Quebec Junior AAA Hockey League

The Ligue de Hockey Junior AAA Quebec or Quebec Junior AAA Hockey League is a Hockey Quebec Junior "AAA" ice hockey league and is a member of Hockey Canada and the Canadian Junior Hockey League. The winner of the LHJAAAQ playoffs competes for the Fred Page Cup against the winners of the Central Junior A Hockey League and the Maritime Junior A Hockey League and the host team which is on a three year cycle between the MJAHL, CJHL and LHJAAAQ. The winner of the Fred Page Cup then moves on to compete for the Royal Bank Cup.

History

The Quebec Junior "AAA" Hockey League is an offshoot of the Quebec Junior A Hockey League that lasted from 1972-1982. Founded in 1988, the QJAAAHL has been a rather strong league with 3 Central Canadian Champions (Dudley Hewitt Cup) in its early years: the Longueuil Sieurs in 1990 and the Chateauguay Elites in 1993 and 1994. In 1994-95 they were grouped into the Eastern Canadian region to compete for the Fred Page Cup. The Joliette Nationals won the first ever Fred Page Cup in 1995. To this day, the QJAAAHL has 4 Eastern Canadian title, the others going to the Joliette Action, Lennoxville Cougars, and St. Jerome Panthers. No Quebec team has ever won the National Title despite attending the tournament 7 times since 1988.

In 2002-03, Champlain College Lennoxville got a team to play in the LHJAAAQ - Lennoxville Cougars, based on the campus of College Champlain and Bishops University. The Cougars, who were coached by former NHLer Stéphane Lebeau formed a discipline style of hockey. The method paid off, and Lennoxville captured the Napa Cup as league champions and won the Fred Page Cup. Lennoxville finished the Royal Bank Cup 1-3, the Cougars exited the tournament with a semi-finals loss to the Camrose Kodiaks of the AJHL.

In 2003-04, the CJAHL and the LHJAAAQ saw the St-Eustache Gladiateurs rank #5 overall in Canada. However, the Gladiateurs lost the finals to the Valleyfield Braves in the finals. Because Valleyfield was hosting the Fred Page Cup, the Gladiateurs got a berth in the tournament. Despite that Saint-Eustache held a 2-0, along with Valleyfield, who also held a 2-0 record coming into the pivotal all-LHJAAAQ matchup, which would also decide the winner, who gets a bye to the championship finals. Valleyfield won the tilt 4-0, and Saint-Eustache lost to the Nepean Raiders 3-2 in double-overtime. The Valleyfield Braves would lose the championship game 4-0 to Nepean.

Despite losing the Saint-Félicien Multiconcessionnaire in the summer of 2009. The QJAAAHL has done the opposite of its predecessor, the Quebec Junior A Hockey League. From 1972 until 1982, the QJAHL started big but steadily fell apart. The QJAAAHL, as well, started off big but through picking financially feasible markets and making smart relocations when the times have needed them, the QJAAAHL has maintained its size and success as a Junior A league. The only thing that has eluded the QJAAAHL is the National Championship, the Royal Bank Cup.

The teams

La Coupe NAPA Playoff Champions

For the Eastern Regional playoffs, please go to the Fred Page Cup.

For the National Championship, please go to the 2011 Royal Bank Cup.

• 1989 Les Sieurs de Longueuil
• 1990 Le Collège Français de Longueuil
• 1991 Les Olympiques de Montréal
• 1992 Le National de Joliette
• 1993 Les Élites de Châteauguay
• 1994 Les Élites de Châteauguay
• 1995 Le National de Joliette
• 1996 Les Éperviers de Contrecoeur
• 1997 Collège Français of Longueuil
• 1998 Coaticook Frontaliers
• 1999 Valleyfield Braves
• 2000 Coaticook Frontaliers
• 2001 St. Jérome Panthers
• 2002 Valleyfield Braves
• 2003 Lennoxville Cougars
• 2004 Valleyfield Braves
• 2005 Vaudreuil Mustangs
• 2006 Joliette Action
• 2007 Joliette Action
• 2008 Sherbrooke Cougars
• 2009 Sherbrooke Cougars
• 2010 Terrebonne Cobras
• 2011 Longueuil College Francais

Former member teams

• L'Extreme D'Aylmer
• Les Husky de Cowansville
• Le National de Joliette
• Le Junior de Montreal
• Les Dragons de Saint-Hyacinthe
• Les Chevaliers de St-Jean
• Saint-Félicien Multiconcessionnaire

Timeline of teams in the QJAAAHL

• 1988 - Black Lake Miners play in 1988 Centennial Cup playdowns as Quebec's only Jr. A team
• 1988 - Quebec Provincial Junior Hockey League is officially founded
• 1990 - St. Antoine Rapidos join league
• 1990 - Laval-Bourassa Cobras join league
• 1991 - St. Antoine Rapidos become Louisville Jaguars
• 1991 - Laval-Bourassa Cobras become Montreal-Nord Cobras
• 1991 - Ste-Marie Beaucerons join league
• 1992 - Ste-Marie Beaucerons become Loretteville Riverains
• 1992 - Louisville Jaquars become Saint-Jerome Panthers
• 1994 - Coaticook Frontaliers join league
• 1994 - Valleyfield Elites join league
• 1995 - Lachine Maroons join league
• 1996 - Warwick Titans join league
• 1998 - Quebec Provincial Junior Hockey League becomes Quebec Junior AAA Hockey League
• 1998 - Joliette National cease operations in January 1998
• 1998 - Valleyfield Elites become Valleyfield Braves
• 1999 - Kahnawake Condors join league
• 2000 - Aylmer Extreme join league and fold after the 2000-01 season
• 2002 - Saint-Eustache Gladiateurs join league
• 2002 - Lennoxville Cougars join league
• 2003 - Lennoxville Cougars become College Champlain Cougars
• 2002 - Warwick Titans become College Lefleche Titans
• 2003 - l’Ile Perrot Mustangs join league
• 2003 - La Plaine Cobras become Terrebonne Cobras
• 2004 - St-Lawrence of Quebec Lions join league
• 2004 - l’Ile Perrot Mustangs become Vaudreuil Mustangs
• 2005 - Coaticook Frontaliers become Granby Inouk
• 2006 - Saint-Eustache Gladiateurs become Saint-Eastache Patriotes
• 2005 - Joliette Action join league
• 2007 - St-Lawrence of Quebec Lions become Quebec AssurSports
• 2007 - College Champlain Cougars become Sherbrooke Cougars
• 2008 - Saint-Eustache Patriotes become Sainte-Therese Nordiques
• 2008 - Quebec AssurExperts move and become Thetford Mines Filons
• 2008 - Sainte-Agathe Montagnards join league
• 2008 - College Lefleche Titans become Princeville Titans
• 2008 - Saint-Felicien Multiconcessionnaire fold after three seasons
• 2009 - Sainte-Therese Nordiques become Rousseau-Sports Junior AAA Laval
• 2009 - Joliette Action become Joliette Traffic
• 2010 - Thetford Mines Filons become La Tuque Wolves
• 2010 - Rousseau-Sports Junior AAA Laval become Laval Arctic
• 2011 - Joliette Traffic become Montreal-Est Rangers
• 2011 - Laval Arctic become St. Leonard Arctic

References

External links

• LHJAAAQ website