2017-18 CPJHL Season

This is the 2017-18 Canadian Premier Junior Hockey League season. This is the league's second season.

Membership Changes

 * During March 2017, the league announced an expansion team based out of the Coldwater & District Community Centre in Coldwater, Ontario that will be known as the Coldwater Ice Wolves


 * The Norwood Nemesis announced they were moving to Cobourg, Ontario and being renamed the Cobourg Galaxy.  The team was scheduled to be based out of the Cobourg Community Centre. The team would end up playing out of the Baltimore Recreation Centre.


 * The league revoked the membership of the Almonte Jr. Sharpshooters and the O-town Rebels for unspecified reasons.  The Sharpshooters would jump to the National College Prospects Hockey League and replace their developmental team, the Ottawa Sharpshooters in that league.


 * In late April the league announced the addition of the Bracebridge Pioneers who will be based out of the Bracebridge Memorial Arena and the Creemore Barley Kings who will be based out of the Creemore Community Centre and Arena.   The Glengarry Highlanders moved to Smiths Falls and were renamed the Smiths Falls Settlers.


 * On May 25, 2017 the league announced the addition of the Madawaska Valley Falcons based out of Barry's Bay, Ontario.  The team will be based out of the Paul J Yakabuski Community Centre.


 * On June 22, 2017 the league tweeted that there would be one more expansion team for 2017-18 (and to stay tuned).  The Peel Region WYMIA (Where Your Mouth is Athletics) Royals were announced on June 27th and the team would play games in both Milton and Mississauga.   By the time the schedule was released the team would be called the Brampton Royals and would be based out out the South Fletcher's Sportsplex.


 * The Creemore Barley Kings were removed from the league website on July 5, 2017 with a tweet posted stating that the team would not participate in the 2017-18 season.


 * Upon the collapse of the National College Prospects Hockey League in mid-September of 2017 the league added its four stable teams with the addition of  the Almonte Jr. Sharpshooters, Lake Erie Eagles, Maniwaki Mustangs, and Eastern Ontario Hockey Academy Wolves on September 18, 2017.  The Brampton Royals would be merged with the Grey Highlands Hawks prior to the begin of play.  The team's head coach had posted on his facebook page that he had resigned as head coach and that he would instead be coaching the Madawaska Valley Falcons.


 * On September 23, 2017 the league removed the Muskoka Wild from the league for the 2017-18 season. Apparently the team's coaching staff was offering player discounted playing fees to get a full roster unbeknownst to the team's owner who would have been stuck covering tens of thousands of dollars in losses.


 * On November 8, 2017 The Madawaska Valley Falcons were removed from the league for according to league president Stepane Laveault "The Falcons have some good players, but simply weren’t competitive enough for our league to see the players properly develop,  The team stated it was hoping to return for the 2018-19 season."
 * The Cobourg Galaxy were removed from the league on November 16, 2017 for a similar reason to the Madawaska Valley Falcons.
 * The Almonte Jr. Sharpshooters and the Eastern Ontario Hockey Academy were both removed from the league after the end of the league season due to both teams violating roster rules (both teams had the same owner and players were transferred to the EOHA team from the Sharpshooters for the Division semifinal series resulting in the forfeiture of the series and subsequent removal from the league.  The Sharpshooters were then announced as joining the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League for the 2018-19 season as the Ottawa Sharpshooters.

East Division
Madawaska Valley was removed from the league in early November. This was their record at that time.

Format
On February 26, the league announced that the fourth and fifth place teams in each division meet in a sudden death game in the first round. However, the Almonte Jr. Sharpshooters are not participating in the playoffs after finishing fifth in the East Division. The first place team plays the first round game winner and the 2nd place team plays the 3rd place team  meet in the best-of-three division semifinals. The winner meet in the best-of-three division final. The division champions meet in the best-of-three league final.

Smiths Falls-EOHA Division Semifinal Series
The Smiths Falls Settlers were awarded game 3 in their series with the Eastern Ontario Hockey Academy. The EOHA team did not schedule the game in a timely manner. The team also used players from the Almonte Jr. Sharpshooters (who were also owned by the same person) in the first two games of the series which was against a directive issued by the league. The league commissioner stated that the issue would be addressed at the league meeting to be held in the spring. Both of the offending teams were removed from the league after the playoffs.

First Round

 * Seaforth Generals defeated Grey Highlands Hawks 5-4

East Division Semifinals

 * Maniwaki Mustangs defeated Lake Erie Eagles 2 games to none
 * Smiths Falls Settlers defeated Eastern Ontario Hockey Academy 2 games to 1

West Division Semifinals

 * Essa Stallions defeated Seaforth Generals 2 games to none
 * Bracebridge Pioneers defeated Coldwater Ice Wolves 2 games to none

East Division Final

 * Smiths Falls Settlers defeated Maniwaki Mustangs 2 games to 1

West Division Final

 * Essa Stallions defeated Bracebridge Pioneers 2 games to 1

Final

 * Essa Stallions defeated Smiths Falls Settlers 2 games to none