Central Canada Hockey League facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Central Canada Hockey League
Ligue de hockey du Canada centrale

Sport	Ice hockey
Founded	1961
No. of teams	12
Countries	Canada
Headquarters	Richcraft Sensplex 813 Shefford Road Ottawa, Ontario
Continent	North America
Most recent champion(s)	Rockland Nationals (5th title) (2024–25)
Most titles	Pembroke Lumber Kings (14 titles)
Streaming partner(s)	FloSports
Official website	CCHL

The Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL) is a top-level Junior A ice hockey league in Canada. It has 12 teams, all located around the National Capital Region in Ontario. The CCHL is known as one of Canada's most successful Junior A leagues.

Junior A hockey is for players aged 16 to 20 who want to develop their skills. They hope to play in higher leagues like university hockey or even professional leagues. The CCHL is a member of the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL). It is also approved by Hockey Eastern Ontario and Hockey Canada, which are big hockey organizations.

At the end of each season, the league playoff champion wins the Bogart Cup. This is the oldest junior ice hockey trophy in Canada. The CCHL champion also gets to compete for the national Centennial Cup. This tournament decides the best Junior A team in all of Canada. The CCHL's main office is in Ottawa, Ontario.

The CCHL season usually runs from September to March. Each team plays 55 games. After the regular season, the top 8 teams play in the Bogart Cup playoffs. This is a three-round tournament that ends in May. The Pembroke Lumber Kings have won the most CCHL titles with 14 wins. They even won five in a row from 2006–07 to 2010–11. The Rockland Nationals are the current champions, winning the 2025 Bogart Cup Finals.

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 famous National Hockey League (NHL) team, the Montreal Canadiens, helped start it. They wanted to create a better way for young players to develop their skills.

In the early days, players in the league were automatically part of the Montreal Canadiens. This meant they could not sign with other NHL teams. The Canadiens also wanted the league to focus on developing young talent. So, they limited how many older players each team could have. Even though some older players were upset, the league became very popular.

Early Changes and Challenges

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.

In 1966, players from the Hawkesbury Braves went on strike. Replacement players had to play 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 the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) but were not accepted. They then joined the new Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) in 1969. Another team, the Hull Festivals, also moved to the QMJHL in 1973.

In 1975, the Canadian Hockey Association said the league had to allow 20-year-old players. This matched what other leagues were doing.

Winning a National Title

In 1976, Bryan Murray became the coach of the Rockland Nationals. Under his leadership, the Nationals won the league championship. They then went on to win the Junior A National Championship, the Centennial Cup. However, the team ran out of money after their big win and had to stop playing. The Nationals team has since returned to the league.

League Improvements and Growth

After allowing 20-year-olds, some teams tried to "buy" championships by getting players from higher leagues. This made the league seem more violent, and fewer fans came to games. By 1984, only 5 teams were left, and they were almost out of money.

New owners took over and made important changes. They limited how many 20-year-olds could play. They also stopped teams from paying players. These new rules helped the league become successful again. The league also asked for a new system with longer regular seasons. This meant more home games and more money for the teams.

The league started to grow again in the early 1990s. Many teams that had stopped playing came back. The league even added its first team from the United States, the Massena Americans. When the Cornwall Royals moved to the OHL, the Massena Americans moved to Cornwall and became the Cornwall Colts. This helped fill the hockey gap in the city.

Recent History and Milestones

The Gloucester Rangers hosted the last Centennial Cup tournament in 1995 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 2007, the Kemptville 73's joined the CCHL. In 2009, the Carleton Place Canadians also joined. In 2010, the league changed its name to the Central Hockey League. Then, in January 2011, it changed 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 in Camrose, Alberta. This was a great way to celebrate the league's 50th anniversary!

Before the 2014–15 season, the CCHL changed its overtime rules to be more like the American Hockey League. If a game is tied after regular time, teams play 7 minutes of overtime. It starts with 4 players on each side, then changes to 3 players on each side after 3 minutes. If it's still tied, there's a shootout to decide the winner.

In 2015–16, the CCHL made a big change to help players develop. The Eastern Ontario Junior B Hockey League became directly linked to the CCHL. It was renamed the Central Canada Hockey League Tier 2. This helps players move between the leagues more easily. In 2016, the Gloucester Rangers team moved to Rockland, Ontario and became the Rockland Nationals.

CCHL Teams

League Champions and Awards

Regular Season Winners

Playoff Champions