Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League

Last updated

Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League
Most recent season or competition:
2023–24 SJHL season
SJHL Logo.svg
FormerlySaskatchewan Amateur Junior Hockey League
Sport Ice hockey
Founded1968
First season1968–69
CommissionerKyle McIntyre
No. of teams12
Most recent
champion(s)		 Melfort Mustangs (5th)
Most titles Humboldt Broncos (10)
TV partner(s) SaskTel maxTV
Related
competitions		 Centennial Cup
Official website sjhl.ca

The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League is a Junior 'A' ice hockey league operating in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan and one of nine member leagues of the Canadian Junior Hockey League.

Contents

Open to North American-born players 20 years of age or younger, the SJHL's 12 teams play in three divisions: the Nutrien, Sherwood and Viterra Divisions. A major attraction in Saskatchewan, the SJHL draws 400,000 fans each season.[ citation needed ] The winner of the SJHL playoffs is crowned the provincial Junior A champion and continues on to play in the ANAVET Cup against the Manitoba provincial champion (winner of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League playoffs) for the right to represent the Western region at the Centennial Cup, the national Junior A championship.

History

The current version of the SJHL was preceded by a separate league with the same name that operated from 1948 to 1966. [1]

The modern SJHL was formed in July 1968 as a result of the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL) splitting away from the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) and affiliating with the rival Canadian Hockey Association led by Ron Butlin. CAHA president Lloyd Pollock arranged meetings across Western Canada to outline the CAHA's development plan for teams which had remained within the CAHA. [2] Later that month, he approved a series of exhibition games for teams in the Ontario Hockey Association to play the Regina Pats and Weyburn Red Wings, after Regina and Weyburn had asked for assistance in forming a new Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. Pollock also laid out plans to make player transfers easier between provinces to support the Saskatchewan teams. [3]

The league was originally known as the Saskatchewan Amateur Junior Hockey League until 1973. They re-adopted the "Amateur" in their name in 1980 and carried it until the 1987–88 season, when they dropped the "Amateur" again. They were one of the original Tier II Junior A leagues in the realignment of 1970. Their first two seasons they were eligible for the Memorial Cup.[ citation needed ]

Humboldt Broncos bus crash

On April 6, 2018 the Humboldt Broncos team bus suffered a fatal crash on their way to the team's semi-final playoff game against the Nipawin Hawks. Ten players, two coaches, an athletic therapist, two employees of a local radio station, and the bus driver were killed in the collision. The remaining passengers were injured, some critically. The SJHL playoffs were postponed as a result (the Hawks were leading the series 3–1). The league, at the request of the Broncos, resumed the playoffs on April 15, with the Hawks advancing to the finals to meet the waiting Estevan Bruins. SJHL President Bill Chow called the incident the league's "worst nightmare". [4]

In the wake of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash, TSN aired a national broadcast of the Bronco's 2018–19 home opener, the team's first regular season game following the tragedy. [5] [6]

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

On March 13, 2020, pursuant to the suspension of all sanctioned activity by Hockey Canada and the CJHL due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the remainder of the 2019–20 SJHL season and all associated championships were suspended until further notice. The league championship was not awarded. [7] [8] [9]

The league resumed play for a 2020–21 season in November 2020, [10] with the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) allowing for limited in-person attendance (150 spectators). [11] However, the Flin Flon Bombers were forced to suspend operations on November 12, 2020 until at least the new year, after Manitoba issued a "Code Red" circuit breaker that ordered the closure of non-essential businesses and recreational facilities. The team considered the possibility of conducting all hockey operations out of nearby Creighton, Saskatchewan, but were unable to reach agreements with the SHA and Manitoba Health that would allow them to resume operations. [12] [13] In turn, the SJHL was forced to suspend play on November 27, as Saskatchewan ordered the suspension of all group and team sports activities. [14]

In February 2021, the league submitted a return-to-play proposal to the Saskatchewan government that would have involved as many as three hub cities. [10] Despite other provinces such as Alberta having allowed their Junior A leagues to continue, [10] Saskatchewan continued to maintain its prohibitions on sport. [15] The SJHL and its teams have faced growing financial issues due to cancelled games and other events, prompting the provincial government to provide a $1 million relief package to be divided between its teams. [10] [16] On March 23, 2021, the SJHL announced that its return-to-play proposal had been rejected, citing concerns surrounding the current state of the pandemic in Saskatchewan. The SJHL therefore announced that the 2020–21 season had been cancelled and will not be resumed. The league championship was not awarded for the second season in a row. [17]

Media

In January 2019, the league announced a broadcasting deal with SaskTel, under which a game will be carried on its television service per-month for the remainder of the season, as well as coverage of the league final. [18]

Teams

Current

The SJHL fields twelve teams, eleven in Saskatchewan and one in Flin Flon, Manitoba, a community on the border between the provinces. The Bobcats based in Lloydminster, Saskatchewan (on the Saskatchewan–Alberta border) elect to play in the Alberta Junior Hockey League.

