2018-19 Canadian Senior Season

This is the 2018-19 Canadian Senior Hockey Season.

2019 Allan Cup Qualifying
The 2019 Allan Cup was held at the Gary Moe Auto Group Sportsplex in Lacombe, Alberta hosted by the Lacombe Generals of Allan Cup Hockey West. Fifteen teams and one association registered at the Senior AAA level for 2018-19.

New Brunswick
The Elsipogtog Hawks won the 2017-18 North East Senior Hockey League Season playoffs and earned the right to represent the province in the 2019 Atlantic Region Allan Cup Qualifier. The team opted out of playing for the Allan Cup this year. A new team, the Haut-Madawaska Panthers, who are the defending champions of the Circuit de Hockey Senior Roger-Lizotte were announced as being the provincial representative and became the Atlantic Regional qualifier for the Allan Cup when Newfoundland withdrew.

Newfoundland and Labrador
Senior level ice hockey on the island of Newfoundland was in turmoil in 2017-18 and the province asked the defending Herder Memorial Trophy runner-up, the Clarenville Caribous to decline to participate in the 2018 Atlantic Region Allan Cup Qualifier after the Harbour Grace Cee Bee Stars who won the Herder announced they did not want to participate in Allan Cup qualifying. ''The winner of the 2018 Herder Memorial Trophy, the Clarenville Caribous would represent the province in the 2019 Atlantic Region Allan Cup Qualifier. A spot for a team was registered for Senior AAA by HNL but in late November it was announced that no team from the province would be participating for the Allan Cup. ''

Nova Scotia
No teams from Nova Scotia announced they would be participating at the Senior AAA level for 2018-19.

Prince Edward Island
No teams from Prince Edward Island announced they would be participating at the Senior AAA level for 2018-19.

Quebec (East) Region
The Quebec region has not had any teams commit to the Senior AAA level and attempt to compete for the Allan Cup since 2008. The Outaouais Senior A Hockey League begins play with the 2018-19 season. The league has stated it would like to compete for the Allan Cup within the first couple of years and eventually host the tournament sometime in the not to distant future. The Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey is a semi-professional league and its teams are ineligible for Allan Cup play. Despite the name, the Ligue de Hockey Senior AAA du Quebec no teams in the league are registered at the Senior AAA level.

Ontario (Central Region)
Due to a lack of a team being registered in the Hockey Eastern Ontario and Hockey Northwestern Ontario regions, the Stoney Creek Generals as champion of the 2018-19 Allan Cup Hockey season playoffs qualifies for the 2019 Allan Cup as the Central Region representative.

Hockey Eastern Ontario
The greater Ottawa area has not participated in Allan Cup qualifying for many years. Traditionally, they would play the winner of the Allan Cup Hockey playoffs for the OHF championship, with the winner of that series playing the Hockey Northwestern Ontario champion for the Central Region spot in the Allan Cup.

Ontario Hockey Association
The only registered Senior AAA teams in the OHA region were the four active members of Allan Cup Hockey (Dundas Real McCoys, Hamilton Steelhawks, Stoney Creek Generals, and Whitby Dunlops). The league champion traditionally advances to provincial playoffs first against any other qualifying teams in the Ontario Hockey Federation (which also includes Hockey Eastern Ontario) and then against the Hockey Northwestern Ontario champion in the Renwick Cup and the region's spot in the Allan Cup. During the off-season the Brantford Blast owner announced he put the team up for sale and the team will be out for the 2018-19 season.

Hockey Northwestern Ontario
No teams from the Hockey Northwestern Ontario region announced they would be participating at the Senior AAA level for 2018-19.

Manitoba
The Ile des Chenes North Stars, Norway House Bruins, Ste. Anne Aces and South East Prairie Thunder were confirmed as playing at the Senior AAA level for 2018-19.

The Ile des Chenes North Stars withdrew in mid-January. Norway House and Ste. Anne met in a best-of-three over the Feb 16-18 weekend in Ste-Anne. The winner played South East is a best-of-three series for the provincial championship (the Patton Cup).

A decision was announced in mid-February that the unused Quebec spot would be awarded to the Western region. Based on this the South East Prairie Thunder as Pattison Cup champions advance directly to the 2019 Allan Cup.

Saskatchewan
The Rosetown Redwings are the only registered team at the Senior AAA level in the province of Saskatchewan for 2018-19

The Bethune Bulldogs have announced they are not participating at the Senior AAA level for 2018-19. With it being announced that the unused Quebec spot going to the region the Rathgaber Cup will not be needed and the Rosetown Redwings advance to the 2019 Allan Cup.

Alberta
The Lacombe Generals qualify for the 2019 Allan Cup as the host team.

There were originally three other teams registered at the Senior AAA level but the Fort Saskatchewan Chiefs withdrew from play on October 31, 2018.

The remaining two Alberta-based members of Allan Cup Hockey West met in a semifinal playoff series in the Alberta Senior AAA playoffs to determine the Pacific Region spot in the 2019 Allan Cup.

