Manitoba Junior Hockey League
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100km
62miles
Wolverines
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Oil Capitals
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Stampeders
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Blizzard
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Titans
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Kings
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Freeze
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Blues
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Flyers
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Pistons
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Steelers
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Terriers
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  West Division
  East Division

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
TeamCityArenaJoined
Niverville Nighthawks [1] Niverville Niverville Community Resource & Recreation Centre2022
Portage Terriers Portage la Prairie Stride Place 1942
Selkirk Steelers Selkirk Selkirk Recreation Complex 1966
Steinbach Pistons Steinbach HyLife Centre 1988
Winkler Flyers Winkler Winkler Arena 1980
Winnipeg Blues Winnipeg hockey for all centre 1930
Winnipeg Freeze Winnipeg hockey for all centre 2020
West Division
TeamCityArenaJoined
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

Former/defunct

Turnbull Cup Champions

The Turnbull Memorial Trophy (2018) Turnbull Cup 2018.jpg
The Turnbull Memorial Trophy (2018)
The Turnbull Cup (2006) Turnbull Cup.JPG
The Turnbull Cup (2006)

The Turnbull Memorial Trophy, or Turnbull Cup, is awarded by Hockey 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) and NorMan 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 the Winnipeg Hockey Club in 1920 to honour Walter James "Ollie" Turnbull, a captain in the 10th Brigade Canadian Field Artillery, who was killed in the First World War. [42] The trophy underwent a major refurbishment in 2018. [43]

