Southern Ontario Junior Hockey League Explained

Southern Ontario Junior Hockey League Head Office Official Website SOJHL Convenor Wayne Smith Chairman John Simmons Operated 1960-2016

The Southern Ontario Junior Hockey League (SOJHL) is a former Canadian Junior ice hockey league sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Association based out of Southwestern Ontario. Prior to the 2012-13 season, the SOJHL was promoted to the Junior C level.^[1]

In the summer of 2016, the SOJHL was merged into the Provincial Junior Hockey League.

History

Founded in the 1960s as the Shamrock Junior D Hockey League. In 1969, the League would change its name to the Western Junior D Hockey League and its champion would go on to win eleven of the next nineteen provincial championships. In the Summer of 1985, the North Junior D Hockey League would fold, leaving the Western League and the Southern Counties Junior D Hockey League. In 1988, the SCJDHL would fold and its remaining teams joined the Western League. Bloated to nineteen teams, the league would continue on as the only Junior D league in Ontario. In 1991, the league became the OHA Junior Development League. In 2006, in an attempt to gain promotion to Junior C, the league dropped any reference of Junior D or Development and renamed itself the Southern Ontario Junior Hockey League.

During the summer of 2006, the Yeck Conference applied to break off from the league and start their own Junior C league, but were turned down by the OHA. A talented and entertaining league, the SOJHL has a long-standing tradition of the OHA in the Southwestern Ontario region.The SOJHL downsized extensively for the 2008-09 season, losing Mitchell, West Lorne, and Central Elgin. The league also reformatted into three divisions.

The SOJHL saw the Central Elgin franchise return, this time as the Port Stanley Sailors, for the 2009-2010 season.^[2]

As of 2012, the SOJHL is in talks with the OHA as to the future of the league. The 2012-13 season will be played at the Junior C level and the league will be folded and divided up into other leagues in the summer of 2013.

In the Spring of 2013, Junior C hockey in Ontario had its first major realignment since the creation of the Georgian Mid-Ontario Junior C Hockey League in 1994. The 27 teams between the Niagara & District Junior C Hockey League and the Southern Ontario Junior Hockey League were reshuffled. The SOJHL went from 15 to 9 teams, gaining the Aylmer Spitfires, but losing their reigning champion Ayr Centennials, the Burford Bulldogs, Delhi Travellers, Hagersville Hawks, Norfolk Rebels, Tavistock Braves, and Wellesley Applejacks.^[3] That summer the Niagara League would divide in half, forming the Midwestern Junior C Hockey League with its former Western Division.

The Teams

Team Centre Founded Aylmer Spitfires 1974 Dorchester Dolphins 2012 Exeter Hawks 1961 Lambeth Lancers 1987 Lucan Irish 1968 Mount Brydges Bulldogs 1975 North Middlesex Stars 1993 Port Stanley Sailors 2009 Thamesford Trojans 1976

2015-16 Playoffs

Winner moves on to the Clarence Schmalz Cup.

Champions

League Title

From 1989 on, the winner of the league was also provincial champions and was awarded the OHA Cup. Bolded are league champions, italicized are runners-up in years with three divisions.

Year Champion Finalist Result in Provincials Shamrock Jr. D 1963 Strathroy Rockets Won OHA Cup vs. Uxbridge (E) 1964 Hensall-Zurich Flyers Won OHA Cup vs. Stouffville (E) 1965 1966 Belmont Sunsets Lost SF vs. Blenheim (BW) 1967 Mitchell Hawks Lost Final vs. Tweed-Madoc (E) 1968 Mitchell Hawks Won OHA Cup vs. Bobcaygeon (E) 1969 Lambeth Flyers Lost SF vs. Caledonia (SC) Western Jr. D 1970 Exeter Hawks Lost SF vs. Norwich (SC) 1971 Exeter Hawks Lost Final vs. Haliburton (C) 1972 Exeter Hawks Won OHA Cup vs. Bancroft (E) 1973 Mitchell Hawks Lost Final vs. Bradford (SCL) 1974 Belmont Bombers Lost Final vs. Stayner (SCL) 1975 Belmont Bombers Won OHA Cup vs. Stayner (SCL) 1976 Belmont Bombers Lost Final vs. Stayner (SCL) 1977 Exeter Hawks Won OHA Cup vs. Stayner (MO) Year North South Result in Provincials 1978 Exeter Hawks Lost Final vs. Lakefield (C) 1979 1980 Belmont Bombers Won OHA Cup vs. Fergus (N) 1981 Belmont Bombers Won OHA Cup vs. Delhi (SC) 1982 Lucan Irish Won OHA Cup vs. Langton (SC) 1983 Tavistock Braves Won OHA Cup vs. St. George (SC) 1984 Mount Brydges Bulldogs Won OHA Cup vs. Grand Valley (N) 1985 1986 Seaforth Centenaires Won OHA Cup vs. Delhi (SC) 1987 Lucan Irish Won OHA Cup vs. Tavistock (SC) 1988 Lambeth Lancers Won OHA Cup vs. Exeter Year North Central South 1989 Lucan Irish Lambeth Lancers 1990 Lucan Irish Thamesford Trojans Ayr Centennials Year Eastern Western 1991 Thamesford Trojans Lucan Irish OHA Jr. Development League 1992 Thamesford Trojans Lucan Irish 1993 Mitchell Hawks 1994 Mitchell Hawks 1995 Thamesford Trojans Port Stanley Lakers Year McConnell Yeck 1996 Exeter Hawks 1997 Mount Brydges Bulldogs 1998 Wellesley Applejacks Exeter Hawks 1999 Lucan Irish 2000 Port Stanley Lakers 2001 Mount Brydges Bulldogs 2002 Exeter Hawks 2003 Thamesford Trojans 2004 Exeter Hawks 2005 Hagersville Hawks Mount Brydges Bulldogs Southern Ontario Jr. D 2006 Lucan Irish 2007 Mitchell Hawks 2008 Thamesford Trojans Year McConnell Bauer Yeck 2009 Delhi Travellers North Middlesex Stars 2010 Thamesford Trojans Exeter Hawks Year McConnell Yeck 2011 Thamesford Trojans 2012 Thamesford Trojans Southern Ontario Jr. C Year McConnell Yeck Result in Provincials 2013 Ayr Centennials Lost CSC QF vs. Essex (GL) Year Champion Finalist Result in Provincials 2014 Dorchester Dolphins Lost CSC QF vs. Essex (GL) 2015 Exeter Hawks Lost CSC QF vs. Essex (GL) 2016 Dorchester Dolphins Lost CSC QF vs. Essex (GL)