British Columbia
The Kelowna Sparta were announced as being registered in late August. They would have become the first team to qualify for the 2019 Allan Cup as they would be the Pacific region representative due to there being no Quebec teams participating in the tournament and that spot would go to the Alberta champion negating the need for the McKenzie Cup series to determine the Pacific Region qualifying team. In early January the team announced that they would not be participating in the event.

note: traditionally, teams from the Yukon have played under the sanctioning of the British Columbia Amateur Hockey Association and there are no teams are registered for this year.

Allan Cup Qualifiers
Due to a lack of entries from the Eastern region (Quebec) and no entry from British Columbia; none of the regional qualifiers will be needed,

Regional

 * McKenzie Cup (Pacific Region Qualifier: Alberta-British Columbia) was not needed as due to lack of a British Columbia entry
 * Rathgaber Cup (Western Region Qualifier: (Manitoba-Saskatchewan) was not needed due to the Western Region being awarded the unused Quebec (Eastern Region) spot in the Allan Cup
 * Renwick Cup (Central Region Qualifier: (Ontario) (ACH champ (OHF representative) vs Hockey Northwestern Ontario representative) The tournament wasn't needed as no teams are registered in the HNO region and then would give the 2018-19 ACH Season playoffs champions a bid to the Allan Cup Tournament
 * Quebec Allan Cup Qualifier no Quebec teams are registered, traditionally, the spot goes to host Branch-which in 2019 would be Alberta; but spots were awarded to both Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
 * Atlantic Region Allan Cup Qualifier wasn't needed as Newfoundland did not participate in the qualifying for this year due to reorganization of senior hockey in the province as well as PEI and Nova Scotia won't be having any teams playing at the Senior AAA level.

Provincial

 * 2018-19 Allan Cup Hockey season (de facto Ontario Hockey Federation qualifier)
 * 2019 Alberta Senior AAA Playoffs (due to Rosetown Red Wings competing in Allan Cup Hockey West league playoffs a separate provincial playoff was held as opposed to the traditional league playoffs doubling as the provincial playoffs since the league has had all of the Senior AAA teams in the province and the Lacombe Generals hosting the 2019 Allan Cup)
 * 2018 Herder Memorial Trophy (Newfoundland and Labrador Senior provincial championship) (defending Herder champs Clarenville Caribous.
 * 2019 Manitoba Senior AAA Hockey Playoffs Four teams were registered at the Senior AAA level for 2018-19.  The Ile des Chênes North Stars would later withdraw from qualifying.
 * 2019 Saskatchewan Senior AAA Playoffs (wasn't needed as Rosetown is the only registered team).
 * 2019 Savage Cup (BC Provincial championship) wasn't needed as one team has registered at the Senior AAA level in the province, and that team had withdrawn from competition.

Senior AAA Leagues
There were two leagues in Canada where all of the members are registered at the Senior AAA level for 2018-19 (the Ontario based Allan Cup Hockey and the Alberta based (with one team from Saskatchewan) Allan Cup Hockey West.


 * 2018-19 ACH Season
 * 2018-19 ACHW Season

Senior AA/Senior A
Many leagues play with a mix of teams from both levels.

Newfoundland and Labrador
Senior hockey in the province is in a state of transition, as the Avalon East Senior Hockey League closed down for 2017-18; as all but one member left for the East Coast Senior Hockey League; and the Central/West Senior Hockey League was down to three teams. The Newfoundland West Coast Senior Hockey League just played its first full season. The remaining member of the AESHL tried to get a league together for the season but was unable to get approval from Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador to have the league sanctioned at a level to be eligible to compete in the 2018 Herder Memorial Trophy tournament.

A plan was proposed to have the Harbour Grace Cee Bee Stars join the CWSHL for the 2018-19 season. The proposal would link the province's three Senior hockey leagues with some sort of interlocking play. The line up of the CWSHL and ECSHL seem to be set at this point but the interlocking schedules may still be up in the air as of the end of August.

Proposals for the 2019 Herder Memorial Trophy will apparently be either a home and home round robin series involving the three league playoff champions, or it may also be a six team set up with two teams qualifying from each of the three leagues playing in two pools of three in a round robin held over one weekend in St. John's. HNL is hoping to have the details worked out at the Annual General Meeting being held September 14-16, 2018. As of the end of the meetings the previous format may still be used having the CWSHL and ECSHL champions meeting for the Herder.

Sometime during the week of September 23-29, 2018 the Harbour Grace Cee Bee Stars had apparently pulled out of the CWSHL and the other three teams decided it was not worth playing and may have ended the CWSHL for good. This has yet to be confirmed by the league or by any of the three remaining teams as the three teams websites, facebook and twitter pages have all been notably silent for a few weeks while this has been ongoing.

A new plan announced on October 1st has the Clarenville Caribous joining the ECSHL, Harbour Grace sitting out the season, Gander and Grand Falls making up the CWSHL and playing each other 8-10 times as well as playing one game home and away against each of the ECSHL teams.

A final plan was made that created the latest incarnation of the Newfoundland Senior Hockey League.  The remaining two teams from the Central/West Senior Hockey League and the five members of the East Coast Senior Hockey League came together to form the new league.


