Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League (1972-1987)

Ontario Provincial Junior "A" Hockey League	Ontario Provincial Junior "A" Hockey League
 	
Membership 	Ontario Hockey Association
Founded 	1972
Ceased 	1987
Regional Champions 	10
National Champions 	3
First Champion 	Wexford Raiders
Last Champion 	Owen Sound Greys
The Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League was a Canadian junior ice hockey league based in Ontario and sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Association and the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association. The league operated from 1972 until 1987. This league was the forerunner to the current Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League that was promoted in 1993. From 1972 until 1977, the OPJHL shared their region with the Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League.
==History==
:For Season-by-Season Standings, please see: List of Ontario Tier II Junior A Seasons.
The Ontario Hockey Association Tier II Junior "A" League was born out of the creation of the Ontario Hockey League. There have always been multiple tiers of junior hockey, but the top tier, then known as Ontario Hockey Association Junior "A", elected to split from the OHA and create its own level of hockey. The early 1970s sparked a vast reorganization of Canadian hockey right across the country. The Ontario Hockey League was born out of this, as well was the Western Hockey League and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League in other parts of Canada. The new tier was known as Major Junior "A" hockey. The first Ontario Tier II League came in 1968 with creation of the renegade Western Ontario Junior A Hockey League, which became the Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League in 1970. 
The aftermath of the annexation of the top tier left a vacuum for a new top tier of OHA hockey. What filled the gap in 1972 was the 12-team Ontario Hockey Association Jr. "A" Hockey League, comprised of 5 teams leaving the Metro Junior "B" (the Richmond Hill Rams, North York Rangers, Downsview Beavers, Aurora Tigers and the Dixie Beehives), 6 expansion teams (Seneca Flyers, Ajax Steelers, Wexford Warriors, Vaughan Nationals, Weston Dodgers), the Kingston Frontenacs of the defunct Eastern Junior B Hockey League, and the North Bay Trappers of the recently folded Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League.
The Ontario Provincial league's only competition for talent in Southern Ontario was the Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League. The Southern Ontario league jumped to Junior "A" in 1968 as the Western Ontario Junior A Hockey League and changed its name two years later. From the 1972-73 season until the 1976-77 season, these two league put their champions up against each other to earn the right to compete for the Dudley Hewitt Cup as only one Ontario Hockey Association team could challenge for it. In 1973, the SOJAHL's Chatham Maroons defeated the OPJHL's Wexford Raiders 4-games-to-3. In 1974, the Wexford Raiders got their turn, defeating the Windsor Spitfires 4-games-to-3 to even the series. A year later, the SOJAHL's Guelph CMC's defeated the Toronto Nationals 4-games-to-2 and in 1976 became the Guelph Platers and defeated the North Bay Trappers 4-games-to-1 to win their second straight OHA Championship. The final chapter of this saga was slightly redemptive for the OPJHL as their North York Rangers went the distance and defeated Guelph 4-games-to-3. Down to four teams, the SOJAHL folded. The Guelph Platers and Hamilton Mountain A's jumped to the OPJHL, while the Owen Sound Greys took a season off then joined the Georgian Bay Intermediate A Hockey League and the Collingwood Blues changed their name and dropped to Junior C. After a five year feud, the SOJAHL won the battle but lost the war as their champions won three of five OHA Championships but ultimately folded.
Over the next few years, the Guelph Platers, Belleville Bulls, and Kingston Frontenacs would all get their start in this league before jumping to the Ontario Hockey League.
By 1986, the league was suffering from a variety of difficulties. With most of their teams folding or dropping to Junior "B", the league was left with 4 teams, the OHA Jr. "A" League was forced to close its doors at the end of the 1986-87 season. The four remaining teams at the end of the OHA Jr. "A" League era were the Final Champion Owen Sound Greys, the Aurora Eagles, the Markham Waxers, and the Richmond Hill Dynes. The Central League agreed to take Markham, Aurora and Richmond Hill, while the Owen Sound Greys went to the Midwestern Junior B Hockey League.
==Member Teams==
 	
