The Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL; , LHJMQ), formerly the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major

junior ice hockey 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 ...

leagues that constitute the

Canadian Hockey League The Canadian Hockey League (CHL; , LCH) is an umbrella organization that represents the three Canada-based major junior ice hockey leagues. The CHL was founded in 1975 as the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League, and is composed of its three me ...

(CHL). The league includes teams in

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, ...

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 ...

, and the Maritime provinces of

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 ...

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 ...

, and

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", ...

, and previously had teams in

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

and New York in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. The Gilles-Courteau Trophy is the championship trophy of the league. The QMJHL champion then goes on to compete in the

Memorial Cup The Memorial Cup () is the national championship of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), a consortium of three Junior ice hockey, major junior ice hockey leagues operating in Canada and parts of the United States. It is a four-team round-robin tou ...

against the

Ontario Hockey League The Ontario Hockey League (OHL; ) is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League, alongside the Western Hockey League and the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League. The league is for players ag ...

(OHL) and

Western Hockey League The Western Hockey League (WHL) is a junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitutes the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) as the highest level of junior hocke ...

(WHL) champions, and the CHL host team. The QMJHL had traditionally adopted a rapid and offensive style of hockey. Former QMJHL players hold many of the Canadian Hockey League's career and single season offensive records.

Hockey Hall of Fame The Hockey Hall of Fame () is a museum and hall of fame located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League (NHL) records, memorabilia and National Hockey Le ...

alumni of the QMJHL include

Mario Lemieux Mario Lemieux (; ; born October 5, 1965) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played parts of 17 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Pittsburgh Penguins between 1984–85 NHL season, 1984 and 2005–06 NHL se ...

Guy Lafleur Guy Damien Lafleur (September 20, 1951 – April 22, 2022), nicknamed "the Flower" and "Le Démon Blond", was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He was the first player in National Hockey League (NHL) history to score 50 goals in six c ...

Ray Bourque Raymond Jean Bourque (born December 28, 1960) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He holds records for most career goals, assists, and points by a defenceman in the National Hockey League (NHL). He won the James Norris Memorial ...

, Pat LaFontaine,

Mike Bossy Michael Dean Bossy (January 22, 1957April 15, 2022) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player with the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League. He spent his entire NHL career, which lasted from 1977 to 1987, with the Islanders, and ...

Denis Savard Denis Joseph Savard (born February 4, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1980 to 1997, and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2000. In 2017 Savard was named one of ...

Michel Goulet Michel Bernard Goulet (born April 21, 1960) is a Canadian former professional forward (ice hockey), ice hockey forward who played for the Birmingham Bulls (WHA), Birmingham Bulls in the World Hockey Association and the Quebec Nordiques and Chicag ...

, Luc Robitaille, and goaltenders Patrick Roy and

Martin Brodeur Martin Pierre Brodeur (; born May 6, 1972) is a Canadian–American former professional ice hockey goaltender and current team executive. He played 22 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL), 21 of them for the New Jersey Devils, with whom ...

Teams

List of teams

Map

History

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League was founded in 1969, through the merger of the best teams from the existing Quebec Junior Hockey League and the Metropolitan Montreal Junior Hockey League, declaring themselves a "major junior" league. Of the original eleven QMJHL teams, eight came from the QJHL, two from the MMJHL, and the

Cornwall Royals The Cornwall Royals were a junior ice hockey team based in Cornwall, Ontario, Canada. The team played in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League from 1969 to 1981, and the Ontario Hockey League from 1981 to 1992. This team shared its name with o ...

, from

Cornwall, Ontario Cornwall is a city in Eastern Ontario, Canada, situated where the provinces of Central Canada, Ontario and Quebec and the U.S. state of New York (state), New York converge. It is Ontario's easternmost city. Although it is the seat of the United ...

, near the Quebec border, who transferred from the Central Junior A Hockey League. The Rosemont National and Laval Saints transferred from the MMJHL. The eight teams from the QJHL were the Drummondville Rangers,

Quebec Remparts The Quebec Remparts () are a Canadian junior ice hockey based in Quebec City, Quebec. The team plays in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), and is named after the Ramparts of Quebec City (). There have been two franchises name ...

