Canadian Premier Junior Hockey League
Current season or competition: 2016–17 CPJHL season | |
 | |
| Region(s) | Ontario |
|---|---|
| Commissioner | Bryan Elliott |
| Founded | 2016 |
| No. of teams | 8 |
| 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 until 2017.[6]
Teams
| Division | Team | Location | Arena |
|---|---|---|---|
| East | Almonte Jr. Sharpshooters | Almonte, Ontario | Almonte Community Center |
| Glengarry Highlanders | Maxville, Ontario | Maxville Arena | |
| Norwood Nemesis | Norwood, Ontario | Asphodel-Norwood Community Centre | |
| O-Town Rebels | Ottawa, Ontario | Minto Skating Centre | |
| West | |||
| Essa Stallions | Angus, Ontario | Angus Recreation Centre | |
| Grey Highlands Hawks | Markdale, Ontario | Markdale Public Arena | |
| Muskoka Wild | Port Carling, Ontario | Port Carling Arena | |
| Seaforth Generals | Seaforth, Ontario | Seaforth & District Community Centre |
Teams on hiatus
- Akwesasne Chiefs
- Burk's Falls Bruins
- Coldwater Falcons
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.