Don Johnson Memorial Cup Explained

The Don Johnson Memorial Cup, formerly Don Johnson Cup, is the Junior B ice hockey championship for Atlantic Canada, including Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island as of 2014.

From 1982 until 1990 and 1997 until 2013, the Don Johnson Cup was emblematic of the Junior B championship of the Atlantic Provinces of Canada -- Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island.

The cup is named in honour of Don Johnson, a sports enthusiast who dedicated his efforts to the growth of hockey in Atlantic Canada. Johnson, who died in 2012, awarded the first ever Don Johnson Cup in 1982 to his own son, a player for the St. John's Jr. Celtics.

There is no National Championship for Junior B hockey in Canada, similar championships are held in Southern Ontario (Sutherland Cup), Eastern Ontario (Barkley Cup), Quebec (Coupe Dodge), and Western Canada (Keystone Cup) - leaving five teams at the end of each year with a shared claim to being the best Junior B team in Canada.

History

In the 1980s, Newfoundland and Labrador teams dominated the early tournaments. NL teams won five of the first seven Don Johnson Cups. In 1990, the tournament was retired, only to be resurrected a few years later.

Since 2002, the Don Johnson Cup has been dominated by teams from Nova Scotia. From 2003 until 2008, the teams of the NSJHL have won six consecutive Atlantic titles. The streak was broken in 2009 as St. John's of Newfoundland and Labrador eliminated all hopes of a seventh straight Nova Scotia crown. Going into the semi-final round of the Don Johnson Cup, the three NL teams present were 0–6 against PEI's Sherwood Falcons and NS's Cumberland County Cool Blues. In the semi-final, the third seeded St. John's Caps of the St. John's Junior Hockey League upset the second seeded Cumberland County 6–5. The Caps advanced to the final to play the Falcons and upset them 3–2 in overtime to win Newfoundland and Labrador's first Atlantic Jr. B championship in 21 years.

With the passing of Don Johnson, starting with the 2013 tournament, the trophy was renamed the Don Johnson Memorial Cup.

On April 22, 2014, the Casselman Vikings of the Eastern Ontario Junior Hockey League played in Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia and became the first non-Atlantic Canada team to compete at the event. The Vikings would defeat the Fredericton Jr. Caps 6–1 in their debut. The 2014 tournament would also mark the tournament being rebranded from the Atlantic Junior B Championships to the Eastern Canadian Junior B Championships. The Vikings would sweep the event with six wins and no losses. The rebranding did not last long. The 2015 championship was originally slated to take place in Arnprior, Ontario, the first to take place outside of Atlantic Canada. It was instead moved to Tyne Valley, Prince Edward Island with no Eastern Ontario team taking part.

Champions

Don Johnson Memorial Cup Champions
YearChampionsRunners-UpScoreHost City
1982St. John's Jr. CelticsKensington Bombers4-3Kensington, Prince Edward Island
1983Antigonish BulldogsSaint John Beavers11-4Saint John, New Brunswick
1984Antigonish BulldogsSt. John's Jr. 50's11-4St John's, NL
1985St. John's Jr. 50'sAntigonish Bulldogs3-0Antigonish, Nova Scotia
1986Mount Pearl Jr. BladesKensington, Prince Edward Island
1987St. John's Jr. 50'sWindsor Valley Jets9-5Fredericton, New Brunswick
1988St. John's Jr. 50's
1989Sydney Millionaires
1990St. Margaret's Bay Mariners
No Competition from 1991 until 1996.
1997Cape Breton AlpinesWindsor Royals5-2New Waterford, Nova Scotia
1998Windsor RoyalsRichibucto Bears4-2Summerside, Prince Edward Island
1999Richibucto BearsBell Island Jr. Blues10-2Bell Island, NL
2000Woodstock SlammersCape Breton Alpines4-1Woodstock, New Brunswick
2001Windsor RoyalsStrait PiratesWindsor, Nova Scotia
2002O'Leary EaglesStrait PiratesO'Leary, Prince Edward Island
2003Sackville BlazersMount Pearl Jr. BladesMount Pearl, NL
2004Sackville BlazersKensington VipersAntigonish, Nova Scotia
2005Sackville BlazersStrait PiratesPort Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia
2006Bay DucksAntigonish BulldogsKensington, Prince Edward Island
2007East Hants PenguinsCumberland County BluesSpringhill, Nova Scotia
2008Windsor RoyalsSherwood FalconsSherwood, Prince Edward Island
2009St. John's Jr. CapsSherwood FalconsBay Roberts, NL
2010Cumberland County BluesBay Ducks4-1St. Margaret's Bay, Nova Scotia
2011Kensington VipersMontague Maniacs3-0Montague, Prince Edward Island
2012Moncton Jr. Vito'sEast Hants PenguinsSt. John's, NL
2013Kensington VipersSackville BlazersMoncton, New Brunswick
2014Casselman VikingsSackville BlazersPort Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia
2015Moncton Jr. Vito'sGlace Bay Jr. MinersAbrams Village, Prince Edward Island
2016Valley Maple LeafsAvalon Jr. CapitalsConception Bay, NL
2017Cap-Pele PredatorsFredericton Jr. Caps3-2Fredericton, NB
2018Kameron Jr. MinersMount Pearl Jr. Blades4-1Membertou, NS
2019Western Red WingsKensington Vipers4-3 OTKensington, Prince Edward Island
2020Cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemicCocagne, New Brunswick
2021Cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemicN/A
2022 Kent KoyotesMoncton Vitos5-4Cocagne, New Brunswick
2023Antigonish BulldogsKensington Vipers4-3Liverpool, Nova Scotia
2024Antigonish BulldogsKensington Vipers3-2Mount Pearl, NL