, Saint-Jérôme Alouettes, Shawinigan Bruins, Sherbrooke Castors, Sorel Éperviers, Trois-Rivières Ducs and the Verdun Maple Leafs. Most of the teams were within a few hours' drive of

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

. From the first season in 1969–70, only Shawinigan remains in the same city with an uninterrupted history, although the team's name has changed to the Cataractes. In 1972 the QMJHL had been in operation for three years, and wanted a team in the province's largest city. It threatened a lawsuit to force the Montreal Junior Canadiens of the

Ontario Hockey Association The Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) is the governing body for the majority of junior and senior level ice hockey teams in the province of Ontario. Founded in 1890, the OHA is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation along with the Northern ...

into the Quebec-based league. Over the summer of 1972, the OHA granted the Junior Habs a "one-year suspension" of operations, while team ownership transferred the team and players into the QMJHL, renaming themselves the

Montreal Bleu Blanc Rouge The Montreal Bleu Blanc Rouge (''Blue, White and Red'' in English) were a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League from 1972 to 1975. They played at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. History The Montreal Bleu ...

in the process. The OHA then reactivated the suspended franchise for the 1973–74 season in

Kingston, Ontario Kingston is a city in Ontario, Canada, on the northeastern end of Lake Ontario. It is at the beginning of the St. Lawrence River and at the mouth of the Cataraqui River, the south end of the Rideau Canal. Kingston is near the Thousand Islands, ...

, under new ownership and with new players, calling the team the Kingston Canadians. QMJHL teams have won the Memorial Cup twelve times since 1969, with the Shawinigan Cataractes, Saint John Sea Dogs, the Granby Prédateurs, the Hull Olympiques,

Halifax Mooseheads The Halifax Mooseheads are a Canadian junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The team was founded in 1994 and began play in the Dilio Division of the QMJHL for the 1994–95 ...

Rouyn-Noranda Huskies The Rouyn-Noranda Huskies are a Canadian junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League based in Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec. The team plays its home games at the Aréna Iamgold, Aréna Glencore. The Huskies finished first overal ...

, Rimouski Océanic, and the Acadie-Bathurst Titan each winning once, the

winning three times(once in their first edition 1969–1985, and twice in their second edition 1997–present) and the

winning three times. Starting in 1994, the QMJHL began to expand farther east, outside of Quebec. The "Q" filled the void in

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 ...

after the exodus of

American Hockey League The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America that serves as the primary developmental league of the National Hockey League (NHL). The league comprises 32 teams, with 26 in the United States and 6 in Cana ...

franchises, when the AHL had a strong presence in the 1980s and 1990s; all of the Maritime Division cities save for

Bathurst, New Brunswick Bathurst () is a city in northern New Brunswick with a population of 12,157 and the 4th largest metropolitan area in New Brunswick as defined by Census Canada with a population of 31,387 as of 2021. The City of Bathurst overlooks Nepisiguit Ba ...

are former homes of AHL franchises. To date,

Fredericton, New Brunswick Fredericton (; ) is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of New Brunswick. The city is situated in the west-central portion of the province along the Saint John River (Bay of Fundy), Saint John River, ...

is the lone former AHL market that has not established a QMJHL franchise. In recent seasons, the QMJHL has been scouting players from the

region along with a surge in players coming out of the

New England New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...

area: the QMJHL has territorial rights to draft and recruit players from New England as part of an agreement where players from the United States can be drafted by the CHL league that is in a similar geographic area. In December 2023, the QMJHL changed its name to the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League and released a new logo. The change recognized the league's expansion into the

Maritime provinces The Maritimes, also called the Maritime provinces, is a region of Eastern Canada consisting of three provinces: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. The Maritimes had a population of 1,899,324 in 2021, which makes up 5.1% of ...

, whose teams had been a part of the QMJHL for almost 30 years. The QMJHL will return to Newfoundland as of the 2025–26 season, with relocation of the Acadie-Bathurst Titan. The

Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly The Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly () is the Unicameralism, unicameral deliberative assembly of the General Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It meets in the Confederation Bu ...

amended labour laws in 2024, to consider junior players as student-athletes and not employees subject to

minimum wage A minimum wage is the lowest remuneration that employers can legally pay their employees—the price floor below which employees may not sell their labor. List of countries by minimum wage, Most countries had introduced minimum wage legislation b ...

, similarly to other provinces in the league.

Retired numbers

League presidents

* Robert Lebel (1969–1975) * Jean Rougeau (1981–1983) * Paul Dumont (1983–1984) * Gilles Courteau (1986–2023) * Mario Cecchini (2023–present)

Canadian Hockey League records

This is a list of Canadian Hockey League career and single season records accomplished by QMJHL players. ;Most goals, career :1st – 309 –

Laval National Laval means ''The Valley'' in old French and is the name of: People * House of Laval, a French noble family originating from the town of Laval, Mayenne * Laval (surname) Places Belgium * Laval, a village in the municipality of Sainte-Ode, Luxemb ...

