Central Canada Hockey League facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Central Canada Hockey League

Region(s)	Eastern Ontario
Commissioner	Sean Marcellus
Former name(s)	list Ottawa-Hull & District Junior Hockey League (1961–1964) Central Junior "A" Hockey League (1964–2009) Central Junior Hockey League (2009–2010) Central Hockey League (2010–2011) Central Canada Hockey League (2011–present)
Founded	1961; 64 years ago (1961)
No. of teams	12
Associated Title(s)	Trophy list Fred Page Cup (Eastern Championship) Centennial Cup (National Championship) Dudley Hewitt Cup (Central Championship) George Richardson Memorial Trophy (Eastern Championship) Memorial Cup (National Championship)
Recent Champions	Navan Grads (1st) (2023-2024)
Most successful club	Pembroke Lumber Kings (14)
Headquarters	Richcraft Sensplex 813 Shefford Rd. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Website	CCHL

The Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL) is a Canadian Junior "A" ice hockey league. It operates in eastern Ontario, Canada. This league is approved by Hockey Eastern Ontario and Hockey Canada. It is also part of the Canadian Junior Hockey League. The team that wins the CCHL playoffs gets to compete for the Fred Page Cup. This is the championship for the Eastern Region. They play against winners from Quebec and the Maritimes. The winner of the Fred Page Cup then moves on to compete for the national Centennial Cup.

History of the CCHL

How the League Started

The league began in 1961. It was first called the Ottawa-Hull District Junior Hockey League. The Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL) helped start it. They wanted to create a better program for young hockey players. Famous NHL stars like Steve Yzerman and Larry Robinson played in this league. Today, two divisions are named after them.

In the early days, players in the league were automatically linked to the Montreal Canadiens. They had to sign a contract that meant they couldn't sign with other NHL teams. The Canadiens also wanted the league to focus on developing young talent. So, teams could only have a few older players (19-year-olds and 18-year-olds). Most players had to be 17 or younger. This rule made some older players upset, but the league became very popular. In 1963, the Chicago Blackhawks-sponsored Brockville Braves joined the league. The league changed its name to the Central Junior A Hockey League (CJHL) for the 1964–65 season.

Changes and Growth

In 1966, players from the Hawkesbury Braves went on strike. Replacement players were brought in for a game against the Cornwall Royals. The Royals won 43–0, which is still the biggest win in league history. The Cornwall Royals were very strong. They tried to join bigger leagues like the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). They were accepted into the QMJHL in 1969. Later, in 1973, the Hull Festivals also moved to the QMJHL. In 1975, the Canadian Hockey Association said the league had to allow 20-year-old players. This matched what other leagues were doing.

In 1976, Bryan Murray coached the Rockland Nationals. His team won the league championship and then the national Junior A Championship, the Centennial Cup. However, the team faced financial problems after their big win and had to stop playing. The Rockland Nationals later returned in a different league.

After 20-year-olds were allowed, some teams tried to "buy" championships. They would sign former Major Junior players. This made the league seem more aggressive. Fan numbers went down, and by 1984, only five teams were left. These teams were almost out of money. New owners took over and made new rules. They limited the number of 20-year-olds and stopped paying players. These changes worked, and the league became successful again. The league also asked for a new system to help teams earn more money. They wanted longer regular seasons and shorter national playoffs. This meant more home games and less travel costs for teams.

The league started to do very well. By the early 1990s, it had more than doubled in size. Teams that had left came back. The league even added its first American team, the Massena Americans. When the Cornwall Royals moved to the OHL, the Massena Americans moved to Cornwall. They became the Cornwall Colts, helping to fill the hockey gap in the city.

In 1995, the Gloucester Rangers hosted the last Centennial Cup tournament before it became the Royal Bank Cup. The Rangers had future NHL stars like Mathieu Dandenault and Robert Esche. They almost won the final but lost in overtime.

In 2004–05, more fans came to CJHL games because of the NHL lockout. All teams saw their attendance double. In 2007, the Kemptville 73's joined the CJHL as the 11th team. They had played in a lower league before. In 2008, the Cornwall Colts hosted the Centennial/Royal Bank Cup tournament. They reached the semi-finals. In 2009, the Carleton Place Canadians became the league's 12th team. Also in 2009, the league dropped the "A" from its name, becoming the Central Junior Hockey League.

In 2010, the Pembroke Lumber Kings made history by winning four championships in a row. This was a record for the league. On April 26, 2010, the league changed its name to the Central Hockey League. However, another professional league already had that name. So, in January 2011, the league changed its name again to the Central Canada Hockey League.

On May 8, 2011, the Pembroke Lumber Kings won the CCHL's second national title. They beat the BCHL's Vernon Vipers 2–0 in the 2011 Royal Bank Cup final. This happened during the league's 50th anniversary season.

Recent Developments

Before the 2014–15 season, the CCHL adopted a new overtime format. If a game is tied after the third period, teams get one point. They play a 7-minute overtime. The first 3 minutes are 4-on-4, then it changes to 3-on-3. If no one scores, there's a shootout. The first team to score in overtime gets an extra point.

In the 2015–16 season, the CCHL made a big change to help player development. The Eastern Ontario Junior B Hockey League became directly linked to the CCHL. This means players can easily move between the two leagues. The EOJBHL was also renamed the Central Canada Hockey League Tier 2. This development plan also includes younger midget (under 18) teams.

In 2016, the Gloucester Rangers team was sold. They moved to Rockland, Ontario, for the 2017–18 season and became the Rockland Nationals. This brought Junior A hockey back to Rockland for the first time since 1977.