Recent tournaments

2024 Don Johnson Memorial Cup

2024 Roll of ChampionsRegional Champions

2024 Don Johnson Cup Round Robin
RankTeamLeagueW-OTW-OTL-LGFGA
1Antigonish BulldogsNSJHL2-1-0-1198
2Mount Pearl Jr. BladesHost3-0-1-0169
3Kensington VipersIJHL2-0-1-11313
4St John's Jr. CapsSJJHL1-0-3-0519
5Kent KoyotesNBJBHL0-1-3-0812

2024 Round Robin

!Game!Away!Score!Home!Score
April 23, 2024
1St John's Jr. Caps2Mount Pearl Jr. Blades5
April 24, 2024
2Kent Koyotes3Kensington Vipers4
3St John's Jr. Caps0Antigonish Jr B Bulldogs8
4Kensington Vipers2Mount Pearl Jr. Blades6
April 25, 2024
5Antigonish Jr B Bulldogs2 Kent Koyotes3 OT
6Kensington Vipers4St John's Jr. Caps0
7Mount Pearl Jr. Blades3Kent Koyotes0
April 26, 2024
8Antigonish Jr B Bulldogs OT4Kensington Vipers3
9Kent Koyotes2St John's Jr. Caps3
10Mount Pearl Jr. Blades2Antigonish Jr B Bulldogs5
April 27, 2024 Semi Finals
11Antigonish Jr B Bulldogs8St John's Jr. Caps0
12Kensington Vipers6Mount Pearl Jr. Blades2
April 28, 2024 Championship Game
13Antigonish Jr B Bulldogs3Kensington Vipers2

2022 Don Johnson Memorial Cup

2022 Roll of ChampionsRegional Champions

2022 Don Johnson Memorial Cup Teams!Team!League
Kent KoyotesHost
Moncton VitosNBJBHL
Antigonish AA Munro Jr B BulldogsNSJHL
Mount Pearl Junior BladesSJJHL
A&S Scrap Metal MetrosIJHL

2022 Round Robin

!Game!Away!Score!Home!Score
April 26, 2022
1Moncton Vitos3Kent Koyotes2
April 27, 2022
2Mount Pearl Junior Blades2A&S Scrap Metal Metros0
3Moncton Vitos3Antigonish AA Munro Jr B Bulldogs6
4A&S Scrap Metal Metros4Kent Koyotes3
April 28, 2022
5Antigonish AA Munro Jr B Bulldogs4Mount Pearl Junior Blades0
6A&S Scrap Metal Metros2Moncton Vitos6
7Kent Koyotes8Mount Pearl Junior Blades1
April 29, 2022
8Antigonish AA Munro Jr B Bulldogs1A&S Scrap Metal Metros3
9Mount Pearl Junior Blades4Moncton Vitos5
10Kent Koyotes4Antigonish AA Munro Jr B Bulldogs1
A&S Scrap Metal Metros played 5 overagers and were eliminated from further play
April 30, 2022 Semi Finals
11Mount Pearl Junior Blades1Kent Koyotes2
12Moncton Vitos5Antigonish AA Munro Jr B Bulldogs1
May 1, 2022 Championship Game
13Moncton Vitos4Kent Koyotes5

2019 Don Johnson Memorial Cup

2019 Roll of ChampionsRegional Champions

2019 Don Johnson Cup Round Robin
RankTeamLeagueW-OTW-L-OTLGFGA
1Kensington VipersHost2-0-2-01213
2Western Red WingsIJHL3-0-0-12415
3CBR Jr. RenegadesSJJHL1-0-0-31722
4Sackville BlazersNSJHL2-0-0-2815
5Moncton Vito'sNBJBHL2-0-0-2128
Round Robin
Game Away Score Home Score
April 23, 2019
1 5 3
April 24, 2019
2 Sackville Blazers4 CBR Renegades 2
3 Moncton Vito's 2 4
4 5 CBR Renegades 4
April 25, 2019
5 Moncton Vito's 2 0
6 CBR Renegades 9 6
7 3 2
April 26, 2019
8 CBR Renegades 7 Moncton Vito's 2
9 9 1
10 2 Moncton Vito's 1
Championship Round
Game Away Score Home Score
April 27, 2019
Semi Final #1Kensington Vipers6Moncton Vito's3
Semi Final #2Sackville Blazers0Western Red Wings1 (OT)
April 28, 2019
FinalKensington Vipers3Western Red Wings4 (OT)

External links