Quebec Junior Hockey League

Quebec Junior Hockey League
RegionQuebec
CommissionerKevin Figsby
Former names
  • Quebec Provincial Junior Hockey League (1988–1998)
  • Quebec Junior AAA Hockey League (1998–2014)
Founded1988
No. of teams13
Associated titles
Recent championsValleyfield Braves (2025)
Most successful clubLongueuil Collège Français (10)
HeadquartersLongueuil, Quebec
Websitewww.lhjaaaq.com Edit this at Wikidata

The Ligue de hockey junior AAA du Québec (LHJQ) or Quebec Junior Hockey League (QJHL) 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 QJHL playoffs competes for the Fred Page Cup against the winners of the Central Canada Hockey League and the Maritime Junior Hockey League and the host team, which is on a three-year cycle between the MJHL, CCHL and LHJQ. The winner of the Fred Page Cup then moves on to compete for the Centennial Cup.

History

The Quebec Junior Hockey League is an offshoot of the Quebec Junior A Hockey League that lasted from 1972 to 1982. Founded in 1988, the QJHL has been a rather strong league, with three 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 Fred Page Cup in 1995. To this day,[when?] the QJHL has four 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 seven 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 Bishop's University. The Cougars, who were coached by former NHLer Stéphan 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 semi-finals loss to the Camrose Kodiaks of the AJHL.

In 2003–04, the CJAHL and the LHJAAAQ saw the St-Eustache Gladiateurs ranked #5 overall in Canada. However, the Gladiateurs lost the finals to the Valleyfield Braves. Because Valleyfield was hosting the Fred Page Cup, the Gladiateurs got a berth in the tournament. Saint-Eustache and Valleyfield each held a 2–0 tournament record going into the all-LHJAAAQ match-up that would decide the winner and who gets a bye to the championship finals. Valleyfield won the game 4–0, and Saint-Eustache then lost to the Nepean Raiders 3–2 in double-overtime. The Valleyfield Braves lost the championship game 4–0 to Nepean.

In 2014, 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 as the Gatineau Flames, becoming the first Hull-based team since the Aylmer Extreme that had lasted one season in 2000–01. Several weeks after announcing the Gatineau Flames as a member, the Flames purchased the Lachine Maroons and absorbed the franchise rights. The league expelled the Sherbrooke Cougars because the league considered them as a collegiate team and had ties to Bishop's University. The Saint-Hyacinthe Laureats withdrew from the league, possibly in conjunction with the Cougars. The league split into two divisions.

Teams

TeamCentre
Beauce-Appalaches CondorsSaint-Georges
Côte-du-Sud EverestMontmagny
Gatineau FlamesGatineau
Granby IndigoGranby
Joliette PrédateursJoliette
Laval PrimeLaval
Longueuil Collège FrançaisLongueuil
Montreal RangersMontréal
Montreal PhoenixMontréal
Princeville TitanPrinceville
St-Jérôme PanthèresSaint-Jérôme
Terrebonne CobrasTerrebonne
Valleyfield BravesSalaberry-de-Valleyfield

La Coupe NAPA playoff champions

Year Champion Runner-up Series
1989Longueuil Collège Français
1990Longueuil Collège Français
1991Montreal Olympics
1992Joliette Nationals
1993Châteauguay Élites
1994Châteauguay Élites
1995Joliette Nationals
1996Contrecoeur Éperviers
1997Longueuil Collège Français
1998Coaticook Frontaliers
1999Valleyfield BravesContrecoeur Blackhawks4–3
2000Coaticook Frontaliers
2001St-Jérôme Panthers
2002Valleyfield BravesLongueuil Collège Français4–3
2003Lennoxville CougarsLongueuil Collège Français4–0
2004Valleyfield BravesSt-Eustache Gladiateurs4–1
2005Vaudreuil MustangsSt-Jérôme Panthers4–1
2006Joliette ActionCollege Lafleche Titans4–2
2007Joliette ActionLongueuil Collège Français4–0
2008Sherbrooke CougarsJoliette Action4–2
2009Sherbrooke CougarsPrinceville Titans4–0
2010Terrebonne CobrasLongueuil Collège Français4–1
2011Longueuil Collège FrançaisValleyfield Braves4–1
2012Princeville TitansSt-Jérôme Panthers4–1
2013Longueuil Collège FrançaisLachine Maroons4–0
2014Granby InoukSherbrooke Cougars4–3
2015Longueuil Collège FrançaisSherbrooke Cougars4–3
2016Longueuil Collège FrançaisGranby Inouk4–0
2017Terrebonne CobrasLongueuil Collège Français4–1
2018Longueuil Collège FrançaisTerrebonne Cobras4–1
2019Princeville TitansTerrebonne Cobras4–1
2020Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in Quebec
2021
2022Longueuil Collège FrançaisBeauce-Appalaches Cegep Condors4–1
2023Terrebonne CobrasBeauce-Appalaches Cegep Condors4–3
2024Longueuil Collège FrançaisL'Everest de la Côte-du-Sud4–3
2025Valleyfield BravesLongueuil Collège Français4–2

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.