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Allan Cup Hockey

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This article is about the senior ice hockey league in Ontario, Canada. For the Canadian senior ice hockey championship, see Allan Cup. For the senior ice hockey league in Alberta, Canada, see Allan Cup Hockey West.

Allan Cup Hockey
CountriesCanada
Region(s)Ontario
MembershipOntario Hockey Association
Founded1990
ChampionshipJ. Ross Robertson Cup
Associated Title(s)Allan Cup
Recent ChampionsDundas Real McCoys (2024)
Websiteallancup.pointstreaksites.com

Allan Cup Hockey (ACH), also known as the OHA Senior “AAA” Hockey League, is a senior ice hockey league with three teams in Southern Ontario. The league was founded in 1990 as the Southwestern Senior "A" Hockey League. It is governed by the Ontario Hockey Association and Hockey Canada. The league champions go on to play for the Allan Cup each year. The league came to its latest incarnation when it lost several teams leaving it with two and as a result it merged with the Eastern Ontario Senior Hockey League in 2008.

Teams

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The league had three teams at the start of the 2024–25 ACH season. The league announced that it planned to expand to 8 – 10 teams, and that it had retained a sports marketing firm to identify prospective owners.[1] The search was reportedly focused on markets of 10,000 inhabitants or more, with an arena with capacity for 500 – 1,500 spectators, and the ability to pay the CA$100,000 expansion fee.[2] Markets identified as potential candidates for expansion included Brantford, King City, Orangeville, Guelph, Cambridge, Caledon, and Stratford.[3][4]

Team Centre Founded
Dundas Real McCoys Dundas, Ontario 2000
Hamilton Steelers Hamilton, Ontario 2015
Wentworth Gryphins Flamborough, Ontario 2022

History

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Petrolia Squires attack Windsor St. Clair Saints net in 2007-08 Season

The league traces its history back to 1890. The first season of Ontario Hockey Association senior hockey was the 1890-91 season, for the Cosby Cup. Ottawa Hockey Club won the first ever Senior title defeating Toronto St. Georges 5–0. The first "Major" league came in 1929, known as the OHA Senior A Hockey League. The league lasted for fifty seasons, its teams winning 16 Allan Cups. The league was replaced by the Continental Senior A Hockey League in 1979. The Continental league was renamed the OHA Senior A Hockey League in 1980 and lasted until 1987. Teams of the Continental league won 4 Allan Cups.[citation needed]

In 1990, the Southwestern Senior "A" Hockey League was incorporated through the merger between the Central Senior "B" Hockey League, the Seaway-Cyclone Senior "B" Hockey League, and the Southern Ontario Senior "A" Hockey League.

It became Major League Hockey in 2003. The formation of the Major League Hockey marked the first time since 1987 and the folding of the OHA Senior A Hockey League that the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) has crowned a top level senior league. In 2005, the OHA also granted the Eastern Ontario Senior Hockey League the same status.[citation needed]

In 2008, the Brantford Blast became the first OHA team since the Brantford Motts Clamatos in 1987 to win the Allan Cup. As hosts of the 2008 Allan Cup, the Blast failed to win their league and were allowed to bypass the OHA Final against the Whitby Dunlops and the Renwick Cup against the Thunder Bay Hawks. After almost a months rest, the Blast competed at home for the Allan Cup and won the entire thing. After suffering their only loss of the tournament to the Shawinigan Xtreme in the first game, the Blast defeated the Bentley Generals to clinch second in their division. They defeated the Robertson Cup and EOSHL champion Whitby Dunlops in the quarter-final. They then knocked off the Major League Hockey and Renwick Cup champion Dundas Real McCoys in the semi-final. They met Bentley again in the final, and defeated them 3-1 to win the Canadian National Senior "AAA" crown.[citation needed]

In the 2008 off-season, Major League Hockey ran into some issues. The Windsor St. Clair Saints, the league's only college team, walked away from the league. The Tillsonburg Vipers have officially left the league, as they have applied for expansion into the independent Western Ontario Athletic Association Senior Hockey League.[5] The Petrolia Squires are stranded far away from Brantford and Dundas and have also been accepted into the Western Ontario Athletic Association Senior Hockey League. In the EOSHL, the Frankford Huskies and Marmora Lakers have walked away as well.[citation needed]

Major League Hockey merged with the Eastern Ontario Senior Hockey League in 2008, when AAA-level senior hockey in the OHA shrunk to only five teams.[6]

In 2011, the league changed its name to Allan Cup Hockey. In 2015, two new teams were added: the Hamilton Steelhawks and the Thorold Athletics.[citation needed]

Former OHA president Brent Ladds served as the commissioner of Allan Cup Hockey from 2013 to 2016.[7]

In 2017, the league announced that the Thorold Athletics were taking leave for the 2018-19 season.[8] For the 2019-20 season, the Stoney Creek Generals franchise relocated and merged with the Brantford Blast.[9] The Blast was sold to the owners of the Generals in 2018 and was on leave for the 2018-19 season.[10] For the 2020-21 ACH season, the Whitby Dunlops announced a leave of absence, and the Caledon Crusaders were added as an expansion team. It was later announced that the season would be cancelled entirely.[11] The league returned to action in 2022 with an 8-game schedule.[12] In 2022, the Brantford Blast announced that it would not take part in the 2022–23 season.[13] In 2023, the team announced that it did not plan to return to the league citing a lack of competition.[14] The Brampton Buccaneers ceased operations during the 2023–24 season.[15]

