| Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (La Ligue de hockey junior majeur du Québec) | |
| 2020-21 QMJHL season | |
| |
| Sport | Ice hockey |
| Founded | 1969 |
| No. of teams | 18 |
| Country(ies) |  Canada (18 teams)
|
| Most recent champion(s) | Victoriaville Tigres |
| Most championship(s) | Gatineau Olympiques (7) |
| Official website | http://www.theqmjhl.ca |
The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (French: la Ligue de hockey junior majeur du Québec, abbreviated QMJHL in English, LHJMQ in French) is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. Due to its cumbersome name, the league is often referred to as "The Q."
Introduction
The QMJHL is the smallest of the three Canadian junior leagues in numbers of teams. Its teams are based in the Canadian provinces of Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island. The has also had former members based in the provinces of Ontario and Newfoundland and Labrador as well as in the American states of Maine and New York . The commissioner of the QMJHL is Gilles Courteau.
The President's Cup is the championship trophy of the league. The QMJHL champion then goes on to compete in the Memorial Cup against the OHL and WHL champions, and the CHL host team.
The QMJHL has traditionally adopted a rapid and offensive style of hockey. "The Q" is known for producing more high-quality offensive players and goalies than defencemen. Former QMJHL players hold many of the Canadian Hockey League's career and single season offensive records.
Hockey Hall of Fame alumni of the QMJHL include Mario Lemieux, Guy Lafleur, Ray Bourque, Pat LaFontaine, Mike Bossy, Denis Savard, Michel Goulet, Luc Robitaille, and goaltender Patrick Roy.
Members
The league was realigned from 3 divisions to 4 divisions for the 2018-19 season
History
The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League was founded in 1969, through the merger of best teams from the existing Provincial Junior League and the Metropolitan Montreal Junior League, declaring themselves a "major junior" league. Of the original eleven QMJHL teams, six came from the PJHL and five from the MMJHL. The Cornwall Royals, from Cornwall, Ontario, near the Quebec border, had transferred from in the Central Junior A Hockey League to the Metropolitan League. The Rosemont National, Laval Saints, Cornwall Royals, Saint-Jérôme Alouettes and Verdun Maple Leafs transferred from the MMJHL. The six teams from the QJHL were the Drummondville Rangers, Quebec Remparts, Shawinigan Bruins, Sherbrooke Castors, Sorel Éperviers, and the Trois-Rivières Ducs .
From the first season in 1969–70, only Shawinigan remains in the same city with an uninterrupted history, although the team's name has changed to the Cataractes.
In 1972 the QMJHL had been in operation for three years, and wanted a team in the province's largest city - Montreal. In 1962 Montreal Junior Canadiens had received permission from the Quebec Amateur Hockey Association to play in the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA). The QMJHL wanted the Juniors out of the OHA. It threatened a lawsuit to force the team out of the OHA into the Quebec-based league. Over the summer of 1972, the OHA granted the Junior Habs a "one-year suspension" of operations, while team ownership transferred the team and players into the QMJHL, renaming themselves the Montreal Bleu Blanc Rouge in the process. The OHA then reactivated the suspended franchise for the 1973–74 season in Kingston, Ontario, under new ownership and with new players, calling the team the Kingston Canadians.
QMJHL teams have won the Memorial Cup eight times since 1969, with the Granby Prédateurs, the Hull Olympiques and the Rimouski Océanic each winning once, the Quebec Remparts winning twice (once in their first edition 1969–1985, and once in their second edition 1997–present) and the Cornwall Royals winning three times.
Starting in 1994, the QMJHL began to expand further east, outside of Quebec. The "Q" filled the void in Atlantic Canada after the exodus of American Hockey League franchises, when the AHL had a strong presence in the 1980s and 1990s; all of the Eastern Division cities save for Acadie-Bathurst are former homes of AHL franchises. Teams in Atlantic Canada comprise the entire Eastern Division of the QMJHL.
In recent seasons, the QMJHL has been scouting players from the Atlantic Canada region along with a surge in players coming out of the New England area.
Canadian Hockey League records
This is a list of Canadian Hockey League career and single season records accomplished by QMJHL players.
