Northern Ontario Junior Hockey Association

=History=

In 1962 the Sault Ste. Marie Thunderbirds of the Eastern Professional Hockey League were moved to Syracuse, New York. The league itself had only one more season to play and then the Sudbury Wolves would fold.

To fill the void in the region a top-notch junior league was formed. For too long local players had moved south to the Ontario Hockey Association's junior teams. Now they would have somewhere to play near home.

The league was eligible for the Memorial Cup until 1971, when it was not promoted to Major Junior status. Instead it played for the Centennial Cup as a Junior A league. The league folded in 1972 when Sault Ste. Marie and Sudbury fled the league and joined the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League. The remaining teams joined the NOHA Junior B Hockey League.

=Champions=


 * 1962-63 Espanola Eagles
 * 1963-64 North Bay Trappers
 * 1964-65 Garson-Falconbridge Native Sons
 * 1965-66 North Bay Trappers
 * 1966-67 Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
 * 1967-68 North Bay Trappers
 * 1968-69 Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
 * 1969-70 Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
 * 1970-71 Sudbury Wolves
 * 1971-72 Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds

=List of Seasons=


 * 1962-63 NOJHA Season
 * 1963-64 NOJHA Season
 * 1964-65 NOJHA Season
 * 1965-66 NOJHA Season
 * 1966-67 NOJHA Season
 * 1967-68 NOJHA Season
 * 1968-69 NOJHA Season
 * 1969-70 NOJHA Season
 * 1970-71 NOJHA Season
 * 1971-72 NOJHA Season

=Franchise Histories= Espanola Eagles (1962-1971) dropped to NOHA Junior B

Garson-Falconbridge Native Sons (1962-1965) renamed Combines

North Bay Trappers (1962-1972) joined Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League

Sault Ste. Marie (ON) Greyhounds (1962-1972) joined Ontario Major Junior Hockey League

Sault Ste. Marie (MI) Realtors (1962-1964) folded

Sudbury (Cub) Wolves (1962-1972) joined Ontario Major Junior Hockey League

Garson-Falconbridge Combines (1965-1969) moved to Chelmsford; renamed Canadiens

Chelmsford Canadiens (1969-1972) dropped to NOHA Junior B

=Note= Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League became the residential Junior A league in 1978, after being promoted from Junior B.