The Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL) is a Junior ice hockey league with eleven teams in Northeastern Ontario and Upper Michigan. The league is a constituent member of the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) and is governed by the Northern Ontario Hockey Association. Teams compete to win the league championship Copeland Cup – McNamara Trophy, with the winning team advancing to the national championship to compete for the Centennial Cup.
The NOJHL was established in 1978 with six teams: the Espanola Eagles (1978–1988), Capreol Hawks (1978–1986), Nickel Centre Native Sons (1978–1984), Onaping Falls Huskies (1978–1983), Rayside-Balfour Canadians (1978–1986) and Sudbury Cubs (1978–1982). It was preceded by the NOJHA (1962–1972) and the NOHA Jr. B Hockey League (1970–1978).
By the 1986–87 season, the NOJHL was down to four teams. The Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League (OPJHL), also down to four teams, played an interlocking schedule with the NOJHL. The OPJHL folded after that season.
In the 2011–12 NOJHL season, the NOJHL became the first Junior A league in Canada to implement concussion safety and drug testing programs.
NOJHL teams won the Central Canada regional championship Dudley Hewitt Cup a total of five times, in 1997, 2000, 2002, 2012 and 2015. The regional contest was discontinued after 2019. As of 2025, no team from the NOJHL has won a national championship.
Teams
The league had 11 active teams during the 2026–27 season. In March 2026, the NOJHL announced the Elliot Lake Vikings' immediate reinstatement and expected return for the 2026–27 season. The Vikings franchise was placed on an indefinite leave of absence in the middle of the 2024–25 season.
|+ style="background:#182E57; border-top:#CDCCCB 5px solid; border-bottom:#CDCCCB 5px solid"| ! style=width:13em | Team ! style=width:13em | Home ! style=width:20em | Arena |- | Blind River Beavers || Blind River || Blind River Community Centre |- align=left | Elliot Lake Vikings || Elliot Lake || Rogers Arena (Elliot Lake) |- align=left | Espanola Paper Kings || Espanola || Espanola Regional Recreation Complex |- align=left | French River Rapids || Noelville || Noelville Arena |- align=left | Hearst Lumberjacks || Hearst || Claude Larose Recreation Centre |- align=left | Iroquois Falls Storm || Iroquois Falls || Jus Jordan Arena |- align=left | Kirkland Lake Gold Miners || Kirkland Lake || Joe Mavrinac Community Complex |- align=left | Powassan Voodoos || Powassan || Powassan Sportsplex |- align=left | Soo Eagles || Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan || Pullar Stadium |- align=left | Soo Thunderbirds || Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario || John Rhodes Community Centre |- align=left | Timmins Rock || Timmins || McIntyre Arena
Former teams
More than half of the teams that have played in the NOJHL no longer do. In some cases, this is the result of relocation or rebranding decisions. In others, franchises have simply folded. The team most recently added to the list, the Greater Sudbury Cubs, folded in 2026.
+ Former teams Team Centre From To ReasonCapreol HawksCapreol19781986FoldedCopper Cliff CubsCopper Cliff19701975FoldedConiston FlyersConiston19761977FoldedElliot Lake VikingsElliot Lake19811999FoldedEspanola EaglesEspanola19622003RebrandedEspanola RivermenEspanola20132014Joined CIHLIroquois Falls Eskis Iroquois Falls 19882017RebrandedNickel Centre Native SonsNickel Centre19781987FoldedOnaping Falls HuskiesOnaping Falls19781986FoldedParry Sound ShamrocksParry Sound19941999Joined OPJHLRayside-Balfour SabrecatsRayside-Balfour19782005FoldedRouyn-Noranda CapitalesRouyn-Noranda, Quebec19891996FoldedSudbury CubsSudbury19781993FoldedTemiscaming Royals Temiscaming, Quebec 2008 2011 FoldedThessalon FlyersThessalon19871990FoldedWest Nipissing AlouettesSturgeon Falls19731976FoldedGreater Sudbury CubsGreater Sudbury20212026Folded
Timeline of teams
