
Mowat Cup
The Mowat Cup is emblematic of the Junior "A" ice hockey Championship of British Columbia (BC).
The cup was donated to the British Columbia Amateur Hockey Association by Mr. John Mowat of Victoria, BC, for competition in the 1927-28 hockey season.
In past years, junior teams in BC played in various regional leagues, including the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League, Pacific Coast Junior Hockey League, and Rocky Mountain Junior Hockey League. Various formats for Mowat Cup competition usually saw the champions of these regional leagues compete for the Mowat Cup.
Since 1999, the Mowat Cup has been exclusive to the province-wide Junior "A" British Columbia Hockey League. But with that league withdrawing from the sanctioning of BC Hockey and Hockey Canada between 2021 and 2023, they would no longer be competing for the Mowat Cup. The three Junior B leagues; the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League, the Pacific Junior Hockey League, and the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League in the province were elevated to to Junior A Tier-II and the three leagues would become eligible to compete for the Mowat Cup.
Until 2012, the winner of the Mowat Cup moved on to play the Alberta Champions for the Doyle Cup. The Doyle Cup and the Anavet Cup were replaced starting in 2013 with the Western Canada Cup. The Doyle Cup was restored in 2018 as the Pacific regional championship.
History[]
1927-28 ---The first competition for the Cup was limited to a one game affair, as more ice time was not available. Fernie defeated Ex-King George in Vancouver. Fernie had won the right to play in the final, having defeated Armstrong 17-1, Salmon Arm 16-4, and Revelstoke 7-1
1931-32 ---The Trail Smoke Eaters won their first of 22 Mowat Cups over a run of 29 seasons. They defeated Merritt in Trail.
1943-44 ---Trail won the Mowat Cup title, then the Western Canada finals, only to be defeated by the Oshawa Generals for the National Championship
1961-62 ---Marked the initial year of the Okanagan-Mainline Junior "A" Hockey League and as their champions the Kamloops Rockets defeated the Trail Smoke Eaters in two straight games for the title.
1962-63 ---Saw the last Mowat Cup victory for the Trail Smoke Eaters, at that time the champions of the Kootenay Junior Hockey League, as they defeated the New Westmister Royals of the Pacific Coast Junior Hockey League.
1967-68 ---The British Columbia Junior A Hockey League (BCJHL) was formed when New Westmister Royals and Victoria Cougars of the Pacific Coast Junior Hockey League joined the four team Okanagan Junior Hockey League. The Penticton Broncos won the Mowat Cup in that first year.
1980-81 ---Marked the inaugural season in which the BCJHL played the Peace Cariboo Junior Hockey League for the Mowat Cup. The Penticton Knights (BCJHL) defeated the Prince George Spruce Kings (PCJHL) two straight in the best of three, 3-0 and 5-1.
1985-86 ---The Penticton Knights became the first ever B.C. team to win the National Title as they defeated Prince George for the Mowat Cup, Calgary for the Doyle Cup, Winnipeg for the Abbott Cup and then won the Centennial Cup Tournament with a final win over host Cole Harbour.
1986-87 ---The Richmond Sockeyes followed the Penticton lead defeating Quesnel Millionaires (PCJHL) for the Mowat Cup', Red Deer Rustlers (AJHL)for the Doyle Cup, Humboldt Broncos for the Abbott Cup and winning the Centennial Cup with a final win over host Humboldt.
1989-90 ---The Series was changed to the best of five for the first time. The New Westminster Royals (BCJHL) defeated Prince George Spruce Kings (PCJHL) in three straight.7-4, 8-5, 7-4. In the Centennial Cup, hosted by Vernon, the Vernon Lakers defeated New Westminster for the National Title with a come-from-behind 6-5 overtime win.
1991-92 ---The Vernon Lakers (BCJHL) defeated Prince George Spruce Kings of the newly formed Rocky Mountain Junior Hockey League in three straight. 5-1,7-5 and 5-2, for the 4th in five years.
2023-24 --- With the British Columbia Hockey League withdrawing from Hockey Canada and BC Hockey the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League, the Pacific Junior Hockey League, and the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League compete for the Mowat Cup. This is likely to be a one or two year occurrence as the ground work is being laid for a new Junior A league in the province made up of some of the teams from the three former Junior B leagues and teams possibly withdrawing from the BCHL and applying for reinstatement within Hockey Canada and BC Hockey. New teams are also a possibility for the new league.
Champions[]
Memorial Cup Competition Era[]
- 1928 Fernie (Roy Kirkpatrick)
- 1929 Nelson (Maple Leafs ??)
- 1930 Vancouver Ex-King George
- 1931 Vancouver Ex-King George
- 1932 Trail Smoke Eaters, (R.E. Wilson)
- 1933 Trail Smoke Eaters, (William 'Scotty' Ross)
- 1934 Trail Smoke Eaters, (William 'Scotty' Ross)
- 1935 Vancouver Ex-King George
- 1936 Trail Smoke Eaters (Steve Matovich)
- 1937 Trail Smoke Eaters (Steve Matovich)
- 1938 Trail Smoke Eaters (Steve Matovich)
- 1939 Trail Smoke Eaters (William 'Scotty' Ross)
- 1940 Trail Smoke Eaters (William 'Scotty' Ross)
- 1941 No Competition
- 1942 No Competition
- 1943 Trail Smoke Eaters (Gerry Thompson)
- 1944 Trail Smoke Eaters (Gerry Thompson)
- 1945 No Competition
- 1946 Nanaimo Clippers (Walter 'Bus' Matthews)
- 1947 Trail Jr. Smoke Eaters (Gerry Thomson)
- 1948 Trail Jr. Smoke Eaters (Hedley Marshall)
- 1949 Trail Jr. Smoke Eaters (Jimmy Anderson)
- 1950 Trail Jr. Smoke Eaters (Jimmy Anderson)
- 1951 Trail Jr. Smoke Eaters (Ron Gardiner)
- 1952 Trail Jr. Smoke Eaters (Jimmy Anderson)
- 1953 Vernon Juniors (Bud Anderson)
- 1954 Trail Jr. Smoke Eaters (Robert Milne)
- 1955 Trail Jr. Smoke Eaters (Leo Soligo)
- 1956 Vernon Juniors (Sarge Sammartino)
- 1957 Trail Jr. Smoke Eaters (Jimmy Mailey)
- 1958 Warfield Juniors (Robert Clements)
- 1959 Trail Jr. Smoke Eaters (Robert Clements)
- 1960 Penticton Vees(Bernie Bathgate)
- 1961 Trail Smoke Eaters (Ray Hamilton)
- 1962 Kamloops Rockets (Kenny Stewart) (BCJHL)
- 1963 Trail Smoke Eaters (Ray Hamilton)
- 1964 Kamloops Rockets (Kenny Stewart)(BCJHL)
- 1965 New Westminster Royals (Robert Bob Fenton)
- 1966 New Westminster Royals (Robert Bob Fenton)
- 1967 New Westminster Royals (Robert "Bob" Fenton)
- 1968 Penticton Broncos (Jack Taggert)
- 1969 Victoria Cougars (Doug Anderson)
- 1970 Vernon Essos (Oddie Lowe)