-Scores: chl.ca. -en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_Memorial_Cup#Schedule

2019 CHL Memorial Cup tournament (in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada from May 17 to 26). The 4 teams: the Halifax Mooseheads, the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, the Guelph Storm, the Prince Albert Raiders.

Halifax Mooseheads (host team) (Halifax, Nova Scotia).
(It is the 25th anniversary of the Halifax Mooseheads (est. 1994-95). It is also the 50th anniversary of the QMJHL (est. 1969-70).) 2019 CHL Memorial Cup. May 17-26, 2019 at the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Halifax, Nova Scotia, with a metro-area population of around 403,000, is the 13th-largest city in Canada, and is the largest city in the Maritime provinces. In 2018-19, the Halifax Mooseheads drew 3rd-best in the CHL, at 8,149 per game in the 10.5-K-capacity Scotiabank Centre.

Click on image below for full screen view.

Photo and Image credits above -
2018-19 Mooseheads jersey, from mooseshop.ca. Halifax, NS, aerial photo from wolterland.com. Scotiabank Centre, exterior shot, photo by Tony Webster at flickr.com. Scotiabank Centre, front entrance, photo by Greg Johnston at stadiumjourney.com. Samuel Asselin, photo from halifaxmooseheads.ca. Antoine Morand, photo from halifaxmooseheads.ca. Jared McIsaac, photo unattributed at signalhfx.ca. Alexis Gravel, photo from halifaxmooseheads.ca.

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Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec).
Rouyn-Noranda is located 632 km (393 mi) NW of Montreal (by road). Rouyn-Noranda became populated after copper was discovered there in 1917. For forty years (1926-66), the area was completely governed by the Noranda mining company. Eight mines and the copper smelter are still in operation. The Horne smelter in Noranda is the largest smelter of precious metals in the world. Rouyn-Noranda sits among a string of mining towns (the Abitibi gold belt) in northeast Ontario/northwest Quebec that includes Timmins, ON, Kirkland Lake, ON, and Val d’Or, QC.

In 1996, the QMJHL team from Sainte-Hyacinthe (50 km/30 mi E of Montreal) moved to Rouyn-Noranda. The franchise moved up north to Rouyn-Noranda because it knew it would find solid support there, as well as a built-in local rivalry with the nearby QMJHL team the Val d’Or Foreurs (who are located 105 km (65 mi) E of Rouyn-Noranda). Rouyn-Noranda play in a tiny arena, Aréna Iamgold (aka Aréna Dave-Keon), which has just 2,150 seats, but they fill it up to standing-room-only on a regular basis.

The Rouyn-Noranda Huskies were the #1-ranked team in the QMJHL going into the playoffs. And the Huskies beat Halifax 4 games to 2 to win the 2019 President’s Cup (QMJHL title). Rouyn-Noranda have now won 2 QMJHL titles in 4 years.

Click on image below for full screen view.

Photo and Image credits above -
Rouyn-Noranda Huskies jersey (3rd/alt), photo from huskies-de-rouyn-noranda.monpanierdachat.com. Aerial shot of Rouyn-Noranda, photo by Point du Jour Avaiation, here via gigi461.canalblog.com. Shot of Rouyn-Noranda, photo by Mathieu Dupuis at ville.rouyn-noranda.qc.ca. Shot of Northern Lights above Rouyn-Noranda, photo by Charles Schiele Photography at coolnaturephotos.com/aurora-borealis-at-rouyn-noranda-qc-canada-by-charles-schiele-photography. Shot of exterior of Iamgold Arena, photo by Benjamin Mougin at flickr.com. Shot of interior of Aréna Iamgold, photo by François Fortin at . Huskies jersey, photo from collectosports.com. Peter Abbandonato, photo from chl.ca/article/huskies-peter-abbandonato-named-chl-player-of-the-week. Raphael Harvey-Pinard, photo from rds.ca/hockey/lhjmq. Noah Dobson, photo unattributed at chl.ca. Joël Teasdale, photo from rds.ca/hockey. Huskies celebrate winning the QMJHL title (2019 Presidents Cup), photo from twitter.com/[@Huskies_Rn].

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Guelph Storm (Guelph, Ontario).
The Guelph Storm sit amidst the most concentrated area of major junior teams in Canada, with the Kitchener Rangers only about 28 km (17 mi) to the west of Guelph, and with the Mississauga Steelheads and the Hamilton Bulldogs both within 55 km (34 mi) of Guelph. The original OHL franchise from Guelph, ON was the Guelph Platers (7 seasons in OHL, from 1982-89, winning 1 OHL title in 1986). In 1989 the Guelph Platers moved to Owen Sound, ON, as the Owen Sound Platers (2000: name changed to Owen Sound Attack).