1978 - NOHA Jr. B Hockey League is promoted to Junior A and renamed Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League - League includes: Sudbury Cubs, Nickel Centre Native Sons, Onaping Falls Huskies, Capreol Hawks, Rayside-Balfour Canadians, and Espanola Eagles 1981 - Elliot Lake Vikings join from International Junior B Hockey League 1982 - Sudbury Cubs become Sudbury North Stars 1983 - Onaping Falls Huskies leave league 1983 - Sudbury North Stars return to Sudbury Cubs 1984 - Onaping Falls Huskies rejoin league 1984 - Nickel Centre Native Sons leave league 1985 - Nickel Centre Native Sons rejoin league 1986 - Nickel Centre Native Sons renamed Nickel Centre Power Trains 1986 - Rayside-Balfour Canadians, Capreol Hawks, and Onaping Falls Huskies leave league 1987 - Rayside-Balfour Canadians rejoin league 1987 - Thessalon Flyers join league 1987 - Nickel Centre Power Trains leave league 1988 - Espanola Eagles leave league, franchise sold to Haileybury 54's 1989 - Rouyn-Noranda Capitales join league 1990 - Thessalon Flyers leave league 1990 - Haileybury 54's move and become Powassan Passport 1991 - Timmins Golden Bears and Espanola Eagles join league 1992 - Sudbury Cubs become Nickel Centre Cubs 1992 - Powassan Passport become Powassan Hawks 1993 - Nickel Centre Cubs leave league 1994 - Parry Sound Shamrocks join league 1994 - Powassan Hawks move and are renamed Sturgeon Falls Lynx 1995 - Espanola Eagles leave league 1995 - Rayside-Balfour Canadians renamed Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats 1996 - Rouyn-Noranda Capitales disband to make way for Rouyn-Noranda Huskies of Quebec Major Junior Hockey League 1997 - Elliot Lake Vikings become Elliot Lake Ice 1998 - Espanola Eagles rejoin league 1999 - Timmins Golden Bears relocate and become Iroquois Falls Jr. Eskis 1999 - Soo Thunderbirds join league 1999 - Elliot Lake Ice leave league, franchise sold to Nickel Centre Barons 1999 - Parry Sound Shamrocks move to the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League 2000 - Sudbury Northern Wolves join league 2000 - Nickel Centre Barons move and are renamed Blind River Barons 2001 - Blind River Barons renamed Blind River Beavers 2002 - Iroquois Fals Jr. Eskis are renamed Abitibi Eskimos 2002 - Sturgeon Falls Lynx move to North Bay and become the North Bay Skyhawks 2002 - Soo Thunderbirds are renamed Sault Ste. Marie Jr. Greyhounds 2003 - Espanola Eagles move to St. Ignace, Michigan and become the Northern Michigan Black Bears 2003 - Little Current awarded expansion franchise Manitoulin Wild 2003 - Sault Ste. Marie Jr. Greyhounds return to Soo Thunderbirds 2005 - Manitoulin Wild become Manitoulin Islanders 2005 - Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats are granted a one-year leave of absence 2005 - Sudbury Northern Wolves become Sudbury Jr. Wolves 2006 - Northern Michigan Black Bears are relocated and renamed Soo Indians 2006 - Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats officially fold 2007 - Soo Indians take one-year leave in search of new ownership 2008 - Temiscaming Royals join from Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League 2008 - Soo Indians return, renamed Soo Eagles 2009 - North Bay Skyhawks are renamed North Bay Trappers 2011 - Temiscaming Royals leave league 2011 - Manitoulin Islanders move and become Kirkland Lake Blue Devils 2011 - Sudbury Jr. Wolves are renamed Sudbury Cubs 2012 - Kirkland Lake Blue Devils fold/return as Kirkland Lake Gold Miners 2012 - Soo Eagles leave and join North American Hockey League 2012 - Elliot Lake Bobcats join from Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League 2012 - Sudbury Cubs are renamed Sudbury Nickel Barons 2013 - Espanola Rivermen join league as expansion 2014 - Espanola Rivermen leave league and join CIHL 2014 - Elliot Lake Bobcats move to Cochrane Ontario and become Cochrane Crunch 2014 - North Bay Trappers move to Mattawa Ontario and become Mattawa Blackhawks 2014 - Elliot Lake Wildcats join league as expansion 2014 - Powassan Voodoos join league as expansion 2015 - Abitibi Eskimos relocate to Timmins and become Timmins Rock 2015 - Mattawa Blackhawks relocate to Iroquois Falls and become Iroquois Falls Eskis 2015 - Sudbury Nickel Barons relocate to Chelmsford and become Rayside-Balfour Canadians 2015 - French River Rapids join league as expansion 2015 - Espanola Express join league as expansion 2015 - Soo Eagles rejoin league 2017 - Iroquois Falls Eskis relocate to Hearst and become Hearst Lumberjacks 2025 - Elliot Lake Vikings take leave of absence 2026 - Elliot Lake Vikings reinstated 2026 - Greater Sudbury Cubs folded
Copeland-McNamara Trophy and Division Champions
In 2008–09, the NOJHL instituted divisions. Overall champions are bolded.
