Canadian Premier Junior Hockey League
Current season or competition: 2016–17 CPJHL season | |
 | |
| Region(s) | Ontario |
|---|---|
| Commissioner | Bryan Elliott |
| Founded | 2016 |
| No. of teams | 10 |
| Recent Champions | Almonte Jr. Sharpshooters (2016–17) |
| Headquarters | Port Colborne, Ontario |
| Website | CPJHL.com |
The Canadian Premier Junior Hockey League (CPJHL) is a Canadian-based junior ice hockey league based in Ontario. The CPJHL is sanctioned by the United Hockey Union, the junior hockey branch of the Amateur Athletic Union.[1]
History
The CPJHL was announced in the spring of 2016. Originally, eleven teams were divided into two divisions[2] and scheduled to begin play in September. The league plans to feature a 48-game schedule concluding in March and include an all-star game, college showcase event, and a league playoff.
The league gained sanctioning by the United Hockey Union (UHU) in June 2016.[3][4] Before the league's first season would start, several of the announced teams had some further organizational changes. Burk's Falls was initially introduced as the Warriors, but an ownership change saw the team renamed the Bruins. The Almonte Jr. Sharpshooters were initially announced as the Ottawa Sharpshooters before making Almonte Community Center the home for the junior club. The Sharpshooters also included a U-18 team that compete in the National College Prospects Hockey League, another UHU league.
On September 16, the day the first games were set to take place, the league announced that the Akwesasne Chiefs and Coldwater Falcons would not play in the first season due to lack of players on each team.[5] After delaying the Burk's Falls Bruins first game by two weeks, the Bruins still struggled to roster enough players and the club delayed their entry to the league.[6]
After the inaugural season, the league removed the Almonte Jr. Sharpshooters and O-Town Rebels.[7] Soon after, the league began announcing further changes with expansion teams the Bracebridge Pioneers, Coldwater Ice Wolves, Creemore Barley Kings, and the Peel Region WYMIA Royals. The Glengarry Highlanders and Norwood Nemesis also relocated and became the Smiths Falls Settlers and the Cobourg Galaxy, respectively. The Barley Kings were removed later in the offseason.
Teams
| Team | Location | Arena |
|---|---|---|
| Bracebridge Pioneers | Bracebridge, Ontario | Bracebridge Memorial Arena |
| Cobourg Galaxy | Baltimore, Ontario | Baltimore Recreation Centre |
| Coldwater Ice Wolves | Coldwater, Ontario | Coldwater Community Centre |
| Essa Stallions | Angus, Ontario | Angus Recreation Centre |
| Grey Highlands Hawks | Markdale, Ontario | Markdale Public Arena |
| Madawaska Valley Falcons | Barry's Bay, Ontario | Paul J Yakabuski Community Centre |
| Muskoka Wild | Port Carling, Ontario | Port Carling Arena |
| Peel Region WYMIA Royals | Mississauga/Milton, Ontario | |
| Seaforth Generals | Seaforth, Ontario | Seaforth & District Community Centre |
| Smiths Falls Settlers | Smiths Falls, Ontario | Smiths Falls Memorial Community Centre |
Former teams
- Akwesasne Chiefs – Announced team for the 2016–17 season; ceased operations.[8]
- Almonte Jr. Sharpshooters – Played the 2016–17 season, winning the inaugural championship; removed by the league at the end of the season. The organization joined the National College Prospects Hockey League.
- Burk's Falls Bruins – Folded two weeks into the 2016–17 season without playing a game.
- Coldwater Falcons – Announced team for the 2016–17 season; went on hiatus.
- Creemore Barley Kings – Announced for the 2017–18 season but removed from the league in early July.
- Glengarry Highlanders – Founding members of CPJHL 2016–17. Relocated and rebranded as Smiths Falls Settlers for 2017–18.
- Norwood Nemesis – Played the 2016–17 season in Norwood. Team relocated and rebranded as Cobourg Galaxy for 2017–18.
- O-Town Rebels – Played the 2016–17 season; membership revoked by the league.
Regular season champions
| Season | West Division | Record | Pts | East Division | Record | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016–17 | Muskoka Wild | 35-7-3-3 | 76 | Almonte Jr. Sharpshooters | 34-8-1-2 | 71 |
Playoff champions
| Season | Playoff Champions | Playoff Finalist | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016–17 | Almonte Jr. Sharpshooters | Muskoka Wild | 4–3 (OT)[9] |
References
- ↑ "The New Kid on the Block: Canadian Premier Junior Hockey League". OHL Writers. 21 March 2016.
- ↑ "CPJHL Add Akwesasne Chiefs To East Division". Junior Hockey News. 10 May 2016.
- ↑ "CPJHL: New junior league". Cornwall Standard Freeholder. 20 June 2016.
- ↑ "New junior hockey team will hit the ice in Norwood". Inside Belleville. 12 July 2016.
- ↑ "CPJHL League Update". Junior Hockey News. 19 September 2016.
- ↑ "Burk's Falls team hangs up skates before first game". Almaguin-North Bay Nipissing News. 28 September 2016.
- ↑ "CPJHL removes teams". CPJHL Twitter account. 27 March 2017.
- ↑ "Chiefs cease operations". Cornwall Standard-Freeholder. 20 September 2016.
- ↑ "Muskoka Wild fall short in OT Thriller as Almonte Sharpshooters win the Championship". Muskoka 411. 20 March 2017.