LIST OF THIS SEASON'S JUNIOR HOCKEY CHAMPIONS IN NORTH AMERICA
Even though we're over here in Uralica, we keep an eye on who wins what in the extensive North American junior hockey spheres, because their players may end up in the UIHL system or even the KHL one day! It's the same as them sizing up our U-21 and U-18 teams!
Obviously, everyone's already heard the news about the Memorial Cup and how surprise QMJHL champs, the Sherbrooke Phoenix, continue to drop jaws at the highest level of major junior hockey arguably in the world.
But what about all those other leagues?
Starting in Canada, where there are three further tiers - Junior A, Junior B, and Junior C. Unlike the Old US systems, we won't list every team. We'd be stuck here forever.
Junior A - The Centennial Cup
There are ten leagues in the Junior A system under the umbrella of the CJHL, but they aren't one for each province. In fact, Ontario has four within its borders - three entirely so and one shared with Quebec! British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba have one league a pop, although Saskatchewan's league has one team from Manitoba (the Flin Flon Bombers are less isolated from the Saskatchewan teams than the Manitoba ones). There is also one league for all four Maritime provinces. The territories, due to their lesser-developed infrastructure, are not at this level. The GMHL doesn't belong to any provincial system because it is split between Ontario and Quebec, albeit very unevenly as there are only two teams in Quebec.
First you have the ten league champions:
British Columbia Hockey League - Surrey Eagles
Alberta Junior Hockey League - Calgary Mustangs
Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League - Melville Millionaires
Manitoba Junior Hockey League - OCN Blizzard
Northern Ontario Unified Junior Hockey League - Dryden Ice Dogs
Ontario Junior Hockey League - Stouffville Spirit
Greater Metro Hockey League - St. George Ravens
Central Canada Hockey League - Ottawa Jr. Senators
Ligue de Hockey Junior du Québec - Monstres de Magog
Atlantic Canada Junior Hockey League (all Maritime Provinces) - Truro Bearcats
Which then play regional tournaments:
Doyle Cup (BCHL vs. AJHL, best of seven) - Mustangs in 7
ANAVET Cup (SJHL vs. MJHL, best of seven) - Blizzard in 6
Dudley Hewitt Cup (NOUJHL, GMHL, and OJHL, double round-robin) - Spirit, 3-1-0-0
Fred Page Cup (CCHL, LHJQ, and ACJHL, double round-robin) - Jr. Senators, 4-0-0-0
And in a system similar to the Memorial Cup, they play against a fifth opponent chosen as the host at random at the beginning of the season from any of the ten constituent leagues. This year it was the BCHL's Nanaimo Clippers, who had actually made it to the BCHL semis before losing to the Eagles. They didn't fare particularly well on home ice, only beating the OCN Blizzard in overtime. The Stouffville Spirit won the Centennial Cup.
Junior B - The Actorbass Cup
Junior B hockey in Canada has a much larger league base, with 23 leagues in total. Rather than having a regional intermediate step, they go for more of an international-style tournament, with four single-round-robin groups of six randomly drawnb and the top two teams from each group advancing to a single-game knockout playoff. A 24th team is added for the host. What's different here is that the northern territories and Alaska are also covered, all within the gruelling, flight-heavy Hockey North Premier Division.
This year's champs:
Hockey North Premier Division (Alaska, Yukon, Denendeh, Nunavut, Labrador, Greenland, northern BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Québec) - Kuujjuaq Amaruqs
Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League (BC) - Kerry Park Islanders
Fraser Valley Junior Hockey League (BC) - Mission City Outlaws
BC Interior Junior Hockey League (BC) - Revelstoke Grizzlies
Peace Basin Junior Hockey League (BC/Alberta) - Fort St. John Huskies
Calgary Junior Hockey League (Alberta) - CNHA Blazers
Capital Junior Hockey League (Alberta) - Stony Plain Flyers
Heritage Junior Hockey League (Alberta) - Maskwacis Hawks
Northeastern Alberta Junior Hockey League (Alberta) - Vegreville Rangers
Prairie Junior Hockey League (Saskatchewan) - Saskatoon Quakers
Keystone Junior Hockey League (Manitoba) - Norway House North Stars
Northwest Ontario Junior Hockey League (Ontario) - Thunder Bay Fighting Walleye
Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League (Ontario) - Six Nations Tornadoes
Eastern Ontario Junior Hockey League (Ontario) - Ottawa West Golden Knights
Ligue de Hockey Métropolitaine Junior (Québec) - Sorel-Tracy Junior Hawks
Ligue Hockey Junior AA de Chaudière-Appalaches (Québec) - Saint-Prosper Bulls
Ligue Hockey Junior AA de la Région Capitale (Québec) - Québec-Nord Alpines
Ligue Hockey Junior AA de Lanaudière-Laurentides (Québec) - Saint-Eustache Patriotes
Ligue Hockey Junior AA de Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean (Québec) - Roberval Sabres
New Brunswick Junior Hockey League Division 1 (New Brunswick) - Campbellton Canucks
Island Junior Hockey League (PEI) - Sherwood Metros
Nova Scotia Junior Hockey League (Nova Scotia) - Eskasoni Junior Eagles
Newfoundland Junior Hockey League (Newfoundland plus one team from Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon) - Marystown Bruins
This was a big year for indigenous-owned teams, as they comprised five of the 23 (Kuujjuaq, Maskwacis, Norway House, Six Nations, and Eskasoni) and two of those (Maskwacis and Six Nations) made it to the final eight in Langley, where the FVJHL's Trappers served as the official host team.
QFs:
Mission City def. Saint-Eustache 5-3
Sorel-Tracy def. Saskatoon 6-1
Six Nations def. CNHA Blazers 5-4 (OT)
Ottawa West def. Maskwacis 5-2
SFs:
Sorel-Tracy def. Ottawa West 6-5 (OT)
Six Nations def. Mission City 5-4
Finals:
Six Nations def. Sorel-Tracy 4-3 (SO)
Junior C - Yzerman Cup
There are 21 leagues in Junior C, with the province of Newfoundland not being involved, thus making it the only level not to involve every province, although Newfoundland is trying to get a Junior C league going for smaller towns and also for expansion of Junior programs in larger centres like St. John's and Corner Brook, so the league count could increase to 22. There is also talk of a league for the Cariboo region of British Columbia. In Junior C is the pioneering North Saskatchewan Indigenous Junior Hockey League, which includes exclusively indigenous-owned teams even though there are occasional non-indigenous players on these teams. There are also teams - primarily in the northern and central parts of the nation - that have a strict "Canadian citizens only" cantera policy.
The current league roster with their champions:
Hockey North Alaska-Yukon Division (AK, YT) - Kenai Kings
Northern British Columbia Junior Hockey League (BC) - Prince Rupert Admirals
Calgary Junior C Hockey League (AB) - Tsuu T'ina Jr. Blizzard
Noralta Junior Hockey League (AB) - St. Albert Comets
Southern Alberta Junior Hockey League (AB) - Kainai Bison
Hockey North Mackenzie Division (DN, BC, AB) - Inuvik Ice
East Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SK) - Oxbow Bulls
West Saskatchewan Junior C Hockey League (SK) - Outlook Oracles
North Saskatchewan Indigenous Junior Hockey League (SK) - Ballantyne Blues
Hockey North Hudson Bay Division (NU, SK, MB, ON) - Churchill Nanuks
Hanover Tache Junior Hockey League (MB) - North Winnipeg Satellites
Ontario Provincial Junior Hockey League (ON) - Uxbridge Bruins
National Capital Junior Hockey League (ON, QC) - Pontiac Prédateurs
Ligue de Hockey Junior Centre-Estrie (QC) - Papetiers Windsor
Ligue de Hockey Junior de Bas-Saint-Laurent (QC) - Le Hip de Trois-Pistoles
Ligue de Hockey Junior de l’Îles-Montréal (QC) - Ahuntsic Braves
Ligue de Hockey Junior Rive-Sud (QC) - Gaulois de Saint-Hyacinthe
Hockey North East Division (NU, QC, LB, GL) - Ilulissat Hunters
New Brunswick Junior Hockey League Division 2 (NB) - Miramichi River Maniacs
Prince Edward Island Junior C Hockey League (PEI) - Tignish Aces
Nova Scotia Regional Junior Hockey League (NS) - New Glasgow Celtics
To reduce the number to 15 teams (to which is added a host), the Quebec-only leagues and Hockey North hold regional Junior C championships.