NOHA Jr. B EraYearChampionFinalist1971 Copper Cliff Cubs/Sudbury Cubs Levack Miners1972 Levack Miners Sudbury Cubs1973 Copper Cliff Cubs/Coniston Cubs Levack Miners1974 Rayside-Balfour Canadians Coniston Cubs1975 Onaping Falls Huskies Capreol Hawks1976 1977 1978 Nickel Centre Native SonsNOJHL EraYearChampionFinalist1979 Nickel Centre Native Sons Sudbury Cubs1980 Onaping Falls Huskies Capreol Hawks1981 1982 Elliot Lake Vikings1983 Elliot Lake Vikings Onaping Falls Huskies1984 Rayside-Balfour Canadians Elliot Lake Vikings1985 Sudbury Cubs Capreol Hawks1986 Onaping Falls Huskies Sudbury Cubs1987 Nickel Centre Power Trains 1988 Sudbury Cubs Elliot Lake Vikings1989 Rayside-Balfour Canadians1990 Rouyn-Noranda Capitales1991 Rayside-Balfour Canadians1992 Powassan Hawks1993 Timmins Golden Bears1994 Rouyn-Noranda Capitales1995 Timmins Golden Bears 1996 Rayside-Balfour SabrecatsSturgeon Falls Lynx1997 1998 Parry Sound Shamrocks1999 2000 Sturgeon Falls Lynx2001 Soo Thunderbirds2002 2003 North Bay SkyhawksSault Ste. Marie Jr. Greyhounds2004 Soo Thunderbirds2005 Northern Michigan Black Bears2006 Sudbury Jr. WolvesNorth Bay Skyhawks2007 Soo IndiansSudbury Jr. Wolves2008 Sudbury Jr. WolvesAbitibi EskimosEastWest2009 North Bay Skyhawks Soo Thunderbirds2010 Abitibi Eskimos Soo Thunderbirds2011 Sudbury Jr. Wolves Soo Eagles2012 North Bay Trappers Soo Thunderbirds2013 North Bay Trappers Soo Thunderbirds2014 Kirkland Lake Gold Miners 2015 Cochrane Crunch Soo Thunderbirds2016 Kirkland Lake Gold Miners 2017 Powassan Voodoos Blind River Beavers2018 Cochrane Crunch Rayside-Balfour Canadians2019 Hearst Lumberjacks Soo Thunderbirds2020 Postseason cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic2021 2022 Hearst LumberjacksSoo Thunderbirds2023 Timmins RockSoo Thunderbirds2024 Powassan VoodoosGreater Sudbury CubsNOJHL Single TableYearChampionFinalist1979 Greater Sudbury Cubs Hearst Lumberjacks
Dudley Hewitt Cup Central Canadian Champions
YearChampionFinalistHost (if applicable)1997 Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats Milton Merchants (OPJHL) --2000 Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats Brampton Capitals (OPJHL) --2002 Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats Dryden Ice Dogs (SIJHL) --2012 Soo Thunderbirds Stouffville Spirit (OJHL) Thunder Bay, Ontario2015 Soo Thunderbirds Fort Frances Lakers (SIJHL) Fort Frances, Ontario
Trophy gallery
Notable alumni Todd Bertuzzi - Sudbury Cubs Brian Savage - Sudbury Cubs Steve Sullivan - Timmins Golden Bears Alex Auld - Sturgeon Falls Lynx Chris Thorburn - Elliot Lake Ice Jeremy Stevenson - Elliot Lake Vikings Jake Muzzin - Soo Thunderbirds Alex Henry - Timmins Golden Bears Dan Cloutier - Timmins Golden Bears Trevor Halverson - Thessalon Flyers Shannon Hope - Elliot Lake Vikings Lonnie Loach - Haileybury 54's Tyler Kennedy - Soo Thunderbirds Derek MacKenzie - Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats Colin Miller - Soo Thunderbirds Andrew Desjardins - Espanola Screaming Eagles
League records
Team season Best Record, One Season: 40-0-0 - Sudbury Cubs, 1989–90 40-0-0 - Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats, 1999–00 Worst Record, One Season: 0-51-0-1 Blind River Beavers 2014–15 Most Goals Scored, One Season: 482 - Rayside-Balfour Canadians, 1991–92 Fewest Goals Scored, One Season: 97 - Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats, 2003–04 Fewest Goals Against, One Season: 80 - Rayside-Balfour Sabrecats, 1999–00 Most Goals Against, One Season: 708 - Elliot Lake Vikings, 1991–92
Team game Largest margin of victory: Rayside-Balfour Canadiens 30 - Elliot Lake Vikings 3 on January 28, 1992
Individual season Most Goals, One Season: