Centennial Cup


The Centennial Cup is an annual ice hockey tournament organized by Hockey Canada and the Canadian Junior Hockey League, which determines the national champion of junior A ice hockey. It consists of a ten-team round robin featuring the winners of all nine CJHL member leagues as well as a pre-selected host city.
The championship has also been known as the National Junior A Championship in 2019, it was formerly known as the Royal Bank Cup from 1996 to 2018 and the Manitoba Centennial Cup from 1971 to 1995. It is currently branded as the Centennial Cup after Tim Hortons, the title sponsor of the 2022 tournament, withdrew future sponsorship in response to the Hockey Canada sexual assault scandal.

History

The Manitoba Centennial Trophy was presented to the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association by the Manitoba Amateur Hockey Association to commemorate their centennial year of 1970. At that time, the CAHA reconfigured their junior tiers, creating two separate classifications - Major junior and Junior A. The major junior teams were grouped into the three regional leagues that made up the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League, while the Junior A tier included the remaining junior teams in the provincial/regional leagues that later formed the Canadian Junior Hockey League. It was determined that the Memorial Cup, which had served as the CAHA's national championship tournament, would become the new championship trophy for the CMJHL while the Manitoba Centennial Trophy served as the trophy for the champions of the new Junior A division. Earl Dawson and Bill Addison were the named initial trustees of the trophy, both of whom were past presidents of the MAHA. The tournament subsequently became known as the Centennial Cup.
From 1971 to 1978 and from 1982 to 1984, the Centennial Cup pitted the Abbott Cup champion versus the Dudley Hewitt Cup champion. A three-team tournament format, splitting Eastern Canada into two regions, was introduced in 1979 and used until 1981. The Centennial Cup permanently moved back to the tournament format in 1986, with the addition of a predetermined host team to the field. It later expanded to a five-team tournament in 1990 when the Abbott Cup series was discontinued in favour of allowing both the ANAVET and Doyle Cup winners to advance to the national championship. For the 1996 tournament, the trophy gained a sponsor and became the Royal Bank Cup. The ANAVET and Doyle Cups were temporarily replaced by the Western Canada Cup, which determined the two Western seeds for the Royal Bank Cup, from 2013 to 2017. During this time, the Brooks Bandits of the Alberta Junior Hockey League won the 2013 Royal Bank Cup, where they had gained entry into the tournament as the Western Canada Cup runner-up making them the first team in Centennial Cup/Royal Bank Cup history to win the national championship without being the host or a regional champion.
Overtime is common as the Junior A championships with the longest game in the tournament's history started on May 12, 2007, at 2007 Royal Bank Cup between the Camrose Kodiaks of the Alberta Junior Hockey League and the host Prince George Spruce Kings of the British Columbia Hockey League. The Spruce Kings won the game 3–2 6:01 into the fifth overtime period. The game lasted 146:01, just short of the CJAHL record set by the Toronto Jr. Canadiens and the Pickering Panthers in the 2007 Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League playoffs.
After the 2018 Royal Bank Cup, Royal Bank of Canada ended their sponsorship agreement with the Canadian Junior Hockey League. After going by the name National Junior A Championship in 2019, the CJHL and Hockey Canada reverted the title back to its original name — the Centennial Cup — for its 50th anniversary in 2020. In December 2019, Tim Hortons was unveiled by Hockey Canada as the presenting sponsor for the Centennial Cup. The 2020 and 2021 tournaments were later cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the only times the championship has not been played since 1970.

Format

Since 2022, the field of competition includes the championship teams from the 9 leagues that collectively make up the CJHL and a pre-selected host team. If the pre-selected host team wins its league championship, as was the case in 2022 and 2025, then the runner-up from the same league is also admitted.
Teams are randomly assigned to Group A or Group B. During the preliminary round robin phase, each team plays each other team in their group once. Three points are awarded for a win in regulation time, two points for a win in overtime or shootout, one point for a loss in overtime or shootout, and no points were awarded for a loss in regulation time. The first-place team in each group advances to the semifinals, while the second and third-place teams advance to the quarterfinals. The fourth and fifth-place teams in each group are eliminated from competition.

Champions by era

Manitoba Centennial Trophy (1971–1995)