Hockey North C Championships - Churchill Jr. Nanuks
Championnat "C" du Québec - Gaulois de Saint-Hyacinthe
Rather than a round robin like the Actorbass Cup, this tournament follows a seeding like NAMPHA's Dajobo Cup.
Opening round:
(1) Uxbridge def. (16) Churchill
(2) Saint-Hyacinthe def. (15) Tignish
(3) St. Albert def. (14) Outlook
(13) Kainai def. (4) New Glasgow
(5) Tsuu T'ina def. (12) Prince Rupert
(11) Ballantyne def. (6) Oxbow
(7) North Winnipeg def. (10) Pontiac
(9) Miramichi River def. (8) Petrolia Flyers (host)
Quarterfinals
(1) Uxbridge def. (13) Kainai - this one went to overtime though!
(11) Ballantyne def. (2) Saint-Hyacinthe
(3) St. Albert def. (9) Miramichi River
(5) Tsuu T'ina def. (7) North Winnipeg
Semifinals
(1) Uxbridge def. (11) Ballantyne
(5) Tsuu T'ina def. (3) St. Albert
Finals
(5) Tsuu T'ina def. (1) Uxbridge
Well how about that? The indigenous hot streak also applied to the Junior C! This time it was Calgary's Tsuu T'ina Jr. Blizzard, whose parent club plays Jr. B, that took the prize!
The former USA has four systems, of which only two - that of the New USA and Dakota - are considered Tier 1, that is, on par with Junior A. Although it was initially intended to have Mexico join the Cordillera system with Cascadia and Utah, they decided to do their own thing along the same wavelength as their football/soccer system, where their professional clubs have U21, U18, etc. teams, that play against each other. Unlike the parent clubs, these only play within Mexico.
Tier 1
The two Tier 1 leagues in the former USA are the New USA's New American Junior Hockey League Elite Division and the Dakotan Major Junior Hockey League. The champions of these two play against each other and the Centennial Cup winners for bragging rights, although there is no major trophy involved. The real prizes are the league titles.
The DMJHL's teams are the Bismarck Bobcats, the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, the Des Moines Buccaneers, the Dubuque Fighting Saints, the Fargo Force, the Independence Infantry, the Kansas City Jr. Cavalry, the Lincoln Stars, the Minnesota Wilderness (near Duluth), the Missoula Bruins, the Omaha Lancers, the Rapid City Jr. Rush, the Sioux City Musketeers, the Sioux Falls Stampede, the St. Cloud Norsemen, the St. Louis Jr. Blues, the St. Paul Saints, the Tri-City Storm (Kearney, NE), the Waterloo Black Hawks, and the Wichita Jr. Thunder. The Fargo Force were this year's champions.
As for the NAJHL Elite, they are the Boston Jr. Bruins, the Buffalo Jr. Sabres, the Chicago Steel, the Detroit Jr. Red Wings, the Green Bay Gamblers, the Indy Jr. Racers, the Lewiston Nordiques, the Madison Capitols, the Muskegon Lumberjacks, the New Jersey Aces (Atlantic City), the New York Americans, the Norfolk Commodores, the Ohio Blue Jackets (Columbus, OH), the Philadelphia Jr. Flyers, the Pittsburgh Jr. Penguins, the Washington Jr. Capitals, the Wilkes-Barre Knights, the Windsor Jr. Whalers, the Worcester Wolves, and the Youngstown Phantoms. Four of these teams (Detroit, Indy, Washington, and Windsor) are directly owned by NHL clubs, and another four (Boston, Buffalo, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh) have an affiliation deal that has resulted in players getting drafted by the NHL teams in later rounds as each team's way of contributing to homegrown hockey. But in any case, the two-time defending chams are the Muskegon Lumberjacks.
Tier 2
Still pretty small at this level. You get the top levels of the New Confederacy and the Cascadia-Utah collaboration Cordillera system, and the second levels of the New USA and Dakota.
The Cordillera Junior Elite Hockey League has one team owned by an ECHL franchise and a whole bunch of teams with NHL affiliate deals. They are the Anaheim Avalanche, the Arizona Coyotes (Metro Phoenix), the Baja Blizzard (Tijuana), the Bellingham Blazers, the Denver Jr. Avalanche, the Fresno Monsters, the Gillette Wild, the Idaho Jr. Steelheads, the Laramie Cowboys, the Las Vegas Thunderbirds, the Los Angeles Jr. Kings, the New Mexico Ice Wolves (in Albuquerque), the Pueblo Bulls, the Reno Rockets, the San Diego Sabers, the San Jose Jr. Sharks, the Seattle Jr. Kraken, the Utah Outliers (West Valley City), the Valencia Flyers, and the Wenatchee Wild. The 2021 champs are the Denver Jr. Avalanche, who have won three titles out of five overall.
The New Confederacy's top league is the New Confederate Major Junior Hockey League. They are the Atlanta Capitals, the Charleston Colonials, the Columbia Jr. Stingrays, the Corpus Christi IceRays, the El Paso Rhinos, the Fayetteville Fire, the recently renamed Fort Myers Eels, the Jacksonville Jets, the Louisville Broncos, the Mississippi Moccasins (Jackson, MS), the Nashville Jr. Predators, the Odessa Jackalopes, the Oklahoma City Blazers, the Piedmont Panthers (Greensboro, NC), the Raleigh Golden Bears, the Shreveport Mudbugs, the Tampa Bay Jr. Lightning, the Tuscaloosa Tigers, and the West Tennessee Wings (Jackson, TN). The Corpus Christi IceRays won the 2021 season in a thrilling seven-game series against the Jr. Preds.
The NAJHL's First Division (NAJHL-1 for short) includes the Boston Advantage, the Chippewa Steel (Chippewa Falls, WI), the Cincinnati Hurricanes, the Connecticut Jr. Rangers (Stamford), the Danbury Hat Tricks, the Delaware Devils (Wilmington), the Gary Blackhawks, the Islanders Hockey Club (Andover, Mass.), the Jamestown Rebels, the Janesville Jets, the Johnstown Tomahawks, the Manchester Jr. Monarchs, the Maryland Black Bears (Odenton), the New Jersey Titans (Middleton, near its parent club in Trenton), the North New Jersey Rockets (Bridgewater), the Northeast Generals (Attenborough, Mass.), the Philadelphia Hockey Club, the Springfield Blues (Illinois), the Twin City Thunder (Auburn, ME), the Utica Jr. Rangers, the Vermont Lumberjacks (Burlington), and the West Virginia Warriors (Charleston, WV). This years champs were Philadelphia HC.
The Dakotan Junior Hockey League is Dakota's second tier. It includes the Aberdeen Wings (ND), the Alexandria Blizzard (MN), the Ames Academics, the Austin Bruins (MN), the Bettendorf Blackhawks, the Bozeman Icedogs, the Brookings Bulldogs, the Des Moines Jr. Buccaneers (which are the B-team of the DMJHL club), the Grand Island Griffins, the Great Falls Patriots, the Hutchinson Broncos, the Minnesota Magicians (Twin Cities, just south of Minneapolis), the Minot Minotauros, the North Iowa Bulls (Mason City), the North Platte Locomotion, the Rochester Grizzlies, the St. Charles Saints, the (Lee's) Summit Storm, the Topeka Pilots, and the Williston Oilers. To nobody's great surprise, it was the Jr. Buccaneers that won this year, their third title in five seasons.
Tier 3
There are three times more leagues in Tier 3 than in the top two put together, which is intended to involve as many people as possible in the good ol' hockey game! The spread is as follows:
Cascadia - 5 leagues
Dakota - 4 leagues (including one with New USA teams)
New Confederacy - 4 leagues
New USA - 4 leagues
Utah - 1 league
The champions are bold in the following lists.
