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51-827: The New Hamburg Firebirds are a Junior ice hockey team based in New Hamburg , Ontario , Canada. They are members of the Provincial Junior Hockey League of the Ontario Hockey Association . The Hahns started out in the Interbrew Junior "C" Hockey League, and later joined the Central Junior C Hockey League . They made the jump up to the Midwestern Junior B Hockey League in 1977 and stayed there until 1982 when they returned to Junior "C" in

102-584: A director with the Czech Ice Hockey Association , felt that Junior-aged players were enticed to play in North America before maturation, with a negative effect on the development of the player and the European system. He stated that of the 527 Czech Republic players who went to North American Junior hockey, only 22 of them played more than 400 NHL games. He sought to establish a European system that

153-434: A history of sexual misconduct cases raised against Hockey Canada, and that the organization had spent C$ 7.6 million out of a "National Equity Fund"—funded with player registration fees—to help pay out settlements in 21 sexual misconduct cases since 1989. Amid calls for leadership changes at Hockey Canada, Smith and the entire board of directors resigned on October 11, 2022. Hockey Canada determines if an underage player

204-692: A professional team, and are used by professional teams to develop their own prospects. One example of this is the J20 SuperElit league in Sweden or the Minor Hockey League in Russia . The lack of an amateur draft in Europe means that the onus is on the teams to sign the most talented young players they can get, and the presence of an affiliated junior team provides a place for young players who are not yet ready for

255-629: A significant concentration of teams in the central and southwestern parts of the United States, although the league began to expand to east coast as of 2015. In October 2016, the Tier III United States Premier Hockey League , a league predominately located on the east coast, applied to USA Hockey for approval of a Tier II league to begin in the 2017–18 season, however, the league was denied that December and decided to operate its Tier II league independently. The NAHL, like

306-799: Is currently the only Tier I league in the country, consisting of teams in the central and midwestern United States. The USHL provides an alternative to the Canadian Hockey League, which pays its major junior hockey players a stipend, for players who wish to maintain NCAA eligibility for later in their career. While playing in the USHL, all player expenses are paid for by the team; no membership or equipment fees are charged. Unlike major junior teams, free-college stipend does not exist. Historically, professional leagues have drafted less directly from USHL teams, although this trend has shifted in recent years, coinciding with

357-520: Is eligible for "exceptional status". Exceptional player status allows skilled, underage hockey players to enter the major junior circuit early. Since 2005, eight players have been granted exceptional status: John Tavares , Aaron Ekblad , Sean Day , Connor McDavid , Joseph Veleno , Shane Wright , Connor Bedard and Michael Misa . Seven have gone number one in their respective major junior drafts while four players have been selected first overall in their respective NHL drafts. Katherine Henderson

408-640: The 1948 Winter Olympics , so the CAHA sent the RCAF Flyers instead and were victorious. At the 1952 Winter Olympics , the Edmonton Mercuries won their nation's last Olympic gold until 2002. In 1961, the Trail Smoke Eaters won Canada's 19th and last world championship for 33 years at the 1961 World Ice Hockey Championships . In 1964, Father David Bauer formed Canada's national team in response to

459-920: The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) : The championship teams from each league, as well as a pre-selected host team, compete for the Memorial Cup in a round-robin tournament to determine a national champion. Major Junior players were historically deemed ineligible to play college hockey in the United States , because they were considered to be professionals by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Major Junior players retain their eligibility for Canadian universities however, and all three leagues have scholarship programs for players. The NCAA changed its position and decided that CHL players were no longer ineligible as of

510-614: The Canadian Hockey League , U Sports (formerly known as Canadian Interuniversity Sport), and Canada's professional hockey clubs; the former two are partnered with Hockey Canada but are not member organizations. Hockey Canada is based in Calgary , with a secondary office in Ottawa and regional centres in Toronto , Winnipeg and Montreal . The Canadian Amateur Hockey Association was founded on December 4, 1914, when 21 delegates from across Canada met at

