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Centennial Cup
Manitoba Centennial Cup at the HHOF
Centennial Cup
Sport Ice hockey
Inaugural season 1971
Country(ies) Canada
Most recent champion(s) Brooks Bandits (2023, 4th title)
Most championships Vernon Vipers (6)
TV partner(s) TSN
Official website Centennial Cup Website
Related competitions

The Centennial Cup, also known as the Centennial Cup, presented by Tim Hortons for marketing purposes, is an annual ice hockey competition that determines the Canadian Junior A champion. It is played under the supervision of Hockey Canada and the Canadian Junior Hockey League.[1]

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.

Timeline[]

  • 1971–1995: Manitoba Centennial Cup
  • 1995–2018: Royal Bank Cup
  • 2019: National Junior A Championship
  • 2020–present: Centennial Cup

History[]

The Manitoba Centennial Trophy was presented to the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) by the Manitoba Amateur Hockey Association (MAHA) 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 (CMJHL), 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 the initial trustees of the trophy, both of whom were past presidents of the MAHA.[2] 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 (Western Canada) versus the Dudley Hewitt Cup champion (Eastern Canada). 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 2014 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.[3] 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 (154:32).[4]


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.[5] In December 2019, Tim Hortons was unveiled by Hockey Canada as the presenting sponsor for the Centennial Cup.[1] The 2020 and 2021 tournaments were later cancelled in response to the coronavius pandemic, the only times the championship has not been played since 1970.[6]

Prior to the end of the 2020-21 playing season, the British Columbia Hockey League announced that the league was withdrawing from the Canadian Junior Hockey League. As a result of this the playoff champion of the Alberta Junior Hockey League automatically qualifies for the tournament as they are the only member league in the Pacific Region.

Format[]

Since 1990, tournament structure has used a five-team round-robin followed by a playoff. The current format for qualification of the participating teams are the four regional champions and the host team.

Fred Page Cup: Eastern Champion
Dudley Hewitt Cup: Central Champion
ANAVET Cup: Western Champion
Doyle Cup: Pacific Champion
Host team: Predetermined by Canadian Junior Hockey League

Champions by era[]

Manitoba Centennial Trophy history (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.[7]

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 in bold.

Year Eastern Finalist Western Finalist Scores (best-of-7) Primary location
1971 Charlottetown Islanders Red Deer Rustlers 2–4 (3–6, 3–7, 6–4, 4–7, 7–2, 4–7) Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
1972 Guelph CMC's Red Deer Rustlers 4–0 (4–2, 3–2, 3–1, 3–0) Guelph, Ontario
1973 Pembroke Lumber Kings Portage Terriers 1–4 (5–6 OT, 2–4, 1–3, 6–4, 2–4) Portage la Prairie, Manitoba
1974 Smiths Falls Bears Selkirk Steelers 3–4 (4–5, 4–7, 3–0, 1–2, 6–4, 5–4 OT, 0–1 OT) Nepean, Ontario
1975 Guelph Biltmore Mad Hatters Spruce Grove Mets 2–4 (4–2, 3–2, 1–4, 2–5, 3–6, 4–6) Edmonton, Alberta
1976 Rockland Nationals Spruce Grove Mets 4–1 (9–4, 7–1, 5–3, 3–4, 7–3) Rockland, Ontario
1977 Pembroke Lumber Kings Prince Albert Raiders 0–4 (4–6, 4–5, 3–6, 3–4) Prince Albert, Saskatchewan
1978 Guelph Platers Prince Albert Raiders 4–0 (7–2, 6–2, 6–3, 8–2) Guelph, Ontario
Year Champion Runner-up Score Location
1979 Prince Albert Raiders Sherwood-Parkdale Metros 5–4 OT Prince Albert, Saskatchewan
1980 Red Deer Rustlers North York Rangers 3–2 North York, Ontario
1981 Prince Albert Raiders Belleville Bulls 6–2 Halifax, Nova Scotia
Year Eastern Finalist Western Finalist Scores (best-of-7) Primary location
1982 Guelph Platers Prince Albert Raiders 0–4 (4–9, 3–7, 3–6, 4–8) Prince Albert, Saskatchewan
1983 North York Rangers Abbotsford Flyers 4–0 (9–6, 8–5, 10–3, 10–2) North York, Ontario
1984 Orillia Travelways Weyburn Red Wings 3–4 (6–5, 4–6, 4–7, 2–1, 8–5, 4–5, 0–3) Weyburn, Saskatchewan
Year Champion Runner-up Score Location
1985 Orillia Travelways Penticton Knights 4–2 Orillia, Ontario
1986 Penticton Knights Cole Harbour Colts 7–4 Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia
1987 Richmond Sockeyes Humboldt Broncos 5–2 Humboldt, Saskatchewan
1988 Notre Dame Hounds Halifax Lions 3–2 Pembroke, Ontario
1989 Thunder Bay Flyers Summerside Western Capitals 4–1 Summerside, Prince Edward Island
1990 Vernon Lakers New Westminster Royals 6–5 OT Vernon, British Columbia
1991 Vernon Lakers Sudbury Cubs 8–4 Sudbury, Ontario
1992 Thunder Bay Flyers Winkler Flyers 10–1 Winnipeg, Manitoba
1993 Kelowna Spartans Chateauguay Elites 7–2 Amherst, Nova Scotia
1994 Olds Grizzlys Kelowna Spartans 5–4 OT Olds, Alberta
1995 Calgary Canucks Gloucester Rangers 5–4 OT Gloucester, Ontario

