Junior and Minor League Hockey

[gerald78]

At the risk of sounding ignorant, can somebody fill me in on what the different leagues in junior hockey are all throughout canada and such? the Q and the OHL and all that, i'm not really that clear on who plays in these leagues, are they all players that have been drafted? what are age limitations in these leagues? are the kids still in school, or do they just play hockey full time? also, are these leagues officially affilitated with the nhl? please fill me in. thanks

gerald78

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[SPORTSMANIAC]

The CHL is made up of the QMJHL, OHL, WHL. Teams only play teams in their own league. Players are 16 to 20. There are exceptions John Tarvres (sp) of the OHL is 15. Which team is only allowed 3 20 yr olds. Except expanison teams there 1 st year they are allowed 5 20 yr olds. 2nd yr 4 20 yr olds and the thrid yr 3. . Players do go to classes and the older ones do go to a community college.

Most players on major junior teams get drafted to play for major junior hockey. Some players are invited to training camp. Each league has it's own seperate draft. Teams only can draft players in their region. Teams can pick up players from other regions if they are a free agent. There is an European Import draft that all 55 teams participate in. It is 2 rounds long. Teams are allowed 2 European players on gameday scoresheet. You can have three but one has to sit out the game. Player do get drafted in the NHL.

So Q team doesn't play OHL team in the regular season. At the end of the which league playoffs the league champions play in the Mermorial Cup it is a round robin format. All the teams play each other at once. Along with the three champions a host team plays. Host team hosts the event with all the games being played at their arena. So this year it is Moncton of the Q. No matter what their record is they automatically go to the Mermorial Cup. If the host team wins their league championship the team that they faced will go to the Mermorial Cup.

The CHL is affliated with the NHL and the junior teams do get consepation if their players play in the NHL more than 10 games if they still have junior eligiblity left. It is like the IIHF/NHL agreement.

Other junior team that are in Junior A and Junior B leagues are player that want to persue a NCAA career. Junior A and B leagues aren't affliated with the NHL.

That is it if anybody want to add go ahead.

 

[FLYLine27*]

Does the QMJHL play more games then the OHL and WHL? Been following a few players and it seems like the player in the QMJHL has 4-5 games some weeks.

 

[RayLeeCharles]

The WHL plays 72 regular season games, The QMJHL plays 70, and the OHL plays 68 regular season games.

 

[FLYLine27*]

The WHL plays 72 regular season games, The QMJHL plays 70, and the OHL plays 68 regular season games.

Hmm Guess the team im watching (Lewiston) just had a heavy schedule for the first part of the season.

 

[Transported Upstater]

The game amount listed is correct. The QMJHL used to play a 72-game schedule a while back...

 

[Transported Upstater]

The CHL is made up of the QMJHL, OHL, WHL. Teams only play teams in their own league. Players are 16 to 20. There are exceptions John Tarvres (sp) of the OHL is 15. Which team is only allowed 3 20 yr olds. Except expanison teams there 1 st year they are allowed 5 20 yr olds. 2nd yr 4 20 yr olds and the thrid yr 3. . Players do go to classes and the older ones do go to a community college.

Most players on major junior teams get drafted to play for major junior hockey. Some players are invited to training camp. Each league has it's own seperate draft. Teams only can draft players in their region. Teams can pick up players from other regions if they are a free agent. There is an European Import draft that all 55 teams participate in. It is 2 rounds long. Teams are allowed 2 European players on gameday scoresheet. You can have three but one has to sit out the game. Player do get drafted in the NHL.

So Q team doesn't play OHL team in the regular season. At the end of the which league playoffs the league champions play in the Mermorial Cup it is a round robin format. All the teams play each other at once. Along with the three champions a host team plays. Host team hosts the event with all the games being played at their arena. So this year it is Moncton of the Q. No matter what their record is they automatically go to the Mermorial Cup. If the host team wins their league championship the team that they faced will go to the Mermorial Cup.

The CHL is affliated with the NHL and the junior teams do get consepation if their players play in the NHL more than 10 games if they still have junior eligiblity left. It is like the IIHF/NHL agreement.

Other junior team that are in Junior A and Junior B leagues are player that want to persue a NCAA career. Junior A and B leagues aren't affliated with the NHL.

That is it if anybody want to add go ahead.

