2017-18 Canadian Senior Season

This is the 2017-18 Canadian Senior Hockey Season.

2018_Allan_Cup_Logo.jpgtic Region
Due to the defending Herder Memorial Trophy champions not participating at the Senior AAA level the runner-up for the Herder were to take their place. The  Atlantic Regional qualifying event was to be a round robin tournament held in Bouctouche, New Brunswick January 25-28, 2018 involving the Clarenville Caribous, Elsipogtog Hawks, and Montague Stallions. The top two teams from the round robin would play a single game for the Allan Cup berth on January 28th. But with the Clarenville Caribous withdrawal from the event it has been changed to a best-of-three series to be held January 26-28 between Montague and Elsipogtog.The winner of this series was to advance to the 2018 Allan Cup as the Atlantic Region representative, however; with the folding of the Montague Stallions in December of 2017 the Elsipogtog Hawks qualify for the 2018 Allan Cup as the Atlantic Region representative.

Newfoundland and Labrador
By winning the 2017 Herder Memorial Trophy, The Harbour Grace Cee Bee Stars earned the right to represent the province for the 2018 Atlantic Region Allan Cup Qualifier. However, the team declined to compete at the Senior AAA level for 2017-18. However, both the Clarenville Caribous and the Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts have both registered Senior AAA for the 2017-18 season. Based on the Central/West Senior Hockey League actually playing for the 2017-18 season the Clarenville Caribous would have been the provincial representative at the Atlantic Regional qualifying tournament in January 2018. However, it was announced that Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador had requested that the Clarenville Caribous not attend the Allan Cup qualifiers so that the leagues and the province would not be in a situation that would shorten the league and provincial playoffs which would cause the teams to lose money and make it so the teams were worse off financially. Due to the remoteness of the province from the rest of Canada it would be just about as expensive to travel to New Brunswick as it would be to travel to Saskatchewan. The province is therefor not having any teams participate in qualifying for the 2018 Allan Cup.

Prince Edward Island
The Montague Stallions have confirmed they will compete at the Senior AAA level for the 2017-18 season. They are a member of the New Brunswick based North East Senior Hockey League. The Stallions are the provincial representative for Allan Cup qualifying. The team withdrew from  the NESHL and Allan Cup qualifying in mid-December.

New Brunswick
The North East Senior Hockey League decided to do a similar method as Newfoundland and Labrador has been doing with the previous season provincial champion representing the province in Allan Cup qualifying. The Elsipogtog Hawks lost in the finals on the league playoffs for 2016-17 to the Montague Stallions who can not qualify for the Allan Cup via New Brunswick's playoffs. So the Elsipogtog Hawks will be the province's representative for the 2018 Atlantic Region Allan Cup Qualifier.

Nova Scotia
No team from Nova Scotia has registered at the Senior AAA level for 2017-18

Quebec (East) Region
The Quebec region has not had any teams commit to the Senior AAA level for 2017-18. The Laval Senior A Hockey League is the highest level Senior league in the province. The Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey is a semi-professional league and its teams are ineligible for Allan Cup play. The region's spot in the Allan Cup traditionally goes to the host branch; which this year is Saskatchewan.

Ontario Hockey Association
The only registered Senior AAA teams in the OHA region are the five active members of Allan Cup Hockey (Brantford Blast. 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 and then against the Hockey Northwestern Ontario champion in the Renwick Cup and the regions spot in the Allan Cup. The winner of the Allan Cup Hockey playoffs was to play the Kenora Thistles for the Renwick Cup and to advance to the 2018 Allan Cup. With the Thistles folding in late September now the 2017-18 Allan Cup Hockey playoff champion Stoney Creek Generals advance directly to the 2018 Allan Cup as the Central region representative.

Hockey Northwestern Ontario
The Kenora Thistles were supposed to return to play after sitting out the past two seasons. They were to play the champion of the Allan Cup Hockey playoffs for the Renwick Cup and a spot in the 2018 Allan Cup. However, the Thistles folded in late September and will not compete.

Manitoba
The Ile des Chenes North Stars and South East Prairie Thunder have confirmed they are playing at the Senior AAA level for 2017-18. '''The South East Prairie Thunder defeated the Ile des Chenes North Stars  3 games to none. The South East Prairie Thunder as provincial champion qualify for the 2018 Allan Cup as Western region representative''' as the two Saskatchewan Senior AAA teams qualify as the host team and the other in an unused Quebec spot.

