The Ontario University Athletics ice hockey tournament is an annual conference championship held between member teams. The winner receives an automatic bid to the U Sports men's ice hockey championship.
History Four division league In 1997, the OUAA changes its name to Ontario University Athletics (OUA). Coinciding with the rebranding was a change to the playoff format. The OUA used the same qualifications as the OUAA had; the four division winners received byes into the quarterfinal round while the second- and third-place teams met in the first round. The first round was changed to a two-game series where if the teams remained tied after the two matches than a 20-minute mini-game was used as a tiebreaker (mini-games are unofficial matches that are not counted for any statistical category). The Divisional Finals were also altered, becoming a best-of-five series. This format lasted for only one year and the following season the mini-game was replaced by a regular best-of-three series while the second round went from best-of-five to best-of-three.
The playoff format remained constant for several years but saw a small change in 2005. The OUA paired the eastern and western divisions for the postseason. The four division champions were still given byes into the second round, however, the remaining four teams for each bracket were selected based upon their regular season record and seeded accordingly. Additionally, the division final round was now also changed to a best-of-three series.
Two division league In the later half of the 00s, OUA added three more schools to the lineup. After the arrival of Nipissing, the league abandoned the cumbersome four division format and switched to eastern and western halves. Additionally, the tournament was expanded to 16 teams with all beginning play in the division quarterfinal round. The league also would hold a third place game in alternating years starting with 2012. When the national tournament expanded to 8 teams in 2015, it began offering three automatic bids to the OUA, causing the conference to make the third place game a permanent fixture.
As a result of the restrictions during the 2021–22 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the league was temporarily rearranged into four division. Additionally, all rounds were switched to single-elimination for this season. Furthermore, the teams were not reseeded after the first round due to the short time between matches. After the COVID restrictions ended, the league contracted its tournament, limiting entry to 12 teams and giving byes to the top two teams from each division.
Tournaments 1998 Far EastMid EastMid WestFar WestSeedSchoolStandingsSeedSchoolStandingsSeedSchoolStandingsSeedSchoolStandings 1 Quebec–Trois-Rivières 20–4–2 1 Guelph 17–5–4 1 York 13–11–2 1 Windsor 22–3–1 T–2 Concordia 13–11–2 2 Toronto 10–13–3 2 Brock 10–15–1 2 Waterloo 15–7–4 T–2 McGill 12–10–4 3 Queen's 8–16–2 3 Laurentian 9–16–1 3 Western Ontario 15–8–3 4 Ottawa 13–12–1 4 Royal Military College 2–20–4 4 Ryerson 3–19–4 4 Wilfrid Laurier 6–18–2
Mini-games in italics.Note: * denotes overtime period(s)
1999 Far EastMid EastMid WestFar WestSeedSchoolStandingsSeedSchoolStandingsSeedSchoolStandingsSeedSchoolStandings 1 Quebec–Trois-Rivières 20–5–1 1 Guelph 11–10–5 1 York 8–10–7 1 Windsor 17–6–3 2 Concordia 16–7–3 2 Queen's 5–14–7 2 Brock 10–14–2 2 Wilfrid Laurier 14–7–5 3 Ottawa 17–9–0 3 Toronto 6–16–4 3 Laurentian 8–13–5 3 Waterloo 11–8–7 4 McGill 13–9–4 4 Royal Military College 4–21–1 4 Ryerson 6–19–0 4 Western Ontario 14–12–0
Note: * denotes overtime period(s)
2000 Far EastMid EastMid WestFar WestSeedSchoolStandingsSeedSchoolStandingsSeedSchoolStandingsSeedSchoolStandings 1 Quebec–Trois-Rivières 20–2–4 1 Guelph 10–12–4 1 Brock 13–10–3 1 Western Ontario 19–3–4 2 McGill 21–5–0 2 Toronto 10–13–3 T–2 Laurentian 9–14–3 2 Windsor 11–9–6 3 Concordia 14–9–3 3 Queen's 9–15–2 T–2 York 9–14–3 3 Wilfrid Laurier 11–10–5 4 Ottawa 8–14–4 4 Royal Military College 3–23–0 4 Ryerson 9–16–1 4 Waterloo 9–16–1 Note: York forfeited six wins during the season for using an ineligible player.
