# St. John's Junior Hockey League

The St. John's Junior Hockey League is a Junior B ice hockey league in Newfoundland and Labrador, sanctioned by Hockey Canada. It was founded in 1980. In 2022, the name of the league championship was changed from the President's Cup to the Taylor Cup in honour of the late founder, Gerry Taylor.

## History

Founded in 1980, the SJJHL competed as a Junior A league from 1989 until 1991. In that time period, they were eligible for the Centennial Cup Canadian National championship of Junior A hockey. Every other year the SJJHL has operated at the Junior B level and its champion represents the league in the Veitch Memorial Cup playdowns against the winner of the Central/West Junior Hockey League for the right to play at the Don Johnson Cup.
In the 1970s, there was another league known as the St. John's Junior Hockey League. Much like the Corner Brook League, Southern Shore League, amongst other leagues, the old SJJHL was a junior-aged town league. Although the St. John's Jr. Capitals were a top team in this town league, they would represent St. John's for the Veitch Memorial Trophy as an all-star team of players from the old SJJHL. On one such occasion, in 1972, the Jr. Capitals entered into the first-year Newfoundland Jr. A playdowns, only to win and compete in the 1972 Centennial Cup National Playdowns.

## Teams

The SJJHL is made up of 8 teams:
| Team | Home |
| Avalon Jr. Celtics | St. John’s |
| CBN Jr. Stars | Bay Roberts |
| CBR Jr. Renegades | Conception Bay South |
| Mount Pearl Jr. Blades | Mount Pearl |
| Northeast Jr. Eagles | Torbay |
| Paradise Jr. Warriors | Paradise |
| St. John's Jr. Caps | St. John's |
| Southern Shore Jr. Breakers | Witless Bay |

## Defunct teams

* Brother Rice Celtics 1980-1982
* St. John's Guards 1980-1982
* St. John’s PWC 1980-1981
* St. John’s Jr. Shamrocks 1980-1987
* St. John’s Gonzaga 1981-1982
* St. John's Jr. 50's 1982-1993
* Conception Bay South Raiders 1982-1995
* Clarenville Jr. Caribous 1983-1989
* St John's Jr. Celtics 1984-2014
* St John’s Jr. Canadiens 1985
* St John’s AAA Midgets 1988-2000
* Bay Arena Rovers 1988-1989
* Bell Island Jr. Blues 1996-2010
* Conception Bay South Coachman 1998-2001
* Northeast Jr. Eagles 1998-2002
* Avalon Pacers 1999-2000
* St John’s AAA Maple Leafs 2000-2007
* Goulds Pacers 2001
* Mount Pearl Jr. Wild 2013-2014
* Northeast Celtics 2014-2016
* Trinity-Placentia Flyers 2011-2021

## Champions

* 1981 St. John's Jr. Shamrocks
* 1982 St. John's Br. Rice Celtics
* 1983 St. John's Jr. Shamrocks
* 1984 St. John's Jr. Shamrocks
* 1985 St. John's Jr. 50's
* 1986 Mount Pearl Jr. Blades
* 1987 St. John's Jr. 50's
* 1988 St. John's Jr. 50's
* 1989 Avalon Jr. Capitals
* 1990 Avalon Jr. Capitals
* 1991 St. John's Jr. 50's
* 1992 St. John's Jr. 50's
* 1993 St. John's Jr. 50's
* 1994 St. John's Jr. Celtics
* 1995 St. John's Jr. Celtics
* 1996 Avalon Jr. Capitals
* 1997 Bell Island Jr. Blues
* 1998 Bell Island Jr. Blues
* 1999 St. John's Jr. Caps
* 2000 St. John's Jr. Celtics
* 2001 St. John's Jr. Celtics
* 2002 St. John's Jr. Caps
* 2003 Mount Pearl Jr. Blades
* 2004 Conception Bay North Jr. Stars
* 2005 Trinity-Placentia Jr. Flyers
* 2006 Conception Bay North Jr. Stars
* 2007 Mount Pearl Jr. Blades
* 2008 St. John's Jr. Celtics
* 2009 Mount Pearl Jr. Blades
* 2010 St. John's Jr. Caps
* 2011 St. John's Jr. Celtics
* 2012 St. John's Jr. Caps
* 2013 St. John's Jr. Caps
* 2014 Avalon Jr. Capitals
* 2015 St. John's Jr. Caps
* 2016 Conception Bay North Jr. Stars
* 2017 Southern Shore Jr. Breakers
* 2018 Mount Pearl Jr. Blades
* 2019 CBR Jr. Renegades
* 2020 No Playoffs - covid
* 2021 No Playoffs - covid
* 2022 Mount Pearl Jr. Blades
* 2023 CBN Stars
* 2024 St. John's Jr. Caps
Italics represent Veitch Memorial Trophy Champions Bold represents Provincial Junior A Champions
In 2022, the League renamed the SJJHL Championship from the President's Cup to the Taylor Cup in honour of the late Gerry Taylor, the founding father of the SJJHL who was affectionately known as Mr. Junior Hockey in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the SJJHL did not award the championship in the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons.

### Non-league provincial champions

These teams won the Veitch Memorial Trophy without winning the SJJHL playoffs.
* 1984 St. John's Jr. 50's
* 1996 Avalon Jr. Capitals
* 2000 Conception Bay North Jr. Stars
* 2003 St. John's Jr. Celtics
* 2007 Bell Island Jr. Blues
* 2009 St. John's Jr. Caps

### Atlantic Jr. B Champions

These teams won the Don Johnson Cup as Atlantic Junior B Champions.
* 1982 St. John's Br. Rice Celtics
* 1985 St. John's Jr. 50's
* 1986 Mount Pearl Jr. Blades
* 1987 St. John's Jr. 50's
* 1988 St. John's Jr. 50's
* 2009 St. John's Jr. Caps

## Executive

The league is governed by an elected executive with ten members, nine of whom are voting members.
| Position | Name |
| President | Jim Hare |
| Vice President | Boyd Hillier |
| Registrar | Steven Clarke |
| Treasurer | Colin Gosse |
| Director of Statistics, Rules, and Minor Officials | Vacant |
| Director of Communications & Public Relations | Nicholas Hillier |
| Director-at-Large | Amanda Tibbo |
| Director-at-Large | Paul Shephard |
| Recording Secretary | Keith Cronin |
| Past President | Mark Noseworthy |