The Red Deer Rustlers of the Alberta Junior Hockey League defeated the Charlottetown Islanders of the Island Junior Hockey League in 1971 to claim the inaugural Canadian Junior A championship and Manitoba Centennial Trophy.
The 1972 Centennial Cup gained national attention when the Guelph CMC's of the Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League were in the final game of a four-game sweep of the Red Deer Rustlers and their leading scorer Paul Fendley lost his helmet during a body check and struck his head on the ice, knocking him into a coma. The National Hockey League prospect regained consciousness and died two days later from head trauma.
The 1990 Centennial Cup marked the only year that the national championship was decided between two teams from the same province or league. The host Vernon Lakers defeated the New Westminster Royals 6–5 in overtime to win the national championship. Both teams were members of the British Columbia Junior Hockey League.
The final Centennial Cup from this era was awarded to the Calgary Canucks of the Alberta Junior Hockey League in 1995.
Note: Champions are in bold.
YearEastern FinalistWestern FinalistScores Primary location
1971Charlottetown IslandersRed Deer Rustlers2–4 Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
1972Guelph CMC'sRed Deer Rustlers4–0 Guelph, Ontario
1973Pembroke Lumber KingsPortage Terriers1–4 Portage la Prairie, Manitoba
1974Smiths Falls BearsSelkirk Steelers3–4 Nepean, Ontario
1975Guelph Biltmore Mad HattersSpruce Grove Mets2–4 Edmonton, Alberta
1976Rockland NationalsSpruce Grove Mets4–1 Rockland, Ontario
1977Pembroke Lumber KingsPrince Albert Raiders0–4 Prince Albert, Saskatchewan
1978Guelph PlatersPrince Albert Raiders4–0 Guelph, Ontario
YearChampionRunner-upScoreLocation
1979Prince Albert RaidersSherwood-Parkdale Metros5–4 OTPrince Albert, Saskatchewan
1980Red Deer RustlersNorth York Rangers3–2North York, Ontario
1981Prince Albert RaidersBelleville Bulls6–2Halifax, Nova Scotia
YearEastern FinalistWestern FinalistScores Primary location
1982Guelph PlatersPrince Albert Raiders0–4 Prince Albert, Saskatchewan
1983North York RangersAbbotsford Flyers4–0 North York, Ontario
1984Orillia TravelwaysWeyburn Red Wings3–4 Weyburn, Saskatchewan
YearChampionRunner-upScoreLocation
1985Orillia TravelwaysPenticton Knights4–2Orillia, Ontario
1986Penticton KnightsCole Harbour Colts7–4Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia
1987Richmond SockeyesHumboldt Broncos5–2Humboldt, Saskatchewan
1988Notre Dame HoundsHalifax Lions3–2Pembroke, Ontario
1989Thunder Bay FlyersSummerside Western Capitals4–1Summerside, Prince Edward Island
1990Vernon LakersNew Westminster Royals6–5 OTVernon, British Columbia
1991Vernon LakersSudbury Cubs8–4Sudbury, Ontario
1992Thunder Bay FlyersWinkler Flyers10–1Winnipeg, Manitoba
1993Kelowna SpartansChateauguay Elites7–2Amherst, Nova Scotia
1994Olds GrizzlysKelowna Spartans5–4 OTOlds, Alberta
1995Calgary CanucksGloucester Rangers5–4 OTGloucester, Ontario

Royal Bank Cup (1996–2018)

Every tournament in the Royal Bank Cup era was played as a round-robin tournament between five teams. In May 1996, the inaugural Royal Bank Cup was held in Melfort, Saskatchewan. The first winner of the Royal Bank Cup was the Vernon Vipers of the British Columbia Hockey League.
YearChampionRunner-upScoreLocation
1996Vernon VipersMelfort Mustangs2–0Melfort, Saskatchewan
1997Summerside Western CapitalsSouth Surrey Eagles4–3Summerside, Prince Edward Island
1998South Surrey EaglesWeyburn Red Wings4–1Nanaimo, British Columbia
1999Vernon VipersCharlottetown Abbies9–3Yorkton, Saskatchewan
2000Fort McMurray Oil BaronsRayside-Balfour Sabrecats2–1Fort McMurray, Alberta
2001Camrose KodiaksFlin Flon Bombers5–0Flin Flon, Manitoba
2002Halifax Oland ExportsOCN Blizzard3–1Halifax, Nova Scotia
2003Humboldt BroncosCamrose Kodiaks3–1Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
2004Aurora TigersKindersley Klippers7–1Grande Prairie, Alberta
2005Weyburn Red WingsCamrose Kodiaks3–2Weyburn, Saskatchewan
2006Burnaby ExpressYorkton Terriers8–2Brampton, Ontario
2007Aurora TigersPrince George Spruce Kings3–1Prince George, British Columbia
2008Humboldt BroncosCamrose Kodiaks1–0Cornwall, Ontario
2009Vernon VipersHumboldt Broncos2–0Victoria, British Columbia
2010Vernon VipersDauphin Kings8–1Dauphin, Manitoba
2011Pembroke Lumber KingsVernon Vipers2–0Camrose, Alberta
2012Penticton VeesWoodstock Slammers4–3Humboldt, Saskatchewan
2013Brooks BanditsSummerside Western Capitals3–1Summerside, Prince Edward Island
2014Yorkton TerriersCarleton Place Canadians4–3 OTVernon, British Columbia
2015Portage TerriersCarleton Place Canadians5–2Portage la Prairie, Manitoba
2016West Kelowna WarriorsLloydminster Bobcats4–0Lloydminster, Saskatchewan
2017Cobourg CougarsBrooks Bandits3–2 OTCobourg, Ontario
2018Chilliwack ChiefsWellington Dukes4–2Chilliwack, British Columbia