Ontario Hockey League < hr > Canadian Major Junior Outline < hr > The Ontario Hockey League ( OHL ) is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League . The league is for players aged 15 – 20 . The league was formed in 1933 with the partition of Junior A and B . In 1970 , the OHA Junior A League was one of five Junior A leagues operating in Ontario . The OHA was promoted to Tier I Junior A for the 1970 - 71 season and took up the name Ontario Major Junior Hockey League . In 1980 , the league walked away from Ontario Hockey Association governance with the creation of the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League and its direct affiliation with Hockey Canada . From 1974 until 1978 ( as the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League ) , Clarence " Tubby " Schmalz was the league ' s commissioner . Then , for one season ( 1978 – 79 ) , former IHL commissioner Bill Beagan served as commissioner of the OMJHL . Beginning with the 1979 - 80 season , David Branch has been the Commissioner of the OHL ( which became the league ' s official name prior to the 1981 - 82 season ) . Branch was appointed on August 11 , 1979 , and assumed the commissioner ' s role on September 17 , 1979 . Since 1980 the league has grown rapidly into a high profile marketable product , with many games broadcast on television and radio . There are currently 22 teams in the OHL ; 18 are based in the Canadian province of Ontario , three teams in the American state of Michigan and one team in the American state of Pennsylvania . Out of the 18 teams based in Ontario , 15 teams are in Southern Ontario , and 3 teams are in Northern Ontario . The three largest arenas in the OHL are Ottawa ' s TD Place Arena , London ' s Budweiser Gardens , and the FirstOntario Centre in Hamilton . History . Junior age ice hockey in Ontario began in 1896 , organized by the Ontario Hockey Association ( OHA ) . Since then it has gone through four distinct eras in the organization of junior hockey . In 1933 , the junior division was divided into two levels , junior A and junior B . In 1972 the upper level was divided into two more levels , Tier I and Tier II . In 1974 the " Major Junior A Tier I " portion of the OHA separated from the OHA and became the ' Ontario Major Junior Hockey League . ' ( OMJHL ) In 1980 , the OMJHL became the " Ontario Hockey League . " Current member teams . On November 8th , the owner of the Flint Firebirds fired the head coach , John Gruden after the team pulled out a come from behind overtime victory over the defending Memorial Cup champions earlier . According to published reports the issue was the amount of ice time that owner , Rolf Nilson ' s 17 year old son was receiving . Upon hearing of the removal of the coach the whole 24 members of the team quit , not wanting to play for anyone else but Coach Gruden . Among those quitting the team were the owner ' s son , Håkon Nilsen . The whole team went into the team ' s front office and threw their jerseys on the ground , quit the team and then walked out . OHL commissioner David Branch was scheduled to meet with the ownership of the franchise on Monday November 9th to try to salvage anything out of what is a very bad situation for all involved . After the meeting the owner issued a release through the OHL ' s website stating that he made " an irresponsible mistake " and the coaches were reinstated and meetings were held between the league commissioner , ownership , coaches and players . Schedule . The 20 OHL clubs play a 68 game unbalanced schedule , which starts in the third full week of September , running until the third week of March . Ninety per cent ( 90 % ) of OHL games are scheduled between Thursday and Sunday to minimize the number of school days missed for its players . Ninety - five per cent ( 95 % ) of the players in the league are attending high school or college . Approximately 20 % of players on active rosters in the National Hockey League have come from the OHL , and about 54 % of NHL players are alumni of the Canadian Hockey League . Bell OHL All - Star Classic . The 2010 OHL All - Star Classic was be played at the K - Rock Centre in Kingston . This was the final edition of the game . OHL playoffs and Memorial Cup . The J . Ross Robertson Cup is awarded annually to the winner of the Championship Series . The Cup is named for John Ross Robertson , who was president of the Ontario Hockey Association from 1901 to 1905 . The OHL playoffs consist of the top 16 teams in the league , 8 from each conference . The teams play a best - of - 7 game series , and the winner of each series advances to the next round . The final two teams eventually compete for the J . Ross Robertson Cup . The OHL champion then competes with the winners of the Western Hockey League , the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League , and the host of the tournament to play for the Memorial Cup , which is awarded to the junior hockey champions of Canada . The host team of the tournament is alternated between the three leagues every season . The 2016 tournament will be hosted by the Red Deer Rebels of the Western Hockey League at the ENMAX Centrium May 19th to 29th . Memorial Cup champions . The Memorial Cup has been captured 13 times by OHL / OHA teams since the tournament went to a 3 - league format in 1972 : The Cup was also won 16 times by OHA teams in the period between 1945 and 1971 : Priority Selection . The Priority Selection was first conducted the summer before the 1974 – 75 OMJHL season . It has been conducted annually since then . It is a selection of players aged 16 and 17 years old who are residents of the province of Ontario , the states of Michigan , Pennsylvania and New York , and other designated U . S . states . Prior to 2001 , the OHL held the Priority Selection in a public forum , such as an arena . Drafts were attended by many players and family members . In 2001 , the OHL decided to hold the " draft " via the Internet , greatly reducing the costs the league and its member teams incurred in hosting a public draft . This move reduced the stress and pressure that prospective players faced with a large crowd present . The Jack Ferguson Award is presented annually to the first overall selection . The award was named in honour of long time OHL scout and former Director of Central Scouting Jack Ferguson . OHL Records . Individual records Team Records