OHL

ONTARIO HOCKEY LEAGUE (OHL) 1896 - Present

Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) Junior (1896-1934)

Junior hockey in Ontario has a long and storied history. Out of its modest beginnings at the turn of the century, junior hockey quickly grew into an organized and entertaining brand of hockey. The end of WWI marked the beginning of the Memorial Cup, the symbol of junior hockey supremacy in Canada. Teams from all across the province participated in provincial play downs in the hope of representing Eastern Canada in the Memorial Cup finals. As each year passed, the number of communities participating in junior hockey grew and the calibre of play widened.

OHA Junior 'A' (1934-1972)

In 1934, junior hockey was effectively split into 'A' and 'B' divisions with the 'A' level teams competing for the Memorial Cup while the 'B' level teams competed for the Sutherland Cup, which is still Ontario's Jr. B championship trophy. The 1930's gave birth to noted teams such as the Oshawa Generals, St. Michaels Majors and the Toronto Marlboros. Other notable teams of that era where the Young Rangers, Toronto Native Sons, and the Stratford Midgets.

The 1940's welcomed new communities to the limelight such as the Barrie Flyers, Guelph Biltmores, Stratford Kroehlers and the St. Catharines TeePees. The first version of the Windsor Spitfires also appeared in the 1940's only to fade away in the early 50's.

The 1950's saw other cities join in. The Kitchener Greenshirts entered the league only to move on to become the Peterborough Petes. Hamilton also joined as the Tiger-Cubs (later Red Wings). The 1950's also saw inter-league play with Quebec based teams.

The 1960's saw change. Travel became an issue for teams as the league grew (in particular, Toronto St. Mikes). To deal with the travel, the league effectively split into a metro Toronto league and a league for the rest of the province. While the Metro Jr. A League did have notable teams such as St. Mikes, Marlboros and Generals; it also had some less notable teams such as the Brampton 7ups, Unionville Seaforths and Knob Hill Farms. The division lasted just 2 seasons and a new unified Junior A league emerged. Unfortunately, this meant the end of St. Michaels. However, new chapters were opened. Joining the league were the Montreal Jr. Canadiens, Kitchener Rangers, St. Catharines Black Hawks, Niagara Falls Flyers, London Nationals (later Knights) and the Ottawa 67's.

OHA Major Junior 'A' (1972 - 1981)

The 1970's ushered in more change. Junior A hockey split again into Tier I and Tier II. The only Tier I league in the province became known as the OHA Major Jr. A. Its winner represented the Ontario in a round robin Memorial Cup with a team from the West and another team from Quebec. Communities such as Sudbury (transfer from Niagara Falls) and SSM that had been part of the NOHA prior to the Tier I/Tier II split, joined the Major Jr. A ranks to remain part of the Memorial Cup hunt. The 70's also saw the Kingston Canadians join the league and the rebirth of the Windsor Spitfires.

Ontario Hockey League (1981 - Present)

In 1981, the league was renamed the OHL. The league added the Guelph Platers and Belleville Bulls and welcomed the Cornwall Royals from the QMJHL. North Bay took in the second version of the NF Flyers. Franchises also recycled through Brantford and Hamilton. The end of the decade saw the end of another storied team, the Toronto Marlboros as they relocated to become the Hamilton Dukes. It also saw the end of the Kingston Canadians as they were renamed the Raiders only to become the Frontenacs the following year.

The 1990's saw the league expand into the US. The first franchise the expansion Detroit Ambassadors (later Jr. Red Wings and Plymouth Whalers) and the second the Erie Otters. The Otters could trace their heritage back to the Hamilton Tiger Cubs of 1953. Newmarket also briefly had the Royals before moving on to become the Sarnia Sting. The Dukes became the Guelph Storm; filling the void left when the Platers relocated to Owen Sound. Barrie rejoined the league in 1995 with the Colts and the Toronto St. Micheals Majors also rejoined the league in 1997 after a 34-year absence. The league continued to expand with 2 new teams in 1998; Don Cherry's Mississauga Ice Dogs and the Brampton Battalion.