(1972–77) :2nd – 281 – Stephane Lebeau, Shawinigan Cataractes (1984–88) :3rd – 278 – Normand Dupont,

Montreal Juniors The Montreal Juniors were a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League from 1975 to 1982. They played at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. History The Montreal Bleu Blanc Rouge were renamed in 1975, becoming t ...

(1973–77) ;Most assists, career :1st – 408 – Patrice Lefebvre, Shawinigan Cataractes (1984–88) :3rd – 346 – Patrick Emond, Trois-Rivières Draveurs, Hull Olympiques, Chicoutimi Saguenéens (1981–86) :7th – 315 –

Laval Voisins Laval means ''The Valley'' in old French and is the name of: People * House of Laval, a French noble family originating from the town of Laval, Mayenne * Laval (surname) Places Belgium * Laval, a village in the municipality of Sainte-Ode, Luxem ...

(1981–84) ;Most points, career :1st – 595 – Patrice Lefebvre, Shawinigan Cataractes (1984–88) :3rd – 580 – Stephane Lebeau, Shawinigan Cataractes (1984–88) :4th – 575 – Patrick Emond, Trois-Rivières Draveurs, Hull Olympiques, Chicoutimi Saguenéens (1981–86) ;Most goals, one season :1st – 133 –

, 1983–84 (70 games) :2nd – 130 –

, 1970–71 (62 games) :4th – 104 – Pat LaFontaine,

Verdun Juniors The Verdun Juniors were a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League from 1982 to 1984. They played at the Verdun Auditorium. History The Verdun Juniors were assembled by general manager Eric Taylor, and coached by Pierre ...

, 1982–83 (70 games) :5th – 103 –

, 1969–70 (56 games) :6th – 100 – Gary MacGregor,

, 1973–74 (66 games) ;Most assists, one season :1st – 157 – Pierre Larouche, Sorel Éperviers, 1973–74 (70 games) :2nd – 149 –

, 1983–84 (70 games) :3rd – 136 – Patrice Lefebvre, Shawinigan Cataractes, 1987–88 (70 games) :5th – 135 – Michel Deziel, Sorel Éperviers, 1973–74 (69 games) :5th – 135 – Marc Fortier, Chicoutimi Saguenéens, 1986–87 (65 games) ;Most points, one season :1st – 282 –

, 1983–84 (70 games) :2nd – 251 – Pierre Larouche, Sorel Éperviers, 1973–74 (67 games) :3rd – 234 – Pat LaFontaine,

, 1982–83 (70 games) :4th – 227 – Michel Deziel, Sorel Éperviers, 1973–74 (69 games) :5th – 216 – Real Cloutier,

, 1973–74 (69 games) :6th – 214 – Jacques Cossette, Sorel Éperviers, 1973–74 (68 games) :8th – 209 –

, 1970–71 (62 games) :9th – 206 – Jacques Locas,

, 1973–74 (63 games) :10th – 201 – Marc Fortier, Chicoutimi Saguenéens, 1986–87 (65 games) :11th – 200 – Patrice Lefebvre, Shawinigan Cataractes, 1987–88 (70 games)

