OHA Senior A League ( 1890 - 1979 ) The Ontario Hockey Association Senior A League was a top tier Canadian Senior ice hockey league in Ontario from 1890 until 1979 . The league was sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Association and the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association and its clubs competed for the Allan Cup . History . The league was founded in 1890 by the Ontario Hockey Association . At the top tier of Canadian Senior hockey , the league was eligible and often competed for the Allan Cup . In 1975 , the OHA allowed Hockey Northwestern Ontario ' s Thunder Bay Twins , the defending Allan Cup champions to enter the league . In 1978 , the league briefly changed its name to the Canadian International League , possibly to compete with Semi - Pro leagues which were rapidly gaining popularity . The league folded in 1979 , when most of its teams vacated to the Continental Senior A Hockey League and Major Intermediate A Hockey League . Over the course of the last fifty seasons , the OHA Senior A Hockey League captured 16 Allan Cup s in 26 appearances in the National final . If dated back to the beginning of the Allan Cup in 1908 , the OHA had 24 champions in 38 appearances over the course of the league ' s history . The league ' s tradition was followed by the Continental Senior A Hockey League in 1979 , which became the OHA Senior A Hockey League in 1980 and lasted until 1987 . The torch was then passed to the Southwestern Senior A Hockey League in 1990 , which today is known as Major League Hockey . The OHA Senior A Hockey League set the groundwork for much of the current Semi - Professional hockey market . The famous International Hockey League that lasted from 1945 until it merged with the American Hockey League in 2001 , was founded in part by both the Windsor Bulldogs and Chatham Maroons . Both teams played at least two different stretches in the league . Also , the Sarnia Sailors spent a few seasons in the International Hockey League . As well , the Thunder Bay Twins jumped between Manitoba leagues and the different Ontario Hockey Association leagues until 1991 when the team changed their name to the Thunder Bay Thunder Hawks and joined the Colonial Hockey League as a founding member . The team has since became the Rockford IceHogs of the United Hockey League . The Thunder Bay franchise won 3 Colonial Cup s as CoHL champions and in Rockton they won 1 Colonial Cup as United Hockey League champions . In 2007 , the UHL has changed its name and the ownership of the Rockford IceHogs has bought the old Cincinnati Mighty Ducks franchise , making the IceHogs a member of the American Hockey League for the 2007 - 08 season . Allan Cup s . Champions Finalists Olympic Winter Games . The winner of the Allan Cup was named the top " amateur " team in Canada , this made them eligible to compete in the Olympic Winter Games . The list below includes all Ontario Hockey Association representatives from 1924 until 1960 . Ice Hockey World Championships . The winner of the Allan Cup was named the top " amateur " team in Canada , this made them eligible to compete in the Ice Hockey World Championships . The list below includes all Ontario Hockey Association representatives from 1930 until 1962 . Teams . " Please note : Teams listed ONLY in last decade played . " Champions . " Please note : bold denotes an Allan Cup champion . "