Junior A and B leagues are also a stepping stone for the CHL, but often it is because a player is sent down, because the Jr. A,B,C and D leagues in Canada have limits on the amount of 16-year olds on their teams (at least, now they do). A lot of guys, however, play in the provincial juniors as a 16-year old and then play in the CHL at 17 (Benoit Pouliot, Patrice Bergeron for example) for reasons which vary from player to player (if I'm not mistaken, Pouliot's father passed away and Pouliot was reluctant to go from the Ottawa region to Sudbury as a 16-year old, but also, he wasn't a high ranked midget prospect because he was so skinny...)

 

[SPORTSMANIAC]

Junior A and B leagues are also a stepping stone for the CHL, but often it is because a player is sent down, because the Jr. A,B,C and D leagues in Canada have limits on the amount of 16-year olds on their teams (at least, now they do). A lot of guys, however, play in the provincial juniors as a 16-year old and then play in the CHL at 17 (Benoit Pouliot, Patrice Bergeron for example) for reasons which vary from player to player (if I'm not mistaken, Pouliot's father passed away and Pouliot was reluctant to go from the Ottawa region to Sudbury as a 16-year old, but also, he wasn't a high ranked midget prospect because he was so skinny...)

But if a player doesn't want to play major junior his NCAA eligibilty is still intacted at the Junior A and B level?

 

[SPORTSMANIAC]

Hmm Guess the team im watching (Lewiston) just had a heavy schedule for the first part of the season.

You are right Lewiston's first three games were against one of the St. Johns teams in 4 nights I believe and Lewiston was last team to start the regular season.

 

[ozzie]

Speaking of Junior 'A', what are the age limits of that league? and do it's players attend normal high schools?.

 

[Canadian Chris]

age limits are the same as Major Junior, although I'm not totally up to speed on the restrictions on 15/16yr olds playing.

And yes, they generally still go to normal high schools...unless of course you've graduated, then it is generally up to the player as to whether or not they attend post secondary schooling or not

 

[Transported Upstater]

But if a player doesn't want to play major junior his NCAA eligibilty is still intacted at the Junior A and B level?

As long as he does not sign a CHL contract, he's eligible to play in the NCAA.

I would say the VAST majority of Canadians in the NCAA played provincial junior at some point.

 

[Transported Upstater]

You are right Lewiston's first three games were against one of the St. Johns teams in 4 nights I believe and Lewiston was last team to start the regular season.

Speaking of Lewiston..didn't Acadie-Bathurst just play the MAINEiacs, and then 2 days later had to play THE FOG DEVILS?


How the hell do you get to St. John's from Lewiston in that amount of time?!?!?!?

 

[Vikke]

How the hell do you get to St. John's from Lewiston in that amount of time?!?!?!?

Bus?

 

[BCCHL inactive]

Except expanison teams there 1 st year they are allowed 5 20 yr olds. 2nd yr 4 20 yr olds and the thrid yr 3.

In the WHL, expansion teams get 5 overagers, but the next season, it's down to 3.

age limits are the same as Major Junior, although I'm not totally up to speed on the restrictions on 15/16yr olds playing.

I'm pretty sure (though not 100% confident) that it's three 16 year-olds per team in Major Junior and Jr.A and below. However, for Jr.A and below (leagues sanctioned by Hockey Canada), you have to be 18 to move to another province to play.

 

[OHLArenaGuide]

How the hell do you get to St. John's from Lewiston in that amount of time?!?!?!?

Flying machine?

 

[insider]

Speaking of Lewiston..didn't Acadie-Bathurst just play the MAINEiacs, and then 2 days later had to play THE FOG DEVILS?


How the hell do you get to St. John's from Lewiston in that amount of time?!?!?!?

It's simple... they didn't.

However, in late November, they play in Lewiston the 25th at 7h and the 26th at 7; then IN Shawinigan (a LONG way) the 27th at FOUR O'CLOCK...

 

[SPORTSMANIAC]

Speaking of Lewiston..didn't Acadie-Bathurst just play the MAINEiacs, and then 2 days later had to play THE FOG DEVILS?


How the hell do you get to St. John's from Lewiston in that amount of time?!?!?!?

I think you are right. Another instance we were playing St. John's one night and had to fly to play the next game in Moncton.

In the WHL, expansion teams get 5 overagers, but the next season, it's down to 3.

I was going by what the Q goes by but thanks for the infomation on the WHL.