Note: * denotes overtime period(s)
2001 Far EastMid EastMid WestFar WestSeedSchoolStandingsSeedSchoolStandingsSeedSchoolStandingsSeedSchoolStandings 1 Quebec–Trois-Rivières 21–1–2 1 Toronto 13–10–1 1 York 15–6–3 1 Western Ontario 21–3–0 2 Concordia 10–9–5 2 Queen's 6–16–2 T–2 Brock 11–11–2 2 Waterloo 15–7–2 3 McGill 10–11–3 3 Royal Military College 5–19–0 T–2 Guelph 11–11–2 3 Wilfrid Laurier 9–11–4 4 Ottawa 6–16–2 4 Ryerson 4–20–0 4 Windsor 8–14–2
Note: * denotes overtime period(s)
2002 Far EastMid EastMid WestFar WestSeedSchoolStandingsSeedSchoolStandingsSeedSchoolStandingsSeedSchoolStandings T–1 Ottawa 15–8–1 1 Toronto 13–7–4 1 York 17–4–3 1 Western Ontario 22–0–2 T–1 Quebec–Trois-Rivières 15–8–1 2 Ryerson 10–14–0 2 Guelph 11–12–1 2 Lakehead 13–8–3 3 McGill 13–9–2 3 Royal Military College 8–15–1 T–3 Brock 7–13–4 3 Windsor 8–15–1 4 Concordia 11–12–1 4 Queen's 4–19–1 T–3 Wilfrid Laurier 8–14–2 4 Waterloo 3–20–1
Note: * denotes overtime period(s)
2003 Far EastMid EastMid WestFar WestSeedSchoolStandingsSeedSchoolStandingsSeedSchoolStandingsSeedSchoolStandings 1 Quebec–Trois-Rivières 20–2–2 1 Toronto 16–5–3 1 York 17–6–1 1 Western Ontario 24–0–0 2 McGill 16–6–2 2 Queen's 7–17–0 2 Wilfrid Laurier 12–11–1 2 Lakehead 18–6–0 3 Ottawa 13–9–2 3 Royal Military College 6–17–1 3 Brock 8–16–0 3 Windsor 8–15–1 4 Concordia 9–13–2 4 Ryerson 2–21–1 4 Guelph 6–17–1 4 Waterloo 1–22–1
Note: * denotes overtime period(s)
2004 Far EastMid EastMid WestFar WestSeedSchoolStandingsSeedSchoolStandingsSeedSchoolStandingsSeedSchoolStandings 1 Ottawa 17–3–3–1 1 Toronto 9–10–4–1 1 York 15–5–4–0 1 Western Ontario 21–3–0–0 2 Quebec–Trois-Rivières 14–5–4–1 2 Queen's 9–13–2–0 2 Brock 13–8–3–0 2 Lakehead 18–4–2–0 3 Concordia 11–10–3–0 3 Royal Military College 3–20–0–1 3 Wilfrid Laurier 10–8–3–3 3 Waterloo 8–14–0–2 4 McGill 9–9–4–2 4 Ryerson 3–21–0–0 4 Guelph 8–12–2–2 4 Windsor 7–17–0–0
Note: * denotes overtime period(s)
2005 Far EastMid EastMid WestFar WestSeedSchoolStandingsSeedSchoolStandingsSeedSchoolStandingsSeedSchoolStandings 1 McGill 17–6–1–0 1 Toronto 12–11–1–0 1 York 12–6–5–1 1 Western Ontario 17–6–0–1 2 Quebec–Trois-Rivières 15–5–3–1 2 Royal Military College 8–10–0–6 2 Wilfrid Laurier 12–10–2–0 2 Lakehead 15–8–1–0 3 Concordia 14–8–1–1 3 Queen's 8–14–0–2 3 Guelph 8–11–4–1 3 Waterloo 13–8–3–0 4 Ottawa 13–8–2–1 4 Ryerson 1–22–0–1 4 Brock 6–16–1–1 4 Windsor 7–10–4–3
Note: Scores for individual games in the first three rounds are mostly unavailable. The aggregate results presented are for the series.Note: * denotes overtime period(s)