 * 2018-19 Central Newfoundland Hockey League Season (Intermediate)
 * 2018-19 Newfoundland Senior Hockey League Season
 * 2018-19 Newfoundland West Coast Senior Hockey League Season

Nova Scotia

 * No leagues

New Brunswick

 * 2018-19 Circuit de Hockey Senior Roger-Lizotte Season
 * 2018-19 Ligue de Hockey Senior Acadie-Chaleur season

The North East Senior Hockey League website appears to indicate the league has possibly ceased operations as all that appears on the screen is "THANK YOU". Apparently, there is interest from a 4th team to join the NESHL. A decision on the league will be made on September 20th according to an article in on the Acadie-Nouvelle newspaper website.

Prince Edward Island
2018-19 West Prince Senior Hockey League season

Quebec
Hockey Mauricie is looking to form a Senior A league with players aged 21-25. As of a posting on August 16, 2018 it appears seven communities have expressed an interest in joining this proposed league. The region's league became the Ligue de Hockey Senior AAA du Quebec for 2017-18.


 * 2018-19 Laval Senior A Hockey League Season
 * 2018-19 Ligue de Hockey Cote-Sud season
 * 2018-19 Ligue de Hockey Senior AAA du Quebec season (despite the name there are no teams competing for the 2019 Allan Cup)
 * 2018-19 Ligue de Hockey Senior du Richelieu season
 * 2018-19 Ligue de Hockey Senior du Lac-au-Fleuve season
 * 2018-19 Ligue Regionale de Hockey season
 * 2018-19 OSAHL Season

Ontario

 * 2018-19 WOAA Senior Season

Manitoba
The league champions, a host, and a wildcard team advance to the 2019 Manitoba Cup, which is the provincial Senior A Playoffs.


 * 2018-19 Carillon Senior Hockey League Season
 * 2018-19 North Central Hockey League Season
 * 2018-19 South Eastern Manitoba Hockey League Season
 * 2018-19 Tiger Hills Hockey League Season

Saskatchewan
The Saskatchewan Hockey Association holds provincial playoffs separate of the league playoffs. There are four class champions (A (Henderson Cup), B (Yorkton Terrier Trophy), C (Jack Abbott Memorial Trophy), and D (J.W. Hamilton Trophy). Classification is based on community population).

The Beaver Lakes Hockey League appears to have folded when being down to four remaining teams from 2017-18 when the Meadow Lake Broncos leave the league for the Sask/Alta Senior Hockey League for 2018-19.


 * 2018-19 Big Six Hockey League Season
 * 2018-19 Fort Carlton Hockey League Season
 * 2018-19 Highway Hockey League Season
 * 2018-19 Long Lake Hockey League Season
 * 2018-19 Notekeu Hockey League Season
 * 2018-19 Qu'Appelle Valley Hockey League Season
 * 2018-19 Saskatchewan Prairie Hockey League Season
 * 2018-19 Sask Valley Hockey League Season
 * 2018-19 Sask West Hockey League Season
 * 2018-19 Triangle Hockey League Season
 * 2018-19 Twin Rivers Senior Hockey League Season
 * 2018-19 Wheatland Hockey League Season
 * 2018-19 White Mud Hockey League Season

note: The Sask/Alta Senior Hockey League has teams that are based in Saskatchewan but the furthest advancing Alberta based team advances to the Alberta Senior AA playoffs.

Alberta
The league champions as well as a host team qualify for the 2019 Alberta Senior AA playoffs. The North Peace Hockey League champion did not participate in the 2018 Alberta Senior AA playoffs. The East Central Senior Hockey League has yet to participate in any of the provincial playoffs No word if either team will participate in the 2019 event.


 * 2018-19 East Central Senior Hockey League Season
 * 2018-19 North Central Hockey League (Alberta) Season
 * 2018-19 North Peace Hockey League Season
 * 2018-19 Ranchland Hockey League Season
 * 2018-19 Sask/Alta Senior Hockey League Season

British Columbia
BC only has one league that plays completely within its borders. However, the North Peace Hockey League has teams from BC and Alberta. The NPHL champion qualifies for the Alberta Senior AA/A Provincial tournament. But the two BC based teams are having a best-of-three series in mid-January to determine a participant in the 2019 Coy Cup. The West Coast Senior AA Hockey League appears not to be operating for the 2018-19 season as the Kelowna Sparta have jumped to Senior AAA and the other three teams from 2017-18 have not posted any updated information for 2018-19  and eventually dropping out of the 2019 Allan Cup.


 * 2018-19 Central Interior Hockey League Season

The British Columbia Men's senior "AA" championship for the province is called the Coy Cup. The 2019 Coy Cup will be held March 26-30, 2019 at the North Peace Arena in Fort St. John.

Yukon
No teams, they traditionally play under the authority of BC Hockey.

Northwest Territories
No leagues

Nunavut

 * 2018-19 Iqaluit Senior Hockey League season
 * 2018-19 Rankin Inlet Senior Hockey League season