The International Junior B Hockey League (IJBHL) was a Canadian Junior ice hockey league in the Northern Ontario and Northern Michigan regions. The league was controlled by the Northern Ontario Hockey Association and the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association and was founded in 1965 and lasted until 1981.
History The International Junior B Hockey League was created in 1965 to fill the gap in the region between the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey Association and the Thunder Bay Junior A Hockey League. The league encompassed the Greater-Sault Ste. Marie region to the West in Wawa plus the edge of Northern Michigan. John Reynolds was league commissioner in the early years.
The league became very significant after the NOJHA folded in 1972 and competed against the NOHA Jr. B Hockey League and the Northwestern Ontario Junior Hockey League for Northern Ontario hockey supremacy.
In 1972, the Memorial Cup-eligible NOJHA folded. The league's top two teams, the Sudbury Wolves and Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, moved to the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League and the North Bay Trappers moved to the newly formed Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League. This left the Chelmsford Canadiens and dozens of junior-capable players without a league. This caused the expansion of the infantile NOHA Jr. B Hockey League who took the IJBHL to task in their first three years to win three straight NOHA titles from the IJBHL. In 1973, the Coniston Cubs defeated the Soo Indians, in 1974 the Rayside Balfour Canadians defeated the Wawa Travellers, and in 1975 the Onaping Falls Flyers defeated the Blind River Beavers.
In 1978, the NOHA Junior B Hockey League was promoted to Junior A and became the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League.
Teams Team Centre Joined Departed Blind River Beavers Blind River, ON 1971 Chapleau Huskies Chapleau, ON 1966 Elliot Lake Vikings Elliot Lake, ON 1965 1981 Marquette Americans Marquette, MI Sault Thunderbirds Sault Ste. Marie, ON 1978 1981 Soo Indians Sault Ste. Marie, MI 1965 Soo Rapids Sault Ste. Marie, ON 1965 1971 Thessalon Flyers Thessalon, ON 1967 Wawa Travellers Wawa, ON 1965
Marty Pavelich Trophy Playoff Champions Year Champion Runner-Up Provincials1966 Soo Rapids Elliot Lake Vikings None1967 Chapleau Huskies Soo Indians None1968 Wawa Travellers Soo Indians Won NOHA, Lost NO-OD Series to Ottawa1969 Soo Indians Soo Rapids Won NOHA vs. Sudbury1970 Soo Indians Soo Rapids Lost NO-OD Series to Ottawa1971 Wawa Travellers Chapleau Huskies Won NOHA vs. Sudbury1972 Soo Indians Chapleau Huskies Won NOHA, Lost NO-TB to Schreiber1973 Soo Indians Chapleau Huskies Lost NOHA to Coniston1974 Wawa Travellers Chapleau Huskies Lost NOHA to Rayside-Balfour1975 Blind River Beavers Soo Indians Lost NOHA to Onaping Falls1976 Wawa Travellers Blind River Beavers Lost NOHA to Onaping Falls1977 Soo Indians Wawa Travellers Won NOHA vs. Onaping Falls1978 Soo Indians Thessalon Flyers Lost NOHA to Onaping Falls1979 1980 1981
External links NOJHL's Official Website