William Ryan Trophy

Last updated

The William Ryan Trophy is a Canadian ice hockey series to determine the Northwestern Ontario seed of the Keystone Cup - the Western Canada Junior "B" Hockey championship. Hockey Northwestern Ontario sanctioned league winners play-off for the trophy.

Contents

History

From 1997 until 2004, the right to compete in the Keystone Cup was an epic battle between the champions of the Thunder Bay Junior B Hockey League and the North of Superior Junior B Hockey League. After six championships competed for, each league had three Northwestern Ontario titles each, but in the last two years of competition the TBJBHL won both years.

As the NSHL folded in 2004, the TBJBHL won the eight-year series five championships to three. With Junior "A" hockey expansion in the region (from just the Thunder Bay Flyers in 2000 to the Superior International Junior Hockey League in 2007) the local talent pools have been severely taxed making the Junior "B" teams less dominant at the national level. The result has been the contraction of the TBJBHL.

The only time the Northwestern Ontario champion has ever won the Western Canadian title was in 1999 when the Fort William Hurricanes went the distance.

The region has hosted the Keystone Cup five times. Thunder Bay, Ontario hosted the Cup in 1994, 1999 and 2009. Schreiber, Ontario hosted the second-ever tournament in 1984 and again in 2004.

Champions

SeasonWinnerRunner-up
1996-97Northwest Wildcats (TBJBHL)Marathon Renegades (NSHL)
1997-98Hearst Elans (NSHL)Fort William Hurricans (TBJBHL)
1998-99Hearst Elans (NSHL)Fort William Hurricans (TBJBHL)
1999-00Fort William Hurricans (TBJBHL)Aguasabon River Rats (NSHL)
2000-01Westfort Maroons (TBJBHL)Aguasabon River Rats (NSHL)
2001-02Aguasabon River Rats (NSHL)Westfort Maroons (TBJBHL)
2002-03Nipigon Elks (TBJBHL)Wawa Travellers (NSHL)
2003-04Thunder Bay Northern Hawks (TBJBHL)Wawa Travellers (NSHL)

There has been no trophy competition since the demise of the NSHL after the 2003–04 season.

See also

Related Research Articles

Canadian Junior Hockey League

The Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) is an association of Canadian junior A ice hockey leagues and teams and was formed in November 1993, emerging from the Canada West Association of Junior 'A' Hockey. The champion of the Canadian Junior Hockey League wins the Centennial Cup.

Centennial Cup

The Centennial Cup, also known as the Centennial Cup, presented by Tim Hortons for marketing purposes, is an annual ice hockey competition that determines the Canadian Junior A champion. It is played under the supervision of Hockey Canada and the Canadian Junior Hockey League.

Ontario Junior Hockey League

The Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) is a Junior A ice hockey league in Ontario, Canada. It is under the supervision of the Ontario Hockey Association and the Canadian Junior Hockey League. The league dates back to 1954 as the Central Junior B Hockey League. In 1993, the Central Junior B Hockey League was promoted to the Junior A level and renamed the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League. In 2009, the league was dissolved by the Ontario Hockey Association and split into two leagues: the Central Canadian Hockey League and the Ontario Junior A Hockey League. By early 2010, the two leagues merged to reform the Ontario Junior Hockey League.

Superior International Junior Hockey League

The Superior International Junior Hockey League (SIJHL) is a junior A ice hockey league and a member of the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) and Hockey Canada. The league operates in the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. states of Minnesota and Wisconsin. Winners of the SIJHL playoffs compete for the Dudley Hewitt Cup against the winners of the Ontario Junior Hockey League and the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League. The winner of the Dudley Hewitt Cup then moves on to compete for the Centennial Cup, the Canadian Junior A championship.

Dudley Hewitt Cup

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.

North of Superior Junior B Hockey League Hockey league

The North of Superior Junior B Hockey League (NSHL) is a defunct Junior ice hockey league in Ontario, Canada, sanctioned by Hockey Canada. The league used to be a part of the Northern Ontario Hockey Association.

Lakehead Junior Hockey League

The Lakehead Junior Hockey League is a Canadian Junior ice hockey league in Northwestern Ontario, sanctioned by Hockey Northwestern Ontario and Hockey Canada. An earlier edition of this league existed in the 1970s.

Thunder Bay North Stars

The Thunder Bay North Stars are a junior A ice hockey team from Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. They are a member of the Superior International Junior Hockey League.

Keystone Cup

The Keystone Cup is the Junior B ice hockey championship and trophy for Western Canada. The championship is the culmination of the champions of 12 hockey leagues in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Northwestern Ontario.

Thunder Bay Wolverines

The Thunder Bay K&A Wolverines were a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Thunder Bay, Ontario. They were members of the Superior International Junior Hockey League. They played in the Thunder Bay Junior B Hockey League of Hockey Northwestern Ontario until 2009. The Wolverines were 4-time Thunder Bay Junior B and Northern Ontario Junior B champions, as well as 2009 Keystone Cup Western Canada silver medalists.

Aguasabon River Rats

The Aguasabon River Rats were a Junior "B" ice hockey team based out of Terrace Bay, Ontario. They played out of the North of Superior Junior B Hockey League (NSHL) and the Thunder Bay Junior B Hockey League.

The Hearst Elans were a Canadian Junior ice hockey team from Hearst, Ontario. They played in the North of Superior Junior B Hockey League. In 1998 and 1999 they competed in the Western Canada Junior B Championships, the Keystone Cup, winning Bronze in 1998.

Thunder Bay Northern Hawks

The Thunder Bay Northern Hawks are a Canadian Junior ice hockey team based in Thunder Bay, Ontario. They play in the Lakehead Junior Hockey League, formerly the Thunder Bay Junior B Hockey League.

Eastern Ontario Junior Hockey League

The Eastern Ontario Junior Hockey League is a Junior ice hockey league operating in Eastern Ontario, Canada. The league is sanctioned by Hockey Eastern Ontario and Hockey Canada and acts as a second tier to the Central Canada Hockey League. The 16 member teams of the league compete for the Barkley Cup. Dating back to the 1960s, the league was known until 2015 as the Eastern Ontario Junior B Hockey League. The League was known from 2015 to 2020 as the Central Canada Hockey League Tier 2.

The Thunder Bay Junior A Hockey League (TBJHL) was a Canadian junior ice hockey league that existed from c. 1920 to 1980. The TBJHL operated in Northwestern Ontario, primarily in the Thunder Bay region.

The Northwestern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NWOJHL) was a Canadian Junior ice hockey league in the Northwestern Ontario region of Ontario. The league ran from 1964 until 1970 as members of the Thunder Bay Amateur Hockey Association in direct competition for the Memorial Cup the Grand Championship of Canadian junior hockey.

Thunder Bay Hornets

The Thunder Bay Hornets were a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. At their height, they won two consecutive Bronze Medals at the Western Canadian Junior B Championships - the Keystone Cup and later were in competition for the National Junior A Championship, the Centennial Cup, as members of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League.

Campbell River Storm

The Campbell River Storm are a Junior "B" ice hockey team based in Campbell River, British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the North Division of the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League (VIJHL). The Storm play their home games at Rod Brind'Amour Arena. Lee Stone has been the coach since 2013. They are captained by defenceman Kyle Jennings.

The Thunder Bay Bandits are a Canadian junior B ice hockey team based in Thunder Bay, Ontario. They play in the Lakehead Junior Hockey League eligible to compete for the Keystone Cup Junior B championship of Western Canada.

The 2011–12 NOJHL season is the 34th season of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL). The seven teams of the East and West Divisions will play 50-game schedules.