Canadian Hockey League < hr > Canadian Major Junior Outline < hr > < br > The Canadian Hockey League is the governing body for Major Junior Hockey in Canada . The CHL was founded in 1975 as the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League , and is composed of its three member leagues , the Ontario Hockey League , Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and Western Hockey League . Its three leagues and 60 teams represent nine Canadian provinces as well as five American states . The CHL schedule culminates in the Memorial Cup tournament , which sees each of the three league champions , as well as a host team , play a round - robin tournament to determine a national champion . The CHL also hosts the CHL Top Prospects Game , for the top draft eligible players in the league , as well as the Subway Super Series , a six - game all - star exhibition series against a team of Russian juniors . Introduction . The Canadian Hockey League ( CHL ) is the governing body for Major Junior Hockey ( formerly known as Tier One Junior A ) in Canada . Its precursor was the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association ( CAHA ) . The CHL currently oversees the Western Hockey League ( WHL ) , the Ontario Hockey League ( OHL ) and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League ( QMJHL ) . All three leagues have teams in both Canada and the United States . Each league plays individual regular season schedules , and playoffs . The annual CHL championship is determined by the Memorial Cup tournament held in May . More than half the players in the National Hockey League for the 2005 – 06 NHL season had played in the CHL . The CHL is generally considered the world ' s top professional development junior hockey league . It is a key supplier of new players and officials for the many North American professional hockey leagues , such as the National Hockey League , American Hockey League , ECHL , International Hockey League and the Central Hockey League . Many CHL players also opt for Canadian Interuniversity Sport ( CIS ) . The CHL also seeks to raise the profile of the junior game by hosting annual events such as the Memorial Cup , US history Test ' s , CHL Top Prospects Game and the ADT Canada - Russia Challenge . The organization also provides many scholarships and bursaries for its players who exemplify extraordinary efforts and community involvement . These programs are supported by the many corporate sponsors . Annual events . The MasterCard Memorial Cup . The Memorial Cup Tournament is the championship of Junior Canadian hockey . Each year it features the champions from the ( WHL , OHL , QMJHL ) and the host CHL team . The host team changes from year to year , and is selected by a bidding process prior to the start of each season . The annual event is one of the biggest sporting events in North America , attracting thousands of spectators and generating increasing revenue for both the CHL teams and the host city . MasterCard is the official sponsor of the championship . CHL Top Prospects Game . The CHL Top Prospects Game is an annual event sponsored by Home Hardware and hosted by the CHL in which 40 of the top " NHL Entry Draft eligible " prospects in the Canadian Hockey League play against each other much like an all - star game . Each draft prospect hopes to boost their draft ranking with the NHL scouts and general managers who attend . The players are typically coached by a pair of hockey celebrities , usually Don Cherry and Bobby Orr . The event has been held annually since 1992 . From 1992 to 1995 the event was known as the CHL All - Star Challenge and usually pitted one of the CHL ' s leagues against the other two . Canada - Russia Super Series . The CHL hosts annually , the Subway Super Series , sponsored by Subway to showcase Canadian junior talent versus Russian junior talent . Each year a Russian junior team plays 6 games in total in Canada , two games against each CHL member league ( WHL , OHL , QMJHL ) . The OHL has yet to lose a game . CHL Import Draft . Each year , every team in the CHL has the option to chose up to 2 players from outside North America to add to its roster . Picks are chosen in reverse order of the team ' s standings in the CHL . The Import Draft is seen as a way to raise the level of competition in the CHL , as well as to broaden its fan base while retaining high North American content . Teams . The league comprises 60 teams located in nine Canadian provinces and five American states . For lists of teams see the articles about each member league . In 2008 , the St . John ' s Fog Devils moved to Montreal , becoming the Montreal Junior Hockey Club , and left Newfoundland and Labrador as the only province without a team . The newest team is the Edmonton Oil Kings of the WHL , which began play in the 2007 – 08 season . Attendance . Top CHL teams by average attendance , 2009 – 10 regular season . Teams with an average attendance over 6 , 000 shown .