Cascadia and Utah (Cordillera)
Cascadia's five Tier 3 leagues are as follows:
PNJHL teams: Bellingham Jr. Bulldogs, Bend Junior Rattlers, Bremerton Sounders, Corvallis Crows, Cowlitz Cougars (Longview, WA), Eugene Generals, Grants Pass Rogues, Gresham Greens, Hermiston Coyotes, King County Jr. Thunderbirds (Metro Seattle, owned by the WHL's Seattle Thunderbirds), Klamath Cascades, McMinnville Monsters, Olympia Senators, Pierce County Rockets (Tacoma), Portland Jr. Winterhawks, Roseburg Raiders, Salem Capitals, Southern Oregon Spartans (Medford), Spokane Braves*, Tri-Cities Outlaws (Pasco, WA), Vancouver Voyageurs, Walla Walla Wasps, Wenatchee Wolves (B-team of the Wenatchee Wild), Whitman County Wings (Pullman, WA)
NCJHL teams: Bakersfield Jr. Condors, Butte County Blast (Chico), Fremont Falcons, Hayward Hawks, Mendocino Redwoods (Ukiah), Merced Maniacs, Modesto Marines, Northwest California Earthquakes (Eureka), Oakland Jr. Sharks, Redding Royals, Sacramento Capitals, Salinas Storm, San Francisco Sabercats, Santa Cruz Barracuda, Santa Rosa Serpents, Siskiyou County Volcanoes (Mount Shasta), Solano County Troop (Vacaville), Sonora Shock, Stockton Dockers, Tracy Rangers, Turlock Tigers, Visalia Vipers, Yolo County United HC (Woodland), Yuba City Yellowjackets
SCJHL teams: Carlsbad Surge, Coachella Valley Coyotes, East San Diego Jets, Ensenada Guerreros, Fontana Flames, Hemet Harriers, Imperial County Wanderers (El Centro), La Paz Tsunami, Lancaster-Palmdale Rattlers (Lancaster), Long Beach Jr. Ice Dogs, Marlines dos Cabos (San José del Cabo, BA), Mexicali Conquistadors, Oceanside Paladins, Ontario Jr. Reign, Pasadena Predators, Riverside Roadrunners, San Bernardino Scorpions, San Diego Jr. Gulls, San Fernando Valley Rockets (Burbank), Santa Ana Saints, Santa Barbara Surf, SLO Crusaders (San Luis Obispo), South Orange Sharks (Mission Viejo), Ventura County Bulls (Oxnard)
DJHC teams: Alamogordo Atomics, Barstow Brigade, Clovis Jets, Colorado Valley Deluge (Blythe, CA), Elko Prospectors, Farmington Frenzy, Flagstaff Jr. Freeze, Gallup Gladiators, Gila River Monsters (Sacaton, Gila River Nation, AZ), Havasu Lakers (Lake Havasu City), Henderson Hawks, Hobbs Oilers, Las Cruces Lions, Las Vegas Jr. Knights, Navajo Nation Eagles (Tuba City, Navajo Nation, AZ), Phoenix City Flames, Prescott Flock, Ridgecrest Earthquakes, Roswell Interstellars, Santa Fe Jr. Flames, Sierra Vista Vipers, Tahoe Tempest (Carson City, NV), Tucson Jr. Scorpions, Yuma Sun Devils
RMJHL teams: Boise Brigade, Boulder Bruins, Caldwell Cougars, Casper Jr. Crush, Cheyenne Jr. Shock, Coeur D’Alene Falcons, Colorado Springs Avalanche, Denver City Blades, Evanston Eagles, Fort Collins Battalion, Grand Junction Heat, Lewiston Arsenal (ID), Loveland Lions, Moscow Red Army, Nampa Eagles, Northern Colorado Eagles (Greeley, CO), Pocatello Jr. Pumas, Post Falls Patrol, Rexburg Roar, Riverton Coyotes, Sheridan Hawks, Snake River Strikers (Twin Falls, ID), Sweetwater County Saints (Rock Springs, WY), Yellowstone Quake (Cody, WY)
And the Utah Junior Hockey League has almost the same kind of system as Mexico, as 18 of the 24 teams are owned by a professional hockey franchise (17 by NAMPHA teams in the Utah Hockey League, and one by the ECHL's Utah Grizzlies) and a nineteenth has the same ownership as a pro team but is run as a separate company (the Ogden Mustangs). Only five teams both are separate entities and have separate ownership - they will be italicised: Box Elder County Bears (Brigham City), Carbon County Inferno (Price), Cedar City Jr. Saints, Grand County Rebels (Moab), Heber City Jr. Harriers, Herriman Jr. Hurricanes, Juab County Wild (Nephi), Layton Jr. Lions, Lehi Jr. Angels, Logan Jr. Ice Dogs, Murray Jr. Kings, Ogden Mustangs, Orem Jr. Badgers, Park City Jr. Predators, Provo Riverblades**, Roy Jr. Spiders, Salt Lake City Explorers, Sandy Jr. Storm, St. George Jr. Scorpions, Taylorsville Jr. Tigers, Tooele Jr. Tornadoes, Utah Jr. Grizzlies (West Valley City), Vernal Jr. Rattlers, West Jordan Jr. Wolves
The Taylor Plate tournament was played in Portland, Oregon, and this season's champs - by the narrowest of margins - were the Oakland Jr. Sharks, who clinched the title by beating the Spokane Braves in overtime.
* - due to political correctness issues in Cascadia, this name may be changed
** - The Osmond Family Hockey Consortium has made a bit to buy the Riverblades; he has said that if successful, the name will change to Jr. Vultures, to line it up with the NAMPHA/UtHL team of the same name.
Dakota
Dakota's four leagues line up like this:
NPJHL teams: Aberdeen Jr. Wings (B-team of DJHL club), Billings Blast, Bismarck Jr. Bobcats (B-team of DMJHL club), Bozeman Jr. Icedogs (B-team of DJHL club), Butte Cobras, Dickinson Dodgers, Fort Peck Falcons (Wolf Point, Fort Peck Nation, MT), Great Falls Jr. Patriots, Helena Bighorns, Kalispell Hunters, Mandan Mustangs, Minot Jr. Magic, Mitchell Bison, Moorhead Jr. Force (B-team of DMJHL's Fargo Force), Pierre Predators, Sioux Falls Jr. Stampede (B-team of DMJHL club), Watertown Wizards, West Fargo Whiteout, Williston Jr. Oilers (B-team of DJHL club), Yankton Yellowjackets
SDJHL teams: Bellevue Bulls, Columbus Explorers, Council Bluffs Stingers (IA), Dodge City Jr. Outlaws, Emporia Emperors, Fremont Fire (NE), Garden City Griffins, Hastings Hawks, Hays Academics, Junction City Jets, Kansas City Capitals, Lawrence Phoenix, Lenexa Laser, Lincoln Jr. Stars (B-team of DMJHL club), Manhattan Jr. Rangers, Norfolk Bison, Olathe Pioneers, Omaha Jr. Lancers (B-team of DMJHL club), Salina Jr. Stampede, Shawnee Horsemen
IMJHL teams: Adair County Jackrabbits (Kirksville, MO), Ankeny Aces, Blue Springs Bullets, Burlington Blast, Cape Girardeau Rivermen, Cedar Falls Freeze, Clinton Engineers, Columbia Jr. Academics, Davenport Dodgers, Des Moines Devils, East St. Louis Blues (Granite City, IL, New USA), Jefferson Jr. Jets (Jefferson City, MO), Marion Mystics, Marshalltown Thunder, Muscatine Steamrunners, O’Fallon Irishmen, Ottumwa Energy, Ozark Orange, Pettis County Panthers (Sedalia, MO), Phelps County Flyers (Rolla, MO), South Quad City Racers (Moline, IL, New USA), Springfield Cowboys (MO), St. Joseph Jr. Saints, St. Peters Angels
The four winners play for the Bill Masterton Memorial Cup in a strict double round-robin. The Blue Wings took it this year.