In 1991, two years after losing their OHL team, the city of Guelph was able to lure another OHL franchise, and the Guelph Storm were established in 1991-92. The franchise the city of Guelph lured began as the storied Toronto Marlboros (1904-1989), who won 5 Memorial Cup titles (1955, 1956, 1964, 1967, 1973). The Toronto Marlboros (1904-89) were a minor league affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs for 40 years (to 1967); and were in the OHA/OHL (from 1937-89). The Marlboros franchise had moved to Hamilton, ON in 1989, as the Dukes of Hamilton, but that did not work out. Two years later in 1991, the franchise moved to Guelph, filling the void left there by the Platers’ move.

The Guelph Storm won an OHL title in their 6th season (1997). In 2000, in their 9th season, the Guelph Storm moved into the new Sleeman Centre, built on the site of a former Eatons department store, in a shopping mall, in downtown Guelph. The Sleeman Centre has a seated capacity of 4.8 K, and has a nice set-up that boasts steeply raked seating and a concourse above the seating bowl that allows a view of the ice (and ample standing-room space). The Guelph Storm usually draw around 4 K per game; in 2018-19, en route to a 2nd-place finish, Guelph drew 4,146 per game (which was a solid 91.5 percent-capacity).

In the 2019 OHL playoffs, the Guelph Storm were comeback-kings. In the 1st round, Guelph swept the Kitchener Rangers. Then in the next three rounds Guelph came back from multiple-game deficits. In the 2nd round, Guelph came back from 3 games down, to upset the London Knights. Then in the 3rd round/Western final, Guelph fell behind the Saginaw Spirit 3-1, before winning three straight. And then in the OHL Championship Series, Guelph lost the first two against the Ottawa 67′s, but then won four straight, to win the OHL title (2019 J. Ross Robertson Cup). Guelph Storm have now won 4 OHL titles (1997, 2004, 2014, 2019). Four OHL titles in 28 seasons is a pretty decent run.

Click on image below for full screen view.

Photo and Image credits above – Guelph Storm jersey front, paste-up including illustrations from sportslogos.net. Basilica of Our Lady Immaculate church, photo from guelphtoday.com. Exterior shot of Sleeman Centre, photo by Tabercil at File:Sleeman Centre in Guelph ON 3.jpg (commons.wikimedia.org). Nate Schnarr, photo by Terry Wilson/OHL Images via guelphmercury.com. Nick Suzuki, photo by Tony Saxon/Guelph Today at guelphtoday.com. Isaac Ratcliffe, photo by Terry Wilson/OHL Images via guelphmercury.com. Dmitri Samorukov, photo by Tony Saxon/Guelph Today at guelphtoday.com. Storm players including Suzuki, Ratcliffe, Samorukov, celebrate, photo from twitter.com/[@Sportsnet].

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Prince Albert Raiders (Prince Albert, Saskatchewan).
Prince Albert, SK is known as the “Gateway to the North”…it is the last major centre along the route to the resources of northern Saskatchewan. Prince Albert (with a metro-area population of 42,600), has supplanted Moose Jaw as the 3rd-largest city in Saskatchewan. The Prince Albert Raiders play at the 2.5-K-capacity Art Hauser Centre. Prince Albert fills their small arena the best of all the 60 teams in the 3 leagues of the CHL, at 101.35 percent-capacity in 2018-19.

The Raiders were established in 1971 as a junior hockey team, in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. The Raiders junior team won 4 titles in 6 seasons (from 1977 to 1982). This was good enough to get the attention of the WHL. And so in 1982, the city of Prince Albert was granted an expansion franchise in the WHL. Three years later, the Prince Albert Raiders were WHL champions, and then the Raiders won the 1985 Memorial Cup (beating Shawingun 6-1 in the final).

The 2018-19 Prince Albert Raiders were the #1-ranked team going into the WHL playoffs. They came through in the end, but almost stumbled in the Championship series, losing a 3-games-to-1 lead to the Vancouver Giants. In the 7th game, up in Prince Albert, it went to overtime, with the winning goal scored 18 minutes into OT, by Dante Hannoun {see screenshots below}. So the Prince Albert Raiders won their first WHL title in 34 years.

Click on image below for full screen view.

