North West Junior Hockey League (NWJHL) | |
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Sport | Ice Hockey |
Founded | 1994 |
CEO | Ambrose Ralph |
No. of teams | 7 |
Country(ies) | Canada |
Continent | North America |
Most recent champion(s) | Fort St. John Huskies |
Most championship(s) | Fort St. John Huskies (8) North Peace Navigators (5) |
Official website | nwjhl.com |
The North West Junior Hockey League is a Junior "B" ice hockey league operating in the Peace River region of Alberta and British Columbia, Canada, sanctioned by Hockey Canada. The winner of Northwest "B" playoffs earns the chance to compete for the Western Canadian Junior "B" Crown, the Keystone Cup. To earn the right to compete, they must face off against the winners of the other Alberta "B" leagues in the Alberta Provincial Junior B Hockey Championship. The league was originally founded in 1994 as the North West Junior C Hockey League.
Formation
The first meeting was held in Sexsmith in 1994 and the first group of organizers included Haakstad, representing Sexsmith; Dennis Haugland of Grande Prairie; Gord Reed and Harvey Pratt of Dawson Creek; and Bob Derker of Slave Lake. Reed was appointed league president. Slave Lake won the championship the first year and Grande Prairie and Sexsmith met in the provincial Junior C championship, won by Sexsmith.
The Teams
Team | Centre | Arena | Founded | Joined | Titles |
Dawson Creek Jr. Canucks | Dawson Creek | Dawson Creek Memorial Arena | 1994 | 1994 | 2 |
Fairview Flyers | Fairview, Alberta | Fairview Fairplex | 2012 | 2012 | 1 |
Fort St. John Huskies | Fort St. John | North Peace Arena | 1966 | 1996 | 8 |
Grande Prairie Kings | Clairmont | Crosslink County Sportsplex | 1994 | 1994 | 1 |
North Peace Navigators | Peace River | Baytex Energy Centre | 2000 | 2000 | 6 |
Sexsmith Vipers | Sexsmith | Sexsmith Arena | unknown | unknown | 1 |
Former Teams
Team | Centre | Arena |
Beaverlodge Blades | Beaverlodge | Beaverlodge Arena |
Moberley Lake Icemen | Chetwynd, BC | Chetwynd & District Recreation Centre |
Slave Lake Wolves | Slave Lake | Arctic Ice Centre |
Whitecourt Wolverines | Whitecourt | Scott Safety Centre |
Champions
bold denotes also won Russ Barnes Trophy as Alberta Provincial champs and advance to Keystone Cup.
Season | Champion |
1994-95 | Slave Lake Wolves |
1995-96 | Slave Lake Wolves |
1996-97 | Slave Lake Wolves |
1997-98 | Sexsmith Vipers |
1998-99 | Dawson Creek Jr. Canucks |
1999-00 | Fort St. John Huskies |
2000-01 | Fort St. John Huskies |
2001-02 | Dawson Creek Jr. Canucks |
2002-03 | Fort St. John Huskies |
2003-04 | Peace Air Navigators |
2004-05 | Peace Air Navigators |
2005-06 | Fort St. John Huskies |
2006-07 | Fort St. John Huskies |
2007-08 | North Peace Navigators |
2008-09 | Whitecourt Wolverines |
2009-10 | Whitecourt Wolverines |
2010-11 | Whitecourt Wolverines |
2011-12 | Whitecourt Wolverines |
2012-13 | Grand Prairie Kings |
2013-14 | North Peace Navigators |
2014-15 | North Peace Navigators |
2015-16 | North Peace Navigators |
2016-17 | Fairview Flyers |
2017-18 | Fort St. John Huskies |
2018-19 | Fort St. John Huskies |
2019-20 | Playoffs Cancelled |
2020-21 | Season Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic |
2021-22 | Fort St. John Huskies |
See also
External links
Leagues competing for the Keystone Cup | |
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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 |