Major Intermediate A Hockey League The Major Intermediate A Hockey League was an ice hockey league in Ontario , Canada , sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Association . It existed from 1978 to 1983 . Its champion was eligible to compete for the W . G . Hardy Trophy , emblematic of Canadian Intermediate A hockey supremacy . History . The Georgian Bay Intermediate A Hockey League league was founded in 1978 . Its founding members were the Collingwood Shipbuilders , the Port Elgin Sunocos , the Owen Sound Greys and the Orangeville Cougars . Port Elgin had been part of the OHA Intermediate C loop and Owen Sound was returning to the ice after a one - year hiatus caused by the 1977 collapse of the Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League . Collingwood was the first regular season champion , finishing first with a 30 - 7 - 0 record , but Port Elgin won the inaugural playoff championship . The Sunocos placed second at 24 - 10 - 1 and beat the third - place Greys ( 14 - 22 - 1 ) in one semifinal series . Orangeville finished dead last at 2 - 32 - 0 , was swept by Collingwood and folded . Port Elgin then defeated Collingwood 4 - 2 in the final series . The Georgian Bay league played an interlocking schedule with the five teams of the Niagara District Intermediate A Hockey League - - the Georgetown Raiders , the Dundas Merchants , the Thorold Athletics , Port Colborne and Fort Erie . The Niagara league was founded in 1964 . In 1979 - 80 Georgetown and Dundas joined the Georgian Bay league , which also took in the Orillia Terriers and the Barrie Flyers from the OHA Senior A Hockey League . Dundas finished first in the standings and beat third - place Georgetown 3 - 1 in a best - of - five playoff final . Collingwood was second , Orillia was fourth , Barrie was fifth , Port Elgin dropped to sixth and Owen Sound finished seventh . In 1980 - 81 the league changed its name to Major Intermediate A as it had fully absorbed the Niagara league which floundered around 1979 . Dundas departed for Senior A but the Midland Athletics were added . The order of finish was Georgetown , Collingwood , Owen Sound , Orillia , Barrie , Port Elgin and Midland . The Raiders ended up as playoff champions , defeating the Greys 4 - 1 in a best - of - seven final . The same seven teams returned in 1981 – 82 , although Port Elgin changed its nickname to the Suns , and Georgetown and Collingwood again captured the top two places in the standings . Port Elgin , Orillia , Midland , Owen Sound and Barrie rounded out the league . Georgetown swept the playoffs , beating the Shipbuilders 4 - 0 in the final , and went on to win the Hardy Cup as Canadian champions . Owen Sound and Orillia departed prior to the 1982 – 83 season but the Durham Huskies entered from Senior A . Unfortunately , they were overmatched and finished in sixth and last place , behind Georgetown , Collingwood , Port Elgin , Midland and Barrie . Although the Raiders topped the standings for the third year in a row , Collingwood finally won the playoff championship by downing Georgetown 4 - 1 in the final . The Major Intermediate A Hockey League folded in 1983 . Midland disappeared with it while Port Elgin and Durham joined a local OHA Intermediate B loop . Collingwood , Georgetown and Barrie ( now known as the Broncos ) were absorbed into the Senior A league . Dundas and Owen Sound are the only teams that remain in existence today . The Timmins Granites . Despite the success and talent of the Major Intermediate A Hockey League , the Ontario Hockey Association had set a litmus test for the league ' s champions to determine whether or not they were capable of competing for the coveted Hardy Trophy . The litmus test in question was the Northern Ontario Hockey Association ' s only Intermediate team , the Timmins Granites . In 1980 , the playoff champion Dundas Merchants got the first crack at the Granites . In a best - of - three series , the Granites defeated the Merchants 2 - games - to - 1 . After the 1980 – 81 season , the champion Georgetown Raiders took their chances with Timmins . The Granites made short work of the Raiders , defeating them 2 - games - to - none . A year later , the Georgetown Raiders won their second straight league title and challenged the Timmins Granites again . This time fate laid with the Raiders , as they won the series 2 - games - to - 1 . The Raiders ended up moving on to win the 1982 Hardy Trophy . In 1983 , the Collingwood Shipbuilders won the Major Intermediate A Championship . They met the Granites in the Ontario Hockey Association final but were defeated 2 - games - to - none . This essentially marked the end of Intermediate " A " hockey in Ontario as the league merged with the OHA Senior A Hockey League before the beginning of the 1983 – 84 season . Major Intermediate A Playoff Champions . OHA Champions . " Prior to 1980 , after 1934 realignment . "