| National championship | |
| Year: | 2023 |
| Other Titles: | Centennial Cup |
| City: | Portage la Prairie |
| Num Teams: | 10 |
| Dates: | 11-21 May 2023 |
| Venues: | Stride Place |
| Host Team: | Portage Terriers |
| Winners: | Brooks Bandits |
| Second: | Battlefords North Stars |
| Games: | 25 |
| Award Title: | MVP |
| Award: | Aiden Fink |
| Prev Season: | 2022 |
| Next Season: | 2024 |
The 2023 Centennial Cup was the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) championship for the 2022–23 season and the 51st Canadian junior A ice hockey national championship, played at Stride Place in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba from May 11 to 21, 2023. For the second straight season, all nine CJHL league champions and the host team (Portage Terriers) participated in the tournament.
The Portage Terriers and city of Portage la Prairie were to be the host for the 2020 Centennial Cup, but were renamed as the 2023 host when the 2020 tournament was cancelled at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Portage la Prairie was also host to the 2015 championship (then known as the RBC Cup), which was won by the Terriers.[1] Tim Hortons, the title sponsor of the national junior 'A' championship, withdrew its sponsorship for the 2023 season in response to the Hockey Canada sexual assault scandal.[2]
Brooks Bandits qualified as Inter Pipeline Cup Champions[3]
53-5-1-1 (1st in AJHL)
playoffs: Defeated Okotoks Oilers 4-2, Defeated Blackfalds Bulldogs 4-0, Defeated Spruce Grove Saints 4-1;
Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League
Battlefords North Stars qualified as Canterra Seeds Cup Champions[4]
48-5-2-1 (1st in SJHL)
Playoffs: Defeated Weyburn Red Wings 4-1, Defeated Melfort Mustangs 4-0, Defeated Flin Flon Bombers 4-0;
Steinbach Pistons qualified as Turnbull Cup Champions[5]
42-15-1 (2nd in MJHL)
Playoffs: Defeated Winkler Flyers 4-3, Defeated Swan Valley Stampeders 4-2 Defeated Virden Oil Capitals 4-1
Portage Terriers qualified as the host team[6]
43-11-1-3 (1st in MJHL)
Playoffs: Defeated Niverville Nighthawks 4-1, defeated by Virden Oil Capitals 3-4;
Superior International Junior Hockey League
Kam River Fighting Walleye qualified as Bill Salonen Cup champions
Regular Season: 40-11-1-1 (1st in SIJHL)
Playoffs: Defeated Wisconsin Lumberjacks 4-1, Defeated Thunder Bay North Stars 4-3
Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League
Timmins Rock qualified as Copeland Cup Champions[7]
Regular Season 45-8-3-2 (1st in NOJHL)
Playoffs: Defeated French River Rapids 4-1, defeated Powassan Voodoos 4-0, defeated Soo Thunderbirds 4-2;
Collingwood Blues qualified as Buckland Cup Champions[8]
Regular Season
44-9-0-1 (2nd in OJHL)
Playoffs: Defeated Stouffville Spirit 4-0, Defeated Milton Menace 4-0, Defeated Burlington Cougars 4-1, Defeated Trenton Golden Hawks 4-1
Ottawa Jr. Senators qualified as Bogart Cup Champions[9]
Regular Season 42-8-3-2 (1st in CCHL)
Playoffs: Defeated Cornwall Colts 4-1, Defeated Brockville Braves 4-1, Defeated Smiths Falls Bears 4-3
Ligue de Hockey Junior AAA du Québec
Terrebonne Cobras qualified as NAPA cup champions[10]
Regular Season
42-5-0-1 (1st in LHJAAAQ)
Playoffs: Defeated Joliette Predateurs 4-0, Defeated Princeville Titans 4-1, Defeated Cégep Beauce-Appalaches Condors 4-3;
Yarmouth Mariners qualified as Metalfab MHL Cup champions[11]
41-9-2-0 (1st in MHL)
Playoffs: Defeated Pictou County Weeks Crushers 4-0, Defeated Truro Bearcats 4-0, Defeated Edmundston Blizzard 4-0;
| Rank | Team | League | W–OTW–OTL–L | GF—GA | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brooks Bandits | AJHL | 4–0–0–0 | 27–4 | 12 | |
| 2 | Ottawa Jr. Senators | CCHL | 1–1–1–1 | 8–11 | 6 | |
| 3 | Yarmouth Mariners | MHL | 1–0–1–2 | 11–17 | 4 | |
| 4 | Terrebonne Cobras | LHJQ | 1–0–1–2 | 6–12 | 4 | |
| 5 | Timmins Rock | NOJHL | 0–2–0–2 | 7–15 | 4 |
| Rank | Team | League | W–OTW–OTL–L | GF—GA | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Battlefords North Stars | SJHL | 3–0–0–1 | 11–7 | 9 | |
| 2 | Portage Terriers | Host | 3–0–0–1 | 22–10 | 9 | |
| 3 | Collingwood Blues | OJHL | 2–1–0–1 | 12–7 | 8 | |
| 4 | Steinbach Pistons | MJHL | 1–0–1–2 | 9–11 | 4 | |
| 5 | Kam River Fighting Walleye | SIJHL | 0–0–0–4 | 6–25 | 0 |
All time Central Time.
