Greater Ontario Hockey League
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The Greater Ontario Hockey League (GOHL) is a Canadian junior ice hockey league based in Southern Ontario, Canada. The league is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA), Ontario Hockey Federation, and Hockey Canada. The league is considered Junior B by the OHA despite several attempts to be promoted to Junior A.
Established as the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League (GOJHL) in 2007, it was created through merging the Western Ontario Hockey League, Mid-Western Junior Hockey League, and Golden Horseshoe Junior Hockey League, to dissuade perceived player raiding from teams in the then-Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League. The twenty-three teams of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League come from Southwestern Ontario and the Golden Horseshoe.
In September 2025, the GOJHL became the development league for the Ontario Hockey League, and was renamed to the Greater Ontario Hockey League.
History
In the late 1990s, the Western Ontario Junior B Hockey League began complaining about their top level players being pulled from their teams at trade deadline time by Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League clubs without permission or compensation. A common view in Southern Ontario Junior B circles is that Junior "A" and Junior "B" are approximately the same skill level. In fact the OPJHL was known as the Central Ontario Junior B Hockey League until 1993, as well the Metro Junior A Hockey League which folded in 1998 was a Junior "B" league until 1991.
During the 2006–07 season, the general managers of all Ontario Hockey Association Junior "B" teams came together and voted unanimously to merge and create the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League (GOJHL) effective for the 2007–08 season. The GOJHL will become the sole competing body of the Sutherland Cup, which had as many as eight leagues competing for it at one time.
The 2007–08 season did not begin as planned. The management of the Mid-Western league resigned and needed to be replaced, and with a lack of organization due to the short time the new management had to get organized, the MWJHL had to opt out of an interlocking schedule. As a result, the entire GOJHL went without an interlocking schedule for 2007–08. The 2008–09 season saw the complete liquidation of all three divisional managements and a single governing body was put in place for the league. Additionally, inter-divisional play would also commence.
In the future, the league has stated that it will pursue club expansion, a reconfiguration that will move the league from three to four divisions, and possibly a move to join the Canadian Junior A Hockey League in future years.
On September 8, 2007, the Cambridge Winterhawks and the Guelph Dominators played the first ever game since the inception of the GOJHL. Despite leading 2–0 and outshooting Guelph, the defending Sutherland Cup Champions allowed five unanswered goals to drop the game 5–2. On May 3, 2008, the Tecumseh Chiefs finished a four-game sweep of the Elmira Sugar Kings to win the first ever GOJHL championship.
On September 24, 2008, the GOJHL hosted its first interdivisional regular season game between the Golden Horseshoe's Wheatfield Jr. Blades and the Western's London Nationals in London, Ontario. The Nationals won the game 6–2.
The LaSalle Vipers, 2010 Sutherland Cup champions, were asked to represent the Ontario Hockey Association and Hockey Canada for "Canada Day" in Mexico. On December 16, 2010, the Vipers played the Mexico Under-20 National Team and defeated them 9–2 in Mexico City. In January 2011, the GOJHL's Golden Horseshoe Conference and Midwestern Conference hosted the Russian Minor Hockey League's "Red Stars" who did not make their Under-20 Team. On January 1, the MHL Red Stars defeated the Golden Horseshoe Conference 7–4 and on January 3, the Red Stars defeated the Midwestern Conference 11–3. The MHL is Russia's top tier Junior league, while each conference of the GOJHL is a third of Southern Ontario's third-tier of Junior hockey.
On October 10, 2012, the OHA announced its intention to expand east of Guelph and form a new fourth conference for the GOJHL. The announcement comes on the heels of the relocation of the Owen Sound Greys to Brampton by their sponsor, leaving the northerly city out of OHA junior hockey for the first time in ninety-nine years (not including wartime). In January 2014, the OHA announced that the plan to expand was on hold due to lack of serious parties. They announced that of eleven applicants, only four were substantial enough to play in the league. A Brantford group applied for expansion none-the-less, while the other three parties are currently in limbo. The Brantford group was approved for membership into the Midwestern Conference as the Brantford 99'ers.
On March 28, 2014, the GOJHL's representatives filed for promotion from Junior B to Junior A with the Ontario Hockey Association. The matter was discussed at the OHA head office on April 5, 2014. A few weeks later, the OHA rejected the promotion and the GOJHL's chairman was dismissed by the OHA. During the 2014–15 season, the Golden Horseshoe Conference held a vote to determine their future with the GOJHL. The teams voted to leave the GOJHL with OHA approval and govern autonomously from the league. In retaliation, the GOJHL invited no players from the Golden Horseshoe to the league's all-star game, forcing the Golden Horseshoe to play their own game in short order late in the season. The GOJHL playoff format remains unchanged for 2015 despite the shuffle. Before the playoffs began in 2015, the GOJHL announced that the Golden Horseshoe had rejoined the fold and that its annexation was averted.
