| |||||||||||||||||||
The winner of the NJHL was allowed to compete against the champion of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League for the Turnbull Cup and a berth into the Centennial Cup national playdowns.
The NJHL was formed in the summer of 1978 as a Junior B League which comprised the Flin Flon Bombers, Snow Lake Spartans, The Pas Lumber Kings and Thompson King Miners as a result of Flin Flon and Thompson seeking new leagues after leaving the Western Canada Junior Hockey League and Manitoba Junior Hockey League respectively.
Previously, Flin Flon had experimented with a Jr. B farm team when they were playing Major Junior and had won the 1978 Baldy Northcott Trophy as provincial champions. For the 1979–80 season, the league was promoted to Junior "A". Churchill, Manitoba was interested in expanding into the league in 1980, but the team never materialized.
During the 1981–82 season, the Flin Flon Bombers pulled off a perfect regular season record of 42 wins, no losses, and no ties. The Bombers were such a powerhouse in the NJHL that The Pas Huskies refused to play them in the league semi-finals. In the finals, the Bombers swept the Thompson King Miners in four games to claim the league title. Next was to challenge the Manitoba Junior Hockey League champion Fort Garry Blues. Much to the dismay of the Bombers, the Blues were from a much stronger league and crushed the Bombers in a 3-game sweep by scores of 11–2, 9–1, and 10–4.
In 1984, Flin Flon made the jump to the more talent-laden Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. The NJHL survived one more season before folding. During the last season, there was interest from groups in Melfort and Nipawin, Saskatchewan to join the league but both were eventually granted franchises in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. Cross Lake, Manitoba also showed interest in joining the league, but never did. In the final season, the Cranberry Portage Winter Hawks joined the league to help balance out the schedule. Additionally, the NJHL began the season with an interlocking schedule with the Kelsey Intermediate Hockey League, including the Thompson Hawks, Snow Lake North Stars, and Cross Lake Selects, but this schedule was complete cancelled in December when the Hawks and North Stars withdrew from the interlock. All results were thrown out at this point and the NJHL season was restarted.
Late in the 1984–85 season, The Pas left the league hoping to play Junior B. The finals were played between Thompson and Snow Lake, won by Thompson 4-games-to-1. In the summer the NJHL closed its doors. Thompson was still hopefully to play Junior A hockey in the region in 1986-87 or to play in the MJHL, but nothing ever transpired.
From 1980 until 1985, the champion of the NJHL played the winner of the MJHL for the Turnbull Cup, but never won a series.
Team GP W L T GF GA P Flin Flon Bombers 24 20 2 2 210 -- 42 Thompson Nickel Knights 22 6 14 2 108 -- 14 Snow Lake Spartans 22 6 14 2 96 -- 14Please note: Final two games cancelled because they would not affect playoff setup.
Team GP W L T GF GA P Thompson King Miners 36 27 9 0 207 158 54 Flin Flon Bombers 36 22 12 2 221 201 46 Snow Lake Spartans 36 14 19 3 261 242 31 The Pas Lumber Kings 36 6 29 1 167 297 13
Team GP W L T GF GA P Flin Flon Bombers 42 27 12 3 314 209 57 Thompson King Miners 42 24 12 6 290 233 54 The Pas Lumber Kings 42 15 25 2 244 322 32 Snow Lake Spartans 42 9 26 7 225 309 25
Team GP W L T GF GA P Flin Flon Bombers 42 42 0 0 544 146 84 Thompson King Miners 37 17 17 3 267 256 37 The Pas Huskies 38 14 23 1 253 319 29 Snow Lake Spartans 38 3 29 4 161 253 10
|