561-645: The Canadian Major Junior Hockey League . With the creation of the CMJHL, the three league began initiating compensation talks with the NHL and WHA without CAHA input. In 1980, the CMJHL separated from the CAHA, only staying loosely affiliated with the national body. With the separation of the CMJHL, Tier II was promoted to simply Junior A, although the Tier II title still persists in hockey vernacular. To this day,

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612-578: The Chateau Laurier in Ottawa . The organization was made to oversee the amateur level of the sport at the national level. The Allan Cup , originally donated in 1908 by Sir H. Montagu Allan , was selected as the championship of amateur hockey in Canada. William Northey , the trustee of the Allan Cup, was named the first ever chairman, while Dr. W. F. Taylor was named the inaugural president. The Memorial Cup

663-597: The Clarence Schmalz Cup which was first awarded in 1938. The Ontario Junior C playoffs are played for between six of the Province's seven different regional leagues. In Quebec and West of Manitoba, Junior C hockey tends to be an extension of the local minor hockey system and is sometimes called Juvenile or House League. In Ontario, Manitoba, and the Maritimes, Junior C is run independently of minor hockey systems, though with

714-788: The Coupe Dodge in Quebec , the Don Johnson Cup in the Atlantic Provinces , and the Keystone Cup that represents all of Western Canada, from British Columbia to Northwestern Ontario . Junior C (Junior A in Québec ) generally consists of local competitions, but is considered competitive in some regions, and serve as seeding or farm-teams for Junior B teams. Ontario Junior C Hockey has six rounds of best-of-seven playoffs (up to 42 games per team) for

765-661: The Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League has operated as an independent league in Ontario, Quebec, and Alberta. The league widely recruits players from outside of North America. In late 2016, the United States Premier Hockey League , an organization composed of several USA Hockey Tier III Junior as well as many youth hockey leagues, applied for a Tier II league. The Tier II status was denied in December 2016 but

816-626: The Manitoba Centennial Cup , donated by the Manitoba Amateur Hockey Association (See: Canadian Junior Hockey League ). Also in 1970, Canada pulled out of IIHF competition and would not return to the fold until 1977 in protest of the IIHF's soft stance on Soviet and Czechoslovakian teams using "professional amateurs" in international competition but not allowing professional players to compete for Canada. In 1972, Canada and

867-498: The North American 3 Hockey League Some Junior ice hockey leagues operate outside the framework of governing bodies such as Hockey Canada and USA Hockey , typically due to disagreements with governing bodies over player recruitment policies and finances. These leagues are sometimes referred to as 'unsanctioned', 'rogue' or 'outlaw' leagues due to their lack of sanctioning or oversight from an outside governing body. Since 2006,

918-597: The US . In 2023, the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) withdrew from the Hockey Canada framework, and thus became an independent league. In response, BC Hockey announced plans to restructure its Junior framework, which included an opportunity for some Junior B teams (styled "Junior A Tier 2" by BC Hockey) to be promoted to Junior A (styled "Junior A Tier 1" by BC Hockey) and eventually seek membership with

969-463: The 2025–26 season. The decision was made after a class action was filed on behalf of a player who was declared ineligible after having played two exhibition games in the OHL when he was 16 years old. The CHL places a cap of three 20-year-old players per team, and allows up to four 16-year-olds on each roster. While 15-year-old players were formerly permitted to play a limited number of games per season at

1020-478: The Abby Hoffman Cup. Team Canada's men's and women's teams won gold in both the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics, hosted by Vancouver and Sochi respectively. Tom Renney retired as chief executive officer of Hockey Canada on July 1, 2022, and was succeeded by Scott Smith who also served as president. In June 2022, a scandal emerged over Hockey Canada's handling of sexual assault allegations surrounding

