The Ligue de Hockey Junior du Québec (LHJQ) or Quebec Junior Hockey League (QJHL) is a

Hockey Québec Hockey Québec is the governing body of all ice hockey in Quebec, Canada. Hockey Québec is a branch of Hockey Canada. History Hockey Québec was organized in 1976 to take over from the various organizations governing hockey in Quebec. Hockey ...

Canadian Junior A

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 ...

league and is a member of

Hockey Canada Hockey Canada (which merged with the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association in 1994) is the national governing body of ice hockey and ice sledge hockey in Canada. It is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation and controls the majority ...

and the

Canadian Junior Hockey League The Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) is an association of Canadian junior ice hockey#Junior A, junior A ice hockey leagues and teams and was formed in November 1993, emerging from the Canada West Association of Junior 'A' Hockey. The champi ...

. The winner of the QJHL playoffs competes for 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 ...

against the winners of the

Central Junior A Hockey League The Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL; French: ''Ligue de hockey du Canada centrale'', LHCC) is a Junior A ice hockey league in North America composed of 12 teams – all around the National Capital Region. The CCHL is one of the nine Junior ...

and the

Maritime 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 ...

and the host team, which is on a three-year cycle between the MHL, CJHL and LHJQ. The winner of the

then moves on to compete for the

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 ice hockey#Junior A, junior A ice hockey. It consists of a ten-team ...

History

The Quebec Junior Hockey League is an offshoot of the Quebec Junior A Hockey League that lasted from 1972 to 1982. Founded in 1988, the QJHL has been a rather strong league, with three Central Canadian Champions (

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 ...

) in its early years: the Longueuil Sieurs in 1990 and the Chateauguay Elites in 1993 and 1994. In 1994–95 they were grouped into the Eastern Canadian region to compete for the

. The Joliette Nationals won the first Fred Page Cup in 1995. To this day, the QJHL has four Eastern Canadian titles, the others going to the Joliette Action, Lennoxville Cougars, and St. Jerome Panthers. No Quebec team has ever won the national title despite attending the tournament seven times since 1988. In 2002–03,

Champlain College Lennoxville Champlain College Lennoxville is the Champlain Regional College campus serving the Eastern Townships (Estrie). The campus is located in the borough of Lennoxville, Quebec, Lennoxville, of Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. Like the other campuses of C ...

got a team to play in the LHJAAAQ - Lennoxville Cougars, based on the campus of College Champlain and

Bishop's University Bishop's University () is a small English-language Liberal arts college, liberal arts university in Lennoxville, a borough of Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. The founder of the institution was the Anglican Diocese of Quebec, Anglican Bishop of Quebec ...

. The Cougars, who were coached by former NHLer

Stéphan Lebeau Stéphan Armand Lebeau (born February 28, 1968) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played seven seasons in the National Hockey League from 1988–89 to 1994–95. He won a Stanley Cup in 1993 with the Montreal Canadiens. Hi ...

formed a discipline style of hockey. The method paid off, and Lennoxville captured the Napa Cup as league champions and won the

. Lennoxville finished the Royal Bank Cup 1–3, the Cougars exited the tournament with semi-finals loss to the

Camrose Kodiaks The Camrose Kodiaks are a Canadian Junior "A" ice hockey team in the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL). They play in Camrose, Alberta, Canada, with home games in the EnCana Arena, which has a seating capacity for approximately 2300 people. H ...

of the AJHL. In 2003–04, the CJAHL and the LHJAAAQ saw the St-Eustache Gladiateurs ranked #5 overall in Canada. However, the Gladiateurs lost the finals to the Valleyfield Braves. Because Valleyfield was hosting the Fred Page Cup, the Gladiateurs got a berth in the tournament. Saint-Eustache and Valleyfield each held a 2–0 tournament record going into the all-LHJAAAQ match-up that would decide the winner and who gets a bye to the championship finals. Valleyfield won the game 4–0, and Saint-Eustache then lost to the

Nepean Raiders The Nepean Raiders (French: Raiders de Nepean) are a Junior A ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario. The Raiders compete in the Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL) as a member of the East Division. The team plays its home games at the Nepean S ...

