Our History

The Eastern Ontario Junior Hockey League has become one of the top developmental leagues in Ontario over the past decade.  Although it has been regarded as solely a feeder league for the Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL), the league has also been an early stage for some very talented players who have moved on to Major Junior, NCAA, CIS and the professional ranks, including the NHL.

The EOJHL was founded in 1966 as the Rideau-St. Lawrence Junior “B” Hockey League. Through a merger with the Upper Ottawa Valley Junior “B” Hockey League and the folding of the Lanark-Renfrew Junior “C” Hockey League, the league had grown to 22 different teams.

Each club is entitled two (16 year old cards) making it a great league for young prospects.  Many players who play out their Junior A eligibility and don’t get NCAA scholarship offers return to their hometown organizations to finish their final season of hockey.  It is a great league for players who are going to college or university and can’t commit to the busy schedule of Tier 1 Junior A hockey.

For the 2007-08 season, the Kemptville 73’s moved from the EOJBHL to the Central Junior A Hockey League. A season later, the EOJBHL sold their franchise rights to the then-owners of the Casselman Stars of the Eastern Ontario Junior C Hockey League and then town of Casselman, Ontario. The new team, the Casselman Vikings, began play in the 2008-09 season.

In May 2009, the league dropped the Junior “B” designation from its name, becoming the Eastern Ontario Junior Hockey League (EOJHL).

For the 2009-10 season, the Carleton Place Kings moved from the EOJHL to the Central Canada Hockey League. The Kings were replaced the same year by the new Almonte Thunder.

In April 2014, the EOJHL Champion Casselman Vikings traveled to Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia to compete in the Eastern Canadian Junior B Championship. Cassleman became the first team west of Atlantic Canada to compete in the Don Johnson Memorial Cup tournament since its inception in 1982. Casselman went 6-0-0 and won the championship.

At the beginning of the 2015-16 season, the league changed its name to the CCHL2 and cut down to 16 teams from 22 teams which saw the removal of the Shawville Pontiacs, Akwesasne Wolves, Gananoque Islanders, Almonte Thunder, Morrisburg Lions, and Gatineau Mustangs.

The CCHL2 consists of two divisions, the Martin Division and Richardson Division. The league offers a 52-game balanced schedule where everyone plays everyone at least once. The two Divisional Playoff champions battle for the Barkley Cup every April.

In March 2017, the Pembroke Lumber Kings (CCHL) announced the purchase of the Prescott Flyers as their CCHL2 affiliate and relocating the team to Cobden and calling them the Whitewater Kings. Also in March, the Carleton Place Canadians (CCHL) announced the purchase of the Clarence Beavers and relocated them to Carleton Place, naming them the Carleton Place Junior Canadians. The Rockland Nationals of the National Capital Junior Hockey League will relocate to Clarence to fill in for the departed Beavers. The Metcalfe Jets will move to the National Capital Junior Hockey League and in return the Embrun Panthers will move up to the CCHL2.

In June 2020, the league changed its name back to the Eastern Ontario Junior Hockey League.

Active Teams

  • Alexandria Glens
  • Arnprior Packers
  • Athens Aeros
  • Brockville Tikis
  • Carleton Place Jr. Canadians
  • Casselman Vikings
  • Char-Lan Rebels
  • Embrun Panthers
  • Ottawa Canadians
  • Ottawa West Golden Knights
  • Perth Blue Wings
  • Richmond Royals
  • Valley Timberwolves
  • Westport Rideaus
  • Whitewater Kings
  • Winchester Hawks

Former Teams

  • Akwesasne Wolves (1988-2015)
  • Almonte Thunder (2009-2015)
  • Cardinal Broncos (1971-1982)
  • Carleton Place Kings (1969-2009)
  • Clarence Beavers (1980-2017)
  • Gananoque Islanders (1986-2015)
  • Gatineau Mustangs (1997-2015)
  • Kemptville 73s (1969-2007)
  • Metcalfe Jets (1969-2017)
  • Morrisburg Lions (1971-2015)
  • Navan Grads (1974-1991)
  • Prescott Falcons
  • Prescott Flyers (2013-2017)
  • St. Isidore Eagles (1974-1987)
  • Shawville Pontiacs (1986-2015)
  • South Grenville Rangers (1982-2013)
  • Spencerville Bruins