Timeline of teams

Current teams are shown in blue. Gold stars denote Gilles-Courteau Trophy (League championship) winners. DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:25 Period = from:06/01/1969 till:2026 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal PlotArea = right:20 left:0 bottom:50 top:5 #> to display a count on left side of graph, use "left:20" to suppress the count, use "left:20"<# Define $Right = anchor:till align:right Define $RightMargin = anchor:till align:right shift:(-1) Define $UpRight = anchor:till align:right shift:(3,1) Define $UpLeft = anchor:from align:left shift:(5,1) Define $Down = shift:(,-7) Define $t = textcolor Define $champ = text:"*" $t:gold2 fontsize:XL shift:(-1,-10) Colors = id:barcolor id:line value:pink id:bg value:white id:black value:rgb(0.0,0.0,0.0) id:Former value:rgb(0.82,0.80,0.80) # Use this color to denote a team that is a former league member id:Current value:rgb(0.0,0.16,0.36) # Use this color to denote a team that is a current league member id:gold2 value:rgb(1,0.75,0.0) id:gray value:rgb(0.62,0.60,0.60) id:lineColor value:gray(0.5) id:silver value:rgb(0.75,0.75,0.75) PlotData= width:15 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:s bar:1 color:Former from:09/01/1969 till:06/01/1981 $Down text:Cornwall Royals bar:1 at:06/01/1972 $champ bar:1 at:06/01/1980 $champ bar:1 at:06/01/1981 $champ bar:2 color:Former from:09/01/1969 till:06/01/1974 text:Drummondville Rangers bar:3 color:Former from:09/01/1969 till:06/01/1970 text:Laval Saints bar:4 color:Former from:09/01/1969 till:06/01/1985 $Down text:Quebec Remparts bar:4 color:Former from:09/01/1988 till:06/01/1991 text:Longueuil bar:4 color:Former from:09/01/1991 till:06/01/1994 text:Verdun Collège-Français bar:4 at:06/01/1970 $champ bar:4 at:06/01/1971 $champ bar:4 at:06/01/1973 $champ bar:4 at:06/01/1974 $champ bar:4 at:06/01/1976 $champ bar:4 at:06/01/1992 $champ bar:5 color:Former from:09/01/1969 till:06/01/1971 text:Rosemont bar:5 color:Former from:09/01/1971 till:06/01/1998 $Down text: Laval National/Voisins/Titan/Titan Collège-Français bar:5 color:Former from:09/01/1998 till:06/01/2025 $t:black $Down text:Acadie-Bathurst Titan bar:5 color:Current from:06/01/2025 till:end $t:white $Down text:Nfd.Regiment bar:5 at:06/01/1984 $champ bar:5 at:06/01/1989 $champ bar:5 at:06/01/1990 $champ bar:5 at:06/01/1993 $champ bar:5 at:06/01/1999 $champ bar:5 at:06/01/2018 $champ bar:6 color:Former from:09/01/1969 till:06/01/1972 text:Saint-Jérôme Alouettes bar:7 color:Current from:09/01/1969 till:end $Down $t:white text:Shawinigan Bruins/Dynamos/Cataractes bar:7 at:06/01/2022 $champ bar:8 color:Former from:09/01/1969 till:06/01/1982 $Down text:Sherbrooke Castors bar:8 color:Former from:09/01/1982 till:06/01/1995 text:Saint-Jean Castors/Lynx bar:8 color:Current from:09/01/1995 till:end $t:white $Down text:Rimouski Oceanic bar:8 at:06/01/1975 $champ bar:8 at:06/01/1977 $champ bar:8 at:06/01/1982 $champ bar:8 at:06/01/2000 $champ bar:8 at:06/01/2005 $champ bar:8 at:06/01/2015 $champ bar:9 color:Former from:09/01/1969 till:06/01/1977 text:Sorel Éperviers bar:9 color:Former from:09/01/1977 till:06/01/1979 shift:(-5) text:Verdun bar:9 color:Former from:09/01/1979 till:06/01/1981 text:Sorel bar:9 color:Former from:09/01/1981 till:06/01/1997 $Down text:Granby Bisons/Prédateurs bar:9 color:Current from:09/01/1997 till:end $t:white text:Cape Breton Screaming Eagles/Eagles bar:9 at:06/01/1996 $champ bar:10 color:Former from:09/01/1969 till:06/01/1992 $Down text:Trois-Rivières Ducs/Draveurs bar:10 color:Former from:09/01/1992 till:06/01/2003 text:Sherbrooke Faucons/Castors bar:10 color:Former from:09/01/2003 till:06/01/2011 $Down text:Lewiston Maineiacs bar:10 color:Current from:09/01/2012 till:end $t:white text:Sherbrooke Phoenix bar:10 at:06/01/1978 $champ bar:10 at:06/01/1979 $champ bar:10 at:06/01/2007 $champ bar:11 color:Former from:09/01/1969 till:06/01/1972 text:Verdun Maple Leafs bar:12 color:Former from:09/01/1972 till:06/01/1982 text:Montreal Bleu Blanc Rouge/Jrs bar:12 color:Former from:09/01/1982 till:06/01/1989 shift:(-3) $Down text:Verdun Jrs/Jr Canadiens bar:12 color:Former from:09/01/1989 till:06/01/1996 text: St-Hyacinthe Laser bar:12 color:Current from:09/01/1996 till:end $t:white $Down text:Rouyn-Noranda Huskies bar:12 at:06/01/1983 $champ bar:12 at:06/01/1985 $champ bar:12 at:06/01/2016 $champ bar:12 at:06/01/2019 $champ bar:13 color:Current from:09/01/1973 till:end $t:white $Down text:Chicoutimi Saguenéens bar:13 at:06/01/1991 $champ bar:13 at:06/01/1994 $champ bar:14 color:Current from:09/01/1973 till:09/01/2003 $t:white $Down text:Hull Festivals/Olympiques bar:14 color:Current from:09/01/2003 till:end $t:white $Down text:Gatineau Olympiques bar:14 at:06/01/1986 $champ bar:14 at:06/01/1988 $champ bar:14 at:06/01/1995 $champ bar:14 at:06/01/1997 $champ bar:14 at:06/01/2003 $champ bar:14 at:06/01/2004 $champ bar:14 at:06/01/2008 $champ bar:15 color:Current from:09/01/1982 till:end $t:white $Down text:Drummondville Voltigeurs bar:15 at:06/01/2009 $champ bar:15 at:06/01/2024 $champ bar:16 color:Former from:09/01/1982 till:06/01/1987 $Down shift:(-20) text:Longueuil Chevaliers bar:16 color:Current from:09/01/1987 till:end $t:white $Down text:Victoriaville Tigres bar:16 at:06/01/1987 $champ bar:16 at:06/01/2002 $champ bar:16 at:06/01/2021 $champ bar:17 color:Former from:09/01/1984 till:01/01/1985 text:Plattsburgh Pioneers bar:18 color:Former from:09/01/1990 till:06/01/1997 text:Beauport Harfangs bar:18 color:Current from:09/01/1997 till:end $t:white $Down text:Quebec Remparts bar:18 at:06/01/2023 $champ bar:19 color:Current from:09/01/1993 till:end $t:white $Down text:Val d'Or Foreurs bar:19 at:06/01/1998 $champ bar:19 at:06/01/2001 $champ bar:19 at:06/01/2014 $champ bar:20 color:Current from:09/01/1994 till:end $t:white $Down text:Halifax Mooseheads bar:20 at:06/01/2013 $champ bar:21 color:Current from:09/01/1995 till:end $t:white $Down text:Moncton Alpines/Wildcats bar:21 at:06/01/2006 $champ bar:21 at:06/01/2010 $champ bar:21 at:06/01/2025 $champ bar:22 color:Current from:09/01/1997 till:end $t:white text:Baie-Comeau Drakkar bar:23 color:Former from:09/01/1999 till:06/01/2003 shift:(-10) text:Montreal Rocket bar:23 color:Current from:09/01/2003 till:09/01/2013 $t:white text:PEI Rocket bar:23 color:Current from:09/01/2013 till:end $t:white text:Charlottetown Islanders bar:24 color:Current from:09/01/2005 till:end $t:white $Down text:Saint John Sea Dogs bar:24 at:06/01/2011 $champ bar:24 at:06/01/2012 $champ bar:24 at:06/01/2017 $champ bar:25 color:Former from:09/01/2005 till:06/01/2008 text:St. John's bar:25 color:Former from:09/01/2008 till:06/01/2011 text:Montreal Jrs bar:25 color:Current from:09/01/2011 till:end $t:white text:Blainville-Boisbriand Armada ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:5 start:1970 TextData = fontsize:L textcolor:black pos:(0,30) tabs:(400-center) text: This is a complete list of team histories since 1969. *1969– First season, 2 divisions. East: Quebec City Remparts, Shawinigan Bruins, Drummondville Rangers, Sorel Éperviers (Black Hawks), Trois-Rivières Ducs (Dukes), and Sherbrooke Castors (Beavers). West: Saint-Jérôme Alouettes,

