Prairie Junior Hockey League Explained

Prairie Junior Hockey League
Champion:	Pilot Butte Storm
Champ Season:	2023
Most Successful Club:	Assiniboia Southern Rebels (7)
Pixels:	110px
Sport:	Ice hockey
Formerly:	South Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League
Founded:	1992 as SSJHL
Inaugural:	1992–93
Commissioner:	Mike Zambon
Teams:	10
Country:	Canada

The Prairie Junior Hockey League is a Junior "B" ice hockey league in Saskatchewan, Canada, sanctioned by Hockey Canada.

History

Originally known as the South Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (1992–2006) the Prairie Junior Hockey League was founded in 2007–2008 with the merger of the SSJHL and the North Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (NSJHL).

Previously the playoff winners played-off against the champion of the NSJHL in the Provincial championships (Athol Murray Trophy). Since the amalgamation of the two leagues in 2007, the PJHL has been the only Junior 'B' league in the province; thus its champion has been awarded the provincial title. The provincial champion moves on to compete for the Keystone Cup Western Canadian Junior 'B' championship.

The league draws many players from Saskatchewan. Most teams draft players from nearby towns and cities, though it is not mandatory. Some teams outweigh other teams in the PJHL. For example, the Pilot Butte Storm advanced to the finals eleven years (2005–15) in a row, while the Ochapawace Thunder (0-40-0-0) didn't win a game in the 2015–16 PJHL season.

Teams

Bob Dybvig (North Division)
Team	City	Arena	Joined PJHL
Carrot River Outback Thunder	Carrot River	Carrot River Arena	2005
Delisle Chiefs	Delisle	Delisle Arena	2008
Prince Albert Timberjaks	Prince Albert	Buckland Arena	2023
Saskatoon Quakers	Saskatoon	Harold Latrace/Rod Hamm Arena	2007
Saskatoon Royals	Saskatoon	Harold Latrace/Rod Hamm Arena	2007
Saskatoon Westleys	Saskatoon	Harold Latrace/Rod Hamm Arena	2007
Whitefish Flyers	Big River First Nation	Jim Neilson Sports Complex	2023
Bill Johnston (South Division)
Team	City	Arena	Joined PJHL/SSJHL
Assiniboia Southern Rebels	Assiniboia	Assiniboia Civic Centre	1992
Fort Knox	Fort Qu'Appelle	Fort Qu’Appelle Rexentre	1996
Pilot Butte Storm	Pilot Butte	Pilot Butte Recreation Centre	1993
Regina Capitals	Regina	Al Ritchie Arena	1992
Regina Silver Foxes	Regina	Doug Wickenheiser Arena	2013

Franchise history

DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyyImageSize = width:650 height:auto barincrement:20Period = from:01/01/1992 till:2025TimeAxis = orientation:horizontalPlotArea = right:20 left:0 bottom:50 top:5 #> to display a count on left side of graph, use "left:20" to suppress the count, use "left:20"<#Colors = id:barcolor id:line value:pink id:bg value:white id:Former value:rgb(0.742,0.727,0.852) # Use this color to denote a team that is a former league member id:Northern value:rgb(0.82,0.80,0.80) # Use this color to denote a NSJHL franchise that would join the PJHL id:Current value:rgb(0.4,0.80,0.67) # Use this color to denote a team that is a current league member id:lineColor value:gray(0.5)

PlotData=

width:15 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:s

bar:1 color:Current from:09/01/1992 till:end text:Assiniboia Southern Rebels

bar:2 color:Former from:09/01/1992 till:06/01/1996 text:Briercrest College Clippers bar:3 color:Former from:09/01/1992 till:06/01/1994 text:Moose Jaw Canucks

bar:4 color:Former from:09/01/1992 till:06/01/1994 text:Notre Dame Hounds bar:4 color:Former from:09/01/2003 till:06/01/2005 text: bar:5 color:Current from:09/01/1992 till:end text:Regina Capitals bar:6 color:Former from:09/01/1993 till:06/01/1998 text:Regina Express bar:6 color:Former from:09/01/1998 till:06/01/2001 text:P.B.E. bar:6 color:Current from:09/01/2001 till:end text:Pilot Butte Storm