Photo and Image credits above – Raiders jersey illustration from sportslogos.net. Prince Albert, Saskatchewan skyline and the North Saskatchewan River, photos uploaded by Rhino at skyscrapercity.com/[thread: Prince Albert Saskatchewan. Exterior shot of Art Hauser Centre unattributed at stadiumjourney.com. Dante Hannoun scoring & celebration, 1st screenshot from globalnews.ca; 2nd screenshot from twitter.com/[@TheWHL] via bardown.com/prince-albert-raiders-win-whl-championship…. Dante Hannoun, photo from whl.ca. Brett Leason, photo by Marissa Baecker/Getty Images via gettyimages.com. Noah Gregor, photo unattributed at bladesofteal.com. Ian Scott, photo by Lucas Chudleigh/Apollo Multimedia via raiderhockey.com/article.

___
Thanks to the contributors at 2019 Memorial Cup (en.wikipedia.org).
Thanks to QMJHL, OHL, WHL.

By Bill Turianski on 4 May 2019; twitter.com/billsportsmaps.

Links…
-ontariohockeyleague.com.
-theqmjhl.ca. lhjmq.qc.ca (Fr).
-whl.ca.
-en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_Memorial_Cup.

Canadian Hockey League (CHL): the umbrella-organization for the 3 leagues of Major Junior Hockey in Canada. 60 teams. Est. 1975. For players aged 16-20. The 3 leagues are: the Western Hockey League (WHL), the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL/ LMJHQ in French).

The winners of the 3 leagues each season contest the Memorial Cup Tournament (est. 1919), which is played in the month of May. The Memorial Cup is a 4-team round-robin competition, which comprises the WHL champion, the OHL champion, the QMJHL champion, plus the host team. This year, the host team is the Halifax Mooseheads, of the QMJHL. (The Halifax Mooseheads are celebrating their 25th season; and the QMJHL is celebrating its 50th anniversary.) The reigning champions are the Acadie-Bathurst Titan, a QMJHL team from the small New Brunswick town of Bathurst [which has a metro-area population of only around 30,000]. Acadie-Bathurst Titan beat the Regina Pats 3-0, in Regina, Saskatchewan, to win the 2018 Memorial Cup.

Currently [4 May 2019], the 3 leagues’ playoff Finals are being played (each in a best of 7 series)…
WHL…the Vancouver Giants v Prince Albert [Saskatchewan] Raiders.
OHL…the Ottawa 67s v the Guelph [Ontario] Storm.
QMJHL…the Rouyn-Noranda [Quebec] Huskies v the Halifax Mooseheads.
(Note: since Halifax is host-team, both these QMJHL teams have already qualified for the tournament.)

Next post will be on May 15th or 16th…illustrations for each of the 4 teams that end up qualifying for the 2019 CHL Memorial Cup Tournament {like I did with this post from 2018}.
___
Thanks to all at the following links -
-Blank map of North America by Lokal_profil at File:BlankMap-USA-states-Canada-provinces, HI closer.svg.
-Canadian Hockey League (en.wikipedia.org).
-sportslogos.net.
-hockeydb.com.
Attendance figures…
-hockeydb.com/[2018-19 QMJHL attendance].
-hockeydb.com/[2018-19 OHL attendance].
-hockeydb.com/[2018-19 WHL attendance].

Links…
-2018 CHL Memorial Cup (en.wikipedia.org).
-CHL official site: chl.ca.
-Preview…Why watch the 2018 Mastercard Memorial Cup: Top prospects, great storylines (by Rory Boylen at sportsnet.ca/hockey).

Host team: Regina Pats.

Photo and Image credits above – Regina Pats’ jersey illustration and shoulder-patch logo: from sportslogos.net/[Regina Pats]. View of Regina’s skyline, photo by 28thegreat at File:Regina Skyline.png. Brandt Centre, photo by Neil Cochrane/CBC at cbc.ca. PPCLI badge from army-armee.forces.gc.ca/en/ppcli/1st-battalion.page. Regina Pats 100th anniversary jersey (a re-working of the team’s first jersey worn in 1917), from patsstore.ca. Sam Steel, photo by Keith Hershmller via chl.ca. Libor Hájek, photo by Keith Hershmiller via rodpedersen.com. Cameron Hebig, photo by Keith Hershmiller/Regina Pats via cjme.com. Cale Fleury, photo unattributed at twitter.com/WHLPats.

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2018 QMJHL champions: Acadie–Bathurst Titan.

