Eastern Ontario Junior Hockey League

Eastern Ontario Junior Hockey League
CountriesCanada
Region(s)Eastern Ontario
CommissionerMarc Franche
Former name(s)
list
  • Rideau-St. Lawrence Junior "B" Hockey League (1966–)
  • Eastern Ontario Junior "B" Hockey League (–2009)
  • Eastern Ontario Junior Hockey League (2009–2015, 2022-Present)
  • Central Canada Hockey League Tier 2 (2015–2020)
Founded1966; 58 years ago (1966)
No. of teams13
ChampionshipBarkley Cup
Recent ChampionsPerth Blue Wings (4th) (2023)
HeadquartersOttawa, Ontario, Canada
WebsiteEOJHL

The Eastern Ontario Junior Hockey League is a Junior ice hockey league operating in Eastern Ontario, Canada. The league is sanctioned by Hockey Eastern Ontario and Hockey Canada and acts as a second tier to the Central Canada Hockey League. The 13 member teams of the league compete for the Barkley Cup. Dating back to the 1960s, the league was known until 2015 as the Eastern Ontario Junior B Hockey League. The League was known from 2015 to 2020 as the Central Canada Hockey League Tier 2.

History

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The EOJHL was founded in 1966 as the Rideau-St. Lawrence Junior "B" Hockey League. Through a merger with the Upper Ottawa Valley Junior "B" Hockey League and the folding of the Lanark-Renfrew Junior "C" Hockey League, the league had grown to 22 different teams.

For the 2007-08 season, the Kemptville 73's moved from the EOJBHL to the Central Junior A Hockey League. A season later, the EOJBHL sold their franchise rights to the then-owners of the Casselman Stars of the Eastern Ontario Junior C Hockey League and then town of Casselman, Ontario. The new team, the Casselman Vikings, began play in the 2008-09 season.

In May 2009, the league dropped the Junior "B" designation from its name, becoming the Eastern Ontario Junior Hockey League (EOJHL).

For the 2009-10 season, the Carleton Place Kings moved from the EOJHL to the Central Canada Hockey League. The Kings were replaced the same year by the new Almonte Thunder.

In April 2014, the EOJHL Champion Casselman Vikings traveled to Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia to compete in the Eastern Canadian Junior B Championship. Cassleman became the first team west of Atlantic Canada to compete in the Don Johnson Memorial Cup tournament since its inception in 1982. Casselman went 6-0-0 and won the championship.

At the beginning of the 2015-16 season, the league changed its name to the CCHL2 and cut down to 16 teams from 22 teams which saw the removal of the Shawville Pontiacs, Akwesasne Wolves, Gananoque Islanders, Almonte Thunder, Morrisburg Lions, and Gatineau Mustangs.

The CCHL2 consists of two divisions, the Martin Division and Richardson Division. The league offers a 52-game balanced schedule where everyone plays everyone at least once. The two Divisional Playoff champions battle for the Barkley Cup every April.

In March 2017, the Pembroke Lumber Kings (CCHL) announced the purchase of the Prescott Flyers as their CCHL2 affiliate and relocating the team to Cobden and calling them the Whitewater Kings. Also in March, the Carleton Place Canadians (CCHL) announced the purchase of the Clarence Beavers and relocated them to Carleton Place, naming them the Carleton Place Junior Canadians. The Rockland Nationals of the National Capital Junior Hockey League will relocate to Clarence to fill in for the departed Beavers. The Metcalfe Jets will move to the National Capital Junior Hockey League and in return the Embrun Panthers will move up to the CCHL2.

During the 2023 off-season the Whitewater Kings and Brockville Tikis requested a leave of absence. Neither team appears to intend to return. the 2024 off-season had the Alexandria Glens and Char-Lan Rebels merge and re-brand as the Glengarry Brigade.