3–2 in double-overtime. The Valleyfield Braves lost the championship game 4–0 to Nepean. In 2014, 12-year president Richard Morency announced his resignation, but staying on until the transition to the new leadership. The league also announced that it was re-branding itself the Quebec Junior Hockey League (dropping the "AAA" designation) and introduced the corresponding new league logo. The summer also saw the return of the Valleyfield Braves to the League. Owners of the team purchased the LaTuque Wolves, regained rights to the Braves name and logo and brought the team back to the Aréna Salaberry. Another long-time QJHL member, Kahnawake Condors, who were established in 1999 moved to

Chambly, Quebec Chambly () is an Greater Montreal, off-island suburb of Montreal in southwestern Quebec, Canada. It is located in the Montérégie region, inland from the South Shore (Montreal), South Shore of the Saint Lawrence River. It was formed from the m ...

, to be re-branded as the Chambly Forts. Shortly after that move, the Gatineau Mustangs of the

Eastern Ontario Junior Hockey League The Eastern Ontario Junior Hockey League is a Junior ice hockey league operating in Eastern Ontario, Canada. The league is sanctioned by Hockey Eastern Ontario and Hockey Canada and acts as a junior B league to the Central Canada Hockey League. ...

made the jump to the league as the

Gatineau Flames The Gatineau Flames are a Canada, Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Buckingham, Quebec. The team is a member of the Quebec Junior Hockey League, but was a member of the Eastern Ontario Junior Hockey League for decades, ending in 2015. Hist ...

, becoming the first Hull-based team since the Aylmer Extreme that had lasted one season in 2000–01. Several weeks after announcing the

as a member, the Flames purchased the Lachine Maroons and absorbed the franchise rights. The league expelled the Sherbrooke Cougars because the league considered them as a collegiate team and had ties to Bishop's University. The Saint-Hyacinthe Laureats withdrew from the league, possibly in conjunction with the Cougars. The league split into two divisions.

Teams

La Coupe NAPA playoff champions

Former member teams

* Kahnawake Condors / Chambly Forts - relocated to Chambly in 2015, folded prior to 2021-2022 season * L'Extreme D'Aylmer - folded after 2000–01 season * Lachine Maroons - 2015 relocate to Gatineau Flames * La Tuque Wolves - renewed Valleyfield Braves franchise * Les Husky de Cowansville - folded after 1999–00 season * Le National de Joliette - ceased operations mid-season (January 2000) * Le Junior Canadiens de Montreal - folded after 1999–00 season * Les Dragons de Saint-Hyacinthe - folded after 1999–00 season * Les Chevaliers de St-Jean - folded after 2001–02 season * Montreal-North Arctic - folded after 2018–19 season. Founded 2002 as the St-Eustache Patriotes. * Saint-Félicien Multiconcessionnaire - folded after 2008–09 season * Saint-Hyacinthe Lauréats - 2015 withdrew from league * Saint-Lazare Revolution - sold 2019. Remain in Saint Lazare but re-branded West Island Shamrocks * Sherbrooke Cougars - 2015 expelled from league * Thetford Mines Filons - relocated to La Tuque Wolves *

Valleyfield Braves (defunct) Les Braves de Valleyfield are a Junior ice hockey team from Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Quebec, Canada. They were a part of the Quebec Junior AAA Hockey League for 25 seasons. Another franchise relocated and took over their market and former mo ...

- left league to join LNAH *

Vaudreuil-Dorion Mustangs The Montreal Phoenix (Les Phoenix de Montréal) are an ice hockey team based in Pierrefonds, Quebec They are a part of the Quebec Junior AAA Hockey League. The franchise was founded in 2003 as the Île Perrot Mustangs but re-located to Vaudreuil-D ...