In early May 2017, the Cambridge Winterhawks announced their intentions to sever ties with the OHA, stating that they would not be part of the GOJHL going forward. The GOJHL initial response was to withhold comment until further details could be established.
In June 2024, the GOJHL announced new realigned conferences, moving to an "East/West" format from the long standing 3 conference arrangement.
In September 2025, the GOJHL became the first development league for the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). In the same month, the GOJHL was renamed to the Greater Ontario Hockey League (GOHL) as part of rebranding with the OHL.
Teams
Former teams
| Team | City | Arena | Founded | Folded/Moved |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Future GOJHL/GOHL Teams | ||||
| Ancaster Avalanche | Ancaster | Morgan Firestone Arena | 2014 | 2019, moved to Hamilton as the Hamilton Kilty B's |
| Brantford 99ers | Brantford | Brantford Civic Centre | 2013 | 2019, renamed Brantford Bandits |
| Brantford Bandits | Brantford | Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre | 2019 | 2024, franchise sold to Titan Hockey Group, rebranded as the Brantford Titans |
| Brampton Bombers | Brampton | Brampton Memorial Arena | 2012 | 2020, moved to Caledon as the Caledon Bombers |
| Buffalo Blades | Cheektowaga | Buffalo State College Ice Complex | 2012 | 2013, renamed as the Buffalo Regals |
| Buffalo Regals | Buffalo | Holiday Twin Rinks | 2014 | 2013, moved to Lockport, NY as the Lockport Regals |
| Cambridge Winter Hawks | Cambridge | Galt Arena Gardens | 1982 | 2017, withdrew from the OHA |
| Guelph Hurricanes | Guelph | Sleeman Centre (Guelph) | 2009 | 2018, moved to Cambridge as the Cambridge Redhawks |
| Kitchener Dutchmen | Kitchener | Kitchener Memorial Auditorium Complex | 1988 | 2020, franchise bought by Ayr Jr C, moved to Ayr as the Ayr Centennials |
| Lambton Shores Predators | Forest | The Shores Recreation Centre | 2008 | 2017, moved to Komoka as the Komoka Kings |
| Leamington Flyers | Leamington | Nature Fresh Farms Recreation Centre | 1954 | 2023, moved to OJHL |
| Lockport Regals | Lockport | Buffalo State College Ice Complex | 2019 | 2020, moved to Cheektowaga, NY as the Buffalo Regals, resign from the GOJHL for 2020 season |
| Niagara Falls Canucks | Niagara Falls | Gale Centre | 1971 | 2023, moved to OJHL |
| Petrolia Jets | Petrolia | Petrolia Arena | 1960 | 2008, moved to Forest as the Lambton Shores Predators |
| Port Colborne Pirates | Port Colborne | Gale Centre | 2008 | 2014, moved to Pelham as the Pelham Pirates |
| Sarnia Blast | Sarnia | Pat Stapleton Arena | 2001 | 2009, renamed as the Sarnia Legionnaires |
| Stoney Creek Warriors | Stoney Creek | Morgan Firestone Arena | 1974 | 2014, moved to Ancaster as the Ancaster Avalanche |
| Tecumseh Chiefs | Tecumseh | Tecumseh Arena | 1995 | 2008, moved to LaSalle as the LaSalle Vipers |
| Thorold Blackhawks | Thorold | Thorold Community Arena | 1963 | 2022, temporarily to Port Colborne for 2022/23 season, permanently relocate for the 2023/24 season as the Port Colborne Sailors |
| Wheatfield Jr. Blades | Wheatfield | Hockey Outlet | 1987 | 2012, moved to Cheektowaga as the Buffalo Blades |
Future teams
| Team | City | Arena | Capcity | Founded | Joining |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Future GOHL Teams | |||||
| Woodstock Navy-Vets | Woodstock, Ontario | Woodstock District Community Complex | 2,000 | 1966 | 2026 |
| Stoney Creek Generals | Stoney Creek, Ontario | Gateway Ice Centre | 3,000 | 2026 | 2026 |
Timeline of teams
- 2007 – Mid-Western Junior Hockey League, Western Ontario Hockey League, and Golden Horseshoe Junior Hockey League merge to form GOJHL
- 2008 – Tecumseh Chiefs move and become LaSalle Vipers
- 2008 – Petrolia Jets move and become Lambton Shores Predators
- 2008 – Sarnia Blast become Sarnia Legionnaires
- 2008 – Brantford Golden Eagles become Brantford Eagles
- 2008 – Port Colborne Sailors become Port Colborne Pirates
- 2009 – Guelph Dominators become Guelph Hurricanes
- 2009 – Owen Sound Greys take one-year leave
- 2010 – Owen Sound Greys return to league
- 2011 – Wheatfield Jr. Blades move and become Buffalo Blades
- 2012 – Owen Sound Greys relocate and become Brampton Bombers
- 2012 – Brantford Eagles relocate and become Caledonia Corvairs
- 2013 – Buffalo Blades are renamed Buffalo Regals
- 2013 – Brantford 99'ers are granted expansion
- 2013 – Stoney Creek Warriors relocated and become Ancaster Avalanche
- 2013 – Caledonia Corvairs switch from Mid-Western to Golden Horseshoe Conference
- 2013 – Round Robin eliminated after Conference finals, a Wild Card entry added to league semi-final
- 2014 – Port Colborne Pirates relocate and become Pelham Pirates
- 2014 – Buffalo Regals take one-year leave
- 2014 – Pelham Pirates change name to Pelham Panthers mid-season.