Teams

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Martin Division
Team Centre Founded CCHL Affiliate
Casselman Vikings Casselman 2008
Embrun Panthers Embrun 1972
Glengarry Brigade Alexandria 2024
Ottawa Canadians Ottawa 1973 Ottawa Jr. Senators
Ottawa West Golden Knights Ottawa 1983 Nepean Raiders
Winchester Hawks Winchester 1971 Nepean Raiders
Richardson Division
Team Centre Founded CCHL Affiliate
Arnprior Packers Arnprior 1965
Athens Aeros Athens 1968
Carleton Place Jr. Canadians Carleton Place 1980 Carleton Place Canadians
Perth Blue Wings Perth 1936
Richmond Royals Ottawa 1968
Smith Falls Jr. Bears Smith Falls 1967 Smiths Falls Bears
Valley Timberwolves Renfrew 1987

Playoff champions

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There is no National Championship for Junior B hockey in Canada, similar championships are held in Ontario (Sutherland Cup), Western Canada (Keystone Cup), Quebec (Coupe Dodge), and Atlantic Canada (Don Johnson Memorial Cup).

Up until the end of the 2015 playoffs, each team listed is a division champion, both the league champion and finalists are either "Metro/Valley" or "Rideau/St. Lawrence" Conference champions. Bolded are league champions, Italicized are finalists.

The EOJHL became the CCHL2 for the 2015-16 season reducing to just two divisions.

Year Champion
1967 Cardinal Broncos
1968 Ottawa 67 Bees
1969 Renfrew Lions
1970 Ottawa 67 Bees
1971 Ottawa 67 Bees
1972 Metcalfe Jets
1973 Gatineau Volants
1974 Ottawa 67 Bees
1975 Vanier 72s
1976 Morrisburg Lions
1977 Renfrew Lions
1978 Morrisburg Lions
1979 South Ottawa Canadians
1980 Saint-Isidore Eagles
1981 South Ottawa Canadians
1982 South Ottawa Canadians
1983 Metcalfe Jets
1984 Metcalfe Jets
1985 Ottawa West Golden Knights
1986 Char-Lan Rebels
1987 Metcalfe Jets
EOJHL D. Arnold Carson Trophy Champions
Year Metro Rideau St. Lawrence Valley
1988 Prescott Falcons Alexandria Glens Renfrew Timberwolves
1989 South Ottawa Canadians Gananoque Platers Char-Lan Rebels Renfrew Timberwolves
1990 Gananoque Platers Alexandria Glens Renfrew Timberwolves
1991 Navan Grads Westport Rideaus Alexandria Glens Renfrew Timberwolves
1992 Westport Rideaus Morrisburg Lions Perth Blue Wings
1993 Athens Aeros Morrisburg Lions Renfrew Timberwolves
1994 Clarence Beavers Athens Aeros Morrisburg Lions Shawville Pontiacs
1995 Metcalfe Jets Gananoque Islanders Winchester Hawks Arnprior Packers
1996 Westport Rideaus Char-Lan Rebels Perth Blue Wings
1997 Metcalfe Jets Gananoque Islanders Kemptville 73's Perth Blue Wings
1998 Metcalfe Jets Westport Rideaus Alexandria Glens Arnprior Packers
1999 Papineau Voisins Westport Rideaus Kemptville 73's Renfrew Timberwolves
2000 Papineau Voisins Westport Rideaus Kemptville 73's Renfrew Timberwolves
2001 Clarence Beavers Gananoque Islanders Kemptville 73's Carleton Place Kings
2002 Ottawa West Golden Knights Brockville Tikis Char-Lan Rebels Goulbourn Royals
2003 Ottawa West Golden Knights Brockville Tikis Alexandria Glens Goulbourn Royals
2004 Metcalfe Jets Brockville Tikis Alexandria Glens South Ottawa Canadians
2005 Ottawa West Golden Knights Westport Rideaus Alexandria Glens Perth Blue Wings
2006 Ottawa West Golden Knights Westport Rideaus Morrisburg Lions Shawville Pontiacs
2007 Gatineau Mustangs Westport Rideaus Alexandria Glens Stittsville Royals
2008 Ottawa West Golden Knights Athens Aeros Alexandria Glens Carleton Place Kings
2009 Ottawa West Golden Knights Gananoque Islanders Alexandria Glens Carleton Place Kings
2010 Ottawa Jr. Canadians Athens Aeros Alexandria Glens Perth Blue Wings
2011 Clarence Beavers Athens Aeros Winchester Hawks Renfrew Timberwolves
2012 Gatineau Mustangs Athens Aeros Casselman Vikings Arnprior Packers
2013 Ottawa Jr. Canadians Athens Aeros Casselman Vikings Renfrew Timberwolves
2014 Ottawa West Golden Knights Gananoque Islanders Casselman Vikings Almonte Thunder
2015 Gatineau Mustangs Prescott Flyers Casselman Vikings Stittsville Rams
CCHL2 Barkley Cup Champions
Year Richardson Martin
2016 Perth Blue Wings Casselman Vikings
2017 Richmond Royals Casselman Vikings
2018 Carleton Place Jr. Canadians Casselman Vikings
2019 Perth Blue Wings Ottawa Canadians
2020 Playoffs cancelled because of the COVID-19 epidemic – Barkley Cup not awarded
EOJHL Barkley Cup Champions
Year Richardson Martin
2021 Playoffs cancelled because of the COVID-19 epidemic – Barkley Cup not awarded
2022 Perth Blue Wings Casselman Vikings
2023 Perth Blue Wings Casselman Vikings
2024 Carleton Place Jr. Canadians Casselman Vikings