1071-617: The CAHA as a member. In 1968, the Hockey Canada organization was founded to oversee Canada's national teams. In 1970, the CAHA's 13 Junior A league were divided into two tiers. Tier I, the Western Canada Junior Hockey League , the Ontario Hockey Association , and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League , were eligible to compete for the Memorial Cup . The ten leagues of Tier II, would compete for

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1122-645: The CAHA, the National Hockey League and the Amateur Hockey Association of the United States made an agreement that no player under the age of 18 could be signed as a professional player without the permission of their amateur club. That same year, the International Ice Hockey Federation changed the rules on amateur status. The rule change means the 1948 Allan Cup champion Royal Montreal Hockey Club were not eligible for

1173-582: The CHL level, they are now permitted to play only if they are deemed exceptional by Hockey Canada . As of 2024 , nine players have qualified under this rule: centre John Tavares in 2005, defenceman Aaron Ekblad in 2011, centre Connor McDavid in 2012, defenceman Sean Day in 2013, centre Joe Veleno in 2015, centre Shane Wright in 2019, forward Connor Bedard in 2020, forward Michael Misa in 2022, and defenceman Landon DuPont in 2024. CHL teams are currently permitted two "imports" (players from outside Canada and

1224-732: The CJHL. The league expected the evaluations to be completed during the 2024–25 season. Junior B (Junior AA in Québec ; Tier 2 in British Columbia ) was created in 1933, to differentiate between teams eligible for Memorial Cup competition and those who were not. The major championships across Canada are the Sutherland Cup in Southern Ontario , the Barkley Cup in the Ottawa District ,

1275-731: The CMJHL (now Canadian Hockey League ) releases its players to Hockey Canada to play at the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships . In 1983, the first Abby Hoffman Cup was awarded to the Burlington Ladies as the Canadian national senior champions of women's hockey. In 1990, the forerunner to the Canadian Junior Hockey League was created as an umbrella organization, within the CAHA, to oversee Junior A hockey. The Canada women's national ice hockey team

1326-879: The Doherty Division and were aligned in the Southern Conference with the Bloomfield division. Junior hockey There are four levels of Junior hockey in the Canadian Club System: 1. Major Junior, 2. Junior A, 3. Junior B, and 4. Junior C. Not all teams playing in Canadian Junior leagues are based in Canada . As of 2024 , there were approximately twelve US-based teams playing in various Major Junior and Junior A leagues in Canada. In 2023, BC Hockey announced plans to restructure its Junior framework following

1377-578: The Hockey Canada fold, and Mark Aubry was named the Chief Medical Officer of Hockey Canada. In 2006, the Canadian women won gold at the 2006 Olympics and the sledge team conquered gold at the 2006 Winter Paralympics . The Clarkson Cup , donated by the Governor General of Canada Adrienne Clarkson , was created in 2006, and was first awarded in 2009 to the Canadian national senior champions of women's hockey. The Clarkson Cup replaced

1428-582: The Junior A British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) withdrew its membership with Hockey Canada and became an independent league. In 2024, the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League (VIJHL) announced that it would also withdraw from the Hockey Canada framework and become an independent farm league for the BCHL beginning in the 2024–25 season. In Europe, Junior teams are usually associated with

1479-835: The NJCHL. While in the Central Jr. C league (now known as the Western Jr. C league), the Hahns won two Clarence Schmalz Cups as All-Ontario champions - 1963 and 1967. After some uncertainty in the Summer of 2013, the Firebirds ended up in the new Midwestern Junior C Hockey League . In 2016 the eight Junior 'C' hockey leagues in Southern Ontario amalgamated under one banner as the Provincial Junior Hockey League . The Midwestern Junior C Hockey League became

1530-514: The Olympics and created a women's event at the games. That same year, Hockey North became the 13th branch of Hockey Canada. The Canadian men and women won gold at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City . The Canadian men win their first gold medal in fifty years, while the women win their first in two tries. In 2004, the Canada men's national ice sledge hockey team was welcomed into