Saskatchewan
The Rosetown Red Wings qualify for the 2018 Allan Cup as host team.

The Bethune Bulldogs have announced they are participating at the Senior AAA level for 2017-18. '''The Bethune Bulldogs qualify for the 2018 Allan Cup via the unused Quebec spot. ''' The Saskatchewan Hockey Association is still scheduled to have a provincial tournament to determine the Province's Senior AAA champion.

Alberta
The four Alberta based members of the newly renamed Allan Cup Hockey West (formerly the Chinook Hockey League)  are all registered at the Senior AAA level for 2017-18. A fifth member of the league the Rosetown Red Wings are indicating they will participate in the league playoffs this year (unlike 2016-17) which will create the need for a separate set of playoffs for the provincial championship and a spot in the McKenzie Cup against the British Columbia representative. The 2018 ACHW league playoffs will be a one weekend single elimination tournament while the provincial playoffs will be a two round best-of seven tournament for the Pacific Region spot in the 2018 Allan Cup which was won by the Lacombe Generals.

British Columbia
The West Coast Heat have been reported to have registered at the Senior AAA level in the province, it would later be announced that they would not be playing at the Senior AAA level for 2017-18. The Powell River Regals were registered at Senior AAA last year but did not for 2017-18.

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.



Regional
Based on the current circumstances only two of the five final qualifiers will be needed to determine qualifiers for the tournament
 * 2018 McKenzie Cup (Pacific Region Qualifier: AB-BC) won't be needed as no BC teams are registered
 * 2018 Rathgaber Cup (Western Region Qualifier (MB-SK) won't be needed as no Quebec teams are registered and the Bethune Bulldogs qualify in the unused Quebec spot and the Manitoba champion qualifies in the Western Region spot.
 * 2018 Renwick Cup (Ontario Qualifier) (ACH champ (OHF representative) vs Kenora) The tournament won't be needed as the Kenora Thistles folded in late September of 2017.
 * 2018 Quebec Allan Cup Qualifier (no Quebec teams registered, spot goes to host Branch-Saskatchewan)
 * 2018 Atlantic Region Allan Cup Qualifier (Bolton Cup)

Provincial

 * 2017-18 Allan Cup Hockey season (de facto Ontario Hockey Federation qualifier)
 * 2018 Alberta Senior AAA Playoffs (due to Rosetown Red Wings competing in Allan Cup Hockey West league playoffs a separate provincial playoff will be 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)
 * 2017 Herder Memorial Trophy (Newfoundland and Labrador Senior provincial championship) (defending Herder champs Harbour Grace Cee Bee Stars declining to participate at Senior AAA level, and eventually Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador announced that no one would represent the province in the 2018 Allan Cup qualifying due to chaos in senior hockey in the province)
 * 2018 Manitoba Senior AAA Hockey Playoffs
 * 2018 Saskatchewan Senior AAA Playoffs (won't be needed for the Allan Cup berth but likely to be held anyway)
 * 2018 Savage Cup (BC Provincial championship) won't be held as No registered teams in province.
 * 2016-17 North East Senior Hockey League Season (Hockey New Brunswick decided to have furthest advancing NB team from previous season to be provincial representative.

Senior AAA Leagues
There are two leagues in Canada where all of the members are registered at the Senior AAA level for 2017-18 (the Ontario based Allan Cup Hockey and the Alberta based Allan Cup Hockey West which was renamed from the Chinook Hockey League prior to the 2017-18 season.
 * 2017-18 Allan Cup Hockey Season
 * 2017-18 Allan Cup Hockey West Season

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

Newfoundland and Labrador
Based on the 2016-17 season; the two league champions (AESHL and CWSHL) would be scheduled to meet for the 2018 Herder Memorial Trophy and the province's spot in the 2019 Atlantic region qualifying tournament for the Allan Cup (if there are any other team's Senior "AAA" registered in the Atlantic region). However, the defending Herder champion declined to register at the Senior AAA level and will not participate in the 2018 Atlantic region qualifying tournament for the Allan Cup.

Senior hockey in the province is unstable at this point as the Central/West Senior Hockey League is down to three teams, the Avalon East Senior Hockey League was down to one team after four members withdrew and  formed another league among themselves called the East Coast Senior Hockey League. The Newfoundland West Coast Senior Hockey League announced they will not be participating for the Herder Memorial Trophy in 2018.The CWSHL needed to have interlocking play with the ECSHL to make a schedule practical for the teams as each ECSHL team is playing one game against the CWSHL teams at the CWSHL teams rinks. Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador granted the AESHL Senior B status for the season which would render the defending provincial champions ineligible to defend their championship.