{| cellpadding="1" width="500px" style="font-size: 90%; border: 1px solid gray;"	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Former OJHL Teams 	Former OJHL Teams 	Former OJHL Teams	Former OJHL Teams	Former OJHL Teams	Former OJHL Teams	Former OJHL Teams	Former OJHL Teams	Former OJHL Teams	Former OJHL Teams	Former OJHL Teams
Team 	Centre 	Joined 	Exited 	Status 	 	 	 	 	 	
Ajax Merchants 	Ajax, Ontario 	1972 	1977 	Folded 	 	 	 	 	 	
Aurora Tigers 	Aurora, Ontario 	1972 	1987 	Joined CJBHL 	 	 	 	 	 	
Belleville Bulls 	Belleville, Ontario 	1979 	1981 	Joined OHL 	 	 	 	 	 	
Brampton Warriors 	Brampton, Ontario 	1980 	1982 	Folded 	 	 	 	 	 	
Cambridge Winterhawks	Cambridge, Ontario 	1982 	1983 	Joined MWJHL 	 	 	 	 	 	
Dixie Beehives 	Dixie, Ontario 	1972 	1986 	Folded 	 	 	 	 	 	
Guelph Platers 	Guelph, Ontario 	1977 	1982 	Joined OHL 	 	 	 	 	 	
Hamilton Mountain A's	Hamilton, Ontario 	1977 	1984 	Folded 	 	 	 	 	 	
Kingston Frontenacs 	Kingston, Ontario 	1972 	1973 	Joined OHL 	 	 	 	 	 	
Markham Waxers 	Markham, Ontario 	1973 	1987 	Joined CJBHL 	 	 	 	 	 	
Newmarket Flyers 	Newmarket, Ontario 	1972 	1986 	Joined CJBHL 	 	 	 	 	 	
North Bay Trappers 	North Bay, Ontario 	1972 	1982 	Folded 	 	 	 	 	 	
North York Rangers 	North York, Ontario 	1972 	1985 	Folded 	 	 	 	 	 	
Orillia Travelways 	Orillia, Ontario 	1981 	1986 	Joined CJBHL 	 	 	 	 	 	
Owen Sound Greys 	Owen Sound, Ontario 	1985 	1987 	Joined MWJHL 	 	 	 	 	 	
Richmond Hill Rams 	Richmond Hill, Ontario	1972 	1987 	Joined CJBHL 	 	 	 	 	 	
Royal York Royals 	Downsview, Ontario 	1972 	1980 	Folded 	 	 	 	 	 	
Toronto Nationals 	Vaughan, Ontario 	1972 	1977 	Folded 	 	 	 	 	 	
Weston Dodgers 	Weston, Ontario 	1972 	1977 	Folded 	 	 	 	 	 	
Wexford Raiders 	Wexford, Ontario 	1972 	1981 	Folded 	 	 	 	 	 	
Whitby Lawmen 	Whitby, Ontario 	1984 	1985 	Folded 	 	 	 	 	 	
==Champions==
===League===
*1987 Owen Sound Greys
*1986 Orillia Travelways
*1985 Orillia Travelways
*1984 Orillia Travelways
*1983 North York Rangers
*1982 Guelph Platers
*1981 Belleville Bulls
*1980 North York Rangers
*1979 Guelph Platers
*1978 Guelph Platers
*1977 North York Rangers
*1976 North Bay Trappers
*1975 Toronto Nationals
*1974 Wexford Raiders
*1973 Wexford Raiders
===Dudley Hewitt Cup===
*1986 Orillia Travelways
*1985 Aurora Tigers
*1984 Orillia Travelways
*1983 North York Rangers
*1982 Guelph Platers
*1981 Belleville Bulls
*1980 North York Rangers
*1979 Guelph Platers
*1978 Guelph Platers
*1974 Wexford Raiders
===Manitoba Centennial Cup===
*1985 Orillia Travelways
*1983 North York Rangers
*1978 Guelph Platers
==League records==
*Best record: 1981-82 Guelph Platers (40-4-6)
*Worst record: 1979-80 Richmond Hill Rams (4-39-1)
*Most goals, one season: Steve Thomas (68) -- 1981-82 Markham Waxers
*Most assists, one season: Adam Oates (105) -- 1981-82 Markham Waxers
*Most points, one season: Adam Oates (159) -- 1981-82 Markham Waxers
==External links==
*Current OPJHL Website
*Ontario Hockey Association Website
Category:Ontario Hockey Association Junior A
Category:Defunct ice hockey leagues
Category:Established in 1972
Category:Disestablished in 1987