, Rosemont National, Verdun Maple Leafs, and Laval Saints. *1970– Divisions dissolved, Laval folds. *1971– Rosemont National move to Laval. *1972– The Saint-Jérôme Alouettes and the Verdun Maple Leafs fold. The Montreal Junior Canadiens franchise of the OHA transfers to QMJHL, becoming the

. *1973– League split into two divisions. East: Sorel, Quebec, Shawinigan, Trois-Rivières, Chicoutimi; West: Cornwall, Montreal, Sherbrooke, Laval, Drummondville, Hull. Chicoutimi Saguenéens, and the Hull Festivals granted franchises. Shawinigan Bruins become Shawinigan Dynamos. *1974–

Drummondville Drummondville () is a city in the Centre-du-Québec region of Quebec, located east of Montreal on the Saint-François River. The population as of the Canada 2021 Census was 79,258. The mayor of Drummondville is Stéphanie Lacoste. Drummondville ...

Rangers fold, Trois-Rivières Ducs become Trois-Rivières Draveurs (Raftmen). *1975– Montreal Bleu Blanc Rouge became Montreal Juniors. *1976– Hull Festivals became Hull Olympiques. Divisions renamed: East becomes Dilio, West becomes Lebel. *1977– Sorel Éperviers (Black Hawks) move to

Verdun Verdun ( , ; ; ; official name before 1970: Verdun-sur-Meuse) is a city in the Meuse (department), Meuse departments of France, department in Grand Est, northeastern France. It is an arrondissement of the department. In 843, the Treaty of V ...

