The Eastern Ontario Junior Hockey League is a Junior ice hockey league operating in Eastern Ontario, Canada. The league is sanctioned by Hockey Eastern Ontario and Hockey Canada and acts as a second tier to the Central Canada Hockey League. The 13 member teams of the league compete for the Barkley Cup. Dating back to the 1960s, the league was known until 2015 as the Eastern Ontario Junior B Hockey League. The League was known from 2015 to 2020 as the Central Canada Hockey League Tier 2.
| Countries | Canada |
|---|---|
| Region(s) | Eastern Ontario |
| Commissioner | Marc Franche |
| Former name(s) | list
|
| Founded | 1966 |
| No. of teams | 13 |
| Championship | Barkley Cup |
| Recent Champions | Perth Blue Wings (4th) (2023) |
| Headquarters | Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
| Website | EOJHL |
History
editThe EOJHL was founded in 1966 as the Rideau-St. Lawrence Junior "B" Hockey League. Through a merger with the Upper Ottawa Valley Junior "B" Hockey League and the folding of the Lanark-Renfrew Junior "C" Hockey League, the league had grown to 22 different teams.
For the 2007-08 season, the Kemptville 73's moved from the EOJBHL to the Central Junior A Hockey League. A season later, the EOJBHL sold their franchise rights to the then-owners of the Casselman Stars of the Eastern Ontario Junior C Hockey League and then town of Casselman, Ontario. The new team, the Casselman Vikings, began play in the 2008-09 season.
In May 2009, the league dropped the Junior "B" designation from its name, becoming the Eastern Ontario Junior Hockey League (EOJHL).
For the 2009-10 season, the Carleton Place Kings moved from the EOJHL to the Central Canada Hockey League. The Kings were replaced the same year by the new Almonte Thunder.
In April 2014, the EOJHL Champion Casselman Vikings traveled to Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia to compete in the Eastern Canadian Junior B Championship. Cassleman became the first team west of Atlantic Canada to compete in the Don Johnson Memorial Cup tournament since its inception in 1982. Casselman went 6-0-0 and won the championship.
At the beginning of the 2015-16 season, the league changed its name to the CCHL2 and cut down to 16 teams from 22 teams which saw the removal of the Shawville Pontiacs, Akwesasne Wolves, Gananoque Islanders, Almonte Thunder, Morrisburg Lions, and Gatineau Mustangs.
The CCHL2 consists of two divisions, the Martin Division and Richardson Division. The league offers a 52-game balanced schedule where everyone plays everyone at least once. The two Divisional Playoff champions battle for the Barkley Cup every April.
In March 2017, the Pembroke Lumber Kings (CCHL) announced the purchase of the Prescott Flyers as their CCHL2 affiliate and relocating the team to Cobden and calling them the Whitewater Kings. Also in March, the Carleton Place Canadians (CCHL) announced the purchase of the Clarence Beavers and relocated them to Carleton Place, naming them the Carleton Place Junior Canadians. The Rockland Nationals of the National Capital Junior Hockey League will relocate to Clarence to fill in for the departed Beavers. The Metcalfe Jets will move to the National Capital Junior Hockey League and in return the Embrun Panthers will move up to the CCHL2.
During the 2023 off-season the Whitewater Kings and Brockville Tikis requested a leave of absence. Neither team appears to intend to return. the 2024 off-season had the Alexandria Glens and Char-Lan Rebels merge and re-brand as the Glengarry Brigade.
Teams
edit| Martin Division | |||||||
| Team | Centre | Founded | CCHL Affiliate | ||||
| Casselman Vikings | Casselman | 2008 | |||||
| Embrun Panthers | Embrun | 1972 | |||||
| Glengarry Brigade | Alexandria | 2024 | |||||
| Ottawa Canadians | Ottawa | 1973 | Ottawa Jr. Senators | ||||
| Ottawa West Golden Knights | Ottawa | 1983 | Nepean Raiders | ||||
| Winchester Hawks | Winchester | 1971 | Nepean Raiders | ||||
| Richardson Division | |||||||
| Team | Centre | Founded | CCHL Affiliate | ||||
| Arnprior Packers | Arnprior | 1965 | |||||
| Athens Aeros | Athens | 1968 | |||||
| Carleton Place Jr. Canadians | Carleton Place | 1980 | Carleton Place Canadians | ||||
| Perth Blue Wings | Perth | 1936 | |||||
| Richmond Royals | Ottawa | 1968 | |||||
| Smith Falls Jr. Bears | Smith Falls | 1967 | Smiths Falls Bears | ||||
| Valley Timberwolves | Renfrew | 1987 | |||||
Playoff champions
editThere is no National Championship for Junior B hockey in Canada, similar championships are held in Ontario (Sutherland Cup), Western Canada (Keystone Cup), Quebec (Coupe Dodge), and Atlantic Canada (Don Johnson Memorial Cup).
