The Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) is an association of Canadian junior A ice hockey leagues and teams and was formed in November 1993, emerging from the Canada West Association of Junior 'A' Hockey. The champion of the Canadian Junior Hockey League wins the Centennial Cup. The CJHL spans the majority of Canada, from the Prairies to the Atlantic Coast. The only regional organizations of Hockey Canada to currently not have member teams or a league are BC Hockey, Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador, and Hockey North. In addition to BC Hockey, Hockey NL, and Hockey North, Hockey New Brunswick and Hockey PEI do not have their own leagues, but have teams from their region playing under Hockey Nova Scotia with the Maritime Junior A Hockey League. History 1970s In 1970, the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, and Western Canada Hockey League broke away from the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) and became its own governing body (what would become the Canadian Hockey League). These new "Major Junior" leagues were given exclusive permission to compete for the Memorial Cup, which had been Canada's Junior "A" championship prior to 1970. In May 1970, CAHA chairman Frank McKinnon tabled a motion at the organization's Annual General Meeting to allow the remaining Junior "A" leagues to compete at a national level for their own championship. The motion was granted and McKinnon and the Manitoba Amateur Hockey Association donated the Manitoba Centennial Trophy to the new championship in honour of 100 years of ice hockey in Manitoba. Leagues The leagues that would be involved in that first year were: British Columbia Junior Hockey League (BCJHL) Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) Saskatchewan Amateur Junior Hockey League (SAJHL) Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League (SOJHL) Thunder Bay Junior A Hockey League (TBJHL) Central Junior A Hockey League (CJHL) Northern Ontario Junior Hockey Association (NOJHA) Maritime Junior A Hockey League (MJAHL) New Brunswick Junior Hockey League (NBJHL) In 1971, the Newfoundland Amateur Hockey Association jumped on board by allowing their provincial Junior champion to compete in the Centennial Cup playdowns. This lasted until 1977. Also in 1971, the Maritime Junior A Hockey League folded, leaving the Charlottetown Islanders (the defending Dudley Hewitt Cup champions) to enter the Centennial Cup playdowns as an independent team. Also in 1971, the Newfoundland Junior A Hockey League entered the fray. In 1972,