. Sherbrooke moved to Dilio Division, while Verdun played in the Lebel. *1978– Shawinigan Dynamos became Shawinigan Cataractes. *1979–

Éperviers (Black Hawks) became Sorel/Verdun Éperviers. Laval National become Laval Voisins. *1980– Sorel/

Éperviers became Sorel Éperviers. *1981– Divisions cease to exist,

Cornwall Cornwall (; or ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is also one of the Celtic nations and the homeland of the Cornish people. The county is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, ...

moved to the OHL, Sorel Éperviers moved to Granby and became the Bisons. *1982– Lebel and Dilio Divisions reintroduced. Shawinigan, Chicoutimi, Trois-Rivières, Quebec, and Drummondville played in the Dilio, while Laval, Verdun, Longueuil, Saint-Jean, Hull, and Granby played in the Lebel.

Sherbrooke Sherbrooke ( , ) is a city in southern Quebec, Canada. It is at the confluence of the Saint-François River, Saint-François and Magog River, Magog rivers in the heart of the Estrie administrative region. Sherbrooke is also the name of a territ ...

Castors moved to Saint-Jean.

Juniors moved to

Voltigeurs (Infantrymen) granted a franchise,

Longueuil Longueuil () is a city in the province of Quebec, Canada. It is the seat of the Montérégie, Montérégie administrative region and the central city of the urban agglomeration of Longueuil. It sits on the South Shore (Montreal), south shore o ...

Chevaliers (Cavaliers) granted a franchise. *1984– Plattsburgh Pioneers granted a franchise, but folded three months into the schedule after playing 17 games. They played in the Lebel Division, Granby is moved to the Dilio. Verdun Juniors become the Verdun Junior Canadiens. *1985–

Remparts fold. Laval Voisins became

Laval Titan The Laval Titan was one of the names used by a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) franchise that played in Laval, Quebec, Canada, between 1971 and 1998. History The Rosemont National began in the 1969–70 QM ...

. *1987–

Chevaliers moved to

Victoriaville Victoriaville () is a town in south-central Quebec, Canada, on the Nicolet River. Victoriaville is the seat of Arthabaska Regional County Municipality and a part of the Centre-du-Québec (Bois-Francs) region. It is formed by the 1993 merger of ...

and became the Tigres. They played in the Dilio. Granby was moved to the Lebel Division. *1988– Divisions ceased to exist,

Collège-Français are granted the rights to resurrect the Quebec Remparts franchise. *1989–

Junior Canadiens moved to

Saint-Hyacinthe Saint-Hyacinthe ( , ) is a city in southwestern Quebec east of Montreal on the Yamaska River. The population as of the 2021 Canadian census was 57,239. The city is located in Les Maskoutains Regional County Municipality of the Montérégie regi ...

and became the Laser. Saint-Jean Castors became St-Jean Lynx. *1990– Lebel and Dilio divisions created yet again: Chicoutimi, Trois-Rivières, Drummondville, Shawinigan, Beauport, and Victoriaville play in the Dilio; Longueuil, Hull, Laval, Saint-Hyacinthe, Granby, and Saint-Jean played in the Lebel. Beauport Harfangs was granted a franchise. *1991– Longueuil Collège-Français moved to

. *1992–

Trois-Rivières Trois-Rivières (, ; ) is a city in the Mauricie administrative region of Quebec, Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Saint-Maurice River, Saint-Maurice and Saint Lawrence River, Saint Lawrence rivers, on the north shore of the Sain ...

Draveurs moved to

and became the Faucons. *1993– Val-d'Or granted a franchise, named the Foreurs. They played in the Lebel. *1994–

Collège-Français folded. Halifax awarded an expansion team, the Mooseheads. Halifax played in the Dilio. Laval Titan became Laval Titan Collège-Français. *1995– Saint-Jean Lynx moved to

Rimouski Rimouski ( ; ) is a city in Quebec, Canada. Rimouski is located in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region, at the mouth of the Rimouski River. It has a population of 48,935 (as of 2021). Rimouski, whose motto is ''Legi patrum fidelis'' (Faithful to ...

and become the Océanic.

Moncton Moncton (; ) is the most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of New Brunswick. Situated in the Petitcodiac River Valley, Moncton lies at the geographic centre of the The Maritimes, Maritime Provinces. Th ...

