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3/27/2020 10:39 pm  #1


Canadian International Hockey Association

Hello everyone, thanks to this forum. It got me inspired to do my own junior hockey league. I hope you all enjoy it as I present to the Canadian International Hockey Association.

The Birth of the CIHA
Three brothers, Franklin Name, James Name and Paul Name, had many successes in their hockey careers from Juniors to pro. From being players to being coach, GM and now President of their own represent League. One day at a family reunion, three brothers decide to come up with a junior league of their own. The brothers went back to their associations and talk with some team owners and talk them into joining in with them. It took years, but they pulled it off as three leagues unite with James junior league in the west, the “Western Canadian League of Hockey.” Franklin’s League, the “Ontario Major Junior Hockey Association.” Lastly, Paul’s “Atlantic Quebec Hockey League.” All three leagues become one umbrella organization league called the “Canadian International Hockey Association.” The CIHA would begin on 1972-73 season, and the winner of their own represent League will be in a tournament to determine who is the Valor Cup champion and the top Junior team in North America. With the establishment of the CIHA, the brothers named OMJHA founder Joseph McGeorge as the first president of CIHA.


Wild west side: The establishment of the Western Canadian League of Hockey
It all began in the 1920s with the West United Canadian Hockey Association (WUCHA), an umbrella organization league featuring four leagues from B.C, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. The League was doing well through the years until WW2 happened. It went downhill with many players left to serve in the war to the owners don’t have enough ends meet to keep the team afloat until 1948 were both John Ward and Ron Casey decide to merge all four into one League and in 1950, the Western Canadian League of Hockey is born. The League’s championship title is called the Jade Trophy, where there’s a big puck made from jade that sits on top of the trophy for everyone to see; the jade puck was given to Ron Casey from a friend that served in WW2.
The 50s show some strong support from fans as many well-established players like Will Chambers, Olli Ronald, and David Franklin, to name a few, came and went as the League started with six teams in 1950 to at the end of 1959 grew to 18 teams. The only team that rose to the top in the 50s was the Lethbridge Cougars. They won 4 titles within seven years. The 60s proved to be a high point for west Canadian hockey. Still, it also was the low point for the WCLH, and it started in 1962, where Vancouver got themselves a pro hockey club. Two years later, Calgary entered the pros, then Edmonton, and finally, Winnipeg joined the pro hockey league in 1968. As those cities go pro, Victoria B.C and Regina became minor pro hockey clubs for Vancouver and Chicago pro hockey clubs. Both Saskatoon Cats and the Brandon Buffalos were the biggest rivals in the 60s. They played for the championship from 1965 to 1970, with both winning three each.
Once had at 18 teams in 1960 to barely six teams in 1967. One year later, the owners took a risk and named James Name the League’s President. James sold the idea to the owners about WCLH being part of an all junior umbrella organization league along with an Ontario league and a league over at the east coast side of Canada. The owners agreed with it, and as 1970 came around, two new teams got added to the League as the WCLH is ready for the dawn of a new journey in hopes of growing back to where they once were in the 50s.