New Confederacy
The NewCons' four leagues are as follows:
WCJHL teams: Abilene Jets, Amarillo Jr. Rattlers, Arlington Tycoons, Austin Capitals, Beaumont Brigade, Bell County Bulldogs (Killeen, TX), Brazos Valley RoadRunners (College Station, TX), Brownsville Blast, Cherokee Chargers (Muskogee, OK), Dallas City Desperados, El Paso Electricos, Fort Worth Brahmas, Galveston Bay Gulls (League City, TX), Garland Generals, Houston Jr. Aeros, Lawton Storm, Legión de Laredo, Lubbock Jr. Lions, McAllen Jr. Monarchs, Mid-Cities Jr. Stars (Irving, TX), Norman Jr. Tornadoes, North Dallas Knights (Frisco, TX), Northwest Oklahoma Wheat Kings (Enid, OK), Osage Orange (Bartlesville, OK), Pasadena Panthers, Plano Snipers, Richland Hills Bulls (Fort Worth, TX), San Antonio Stampede, Stillwater Saints, Tulsa Jr. Oilers, Waco Wild, Wichita Falls Warriors
ISJHL teams: Bentonville-Rogers Big Red, Bowling Green Bulls, Chattanooga Jr. Chargers, Clarkesville Clash, Cleveland Barons (TN), Conway Cavaliers, East Tennessee Eagles (Johnson City, TN), Fort Smith Falcons, Franklin Freeze, Hopkinsville Hawks, Hot Springs Untouchables, Jonesboro Jets, Kingsport Kings, Knoxville Flames, Lexington Mustangs, Little Rock Jr. Predators, Louisville Broncos B (B-team of the NCMJHL team), Memphis Jr. River Kings (Southaven, MS), Murfreesboro Titans, Owensboro Otters, Pine Bluff Pioneers, South Cincinnati Steel (Covington-Newport, KY), Sumner County Predators (Gallatin, TN), Texarkana Frontiersmen (AK)
GSJHL teams: Albany Arsenal, Alexandria River Rats, Auburn-Opelika Reds (Auburn, AL), Baton Rouge Ragin’ Cajuns, Birmingham Jr. Bulls, Columbus Jr. Cottonmouths , Decatur Spirit, Dothan Demolition, Florence Fire, Gadsden Gladiators, Gulf Islands Gators (Mary Esther, FL), Gulfport Jr. Surge, Hattiesburg Hawks, Huntsville Jr. Havoc, Jackson Jets, Lafayette Drillers, Lake Charles Lakers, Meridian Magic, Mobile Makos, Monroe Commandoes, Montgomery Kings, Pensacola Jr. Ice Flyers, Tallahassee Torrent, Tupelo Tigers
SAJHL teams: Asheville Jr. Aces, Athens Phalanx, Atlanta Madhatters, Augusta Army, Cape Coral Blades, Charlotte Rush, Deltona Racers, Fayetteville Hurricanes, Gainesville Gators, Greenville Gulls, Jacksonville Marines, Lakeland Jets, Macon Jr. Mayhem (Warner Robins, GA), Miami Jr. Panthers, Orlando Solar Cubs, Palm Bay Pirates, Pee Dee Pride (Florence, SC), Savannah Surge, St. Petersburg Cossacks, Treasure Coast Travellers (Port St. Lucie, FL), Valdosta Valiants, West SC Jr. Swamp Rabbits (Spartanburg, SC), Wilmington Capers, Winston-Salem Jr. Thunderbirds
Turner Cup winners: Knoxville Flames.
Finally, the New USA, whose Tier 3 is regarded as the best of the four Old USA systems. Its four leagues:
Teams:
CSJHL: Aviator Hockey Club (Brooklyn, New York, NY), Baltimore Jr. Bruins, Capital Region Senators (Bethesda, MD), Essex County Rockets (Berkeley Hights, NJ; B-team of NAJHL's North New Jersey Rockets), Frederick Falcons, Hampton Roads Whalers (Chesapeake, VA), Long Beach Sharks, Long Island Jr. Islanders (Hauppauge, NY), Middletown Rovers (DE), New Jersey 87s (Middletown, NJ), New Jersey Jr. Titans (Middletown Township, NJ; B-team of NAJHL-1 club), New York Apple Core (Brewster, NY), Newark Surge, Philadelphia Hockey Club B (B-team of NAJHL-1 club, Sewell, NJ), Philadelphia Jr. Flyers B (B-team of NAJHL-Elite club), Philadelphia Revolution, Potomac Patriots (Woodbridge, VA), Richmond Generals, Rockland County Raiders (Ramapo, NY), Vineland Silverbacks, Wayne Hitmen, West Maryland Bears (Hagerstown, MD), Wilmington Wild, Yonkers Sabres
NEJHL: Bangor Breach, Bay State Bobcats (Holyoke, MA), Belknap County Wolves (Laconia, NH), Boston Advantage Premier (B-team of NAJHL-1 club), Boston Rangers (Tewksbury, MA), Bridgewater Bandits, Burlington Bruins, Cape Cod Jr. Oilers (Barnstable, MA), ***Connecticut Chiefs (Newington, CT), ****Connecticut Nighthawks (Simsbury, CT), Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks, East Coast Wizards (Bedford, MA), Fairfield County RoughRiders (Norwalk, CT), Islanders Hockey Club B (Tyngsborough, MA; B-team of NAJHL-1 club), Manchester Avalanche, Manchester Jr. Monarchs B (B-team of NAJHL-1 club), Marlborough Bruins, New England Knights (Raynham, MA), Northeast Generals B (Attleboro, MA; B-team of NAJHL-1 club), Northern Cyclones (Hudson, NH), Portland Jr. Mariners, Railers Jr. Hockey Club (Worcester, MA), Rutland Rangers, Seacoast Spartans (Exeter, NH), Seahawks Hockey Club (South Dennis, MA), South Shore Kings (Foxboro, MA), Springfield Pics, Stamford Rangers, Twin City Thunder B (Auburn, ME; B-team of NAJHL-1 club), Valley Jr. Warriors (Haverhill, MA), Walpole Express, York County Terriers (Sanford, ME)
EJHL: Akron Jr. Americans, Allentown Jr. Phantoms, Bethlehem Angels, Binghamton Bulls, Buffalo Thunder, Canton Jr. Kings, Cleveland Rock, Columbus Mavericks, Elmira Jr. Enforcers, Huntington Heat, Lake Erie Bighorns (Erie, PA), Lancaster Jr. Leafs, Lebanon Cedars, Morgantown Jr. Miners, Pittsburgh Vengeance, Rochester Rams, Scranton Stingers, Syracuse Speed, Toledo Jr. Walleye, Tri-Cities Capitals (Schenectady, NY), Utica Jr. Rangers B (B-team of the NAJHL-1 team), Wheeling Jr. Nailers, Wooster Oilers, York Skipjacks
LMJHL: Bloomington Jazz (IL), Chicago Cougars, Decatur Blaze, Dells Ducks (Lake Delton, WI), Detroit Fighting Irish, Evansville Hoosiers, Flint SC Fury, Fort Wayne Spacemen, Fox Valley Foxes (Appleton, WI), Grand Rapids Crusaders, Hudson Havoc, Kalamazoo Crunch, Kokomo Freeze, Lafayette Lightning, Lansing Wolves, Metro Jets (near Warren, MI), Midwest Blackbirds (Dyer, IN), Milwaukee Power, Motor City Hockey Club (Troy, MI), Oregon Tradesmen (Oregon, WI; first team is the B-team of the Janesville Jets, but all teams U-18 and under are run independently), Peoria Jr. Rivermen, Peoria Mustangs, Rockford Hawks, Saginaw Bay Kings (Midland, MI), South Bend Jr. Stars, South Illinois Speed (Marion, IL), Southeast Indiana Blazers (Columbus, IN), Upper Peninsula Leijonat (Marquette, MI), Urbana Jr. Pirates, Wausau RiverWolves, West Indiana Warriors (Bloomington, IN), Wisconsin Rapids Riverkings
The Chicago Cougars won the Mullen Cup, but every game in that round-robin was close.
***to be renamed New Britain Chiefs
****potentially to be renamed Hartford County Nighthawks
Even though we're over here in Uralica, we keep an eye on who wins what in the extensive North American junior hockey spheres, because their players may end up in the UIHL system or even the KHL one day! It's the same as them sizing up our U-21 and U-18 teams!
Obviously, everyone's already heard the news about the Memorial Cup and how surprise QMJHL champs, the Sherbrooke Phoenix, continue to drop jaws at the highest level of major junior hockey arguably in the world.
But what about all those other leagues?
Starting in Canada, where there are three further tiers - Junior A, Junior B, and Junior C. Unlike the Old US systems, we won't list every team. We'd be stuck here forever.