Photo and Image credits above – Acadie-Bathurst Titan jersey, illustration from sportslogos.net/[Acadie Bathurst Titan]. Aerial shot of Bathurst, New Brunswick, photo from facebook.com/destimationbathurstNB. View of Bathurst from harbour bridge, photo from iccimmigration.in/immigration/new-brunswick. K.C. Irving Regional Centre, photo by Kevin Jordan at qmjhlarenaguide.com. Olivier Galipeau, photo unattributed at telegraphjournal.com. Jeffrey Truchon-Viel, photo by Emmanuelle Parent via acadienouvelle.com. Evan Fitzpatrick, photo by Vincent L. Rousseau via letitan.com. Antoine Morand, photo by RDS via canucksarmy.com.

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2018 OHL champions: Hamilton Bulldogs.

Photo and Image credits above – Hamilton Bulldogs jersey illustration and shoulder-patch logo from sportslogos.net/[Hamiton Bulldogs]. Skyline of Hamilton from top of the Mountain (Niagara Escarpment), photo by Lucasmascotto at File:Collage of Tourist Spots in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.jpg. Exterior of FirstOntario Centre, photo from 900/CHML via globalnews.ca/news. Brandon Saigeon, photo by Aaron Bell via niagarathisweek.com/sports. Robert Thomas, photo by John Rennison/The Hamilton Spectator at thespec.com. Kaden Fulcher, photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images North America via zimbio.com. Ryan Moore, photo by Getty Images at gettyimages.ae.

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2018 WHL champions: Swift Current Broncos.
-From the Everett (Washington) Herald, here is an article about the town of Swift Current and its hockey team, subtitled…’Home of the Broncos, Saskatchewan’s seventh-biggest city is a hard-core hockey town on the prairie‘ (by Ben Watanabe on May 4 2018 at heraldnet.com).
-reddit.com/r/hockey/[1986 Swift Current bus tragedy].

Photo and Image credits above – Swift Current Broncos jersey illustration and shoulder-patch logos from sportslogos.net. Aerial shot of Swift Current, SK, photo by City of Swift Current via heraldnet.com/news/silvertips-fans-meet-the-enemy-stronghold-of-swift-current. Photo of road leading to Swift Current, photo by CanadaGood G Melle at flickr.com; flickr.com/photos/canadagood. Innovation Credit Union i-Plex, photo from tourismswiftcurrent.ca. Swift Current Broncos (I) logo (1973-74) from hockeydb.com/[swift-current-broncos]. Lethbridge Broncos logo from sportslogos.ne/[Lethbridge Broncos]. Swift Current Broncos (II) logos from sportslogos.net/[Swift Current Broncos (II)]. Swift Current Broncos bus crash [December 28 1986] memorial, photo from leaderpost.com/sporst. 1989 Swift Current Broncos players celebrate winning the 1989 Memorial Cup 4-3 in OT over Saskatoon [May 13 1989], photo unattributed at reddit.com/[thread: Swift Current Broncos bus crash, December 30 1986]. Aleksi Heponiemi, photo by Marissa Baecker/Getty Images via habseyesontheprize.com. Glenn Gawdin, photo unattributed at nhl.com/flames. Stuart Skinner, photo by Keith Hershmiller via leaderpost.com. Tyler Steenburgen, photo unattributed at reddeerexpress.com.

___
Thanks to the contributors at the following links…
- Western Hockey League;
-Ontario Hockey League;
-Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
-Thanks to the fine site known as Elite Prospects.com (Hockey Prospects), for player info…eliteprospects.com.

Links for 2016-17 attendances (home regular season) (from HockeyDatabase.com)…
-Ontario Hockey League 2016-17 Attendance Graph.
-Quebec Major Junior Hockey League 2016-17 Attendance Graph.
-Western Hockey League 2016-17 Attendance Graph.

