Brand-new post…2017 Memorial Cup, here:
2017 CHL Memorial Cup tournament (in Windsor, Ontario/ May 19 to May 28) – the 4 teams: Windsor Spitfires (host team), Erie Otters (OHL), Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL), Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL): photo-illustrations with standout players in 2016-17.
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Ontario Hockey League (OHL): location-map with: 2015-16 attendance data, OHL titles & CHL/Memorial Cup titles listed
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By Bill Turianski on 25 April 2016; twitter.com/billsportsmaps.
Links…
-Teams, etc…Ontario Hockey League (en.wikipedia.org).
-Official site…ontariohockeyleague.com.
-2016 CHL Memorial Cup tournament… 2016 Memorial Cup (en.wikipedia.org).
-2015-16 OHL attendances…Ontario Hockey League 2015-16 Attendance Graph (hockeydb.com).
-My recently-posted map-and-post on the Western Hockey League…Western Hockey League (WHL): location-map with: 2015-16 attendance data, WHL titles & CHL/Memorial Cup titles listed/+ illustrations for the 4 WHL teams with the best attendance in 2015-16 (Calgary Hitmen, Portland Winterhawks, Edmonton Oil Kings, Spokane Chiefs), and the 3 WHL teams with the best-percent-capacity figures in 2015-16 (Kelowna Rockets, Red Deer Rebels, Prince Albert Raiders).
(Note: QMJHL map-and-post to be posted on May 21 2016.)
-My 2012 map-&-post on major junior hockey in Canada (CHL) from Nov.2012…Canadian Hockey League: location maps for WHL, OHL, and QMJHL teams (60 teams) and 2011-12 attendance data. Plus the top 3 highest drawing teams, the top 10-highest percent-capacities….
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The Ontario Hockey League (OHL) is one of three Canadian major junior hockey leagues, along with the Western Hockey League (WHL) and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). Since 1971-72, the 3 leagues have sent their league-champion to compete for the Memorial Cup title. Since 1975-76, the 3 leagues together comprise the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). The 3 CHL leagues are for players aged 16 to 20 – there are no restrictions for the amount of USA-born players on each team; however, non-Canadian-&-American players (ie, European and Russian players) are restricted to 2 per team roster. The 3 leagues of the CHL are quite a big deal, because approximately 54% of all NHL players, currently, were drafted from either the OHL, the WHL, or the QMJHL. {Citation: see 2nd paragraph, here [Ontario Hockey League page at en.wikipedia.org].}
Click on image below for:
Location-map of all the teams in the 3 leagues which comprise the Canadian Hockey League (CHL/60 teams)…
The CHL is an umbrella-organization for the 3 leagues; there is no inter-league play except for the post-season tournament…the CHL has a four-team playoff tournament – the Memorial Cup, which is played at a different host-city each May. (Note: see 3 paragraphs below for more info about the Memorial Cup.)
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On the map page…
The map page shows the locations (and the logos) of the 20 OHL teams – 17 of which are in the Canadian province of Ontario, and 3 of which are USA-based: 2 from Michigan and 1 from Pennsylvania. The locations of all the NHL teams (from the region) are also shown on the map.
On the right-hand-side of the map page is a chart which shows 7 things…
1). 2015-16 average attendance {source: Ontario Hockey League 2015-16 Attendance Graph (hockeydb.com)}.
2). Home arena seated capacity.
3). Percent-capacity [average-attendance divided by arena-seated-capacity] (ie, how well the team fills its arena).
4). Metropolitan-area population of each team’s home-city; or, as with the Owen Sound Attack, the team’s home-town)…the metro-area population of Owen Sound, Ontario is 32,000. {Sources: List of census metropolitan areas and agglomerations in Canada [2011 census figures] (en.wikipedia.org) ; USA-based-teams: List of metropolitan areas of the United States (en.wikipedia.org).}
5). Season the team began play in its home-city. [Note: see boxes under the chart (on the map-page), pertaining to the Oshawa and Mississauga franchises, on this subject.]