Royal Bank Cup history (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.

Year Champion Runner-up Score Location
1996 Vernon Vipers Melfort Mustangs 2–0 Melfort, Saskatchewan
1997 Summerside Western Capitals South Surrey Eagles 4–3 Summerside, Prince Edward Island
1998 South Surrey Eagles Weyburn Red Wings 4–1 Nanaimo, British Columbia
1999 Vernon Vipers Charlottetown Abbies 9–3 Yorkton, Saskatchewan
2000 Fort McMurray Oil Barons Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats 2–1 Fort McMurray, Alberta
2001 Camrose Kodiaks Flin Flon Bombers 5–0 Flin Flon, Manitoba
2002 Halifax Oland Exports OCN Blizzard 3–1 Halifax, Nova Scotia
2003 Humboldt Broncos Camrose Kodiaks 3–1 Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
2004 Aurora Tigers Kindersley Klippers 7–1 Grande Prairie, Alberta
2005 Weyburn Red Wings Camrose Kodiaks 3–2 Weyburn, Saskatchewan
2006 Burnaby Express Yorkton Terriers 8–2 Brampton, Ontario
2007 Aurora Tigers Prince George Spruce Kings 3–1 Prince George, British Columbia
2008 Humboldt Broncos Camrose Kodiaks 1–0 Cornwall, Ontario
2009 Vernon Vipers Humboldt Broncos 2–0 Victoria, British Columbia
2010 Vernon Vipers Dauphin Kings 8–1 Dauphin, Manitoba
2011 Pembroke Lumber Kings Vernon Vipers 2–0 Camrose, Alberta
2012 Penticton Vees Woodstock Slammers 4–3 Humboldt, Saskatchewan
2013 Brooks Bandits Summerside Western Capitals 3–1 Summerside, Prince Edward Island
2014 Yorkton Terriers Carleton Place Canadians 4–3 OT Vernon, British Columbia
2015 Portage Terriers Carleton Place Canadians 5–2 Portage la Prairie, Manitoba
2016 West Kelowna Warriors Lloydminster Bobcats 4–0 Lloydminster, Saskatchewan
2017 Cobourg Cougars Brooks Bandits 3–2 OT Cobourg, Ontario
2018 Chilliwack Chiefs Wellington Dukes 4–2 Chilliwack, British Columbia

National Junior A Championship history (2019)[]

In 2018, the championship was renamed the National Junior A Championship after the Royal Bank of Canada dropped their sponsorship of the event.

Year Champion Runner-up Score Location
2019 Brooks Bandits Prince George Spruce Kings 4–3 Brooks, Alberta

Centennial Cup history (2020–present)[]

With the national championship scheduled to return to Manitoba for its 50th anniversary in 2020, Hockey Canada and the Canadian Junior Hockey League announced that the championship return to its original name, the Centennial Cup.

Year Champion Runner-up Score Location
2020 Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic[lower-alpha 1] Portage la Prairie, Manitoba
2021 Penticton, British Columbia
2022 Brooks Bandits Pickering Panthers 4-1 Estevan, Saskatchewan
2023 Centennial Cup Brooks Bandits Battlefords North Stars 4-0 Portage la Prairie, Manitoba
2024 Centennial Cup Oakville, Ontario
2025 Centennial Cup Okotoks, Alberta

Most championships by province[]

Winners of the Centennial Cup (1971–1995), Royal Bank Cup (1996–2018), and National Junior A Championship (2019) by province.

The Pembroke Lumber Kings won the 2011 Royal Bank Cup, and became the first Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL) team to win the National Junior A Championship since the 1976 champion Rockland Nationals. In 2015, the Portage Terriers broke a 41-year-old drought for the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, being the first team win the Junior A championship since the 1974 Selkirk Steelers. The Maritimes provinces have only won two championships. To date, no teams from the Quebec Junior Hockey League, Superior International Junior Hockey League, or the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League have won the Junior A championship.