YearChampionRunner-up
Winnipeg & District League Championship [a]
1918Selkirk FishermenFort Rouge Wanderers
1919Winnipeg YMLCWinnipeg Pilgrims
Turnbull Cup (Memorial Cup Era)
1920Selkirk FishermenWinnipeg YMLC
1921Winnipeg FalconsPortage la Prairie
1922University of Manitoba Brandon
1923University of Manitoba Brandon
1924Winnipeg Tammany TigersDauphin
1925University of Manitoba Portage la Prairie Vics
1926Winnipeg Tammany TigersPortage la Prairie Vics
1927Elmwood MillionairesDauphin
1928Elmwood MillionairesNeepawa
1929Elmwood MillionairesBirtle-Minnedosa
1930Elmwood MillionairesBrandon
1931Elmwood MillionairesWinnipeg Monarchs
1932Winnipeg MonarchsBrandon
1933Brandon Native SonsWinnipeg Winnipegs
1934Kenora Thistles [b] Brandon Native Sons
1935Winnipeg MonarchsThe Pas Huskies
1936Elmwood Maple LeafsEmerson Aces
1937Winnipeg MonarchsSt. Boniface Seals
1938St. Boniface SealsWinnipeg Monarchs
1939Brandon ElksWinnipeg Monarchs
1940Kenora Thistles [b] Elmwood Maple Leafs
1941Winnipeg RangersEast Kildonan Bisons
1942Portage TerriersSt. Boniface Athletics
1943Winnipeg RangersSt. Boniface Athletics
1944St. James CanadiansSt. Boniface Athletics
1945Winnipeg MonarchsWinnipeg Esquires-Red Wings
1946Winnipeg MonarchsBrandon Elks
1947Brandon ElksWinnipeg Monarchs
1948Winnipeg MonarchsWinnipeg Canadiens
1949Brandon Wheat KingsWinnipeg Canadiens
1950Brandon Wheat Kings
1951 Winnipeg MonarchsBrandon Wheat Kings
1952 Winnipeg MonarchsBrandon Wheat Kings
1953 St. Boniface CanadiensBrandon Wheat Kings
1954 St. Boniface CanadiensBrandon Wheat Kings
1955 Winnipeg MonarchsWinnipeg Barons
1956 St. Boniface CanadiensWinnipeg Monarchs
1957 Winnipeg MonarchsSt. Boniface Canadiens
1958 St. Boniface CanadiensWinnipeg Monarchs
1959 Winnipeg BravesSt. Boniface Canadiens
1960 Brandon Wheat KingsWinnipeg Rangers
1961 Winnipeg RangersBrandon Wheat Kings
1962 Brandon Wheat KingsWinnipeg Monarchs
1963 Brandon Wheat KingsSt. Boniface Canadiens
1964 Brandon Wheat KingsFort Frances Royals
1965 Winnipeg BravesWinnipeg Monarchs
1966 Winnipeg RangersWinnipeg Braves
1967 Flin Flon BombersBrandon Wheat Kings
1968 St. James CanadiansSelkirk Steelers (CMJHL) [c]
1969 Dauphin KingsSt. Boniface Saints
1970 Dauphin KingsSt. James Canadians
Turnbull Cup (Centennial Cup Era)
1971 St. Boniface Saints Kenora Muskies
1972 Dauphin Kings West Kildonan North Stars
1973 Portage Terriers St. James Canadians
1974 Selkirk Steelers West Kildonan North Stars
1975 Selkirk Steelers West Kildonan North Stars
1976 Selkirk Steelers West Kildonan North Stars
1977 Dauphin Kings Kildonan North Stars
1978 Kildonan North Stars Dauphin Kings
1979 Selkirk Steelers Kildonan North Stars
1980 Selkirk Steelers Thompson King Miners (NJHL) [d]
1981 St. Boniface Saints Thompson King Miners (NJHL) [d]
1982 Winnipeg South Blues Flin Flon Bombers (NJHL) [d]
1983 Dauphin Kings The Pas Huskies (NJHL) [d]
1984 Selkirk Steelers Flin Flon Bombers (NJHL) [d]
1985 Selkirk Steelers Thompson King Miners (NJHL) [d]
1986 Winnipeg South Blues Selkirk Steelers
1987 Selkirk Steelers Winnipeg South Blues
1988 Winnipeg South Blues Portage Terriers
1989 Winnipeg South Blues Selkirk Steelers
1990 Portage Terriers Kildonan North Stars
1991 Winkler Flyers Winnipeg South Blues
1992 Winkler Flyers St. James Canadians
1993 Dauphin Kings St. Boniface Saints
1994 St. Boniface Saints Winkler Flyers
1995 Winnipeg South Blues Winkler Flyers
1996 St. James Canadians Neepawa Natives
1997 St. James Canadians OCN Blizzard
1998 Winkler Flyers St. James Canadians
1999 OCN Blizzard Winnipeg South Blues
2000 OCN Blizzard Winnipeg South Blues
2001 OCN Blizzard Winkler Flyers
2002 OCN Blizzard Winkler Flyers
2003 OCN Blizzard Southeast Blades
2004 Selkirk Steelers Portage Terriers
2005 Portage Terriers Selkirk Steelers
2006 Winnipeg South Blues OCN Blizzard
2007 Selkirk Steelers Dauphin Kings
2008 Portage Terriers Winnipeg Saints
2009 Portage Terriers Selkirk Steelers
2010 Dauphin Kings Winnipeg Saints
2011 Portage Terriers Selkirk Steelers
2012 Portage Terriers Winnipeg Saints
2013 Steinbach Pistons Dauphin Kings
2014 Winnipeg Blues Dauphin Kings
2015 Portage Terriers Steinbach Pistons
2016 Portage Terriers Steinbach Pistons
2017 Portage Terriers OCN Blizzard
2018 Steinbach Pistons Virden Oil Capitals
2019 Portage Terriers Swan Valley Stampeders
2020 No champion [e]
2021 No champion [f]
2022 Dauphin Kings Steinbach Pistons
2023 Steinbach Pistons Virden Oil Capitals
2024 Winkler Flyers Steinbach Pistons
Notes
  1. The league's two first two seasons predated the Turnbull Cup.
  2. 1 2 The Kenora Thistles are the only MJHL club from outside of Manitoba to win the Turnbull Cup.
  3. For the 1967-68 season, the MJHL champion played the Central Manitoba Junior Hockey League champion for the Turnbull Cup.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 From 1980 to 1985, the MJHL champion played the NorMan Junior Hockey League champion for the Turnbull Cup.
  5. The 2019-20 playoffs were cancelled midway through the first round in response to the COVID-19 pandemic [44]
  6. The 2020-21 season was halted November 12, 2020 and officially cancelled February 12, 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. [45]

Post MJHL Playoffs

Formats

Each season's Turnbull Cup champion advances to Centennial Cup, the Canadian National Junior 'A' championship. From 1970 to 2021, the Turnbull Cup champion first played the Saskatchewan champion, the winner of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) playoffs, for the ANAVET 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 the Western 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 the Abbott Cup against the winner of Doyle 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, and 2015 in Portage la Prairie. Portage la Prairie was also selected to host the 2020 championship which was cancelled at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prior to the reorganization of Canadian junior hockey in 1970, the MJHL champion played for the Memorial 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.