League champions

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The teams of the ACH league play for the league championship J. Ross Robertson Cup. In 2024, the Stoney Creek Tigers won the league championship and the Dundas Real McCoys took the Allan Cup.[16][17] In 2025, the ACH champions will play off against the champions of the “AA” Ontario Elite Hockey League (OEHL) in a best-of-three series, with the winner going on to represent Ontario at the 2025 Allan Cup Challenge tournament in Innisfail, Alberta.[18][19]

J. Ross Robertson Cup, OHA Senior AAA Championship trophy

Southwestern Senior "A"

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1991 Exeter Mohawks
1992 Exeter Mohawks
1993 Dunnville Mudcats
1994 Dorchester Dolphins
1995 Ohsweken Riverhawks
1996 Bothwell Bullets
1997 Bothwell Bullets
1998 Aylmer Blues
1999 London MacMaster Chevys
2000 Cambridge Hornets
2001 Simcoe Gunners
2002 Dundas Real McCoys
2003 Dundas Real McCoys

Allan Cup Hockey

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2012 Dundas Real McCoys
2013 Brantford Blast
2014 Brantford Blast
2015 Dundas Real McCoys
2016 Stoney Creek Generals
2017 Stoney Creek Generals
2018 Stoney Creek Generals
2019 Stoney Creek Generals
2020 playoffs cancelled
2021 season cancelled
2022 Dundas Real McCoys
2023 Hamilton Steelers
2024 Wentworth Gryphins

Bolded teams won the Robertson Cup as Ontario Hockey Association champions.

Allan Cup winners

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  • 2008 Brantford Blast
  • 2014 Dundas Real McCoys
  • 2018 Stoney Creek Generals
  • 2023 Dundas Real McCoys
  • 2024 Dundas Real McCoys

Former member teams

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ACH/MLH/Southwestern Sr. A

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Eastern Sr. A

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Southern Ontario Sr. A

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Southern Int. B

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Southern Counties Int. B

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Central Int. C

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Central Sr. A

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Northern Sr. A

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OHA Int. C

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Seaway-Cyclone Sr. B

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Seaway-Cyclone Int. B

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Seaway Int. C

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Seaway-Western Int. C

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Western/Tri-County Int. C

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Cyclone Int. D

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References

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  1. ^ "Allan Cup Hockey League Looking to Expand to 8 Teams". allancup.pointstreaksites.com. May 8, 2024. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
  2. ^ Arnold, Chris (May 22, 2024). "Allan Cup Hockey League seeks expansion into Burlington". BurlingtonToday.com. Village Media. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
  3. ^ Pare, Mark (May 20, 2024). "Senior hockey in Guelph or Fergus? League looking for prospective owners". EloraFergusToday.com. Village Media. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
  4. ^ Arnold, Chris (May 22, 2024). "Allan Cup Hockey League seeks expansion into Burlington". BurlingtonToday.com. Village Media. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
  5. ^ "Tillsonburg News, Tillsonburg, ON". Archived from the original on January 7, 2009. Retrieved May 4, 2008.
  6. ^ "Senior hockey leagues merge". Brantford Expositor. Brantford, Ontario. May 16, 2008. p. 13.Free access icon
  7. ^ La Rose, Jason (December 15, 2016). "A New Voice for Junior A Hockey". Hockey Canada. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  8. ^ Smart, Darryl (September 15, 2017). "Thorold Athletics take one-year leave from ACH". Toronto.com. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  9. ^ Smiley, Brian (September 24, 2018). "New owner found for Brantford Blast". Brantford Expositor. Postmedia. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
  10. ^ Smiley, Brian (August 23, 2019). "Blast are back in Brantford". Brantford Expositor. Postmedia. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
  11. ^ "Ontario Senior AAA 19-20". Archived from the original on November 29, 2020. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  12. ^ "Opinion | Senior hockey will return this year. But it'll be different". The Hamilton Spectator. February 11, 2022.
  13. ^ Smiley, Brian (September 23, 2022). "Blast will not play this season". Brantford Expositor. Postmedia. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
  14. ^ Smiley, Brian (April 5, 2023). "Blast's absence from ACH indefinite". Brantford Expositor. Postmedia. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
  15. ^ Rumbolt, Ryan (February 14, 2024). "Brampton Buccaneers suddenly drop from ACH, game cancelled after team 'ceased operations'". insauga.com. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
  16. ^ Best, John (April 29, 2024). "Dundas Real McCoys repeat as Allan Cup Champions". bayobserver.ca.
  17. ^ "2024 Robertson Cup Finals Are Set". allancup.pointstreaksites.com (Press release). March 31, 2024. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
  18. ^ "OEHL teams eligible to compete for prestigious Allan Cup". saugeentimes.com. May 9, 2024. Retrieved September 15, 2024.
  19. ^ "OEHL Clubs Eligible to Compete for Allan Cup". Ontario Elite Hockey League (Press release). May 8, 2024. Retrieved September 15, 2024.

Further reading

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