- Most goals, career
- 1st - 309 - Mike Bossy, Laval National (1972–77)
- 2nd - 281 - Stéphan Lebeau, Shawinigan Cataractes (1984–88)
- 3rd - 278 - Normand Dupont, Montreal Bleu Blanc Rouge, Montreal Juniors (1973–77)
- Most assists, career
- 1st - 408 - Patrice Lefebvre, Shawinigan Cataractes (1984–88)
- 3rd - 346 - Patrick Emond, Trois-Rivières Draveurs, Hull Olympiques, Chicoutimi Saguenéens (1981–86)
- 7th - 315 - Mario Lemieux, Laval Voisins (1981–84)
- Most points, career
- 1st - 595 - Patrice Lefebvre, Shawinigan Cataractes (1984–88)
- 3rd - 580 - Stéphan Lebeau, Shawinigan Cataractes (1984–88)
- 4th - 575 - Patrick Emond, Trois-Rivières Draveurs, Hull Olympiques, Chicoutimi Saguenéens (1981–86)
- Most goals, one season
- 1st - 133 - Mario Lemieux, Laval Voisins, 1983–84 (70 games)
- 2nd - 130 - Guy Lafleur, Quebec Remparts, 1970–71 (62 games)
- 4th - 104 - Pat LaFontaine, Verdun Juniors, 1982–83 (70 games)
- 5th - 103 - Guy Lafleur, Quebec Remparts, 1969–70 (56 games)
- 6th - 100 - Gary MacGregor, Cornwall Royals ,1973–74 (66 games)
- Most assists, one season
- 1st - 157 - Pierre Larouche, Sorel Éperviers, 1973–74(70 games)
- 2nd - 149 - Mario Lemieux, Laval Voisins, 1983–84 (70 games)
- 3rd - 136 - Patrice Lefebvre, Shawinigan Cataractes, 1987–88 (70 games)
- 5th - 135 - Michel Deziel, Sorel Éperviers, 1973–74 (69 games)
- 5th - 135 - Marc Fortier, Chicoutimi Saguenéens, 1986–87 (65 games)
- Most points, one season
- 1st - 282 - Mario Lemieux, Laval Voisins, 1983–84 (70 games)
- 2nd - 251 - Pierre Larouche, Sorel Éperviers, 1973–74 (67 games)
- 3rd - 234 - Pat LaFontaine, Verdun Juniors, 1982–83 (70 games)
- 4th - 227 - Michel Deziel, Sorel Éperviers, 1973–74 (69 games)
- 5th - 216 - Real Cloutier, Quebec Remparts, 1973–74 (69 games)
- 6th - 214 - Jacques Cossette, Sorel Éperviers, 1973–74 (68 games)
- 8th - 209 - Guy Lafleur, Quebec Remparts, 1970–71 (62 games)
- 9th - 206 - Jacques Locas, Quebec Remparts, 1973–74 (63 games)
- 10th - 201 - Marc Fortier, Chicoutimi Saguenéens, 1986–87 (65 games)
- 11th - 200 - Patrice Lefebvre, Shawinigan Cataractes, 1987–88 (70 games)
- Source: CHL record book
Team Timeline
Champions
Teams in bold also won the Memorial Cup that season
Memorial Cup champions
The Memorial Cup has been captured eleven times by QMJHL teams since the league's founding in 1969 (bold denotes won as host team):
- 2018 - Acadie-Bathurst Titan
- 2013 - Halifax Mooseheads
- 2012 - Shawinigan Cataractes*
- 2011 - Saint John Sea Dogs
- 2006 - Quebec Remparts
- 2000 - Rimouski Océanic
- 1997 - Hull Olympiques*
- 1996 - Granby Prédateurs
- 1981 - Cornwall Royals
- 1980 - Cornwall Royals
- 1972 - Cornwall Royals
- 1971 - Quebec Remparts
Trophies and awards
- QMJHL Trophies Complete list of Trophy winners since 1969 from QMJHL web site
- Trophy's first season being awarded in brackets.
- Team
- President's Cup - Playoff Champions (1969–70)
- Jean Rougeau Trophy - Regular Season Champions (1969–70)
- Luc Robitaille Trophy - Team that scored the most goals (2001–02)
- Robert Lebel Trophy - Team with best GAA (1977–78)
- Player
- Michel Brière Memorial Trophy - Most Valuable Player (1972–73)
- Jean Béliveau Trophy - Top Scorer (1969–70)
- Guy Lafleur Trophy - Playoff MVP (1977–78)
- Telus Cup – Offensive - Offensive Player of the Year (1989–90)
- Telus Cup – Defensive - Defensive Player of the Year (1989–90)
- Jacques Plante Memorial Trophy - Best GAA (1969–70)
- Guy Carbonneau Trophy - Best Defensive Forward (2004–05)
- Emile Bouchard Trophy - Defenceman of the Year (1975–76)
- Kevin Lowe Trophy - Best Defensive Defenceman (2004–05)
- Michael Bossy Trophy - Best Pro Prospect (1980–81)
- RDS Cup - Rookie of the Year (1991–92)
- Michel Bergeron Trophy - Offensive Rookie of the Year (1969–70)
- Raymond Lagacé Trophy - Defensive Rookie of the Year (1980–81)
- Frank J. Selke Memorial Trophy - Most Sportsmanlike Player (1969–70)
- QMJHL Humanitarian of the Year - Also known as "Wittnauer Plaque" (1992–93)
- Marcel Robert Trophy - Best Scholastic Player (1980–81)
- Paul Dumont Trophy - Personality of the Year (1989–90)
- Executive
- Ron Lapointe Trophy - Coach of the Year (1992–93)
- Maurice Filion Trophy - General Manager of the Year (2005–06)
- John Horman Trophy - Executive of the Year (1989–90)
- Jean Sawyer Trophy - Marketing Director of the Year (1990–91)
- Defunct trophies
- AutoPro Plaque - Best Plus/Minus Total (1989–90 to 2001–02)
- Philips Plaque - Best Faceoff percentage (1997–98 to 2001–02)
See also
References
External links
- Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Official website
- Canadian Hockey League Official website
- Internet Hockey Database Archive of standings and statistics
| Current arenas in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League | |
|---|---|
| Maritimes Division | KC Irving Reg. Centre · Centre 200 · Scotiabank Centre · Avenir Centre · Eastlink Centre · Harbour Station |
| East Division | Centre Henry-Leonard · Centre Georges-Vézina · Videotron Centre · Colisée Financière Sun Life |
| Central Division | Centre Marcel Dionne · Centre Gervais Auto · Palais des Sports · Colisée Desjardins |
| West Division | Centre d'Excellence Sports Rousseau · Robert Guertin Arena (-2021) · Slush Puppie Centre (2021- · Aréna Iamgold · Centre Air Creebec |