Quebec Junior Hockey League

Quebec Junior AAA Hockey League
Region(s) Quebec
Commissioner Jacques Laporte (2015)
Chairman Stephane Scotto
Former name(s) Quebec Provincial Junior Hockey League (1988-1998)
Quebec Junior AAA Hockey League (1998-2014)
Founded 1988
No. of teams 12
Associated Title(s) Fred Page Cup (Eastern Championship)
Royal Bank Cup (National Championship)
Dudley Hewitt Cup (Central Championship)[1]
Recent Champions Longueuil Collège Français (2016)
Headquarters Longueuil, Quebec
Website LHJQ

The Ligue de Hockey Junior AAA du Québec (LHJAAAQ) or Quebec Junior AAA Hockey League (QJAAAHL) is a Hockey Québec Canadian Junior A ice hockey league and is a member of Hockey Canada and the Canadian Junior Hockey League. The winner of the LHJAAAQ playoffs competes for the Fred Page Cup against the winners of the Central Junior A Hockey League and the Maritime Hockey League and the host team which is on a three-year cycle between the MHL, CJHL and LHJAAAQ. The winner of the Fred Page Cup then moves on to compete for the Royal Bank Cup.

History

The Quebec Junior Hockey League is an offshoot of the Quebec Junior A Hockey League that lasted from 1972-1982. Founded in 1988, the QJHL has been a rather strong league with 3 Central Canadian Champions (Dudley Hewitt Cup) in its early years: the Longueuil Sieurs in 1990 and the Chateauguay Elites in 1993 and 1994. In 1994-95 they were grouped into the Eastern Canadian region to compete for the Fred Page Cup. The Joliette Nationals won the first ever Fred Page Cup in 1995. To this day, the QJHL has 4 Eastern Canadian titles, the others going to the Joliette Action, Lennoxville Cougars, and St. Jerome Panthers. No Quebec team has ever won the National Title despite attending the tournament 7 times since 1988.

Quebec Junior "AAA" Logo until 2014.

In 2002-03, Champlain College Lennoxville got a team to play in the LHJAAAQ - Lennoxville Cougars, based on the campus of College Champlain and Bishops University. The Cougars, who were coached by former NHLer Stéphane Lebeau formed a discipline style of hockey. The method paid off, and Lennoxville captured the Napa Cup as league champions and won the Fred Page Cup. Lennoxville finished the Royal Bank Cup 1-3, the Cougars exited the tournament with a semi-finals loss to the Camrose Kodiaks of the AJHL.

In 2003-04, the CJAHL and the LHJAAAQ saw the St-Eustache Gladiateurs rank #5 overall in Canada. However, the Gladiateurs lost the finals to the Valleyfield Braves in the finals. Because Valleyfield was hosting the Fred Page Cup, the Gladiateurs got a berth in the tournament. Despite that Saint-Eustache held a 2-0, along with Valleyfield, who also held a 2-0 record coming into the pivotal all-LHJAAAQ matchup, which would also decide the winner, who gets a bye to the championship finals. Valleyfield won the tilt 4-0, and Saint-Eustache lost to the Nepean Raiders 3-2 in double-overtime. The Valleyfield Braves would lose the championship game 4-0 to Nepean.

Despite losing the Saint-Félicien Multiconcessionnaire in the summer of 2009. The QJAAAHL has done the opposite of its predecessor, the Quebec Junior A Hockey League. From 1972 until 1982, the QJAHL started big but steadily fell apart. The QJAAAHL, as well, started off big but through picking financially feasible markets and making smart relocations when the times have needed them, the QJAAAHL has maintained its size and success as a Junior A league. The only thing that has eluded the QJAAAHL is the National Championship, the Royal Bank Cup.