- 2015 – Buffalo Regals take another one-year leave after failing to properly file paperwork for reinstatement
- 2016 – Buffalo Regals return after two-year hiatus
- 2017 – Cambridge Winterhawks withdraw from OHA and therefore GOJHL. Failure to have Tier 1 designated appears to be main reason.
- 2017 – Lambton Shores Predators relocate and become Komoka Kings
- 2018 – Ancaster Avalanche relocate to Hamilton and become Hamilton Kilty B's
- 2018 – Guelph Hurricanes relocate to Cambridge and become Cambridge Redhawks
- 2018 – Caledonia Corvairs take one-year leave
- 2018 – Buffalo Regals relocate to Lockport and become Lockport Regals
- 2019 – Caledonia Corvairs back from leave of absence, Brantford 99ers change name to Brantford Bandits
- 2020 – Ayr Centennials purchase Kitchener Dutchmen franchise, relocate to Ayr, Waterloo Siskins change name to Kitchener-Waterloo Siskins, Brampton Bombers move to Caledon, ON and rename the Caledon Bombers. Buffalo Regals, Welland Jr. Canadians take one-year leave due to COVID-19
- 2021 - Buffalo Regals resign from the GOJHL
- 2023 – Leamington Flyers and Niagara Falls Canucks move to the OJHL, Thorold Blackhawks relocate and become Port Colborne Sailors
- 2024 – Brantford Bandits are sold to Titan Hockey Group, and are rebranded as the Brantford Titans
- 2025 - The Kitchener-Waterloo Siskins rebrand back to the Waterloo Siskins
- 2026 - The Woodstock Navy-Vets join the GOHL, moving up from the PJHL., Stoney Creek announced as new franchise market, with the Stoney Creek Generals, Hamilton Kilty B's rebrand to the Hamilton Steel
Sutherland Cup
As part of the first structural change to the Sutherland Cup playoffs since 1993–94 season, the GOJHL and OHA have thrown out the three-team round robin that had been used for twenty seasons and opted for a more traditional playdown method. The Sutherland Cup semi-final will now have four teams squaring off in a pair of best-of-seven series to determine the finals. The champions of the three Conferences will be joined by the conference runner-up who has the best playoff record to date. This Wild Card team will play the top ranked Champion who they have not already met in the playoffs.
After the league returned from the COVID-19 pandemic, they reverted back to the old three-team round robin format for the Sutherland Cup. The Sutherland Cup Finals was a best-of-three series in 2022, but the league went back to a best-of-seven series for 2023 and 2024. When the league re-aligned to two conferences prior to the 2024–25 season, it eliminated the use for a round robin, as the Sutherland Cup Finals would be played between the Eastern and Western Conference champions.
Regular season champions
This is a list of divisional regular season champions and their point totals, bolded are the overall league regular season champions.
Sutherland Cup champions
For OHA Junior "B" champions prior to the 2007–08 season, please visit: Sutherland Cup.
Bold denotes Sutherland Cup Champion. Italicized denotes Sutherland Cup finalist.
