Maritime Junior A Hockey League Canadian Junior A Outline The Maritime Junior A Hockey League is a Junior A ice hockey league under Hockey Canada , a part of the Canadian Junior Hockey League . It consists of 5 teams from New Brunswick and 1 team from PEI , which make up the Roger Meek Division , and 6 teams from Nova Scotia which make up the Eastlink Division . The winner of the MJAHL playoffs competes for the Fred Page Cup against the winners of the Quebec Junior Hockey League and the Central Canada Hockey League . The winner of the Fred Page Cup then moves on to compete for the Canadian National Junior A Championships , the Royal Bank Cup . History . Originally known as the Metro Valley Junior Hockey League , the league was founded in 1967 by Fred McGillivray and Louie Lewis of Halifax , Nova Scotia and Don Stewart of Berwick , Nova Scotia as a Junior " B " level hockey league . Originally an exclusively Nova Scotia hockey league , it included 6 teams : East Hants Junior Penguins , Halifax Colonels , Dartmouth Hoyts , Windsor Royals , Kentville Riteways , and Berwick Shell Juniors . 1968 saw the Truro Bearcats and Amherst Ramblers replace the teams from Kentville and Berwick . In 1971 - 72 the New Glasgow Bombers and the Pictou Maripacs entered the league . Stellarton and a new Kentville franchise entered the league in 1973 and 1974 respectively . In 1977 , still known as the " Metro Valley " , the league entered into the Tier II Junior " A " level . The jump to Junior " A " was , in theory , to be a catalyst for the development of the league . The Cole Harbour Colts ( Scotia Colts ) , who entered the league in 1976 , became the first team in league history to host the national championship , then known as the Centennial Cup , in 1980 . The 1983 season saw the expansion of the Moncton Midland Hawks of Moncton , New Brunswick , the league ' s first non - Nova Scotia team . The Hawks came from the New Brunswick Junior Hockey League and are now known as the Dieppe Commandos . In 1986 , the league expanded to Antigonish and the Scotia Colts , again , hosted the Centennial Cup . The Summerside Western Capitals of the Island Junior Hockey League , Prince Edward Island ' s junior hockey league , hosted the 1989 Centennial Cup . In 1991 , Summerside and Charlottetown of Prince Edward Island left the IJHL and joined the newly dubbed " Maritime Junior A Hockey League " . The IJHL is still PEI ' s premier Junior league , but now is only a Junior " B " league . The winner of the IJHL ' s playoffs compete for the Don Johnson Cup , the Maritime Junior " B " Championship . In 1996 - 97 the league consisted of the Amherst Ramblers , Antigonish Bulldogs , Charlottetown Abbies , East Hants Penguins , Dartmouth Oland Exports , Moncton Gagnon Beavers , Saint John Alpines , and Summerside Western Capitals . At the beginning of the season the league welcomed the Cape Breton Islanders and Restigouche River Rats but unfortunately the Saint John Alpines did not survive the season . The league should have pride in this season as the Summerside Western Capitals won the leagues first ever National Title . The Summerside Western Capitals hosted the Royal Bank Cup and on the home ice of the Cahill Stadium , won the 1997 Royal Bank Cup championship game by a score 4 - 3 against the South Surrey Eagles . The Truro Bearcats joined the league in 1997 - 98 but this was overshadowed by the failure of the Cape Breton Islanders which had become the Glace Bay Miners . With the arrival of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Cape Breton Screaming Eagles , they folded part way through the season leaving the league with nine teams again . During the 1998 - 99 season two teams changed their names . The first was the Dartmouth Oland Exports when they moved to