2006 Far EastMid EastMid WestFar WestSeedSchoolStandingsSeedSchoolStandingsSeedSchoolStandingsSeedSchoolStandings 1 McGill 20–1–3–0 1 Toronto 8–13–2–1 1 Wilfrid Laurier 13–8–2–1 1 Western Ontario 21–2–1–0 2 Quebec–Trois-Rivières 16–6–2–0 2 Royal Military College 7–12–5–0 2 York 10–11–1–2 2 Waterloo 15–6–3–0 3 Ottawa 13–8–2–1 3 Queen's 7–15–1–1 3 Brock 9–11–2–2 3 Lakehead 13–9–2–0 4 Concordia 7–11–3–3 4 Ryerson 1–21–1–1 4 Guelph 7–14–3–0 4 Windsor 7–12–3–2
Note: * denotes overtime period(s)
2007 Far EastMid EastMid WestFar WestSeedSchoolStandingsSeedSchoolStandingsSeedSchoolStandingsSeedSchoolStandings 1 Quebec–Trois-Rivières 17–5–3–3 1 Toronto 18–9–1–0 1 Wilfrid Laurier 22–5–1–0 1 Waterloo 21–4–2–1 2 McGill 15–7–5–1 2 Queen's 8–14–5–1 2 York 13–10–3–2 2 Western Ontario 17–6–3–2 3 Ottawa 11–12–3–2 3 Royal Military College 7–16–4–1 3 Brock 14–12–1–1 3 Lakehead 13–10–3–2 4 Concordia 8–16–3–1 4 Ryerson 2–23–2–1 4 Guelph 7–14–3–4 4 Windsor 10–17–0–1
Note: * denotes overtime period(s)
2008 Far EastMid EastMid WestFar WestSeedSchoolStandingsSeedSchoolStandingsSeedSchoolStandingsSeedSchoolStandings 1 Quebec–Trois-Rivières 22–5–0–1 1 Queen's 13–12–0–3 1 Brock 17–8–1–2 1 Lakehead 23–4–0–1 2 McGill 18–9–0–1 2 Toronto 13–13–0–2 2 York 14–11–2–1 2 Western Ontario 18–5–1–4 3 Ottawa 14–12–0–2 3 Royal Military College 10–16–0–2 3 Guelph 12–13–1–2 3 Waterloo 18–10–0–0 4 Carleton 12–13–2–1 4 Ryerson 9–16–1–2 4 Ontario Tech 6–19–2–1 4 Wilfrid Laurier 16–9–1–2 5 Concordia 11–14–2–1 5 Windsor 6–21–0–1
Note: * denotes overtime period(s)
2009 Far EastMid EastMid WestFar WestSeedSchoolStandingsSeedSchoolStandingsSeedSchoolStandingsSeedSchoolStandings 1 Quebec–Trois-Rivières 21–4–3–0 1 Toronto 14–11–1–2 1 York 14–11–0–3 1 Wilfrid Laurier 22–5–1–0 2 McGill 18–8–1–1 2 Queen's 12–13–1–2 2 Guelph 14–12–1–1 2 Western Ontario 19–7–2–0 3 Concordia 14–12–0–2 3 Royal Military College 8–18–1–1 3 Brock 9–14–3–2 3 Waterloo 18–7–0–3 4 Carleton 13–11–3–1 4 Ryerson 5–22–0–1 4 Ontario Tech 7–16–4–1 4 Lakehead 18–8–1–1 5 Ottawa 12–11–3–2 5 Windsor 13–13–0–2
Note: * denotes overtime period(s)
2010 EastWestSeedSchoolStandingsSeedSchoolStandings 1 Quebec–Trois-Rivières 23–3–1–1 1 Western Ontario 21–7–0–0 2 McGill 22–6–0–0 2 Waterloo 20–7–0–1 3 Toronto 15–9–2–2 3 Lakehead 19–7–0–2 4 Carleton 15–10–1–2 4 Wilfrid Laurier 17–7–4–0 5 Queen's 14–12–1–1 5 Guelph 14–10–0–4 6 Ryerson 12–13–0–3 6 York 12–13–3–0 7 Nipissing 12–15–0–1 7 Windsor 10–13–3–2 8 Concordia 8–16–1–3 8 Ontario Tech 11–15–0–2 9 Royal Military College 6–18–3–1 9 Brock 9–17–1–1 10 Ottawa 6–20–2–0
Note: * denotes overtime period(s)