Junior A - The Centennial Cup
There are ten leagues in the Junior A system under the umbrella of the CJHL, but they aren't one for each province. In fact, Ontario has four within its borders - three entirely so and one shared with Quebec! British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba have one league a pop, although Saskatchewan's league has one team from Manitoba (the Flin Flon Bombers are less isolated from the Saskatchewan teams than the Manitoba ones). There is also one league for all four Maritime provinces. The territories, due to their lesser-developed infrastructure, are not at this level. The GMHL doesn't belong to any provincial system because it is split between Ontario and Quebec, albeit very unevenly as there are only two teams in Quebec.
First you have the ten league champions:
British Columbia Hockey League - Surrey Eagles
Alberta Junior Hockey League - Calgary Mustangs
Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League - Melville Millionaires
Manitoba Junior Hockey League - OCN Blizzard
Northern Ontario Unified Junior Hockey League - Dryden Ice Dogs
Ontario Junior Hockey League - Stouffville Spirit
Greater Metro Hockey League - St. George Ravens
Central Canada Hockey League - Ottawa Jr. Senators
Ligue de Hockey Junior du Québec - Monstres de Magog
Atlantic Canada Junior Hockey League (all Maritime Provinces) - Truro Bearcats
Which then play regional tournaments:
Doyle Cup (BCHL vs. AJHL, best of seven) - Mustangs in 7
ANAVET Cup (SJHL vs. MJHL, best of seven) - Blizzard in 6
Dudley Hewitt Cup (NOUJHL, GMHL, and OJHL, double round-robin) - Spirit, 3-1-0-0
Fred Page Cup (CCHL, LHJQ, and ACJHL, double round-robin) - Jr. Senators, 4-0-0-0
And in a system similar to the Memorial Cup, they play against a fifth opponent chosen as the host at random at the beginning of the season from any of the ten constituent leagues. This year it was the BCHL's Nanaimo Clippers, who had actually made it to the BCHL semis before losing to the Eagles. They didn't fare particularly well on home ice, only beating the OCN Blizzard in overtime. The Stouffville Spirit won the Centennial Cup.
Junior B - The Actorbass Cup
Junior B hockey in Canada has a much larger league base, with 23 leagues in total. Rather than having a regional intermediate step, they go for more of an international-style tournament, with four single-round-robin groups of six randomly drawnb and the top two teams from each group advancing to a single-game knockout playoff. A 24th team is added for the host. What's different here is that the northern territories and Alaska are also covered, all within the gruelling, flight-heavy Hockey North Premier Division.
This year's champs:
Hockey North Premier Division (Alaska, Yukon, Denendeh, Nunavut, Labrador, Greenland, northern BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Québec) - Kuujjuaq Amaruqs
Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League (BC) - Kerry Park Islanders
Fraser Valley Junior Hockey League (BC) - Mission City Outlaws
BC Interior Junior Hockey League (BC) - Revelstoke Grizzlies
Peace Basin Junior Hockey League (BC/Alberta) - Fort St. John Huskies
Calgary Junior Hockey League (Alberta) - CNHA Blazers
Capital Junior Hockey League (Alberta) - Stony Plain Flyers
Heritage Junior Hockey League (Alberta) - Maskwacis Hawks
Northeastern Alberta Junior Hockey League (Alberta) - Vegreville Rangers
Prairie Junior Hockey League (Saskatchewan) - Saskatoon Quakers
Keystone Junior Hockey League (Manitoba) - Norway House North Stars
Northwest Ontario Junior Hockey League (Ontario) - Thunder Bay Fighting Walleye
Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League (Ontario) - Six Nations Tornadoes
Eastern Ontario Junior Hockey League (Ontario) - Ottawa West Golden Knights
Ligue de Hockey Métropolitaine Junior (Québec) - Sorel-Tracy Junior Hawks
Ligue Hockey Junior AA de Chaudière-Appalaches (Québec) - Saint-Prosper Bulls
Ligue Hockey Junior AA de la Région Capitale (Québec) - Québec-Nord Alpines
Ligue Hockey Junior AA de Lanaudière-Laurentides (Québec) - Saint-Eustache Patriotes
Ligue Hockey Junior AA de Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean (Québec) - Roberval Sabres
New Brunswick Junior Hockey League Division 1 (New Brunswick) - Campbellton Canucks
Island Junior Hockey League (PEI) - Sherwood Metros
Nova Scotia Junior Hockey League (Nova Scotia) - Eskasoni Junior Eagles
Newfoundland Junior Hockey League (Newfoundland plus one team from Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon) - Marystown Bruins
This was a big year for indigenous-owned teams, as they comprised five of the 23 (Kuujjuaq, Maskwacis, Norway House, Six Nations, and Eskasoni) and two of those (Maskwacis and Six Nations) made it to the final eight in Langley, where the FVJHL's Trappers served as the official host team.
QFs:
Mission City def. Saint-Eustache 5-3
Sorel-Tracy def. Saskatoon 6-1
Six Nations def. CNHA Blazers 5-4 (OT)
Ottawa West def. Maskwacis 5-2
SFs:
Sorel-Tracy def. Ottawa West 6-5 (OT)
Six Nations def. Mission City 5-4
Finals:
Six Nations def. Sorel-Tracy 4-3 (SO)
Junior C - Yzerman Cup
There are 21 leagues in Junior C, with the province of Newfoundland not being involved, thus making it the only level not to involve every province, although Newfoundland is trying to get a Junior C league going for smaller towns and also for expansion of Junior programs in larger centres like St. John's and Corner Brook, so the league count could increase to 22. There is also talk of a league for the Cariboo region of British Columbia. In Junior C is the pioneering North Saskatchewan Indigenous Junior Hockey League, which includes exclusively indigenous-owned teams even though there are occasional non-indigenous players on these teams. There are also teams - primarily in the northern and central parts of the nation - that have a strict "Canadian citizens only" cantera policy.
The current league roster with their champions:
Hockey North Alaska-Yukon Division (AK, YT) - Kenai Kings
Northern British Columbia Junior Hockey League (BC) - Prince Rupert Admirals
Calgary Junior C Hockey League (AB) - Tsuu T'ina Jr. Blizzard
Noralta Junior Hockey League (AB) - St. Albert Comets
Southern Alberta Junior Hockey League (AB) - Kainai Bison
Hockey North Mackenzie Division (DN, BC, AB) - Inuvik Ice
East Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SK) - Oxbow Bulls
West Saskatchewan Junior C Hockey League (SK) - Outlook Oracles
North Saskatchewan Indigenous Junior Hockey League (SK) - Ballantyne Blues
Hockey North Hudson Bay Division (NU, SK, MB, ON) - Churchill Nanuks
Hanover Tache Junior Hockey League (MB) - North Winnipeg Satellites
Ontario Provincial Junior Hockey League (ON) - Uxbridge Bruins
National Capital Junior Hockey League (ON, QC) - Pontiac Prédateurs
Ligue de Hockey Junior Centre-Estrie (QC) - Papetiers Windsor
Ligue de Hockey Junior de Bas-Saint-Laurent (QC) - Le Hip de Trois-Pistoles
Ligue de Hockey Junior de l’Îles-Montréal (QC) - Ahuntsic Braves
Ligue de Hockey Junior Rive-Sud (QC) - Gaulois de Saint-Hyacinthe
Hockey North East Division (NU, QC, LB, GL) - Ilulissat Hunters
New Brunswick Junior Hockey League Division 2 (NB) - Miramichi River Maniacs
Prince Edward Island Junior C Hockey League (PEI) - Tignish Aces
Nova Scotia Regional Junior Hockey League (NS) - New Glasgow Celtics
To reduce the number to 15 teams (to which is added a host), the Quebec-only leagues and Hockey North hold regional Junior C championships.
Hockey North C Championships - Churchill Jr. Nanuks
Championnat "C" du Québec - Gaulois de Saint-Hyacinthe
Rather than a round robin like the Actorbass Cup, this tournament follows a seeding like NAMPHA's Dajobo Cup.
Opening round:
(1) Uxbridge def. (16) Churchill
(2) Saint-Hyacinthe def. (15) Tignish
(3) St. Albert def. (14) Outlook
(13) Kainai def. (4) New Glasgow
(5) Tsuu T'ina def. (12) Prince Rupert
(11) Ballantyne def. (6) Oxbow
(7) North Winnipeg def. (10) Pontiac
(9) Miramichi River def. (8) Petrolia Flyers (host)
Quarterfinals
(1) Uxbridge def. (13) Kainai - this one went to overtime though!