League championship series
Bolded is winner of Sutherland Cup as GOJHL and OHA champion.
| Season Champion Finalist Series (Best of 7) Scores 2008 Tecumseh Chiefs Elmira Sugar Kings 4–0 5–4 OT, 3–1, 2–1 OT, 5–3 2009 Brantford Eagles Stoney Creek Warriors 4–1 4–1, 3–2, 4–5 OT, 6–1, 3–2 2010 LaSalle Vipers Brantford Eagles 4–1 6–4, 5–2, 5–3, 3–6, 3–2 2OT 2011 Elmira Sugar Kings Niagara Falls Canucks 4–1 4–2, 5–6 OT, 3–1, 4–3, 4–0 2012 St. Catharines Falcons Brantford Eagles 4–2 2–5, 1–4, 3–1, 3–2 OT, 2–1, 5–1 2013 London Nationals Cambridge Winter Hawks 4–3 4–6, 2–3 OT, 6–0, 4–3, 1–4, 2–1 OT, 4–2 2014 Caledonia Corvairs St. Catharines Falcons 4–3 2–7, 4–1, 3–0, 2–3 2OT, 3–1, 2–3 3OT, 3–1 2015 Caledonia Corvairs LaSalle Vipers 4–2 2–4, 6–4, 3–2, 4–3, 4–5 OT, 4–3 2016 Caledonia Corvairs London Nationals 4–0 9–3, 6–0, 8–1, 4–3 OT 2017 Elmira Sugar Kings London Nationals 4–1 3–0, 2–0, 4–1, 4–6, 4–1 2018 Listowel Cyclones Caledonia Corvairs 4–0 4–3, 6–3, 2–0, 4–1 2019 Waterloo Siskins London Nationals 4–3 9–4, 5–4 OT, 2–6, 1–3, 5–3, 1–5, 3–2 OT 2020 Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic 2021 Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic 2022 St. Catharines Falcons Chatham Maroons 2–0 6–2, 8–2 2023 Leamington Flyers Stratford Warriors 4–3 4–1, 4–1, 2–6, 4–2, 1–4, 3–4, 4–0 2024 Listowel Cyclones St. Marys Lincolns 4–1 2–3, 4–1, 2–1 OT, 4–3, 4–3 OT 2025 Chatham Maroons St. Catharines Falcons 4–2 7-3, 2-5, 7–3, 5-8, 5-2, 6-3 | ||||
| Season | Champion | Finalist | Series (Best of 7) | Scores |
| 2008 | Tecumseh Chiefs | Elmira Sugar Kings | 4–0 | 5–4 OT, 3–1, 2–1 OT, 5–3 |
| 2009 | Brantford Eagles | Stoney Creek Warriors | 4–1 | 4–1, 3–2, 4–5 OT, 6–1, 3–2 |
| 2010 | LaSalle Vipers | Brantford Eagles | 4–1 | 6–4, 5–2, 5–3, 3–6, 3–2 2OT |
| 2011 | Elmira Sugar Kings | Niagara Falls Canucks | 4–1 | 4–2, 5–6 OT, 3–1, 4–3, 4–0 |
| 2012 | St. Catharines Falcons | Brantford Eagles | 4–2 | 2–5, 1–4, 3–1, 3–2 OT, 2–1, 5–1 |
| 2013 | London Nationals | Cambridge Winter Hawks | 4–3 | 4–6, 2–3 OT, 6–0, 4–3, 1–4, 2–1 OT, 4–2 |
| 2014 | Caledonia Corvairs | St. Catharines Falcons | 4–3 | 2–7, 4–1, 3–0, 2–3 2OT, 3–1, 2–3 3OT, 3–1 |
| 2015 | Caledonia Corvairs | LaSalle Vipers | 4–2 | 2–4, 6–4, 3–2, 4–3, 4–5 OT, 4–3 |
| 2016 | Caledonia Corvairs | London Nationals | 4–0 | 9–3, 6–0, 8–1, 4–3 OT |
| 2017 | Elmira Sugar Kings | London Nationals | 4–1 | 3–0, 2–0, 4–1, 4–6, 4–1 |
| 2018 | Listowel Cyclones | Caledonia Corvairs | 4–0 | 4–3, 6–3, 2–0, 4–1 |
| 2019 | Waterloo Siskins | London Nationals | 4–3 | 9–4, 5–4 OT, 2–6, 1–3, 5–3, 1–5, 3–2 OT |
| 2020 | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | |||
| 2021 | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | |||
| 2022 | St. Catharines Falcons | Chatham Maroons | 2–0 | 6–2, 8–2 |
| 2023 | Leamington Flyers | Stratford Warriors | 4–3 | 4–1, 4–1, 2–6, 4–2, 1–4, 3–4, 4–0 |
| 2024 | Listowel Cyclones | St. Marys Lincolns | 4–1 | 2–3, 4–1, 2–1 OT, 4–3, 4–3 OT |
| 2025 | Chatham Maroons | St. Catharines Falcons | 4–2 | 7-3, 2-5, 7–3, 5-8, 5-2, 6-3 |
NHL entry draft
First round NHL entry draft picks of players straight out of the GOJHL:[citation needed]
- Daultan Leveille – 2008 first round, 29th overall to Atlanta Thrashers (St. Catharines Falcons)
External links
Media related to Greater Ontario Hockey League at Wikimedia Commons