- sold and relocated to Saint-Lazare (2017)

Timeline of teams in the QJHL

*1988 - Black Lake Miners play in 1988 Centennial Cup playdowns as Quebec's only Jr. A team *1988 - Quebec Provincial Junior Hockey League is officially founded *1990 - St. Antoine Rapidos join league *1990 - Laval-Bourassa Cobras join league *1991 - St. Antoine Rapidos become Louiseville Jaguars *1991 - Laval-Bourassa Cobras become Montreal-Nord Cobras *1991 - Ste-Marie Beaucerons join league *1992 - Ste-Marie Beaucerons become Loretteville Riverains *1992 - Louisville Jaguars become Saint-Jerome Panthers *1994 - Coaticook Frontaliers join league *1994 - Valleyfield Elites join league *1995 - Lachine Maroons join league *1996 - Warwick Titans join league *1998 - Quebec Provincial Junior Hockey League becomes Quebec Junior AAA Hockey League *1998 - Joliette National cease operations in January 1998 *1998 - Valleyfield Elites become Valleyfield Braves *1999 - Kahnawake Condors join league *2000 - Montreal Junior Canadiens fold *2000 - Aylmer Extreme join league and fold after the 2000–01 season *2000 - Cowansville Husky fold *2000 - Saint-Hyacinthe Dragons fold *2002 - Saint-Eustache Gladiateurs join league *2002 - Lennoxville Cougars join league *2003 - Lennoxville Cougars become College Champlain Cougars *2002 - Warwick Titans become College Lefleche Titans *2002 - St-Jean Chevaliers fold *2003 - l’Ile Perrot Mustangs join league *2003 - La Plaine Cobras become Terrebonne Cobras *2004 - St-Lawrence of Quebec Lions join league *2004 - l’Ile Perrot Mustangs become Vaudreuil Mustangs *2005 - Coaticook Frontaliers become Granby Inouk *2006 - Saint-Eustache Gladiateurs become Saint-Eastache Patriotes *2005 - Joliette Action join league *2007 - St-Lawrence of Quebec Lions become Quebec AssurSports *2007 - College Champlain Cougars become Sherbrooke Cougars *2008 - Saint-Eustache Patriotes become Sainte-Therese Nordiques *2008 - Quebec AssurExperts move and become Thetford Mines Filons *2008 - Sainte-Agathe Montagnards join league *2008 - College Lefleche Titans become Princeville Titans *2008 - Saint-Felicien Multiconcessionnaire fold after three seasons *2009 - Sainte-Therese Nordiques become Rousseau-Sports Junior AAA Laval *2009 - Joliette Action become Joliette Traffic *2010 - Thetford Mines Filons become La Tuque Wolves *2010 - Rousseau-Sports Junior AAA Laval become Laval Arctic *2011 - Joliette Traffic become Montreal-Est Rangers *2011 - Laval Arctic become St. Leonard Arctic *2013 - Valleyfield Braves dissolve franchise to seek membership with the Ligue Nord-Americaine de Hockey (LNAH) *2014 - La Toque Wolves relocate to Valleyfield and become the Valleyfield Braves. The ownership reclaims the rights to the Braves name and logo *2014 - League shortens name to Quebec Junior Hockey League *2015 - Kahnawake Condors relocate to Chambly and become Chambly Forts *2015 -

purchase Lachine Maroons franchise and join league from

*2015 - Sherbrooke Cougars expelled from league *2015 - Saint-Hyacinthe Lauréats withdraw from league *2016 - League returns to the full name of Quebec Junior AAA Hockey League *2017 -

sold and relocated to St-Lazare Revolution. *2017 - Ste-Agathe Montagnards are sold and relocated to St-Gabriel-de-Brandon *2017 - Côte-du-Sud Everest join league and began play in 2018–19 *2018 - St-Léonard Arctic relocates to Montreal-North *2018 - St-Lazare Revolution relocated to Pierrefonds, renamed Lac-St-Louis Revolution *2019 - Lac-St-Louis Revolution renamed as West Island Shamrocks *2019 - Montreal-North Arctic fold *2019 - Franchise awarded to Cegep de Beauce-Appalaches Condors. The team was set to begin during the 2020-2021 season, but the debut was pushed back to 2021-2022 due to the

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

pandemic *2020 - St-Gabriel-de-Brandon relocates to Joliette, renamed to Joliette Prédateurs *2021 - Chambly Forts fold *2022 - West Island Shamrocks rebranded as Montreal Phoenix *2022 - New franchise awarded to Laval, under the name of Laval VC *2023 - Montreal-East Rangers move to Montreal, renamed Montreal Rangers *2024 - Laval VC is renamed to Laval Junior AAA

References

External links

LHJQ website
{{Junior Hockey A Canadian Junior Hockey League members A Hockey Quebec 1988 establishments in Quebec