(11) Ballantyne def. (2) Saint-Hyacinthe
(3) St. Albert def. (9) Miramichi River
(5) Tsuu T'ina def. (7) North Winnipeg
Semifinals
(1) Uxbridge def. (11) Ballantyne
(5) Tsuu T'ina def. (3) St. Albert
Finals
(5) Tsuu T'ina def. (1) Uxbridge
Well how about that? The indigenous hot streak also applied to the Junior C! This time it was Calgary's Tsuu T'ina Jr. Blizzard, whose parent club plays Jr. B, that took the prize!
The former USA has four systems, of which only two - that of the New USA and Dakota - are considered Tier 1, that is, on par with Junior A. Although it was initially intended to have Mexico join the Cordillera system with Cascadia and Utah, they decided to do their own thing along the same wavelength as their football/soccer system, where their professional clubs have U21, U18, etc. teams, that play against each other. Unlike the parent clubs, these only play within Mexico.
Tier 1
The two Tier 1 leagues in the former USA are the New USA's New American Junior Hockey League Elite Division and the Dakotan Major Junior Hockey League. The champions of these two play against each other and the Centennial Cup winners for bragging rights, although there is no major trophy involved. The real prizes are the league titles.
The DMJHL's teams are the Bismarck Bobcats, the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, the Des Moines Buccaneers, the Dubuque Fighting Saints, the Fargo Force, the Independence Infantry, the Kansas City Jr. Cavalry, the Lincoln Stars, the Minnesota Wilderness (near Duluth), the Missoula Bruins, the Omaha Lancers, the Rapid City Jr. Rush, the Sioux City Musketeers, the Sioux Falls Stampede, the St. Cloud Norsemen, the St. Louis Jr. Blues, the St. Paul Saints, the Tri-City Storm (Kearney, NE), the Waterloo Black Hawks, and the Wichita Jr. Thunder. The Fargo Force were this year's champions.
As for the NAJHL Elite, they are the Boston Jr. Bruins, the Buffalo Jr. Sabres, the Chicago Steel, the Detroit Jr. Red Wings, the Green Bay Gamblers, the Indy Jr. Racers, the Lewiston Nordiques, the Madison Capitols, the Muskegon Lumberjacks, the New Jersey Aces (Atlantic City), the New York Americans, the Norfolk Commodores, the Ohio Blue Jackets (Columbus, OH), the Philadelphia Jr. Flyers, the Pittsburgh Jr. Penguins, the Washington Jr. Capitals, the Wilkes-Barre Knights, the Windsor Jr. Whalers, the Worcester Wolves, and the Youngstown Phantoms. Four of these teams (Detroit, Indy, Washington, and Windsor) are directly owned by NHL clubs, and another four (Boston, Buffalo, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh) have an affiliation deal that has resulted in players getting drafted by the NHL teams in later rounds as each team's way of contributing to homegrown hockey. But in any case, the two-time defending chams are the Muskegon Lumberjacks.
Tier 2
Still pretty small at this level. You get the top levels of the New Confederacy and the Cascadia-Utah collaboration Cordillera system, and the second levels of the New USA and Dakota.
The Cordillera Junior Elite Hockey League has one team owned by an ECHL franchise and a whole bunch of teams with NHL affiliate deals. They are the Anaheim Avalanche, the Arizona Coyotes (Metro Phoenix), the Baja Blizzard (Tijuana), the Bellingham Blazers, the Denver Jr. Avalanche, the Fresno Monsters, the Gillette Wild, the Idaho Jr. Steelheads, the Laramie Cowboys, the Las Vegas Thunderbirds, the Los Angeles Jr. Kings, the New Mexico Ice Wolves (in Albuquerque), the Pueblo Bulls, the Reno Rockets, the San Diego Sabers, the San Jose Jr. Sharks, the Seattle Jr. Kraken, the Utah Outliers (West Valley City), the Valencia Flyers, and the Wenatchee Wild. The 2021 champs are the Denver Jr. Avalanche, who have won three titles out of five overall.
The New Confederacy's top league is the New Confederate Major Junior Hockey League. They are the Atlanta Capitals, the Charleston Colonials, the Columbia Jr. Stingrays, the Corpus Christi IceRays, the El Paso Rhinos, the Fayetteville Fire, the recently renamed Fort Myers Eels, the Jacksonville Jets, the Louisville Broncos, the Mississippi Moccasins (Jackson, MS), the Nashville Jr. Predators, the Odessa Jackalopes, the Oklahoma City Blazers, the Piedmont Panthers (Greensboro, NC), the Raleigh Golden Bears, the Shreveport Mudbugs, the Tampa Bay Jr. Lightning, the Tuscaloosa Tigers, and the West Tennessee Wings (Jackson, TN). The Corpus Christi IceRays won the 2021 season in a thrilling seven-game series against the Jr. Preds.
The NAJHL's First Division (NAJHL-1 for short) includes the Boston Advantage, the Chippewa Steel (Chippewa Falls, WI), the Cincinnati Hurricanes, the Connecticut Jr. Rangers (Stamford), the Danbury Hat Tricks, the Delaware Devils (Wilmington), the Gary Blackhawks, the Islanders Hockey Club (Andover, Mass.), the Jamestown Rebels, the Janesville Jets, the Johnstown Tomahawks, the Manchester Jr. Monarchs, the Maryland Black Bears (Odenton), the New Jersey Titans (Middleton, near its parent club in Trenton), the North New Jersey Rockets (Bridgewater), the Northeast Generals (Attenborough, Mass.), the Philadelphia Hockey Club, the Springfield Blues (Illinois), the Twin City Thunder (Auburn, ME), the Utica Jr. Rangers, the Vermont Lumberjacks (Burlington), and the West Virginia Warriors (Charleston, WV). This years champs were Philadelphia HC.
The Dakotan Junior Hockey League is Dakota's second tier. It includes the Aberdeen Wings (ND), the Alexandria Blizzard (MN), the Ames Academics, the Austin Bruins (MN), the Bettendorf Blackhawks, the Bozeman Icedogs, the Brookings Bulldogs, the Des Moines Jr. Buccaneers (which are the B-team of the DMJHL club), the Grand Island Griffins, the Great Falls Patriots, the Hutchinson Broncos, the Minnesota Magicians (Twin Cities, just south of Minneapolis), the Minot Minotauros, the North Iowa Bulls (Mason City), the North Platte Locomotion, the Rochester Grizzlies, the St. Charles Saints, the (Lee's) Summit Storm, the Topeka Pilots, and the Williston Oilers. To nobody's great surprise, it was the Jr. Buccaneers that won this year, their third title in five seasons.
Tier 3
There are three times more leagues in Tier 3 than in the top two put together, which is intended to involve as many people as possible in the good ol' hockey game! The spread is as follows:
Cascadia - 5 leagues
Dakota - 4 leagues (including one with New USA teams)
New Confederacy - 4 leagues
New USA - 4 leagues
Utah - 1 league
The champions are bold in the following lists.