bar:7 color:Former from:09/01/1994 till:06/01/1996 text:G.S. bar:7 color:Former from:09/01/1996 till:06/01/2000 text:Grenfell Storm bar:8 color:Former from:09/01/1995 till:06/01/2001 text:Canora Cobras bar:9 color:Current from:09/01/1996 till:end text:Fort Knox

bar:10 color:Former from:09/01/1996 till:06/01/2003 text:St. Phillips Rangers bar:10 color:Former from:09/01/2003 till:06/01/2007 text:Moose Mountain Rangers bar:11 color:Former from:09/01/2005 till:06/01/2016 text:Tri-Town Thunder bar:11 color:Current from:09/01/2016 till:end text:Carrot River Outback Thunder bar:12 color:Former from:09/01/2005 till:06/01/2014 text:Cypress Cyclones bar:13 color:Northern from:09/01/1992 till:06/01/2007 text:(NSJHL) bar:13 color:Current from:09/01/2007 till:end text:Saskatoon Quakers

bar:14 color:Northern from:09/01/1992 till:06/01/2007 text:(NSJHL) bar:14 color:Current from:09/01/2007 till:end text:Saskatoon Royals

bar:15 color:Northern from:09/01/1992 till:06/01/2007 text:(NSJHL) bar:15 color:Current from:09/01/2007 till:end text:Saskatoon Westleys bar:16 color:Current from:09/01/2008 till:end text:Delisle Chiefs bar:17 color:Former from:09/01/2008 till:06/01/2016 text:Ochapowace Thunder

bar:18 color:Former from:09/01/2008 till:06/01/2016 text:Prince Albert Ice Hawks bar:18 color:Former from:09/01/2016 till:06/01/2021 text:Prince Albert Titans bar:18 color:Current from:09/01/2023 till:end text:Prince Albert Lumberjaks

bar:19 color:Former from:09/01/2009 till:06/01/2021 text:West Central Rage

bar:20 color:Current from:09/01/2013 till:end text:Regina Silver Foxes

bar:21 color:Current from:09/01/2023 till:end text:Whitefish Flyers

ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:5 start:1995

LineData = at:07/15/1992 color:lineColor layer:back width:0.66 #SSJHL begins at:07/15/2007 color:lineColor layer:back width:0.66 #PJHL begins

TextData = pos:(15,95) tabs:(60-left) fontsize:S text:SSJHL

pos:(310,95) tabs:(60-left) fontsize:S text:PJHL

• Assiniboia Southern Rebels (1992–present)
• Briercrest College Clippers (1992–96) → joined the ACAC
• Moose Jaw Canucks (1992–94)
• Notre Dame Hounds (1992–94, 2003–05)
• Regina Capitals (1992–present)
• Regina Express (1993–98) → Pilot Butte Express (1998–2001) → Pilot Butte Storm (2001–present)
• Grenfell Spitfires (1994–96) → Grenfell Storm (1996–2000)
• Canora Cobras (1995–2001)
• Fort Knox (1996–present)
• St. Phillips Rangers (1996–2003) → Moose Mountain Rangers (2003–07)
• Tri-Town Thunder (2005–16) → Carrot River Outback Thunder (2016–present)
• Cypress Cyclones (2005–14)
• Saskatoon Quakers (2007–present; joined from NSJHL)
• Saskatoon Royals (2007–present; joined from NSJHL)
• Saskatoon Westleys (2007–present; joined from NSJHL)
• Delisle Chiefs (2008–present)
• Ochapowace Thunder (2008–16)
• Prince Albert Ice Hawks (2008–16) → Prince Albert Titans (2016–21)
• West Central Rage (2009–21)
• Regina Silver Foxes (2013–present)

Champions

SSJHL and PJHL Champions
Defunct teams not included.! Team! Titles

	7
	6
	5
Regina Capitals	3
	2
	1

To see the champions for the North Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League before 2007, see North Saskatchewan Junior B Hockey League

To see the full list of champions of the Athol Murray Trophy, see Athol Murray Trophy

