The Ontario Hockey League (OHL) is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players ages 16 to 21 years old.
The league was formed in 1933 with the partition of Junior A and B.
In 1970, the OHA Junior A League was one of five Junior A leagues operating in Ontario. The OHA was promoted to Tier I Junior A for the 1970-71 season and took up the name Ontario Major Junior Hockey League.
In 1980, the league walked away from Ontario Hockey Association governance with the creation of the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League and its direct affiliation with Hockey Canada.
From 1974 until 1978 (as the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League), Clarence "Tubby" Schmalz was the league's commissioner. Then, for one season (1978–79), former IHL commissioner Bill Beagan served as commissioner of the OMJHL.
Beginning with the 1979-80 season, David Branch has been the Commissioner of the OHL (which became the league's official name prior to the 1981-82 season). He was appointed on August 11, 1979 and he assumed the commissioner's role on September 17, 1979.
Since 1980, the league has grown rapidly into a high-profile marketable product with many games broadcast on television and radio.
There are currently 20 teams in the OHL: 17 are based in the Canadian province of Ontario, two teams in the American state of Michigan and one team in the American state of Pennsylvania.
History
Leagues for ice hockey in Ontario were first organized in 1890 by the newly created Ontario Hockey Association (OHA). In 1892, the OHA recognized junior hockey, referring to skill rather than age.
In 1896 the OHA moved to the modern age-limited junior hockey concept, distinct from senior and intermediate divisions.
Since then, the evolution to the Ontario Hockey League has developed through four distinct eras of junior-aged non-professional hockey in Ontario.
In 1933, the junior division was divided into two levels, Junior A and Junior B.
In 1970, the Junior A level was divided into two levels, Tier I (or Major Junior A) and Tier II (or Minor Junior A).
In 1974, the Tier I/Major Junior A group separated from the OHA and became the independent "Ontario Major Junior Hockey League" (or the OMJHL). In 1980, the OMJHL became the Ontario Hockey League.
Schedule
The 20 OHL clubs play a 68-game unbalanced schedule, which starts in the third full week of September, running until the third week of March.
Ninety percent (90%) of OHL games are scheduled between Thursday and Sunday to minimize the number of school days missed for its players.
Approximately 20% of players on active rosters in the National Hockey League have come from the OHL and about 54% of NHL players are alumni of the Canadian Hockey League.
Current Teams
| Ontario Hockey League | ||||
| [[Eastern Conference (OHL)|Template:Color]] | ||||
| Division | Team | City | Arena | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East | Hamilton Bulldogs | Hamilton, Ontario, Canada | FirstOntario Centre | 17,383 |
| Kingston Frontenacs | Kingston, Ontario, Canada | Rogers K-Rock Centre | 5,614 | |
| Oshawa Generals | Oshawa, Ontario, Canada | Tribute Communities Centre | 6,125 | |
| Ottawa 67's | Ottawa, Ontario, Canada | TD Place Arena | 9,862 | |
| Peterborough Petes | Peterborough, Ontario, Canada | Peterborough Memorial Centre | 4,329 | |
| Central | Barrie Colts | Barrie, Ontario, Canada | Barrie Molson Centre | 4,195 |
| Mississauga Steelheads | Mississauga, Ontario, Canada | Hershey Centre | 5,612 | |
| Niagara IceDogs | St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada | Meridian Centre | 5,300 | |
| North Bay Battalion | North Bay, Ontario, Canada | North Bay Memorial Gardens | 4,246 | |
| Sudbury Wolves | Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada | Sudbury Community Arena | 4,640 | |
| [[Western Conference (OHL)|Template:Color]] | ||||
| Division | Team | City | Arena | Capacity |
| Midwest | Erie Otters | Erie, Pennsylvania, United States | Erie Insurance Arena | 6,833 |
| Guelph Storm | Guelph, Ontario, Canada | Sleeman Centre | 4,715 | |
| Kitchener Rangers | Kitchener, Ontario, Canada | Kitchener Memorial Auditorium Complex | 7,777 | |
| London Knights | London, Ontario, Canada | Budweiser Gardens | 9,046 | |
| Owen Sound Attack | Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada | Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre | 3,500 | |
| West | Flint Firebirds | Flint, Michigan, United States | Dort Federal Credit Union Event Center | 4,021 |
| Saginaw Spirit | Saginaw, Michigan, United States | Dow Event Center | 5,527 | |
| Sarnia Sting | Sarnia, Ontario, Canada | Progressive Auto Sales Arena | 5,500 | |
| Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada | Essar Centre | 4,928 | |
| Windsor Spitfires | Windsor, Ontario, Canada | WFCU Centre | 6,500 | |
Memorial Cup Champions
The J. Ross Robertson Cup is awarded annually to the winner of the Championship Series. The Cup is named for John Ross Robertson (who was president of the Ontario Hockey Association from 1901 to 1905).
The OHL playoffs consist of the top 16 teams in the league, 8 from each conference. The teams play a best-of-seven game series and the winner of each series advances to the next round. The final two teams eventually compete for the J. Ross Robertson Cup.
The OHL champion then competes with the winners of the Western Hockey League, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, and the host of the tournament to play for the Memorial Cup, which is awarded to the junior hockey champions of Canada.
The host team of the tournament is alternated between the three leagues every season. The most recent OHL team to win the Memorial Cup was the London Knights in 2016.