Cascadia and Utah (Cordillera)
Cascadia's five Tier 3 leagues are as follows:
- Pacific Northwest Junior Hockey League - Washington and Oregon
- Northern California Junior Hockey League - northern and central California
- Southern California Junior Hockey League - western SoCal and the Baja
- Desert Junior Hockey Conference - Inland SoCal, Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico
- Rocky Mountain Junior Hockey League - Idaho, Wyoming, and Colorado
PNJHL teams: Bellingham Jr. Bulldogs, Bend Junior Rattlers, Bremerton Sounders, Corvallis Crows, Cowlitz Cougars (Longview, WA), Eugene Generals, Grants Pass Rogues, Gresham Greens, Hermiston Coyotes, King County Jr. Thunderbirds (Metro Seattle, owned by the WHL's Seattle Thunderbirds), Klamath Cascades, McMinnville Monsters, Olympia Senators, Pierce County Rockets (Tacoma), Portland Jr. Winterhawks, Roseburg Raiders, Salem Capitals, Southern Oregon Spartans (Medford), Spokane Braves*, Tri-Cities Outlaws (Pasco, WA), Vancouver Voyageurs, Walla Walla Wasps, Wenatchee Wolves (B-team of the Wenatchee Wild), Whitman County Wings (Pullman, WA)
NCJHL teams: Bakersfield Jr. Condors, Butte County Blast (Chico), Fremont Falcons, Hayward Hawks, Mendocino Redwoods (Ukiah), Merced Maniacs, Modesto Marines, Northwest California Earthquakes (Eureka), Oakland Jr. Sharks, Redding Royals, Sacramento Capitals, Salinas Storm, San Francisco Sabercats, Santa Cruz Barracuda, Santa Rosa Serpents, Siskiyou County Volcanoes (Mount Shasta), Solano County Troop (Vacaville), Sonora Shock, Stockton Dockers, Tracy Rangers, Turlock Tigers, Visalia Vipers, Yolo County United HC (Woodland), Yuba City Yellowjackets
SCJHL teams: Carlsbad Surge, Coachella Valley Coyotes, East San Diego Jets, Ensenada Guerreros, Fontana Flames, Hemet Harriers, Imperial County Wanderers (El Centro), La Paz Tsunami, Lancaster-Palmdale Rattlers (Lancaster), Long Beach Jr. Ice Dogs, Marlines dos Cabos (San José del Cabo, BA), Mexicali Conquistadors, Oceanside Paladins, Ontario Jr. Reign, Pasadena Predators, Riverside Roadrunners, San Bernardino Scorpions, San Diego Jr. Gulls, San Fernando Valley Rockets (Burbank), Santa Ana Saints, Santa Barbara Surf, SLO Crusaders (San Luis Obispo), South Orange Sharks (Mission Viejo), Ventura County Bulls (Oxnard)
DJHC teams: Alamogordo Atomics, Barstow Brigade, Clovis Jets, Colorado Valley Deluge (Blythe, CA), Elko Prospectors, Farmington Frenzy, Flagstaff Jr. Freeze, Gallup Gladiators, Gila River Monsters (Sacaton, Gila River Nation, AZ), Havasu Lakers (Lake Havasu City), Henderson Hawks, Hobbs Oilers, Las Cruces Lions, Las Vegas Jr. Knights, Navajo Nation Eagles (Tuba City, Navajo Nation, AZ), Phoenix City Flames, Prescott Flock, Ridgecrest Earthquakes, Roswell Interstellars, Santa Fe Jr. Flames, Sierra Vista Vipers, Tahoe Tempest (Carson City, NV), Tucson Jr. Scorpions, Yuma Sun Devils
RMJHL teams: Boise Brigade, Boulder Bruins, Caldwell Cougars, Casper Jr. Crush, Cheyenne Jr. Shock, Coeur D’Alene Falcons, Colorado Springs Avalanche, Denver City Blades, Evanston Eagles, Fort Collins Battalion, Grand Junction Heat, Lewiston Arsenal (ID), Loveland Lions, Moscow Red Army, Nampa Eagles, Northern Colorado Eagles (Greeley, CO), Pocatello Jr. Pumas, Post Falls Patrol, Rexburg Roar, Riverton Coyotes, Sheridan Hawks, Snake River Strikers (Twin Falls, ID), Sweetwater County Saints (Rock Springs, WY), Yellowstone Quake (Cody, WY)
And the Utah Junior Hockey League has almost the same kind of system as Mexico, as 18 of the 24 teams are owned by a professional hockey franchise (17 by NAMPHA teams in the Utah Hockey League, and one by the ECHL's Utah Grizzlies) and a nineteenth has the same ownership as a pro team but is run as a separate company (the Ogden Mustangs). Only five teams both are separate entities and have separate ownership - they will be italicised: Box Elder County Bears (Brigham City), Carbon County Inferno (Price), Cedar City Jr. Saints, Grand County Rebels (Moab), Heber City Jr. Harriers, Herriman Jr. Hurricanes, Juab County Wild (Nephi), Layton Jr. Lions, Lehi Jr. Angels, Logan Jr. Ice Dogs, Murray Jr. Kings, Ogden Mustangs, Orem Jr. Badgers, Park City Jr. Predators, Provo Riverblades**, Roy Jr. Spiders, Salt Lake City Explorers, Sandy Jr. Storm, St. George Jr. Scorpions, Taylorsville Jr. Tigers, Tooele Jr. Tornadoes, Utah Jr. Grizzlies (West Valley City), Vernal Jr. Rattlers, West Jordan Jr. Wolves
The Taylor Plate tournament was played in Portland, Oregon, and this season's champs - by the narrowest of margins - were the Oakland Jr. Sharks, who clinched the title by beating the Spokane Braves in overtime.
* - due to political correctness issues in Cascadia, this name may be changed
** - The Osmond Family Hockey Consortium has made a bit to buy the Riverblades; he has said that if successful, the name will change to Jr. Vultures, to line it up with the NAMPHA/UtHL team of the same name.
Dakota
Dakota's four leagues line up like this:
- Minnesota State Junior Hockey League (you figure this out )
- North Plains Junior Hockey League (North and South Dakota, Montana, and a team in Moorhead, MN, representing Metro Fargo)
- Southern Dakota Junior Hockey League (Kansas, Nebraska, Capital Territory, and a team in Council Bluffs, IA, representing Metro Omaha)
- Iowa-Missouri Junior Hockey League (Iowa, Missouri, and a couple of teams in Illinois, New USA, within the extended metro area of St. Louis, MO)
NPJHL teams: Aberdeen Jr. Wings (B-team of DJHL club), Billings Blast, Bismarck Jr. Bobcats (B-team of DMJHL club), Bozeman Jr. Icedogs (B-team of DJHL club), Butte Cobras, Dickinson Dodgers, Fort Peck Falcons (Wolf Point, Fort Peck Nation, MT), Great Falls Jr. Patriots, Helena Bighorns, Kalispell Hunters, Mandan Mustangs, Minot Jr. Magic, Mitchell Bison, Moorhead Jr. Force (B-team of DMJHL's Fargo Force), Pierre Predators, Sioux Falls Jr. Stampede (B-team of DMJHL club), Watertown Wizards, West Fargo Whiteout, Williston Jr. Oilers (B-team of DJHL club), Yankton Yellowjackets
SDJHL teams: Bellevue Bulls, Columbus Explorers, Council Bluffs Stingers (IA), Dodge City Jr. Outlaws, Emporia Emperors, Fremont Fire (NE), Garden City Griffins, Hastings Hawks, Hays Academics, Junction City Jets, Kansas City Capitals, Lawrence Phoenix, Lenexa Laser, Lincoln Jr. Stars (B-team of DMJHL club), Manhattan Jr. Rangers, Norfolk Bison, Olathe Pioneers, Omaha Jr. Lancers (B-team of DMJHL club), Salina Jr. Stampede, Shawnee Horsemen
IMJHL teams: Adair County Jackrabbits (Kirksville, MO), Ankeny Aces, Blue Springs Bullets, Burlington Blast, Cape Girardeau Rivermen, Cedar Falls Freeze, Clinton Engineers, Columbia Jr. Academics, Davenport Dodgers, Des Moines Devils, East St. Louis Blues (Granite City, IL, New USA), Jefferson Jr. Jets (Jefferson City, MO), Marion Mystics, Marshalltown Thunder, Muscatine Steamrunners, O’Fallon Irishmen, Ottumwa Energy, Ozark Orange, Pettis County Panthers (Sedalia, MO), Phelps County Flyers (Rolla, MO), South Quad City Racers (Moline, IL, New USA), Springfield Cowboys (MO), St. Joseph Jr. Saints, St. Peters Angels
The four winners play for the Bill Masterton Memorial Cup in a strict double round-robin. The Blue Wings took it this year.