6). OHL titles (and the year of last title). {OHL titles: J. Ross Robertson Cup (en.wikipedia.org).}
7). CHL/Memorial Cup titles (and the year of last title) [/ see notes below]. {Memorial Cup/CHL titles: List of Memorial Cup champions (en.wikipedia.org).}
Notes on the Memorial Cup title / CHL title…
The Memorial Cup was instituted in 1919, and was named in remembrance of the Canadians who died in the Great War (World War I). From 1919 to 1971, the Cup was contested between 2 teams: the best junior team each season from Eastern Canada versus the best junior team from Western Canada. (The winner won that season’s Memorial Cup title.) The current format of the Memorial Cup tournament dates to 1971-72, when a 3-team playoff tournament was created. The tournament at that point [1972] involved the champion from each of the 3 leagues:
•The-long-established-[1933]-and-now-20-team OHL.
•The-established-in-1966-and-now-22-team-WHL.
•The-then-newly-established-[1971]-and-now-18-team-QMJHL.
4 years later [1975], the arrangement was formalized with the institution of the Canadian Hockey League – which, again, is the governing body of the OHL/WHL/QMJHL. In 1982-83, the Memorial Cup tournament was expanded to a 4th team, with the host-city’s team given a place in the competition. (There is a different host-city for the Memorial Cup each May/ see next paragraph.) Currently, the 60 teams in the CHL (from the 3 member-leagues), which hail from 9 Canadian provinces and 4 American states, compete for the chance to qualify for the Memorial Cup tournament and win the Memorial Cup title/CHL title.
Red Deer, Alberta will host the 2016 Memorial Cup…
2016 Memorial Cup (en.wikipedia.org).
The 2016 Memorial Cup tournament will be held at the 6,000-capacity ENMAX Centrium in Red Deer, Alberta, with the WHL’s Red Deer Rebels the host-team. The tournament will run from May 19th to May 29th, 2016.
List of Memorial Cup champions (en.wikipedia.org).
OHL teams that have won Memorial Cup/CHL titles (1972-2016)
1973: Toronto Marlboros
1975: Toronto Marlboros (note: franchise is now the Guelph Storm [since 1991-92])
1976: Hamilton Fincups (note: franchise is now the Erie Otters [since 1996-97])
1979: Peterborough Petes
1982: Kitchener Rangers
1984: Ottawa 67′s
1986: Guelph Platers (note: franchise moved to Owen Sound in 1989-90; are now the Owen Sound Attack [since 2000-01])
1990: Oshawa Generals
1993: Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
1999: Ottawa 67′s
2003: Kitchener Rangers
2005: London Knights
2009: Windsor Spitfires
2010: Windsor Spitfires
2015: Oshawa Generals
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The 6 OHL teams with the best-percent-capacity figures in 2015-16
(Oshawa Generals, London Knights, Kitchener Rangers, Barrie Colts, Guelph Storm, Niagara IceDogs)
Oshawa Generals: 2015 CHL/Memorial Cup champions & best at filling their arena in OHL in 2015-16 (103.3 percent-capacity/standing-room-only)
Photo credits above –
Jersey front illustration by sportslogos.net/Oshawa Generals. General Motors plant in Oshawa, photo by Dave Thomas/QMI Agency via thepeterboroughexaminer.com. Exterior of General motors Centre, photo by thesportsroadtrip.com/ontariohockeyleague. Oshawa Generals’ banners hung from rafters at General Motors Centre, photo by The Creamer, uploaded at boards.sportslogos.net/[topic: Arena rafters banners]. 2015 title banners raised, image from screenshot of video uploadedby DRL Productiona at youtube.com. Oshawa FW Andrew Cirelli scores against Kelowna Rockets in overtime to win the 2015 Memorial Cup trophy (Oshawa 2, Kelowna 1 OT) and Oshawa players celebrate their title-win, 3 photos by Francis Vachon Photographie at francisvachon.com/blog/gallerie-de-photos-final-de-la-coupe-memorial-cup-2015.
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London Knights: Best OHL attendance in 2015-16 & 2nd-best at filling their arena in 2015-16 at 99.6 percent-capacity
& London Knights, 2016 OHL (Robertson Cup) champions…
Photo and illustration credits above – Jersey front illustrations by sportslogos.net/London Knights. Aerial view of London, ON in early autumn, photo by londontourism.ca via ctvnews.ca/canada. Aerial view of downtown London, ON, photo unattributed at ca.hotels.com. Rppftop view of Budweiser Gardens, photo by Craig Glover/London Free Press/QMI Agency via sunmediaphotos.photoshelter.com. Exterior shot of main entrance to Budweiser Gardens, photo unattributed at londonmoms.ca. Logos from sportslogos.net/London Knights. Team lined up on ice for national anthem in front of another full house at the JLC (aka Budweiser Gardens), photo by London Knights at londonknights.com/team-history.