1581-828: The Soviet Union competed in the 1972 Summit Series . Canada's team was composed of NHL stars, while the Soviet players were from the Red Army. The NHLers won the series 4-3-1. Two years later, the World Hockey Association represented Canada and lost the series 1-4-3. In 1976, the Canada Cup was formed as a best-on-best championship. In 1974, the Nova Scotia Amateur Hockey Association and Prince Edward Island Amateur Hockey Association are formed out of

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1632-520: The Tier III level pay a fee or tuition, commonly ranging from $ 4,000 to $ 9,500. This is for all accounts and purposes an amateur level, although some players go directly to NCAA Division I schools. Most Tier III players are looking to increase their skills in hopes to move up to Tier II or I, while other players go directly to NCAA Division III , ACHA and CHF schools. Prior to July 2011, USA Hockey split Tier III into Junior A and B divisions. USA Hockey currently has one sanctioned Tier III league,

1683-433: The US) each. Up until 1970, the leagues that were classified as Major Junior and "Junior A" today were both part of Junior A. In 1970 they were divided into "Tier I Junior A" or "Major Junior A" and "Tier II Junior A". In 1980, the three Major Junior A leagues opted for self-control over being controlled by the branches of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) and became Major Junior hockey, Tier II Junior A became

1734-449: The USHL, provides young players an alternative to major junior hockey, although the skill level is considered significantly lower than major junior hockey and typically filled with those who would not or did not make the roster of a Tier I team. Unlike Tier I, the NAHL does not pay for all players' expenses, such as room and board, but there is no tuition cost to the player as in Tier III. In addition to paying for room and board, players at

1785-412: The USNTDP moving to the USHL in 2009-10. In the 2019 NHL Entry Draft , 17 of the 44 players drafted out of the USHL played for the USNTDP. Those 44 draft picks were 16 more than any of the three leagues in the Canadian Hockey League, and included 9 first round picks (8 of which came from the USNTDP) and 7 second round picks. For most of its existence the USHL was considered inferior in quality of play to

1836-422: The USPHL moved forward with the new league anyway, creating the National Collegiate Development Conference. In response, the USPHL has removed all their junior level leagues (the NCDC and the Tier III-level Premier and Elite Divisions) from USA Hockey sanctioning since the 2017–18 season. In 2022, the Eastern Hockey League , which was operating two Tier III leagues, also left USA Hockey sanctioning. In 2023,

1887-557: The WCDM, junior leagues will adopt most of the Western Hockey League rulebook, excluding some sections, and restrictions on 15-year-old affiliate players in the Western Hockey League will be loosened. Players that will be 18-years of age or older in the calendar year will be allowed to choose whether to use full-face protection or half-face protection, whilst younger players will be required to use full-face protection. List of Canadian Amateur Hockey Association presidents (1914–1994), and Hockey Canada presidents (1994–present). Prior to

1938-426: The decision. In April 2024, the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League followed suit and announced it would also withdraw and become an independent farm league for the BCHL beginning in the 2024-25 season. In the 2024–25 season, Hockey Canada and its four western affiliates – BC Hockey , Hockey Alberta , Hockey Saskatchewan and Hockey Manitoba – will pilot the Western Canadian Development Model (WCDM). Under

1989-484: The departure of its only Junior A league . Its three Junior B leagues ( PJHL , KIJHL and VIJHL ) were re-styled as "Junior A Tier 2", with plans to promote some to "Junior A Tier 1" following an independent evaluation. It was expected that those teams promoted to "Junior A Tier 1" would eventually apply for membership in the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL), an association of Junior A leagues governed by Hockey Canada and its regional branches . BC Hockey expected

2040-412: The dissolution of the Maritime AHA. The World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was held for the first time. Canada, who sent Memorial Cup champion teams in early years, eventually set up a national team and won their first gold medal at the 1982 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships . In 1975, the QMJHL, WCJHL, and the renamed Ontario Major Junior Hockey League form an umbrella organization known as

