The J. Pius Callaghan Cup is a trophy that was formerly given to the

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...

Junior A Junior ice hockey is amateur-level ice hockey for 16 to 20 year-old players. National Junior teams compete annually for the IIHF World Junior Championship. The United States men's national junior ice hockey team are the defending champions from t ...

Champion of

Atlantic Canada Atlantic Canada, also called the Atlantic provinces (), is the list of regions of Canada, region of Eastern Canada comprising four provinces: New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. As of 2021, the landma ...

from 1981 until 1991. The trophy is named for Joseph Pius Callaghan, sports writer for the

Charlottetown Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a daily newspaper published five days a week in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada. The paper was originally launched in the 1870s as ''The Presbyterian and Evangelical Protestant Union'', owned by Presbyterian minist ...

, school teacher, and sports executive, by Hockey PEI. From 1991 until 2006, the trophy was awarded to the playoff champion of the

Maritime Junior A Hockey League The Maritime Junior Hockey League (MHL) is a Junior A ice hockey league under Hockey Canada, a part of the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL). It consists of six teams from New Brunswick, which make up the EastLink North Division (formerly R ...

. In 2006 it was retired and now resides in the

Charlottetown Civic Centre The Eastlink Centre () (formerly known as the Charlottetown Civic Centre) is a combined hockey/basketball arena and trade and convention facility located in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada. History The facility's original name was ...

. Prior to 1981, the championship was just called the Atlantic Junior A Championship.

History

First awarded in 1981, the Callaghan Cup was awarded to the top team to play in

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...

New Brunswick New Brunswick is a Provinces and Territories of Canada, province of Canada, bordering Quebec to the north, Nova Scotia to the east, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the northeast, the Bay of Fundy to the southeast, and the U.S. state of Maine to ...

Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island is an island Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. While it is the smallest province by land area and population, it is the most densely populated. The island has several nicknames: "Garden of the Gulf", ...

, or

Newfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region of Labrador, having a total size of . As of 2025 the populatio ...

. Prior to this, the championship was just known as the Atlantic Junior A Championship. Depending on the year, the Callaghan Cup was the quarter-final of the

Manitoba Centennial Cup The Centennial Cup is an annual ice hockey tournament organized by Hockey Canada and the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL), which determines the national champion of junior A ice hockey. It consists of a ten-team round robin featuring the ...

National Championship and the winner would play the Central Champions for the

Dudley Hewitt Cup The Dudley-Hewitt Cup is a championship ice hockey trophy awarded to the Central Canadian Junior A champion. The trophy is currently decided by round robin tournament format, at the conclusion of the playoffs of the Ontario Junior Hockey League ...

Eastern Canada Championship. Eventually, as Maritime hockey became less prominent, the Dudley Hewitt Cup went to the Central Champion only. By 1991, all Maritime leagues had amalgamated into the

and the St. John's Junior Hockey League dropped down to Jr. B play. The

Canadian Amateur Hockey Association The Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA; ) was the national governing body of amateur ice hockey in Canada from 1914 until 1994, when it merged with Hockey Canada. Its jurisdiction included senior ice hockey leagues and the Allan Cup, ...

gave the MJAHL custody over the Callaghan Cup as its playoff championship. In 2006, the Maritime Junior A Hockey League retired the trophy and replaced it with the Kent Cup. Prior to the MJAHL taking control of the trophy, the Callaghan Cup/Atlantic Championship was won by a

team 9 times, a

team 8 times,

3 times, and

once. Since 1995, the Atlantic Region,

Ottawa District The Ottawa District was a historic district in Upper Canada which existed until 1849. It was created in 1816 by splitting the counties of Prescott and Russell from the Eastern District. The district town was L'Orignal. In 1838 Gloucester ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

and the

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

champions all compete together for a spot at the

Royal Bank Cup Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family or royalty Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, ...

through the

Fred Page Cup The Fred Page Cup was a championship ice hockey trophy, won by a tournament conducted by the Canadian Junior Hockey League. The award was given to the winner of a round-robin and playoff between the Bogart Cup champions of the Central Canada ...

Leagues in competition

Eastern Junior A Hockey League The Eastern Junior A Hockey League (EJHL, EJAHL) was a Junior "A" ice hockey league from Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada. The Eastern Junior A Hockey League was in competition for the Manitoba Centennial Cup, the National Junior A Champ ...

Island Junior Hockey League The Island Junior Hockey League is a Junior ice hockey#Junior B, Junior "B" ice hockey league in Prince Edward Island, Canada, sanctioned by Hockey Canada. History The IJHL shares its Island Junior Hockey League (1973–1991), name with a forme ...

Maritime Junior A Hockey League (1968–1971) The original Maritime Junior A Hockey League was a Canadian junior ice hockey, Junior ice hockey league from 1968 until 1971 in the provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. The league competed for the Memorial Cup until ...

Metro Valley Junior Hockey League The Maritime Junior Hockey League (MHL) is a Junior ice hockey#Junior A, Junior A ice hockey league under Hockey Canada, a part of the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL). It consists of six teams from New Brunswick, which make up the EastLink ...

* New Brunswick Junior Hockey League * Newfoundland Junior A Hockey League * St. John's Junior Hockey League

Champions

References

External links

Fred Page Cup WebsiteMJAHL WebsiteCJAHL Website
{{CJAHL Ice hockey tournaments in Canada Canadian ice hockey trophies and awards Maritime Junior Hockey League Atlantic Canada awards