Hockey In Canada
Hockey Canada
Hockey Canada (formerly the Canadian Hockey Association) is the sole governing body for amateur hockey in Canada.
More than 4.5 million Canadians are involved with hockey in some capacity, with more than 1.5 million games and two million practices held every year in Canada in more than 2,500 arenas across the country.
Operating in cooperation with 13 regional branches located in each province and territory, Hockey Canada manages the sport in Canada from the entry level to the highest level of international competition, including the World Championships, World Junior Championships, the World Cup of Hockey and the Olympic Winter Games.
Hockey Canada operates regional Centres of Excellence across Canada, in partnership with Canadian-based NHL and AHL teams. The Centres of Excellence, located in Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal and Saint John, New Brunswick, run international and national coaching symposiums, as well as clinics for players, officials and parents that focus on skill development at the grass roots level.
Hockey Canada's High Performance program focuses on international teams and competitions in which Canada competes. Through evaluation camps held throughout the year, it identifies the top players in Canada at the Under-17, Under-18, and Under-20 levels and prepares these team's coaches and players for international competition.
Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS)
The CIS (formerly the Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union) serves as the governing body for university athletics in Canada. University hockey provides players with the opportunity to combine hockey and post-secondary academics. Players who have graduated from Canadian university hockey and continued on to play in the National Hockey League have, in most instances, attended university following their junior hockey careers. CIAU graduates who have played in the NHL in recent seasons include Steve Rucchin (U. of Western Ontario), Cory Cross (U. of Alberta) and P.J. Stock (St. Francis Xavier).
Junior A, Junior B, High Schools
Other draftees are scouted from high schools, Junior A and Junior B (under-20 years of age) leagues. These teams produce the majority of players who enter U.S. colleges and the CHL, however many players, including Andrew Cogliano (St. Michael’s Buzzers) and Kyle Turris (Burnaby Express – BCHL), have been drafted directly from these Junior leagues to the NHL.
Canadian Hockey League (CHL)
The largest hockey league in the world, the CHL consists of 58 member clubs in three leagues: the Western Hockey League (WHL), Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL).
Half (50.1%) of all players selected in the NHL Entry Draft have graduated from the CHL.
First formed in 1966, the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League was a seven-team league with teams in Alberta and Saskatchewan. A year later, the league expanded to include Manitoba, becoming the Western Hockey League. It later added British Columbia in 1971, covering all of Western Canada.
With similar leagues created in Quebec (QMJHL) in 1969 and Ontario (OMJHL) in 1974, it was proposed that the three leagues merge to become one league spanning from coast to coast. So, in 1975, the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League was formed, later named the Canadian Hockey League in 1987.
Beginning in 1992, the CHL has staged an annual Import Draft, allowing each CHL team to access the top junior aged European-born players. However, only two Europeans can appear on each team’s roster at any time.
Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
| Barrie |
London |
Peterborough |
| Belleville |
Mississauga-St. Michael's |
Plymouth |
| Brampton |
Niagara |
Saginaw |
| Erie |
Oshawa |
Sarnia |
| Guelph |
Ottawa |
Sault Ste. Marie |
| Kingston |
Owen Sound |
Sudbury |
| Kitchener |
|
Windsor |
The OHL consists of 20 teams playing out of four divisions. The majority of teams are based in Ontario, but there are also franchises in Michigan and Pennsylvania. Players enter the OHL through the annual priority draft, selecting the top players (16 years of age, plus provisions for “exceptional” 15-year-olds) from bantam and midget leagues, and the Junior A, B, C and D system. Since 1969, 1,893 OHL players have been selected to the NHL, including 35 during the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
| Acadie-Bathurst |
Halifax |
Rouyn-Noranda |
| Baie-Comeau |
Lewiston |
Saint John |
| Cape Breton |
Moncton |
St. John’s |
| Chicoutimi |
PEI |
Shawinigan |
| Drummondville |
Quebec |
Val d’Or |
| Kingston |
Owen Sound |
Sudbury |
| Gatineau |
Rimouski |
Victoriaville |
The QMJHL is made up up 18 teams divided into two divisions. Franchises are based in Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Maine. Players enter the QMJHL via an annual midget draft. Scouts from the QMJHL attend hockey games at all levels, from midget to Junior A. Players 16 years of age on or before December 31 from a territory including Quebec, Atlantic Canada and the Eastern United States, are eligible for claim. Since 1969, 925 players from the QMJHL have been selected in the NHL Entry Draft, including 25 in 2007.
Western Hockey League (WHL)
| Brandon |
Lethbridge |
Regina |
| Calgary |
Medicine Hat |
Saskatoon |
| Chilliwack |
Moose Jaw |
Seattle |
| Edmonton |
Portland |
Spokane |
| Everett |
Prince Albert |
Swift Current |
| Kamloops |
Prince George |
Tri-City |
| Kelowna |
Red Deer |
Vancouver |
| Kootenay |
|
|
Divided into four divisions, the WHL consists of 21 teams from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Washington and Oregon. Since 1990, the WHL has conducted an annual bantam draft, allowing teams to draft players who have finished their first season of bantam eligibility (14-15 yrs of age). Since 1969, 1,651 WHL players have been picked in the Entry Draft, including 37 during the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.