Season	SSJHL Playoff champion	Runner-up	Result	Keystone Cup finish
1992-93	Assiniboia Southern Rebels	Regina Capitals
1993-94	Notre Dame Hounds	Moose Jaw Canucks
1994-95	Regina Capitals	Grenfell Spitfires
1995-96	Assiniboia Southern Rebels	Regina Capitals		Gold medalist
1996-97	Grenfell Storm	Briercrest Clippers		Gold medalist
1997-98	St. Phillips Rangers	Regina Capitals
1998-99	Assiniboia Southern Rebels	Regina Capitals
1999-00	Assiniboia Southern Rebels	Fort Knox
2000-01	Assiniboia Southern Rebels	St. Phillips Rangers		Gold medalist
2001-02	Assiniboia Southern Rebels	St. Phillips Rangers	4-0 (best-of 7)
2002-03	Assiniboia Southern Rebels	Regina Capitals	4-1 (best-of 7)	Gold medalist
2003-04	Regina Capitals			Gold medalist
2004-05	Pilot Butte Storm	Fort Knox	4-3 (best-of 7)	DNQ
2005-06	Regina Capitals	Pilot Butte Storm	4-1 (best-of 7)	DNQ
2006-07	Pilot Butte Storm	Fort Knox	4-1 (best-of 7)	Fort Knox (host) - Silver medalist
2007-08	Pilot Butte Storm	Saskatoon Royals	4-2 (best-of 7)	5th
2008-09	Saskatoon Royals	Pilot Butte Storm	4-1 (best-of 7)	4th
2009-10	Tri-Town Thunder	Pilot Butte Storm	4-3 (best-of 7)	Silver medalist
2010-11	Pilot Butte Storm	Saskatoon Royals	4-3 (best-of 7)	Bronze medalist
2011-12	Pilot Butte Storm	Delisle Chiefs	4-1 (best-of 7)	Pilot Butte Storm - 6thSaskatoon Royals (host) - 4th
2012-13	Saskatoon Royals	Pilot Butte Storm	4-1 (best-of 7)	Silver medalist
2013-14	Saskatoon Quakers	Pilot Butte Storm	4-3 (best-of 7)	5th
2014-15	Saskatoon Quakers	Pilot Butte Storm	4-0 (best-of 7)	Bronze medalist^[1]
2015-16	Saskatoon Quakers	Regina Capitals	4-0 (best-of 7)^[2]	Saskatoon Quakers - Silver medalist Regina Capitals (host) - 4th
2016-17	Regina Capitals	Saskatoon Quakers	4-2 (best-of 7)^[3]	Bronze medalist
2017-18	Regina Capitals	Delisle Chiefs	4-1 (best-of 7)	Sask did not send rep
2018-19	Regina Capitals	Saskatoon Quakers	4-0 (best-of 7)^[4]	Sask did not send rep
2019-20	none (COVID-19 pandemic)	---	---	---
2020-21	none (COVID-19 pandemic)	---	---	---
2021-22	Saskatoon Quakers	Pilot Butte Storm	4-1 (best-of 7)	Sask did not send rep
2022-23	Pilot Butte Storm	Saskatoon Quakers	4-3 (best-of 7)	Sask did not send rep
2023-24	Saskatoon Quakers	Regina Capitals	4-1 (best-of 7)	Saskatoon Royals - 2nd

See also

• Ice hockey in Saskatchewan

External links

• Prairie Junior Hockey League

Notes and References

1. Web site: Campbell River storm past North Edmonton Red Wings to capture Keystone Cup gold. 21 April 2015. Bonnyville Nouvelle. https://web.archive.org/web/20151118232836/http://www.bonnyvillenouvelle.ca/Campbell-River-storm-past-North-Edmonton-Red-Wings-to-capture-Keystone-Cup-gold-20150421. 18 November 2015. dead.
2. Web site: Saskatoon AGI Insurance Quakers win third straight PJHL championship. March 31, 2016. Saskatoon StarPhoenix.
3. Web site: Extreme Hockey Regina Capitals capture Prairie Junior Hockey League title. April 3, 2017. Regina Leader-Post.
4. Web site: Extreme Hockey Regina Capitals celebrate three-peat. April 7, 2019. Regina Leader-Post.