Northern Ontario Regional Junior B Hockey Championship
Encyclopedia
The William Ryan Trophy is a Canadian
ice hockey
series to determine the Northwestern Ontario
seed of the Keystone Cup
- the Western Canada
Junior "B" Hockey Crown.
was an epic battle between the champions of the Thunder Bay Junior B Hockey League
and the North of Superior Junior B Hockey League
. After six championships competed for, each league had three Northwestern Ontario titles each, but in the last two years of competition the TBJBHL won both years. As the NSHL folded in 2004, the TBJBHL won the 8 year series five championships to three. Since Tier II Junior "A" hockey in the region has expanded from just the Thunder Bay Flyers
in 2000 to the 7-team Superior International Junior Hockey League
in 2007, the local talent pools have been severely taxed making the Junior "B" teams less dominant at the National level. The result has been the shrinking down the TBJBHL to 3 Junior teams mixed in with a bunch of top tier Minor "AAA" teams and of course the all-out folding of the NSHL in 2004.
In the past two seasons, the TBJBHL champion has been uncontested and has earned automatic berth into the Keystone Cup
. The only time the Northwestern Ontario champion has ever won the Western Canadian title was in 1999 when the Fort William Hurricanes went the distance.
The region has hosted the Keystone Cup
five times. Thunder Bay
, Ontario
hosted the Cup in 1994, 1999 and 2009. Schreiber, Ontario
hosted the second ever Cup in 1984 and again in 2004.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
series to determine the Northwestern Ontario
Northwestern Ontario
Northwestern Ontario is the region within the Canadian province of Ontario which lies north and west of Lake Superior, and west of Hudson Bay and James Bay. It includes most of subarctic Ontario. Its western boundary is the Canadian province of Manitoba, which disputed Ontario's claim to the...
seed of the Keystone Cup
Keystone Cup
The Keystone Cup is the Junior "B" ice hockey championship and trophy for Western Canada. The Championship is the culmination of the champions of 12 hockey leagues in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Northwestern Ontario.-History:...
- the Western Canada
Western Canada
Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces and commonly as the West, is a region of Canada that includes the four provinces west of the province of Ontario.- Provinces :...
Junior "B" Hockey Crown.
History
From 1997 until 2004, the right to compete in the Keystone CupKeystone Cup
The Keystone Cup is the Junior "B" ice hockey championship and trophy for Western Canada. The Championship is the culmination of the champions of 12 hockey leagues in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Northwestern Ontario.-History:...
was an epic battle between the champions of the Thunder Bay Junior B Hockey League
Thunder Bay Junior B Hockey League
The Thunder Bay Junior B Hockey League is a Canadian Junior ice hockey league in Northwestern Ontario, sanctioned by Hockey Northwestern Ontario and Hockey Canada. The Thunder Bay League has produced one Keystone Cup Western Canada Junior "B" champion and five Brewers Cup Western Canada Junior "C"...
and the North of Superior Junior B Hockey League
North of Superior Junior B Hockey League
The North of Superior Junior B Hockey League is a defunct Junior "B" ice hockey league in Ontario, Canada, sanctioned by Hockey Canada. The league used to be a part of the Northern Ontario Hockey Association. The league at one point was called the North Shore Junior B Hockey League.-History:The...
. After six championships competed for, each league had three Northwestern Ontario titles each, but in the last two years of competition the TBJBHL won both years. As the NSHL folded in 2004, the TBJBHL won the 8 year series five championships to three. Since Tier II Junior "A" hockey in the region has expanded from just the Thunder Bay Flyers
Thunder Bay Flyers
The Thunder Bay Flyers were a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada.-History:On July 6, 1980, the Degagne Buccaneers and Thunder Bay North Stars were informed by the TBAHA that they would not be permitted to field teams in the 1980-81 City League...
in 2000 to the 7-team Superior International Junior Hockey League
Superior International Junior Hockey League
The Superior International Junior Hockey League is a Junior A ice hockey league under the supervision of the Canadian Junior Hockey League and Hockey Canada. The winner of the SIJHL playoffs competes for the Dudley Hewitt Cup with the winners of the Ontario Junior Hockey League and the Northern...
in 2007, the local talent pools have been severely taxed making the Junior "B" teams less dominant at the National level. The result has been the shrinking down the TBJBHL to 3 Junior teams mixed in with a bunch of top tier Minor "AAA" teams and of course the all-out folding of the NSHL in 2004.
In the past two seasons, the TBJBHL champion has been uncontested and has earned automatic berth into the Keystone Cup
Keystone Cup
The Keystone Cup is the Junior "B" ice hockey championship and trophy for Western Canada. The Championship is the culmination of the champions of 12 hockey leagues in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Northwestern Ontario.-History:...
. The only time the Northwestern Ontario champion has ever won the Western Canadian title was in 1999 when the Fort William Hurricanes went the distance.
The region has hosted the Keystone Cup
Keystone Cup
The Keystone Cup is the Junior "B" ice hockey championship and trophy for Western Canada. The Championship is the culmination of the champions of 12 hockey leagues in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Northwestern Ontario.-History:...
five times. Thunder Bay
Thunder Bay
-In Canada:Thunder Bay is the name of three places in the province of Ontario, Canada along Lake Superior:*Thunder Bay District, Ontario, a district in Northwestern Ontario*Thunder Bay, a city in Thunder Bay District*Thunder Bay, Unorganized, Ontario...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
hosted the Cup in 1994, 1999 and 2009. Schreiber, Ontario
Schreiber, Ontario
Schreiber is a municipal township in the Canadian province of Ontario, located on the northernmost point of Lake Superior along Highway 17. The town, with a population of approximately 900 people, is almost completely located inside the geographic township of Priske, with a small western portion of...
hosted the second ever Cup in 1984 and again in 2004.
Champions
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See also
- Thunder Bay Junior B Hockey LeagueThunder Bay Junior B Hockey LeagueThe Thunder Bay Junior B Hockey League is a Canadian Junior ice hockey league in Northwestern Ontario, sanctioned by Hockey Northwestern Ontario and Hockey Canada. The Thunder Bay League has produced one Keystone Cup Western Canada Junior "B" champion and five Brewers Cup Western Canada Junior "C"...
- North of Superior Junior B Hockey LeagueNorth of Superior Junior B Hockey LeagueThe North of Superior Junior B Hockey League is a defunct Junior "B" ice hockey league in Ontario, Canada, sanctioned by Hockey Canada. The league used to be a part of the Northern Ontario Hockey Association. The league at one point was called the North Shore Junior B Hockey League.-History:The...
- Hockey Northwestern OntarioHockey Northwestern OntarioHockey Northwestern Ontario is the governing body of all ice hockey in Northern Ontario, Canada. Hockey Northwestern Ontario is a branch of Hockey Canada.-Jurisdiction:...
- Northern Ontario Hockey AssociationNorthern Ontario Hockey AssociationThe Northern Ontario Hockey Association is minor and junior level ice hockey governing body. The NOHA is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation and Hockey Canada. The major league run by the NOHA is the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League of the Canadian Junior A Hockey League...
- Ontario Hockey FederationOntario Hockey FederationThe Ontario Hockey Federation is the governing body of all sanctioned ice hockey in the province of Ontario in Canada, except for those portions governed by Hockey Northwestern Ontario and the Ottawa District Hockey Association...