Battleground Ontario: The creation of the Ontario Major Junior Hockey Association
March 1946, months after World War 2, four gentlemen William Name, Jack O’Brian, Joseph McGeorge, and Gerald Herbco, decide to form a league of their own. On September 25, 1946, the League became established. On October 26, 1946, the first game of the Ontario Major Junior Hockey Association began with the Toronto Heros beat the Waterloo Maroons 2-1. Along with those two teams were the Toronto Airbirds, Oshawa Diamonds, Kingston Soldiers, Hamilton Steel, Kitchener Generals, and Peterborough Braves as part of the inaugural season. Smyth Cup is the trophy named after Ontario hockey legend Victor Smyth who was one of many great players that put Ontario hockey on the map. By the time 1949-50 season came around, the League would grow to 16 teams.
The 50s was a challenging decade for the League as a new competition called the South West Ontario Hockey League started in 1950. The SWOHL has been taking good numbers of players and many teams in the OMJHA. One team that didn’t suffer the effects of the SOWHL stealing players was the Oshawa Diamonds, who won 4 titles in 6 years. The Diemonds became the first team ever to finish the season-perfect 30-0-0 record, which they add two more perfect seasons until 1958, where the League added ten more games. Since then, there has never been a perfect record made by any team to this day. Gerald Herbco, the owner of the Kitchener Generals, put together his team from the ground up after losing good numbers of players on his team from the SWOHL would win the 1956, 1959 and 1960 championship. Hamilton Steel had the success of winning championships from 1953, 1957, and 1958 with 75% of the roster are Hamilton locals. 
Losing top players to coaches to even GMs took its toll on many teams in the 60s, where the league witness the Hamilton Steel cease operation one week after the team won the 1961 Smyth Cup title. Three more teams from Toronto folded, to even both Peterborough Braves and Kingston Soldiers couldn’t make ends meet and were forced to close their doors. In 1965 Franklin Name became the President of the OMJHA to fix the League. He came up with the idea of forming an all junior umbrella organization along with the WCLH and a league getting formed over the east coast. The owners like the idea and jump on board with the idea. In 1969 the legendary Oshawa Diamonds were the last team to fold; as the team owner and OMJHA founder Jack O’Brian passed away, the news hit the League hard as the new decade begins with hopes for success for the League down the road.


United: The birth of the Atlantic Québec Hockey League
The 1930s were Quebec hockey, and Maritimes hockey is booming in a big way. With the Montreal pro hockey club winning championships and the Halifax minor pro hockey club having championship titles under their belts, everything was beautiful until World War 2 came, and the aftermath put a hurt on both the Maritimes and Quebec. The Montreal pro hockey club is having trouble with getting in the playoffs, and the Halifax minor pro hockey club lost its identity. In the 1950s, Jacques Bronz steps into turned things around. He helped Montreal winning championships as a player. Jacques retired from pro hockey and coached the Halifax minor pro hockey club to win championships. In 1965 when the New York pro hockey club bought the Halifax minor pro hockey club from Montreal and relocated them to New Jersey. Jacques chooses not to follow the team, and he resigned as head coach. He took the job as President of the East Coast Junior Hockey League, where the League was struggling to keep it afloat. In 1968 there was a scandal at the Quebec Association Hockey where the League President took some money from owners, then he claimed that the owners didn’t pay the fee until he got charged with theft. 
With problems hitting Jacques hard and almost had an emotional breakdown, his good friend Paul Name told him that he and his brothers got a plan to create an umbrella organization league that could help and benefit both Maritimes and Quebec. The only thing that can make it work is for both East Coast Junior Hockey League and Quebec Association Hockey to merge as one, which is not going to be easy. Still, both Jacques and Paul believe that this is a must.
February 1969, where there is a big meeting between the owners of ECJHL, QAH and Paul Name, minus Jacques Bronz as he was taken ill, so Paul Name has a big challenge in front of him. Hours after hours and both leagues agreed with the merger, and a new name will be known as the Atlantic Québec Hockey League. Paul Name went to the hospital in Quebec City, where Jacques is in, to tell him the good news. Still, Paul would get grave news that the Quebec/Maritimes legend Jacques Bronz passed away, which hit Paul hard; he knew that Jacques wanted to form a league featuring teams from both Quebec and the Maritimes for so long, and now he has gone. Still, Paul knew what he had to do, and that is, run the League that Jacques wanted as the President of AQHL.
September 29, 1970, the first game of the AQHL began with a matchup between the Sherbrooke Loups and the Moncton Bears in Sherbrooke, QC; both teams and the fans inside the arena stood up and had a moment of silence for Jacques Bronz. The Loups went on and won the game over the Bears 4-2. March 4, 1971, was game five between the Sherbrooke Loups and the Laval Tigers. Paul Name kept a secret in naming the AQHL championship. The Laval Tigers won 2-0 over the Loups to win the series as Paul Name present the trophy to the Tigers, there a nameplate on the trophy that said “Bronz Cup” on it, meaning that Jacques Bronz is forever honoured and remembered forever. One year later, Paul Name announced that come 1972-73 season, the AQHL would be part of an umbrella organization league known as the Canadian International Hockey Association. Paul knew that he and his brothers would take on challenges upon challenges. Still, Paul is ready for it, and he will carry on the greatness of Quebec and Maritimes hockey.