2091-427: The evaluations to be completed during the 2024–25 season. Before the process was completed, the VIJHL announced that it would also withdraw from the Hockey Canada framework and become an independent farm league for the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) beginning in the 2024–25 season. Major Junior is the highest level of Junior ice hockey in Canada. There are three Major Junior leagues that collectively make up

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2142-413: The major junior levels. But it continued to improve and as of 2019 about 21 percent of NHL players had played USHL in their career. Between 80 and 90 percent of USHL players continued into NCAA hockey. Currently, the North American Hockey League is the only USA Hockey-sanctioned Tier II league in the United States. The NAHL consists of teams spread across the western two thirds of the United States with

2193-430: The organization, stemming from its May 2022 settlement of alleged abuses by members of Canada's junior team in 2018. Minister for Sport Pascale St-Onge suspended federal funding of Hockey Canada via Sport Canada , and called for an audit over whether taxpayer money was used to pay out these settlements. Later that month, the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage opened an inquiry into the settlement. which revealed

2244-465: The rigours of the professional game to develop. However, not all players on a European junior team are necessarily property of their professional club, and may elect to sign elsewhere. At the World Hockey Summit in 2010, nations in Europe expressed concern about the number of junior players leaving to play in North America, despite the improved talent level and the increasing popularity of the IIHF Ice Hockey World Junior Championships . Slavomir Lener,

2295-462: The same mostly recreational purpose. Junior ice hockey in the United States is sanctioned by USA Hockey . The top level is Tier I, represented by the United States Hockey League . Tier II is represented by the North American Hockey League . There are several Tier III and independently sanctioned leagues throughout the country. Some US-based teams play in Canadian leagues outside of the USA Hockey framework. The United States Hockey League (USHL)

2346-436: The success of the programs set up by the Soviet Union , Czechoslovakia , and Sweden . Three years later, the CAHA opened its first ever national office, located in Winnipeg . The Newfoundland Amateur Hockey Association , led by association president Don Johnson , entered the CAHA in 1966. Johnson became CAHA president in 1975. The New Brunswick Amateur Hockey Association left the Maritime AHA brand in 1968 and entered

2397-502: The top tier of hockey in the CAHA and became Junior A hockey. Junior A (Junior AAA in Québec ; Tier 1 in British Columbia ) hockey is one level below Major Junior. It is governed by the respective regional branches of Hockey Canada . The Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) is an association of nine Junior A leagues: The national championship is the Centennial Cup . Unlike Major Junior players, Junior A players retain their NCAA eligibility and may go on to play college hockey in

2448-411: Was appointed as chief executive officer and president in 2023. In 2023, the British Columbia Hockey League decided not to renew its agreement with Hockey Canada and became an independent league. The league cited improved recruitment opportunities for 16 and 17 year old players in Canada as well as anticipated improved interest from Americans and players outside of North America as important reasons for

2499-445: Was competitive enough to deter players from entering into the CHL Import Draft . Hockey Canada Hockey Canada (which merged with the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association in 1994) is the national governing body of ice hockey and ice sledge hockey in Canada. It is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation and controls the majority of organized ice hockey in Canada. There are some notable exceptions, such as

2550-447: Was formed in 1987 and won the first (unofficial) world championship that year. The 1990 IIHF Women's World Championship was the first official event, also won by Canada. In 1994, Team Canada ended a 33-year drought by winning the 1994 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships . In 1994, Hockey Canada and the CAHA merged into one organization. Also, the International Olympic Committee elected to allow professional players to compete at

2601-428: Was the junior amateur championship of Canada. In 1920, after the Winnipeg Falcons won the Allan Cup over the University of Toronto , they represented Canada at the 1920 Summer Olympic Games . Canada would go 3-0-0 to win the sport's first ever Olympic gold medal. The Ottawa and District Amateur Hockey Association joined in 1920, followed by the Maritime Amateur Hockey Association in 1928. On June 30, 1947,

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