2011 EastWestSeedSchoolStandingsSeedSchoolStandings 1 McGill 24–2–0–2 1 Western Ontario 20–3–2–3 2 Quebec–Trois-Rivières 19–8–1–0 2 Wilfrid Laurier 15–7–2–4 3 Carleton 18–8–0–2 3 Lakehead 16–9–3–0 4 Nipissing 17–8–0–3 4 Guelph 15–10–1–2 5 Queen's 14–11–3–0 5 Brock 13–9–4–2 6 Toronto 10–11–5–2 6 Waterloo 15–12–0–1 7 Concordia 12–14–2–0 T–7 Ontario Tech 12–12–2–2 8 Ottawa 11–14–1–2 T–7 Windsor 12–12–2–2 9 Ryerson 8–18–1–1 9 York 10–16–1–1 10 Royal Military College 5–22–1–0
Note: * denotes overtime period(s)
2012 EastWestSeedSchoolStandingsSeedSchoolStandings 1 McGill 22–4–2–0 1 Western Ontario 21–4–1–2 2 Quebec–Trois-Rivières 19–7–1–1 2 Lakehead 19–9–0–0 3 Nipissing 17–7–1–3 3 Waterloo 15–9–3–1 4 Toronto 16–9–2–1 4 York 14–10–1–3 5 Carleton 15–10–1–2 5 Windsor 15–12–0–1 T–6 Ottawa 14–13–0–1 6 Brock 13–14–1–0 T–6 Ryerson 13–12–1–2 7 Guelph 9–14–3–2 T–8 Queen's 13–13–0–2 8 Wilfrid Laurier 9–17–1–1 T–8 Concordia 13–13–1–1 9 Ontario Tech 6–21–1–0 10 Royal Military College 3–23–2–0
Note: * denotes overtime period(s)
2013 EastWestSeedSchoolStandingsSeedSchoolStandings 1 Quebec–Trois-Rivières 21–6–0–1 1 Western Ontario 21–5–1–1 2 Carleton 19–7–1–1 2 Windsor 18–9–0–1 3 McGill 17–7–0–4 T–3 Lakehead 17–9–1–1 4 Ottawa 16–8–2–2 T–3 Guelph 17–9–0–2 5 Toronto 13–9–3–3 5 Wilfrid Laurier 14–12–2–0 6 Nipissing 14–12–1–1 6 Waterloo 12–11–0–5 7 Queen's 10–11–6–1 7 York 14–14–0–0 8 Ryerson 12–16–0–0 T–8 Ontario Tech 11–16–0–1 9 Concordia 8–15–2–3 T–8 Brock 9–14–4–1 10 Royal Military College 3–22–2–1
Note: * denotes overtime period(s)
2014 EastWestSeedSchoolStandingsSeedSchoolStandings 1 Carleton 22–5–1–0 1 Western Ontario 21–6–1–0 T–2 Quebec–Trois-Rivières 22–6–0–0 2 Lakehead 17–8–2–1 T–2 McGill 21–5–1–1 T–3 Ryerson 17–11–0–0 4 Queen's 17–6–2–3 T–3 Windsor 17–11–0–0 5 Ottawa 17–10–0–1 T–5 Toronto 15–11–1–1 6 Concordia 11–13–2–2 T–5 Brock 14–10–2–2 7 Ontario Tech 8–16–3–1 T–7 York 13–13–1–1 8 Nipissing 7–16–2–3 T–7 Guelph 12–12–2–2 9 Laurentian 5–22–0–1 T–7 Waterloo 12–12–2–2 10 Royal Military College 3–22–2–1 10 Wilfrid Laurier 9–17–2–0
Note: * denotes overtime period(s)
2015 EastWestSeedSchoolStandingsSeedSchoolStandings 1 McGill 21–5–0–0 1 Windsor 22–4–1–0 T–2 Carleton 20–5–0–1 2 Western Ontario 19–7–1–0 T–2 Quebec–Trois-Rivières 19–4–1–2 3 Waterloo 17–8–1–1 4 Laurentian 14–9–3–0 4 Ryerson 14–12–1–0 5 Queen's 13–12–1–0 5 Toronto 13–13–1–0 6 Nipissing 12–12–2–0 6 Guelph 11–13–3–0 7 Ontario Tech 10–15–1–0 7 Lakehead 10–14–3–0 8 Concordia 8–17–1–0 8 Brock 10–15–2–0 9 Royal Military College 0–23–3–0 T–9 Wilfrid Laurier 10–16–1–0 T–9 York 9–15–2–1
Note: * denotes overtime period(s)
2016