2016-17 Canadian Senior Season

This is the 2016-17 Canadian Senior Hockey Season.

2017 Senior AAA/Allan Cup Qualifying
There are 20 teams that are registered at the Senior AAA level in Canada and thus eligible to compete for the Allan Cup.

The 2017 Allan Cup will be held in Bouctouche, New Brunswick.

Newfoundland and Labrador

 * The Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts qualified for the 2017 Atlantic Region qualifier by virtue of winning the 2016 Herder Memorial Trophy (Newfoundland's Senior Hockey Championhip) Due to Quebec not having any teams registered at the Senior AAA level; the Grand Falls-Windsor Cataracts qualify for the Allan Cup as the Atlantic Region Representative.  

New Brunswick

 * The Bouctouche JCs qualify for the Allan Cup as host.
 * The Elsipogtog Hawks, Lameque Au Ptit Mousse, and Restigouche North Vikings are all members of the North East Senior Hockey League (as well as the Bouctouche JCs).  The league held a separate playoff for the Allan Cup qualifying spot in late December.  Elsipogtog defeated Restigouche in the semifinal and then Lameque defeated Elsipogtog in the final.  The Lameque Au Ptit Mousse qualify for the Allan Cup in the Quebec spot.  Elsipogtog and Restigouche had elvevated to Senior AAA as the Allan Cup is being hosted in New Brunswick this year.

Prince Edward Island

 * A team from Montague, Prince Edward Island joined the New Brunswick based North East Senior Hockey League for the 2016-17 season.  The team is known as the Montague Stallions.  Most of the league is registered at the Senior AAA level, but the Stallions are not playing at the Senior AAA level despite what an article in the Guardian newspaper stated.  The team wanted to get a season under its' belt before jumping to the Senior AAA level.

Nova Scotia

 * There are no teams competing at the Senior AAA level this year from the province of Nova Scotia

Quebec
No Quebec teams are registered at the Senior AAA level for the 2016-17 season. Traditionally, when a region does not have any qualifying teams the spot goes to a team from the host branch (New Brunswick).

Ontario

 * The only registered Senior AAA teams in the province are the six members of Allan Cup Hockey (Brantford Blast. Dundas Real McCoys, Hamilton Steelhawks, Stoney Creek Generals, Thorold Athletics, and Whitby Dunlops).  The league champion tradionally 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 playoff champion of Allan Cup Hockey, the Stoney Creek Generals qualifies for the Allan Cup.

Western Region
The Rathgaber Cup is the final qualifier for the region's berth in the Allan Cup tournament. The Rathgaber Cup matched up the champions of Manitoba and Saskatchewan in a best-of-five series. The series was scheduled March 24th to March 26th at the Max Bell Centre and the Seven Oaks Arena. The South East Prairie Thunder won the series 3 games to none over the Rosetown Red Wings. The Rathgaber Cup champion; South East Prairie Thunder qualifies for the Allan Cup.

Manitoba

 * Manitoba has two teams registered at the Senior AAA level; the Ile des Chênes North Stars and the South East Prairie Thunder.  The two teams met in a best-of-five series to determine the province's representative (and Pattison Cup champion) in the Rathgaber Cup for the Western Region berth in the Allan Cup.  The series was won by the South East Prairie Thunder 3 games to none to advance to the 2017 Rathgaber Cup.

Saskatchewan

 * The Rosetown Red Wings are the only Senior AAA registered team in the province.  They will meet the winner of the Manitoba Senior AAA playoff for a berth in the Allan Cup.  The Red Wings are playing in the Alberta-based Chinook Hockey League for the 2016-17 season but will qualify for the Allan Cup separate of that league's playoffs.

Pacific Region
The McKenzie Cup is final qualifier for the region's berth in the Allan Cup tournament. The Mckenzie Cup matches up the champions of Alberta and British Columbia in a best-of-three series. However, the two British Columbia entries withdrew from qualifying earlier in the season. The Chinook Hockey League champion Lacombe Generals qualified for the Allan Cup.

Alberta

 * The only four registered teams at the Senior AAA level are four (Fort Saskatchewan Chiefs, Innisfail Eagles, Lacombe Generals, and the Stony Plain Eagles) of the five members of the Chinook Hockey League.  The fifth team (Rosetown Red Wings) is also registered at Senior AAA but they are from the province of Saskatchewan and will qualify for the Allan Cup from that province and not participate in the league playoffs, which will also double as the provincial championship and qualifier for the McKenzie Cup.  The playoff champion were to advance to the McKenzie Cup which would have been a best-of-three series against the British Columbia provincial champion, however both Senior AAA teams from BC dropped out in January now the CHL's playoff champion Lacombe Generals qualify for the Allan Cup as the Pacific Region representative.

British Columbia
note: traditionally, teams from the Yukon have played under the sactioning of the British Columbia Amateur Hockey Association and there are no teams are registered for this year.
 * There are only two teams registered at the Senior AAA level in British Columbia  The Powell River Regals and the newly formed West Coast Heat were to complete for the provincial championship (the Savage Cup) and a spot in the McKenzie Cup.  The two teams would drop out of contention for the Allan Cup in January as the province's Senior AA championship (Coy Cup) would be scheduled for the same weekend and both teams had too many players already committed to the Coy Cup.