Up until the end of the 2015 playoffs, each team listed is a division champion, both the league champion and finalists are either "Metro/Valley" or "Rideau/St. Lawrence" Conference champions. Bolded are league champions, Italicized are finalists.
The EOJHL became the CCHL2 for the 2015-16 season reducing to just two divisions.
2023 playoffs
edit| Wild Card Series | Quarter Finals | Semi Finals | Finals | ||||||||||||||||
| M3 | Embrun | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| M6 | Winchester | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| M1 | Richmond | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| M5 | Ottawa | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| M1 | Richmond | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| M3 | Casselman | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| M4 | Ottawa West | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| M5 | Ottawa | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| M2 | Casselman | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| M3 | Embrun | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| M1 | Perth | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| R1 | Casselman | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| R4 | Athens | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| R5 | Brockville | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| R1 | Perth | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| R4 | Athens | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| R1 | Perth | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| R2 | Arnprior | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| R3 | Smiths Falls | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| R6 | Carleton Place | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| R2 | Arnprior | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| R3 | Smiths Falls | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
Other notable awards
edit- Gill Trophy Awarded to Rideau Division Playoff Champions
- Alex English Trophy Awarded to St. Lawrence Division Playoff Champions
- Ottawa Nepean Sportsplex Trophy Awarded to Metro Division Playoff Champions
- Carl Foley Trophy Awarded to Valley Division Playoff Champions
- John Shorey Cup Awarded to Rideau/St. Lawrence Conference Playoff Champions
- Dwaine Barkley Trophy Awarded to Metro/Valley Conference Playoff Champions
Former member teams
edit| Team | Centre | Joined | Ceased | Went to |
| Akwesasne Wolves | Akwesasne, ON | 1988 | 2015 | Folded |
| Alexandria Glens | Alexandria | 1967 | 2024 | Merged with Char-Lan to be Glengarry Brigade |
| Almonte Thunder | Almonte, ON | 2009 | 2015 | Folded |
| Brockville Tikis | Brockville, ON | 1967 | 2023 | Folded |
| Cardinal Broncos | Cardinal, ON | 1971 | 1982 | Relocated |
| Carleton Place Kings | Carleton Place, ON | 1969 | 2009 | Joined CCHL |
| Clarence Beavers | Clarence Creek, ON | 1980 | 2017 | Relocated to Carleton Place |
| Char-Lan Rebels | Williamstown | 1979 | 2024 | Merged with Alexandria to be Glengarry Brigade |
| Gananoque Islanders | Gananoque, ON | 1986 | 2015 | Joined EBJCHL |
| Gatineau Mustangs | Gatineau, QC | 2015 | Joined QJHL | |
| Goulbourn Royals | Stittsville, ON | 1990 | 2003 | Re-Branded Stittsville Royals |
| Kemptville 73's | Kemptville, ON | 1969 | 2007 | Joined CCHL |
| Metcalfe Jets | Metcalfe, ON | 1969 | 2017 | Joined NCJHL |
| Morrisburg Lions | Morrisburg, ON | 1971 | 2015 | Joined NCJHL |
| Navan Grads | Navan, ON | 1974 | 1991 | Joined CCHL |
| Prescott Falcons | Prescott, ON | |||
| Prescott Flyers | Prescott, ON | 2013 | 2017 | Relocated to Cobden |
| St. Isidore Eagles | St. Isidore, ON | 1974 | 1987 | Joined EOJCHL |
| Shawville Pontiacs | Shawville, QC | 1986 | 2015 | Folded |
| South Grenville Rangers | Prescott, ON | 1982 | 2013 | Re-Branded Prescott Flyers |
| Spencerville Bruins | Spencerville, ON | |||
| Stittsville Rams | Stittsville, ON | 2014 | 2016 | Relocated to Richmond |
| Stittsville Royals | Stittsville, ON | 2003 | 2014 | Re-Branded Stittsville Rams |
| Westport Rideaus | Westport, ON | 1967 | 2021 | Relocated to Smiths Falls |
| Whitewater Kings | Cobden, ON | 2017 | 2024 | Folded (formerly Prescott Flyers) |