Northwestern Ontario Junior Hockey League
Encyclopedia
The Northwestern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NWOJHL) was a Canadian
Junior
ice hockey
league in the Northwestern Ontario
region of Ontario
. The league ran from 1964 until 1970 as members of the Thunder Bay Amateur Hockey Association in direct competition for the Memorial Cup
the Grand Championship of Canadian junior hockey.
for the right to move on in the Memorial Cup
playoffs. The NWOJHL shared many centres with the North Shore Intermediate Hockey League which competed for the Hardy Cup
.
The most prominent team in the league was the Schreiber North Stars, who would later gain fame as one of the top Junior B teams in Ontario and for competing at early Keystone Cup
s.
In 1970, junior hockey was realigned across Canada. As early as 1969, the NWOJHL dropped to Junior B. It is possible that the NWOJHL became the Thunder Bay Junior B Hockey League in 1970, as it had many of the same teams. The TBJBHL lasted until 1977 when Junior hockey in Thunder Bay all but collapsed. It migrated Eastward and became the North Shore Junior B Hockey League.
Thunder Bay Jr. B
North Shore Jr. B
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
Junior
Junior ice hockey
Junior hockey is a catch-all term used to describe various levels of ice hockey competition for players generally between 16 and 20 years of age...
ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
league in the Northwestern Ontario
Northwestern Ontario
Northwestern Ontario is the region within the Canadian province of Ontario which lies north and west of Lake Superior, and west of Hudson Bay and James Bay. It includes most of subarctic Ontario. Its western boundary is the Canadian province of Manitoba, which disputed Ontario's claim to the...
region of Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. The league ran from 1964 until 1970 as members of the Thunder Bay Amateur Hockey Association in direct competition for the Memorial Cup
Memorial Cup
The Memorial Cup is a junior ice hockey club championship trophy awarded annually to the Canadian Hockey League champion. It is awarded following a four-team, round robin tournament between a host team and the champions of the CHL's three member leagues: the Ontario Hockey League , Quebec Major...
the Grand Championship of Canadian junior hockey.
History
Founded in 1964, the NWOJHL was a Junior A hockey league. In the playoffs, after the league champions were determined, the winner of the NWOJHL would face the champion of the Thunder Bay Junior A Hockey LeagueThunder Bay Junior A Hockey League
The Thunder Bay Junior A Hockey League was a Canadian Junior ice hockey league that existed from circa 1920 to 1980. The TBJHL operated in Northwestern Ontario, primarily in the Thunder Bay region....
for the right to move on in the Memorial Cup
Memorial Cup
The Memorial Cup is a junior ice hockey club championship trophy awarded annually to the Canadian Hockey League champion. It is awarded following a four-team, round robin tournament between a host team and the champions of the CHL's three member leagues: the Ontario Hockey League , Quebec Major...
playoffs. The NWOJHL shared many centres with the North Shore Intermediate Hockey League which competed for the Hardy Cup
Hardy Cup
The W. G. Hardy Trophy, more commonly referred to as the Hardy Cup, was the Canadian national Intermediate "A" ice hockey championship from 1967 until 1984. From 1985 until 1990, the Hardy Cup was the Canadian national senior championship for Senior "AA" after senior and intermediate hockey were...
.
The most prominent team in the league was the Schreiber North Stars, who would later gain fame as one of the top Junior B teams in Ontario and for competing at early Keystone Cup
Keystone Cup
The Keystone Cup is the Junior "B" ice hockey championship and trophy for Western Canada. The Championship is the culmination of the champions of 12 hockey leagues in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Northwestern Ontario.-History:...
s.
In 1970, junior hockey was realigned across Canada. As early as 1969, the NWOJHL dropped to Junior B. It is possible that the NWOJHL became the Thunder Bay Junior B Hockey League in 1970, as it had many of the same teams. The TBJBHL lasted until 1977 when Junior hockey in Thunder Bay all but collapsed. It migrated Eastward and became the North Shore Junior B Hockey League.
Teams
- Atikokan Voyageurs
- Geraldton Goldminers
- Manitouwadge Copper Kings
- Marathon Mercuries
- Nip-Rock Rangers
- Schreiber North Stars
- Terrace Bay Superiors
Champions
NWOJHL- 1965 Schreiber North Stars
- 1966 Geraldton Goldminers
- 1967 Geraldton Goldminers
- 1968 Nip-Rock Rangers
- 1969 Schreiber North Stars
- 1970 Schreiber North Stars
- 1971 Schreiber North Stars
- 1972 Schreiber North Stars
- 1973 Marathon Mercuries
Thunder Bay Jr. B
- 1973 Schreiber North Stars (NWO Jr. B Champions)
- 1974 Schreiber North Stars
- 1975 Thunder Bay Blades
- 1976 Atikokan Voyageurs
- 1977 Schreiber North Stars
North Shore Jr. B
- 1978 Marathon Renegades
- 1979 Marathon A's
- 1980 Schreiber North Stars