Rank Province Champions Hosts
1 British Columbia 14 6
2 Ontario 11 13
3 Saskatchewan 10 10[lower-alpha 2]
4 Alberta 9 6[lower-alpha 2]
5 Manitoba 3 5
6 Prince Edward Island 1 5
7 Nova Scotia 1 4

Most championships by team[]

Winners of the Centennial Cup (1971–1995), Royal Bank Cup (1996–2018) and National Junior A Championship (2019–present) by team.

There has been a consecutive national champion on three occasions: the Prince Albert Raiders won in 1981 and 1982, while the Vernon Lakers/Vipers won in 1990 and 1991 (as the Lakers), and again in 2009 and 2010 (as the Vipers).

The Prince Albert Raiders also hold a record for appearing in the championship final three consecutive times, in 1977, 1978 and 1979. The Raiders also reached the national finals five times in six years (1977, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982), while winning a total of four championships (1977, 1979, 1981, 1982) during that span. The Raiders moved up to Major Junior Western Hockey League after their 1982 Junior A championship, where they soon won the Memorial Cup for the major junior national championship in 1985.

Team Province League Champions
Vernon Lakers/Vipers British Columbia BCHL 6 (1990, 1991, 1996, 1999, 2009, 2010)
Prince Albert Raiders Saskatchewan SJHL 4 (1977, 1979, 1981, 1982)
Aurora Tigers Ontario OPJHL 2 (2004, 2007)
Brooks Bandits Alberta AJHL 2 (2013, 2019)
Guelph CMC's/Platers Ontario SOJHL/OPJHL 2 (1972, 1978)
Humboldt Broncos Saskatchewan SJHL 2 (2003, 2008)
Penticton Knights/Vees British Columbia BCJHL/BCHL 2 (1986, 2012)
Portage Terriers Manitoba MJHL 2 (1973, 2015)
Red Deer Rustlers Alberta AJHL 2 (1971, 1980)
Thunder Bay Flyers Ontario USHL 2 (1989, 1992)
Weyburn Red Wings Saskatchewan SJHL 2 (1984, 2005)
Burnaby Express British Columbia BCHL 1 (2006)
Calgary Canucks Alberta AJHL 1 (1995)
Camrose Kodiaks Alberta AJHL 1 (2001)
Chilliwack Chiefs British Columbia BCHL 1 (2018)
Cobourg Cougars Ontario OJHL 1 (2017)
Fort McMurray Oil Barons Alberta AJHL 1 (2000)
Halifax Oland Exports Nova Scotia MJAHL 1 (2002)
Kelowna Spartans British Columbia BCHL 1 (1993)
North York Rangers Ontario OPJHL 1 (1983)
Notre Dame Hounds Saskatchewan SJHL 1 (1988)
Olds Grizzlys Alberta AJHL 1 (1994)
Orillia Travelways Ontario OPJHL 1 (1985)
Pembroke Lumber Kings Ontario CCHL 1 (2011)
Richmond Sockeyes British Columbia BCJHL 1 (1987)
Rockland Nationals Ontario CJHL 1 (1976)
Selkirk Steelers Manitoba MJHL 1 (1974)
South Surrey Eagles British Columbia BCHL 1 (1998)
Spruce Grove Mets Alberta AJHL 1 (1975)
Summerside Western Capitals Prince Edward Island MJAHL 1 (1997)
West Kelowna Warriors British Columbia BCHL 1 (2016)
Yorkton Terriers Saskatchewan SJHL 1 (2014)

Roland Mercier Trophy[]

The Roland Mercier Trophy is awarded to the Most Valuable Player of the National Junior A Championship.


Game scoring records[]

Records included in this section took place in either Royal Bank Cup and Manitoba Centennial Cup tournament games and Manitoba Centennial Cup National Final Series games only.

  • Most Goals by Both Teams:
  • Fewest Goals by Both Teams:
  • Most Goals by Single Team:
  • Largest Spread in a Game:
  • Biggest Shutout Victory:
  • Longest Overtime Game:

References[]

External links[]


This page uses content from Wikipedia. The original article was at Centennial Cup. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with Ice Hockey Wiki, the text of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License 3.0 (Unported) (CC-BY-SA).



  1. Hockey Canada and the CJHL cancelled the 2020 and 2021 Centennial Cups in response to the coronavirus pandemic[6][8]
  2. 2.0 2.1 The province of Saskatchewan has hosted tens times as of 2016, but the SJHL has hosted nine as the 2016 RBC Cup was hosted by the Lloydminster Bobcats, members of the Alberta Junior Hockey League, who played their games in an arena on the Saskatchewan side of their biprovincial border city.
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