Manitoba/Saskatchewan Junior ‘A’ Hockey Championships

ANAVET Cup (1971–2012, 2017–2021)

Western Canadian Junior Hockey Championships

Abbott Cup (1919–1970) Western Canadian Junior Championships

Abbott Cup (1971–1999) Western Canadian Junior ‘A’ Championships

National Junior Hockey 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

Notable players

Over the years, more than 200 MJHL players have gone on to the National Hockey League (NHL), and 11 of those MJHL graduates have been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame including; Andy Bathgate, Turk Broda, Art Coulter, Bobby Clarke, Charlie Gardiner, Bryan Hextall, Tom Johnson, Harry Oliver, Babe Pratt, Terry Sawchuk, and Jack Stewart.[ citation needed ]

Awards and leaders

Individual awards

Scholarships

Records

Commissioners

Timeline of teams in the MJHL

List of MJHL seasons

See also

Related Research Articles

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The Steinbach Pistons are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Steinbach, Manitoba, Canada. They are members of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, which is a member of the Canadian Junior Hockey League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winnipeg Saints</span> Manitoba former ice hockey team

The Winnipeg Saints were a Manitoba Junior Hockey League team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The team was known for most of its existence as the St. Boniface Saints and exists today as the Virden Oil Capitals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winnipeg Blues</span> Manitoba ice hockey team

The Winnipeg Blues are a Manitoba Junior Hockey League team based in Oak Bluff, a suburban area of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The team was founded in 1930 as the Winnipeg Monarchs and also formerly known as the Fort Garry Blues (1978-1984) and Winnipeg South Blues (1984-2010).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abbott Cup</span> Western Canada junior ice hockey award (1919–1999)

The Abbott Memorial Cup, commonly referred to as the Abbott Cup, was awarded annually from 1919 through 1999 to the Junior "A" ice hockey Champion for Western Canada.

The 1971-1972 Manitoba Junior Hockey League season was won by the Dauphin Kings. Their rivals from the previous year, the St. Boniface Saints, did not proceed beyond the division semifinals.

On March 14, 1968, at home in St. James, the St. James Canadians corralled the Manitoba Junior Hockey League championship, and on March 26, in Selkirk, the Canadians captured the Turnbull Cup defeating the Central Manitoba Junior Hockey League champions Selkirk Steelers.

In the 1970–71 season of Canadian ice hockey, the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) champions were Winnipeg Saints, who won the Turnbull Memorial Trophy in the final on March 30, 1971, at home in St. Boniface. The Saints went on to win the Anavet Cup by defeating the Weyburn Red Wings of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League on April 13, 1971, at the St. James ground in Winnipeg.

In Winnipeg on April 5, 1974, the Selkirk Steelers won the MJHL title claiming the Turnbull Memorial Trophy. There was no stopping the Selkirk Steelers on April 19, 1974, in Prince Albert, as the Steelers defeated the Prince Albert Raiders of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League winning the Anavet Cup. On May 1, 1974, with a 5-2 win over Kelowna Buckaroos of the British Columbia Hockey League in the seventh and deciding game, held in Kelowna, the Steelers captured the Abbott Cup and advanced into the national final for the Centennial Cup. In the seventh and deciding game, on May 14, 1974, in Ottawa, the Selkirk Steelers scored a dramatic 1-0 overtime victory over the Smiths Falls Bears of the Central Junior A Hockey League to capture the Centennial Cup, emblematic of junior A hockey supremacy in Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kildonan North Stars</span> Manitoba former ice hockey team

The Kildonan North Stars were a Canadian Junior ice hockey Team in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League from Winnipeg, Manitoba.

The following are the results of the 1976–77 MJHL season for the Canadian Manitoba Junior Hockey League ice hockey team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenora Muskies</span> Former Canadian ice hockey team

The Kenora Muskies, known as the Kenora Thistles from 1975 to 1982, are a defunct Manitoba Junior Hockey League team that played in Kenora, Ontario between 1968 and 1982.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virden Oil Capitals</span> Manitoba ice hockey team

The Virden Oil Capitals are a Canadian junior 'A' ice hockey team based in Virden, Manitoba. The Oil Capitals are members of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League.

References

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