 * 2017-18 Avalon East Sr Hockey League Season (league season cancelled in late October)
 * 2017-18 Central West Senior Hockey League Season
 * 2017-18 East Coast Senior Hockey League Season
 * 2017-18 Newfoundland West Coast Senior Hockey League Season

Nova Scotia

 * No leagues

New Brunswick
The NESHL playoff champions, the Elsipogtog Hawks will represent the province at the Atlantic region qualifying for the 2019 Allan Cup
 * 2017-18 North East Senior Hockey League Season
 * 2017-18 Ligue de Hockey Senior Acadie-Chaleur season
 * 2017-18 Circuit de Hockey Senior Roger-Lizotte Season

Prince Edward Island

 * One senior team played in New Brunswick's NESHL until folding during the season


 * 2017-18 West Prince Senior Hockey League season

Quebec

 * 2017-18 Laval Senior A Hockey League season
 * 2017-18 Ligue de Hockey Cote-Sud season
 * 2017-18 Ligue de Hockey Senior du Lac-au-Fleuve season
 * 2017-18 Ligue de Hockey Senior du Richelieu season
 * 2017-18 Ligue de Hockey Senior AAA du Quebec season
 * 2017-18 Ligue Regionale de Hockey season

In April of 2018 the  Outaouais Senior A Hockey League was announced to begin play for the 2018-19 season.

Ontario

 * 2017-18 WOAA Senior Season

Manitoba
The league champions and a wildcard team advance to the 2018 Manitoba Cup, which is the provincial Senior A Playoffs.


 * 2017-18 Carillon Senior Hockey League Season
 * 2017-18 North Central Hockey League Season
 * 2017-18 North West Senior Hockey League Season (league will not play for 2017-18 season due to only having four teams)
 * 2017-18 South Eastern Manitoba Hockey League Season
 * 2017-18 Tiger Hills Hockey League Season

Saskatchewan
The Saskatchewan Hockey Association holds provincal playoffs seperate 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). note: The Sask/Alta Senior Hockey League had teams that are based in Saskatchewan but the league champion advanced to the Alberta Senior AA/A playoffs.
 * 2017-18 Beaver Lakes Hockey League Season
 * 2017-18 Big Six Hockey League Season
 * 2017-18 Fort Carlton Hockey League Season
 * 2017-18 Highway Hockey League Season
 * 2017-18 Long Lake Hockey League Season
 * 2017-18 Notekeu Hockey League Season
 * 2017-18 Qu'Appelle Valley Hockey League Season
 * 2017-18 Saskatchewan Prairie Hockey League Season
 * 2017-18 Sask Valley Hockey League Season
 * 2017-18 Sask West Hockey League Season
 * 2017-18 Triangle Hockey League Season
 * 2017-18 Twin Rivers Senior Hockey League Season
 * 2017-18 Wheatland Hockey League Season
 * 2017-18 White Mud Hockey League Season

Alberta
The league champions as well as a host team qualify for the 2018 Alberta Senior AA playoffs. The North Peace Hockey League champion did not participate in the 2017 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 2018 event.
 * 2017-18 East Central Senior Hockey League Season
 * 2017-18 North Central Hockey League (Alberta) Season
 * 2017-18 North Peace Hockey League Season
 * 2017-18 Ranchland Hockey League Season
 * 2017-18 Sask/Alta Senior Hockey League Season

British Columbia
BC only has two leagues 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 2018 Coy Cup. The British Columbia Men's senior "AA" championship for the province is called the Coy Cup. The 2018 Coy Cup will be held March 27-31, 2018 at the Cariboo Memorial Recreation Complex in Williams Lake, British Columbia. The defending Coy Cup champions, the Whitehorse Huskies announced in late October that they would not be able to compete this season as many players had other commitments that would prevent them from playing this season.
 * 2017-18 Central Interior Hockey League Season
 * 2017-18 West Coast Senior Hockey League Season

Yukon
In past years teams from the Yukon (which play under the authority of BC Hockey) have also played for the Coy Cup. The defending Coy Cup champions, the Whitehorse Huskies announced in late October that they would not be able to compete this season as many players had other commitments that would prevent them from playing this season.

Northwest Territories
No leagues

Nunavut

 * 2017-18 Iqaluit Senior Hockey League season
 * 2017-18 Rankin Inlet Senior Hockey League season