Players…
Mitchell Marner, photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images via mapleleafshotstove.com/2015/12/06/mitch-marners-second-consecutive-hat-trick. Christian Dvorak, photo by London Free Press via londonknights.com. Matthew Tkachuk, photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images via gettyimages.com. Tyler Parsons, photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images via zimbio.com. Knights players celebrating after sweeping Niagara in finals, photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images via blackburnnews.com/knights-sweep-ice-dogs-claim-ohl-championship.
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Kitchener Rangers: 2nd-best OHL attendance in 2015-16 & 3rd-best at filling their arena in 2015-16, with a 98.3 percent-capacity…
Photo and illustration credits above –
Jersey front illustrations by sportslogos.net/Kitchener Rangers. Winter scene in downtown Kitchener, photo by Colin Butler/CBC at cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo. Summer festival in downtown Kitchener, photo by City of Kitchener via placestogrow.ca. Exterior shot of Kitchener Memorial Auditorium Complex, photo by SCI at stadiumci.com/sci/projects/kitchener-memorial-auditorium. Interior shot of Kitchener Memorial Auditorium Complex, photo by SCI at stadiumci.com/sci/projects/kitchener-memorial-auditorium. Logos from sportslogos.net/Kitchener Rangers.
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Barrie Colts: 4th-best at filling their arena in 2015-16, at 91.2 percent-capacity…
Photo and illustration credits above –
Jersey front illustration by sportslogos.net. Aerial shot of Barrie, photo unattributed at pratthomes.ca/barrie-ranks-3rd-ontario-best-place-invest/. View of downtown Barrie, photo unattributed at andrew-thompson.on.ca. Exterior shot of Barrie Molson Centre, photo by stadiumci.com/sci/projects. Interior shot of Barrie Molson Centre by Mark Wanzel at thebarrieexaminer.com/library-checked-out. Logos from sportslogos.net/Barrie Colts.
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Guelph Storm: 5th-best at filling their arena in 2015-16, at 89.7 percent-capacity…
Photo and illustration credits above –
Guelph Storm road jersey (dark jersey), photo from ebay.com. Guelph in the autumn with Church of Our lady in the distant background, photo unattributed at crbprogram.org/renting/guelph. Guelph in the winter, photo by Sir Scavenger at flickr.com. Exterior-street-view shot of Sleeman Centre front entrance, photo from rlproyalcity.com/guelph-real-estate. Interior shot of Sleeman Centre during a game [11 Dec.2015], photo by Jfvoll at Sleeman Centre (Guelph) (en.wikipedia.org). Logos from sportslogos.net/Guelph Storm.
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Niagara IceDogs: 6th-best at filling their arena in 2015-16, at 85.9 percent-capacity…
Photo and illustration credits above –
Jersey front illustration by sportslogos.net/Niagara IceDogs. Shot of downtown St. Catherines, photo by John Elmslie, St Paul Street, St Catharines, Ontario at flickr.com. Niagara IceDogs dog-bone-shoulder-patch logos: black-crossed-bones logo, image from sportslogos.net/Niagara IceDogs; red crossed-bones-with-St-Catherines/S-T-C-inset logo from a photo by Vaughn Ridley at gettyimages.com. Exterior shot of Meridian Centre, photo by Bob Tymczyszyn/St. Catharines Standard/Postmedia Network at stcatharinesstandard.ca. Interior/live-action-shot of Meridian Centre, photo from stcatharines.ca/Meridian-Centre-Community-Suite.
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Thanks to all at the following links,
Sources for titles: OHL titles: J. Ross Robertson Cup ; CHL titles: List of Memorial Cup champions (en.wikipedia.org).
-Thanks to USGS.gov for blank map of the Great Lakes – unfortunately, the map is no longer available online (well, I couldn’t find it, anyway).
-Thanks to the contributors at Ontario Hockey League (en.wikipedia.org).
-A big thank you to Hockey Database site, for the hard-to-find OHL attendance figures (nobody wants to bother hunting down and compiling them, I guess), at Ontario Hockey League 2015-16 Attendance Graph (hockeydb.com).