CIHA Valor Cup Champions
1972-73:Nanaimo Greyhounds
1973-74: Sherbrooke Loups
1974-75: Lethbridge Cougars
1975-76: Kitchener Legionnaires
1976-77: Trois-Rivieres Titans
1977-78: Kitchener General
1978-79: Kitchener Legionnaires

WCLH Jade Trophy Champions
1972-73: Nanaimo Greyhounds
1973-74: Brandon Buffalos
1974-75: Lethbridge Cougars
1975-76: Lethbridge Cougars
1976-77: Fargo Owls
1977-78: Fargo Owls
1978-79: Kenora Pioneers

OMJHA Smyth Cup Champions
1972-73: Burlington Metros
1973-74: Burlington Metros
1974-75: Oakville Oaks
1975-76: Kitchener Legionnaires
1976-77: Kitchener Generals
1977-78: Kitchener Generals
1978-79: Kitchener Legionnaires

AQHL Bronz Cup Champions
1972-73: Sherbrooke Loups
1973-74: Sherbrooke Loups
1974-75: Drummondville Les Rouges
1975-76: Monton Bears
1976-77: Trois-Rivieres Titans
1977-78: Trois-Rivieres Titans
1978-79: Cape Breton Warriors

 

Last edited by AJHFTW (3/25/2022 10:04 pm)

 

3/27/2020 11:42 pm  #2


Re: Canadian International Hockey Association

Looking forward to this!



 

3/28/2020 4:04 am  #3


Re: Canadian International Hockey Association

Obviously we love hockey around here, exciting to see this develop! I'm liking all the graphics so far, they definitely have that Canadian junior league vibe.



AHS Admin. Creator of the THLPUCHWHA: Redux and Retroliga.
 

3/28/2020 1:02 pm  #4


Re: Canadian International Hockey Association

Here is the WCLH team's Introduction

​Abbotsford Forest Kings
Est: 1965
Location: Abbotsford, B.C.
Colours: Green, gold, black and white.
Owners: Fred King 1965-present
Jade Trophy titles: 0
Arena: Abbotsford Arena (built: 1962) (cap: 3500)

The logo has trees placed together in green and gold with black trim around it to shape like a crown, on the center of the logo is a tree with the letter “A” on it. The shoulder patch is a tree with the letter “A” in green and gold with black trim. The light jersey got thick green and gold stripes on the arms and hem with a thin black stripe to top it off. The dark is the same, but the small black stripe sits in between the thick white and gold stripes.

Brandon Buffalos
Est: 1960
Location: Brandon, Manitoba
Colours: Maroon, black, white.
Owners: Paul Bison 1960-present
Jade Trophy titles: 1965,1969,1970
Arena: Brandon Rink (build: 1945) (cap: 2600)

No logos on both jerseys, just wordmarks. The wordmark logo on the light jersey said, “Buffalos” while the dark jersey said, “Brandon.” The colours are maroon, black, white. The stripes on both arms and hem are one thick stripe and four thin stripes two on each end.

Fargo Owls
Est: 1970
Location: Fargo, North Dakota
Colours: Black, orange, brown, white.
Owners: Ed Jackson 1970-present
Jade Trophy titles: None
Arena: Fargo Center (build: 1959) (cap: 2800)

The team’s primary logo is an owl peeking above the “OWLS” wordmark. The stripes are three thin lines with two thick stripes in between them. The light jersey got an orange yoke with a brown stripe on it, while the dark jersey does not have it.

Lethbridge Cougars
Est: 1950 (pre-WCLH Est: 1905)
Location: Lethbridge, Alberta
Colours: Green, white.
Owners: Carter V Cougar 1935-1970, Chris Cougar 1970-present
Jade Trophy titles: 1952,1955,1956,1958,1962
Arena: Cougar Arena (build: 1945) (cap: 2700)

Green and white are the team’s primary colours for years. The “COUGARS” wordmark sits on the front of both jerseys. Big stripe from cuff to elbow and a thick trim on the hem for both jerseys.