The 2014 off-season was a busy one for the hockey league. At the annual AGM, 12 year president Richard Morency announced his resignation, but staying on until the transition to the new leadership. The league also announced that it was re-branding itself the Quebec Junior Hockey League (dropping the "AAA" designation) and introduced the corresponding new league logo. The summer also saw the return of the Valleyfield Braves to the League. Owners of the team purchased the LaTuque Wolves, regained rights to the Braves name and logo and brought the team back to the Aréna Salaberry. Another long-time QJHL member, Kahnawake Condors, who were established in 1999 moved to Chambly, Quebec to be re-branded as the Chambly Forts. Shortly after that move, the Gatineau Mustangs of the Eastern Ontario Junior Hockey League made the jump to the league, becoming the first Hull-based team since the Aylmer Extreme, who only lasted one season in 2000-01. The Mustangs will be forced to change their name, in favor of the Vaudreuil-Dorion Mustangs, who have been members of the league since 2003. With the folding of the Saint-Hyacinthe Lauréats and the Sherbrooke Cougars the 2015-16 season, will see the league split into two divisions.

Several weeks after announcing the Gatineau Flames as a member, the Flames purchased the Lachine Maroons and absorbed the franchise rights. The most-notable move, was the league expelling the Sherbrooke Cougars because the league considered them as a college team and had ties to Bishop's University. The Saint-Hyacinthe Laureats withdrew from the league, possibly in cunjunction with the Cougars.

Potential Markets

The Quebec Junior Hockey League has yet to explore the Northern Quebec market, but distance is also a factor for teams in Eastern and Southern Quebec. Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec remains open, as well as Laval and Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu. Rural communities in Northern New York and Maine, are also a possibility for American markets, but unlikely as the league has never had any teams based in the United States. Since its inception in 1988, the Quebec Junior Hockey League has taken over relocated former Quebec Major Junior Hockey League markets, who have relocated, such as Granby, Saint-Hyacinthe, Sherbrooke, St-Jean and Laval.

The teams

Martin St-Louis Division
Team Centre
Gatineau Flames Buckingham (Gatineau)
Montreal-Est Rangers Montréal-Est
St-Jérôme Panthers Saint-Jérôme
St-Léonard Arctic St. Leonard
Sainte-Agathe Montagnards Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts
Terrebonne Cobras Terrebonne
Alexandre Burrows Division
Team Centre
Chambly Forts Chambly
Granby Inouk Granby
Longueuil Collège Français Longueuil
Princeville Titans Princeville
Valleyfield Braves Salaberry-de-Valleyfield
Vaudreuil-Dorion Mustangs Vaudreuil-Dorion

La Coupe NAPA Playoff Champions

For the Eastern Regional playoffs, please go to the Fred Page Cup.
For the National Championship, please go to the 2014 Royal Bank Cup.
Year Champion Runner Up Series
1989 Longueuil Collège Français
1990 Longueuil Collège Français
1991 Montreal Olympics
1992 Joliette Nationals
1993 Châteauguay Élites
1994 Châteauguay Élites
1995 Joliette Nationals
1996 Contrecoeur Éperviers
1997 Longueuil Collège Français
1998 Coaticook Frontaliers
1999 Valleyfield Braves Contrecoeur Blackhawks 4-3
2000 Coaticook Frontaliers
2001 St-Jérôme Panthers
2002 Valleyfield Braves
2003 Lennoxville Cougars Longueuil Collège Français 4-0
2004 Valleyfield Braves St-Eustache Gladiateurs 4-1
2005 Vaudreuil Mustangs St-Jérôme Panthers 4-1
2006 Joliette Action College Lafleche Titans 4-2
2007 Joliette Action Longueuil Collège Français 4-0
2008 Sherbrooke Cougars Joliette Action 4-2
2009 Sherbrooke Cougars Princeville Titans 4-0
2010 Terrebonne Cobras Longueuil Collège Français 4-1
2011 Longueuil Collège Français Valleyfield Braves 4-1
2012 Princeville Titans St-Jérôme Panthers 4-1
2013 Longueuil Collège Français Lachine Maroons 4-0
2014 Granby Inouk Sherbrooke Cougars 4-3
2015 Longueuil Collège Français Sherbrooke Cougars 4-3
2016 Longueuil Collège Français Granby Inouk 4-0

Former member teams

Timeline of teams in the QJHL

References

  1. ↑ The QJAAAHL no longer competes in the Central Zone of the Canadian Junior Hockey League. They now compete for the Fred Page Cup in the Eastern Zone.
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