New Confederacy
The NewCons' four leagues are as follows:
- West Confederate Junior Hockey League - Oklahoma and Texas
- Inland South Junior Hockey League - Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, and one team in Southaven, Mississippi representing Metro Memphis
- Gulf States Junior Hockey League - Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, far south Georgia, and the Florida Panhandle
- South Atlantic Junior Hockey League - The Carolinas, most of Georgia, and Florida minus the Panhandle
WCJHL teams: Abilene Jets, Amarillo Jr. Rattlers, Arlington Tycoons, Austin Capitals, Beaumont Brigade, Bell County Bulldogs (Killeen, TX), Brazos Valley RoadRunners (College Station, TX), Brownsville Blast, Cherokee Chargers (Muskogee, OK), Dallas City Desperados, El Paso Electricos, Fort Worth Brahmas, Galveston Bay Gulls (League City, TX), Garland Generals, Houston Jr. Aeros, Lawton Storm, Legión de Laredo, Lubbock Jr. Lions, McAllen Jr. Monarchs, Mid-Cities Jr. Stars (Irving, TX), Norman Jr. Tornadoes, North Dallas Knights (Frisco, TX), Northwest Oklahoma Wheat Kings (Enid, OK), Osage Orange (Bartlesville, OK), Pasadena Panthers, Plano Snipers, Richland Hills Bulls (Fort Worth, TX), San Antonio Stampede, Stillwater Saints, Tulsa Jr. Oilers, Waco Wild, Wichita Falls Warriors
ISJHL teams: Bentonville-Rogers Big Red, Bowling Green Bulls, Chattanooga Jr. Chargers, Clarkesville Clash, Cleveland Barons (TN), Conway Cavaliers, East Tennessee Eagles (Johnson City, TN), Fort Smith Falcons, Franklin Freeze, Hopkinsville Hawks, Hot Springs Untouchables, Jonesboro Jets, Kingsport Kings, Knoxville Flames, Lexington Mustangs, Little Rock Jr. Predators, Louisville Broncos B (B-team of the NCMJHL team), Memphis Jr. River Kings (Southaven, MS), Murfreesboro Titans, Owensboro Otters, Pine Bluff Pioneers, South Cincinnati Steel (Covington-Newport, KY), Sumner County Predators (Gallatin, TN), Texarkana Frontiersmen (AK)
GSJHL teams: Albany Arsenal, Alexandria River Rats, Auburn-Opelika Reds (Auburn, AL), Baton Rouge Ragin’ Cajuns, Birmingham Jr. Bulls, Columbus Jr. Cottonmouths , Decatur Spirit, Dothan Demolition, Florence Fire, Gadsden Gladiators, Gulf Islands Gators (Mary Esther, FL), Gulfport Jr. Surge, Hattiesburg Hawks, Huntsville Jr. Havoc, Jackson Jets, Lafayette Drillers, Lake Charles Lakers, Meridian Magic, Mobile Makos, Monroe Commandoes, Montgomery Kings, Pensacola Jr. Ice Flyers, Tallahassee Torrent, Tupelo Tigers
SAJHL teams: Asheville Jr. Aces, Athens Phalanx, Atlanta Madhatters, Augusta Army, Cape Coral Blades, Charlotte Rush, Deltona Racers, Fayetteville Hurricanes, Gainesville Gators, Greenville Gulls, Jacksonville Marines, Lakeland Jets, Macon Jr. Mayhem (Warner Robins, GA), Miami Jr. Panthers, Orlando Solar Cubs, Palm Bay Pirates, Pee Dee Pride (Florence, SC), Savannah Surge, St. Petersburg Cossacks, Treasure Coast Travellers (Port St. Lucie, FL), Valdosta Valiants, West SC Jr. Swamp Rabbits (Spartanburg, SC), Wilmington Capers, Winston-Salem Jr. Thunderbirds
Turner Cup winners: Knoxville Flames.
Finally, the New USA, whose Tier 3 is regarded as the best of the four Old USA systems. Its four leagues:
- Central Seaboard Junior Hockey League - the entirety of New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware, plus southeastern Pennsylvania (Philadelphia/Delaware Valley) and New York City's metro area.
- New England Junior Hockey League - Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine
- Erie Junior Hockey League - the rest of New York, the vast majority of Pennsylvania, and all of Ohio and West Virginia
- Lake Michigan Junior Hockey League - Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin
Teams:
CSJHL: Aviator Hockey Club (Brooklyn, New York, NY), Baltimore Jr. Bruins, Capital Region Senators (Bethesda, MD), Essex County Rockets (Berkeley Hights, NJ; B-team of NAJHL's North New Jersey Rockets), Frederick Falcons, Hampton Roads Whalers (Chesapeake, VA), Long Beach Sharks, Long Island Jr. Islanders (Hauppauge, NY), Middletown Rovers (DE), New Jersey 87s (Middletown, NJ), New Jersey Jr. Titans (Middletown Township, NJ; B-team of NAJHL-1 club), New York Apple Core (Brewster, NY), Newark Surge, Philadelphia Hockey Club B (B-team of NAJHL-1 club, Sewell, NJ), Philadelphia Jr. Flyers B (B-team of NAJHL-Elite club), Philadelphia Revolution, Potomac Patriots (Woodbridge, VA), Richmond Generals, Rockland County Raiders (Ramapo, NY), Vineland Silverbacks, Wayne Hitmen, West Maryland Bears (Hagerstown, MD), Wilmington Wild, Yonkers Sabres
NEJHL: Bangor Breach, Bay State Bobcats (Holyoke, MA), Belknap County Wolves (Laconia, NH), Boston Advantage Premier (B-team of NAJHL-1 club), Boston Rangers (Tewksbury, MA), Bridgewater Bandits, Burlington Bruins, Cape Cod Jr. Oilers (Barnstable, MA), ***Connecticut Chiefs (Newington, CT), ****Connecticut Nighthawks (Simsbury, CT), Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks, East Coast Wizards (Bedford, MA), Fairfield County RoughRiders (Norwalk, CT), Islanders Hockey Club B (Tyngsborough, MA; B-team of NAJHL-1 club), Manchester Avalanche, Manchester Jr. Monarchs B (B-team of NAJHL-1 club), Marlborough Bruins, New England Knights (Raynham, MA), Northeast Generals B (Attleboro, MA; B-team of NAJHL-1 club), Northern Cyclones (Hudson, NH), Portland Jr. Mariners, Railers Jr. Hockey Club (Worcester, MA), Rutland Rangers, Seacoast Spartans (Exeter, NH), Seahawks Hockey Club (South Dennis, MA), South Shore Kings (Foxboro, MA), Springfield Pics, Stamford Rangers, Twin City Thunder B (Auburn, ME; B-team of NAJHL-1 club), Valley Jr. Warriors (Haverhill, MA), Walpole Express, York County Terriers (Sanford, ME)
EJHL: Akron Jr. Americans, Allentown Jr. Phantoms, Bethlehem Angels, Binghamton Bulls, Buffalo Thunder, Canton Jr. Kings, Cleveland Rock, Columbus Mavericks, Elmira Jr. Enforcers, Huntington Heat, Lake Erie Bighorns (Erie, PA), Lancaster Jr. Leafs, Lebanon Cedars, Morgantown Jr. Miners, Pittsburgh Vengeance, Rochester Rams, Scranton Stingers, Syracuse Speed, Toledo Jr. Walleye, Tri-Cities Capitals (Schenectady, NY), Utica Jr. Rangers B (B-team of the NAJHL-1 team), Wheeling Jr. Nailers, Wooster Oilers, York Skipjacks
LMJHL: Bloomington Jazz (IL), Chicago Cougars, Decatur Blaze, Dells Ducks (Lake Delton, WI), Detroit Fighting Irish, Evansville Hoosiers, Flint SC Fury, Fort Wayne Spacemen, Fox Valley Foxes (Appleton, WI), Grand Rapids Crusaders, Hudson Havoc, Kalamazoo Crunch, Kokomo Freeze, Lafayette Lightning, Lansing Wolves, Metro Jets (near Warren, MI), Midwest Blackbirds (Dyer, IN), Milwaukee Power, Motor City Hockey Club (Troy, MI), Oregon Tradesmen (Oregon, WI; first team is the B-team of the Janesville Jets, but all teams U-18 and under are run independently), Peoria Jr. Rivermen, Peoria Mustangs, Rockford Hawks, Saginaw Bay Kings (Midland, MI), South Bend Jr. Stars, South Illinois Speed (Marion, IL), Southeast Indiana Blazers (Columbus, IN), Upper Peninsula Leijonat (Marquette, MI), Urbana Jr. Pirates, Wausau RiverWolves, West Indiana Warriors (Bloomington, IN), Wisconsin Rapids Riverkings
The Chicago Cougars won the Mullen Cup, but every game in that round-robin was close.
***to be renamed New Britain Chiefs
****potentially to be renamed Hartford County Nighthawks
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(06-11-2022, 10:13 PM)Kyng Wrote: I love how [Abacab] has a track with a section named "Lurker", when the album title itself looks like Lurker's attempt to spell "Abacus" or something .
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