Teams

Regular Season Champions

Art Bogart Cup Champions

Note: League champion is bolded

Regional Championships

Centennial Cup/Royal Bank Cup Championships

Former Member Teams

• Arnprior Packers – left to join Ottawa Valley Junior Hockey League after the 1966–67 season
• Arnprior Legion
• Arnprior Rams
• Brockville Ramblers
• Buckingham Beavers
• Cornwall Royals – left to join the new Quebec Major Junior Hockey League after the 1968–69 season
• Eastview Astros – folded after 1968–69 season
• Eastview Primrose
• Gatineau Actionaires
• Hawkesbury Royals
• Gloucester Rangers - Franchise known as Orleans Blues from 2005 to 2008, and Gloucester Rangers from 1973 to 2005 and 2008-2017
• Hull Castors
• Hull Éperviers
• Hull-Volant
• Hull Festivals – left to join Quebec Major Junior Hockey League after 1972–73 season
• Kanata Lasers - relocated to Renfrew after the 2019-20 season
• Ottawa Capitals
• Ottawa Metros
• Ottawa Montagnards
• Pembroke C and A's
• Pembroke Ironmen
• Pembroke Royals – played during the 1979–80 season, while the Pembroke Lumber Kings were suspended
• Rockland Nationals – folded after 1976–77 season
• Thurso Lions

Notable Alumni

These are some famous players who have played in the CCHL and later in the NHL:

League Records

• Best record: 2013-14 Carleton Place Canadians (54–6–0-2)
• Worst record: 1987–88 Smiths Falls Bears (4–52–0)
• Most Wins in a Season: 2013–14 Carleton Place Canadians (54)
• Most Points in a Season: Carleton Place Canadians (110) - 2013-14 & 2017-18
• Most Consecutive Wins: 2009–10 Brockville Braves (26)
• Largest margin of victory: Cornwall Royals 43 – Hawkesbury Braves 0 in February 1966
• Most goals, one season: Luc Chabot (101) – 1985–86 Pembroke Lumber Kings
• Most assists, one season: Peter White (136) – 1987–88 Pembroke Lumber Kings
• Most points, one season: Peter White (226) – 1987–88 Pembroke Lumber Kings
• Most penalty minutes, one season: Frank Manson (416) – 1992–93 Ottawa Senators
• Most goals, career: Luc Chabot (255) – Pembroke Lumber Kings
• Most assists, career: George Dupont (332) – Nepean Raiders/Pembroke Lumber Kings
• Most points, career: Luc Chabot (490) – Pembroke Lumber Kings
• Most penalty minutes, career: Travis Albers (942) – Nepean/Cornwall/Kanata/Brockville
• Most minutes played, one season: Francis Marotte (3220.16) – 2015-16 Nepean Raiders
• Most wins, one season: Pete Karvouniaris (40) – 2010-11 Cornwall Colts
• Lowest goals against average, one season: Devon Levi (1.47) – 2019-20 Carleton Place Canadians
• Highest percentage, one season: Devon Levi (0.941) – 2019-20 Carleton Place Canadians
• Most shutouts, one season: Henry Johnson (9) – 2015-16 Brockville Braves
• Most minutes played, career: Mark Byrne (11,143) – Nepean Raiders
• Most wins, career: Grant Robb (87) – Pembroke Lumber Kings

Timeline of Teams in the CCHL

• 1963 – Brockville Braves join league and are sponsored by the Chicago Blackhawks
• 1968 – Eastview Astros join league and fold after one season
• 1972 – Hull Hawks and Cornwall Royals leave league to join Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
• 1972 – Nepean Raiders join league
• 1973 – Ottawa M.&W. Rangers become Gloucester Rangers
• 1974 – Hawkesbury Hawks join league
• 1976 – Smiths Falls Bears leave league
• 1977 – Rockland Nationals leave league
• 1979 – Pembroke Lumber Kings are expelled from the league for failing to remain in good standing.
• 1979 – Pembroke Royals play their first and only season in 1979–80
• 1980 – Pembroke Lumber Kings reapply for a franchise and are accepted into the league.
• 1987 – Kanata Valley Lasers join league
• 1987 – Smiths Falls Bears rejoin league
• 1988 – Massena Turbines join league
• 1990 – Massena Turbines become Massena Americans
• 1991 – Cumberland Grads join league from Eastern Ontario Junior B Hockey League
• 1992 – Massena Americans relocated to Cornwall to become the Cornwall Colts to fill in the void for the Cornwall Royals, who moved to Newmarket
• 1992 – Ottawa Senators become Ottawa Jr. Senators because of the NHL expansion team Ottawa Senators
• 2000 – Smiths Falls Bears relocate to Perth, Ontario and become the Lanark Thunder
• 2002 – Kanata Valley Lasers become Kanata Stallions
• 2002 – Lanark Thunder suspends operations and team is returned to Smiths Falls as the Smiths Falls Bears
• 2005 – Gloucester Rangers become the Orleans Blues
• 2007 – Kemptville 73's join league from Eastern Ontario Junior B Hockey League
• 2008 – Orleans Blues become Gloucester Rangers after league refuses permit to move team to Orleans
• 2009 – Carleton Place Jr. A Canadians join league from Eastern Ontario Junior B Hockey League
• 2014 – Kanata Stallions become Kanata Lasers mid-season
• 2017 - Gloucester Rangers relocate to Rockland and become Rockland Nationals
• 2021 - Kanata Lasers relocate to Renfrew and become the Renfrew Wolves