Medicine Hat Hawks
Est: 1955
Location: Medicine Hat, Alberta
Colours: Blue, gold, white.
Owners: Jack Grin 1955-present
Jade Trophy titles: None
Arena: Medicine Hat Auditorium (build: 1935) (cap: 2000)

The logo is the letter “H” with two feathers, one with the “M” and “H,” and the other is just three thin stripes. The light jersey, it got three stripes on both arms and the hem that are blue, gold, and blue. On the dark jersey, thick white stripe and a thick gold stripe with a thin blue stripe in between.

Nanaimo Greyhounds
Est: 1970
Location: Nanaimo, B.C.
Colours: Grey, black, white.
Owner: Greg Peterson 1970-present
Jade Trophy titles: none
Arena: Nanaimo Arena (build: 1960) (cap: 2000)

A big “N” with a greyhound dog head on top of it and you get the team’s logo. The light jersey got black cuffs, a black stripe on the hem, and a grey yoke. The dark is the same, but the yoke is black.

North Battleford Crusaders
Est: 1952
Location: North Battleford, Saskatchewan
Colours: Blue, orange, white.
Owner: Ron Jackins 1952-present
Jade Trophy titles: 1960
Arena: North Battleford Memorial Arena (build: 1950) (cap: 1500)

The logo got a big “C” with small “N” and “B” inside along with hockey sticks on each side, and two triangle stripes on the bottom underneath the letters in blue, orange, and white. The light jersey got blue and orange stripes on both the arms and the hem with white sits in between those stripes. The dark jersey is the same, but both blue and white switched roles, and it got an orange yoke for good measure.

Saskatoon Cats
Est: 1950 (pre-WCLH Est: 1910)
Location: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Colours: Black, white.
Owners: Stan Jones 1910-1965, Rick Jones 1965-present
Jade Trophy titles: 1966, 1967, 1968, 1971, 1972.
Arena: Saskatoon Arena (build: 1945) (cap: 1800)

Black and white are the team’s colours since the beginning. The logo is a wordmark that said, “CATS,” with a small cat face inside the “C.” The Jerseys got stripes in different sizes on both arms and hem.

 

Last edited by AJHFTW (2/07/2021 12:20 am)

     Thread Starter
 

3/28/2020 1:55 pm  #5


Re: Canadian International Hockey Association

Great start, big fan of all of the teams.

I already can tell that Saskatoon is gonna be my team in the WCLH. The black and white look is classic and the striping looks great, plus the team is called the Cats which is amazing (Geelong is my favorite AFL team and they're also the Cats) and I've always had a soft spot for Saskatchewan with the Roughriders being my CFL team.



 

3/28/2020 5:56 pm  #6


Re: Canadian International Hockey Association

Great start! I like the tree-line crown for Abbotsford. Saskatoon is very sharp with that black and white scheme and nice striping. Fargo's logo really strikes me so they're my early rooting favorite. I like the use of orange, brown and black.



AHS Admin. Creator of the THLPUCHWHA: Redux and Retroliga.
 

3/29/2020 7:52 pm  #7


Re: Canadian International Hockey Association

Here's the OMJHA team's Introduction

Burlington Metros
Location: Burlington, ON
Est: 1965
Colours: Black, light blue, gold.
Owner: John Lewis 1967-present
Smyth Cup titles: none
Arena: Metro Centre (build: 1960) (cap: 2500)

The team’s wordmark logo said “METROS” in black with light blue trim around the letters followed by some white and gold squares placed on the letters to represent the buildings around downtown Burlington. The light jersey features a curve black stripe that goes from the collar to the elbow, followed by a thick gold stripe and light blue cuff. The dark jersey is the same as the light jersey, but the curve stripe is a light blue thick gold stripe and white cuff.