the Halifax Forum to become the Halifax Oland Exports . The second was the 1998 - 99 MJAHL champions , Restigouche River Rats , as they changed their name to the Campbellton Tigers . A tenth team was added for the 2000 - 2001 season , the Miramichi Timberwolves . At the same time the East Hants Penguins moved to Dartmouth and became the Scotia Dairy Queen Blizzard . At the end of the 2001 - 02 season the league approved the transfer of the Blizzard to Yarmouth . The Yarmouth Motormart Mariners began play in September 2002 . In early 2003 the league governors approved expansion into Woodstock , N . B . with the Slammers beginning play in the 2003 - 04 season . The league got their second national Championship when the Halifax Oland Exports won the 2002 Royal Bank Cup on home ice . One year later , after financial trouble with Oland Brewery , the franchise ' s name was changed to Halifax Team Pepsi . In the spring of 2004 , the Weeks Hockey Organization bought the club , moved it to New Glasgow and renamed it the Weeks Crushers . On that same day Halifax got a new team as they were granted an expansion franchise , the Halifax Wolverines . In the spring of 2008 , the MJAHL had some big changes . On April 15 , the Antigonish Bulldogs announced that they were applying for a leave of absence for one year . On April 26 , the Bulldogs had to choose between two groups trying to buy the team and relocate it . The first group would move the franchise to New Richmond , Quebec . The other was a group based in Halifax and they would relocate the team to the Halifax area . At the Board of Governors meeting that day , the proposal to relocate the Antigonish franchise to New Richmond , Quebec was not considered to be in the best interests of the league and its members . The Goverors did leave the door open to the sale to a Halifax group and a move to Metro Halifax . The sale and relocation of the franchise to Halifax was later approved . At the same Governors meeting , in response to the decision to leave the door open on the sale of the Bulldogs , the owners of the Halifax Wolverines announced their plans to move to Bridgewater . The Governors voted on the decision and it was approved . . Following a name the team contest , the franchise was dubbed the Bridgewater Lumberjacks . Later that week on April 29 , the Moncton Beavers announced that they had failed to come to terms on a new lease for the Tim Hortons 4 - Ice centre and had subsequently moved themselves to the neighboring city of Dieppe . The team was renamed the Dieppe Commandos . Rounding out this very busy month in the history of the MJAHL was the Charlottetown Abbies decision , on May 1 , to apply for a leave of absence for one year , which ended up being accepted . The Halifax franchise ( former Antigonish Bulldogs ) announced on August 22 , 2008 , that the club would be known as the Halifax Lions . This was the name of the successful Halifax team in the 1980s . The current MJAHL has twelve teams . The league has hosted the Royal Bank Cup and Centennial Cup nine times ( as of 2015 ) , winning twice . MJAHL teams have also won three Fred Page Cups as the Junior " A " Eastern Canadian Champions to earn the right to compete for the Royal Bank Cup . The league hired its first professional full time League President in 2003 , Vernon Doyle . Kent Cup Champions . Up until 1991 , the league champion would play in the Callaghan Cup ( the Atlantic Junior A Championship ) . The MJAHL became a regional league in 1991 absorbing some of the members from the other Junior A leagues in the Atlantic Region . The Callaghan Cup became the league ' s playoff championship trophy until it was retired after the 2005 - 06 season in favor of the Kent Cup . note - Asterisk ( * ) denotes Fred Page Cup champion for