| Game | Time | Away Team | Score | Home Team | Score | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 11, 2023 | |||||||
| 1 | 11:30am | Kam River (SIJHL) | 1 | Battlefords (SJHL) | 4 | ||
| 2 | 3:30pm | Yarmouth (MHL) | 2 | Brooks (AJHL) | 7 | ||
| 3 | 7:30pm | Collingwood (OJHL) | 2 | Steinbach (MJHL) | 1 | OT | |
| May 12, 2023 | |||||||
| 4 | 11:30am | Ottawa (CCHL) | 2 | Terrebonne (QJHL) | 1 | OT | |
| 5 | 3:30pm | Timmins (NOJHL) | 4 | Yarmouth (MHL) | 3 | OT | |
| 6 | 7:30pm | Steinbach (MJHL) | 2 | Portage (Host) | 4 | ||
| May 13, 2023 | |||||||
| 7 | 11:30am | Battlefords (SJHL) | 1 | Collingwood (OJHL) | 3 | ||
| 8 | 3:30pm | Brooks (AJHL) | 5 | Ottawa (CCHL) | 1 | ||
| 9 | 7:30pm | Portage (Host) | 12 | Kam River (SIJHL) | 2 | ||
| May 14, 2023 | |||||||
| 10 | 3:30pm | Terrebonne (QJHL) | 2 | Timmins (NOJHL) | 1 | ||
| 11 | 7:30pm | Steinbach (MJHL) | 5 | Kam River (SIJHL) | 2 | ||
| May 15, 2023 | |||||||
| 12 | 11:30am | Ottawa (CCHL) | 4 | Yarmouth (MHL) | 3 | ||
| 13 | 3:30pm | Brooks (AJHL) | 9 | Timmins (NOJHL) | 0 | ||
| 14 | 7:30pm | Portage (Host) | 2 | Battlefords (SJHL) | 3 | ||
| May 16, 2023 | |||||||
| 15 | 11:30am | Kam River (SIJHL) | 1 | Collingwood (OJHL) | 4 | ||
| 16 | 3:30pm | Terrebonne (QJHL) | 1 | Brooks (AJHL) | 6 | ||
| 17 | 7:30pm | Battlefords (SJHL) | 3 | Steinbach (MJHL) | 1 | ||
| May 17, 2023 | |||||||
| 18 | 11:30am | Timmins (NOJHL) | 2 | Ottawa (CCHL) | 1 | SO | |
| 19 | 3:30pm | Yarmouth (MHL) | 3 | Terrebonne (QJHL) | 2 | ||
| 20 | 7:30pm | Collingwood (OJHL) | 3 | Portage (Host) | 4 | ||
| Game | Away team | Score | Home team | Score | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quarterfinal 1 | Collingwood Blues (OJHL) | 2 | Ottawa Jr Senators (CCHL) | 4 | ||
| Quarterfinal 2 | Yarmouth Mariners (MHL) | 1 | Portage Terriers (Host) | 2 | ||
| Semifinal 1 | Ottawa Jr Senators (CCHL) | 0 | Brooks Bandits (AJHL) | 3 | ||
| Semifinal 2 | Portage Terriers (Host) | 1 | Battlefords North Stars (SJHL) | 7 | ||
| Championship | Battlesfords North Stars (SJHL) | 0 | Brooks Bandits (AJHL) | 4 |