Senior AAA Leagues

 * 2016-17 Allan Cup Hockey Season
 * 2016-17 Chinook Hockey League Season
 * 2016-17 North East Senior Hockey League Season

Regional

 * 2017 McKenzie Cup (Pacific Region Qualifier: BC-AB)
 * 2017 Rathgaber Cup (Western Region Qualifier (MB-SK)
 * 2017 Renwick Cup (Ontario Qualifier) Not held due to only teams registered being in one league
 * 2017 Quebec Allan Cup Qualifier Not held due to no teams participating at level
 * 2017 Atlantic Region Allan Cup Qualifier Not held due to teams qualfying prior to need for tournament

Provincial

 * 2016-17 Allan Cup Hockey season (de facto Ontario Hockey Federation qualifier)
 * 2016-17 Chinook Hockey League season (de facto Alberta qualifier)
 * 2016 Herder Memorial Trophy (Newfoundland and Labrador provincial championship)
 * 2017 Manitoba Senior AAA Hockey Playoffs
 * 2016-17 North East Senior Hockey League Season (New Brunswick Allan Cup Qualifier held during season)

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

Newfoundland and Labrador
The two league champions meet for the 2017 Herder Memorial Trophy and the province's spot in the 2018 Atlantic region qualifying tournament for the Allan Cup (if there are any other team's Senior "AAA" registered in the region). Long time senior hockey team the Gander Flyers announced they would possibly fold in late January 2017 reducing the CWSHL to just two teams and putting the long term survival of the league into question. Around the same time reports surfaced of an amateur senior league being organized and starting starting up on the west coast of the island with four teams for the 2017-18 season but the league moved up to play an abbreviated schedule for a March to early April 2017 season.


 * 2016-17 Avalon East Sr Hockey League Season
 * 2016-17 Central West Senior Hockey League Season
 * 2016-17 Newfoundland West Coast Senior Hockey League Season

Nova Scotia

 * No leagues

New Brunswick

 * 2016-17 Circuit de Hockey Senior Roger-Lizotte Season
 * 2016-17 Ligue de Hockey Senior Acadie-Chaleur season
 * 2016-17 North East Senior Hockey League Season

Prince Edward Island
The West Prince Senior Hockey League debuts in January. One senior team plays in New Brunswick's NESHL


 * 2016-17 West Prince Senior Hockey League season

Quebec

 * 2016-17 Laval Senior A Hockey League season
 * 2016-17 Ligue de Hockey Cote-Sud season
 * 2016-17 Ligue de Hockey Senior A de la Mauricie season
 * 2016-17 Ligue de Hockey Senior du Richelieu season
 * 2016-17 Ligue Regionale de Hockey season

Ontario

 * 2016-17 WOAA Senior Season

Manitoba
The league champions and a wildcard team advance to the 2017 Manitoba Senior A Hockey Playoffs for the Manitoba Cup

The North West Senior Hockey League was formed as a new league

The Manitoba Senior Hockey League announced they would not be playing in 2016-17 on October 12th
 * 2016-17 Carillon Senior Hockey League Season
 * 2016-17 North Central Hockey League Season
 * 2016-17 North West Senior Hockey League Season
 * 2016-17 South Eastern Manitoba Hockey League Season
 * 2016-17 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).

Neither the Fishing Lake Senior Hockey League and North Saskatchewan River Hockey League return after not playing during the 2015-16 season.

The Twin Rivers Senior Hockey League is created for the 2016-17 season note: The Sask/Alta Senior Hockey League had teams that are based in Saskatchewan but the league champion of that league will advance to the Alberta Senior AA/A playoffs.
 * 2016-17 Beaver Lakes Hockey League Season
 * 2016-17 Big Six Hockey League Season
 * 2016-17 Fort Carlton Hockey League Season
 * 2016-17 Highway Hockey League Season
 * 2016-17 Long Lake Hockey League Season
 * 2016-17 Notekeu Hockey League Season
 * 2016-17 Qu'Appelle Valley Hockey League Season
 * 2016-17 Saskatchewan Prairie Hockey League Season
 * 2016-17 Sask Valley Hockey League Season
 * 2016-17 Sask West Hockey League Season
 * 2016-17 Triangle Hockey League Season
 * 2016-17 Twin Rivers Senior Hockey League Season
 * 2016-17 Wheatland Hockey League Season
 * 2016-17 White Mud Hockey League Season

Alberta
The league champions as well as a host team qualified for the 2017 Alberta Senior AA playoffs. The East Central Senior Hockey League andd North Peace Hockey League do not participate in the tournament.
 * 2016-17 East Central Senior Hockey League Season
 * 2016-17 North Central Hockey League (Alberta) Season
 * 2016-17 North Peace Hockey League Season
 * 2016-17 Ranchland Hockey League Season
 * 2016-17 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. The on and off West Coast Senior Hockey League returned the previous year with 2 teams, The Powell River Regals, and the North Island Capitals. The Capitals share their home games between the towns of Port McNeill, and Port Hardy. The league expanded for the 2016-17 season with the addition of the South Island Knights, based out of Chaimainus.
 * 2016-17 Central Interior Hockey League Season
 * 2016-17 West Coast Senior Hockey League Season

The British Columbia Men's senior "AA" championship for the province is called the Coy Cup. The 2017 Coy Cup was held in Whitehorse, Yukon and be hosted by the Whitehorse Huskies.

Yukon
In past years (and this year) teams from the Yukon (which play under the authority of BC Hockey) have also played for the Coy Cup. The 2017 Coy Cup was held in Whitehorse, Yukon and be hosted by the Whitehorse Huskies.

Northwest Territories
No leagues

Nunavut

 * 2016-17 Iqaluit Senior Hockey League season
 * 2016-17 Rankin Inlet Senior Hockey League season