Viterra Division
TeamCityArenaJoined
Estevan Bruins Estevan, Saskatchewan Affinity Place 1971
Melville Millionaires Melville, Saskatchewan Horizon Credit Union Centre1970
Weyburn Red Wings Weyburn, Saskatchewan Crescent Point Place 1968
Yorkton Terriers Yorkton, Saskatchewan Farrell Agencies Arena 1972
Nutrien Division
TeamCityArenaJoined
Battlefords North Stars North Battleford, Saskatchewan North Battleford Civic Centre 1973
Humboldt Broncos Humboldt, Saskatchewan Elgar Peterson Arena 1970
Kindersley Klippers Kindersley, Saskatchewan West Central Events Centre 1991
Notre Dame Hounds Wilcox, Saskatchewan Duncan McNeill Arena1987
Sherwood Division
TeamCityArenaJoined
Flin Flon Bombers Flin Flon, Manitoba Whitney Forum 1984
La Ronge Ice Wolves La Ronge, Saskatchewan Mel Hegland Arena1998
Melfort Mustangs Melfort, Saskatchewan Northern Lights Palace1988
Nipawin Hawks Nipawin, Saskatchewan Centennial Arena1985
Map of SJHL teams
Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League
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200km
125miles
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⬤ Viterra Division
⬤ Nutrien Division
⬤ Sherwood Division

Former

League champions

As of 2023, the championship team is awarded the Canterra Seeds Cup following a post-season playoff tournament. [19] As of 2022, SJHL championship team advances directly to the Junior A national championship. [20] Prior to 2022, the SJHL champions competed with the MJHL champions for the ANAVET Cup with the winner advancing to represent the region at the national competition. [20] In 2022, Hockey Canada moved to a 10-team format for the Centennial Cup, including the champions from each of the 9 leagues that make up the CJHL, and the host team, thus eliminating intervening regional contests for the ANAVET Cup, the Fred Page Cup and the Doyle Cup. [20]

Timeline of teams in the SJHL

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League [1948–1966] history and statistics". Hockey Database. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  2. ↑ "CAHA, Juniors Meet Sunday". Winnipeg Free Press. Winnipeg, Manitoba. July 5, 1968. p. 19. Lock-green.svg
  3. ↑ "CAHA Gives Special Concessions To West". Winnipeg Free Press. Winnipeg, Manitoba. July 13, 1968. p. 49. Lock-green.svg
  4. ↑ "15 dead in Canadian junior hockey bus crash". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 8, 2018.
  5. ↑ "Humboldt Broncos Home Opener to air live on TSN and CTV Saskatchewan". TSN.ca. June 22, 2018. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
  6. ↑ "In wake of tragic bus crash, the Humboldt Broncos' opener will be broadcast across North America". Awful Announcing. September 12, 2018. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
  7. ↑ "CJHL announces cancellation of 2020 season, until further notice, due to COVID-19 pandemic". SJHL.ca. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  8. ↑ "Sask. Junior Hockey League to continue coronavirus-shortened playoffs via video game simulation". CBC News. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  9. ↑ "The SJHL playoffs suspended following directive from Hockey Canada". Regina. March 12, 2020. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "'Every team is in a tough spot': SJHL facing financial uncertainty as return to play talks continue". CTV News Regina. March 3, 2021. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  11. ↑ "SJHL season paused until 2021 due to COVID-19". Global News. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
  12. ↑ "Flin Flon Bombers pause season as Manitoba enters code red". CTV News Winnipeg. November 12, 2020. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  13. ↑ Westhaver, Eric. "Bombers to pause play, postpone games until New Year: SJHL". Flin Flon Reminder. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  14. ↑ "Coronavirus: New Saskatchewan public health measures for restaurants, sports teams". Global News. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
  15. ↑ "Sask.'s COVID-19 restrictions to remain until March 19". CTV News Regina. February 16, 2021. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  16. ↑ "Sask. provides $4M to support WHL, SJHL". Regina. January 15, 2021. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  17. ↑ "SJHL return to play proposal denied by province". CTV News Regina. March 23, 2021. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
  18. ↑ Cairns, John. "SJHL coming to SaskTel Max TV". Battlefords News-Optimist. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
  19. ↑ "SJHL unveils Canterra Seeds Cup" (Press release). Canterra Seeds. March 16, 2023. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
  20. 1 2 3 Dunick, Leith (March 22, 2022). "Dudley Hewitt Cup cancelled, SIJHL champ will go directly to Centennial Cup". tbnewswatch.com. Dougall Media. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
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