NEWS

Reality hit home across the 22-team Ontario Junior Hockey League in 2018.

Sixteen people died and 13 were injured when a bus carrying the Jr. A Humboldt Broncos collided with a semi-trailer April 6. The Broncos were headed to a playoff game in Nipawin, Saskatchewan.

The Broncos are members of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, a sister league of the OJHL in the Canadian Junior Hockey League.

Moments of silence, memorial services and banner-raisings followed at community gatherings and playoff games across the OJHL. (Photo by Andy Corneau / OJHL Images).

The Toronto Patriots dominated the 2017-18 OJHL regular season, winning the inaugural Brant Snow trophy as champions. Patriots bench boss John Dean was named coach of the year, GM Mark Joslin executive of the year and star forward Andrew Petrucci MVP and scoring champ.

The Wellington Dukes opened the OJHL playoffs with seven-game series wins over Pickering and Newmarket, then eliminated Aurora and finally Georgetown – who knocked off the Patriots in the semifinals – to win the Buckland Cup. The Dukes would win the Dudley-Hewitt Cup Central Canada title and reach the Royal Bank Cup national title game, losing 4-2 to Chilliwack, B.C.

Scotiabank partnered with the OJHL to sponsor the annual Fan Favourite competition. Jaxon Camp of the Burlington Cougars was the 2018 recipient.

Toronto Jr. Canadiens forward Jack McBain (Minnesota Wild) and Pickering Panthers defenceman Dustyn McFaul (Boston Bruins) were selected in June’s NHL Draft.

Cobourg Cougars governor Marc Mercier received the OJHL Chairman’s Award. He was later named chairman of the league. Outgoing chairman Scott McCrory was praised by the league leadership for leading several OJHL initiatives.

The OHL had more than 135 commitments in 2017-18, including 65 NCAA Division I scholarships.

And it wasn’t just players moving on up: Dean was hired as head coach of the OHL’s Soo Greyhounds and Georgetown Raiders coach Greg Walters was named head coach of the Oshawa Generals.

The OJHL Foundation continued to take large steps in assisting our players, now and in their future lives. The foundation’s First Assist Program, presented by StoneRidge Insurance Brokers, is presenting mental wellness seminars to all 22 teams this season.

Opening month of the 2018-19 season featured the ever-popular Governors’ Showcase at HarborCentre, the Buffalo Sabres training facility in downtown Buffalo.

The OJHL made Jr. A hockey history when it hit the terrestrial television airwaves, thanks to a partnership with CHCH TV in Hamilton. The first Saturday ‘Game of the Week’ featured the Lindsay Muskies visiting the Whitby Fury Dec. 15

2019?

The CHCH Game of the Week schedule resumes Jan. 26 and continues every Saturday afternoon through Feb. 23

Voting is underway for this season’s Scotiabank Fan Favourite – it ends Feb. 15.

Twelve OJHL players – the highest representation of any league in Canada – jet to Okotoks, Alberta for the CJHL Prospects Game Jan. 22.

League awards will be presented at the inaugural OJHL banquet this spring.

The OJHL champions will advance to the Dudley-Hewitt Cup tournament in Cochrane, April 30 to May 4. The winner goes to the national championships – formerly the RBC Cup – May 11-19 in Brooks, Alberta.

And the commitments keep coming: 63 from The OJ to NCAA, OHL and U Sports teams already during 2018-19 season.