Alpines franchise granted. Rimouski and Moncton both played in the Dilio. Drummondville and Sherbrooke moved to the Lebel. Granby Bisons became Granby Prédateurs. *1996–

Laser moved to

Rouyn-Noranda Rouyn-Noranda (; Canada 2021 Census, 2021 population 42,313) is a city on Osisko Lake in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region of Quebec, Canada. The city of Rouyn-Noranda is coextensive with a territory equivalent to a regional county municipalit ...

and became the Huskies. Moncton Alpines became Moncton Wildcats. *1997– Granby Prédateurs move to

Cape Breton Cape Breton Island (, formerly '; or '; ) is a rugged and irregularly shaped island on the Atlantic coast of North America and part of the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. The island accounts for 18.7% of Nova Scotia's total area. Although ...

and became the Screaming Eagles. They played in the Dilio. Shawinigan moved to the Lebel. The Beauport Harfangs moved to

Quebec City Quebec City is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Census Metropolitan Area (including surrounding communities) had a populati ...

and became the

Baie-Comeau Baie-Comeau () is a city in the Côte-Nord region of the province of Quebec, Canada. It is located on the shores of the St. Lawrence River, and is the seat of Manicouagan Regional County Municipality. It is near the mouth of the Manicouagan Ri ...

was granted an expansion team called the Drakkar and played in the Dilio. *1998– Laval Titan Collège-Français moved to Acadie- Bathurst, and played in the Dilio. *1999– Lebel Division became Lebel Conference, and split into the West Division (Hull, Rouyn-Noranda, Montreal, Val-d'Or) and the Central Division (Shawinigan, Drummondville, Sherbrooke, Victoriaville). The Dilio Division became the Dilio Conference and split into the Eastern Division (Rimouski, Quebec City, Baie-Comeau, Chicoutimi) and the Maritime Division (Moncton, Halifax, Cape Breton, Acadie-Bathurst). Montreal Rocket was granted a franchise. *

2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...

– The QMJHL switched to a three-division format: Atlantic (Cape Breton, Moncton, Prince Edward Island, Halifax, Acadie-Bathurst); Eastern (Rimouski, Chicoutimi, Lewiston, Quebec, Baie-Comeau); and Western (Gatineau, Shawinigan, Rouyn-Noranda, Val-d'Or, Drummondville, Victoriaville).

Castors moved to

, becoming the Lewiston Maineiacs; Montreal Rocket moved to

Charlottetown Charlottetown is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Prince Edward Island, and the county seat of Queens County, Prince Edward Island, Queens County. Named after Queen Charlotte, Charlott ...

and took the Prince Edward Island name, Hull Olympiques become Gatineau Olympiques. *

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

– The QMJHL announced plans to expand from 16 to 18 teams, effective with the 2005–06 season.

St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador St. John's is the capital and largest city of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. The city spans and is the easternmost city in North Ame ...

and

Saint John, New Brunswick Saint John () is a port#seaport, seaport city located on the Bay of Fundy in the province of New Brunswick, Canada. It is Canada's oldest Municipal corporation, incorporated city, established by royal charter on May 18, 1785, during the reign ...

were awarded franchises, the St. John's Fog Devils and Saint John Sea Dogs respectively. *

2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...

– Effective with the 2005–06 season, the league reverted to a two-division format. The East Division consisted of all of the league's non-Québec teams, and the West Division contained all of the Quebec teams. *

2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...

– The Western Division was renamed the Telus Division, under a sponsorship agreement with the

Telus Communications Telus Communications Inc. (TCI) is the wholly owned principal subsidiary of Telus Corporation, a Canadian national telecommunications company that provides a wide range of telecommunications products and services including internet access, v ...

Corporation. *

2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...

– The St. John's Fog Devils relocated to

Verdun, Quebec Verdun ( , , ) is a Montreal borough, borough (''arrondissement'') of the city of Montreal, Quebec, located in the southeastern part of the island. Long known as a working class neighbourhood, it has experienced significant gentrification and s ...

to become the Montreal Junior Hockey Club. *2011– The Lewiston Maineiacs were purchased by the league and were dissolved. The remaining roster that's still eligible to play in the QMJHL was claimed by the remaining teams in a dispersal draft. *2011– The Montreal Junior Hockey Club was sold to a group led by former NHL Defencemen Joel Bouchard and renamed the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. *2012– Sherbrooke permitted to resurrect the former Lewiston franchise as the Phoenix. *2013– The PEI Rocket changed their franchise name to the Charlottetown Islanders. *

2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...

– League returns to a three-division format. *

– The Acadie-Bathurst Titan relocated to St. John's, Newfoundland to become the Newfoundland Regiment.

Cities represented

Memorial Cup champions

The

has been captured fifteen times by ten different QMJHL teams since the league's founding in 1969: *

1971 * The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses (Solar eclipse of February 25, 1971, February 25, Solar eclipse of July 22, 1971, July 22 and Solar eclipse of August 20, 1971, August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 1971 lunar eclip ...

–

(1) *

1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, ...

–

(1) *

1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a United States grain embargo against the Soviet Union, grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning Sys ...

–

(2) *

1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 6 – A funeral service is held in West Germany for Nazi Grand Admiral ...

