 | |
| Formerly | Manitoba Junior B Hockey League |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1974 |
| No. of teams | 5 |
| Most recent champion(s) | Peguis Juniors (2024) |
| Official website | Keystone Jr.ca |
| Related competitions | Keystone Cup, Baldy Northcott Trophy |
The Keystone Junior Hockey League (KJHL) is a Junior B hockey league operating in the Canadian province of Manitoba. The league plays under the sanction of Hockey Manitoba, in affiliation with Hockey Canada. The league champion is awarded the Baldy Northcott Trophy and represents Manitoba at the Western Canada Junior B Championship for the Keystone Cup.
The league started in the seventies as the Manitoba Junior B Hockey League, changing to the current name in 2004.
Until the 2017-18 season, the KJHL consisted of 10 teams, with each playing 34 games during the regular season. All teams make the playoffs. Teams finishing 4th and 5th in each division, playoff in a best-of-three survivor series to determine playoff seeding. Winners then move on to the regular playoff format, which are an elimination tournament consisting of 3 rounds. Best-of-five division semifinals, best-of-seven division final, and league championship, with the winner becoming the KJHL, Manitoba, and Baldy Northcott Trophy champions.
Break-up and formation of CRJHL[]
After the 2017-18 season, the five southern teams in the league withdrew to form the Capital Region Junior Hockey League citing travel distance in light of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash a few months earlier and the expense of travel to the remote northern teams, which was refuted by the remaining members who stated they had been subsidizing travel for the southern teams.
Due to the animosity over the break-up of the league there was no Baldy Northcott Trophy competition for the 2018-19 season and the KJHL had two of its teams compete in the 2019 Keystone Cup, which had already been reformatted when teams from BC, Alberta, and Saskatchewan opted out of the tournament, against two members of the Lakehead Junior Hockey League. The CRJHL did not send any representatives to the event either.
Rebuilding Membership[]
The league would add the Nelson House, Manitoba-based NCN Flames for the 2019-20 season. The Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation youth hockey programme had grown to the point where they felt it was time to add a junior B team to its' offerings.[1] The team was hoped to have been originally starting with the 2018-19 season but it did not happen and the team was accepted for the 2019-20 season.
The Fisher River Hawks are hoped to be returning to the league for the 2019-20 season after sitting out the 2018-19 season, a decision should be announced by July 1st, 2019.
Teams[]
Champions[]
Keystone Junior Hockey League
Baldy Northcott Trophy: Manitoba Provincial Champion
Manitoba Junior B Hockey League
Carillon Cup: Champion advanced to Provncial Playoffs for the Baldy Northcott Trophy.
Timeline of Teams[]
| Team | Years | Entry | Exited |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arborg Ice Dawgs | 2006 | Expansion | Withdrew |
| Beausejour Comets | 1984-96 | Expansion | Withdrew |
| 1980-83 | North East Comets | Withdrew | |
| Brandon Stingers | 1991-99 | Expansion | Withdrew |
| Carberry Plainsmen | 1989-92 | Expansion | Withdrew |
| Carman Knights | 1998-00 | Expansion | Withdrew |
| Central Plains Feathermen | 1994-95 | Expansion | Withdrew |
| Cross Lake Islanders | 2015 | Expansion | Active |
| 2006-10 | Expansion | Withdrew | |
| Ebb & Flow Flyers | 2002-03 | Expansion | Withdrew |
| 1998-00 | Expansion | Withdrew | |
| Elm Creek Blues | 1976-77 | Expansion | Withdrew |
| Fisher River Hawks | 2014-18 | Expansion | On Hiatus |
| Gimli Vikings | 1978-98 | Expansion | Withdrew |
| Gimli Wolves | 1974-77 | Inaugural Member | Withdrew |
| Keewatin Canucks | 1982-84 | Expansion | Withdrew |
| Lorette Roadrunners | 1986-87 | Expansion | Withdrew |
| Lundar Falcons | 2010-18 | Expansion | Withdrew |
| NCN Flames (KJHL) | 2019- | Expansion | Active |
| North East Comets | 1975-80 | Expansion | Beausejour Comets |
| North Interlake United | 1986-94 | Expansion | Withdrew |
| North Winnipeg Satelites | 1981-18 | Expansion | Withdrew |
| Norway House North Stars | 2004 | transfer NJHL | Active |
| Oak Bluff Raiders | 1986-90 | Expansion | Withdrew |
| OCN Storm | 2012 | Expansion | Active |
| Peguis Juniors | 2009 | Two Nations River Hawks | Active |
| 1994-06 | Expansion | Two Nations River Hawks | |
| Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation Selects | 2022-24 | Exapansion | On Hiatus |
| Pine Creek Warriors | 1999-00 | Expansion | Withdrew |
| Pineview Saints | 1983-85 | Expansion | Withdrew |
| 1980-82 | Expansion | Withdrew | |
| Portage Terriers | 1974-82 | Inaugural Member | Withdrew |
| Red River Rockets | 1989-94 | Expansion | Withdrew |
| River Heights Cardinals | 1978-80 | Expansion | Withdrew |
| Sagkeeng Braves | 1994-97 | Expansion | Withdrew |
| Sagkeeng Hawks | 2010-11 | Expansion | Withdrew |
| 2001-08 | Expansion | Withdrew | |
| Sanford Titans | 2008-10 | Expansion | Withdrew |
| Selkirk Fishermen | 1974-18 | Inaugural Member | Withdrew |
| Souris Elks | 1993-96 | Expansion | Withdrew |
| Ste. Anne Aces | 1991-93 | Expansion | Withdrew |
| St. Boniface Saints | 1984-90 | Expansion | Withdrew |
| St. Boniface Seals | 2008 | Winnipeg Saints | Withdrew |
| 1998-05 | Expansion | Winnipeg Saints | |
| St. Claude Knights | 2000-03 | Expansion | Withdrew |
| 1996-98 | Expansion | Withdrew | |
| 1986-92 | Expansion | Withdrew | |
| 1981-84 | Expansion | Withdrew | |
| St. Malo Warriors | 1994-18 | Expansion | Withdrew |
| Ste. Rose Royals | 2012-13 | Expansion | Withdrew |
| 1992-94 | Expansion | Withdrew | |
| Steinbach Millers | 1981-83 | Expansion | Withdrew |
| 1974-79 | Inaugural Member | Withdrew | |
| Stonewall Jets | 1997-01 | Expansion | Withdrew |
| Transcona Railers | 1976-82 | Expansion | Withdrew |
| Two Nations River Hawks | 2006-09 | Peguis Juniors | Peguis Juniors |
| Winnipeg Saints | 2005-08 | St. Boniface Seals | St. Boniface Seals |
| Waywayseecappo Wild | 2023-2024 | Expansion | On Hiatus for 2024-25 |
See Also[]
References[]
| Leagues competing for the Keystone Cup | |
|---|---|
| British Columbia (former) | Kootenay International Junior Hockey League · Pacific International Junior Hockey League · Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League |
| Alberta (former) | Calgary Junior Hockey League · Capital Junior Hockey League · Heritage Junior B Hockey League · North Eastern Alberta Junior B Hockey League · North West Junior Hockey League |
| Saskatchewan (former) | Prairie Junior Hockey League |
| Manitoba | Capital Region Junior Hockey League · Keystone Junior Hockey League |
| Ontario | Lakehead Junior Hockey League |
| Cyclone Taylor Cup · Russ Barnes Trophy · Athol Murray Trophy · Baldy Northcott Trophy · William Ryan Trophy · Hockey Canada | |