Northern Ontario Hockey Association The Northern Ontario Hockey Association ( NOHA ) governed amateur hockey in Northern Ontario , Its jurisdiction included Ontario roughly north of a line just south of North Bay and west of a line west of Pembroke . In the west it extended to Sault Ste . Marie . Until the 1960 ' s the NOHA also included northwest Quebec - the area around Rouyn & Noranda . This was a geographical convenience , as the area was far from the rest of Quebec . In the 60 ' s the area did join up with the Quebec Amateur Hockey Association . The NOHA was only semi - independent from the Ontario Hockey Association ( OHA ) . The OHA did exercise some control over the NOHA . For about a decade , the NOHA senior champion had to play the OHA intermediate champion in the Allan Cup playoffs . Until the 1950 ' s . the NOHA junior titleholder had to play its OHA counterpart . Below is taken from NOHA website history page Organized amateur hockey came into existence for the North Country on October 8th , 1919 , when at the annual meeting of the Temiskaming Hockey League in Cobalt , to which delegates had been invited from towns between Cochrane and Sudbury , a resolution was passed favouring the formation of a Northern Ontario Hockey Association . The climatic conditions gave the North a splendid opportunity to develop this favourite winter sport to the fullest extent and , although individual efforts had been made by various towns to form a league to take in several clubs , no real organization existed prior to the season of 1919 - 1920 . Angus D . Campbell , Mining Engineer of the O ’ Brien Mine in Cobalt , was the founder of the NOHA . While a student at Varsity , and later , in the Mines League of Cobalt , he not only proved himself a star player , but an exponent of clean sport . His efforts to organize hockey in the North were realized when the NOHA was formed at a meeting held for the purpose of electing officers and discussing rating of the NOHA for the season of 1919 - 1920 . The delegates present at the meeting when the NOHA was formed were W . Widdifield and G . S . Lowe , Timmins ; J . R . Dier and W . Dixon , New Liskeard ; N . F . Smith and N . B . Strong , Haileybury ; T . Shaw and H . G . Kennedy , Cobalt ; W . Sullivan , North Bay ; and J . P . Mader , representing both Sudbury and Sault Ste . Marie . J . R . Dier was made Vice - President and H . P . Charlton , Secretary - Treasurer . G . S . Lowe , Timmins , M . G . Hansman , New Liskeard ; N . F . Smith , Haileybury ; W . Beaton , North Bay ; J . P Mader , Sudbury and W . Widdifield , Porcupine , formed the first Executive . On November 18th , 1919 , the NOHA became affiliated with the Ontario Hockey Association . Under the terms of affiliation the NOHA adopted the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association residence rule , which was October 1st previous to the playing season ; also , all playing members of the NOHA were to hold registration cards issued by the Ontario Branch of the AAU of C . Exclusive jurisdiction was given to the NOHA covering the territory from Cochrane to North Bay and west as far as Sault Ste . Marie , Ontario , the OHA to recognize the authority of the NOHA to regulate and govern hockey in the district mentioned . The NOHA champions , under these terms , were allowed to playoff at the end of each season at Toronto with the winners of the OHA Intermediate and Junior series . However , at the annual meeting of the OHA held in Toronto on December 6th , 1919 , it was decided to allow the winners of the Intermediate series , through a play - off with the Senior OHA champions , to compete for the cup that is emblematic of the world ’ s amateur championship .