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The Eastern Ontario Junior Hockey League (known as the Central Canada Hockey League Tier 2 from 2015 to 2020) is a Canadian Junior ice hockey league operating in eastern Ontario. The league is sanctioned by the Ottawa District Hockey Association and Hockey Canada. The 16 member team of the league compete for the D. Arnold Carson Memorial Trophy.
History[]
The EOJHL was founded in 1966 as the Ottawa Valley Junior "B" Hockey League. Through mergers with the Upper Ottawa Valley Junior "B" Hockey League, Rideau-St. Lawrence Junior B Hockey League, and the St. Lawrence Junior B Hockey League, and the folding of the Lanark-Renfrew Junior "C" Hockey League, the league had grown to 22 different teams. The EOJHL was the biggest Junior "B" league in all of Canada and is the only Junior "B" league in the Ottawa District Hockey Association. With a new affilation with the Central Canada Hockey League in place for the 2015-16 season the league was renamed the Central Canada Hockey League Tier 2 and as part of this arangement the league dropped down to 16 teams with 3 teams folding and 3 teams joining other Junior leagues in the area
The EOJHL was broken up into two traditional conferences that operated separately of each other. Each conference had two divisions. Each conference had its own president and each one operates under variable rules allowed by the ODHA. Each division played off to declare its own champion, after which the four champion teams would play-off for the Metro/Valley Championship and Rideau/St. Lawrence Championship. The winner of these two championships would playoff in a best-of-7 series for the D. Arnold Carson Memorial Trophy, the EOJHL crown. The Metro Division champion had gone on to win the last seven EOJHL championships, when the St. Lawrence Division's Alexandria Glens broke the streak in 2007.
In the playoffs, the Shawville Pontiacs and Gatineau Mustangs were both eligible to compete in Hockey Quebec's Coupe Dodge Junior "AA" Championships. Gatineau was the host of the 2006 Coupe Dodge. Both teams were out of the league after the realignment in 2015.
In 2007, the Kemptville 73's moved from the EOJHL to the Central Junior A Hockey League. A season later, the EOJHL sold their franchise rights to the then-owners of the Casselman Stars of the Eastern Ontario Junior C Hockey League and then town of Casselman, Ontario. The new team, the Casselman Vikings, will begin play in the 2008-09 season.
In 2009, the Carleton Place Kings left the league to join the Central Junior A Hockey League, they were replaced by the new Almonte Thunder. In late May 2009, the league dropped the Junior "B" designation from its name, becoming the Eastern Ontario Junior Hockey League.
In 2014, the league participated in the Don Johnson Memorial Cup for the first and apparently only time as the tournament was relabeled as the eastern Canada Junior B championship from the Atlantic Canada Junior B championship. Arnprior, Ontario was originally selected to host the 2015 Don Johnson Memorial Cup but the tournament was re-awarded to Tyne Valley, Prince Edward Island and the league champion did not participate in the tournament
In the early part of 2015 the league reportedly worked out affiliation agreement with the teams of the Central Canada Hockey League. The Junior Hockey News website ran an article on April 15th reporting the changes but stated the leagues will hold off on the announcement until the end of the playoffs. The affilation agreement lead to the league being renamed the Central Canada Hockey League Tier 2 and the dropping of six teams from the league (Gananoque Islanders, Akwesasne Wolves, Morrisburg Lions, Almonte Thunder, Shawville Pontiacs, and the Gatineau Mustangs.) The Gananoque Islanders were reported (as of April 16, 2015) to be joining the Empire Junior C Hockey League The teams remaining in the league with this arrangement were the Ottawa West Golden Knights, Ottawa Junior Canadians, Clarence Creek Castors, Metcalfe Jets, Stittsville Rams, Renfrew Timberwolves, Perth Blue Wings, Arnprior Packers, Casselman Vikings, Winchester Hawks, Char-Lan Rebels and the Alexandria Glens.The structure of the two leagues will be similar in theory with the North American Hockey League and their feeder leagues (North American 3 Hockey League and the North American 3 Eastern Hockey League).
On June 8, 2020 the league announced it was reverting to the Eastern Ontario Junior Hockey League name.[1]
Teams[]
| Martin Division | ||||||||||
| Team | Centre | Arena | Founded | |||||||
| Alexandria Glens | Alexandria | Billy Gebbie Arena | 1967 | |||||||
| Casselman Vikings | Casselman | Complexe J.R. Brisson | 2008 | |||||||
| Char-Lan Rebels | Williamstown | Charlottenburgh Recreation Centre | 1979 | |||||||
| Embrun Panthers | Embrun | Embrun Arena | 1972 | |||||||
| Ottawa Jr. Canadians | Kanata | Earl Armstrong Arena | 1973 | |||||||
| Ottawa West Golden Knights | Ottawa | Barbara Ann Scott Arena | 1983 | |||||||
| Richmond Royals | Richmond | Richmond Memorial Community Centre | 1968 | |||||||
| Winchester Hawks | Winchester | Winchester Community Centre | 1971 | |||||||
| Richardson Division | ||||||||||
| Team | Centre | Arena | Founded | |||||||
| Arnprior Packers | Arnprior | Nick Smith Centre | 1965 | |||||||
| Athens Aeros | Athens | Centre 76 Arena | 1968 | |||||||
| Carleton Place Jr. Canadians | Carleton Place | Carleton Place Arena | 1980 | |||||||
| Perth Blue Wings | Perth | Perth & District Community Centre | 1936 | |||||||
| Renfrew Timberwolves | Renfrew | Ma-Te-Way Arena | 1987 | |||||||
| Smiths Falls Jr. Bears | Smiths Falls | Smiths Falls Youth Arena | 2022* (1967) | |||||||
D. Arnold Carson Memorial Trophy Champions[]
Alexandria Glens with Carson Trophy (2007)
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Other Notable Awards[]
- Gill Trophy Awarded to Rideau Division Playoff Champions
- Alex English Trophy Awarded to St. Lawrence Division Playoff Champions
- Ottawa Nepean Sportsplex Trophy Awarded to Metro Division Playoff Champions
- Carl Foley Trophy Awarded to Valley Division Playoff Champions
- Don Valcour Trophy Awarded to Rideau/St. Lawrence Conference Playoff Champions
- Dwaine Barkley Trophy Awarded to Metro/Valley Conference Playoff Champions
Former Member Teams[]
- Carleton Place Kings (joined Central Canada Hockey League in 2009)
- Kemptville 73's (joined Central Canada Hockey League in 2007)
- Navan Grads (joined Central Canada Hockey League in 1991)
- St. Isidore Eagles (joined Eastern Ontario Junior C Hockey League in 2001)
- Spencerville Bruins
- Prescott Falcons
- Cardinal Spencerville Combines
The following teams were dropped when the league became an affilitate of the Central Canada Hockey League:
- Gananoque Islanders (joined the Empire B Junior C Hockey League for 2015-16)
- Akwesasne Wolves (folded in 2015 realignment)
- Morrisburg Lions (joined National Capital Junior Hockey League for 2015-16)
- Almonte Thunder (folded in 2015 realignment)
- Shawville Pontiacs (folded in 2015 realignment)
- Gatineau Mustangs (joined Empire B Junior C Hockey League for 2015-16)