that year @ - The Pictou County Crushers won the 2008 Fred Page Cup and the Truro Bearcats won the 2013 Fred Page Cup as host . Regional Championships . Dudley Hewitt Cup . From 1977 ( when the league was elevated to Junior A ) until 1978 ( when the Manitoba Centennial Cup added a berth for the Atlantic Region champions ) the league champion was eligible to compete for the Dudley Hewitt Cup but the league champions did not win either year they were eligible Callaghan Cup . From 1979 until 1991 , the league was one of several leagues in the region and the champion competed for the Callaghan Cup as Atlantic Regional Champions . Fred Page Cup . Since 1995 the league champion competes in the Fred Page Cup for the Eastern Canada Junior " A " championship and a berth in the Royal Bank Cup . National Championships . Manitoba Centennial Cup . No league member won the Centennial Cup while league members were eligible to win the cup from 1977 to 1995 . Franchise Timeline ( as Metro Valley Junior Hockey League ) . East Hants Junior Penguins ( 1967 - 1977 ) leave league Halifax Colonels ( 1967 - 1972 ) renamed Blazers Dartmouth Hoyts ( 1967 - 1969 ) become Dartmouth Arrows Windsor Royals ( 1967 - 1978 ) expelled from league Kentville Riteways ( 1967 - 1968 ) withdrew Berwick Shell Juniors ( 1967 - 1968 ) withdrew Truro Bearcats ( 1968 - 1983 ) folded early in 1983 - 84 season Amherst Ramblers ( 1968 - 1991 ) see Maritime Jr . A Hockey League Dartmouth Arrows ( 1969 - 1987 ) renamed Fuel Kids New Glasgow Bombers ( 1971 - 1976 ) leave league Pictou Maripacs ( 1971 - 1975 ) leave league Chester Ravens ( 1972 - 1977 ) leave league Halifax Blazers ( 1972 - 1975 ) renamed Centennials Stellarton Spitfires ( 1973 - 1975 ) leave league Kentville Colonels ( 1975 - 1980 ) leave league , replaced by Valley Wildcats Halifax Centennials ( 1975 - 1977 ) renamed Lions Cole Harbour Colts ( 1976 - 1991 ) returned to Maritime Jr . A Hockey League Halifax Lions ( 1977 - 1989 ) renamed DQ Blizzards Valley Wildcats ( 1980 - 1984 ) folded Moncton Hawks ( 1983 - 1990 ) renamed Classics Antigonish Bulldogs ( 1986 - 1991 ) see Maritime Jr . A Hockey League Dartmouth Fuel Kids ( 1987 - 1988 ) renamed Dartmouth Eagles Dartmouth Eagles ( 1988 - 1989 ) renamed Dartmouth Pepsis Dartmouth Pepsis ( 1989 - 1991 ) folded Halifax DQ Blizzards ( 1989 - 1990 ) renamed Halifax Canadians Halifax Canadians ( 1990 - 1991 ) see Maritime Jr . A Hockey League as Mooseheads Moncton Classics ( 1990 - 1991 ) see Maritime Jr . A Hockey League as Dieppe - Classics Franchise Timeline ( as Maritime Junior A Hockey League ) . Dartmouth Pepsis ( 1991 - 1992 ) folded Amherst Ramblers ( 1991 - 1994 ) renamed Mooseheads Cole Harbour Colts ( 1991 - 1995 ) moved to East Hants , renamed Penguins Antigonish Bulldogs ( 1991 - 2008 ) moved to Halifax , renamed Lions Halifax Mooseheads ( 1991 - 1993 ) renamed Oland Exports Moncton Dieppe - Classsics ( 1991 - 1993 ) renamed Beavers Charlottetown Abbies ( 1991 - 1994 ) withdraw for 1 year Summerside Western Capitals ( 1991 - 2010 ) see Maritime Hockey League Moncton – Dieppe Beavers ( 1993 - 2008 ) moved to Dieppe Halifax Oland Exports ( 1993 - 1995 ) moved to Dartmouth Amherst Mooseheads ( 1994 - 1998 ) renamed Ramblers Charlottetown Abbies ( 1995 - 2008 ) folded in 2009 Saint John Alpines ( 1995 - 1997 ) folded in January 1997 Dartmouth Oland Exports ( 1995 - 1998 ) moved back to Halifax East Hants Penguins ( 1995 - 2000 ) moved to Dartmouth , renamed DQ Blizzard Restigouche River Rats ( 1996 - 1999 ) renamed Campbellton Tigers Cape Breton Islanders ( 1996 - 1997 ) moved to Glace Bay , renamed Miners Truro Bearcats ( 1997 - 2010 ) see Martime Hockey League Glace Bay Miners ( 1997 - 1997 ) folded before play in city under new name See Also . List of MJAHL Seasons