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Best percent-capacity figures in the CHL in 2016-17…
Below are the 12 teams in the CHL that were best at filling their arena, in 2016-17. (Best Percent-Capacity, or: Average Attendance divided-by Seated Capacity.) 7 of these teams are in the OHL. 3 of these teams are in the WHL. 2 of these teams are in the QMJHL. The top 2 played to SRO (standing-room-only)…the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies of the QMJHL, and the Oshawa Generals of the OHL.
#1). Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (QMJHL): 103.6 percent-capacity (2,228 per game in their 2,150-capacity arena [ie, 78-standing-room-only-customers-per-game]).
#2). Oshawa Generals (OHL): 100.5 percent-capacity (5,209 per game in their 5,180-capacity arena [ie, 29-standing-room-only-customers-per-game]).
#3). London Knights (OHL): 99.5 percent-capacity (9,003 per game in their 9,046-capacity arena).
#4). Kitchener Rangers (OHL): 98.3 percent-capacity (7,015 per game in their 7,131-capacity arena).
#5). Kelowna Rockets (WHL): 93.7 percent-capacity (5,162 per game in their 5,507-capacity arena).
#6). Niagara IceDogs (OHL): 90.6 percent-capacity (4,804 per game in their 5,300-capacity arena).
#7). Barrie Colts (OHL): 88.4 percent-capacity (3,709 per game in their 4,195-capacity arena).
#8). Guelph Storm (OHL): 86.1 percent-capacity (4,063 per game in their 4,715-capacity arena).
#9). Shawingan Cataractes (QMJHL): 85.9 percent-capacity (3,545 per game in their 4,125-capacity arena).
#10). Regina Pats (WHL): 84.1 percent-capacity (5,456 per game in their 6,484-capacity arena).
#11). Owen Sound Attack (OHL): 82.8 percent-capacity (2,898 per game in their 3,500-capacity arena).
#12). Prince Albert Raiders (WHL): 82.6 percent-capacity (2,133 per game in their 2,580-capacity arena).
___
Thanks to all at the following links…
-List of Memorial Cup champions/Tournament appearances by current CHL teams.
-WHL/ Ed Chynoweth Cup.
-OHL/ J. Ross Robertson Cup.
-QMJHL/ President’s Cup (en.wikipedia.org).
-Hockey Data Base.com.

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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).

I have family in Canada.  Several relations there have wondered why I haven’t focused on Canadian Hockey, here on this site.  This should keep them happy, for a while.

The Ontario Hockey League, or OHL, is one of 3 junior hockey leagues based in Canada.  The 3 leagues constitute the Canadian Hockey League.  The other two are the WHL (the Western Hockey League), and the QMJHL (the Qubec Major Junior Hockey League).  All three leagues are for players aged 15 to 20.  All three leagues have a few teams from the United States in them.  The OHL has 3 American clubs: 2 from Michigan (which is a hotbed for minor-league hockey), and 1 from Pennsylvania.  [The QMJHL has just one US team, from Maine; the WHL has 5 US teams, all from the Pacific Northwest.]   {Find out more about the CHL, here.}

When I decided to do a map of the OHL, I figured most teams would average around 2 or 3,000 per game.  Actually, the median is more like 3,500.   This is pretty respectable, when you consider that this is basically a developmental league for teenagers.  And there are some pretty solid draws in this league.  The London Knights are the attendance leaders, at 9,000, this season.  But they hadn’t translated their ability to draw crowds into any sort of success on ice, until two years ago, when they finally won an OHL Title.  Ottawa has an NHL franchise, yet still shows solid support for it’s junior club, the Ottawa 67′s: they are getting 7,700 per game this season.  The Kitchener Rangers are the other “big” club in this league: their average gate this season is 5,900.

The most successful clubs on the ice, historically, are two clubs northeast of Toronto.  The Oshawa Generals got their name from their first sponsor, General Motors.  They have won 12 OHL Titles, but they haven’t won one since 1997.  The Peterborough Petes have won 9 OHL Titles, their last in 2006.  Oshawa is drawing decent crowds (4,700); the Petes less so (2,900).  But Peterborough is not a big city, with a population of around 75,000.  Speaking of small towns, check out Owen Sound.  Nestled at the foot of the Bruce Peninsula, on the shore of the beautiful Georgian Bay, this hamlet of 22,000 really supports it’s team…2,400 per game, or over 10% of the town’s occupants.  I guess they’re like the Green Bay Packers of junior hockey.  They used to be called the Platers, after an electro-plating company that owned them.  Why the heck did they change their name ?  The Owen Sound Platers is like the coolest name I’ve heard in ages.

Speaking of interesting names, try these on for size.  [All these are defunct teams, of course.]   The Guelph Biltmore Mad Hatters (after a local hat company);  the St. Catherines Teepees (in the days before political correctness);  the Hamilton Fincups (an amalgamation of the two family names of the owners);  the Port Colborne Recreationalists;  and my favorite, the Stratford Midgets, which sounds like a band of Shakespearian dwarves.

One more thing about names.  The Plymouth Whalers actually do have a connection to the old Hartford Whalers, of WHA, and NHL (circa 1980′s and 90′s) fame.  They are owned by the same group that owns the Carolina Hurricanes (whom the Hartford Whalers morphed into).  And again with the small-town theme: Plymouth is 25 miles west of Detroit, with a population of around 28,000.  The Plymouth Whalers are the reigning champions of the OHL. 

Special thanks to the Niagara Ice Dogs Fans Forum, and “Strohs,” a puck-head accountant with a good deal of time on his hands.  He did the numbers-crunching; I stumbled onto it.