Regular Season Champions

This chart starts at the unification of the Junior D leagues, through the SOJHL's ascension to Junior C, until its merger into the Provincial Junior Hockey League in 2016.

Season Champion Record Points Western Jr. D League 1988-89 Lucan Irish 30-6-0-0 60 1989-90 Lucan Irish 25-4-6-0 56 1990-91 Thamesford Trojans 34-1-2-2 72 OHA Junior Development League 1991-92 Thamesford Trojans 26-7-1-1 54 1992-93 Lucan Irish 33-3-2-1 69 1993-94 Port Stanley Lakers 36-2-2-0 74 1994-95 Thamesford Trojans 34-2-3-0 71 1995-96 Exeter Hawks 30-4-4-0 64 1996-97 Mount Brydges Bulldogs 34-3-0-1 69 1997-98 Wellesley Applejacks 28-7-1-1 58 1998-99 Wellesley Applejacks 30-7-1-0 61 1999-00 Port Stanley Lakers 31-9-0-0 62 2000-01 Port Stanley Lakers 29-8-1-2 61 2001-02 Exeter Hawks 30-6-3-1 64 2002-03 Exeter Hawks 29-8-3-0 61 2003-04 Hagersville Hawks 28-4-3-5 64 2004-05 Hagersville Hawks 31-7-2-0 64 2005-06 Delhi Travellers 29-6-3-0 61 Southern Ontario Jr. D League 2006-07 Tavistock Braves 34-7-0-1 69 2007-08 Mount Brydges Bulldogs 36-3-0-1 73 2008-09 Mount Brydges Bulldogs 33-6-0-1 67 2009-10 North Middlesex Stars 30-4-0-2 62 2010-11 Tavistock Braves 26-6-0-3 55 2011-12 Thamesford Trojans 26-6-0-4 56 Southern Ontario Jr. C League 2012-13 Lambeth Lancers 29-5-0-3 61 2013-14 Lambeth Lancers 31-8-0-1 63 2014-15 Lambeth Lancers 31-7-0-2 64 2015-16 Dorchester Dolphins 35-5-0-0 70

Former Member Teams

• Alvinston Flyers
• Ayr Centennials
• Bothwell Barons
• Burford Bulldogs
• Delhi Travellers
• Hagersville Hawks
• Hanover Hurricanes
• Hensall-Zurich Combines
• Lambeth Flyers
• Langton Thunderbirds
• Mitchell Hawks
• Ohsweken Golden Eagles
• Paris Mounties
• Port Dover Sailors
• St. George Dukes
• Seaforth Centenaires
• Strathroy Falcons
• Tavistock Braves
• Thedford Browns
• Wellesley Applejacks
• West Lorne Lakers
• Zurich Dominions

External links

• OHA Webpage

Notes and References

1. Web site: Mixed reaction to SOJHL becoming Jr. C league Simcoe Reformer . www.simcoereformer.ca . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304031956/http://www.simcoereformer.ca/2012/04/30/mixed-reaction-to-sojhl-becoming-jr-c-league . 2016-03-04.
2. http://www.portstanleynews.com/details/headline.aspx?menu=1024_Sports_Sports+Headlines_Port+Stanley+Sailors+Junior+Hockey,
3. Web site: ONTARIO HOCKEY ASSOCIATION APPROVES JUNIOR C REALIGNMENT FOR START OF 2013-14 SEASON | Ontario Hockey Association.