–

(3) *

1996 1996 was designated as: * International Year for the Eradication of Poverty Events January * January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...

– Granby Prédateurs (1) *

1997 Events January * January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States. * January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis. * January 1 ...

– Hull Olympiques (1) *

2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...

– Rimouski Océanic (1) *

–

(2) *

2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...

– Saint John Sea Dogs (1) *

2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...

– Shawinigan Cataractes (1) *

2013 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...

–

(1) *

2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...

– Acadie–Bathurst Titan (1) *

2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...

–

(1) *

2022 The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...

– Saint John Sea Dogs (2) *

2023 Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...

–

(3)

Entry draft

Starting in 1971, the QMJHL has held a draft to select the rights to future players. The league held separate drafts for junior-aged players and for midget-aged players. The initial drafts addressed only players not protected by their territorial programs. In 1972, teams could protect 15 players within their territory, and

was never drafted because the

protected him. In 1973, the midget protection was dropped to five players, then increased to six players in 1976. The territorial rights created issues in 1973, when the Sorel Éperviers picked

Lucien DeBlois Joseph Lucien Jean Gonzague DeBlois (born June 21, 1957) is a Canadians, Canadian former professional ice hockey Winger (ice hockey), right wing / Centre (ice hockey), centre. He featured in the 1979 Stanley Cup Finals with the New York Rangers ...

with the first pick, and the Drummondville Voltigeurs selected him with the 8th pick because he also was within their region. The last year of separate drafts for midget and junior players was 1977, when teams were allowed to protect one midget player. Starting in 1978, the league had a single draft.

Trophies and awards

This is a list of QMJHL trophies. The trophy's first season being awarded is shown in brackets.

Team

* Gilles-Courteau Trophy – Playoffs champions (1969–70) * Jean Rougeau Trophy – Regular season champions (1969–70) * Luc Robitaille Trophy – Team that scored the most goals (2001–02 to 2013–14), team with the best goals for average (2014–15) * Robert Lebel Trophy – Team with best GAA (1977–78)

Player

* Michel Brière Memorial Trophy – Most valuable player (1972–73) * Jean Béliveau Trophy – Top scorer (1969–70) * Guy Lafleur Trophy – Playoffs MVP (1977–78) * Jacques Plante Memorial Trophy – Best GAA (1969–70) * Patrick Roy Trophy – Goaltender of the year (2023–24) * Guy Carbonneau Trophy – Best defensive forward (2004–05) * Emile Bouchard Trophy – Defenceman of the year (1975–76) * Kevin Lowe Trophy – Best defensive defenceman (2004–05) *

Michael Bossy Trophy The Michael Bossy Trophy (''French language, French:Trophée Michael Bossy'') is awarded annually to the player in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) judged to be the best professional Prospect (sports), prospect. The award is named a ...

– Best professional prospect (1980–81) * Sidney Crosby Trophy – Rookie of the year (1991–92) * Michel Bergeron Trophy – Offensive rookie of the year (1969–70) * Raymond Lagacé Trophy – Defensive rookie of the year (1980–81) * David Desharnais Trophy – Most sportsmanlike player (1969–70) * QMJHL Humanitarian of the Year – Also known as "Wittnauer Plaque" (1992–93) * Marcel Robert Trophy – Best scholastic player (1980–81) * Paul Dumont Trophy – Personality of the year (1989–90)

Executive

* Ron Lapointe Trophy – Coach of the year (1992–93) *

Maurice Filion Trophy The Maurice Filion Trophy is awarded annually to the general manager A general manager (GM) is an executive who has overall responsibility for managing both the revenue and cost elements of a company's income statement, known as profit & loss (P ...

– General manager of the year (2005–06) * John Horman Trophy – Executive of the year (1989–90) * Jean Sawyer Trophy – Marketing director of the year (1990–91)

Defunct trophies

* AutoPro Plaque – Best plus/minus total (1989–90 to 2001–02) * Philips Plaque – Best faceoff percentage (1997–98 to 2001–02) * Telus Cup – Offensive – Offensive player of the year (1989–90 to 2005–06) * Telus Cup – Defensive – Defensive player of the year (1989–90 to 2005–06)

Notes

References

External links

*
Canadian Hockey League Official website
{{Junior Hockey 1969 establishments in Quebec Ice hockey leagues in Quebec Junior ice hockey leagues in Canada Sports leagues established in 1969

Teams

List of teams

Map

History

Retired numbers

League presidents

Canadian Hockey League records

Timeline of teams

Cities represented

Memorial Cup champions

Entry draft

Trophies and awards

Team

Player

Executive

Defunct trophies

See also

Notes

References

Further reading

External links