Newfoundland & Labrador Senior A Hockey League The Central / West Senior Hockey League is a senior level hockey league based in the central and western parts of the island portion of Newfoundland and Labrador . The league was formed in June of 2014 when four of the six members of the Newfoundland Senior Hockey League withdrew from the league on June 1st . The two teams that did not withdraw were from the eastern portion of the island and had previously joined from the Avalon East Senior Hockey League when the NSHL was formed . The Clarenville Caribous hosted the 2015 Allan Cup and automatically qualified as host . The Grand Falls - Windsor Cataracts automatically qualified for the tournament as Quebec had no teams registered at the Senior AAA level and traditionally the open spot goes to a team from the host branch . This also eliminated the need for an Atlantic region playoff with the New Brunswick based Lameque Au P ' tit Mousse for the region ' s birth in the Allan Cup tournament . With being deemed the Herder Memorial Trophy champions the Grand Falls - Windsor Cataracts will be the province ' s representative for the Atlantic regional championship ( against the Lameque Au P ' tit Mousse ) for qualification for the 2016 Allan Cup being held in Steinbach , Manitoba . The league was renamed to the Newfoundland & Labrador Senior A Hockey League from the Central / West Senior Hockey League on August 14 , 2015 . On September 20 , 2015 upon completion of their fall meeting Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador announced that two leagues had been approved for the 2015 - 16 playing season , Avalon East Senior Hockey League and the NLSAHL . The two league champions will complete for the Herder Memorial Trophy and a berth as the provinces representative for the Atlantic regional championship for qualification for the 2017 Allan Cup which will be held in Kenora , Ontario . The tournament will have the two league champions play a best - of - five series to determine the winner . The champion of the NLSAHL will host games one and two on March 19 and 20 , 2016 . The Avalon East League champion will game 3 on March 25th and if needed games 4 and 5 on March 26 and 27 . The release announcing the playoff also stated that " The Avalon East winning team will be permitted six ( 6 ) strengthening players from their own league for Herder competition . " The Gander Flyers reportedly folded on January 28 , 2017 . However , the other members of the league managed to work out an agreement to cancel the balance of the regular season games and have them be forfeited to the Flyers opponents and the league moved on to the playoffs . The future of the league is and senior hockey in that region of the island is seriously in doubt as the 2016 - 17 ends . The For 2015 the final series was also deemed to be for the Herder Memorial Trophy championship and a spot in the 2016 Atlantic Canada Allan Cup Qualifier . Playoff Champions . For 2016 the champion competed against and defeated the Avalon East Senior Hockey League champions ( St . John ' s Capitals ) for the Herder Memorial Trophy and a spot in the 2017 Atlantic Canada Allan Cup Qualifier if it is needed due to the 2017 Allan Cup being held in Bouctouche , New Brunswick .