2023 playoffs

[edit]
Wild Card Series Quarter Finals Semi Finals Finals
            
M3 Embrun 2
M6 Winchester 1
M1 Richmond 4
M5 Ottawa 1
M1 Richmond 3
M3 Casselman 4
M4 Ottawa West 0
M5 Ottawa 2
M2 Casselman 4
M3 Embrun 3
M1 Perth 4
R1 Casselman 2
R4 Athens 2
R5 Brockville 0
R1 Perth 4
R4 Athens 1
R1 Perth 4
R2 Arnprior 0
R3 Smiths Falls 2
R6 Carleton Place 0
R2 Arnprior 4
R3 Smiths Falls 1

Other notable awards

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Gill Trophy Awarded to Rideau Division Playoff Champions
Alex English Trophy Awarded to St. Lawrence Division Playoff Champions
Ottawa Nepean Sportsplex Trophy Awarded to Metro Division Playoff Champions
Carl Foley Trophy Awarded to Valley Division Playoff Champions
John Shorey Cup Awarded to Rideau/St. Lawrence Conference Playoff Champions
Dwaine Barkley Trophy Awarded to Metro/Valley Conference Playoff Champions

Former member teams

[edit]
Team Centre Joined Ceased Went to
Akwesasne Wolves Akwesasne, ON 1988 2015 Folded
Alexandria Glens Alexandria 1967 2024 Merged with Char-Lan to be Glengarry Brigade
Almonte Thunder Almonte, ON 2009 2015 Folded
Brockville Tikis Brockville, ON 1967 2023 Folded
Cardinal Broncos Cardinal, ON 1971 1982 Relocated
Carleton Place Kings Carleton Place, ON 1969 2009 Joined CCHL
Clarence Beavers Clarence Creek, ON 1980 2017 Relocated to Carleton Place
Char-Lan Rebels Williamstown 1979 2024 Merged with Alexandria to be Glengarry Brigade
Gananoque Islanders Gananoque, ON 1986 2015 Joined EBJCHL
Gatineau Mustangs Gatineau, QC 2015 Joined QJHL
Goulbourn Royals Stittsville, ON 1990 2003 Re-Branded Stittsville Royals
Kemptville 73's Kemptville, ON 1969 2007 Joined CCHL
Metcalfe Jets Metcalfe, ON 1969 2017 Joined NCJHL
Morrisburg Lions Morrisburg, ON 1971 2015 Joined NCJHL
Navan Grads Navan, ON 1974 1991 Joined CCHL
Prescott Falcons Prescott, ON
Prescott Flyers Prescott, ON 2013 2017 Relocated to Cobden
St. Isidore Eagles St. Isidore, ON 1974 1987 Joined EOJCHL
Shawville Pontiacs Shawville, QC 1986 2015 Folded
South Grenville Rangers Prescott, ON 1982 2013 Re-Branded Prescott Flyers
Spencerville Bruins Spencerville, ON
Stittsville Rams Stittsville, ON 2014 2016 Relocated to Richmond
Stittsville Royals Stittsville, ON 2003 2014 Re-Branded Stittsville Rams
Westport Rideaus Westport, ON 1967 2021 Relocated to Smiths Falls
Whitewater Kings Cobden, ON 2017 2024 Folded (formerly Prescott Flyers)
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