Guelph Crusaders
Est: 1955
Location: Guelph, ON
Colours: Orange, purple, black, white.
Owner: Jack Doan 1965-present
Smyth Cup titles: 1963
Arena: Guelph Memorial Auditorium (build: 1945) (cap: 1700)

A shield with “C” in the middle. The jerseys are in orange, purple, black, and white. On the light jersey, it got thick stripes in black and orange with a small purple stripe on the arms, with purple yoke and orange trim stripe on the hem. The dark jersey is orange with big purple cuffs, a white stripe, and a thin black stripe.

Kitchener Generals
Est: 1946
Location: Kitchener, ON
Colours: Blue, white.
Owner: Gerald Herbco 1946-present
Smyth Cup titles: 1956, 1959, 1960, 1970
Arena: Kitchener Memorial Centre (build: 1935) (cap: 2000)

A badge with a big “G” on top of it is the team’s primary logo in blue and white. Simple thick stripe along with trims on both arms, and hem for both the light jersey and dark jersey.

Kitchener Legionnaires
Est: 1948
Location: Kitchener, ON
Colours: Red, white.
Owners: James Franklin 1948-1970, John Rupert 1970-present
Smyth Cup titles: 1966, 1967, 1968
Arena: Kitchener Memorial Centre (build: 1935) (cap: 2000)

A maple leaf shape like logo along with a poppy to ice the cake. The jerseys for both the light and dark are simple stripes on the arms, hems and for measure stripes on the yokes to complete the set.

Milton Micmacs
Est: 1968
Location: Milton, ON
Colours: Red, gold, white
Owner: Harold MacFarland 1968-present
Smyth Cup titles: none
Arena: Milton Auditorium (build: 1944) (cap: 1700)

The logo is a big red “M” with the word “MICMACS” sit across on top of the “M” with gold and red on the light jersey while the dark jersey is white “M” while the word MICMACS is all gold. The stripes on the light jersey is red, gold and red. On the dark jersey, the stripes are white, gold, and white.

Oakville Oaks
Est: 1967
Location: Oakville, ON
Colours: Red, blue, white
Owner: William North 1967-present
Smyth Cup titles: 1971
Arena: Oaks Centre (build: 1960) (cap: 1800)

The logo got an oak leaf with half of the letter “O” behind it with trims around it in red and blue. Both the light and the dark jerseys only got just a stripe and a big cuff on the arms, and two stripes on the hem.

Owen Sound Arrowbirds
Est: 1960
Location: Owen Sound, ON
Colours: Orange, red, white
Owner: Trevor Thunder 1960-present
Smyth Cup titles: none
Arena: Arrowbird Rink (build: 1950) (cap: 1600)

The team’s name sits diagonally across the front of the jerseys. Orange and red are the team’s primary colours with black pants. The stripes on the arms and yoke are slanted while the hem is just straight.

Waterloo Maroons
Est: 1946
Location: Waterloo, ON
Colours: Maroon, white
Owners: Greg Perry 1946-1968 Guy Perry 1968-present
Smyth Cup titles: 1964, 1969, 1972
Arena: Maroon Auditorium (build: 1937) (cap: 1800)

Big “W” with “H” and “C” inside of it in maroon and white. The jerseys got a horizontal stripe on the arms while the hem is just got one stripe on it.

Last edited by AJHFTW (2/07/2021 12:44 am)

     Thread Starter
 

4/03/2020 11:38 am  #8


Re: Canadian International Hockey Association

Oh this is a good start! I’d suggest making the image size bigger for us who bs at work on our phones. They are all a little foggy atm.



 

4/03/2020 2:16 pm  #9


Re: Canadian International Hockey Association

I'm gonna go with the Micmacs for my OMJHA team, but I think the Cats are still my number one.



 

4/03/2020 5:25 pm  #10


Re: Canadian International Hockey Association

AHJFTW, you can insert the full sized image and it will rescale on a desktop device automatically. It'll look big on a mobile browser but I usually just click on them individually if I'm viewing there.​ I tested your full sized images and they'll look just fine.

A nice start continues. The OMJHA has their own classic style outside of Burlington. That set is cool but the Metros light square word mark is a little tough to read. I think they'll be my team for this league though.



AHS Admin. Creator of the THLPUCHWHA: Redux and Retroliga.
 

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