The Memorial Cup is one of the most prestigious trophies in North American Junior Hockey, with a rich history dating back 104 years. The tournament pits the playoff champions from the Western Hockey League (WHL), Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), along with the host club, in a four-team round-robin format to determine the champion of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL).
When the trophy was first awarded in 1919, it was known as the OHA Memorial Cup, donated by the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) to honor the soldiers who gave their lives in the First World War. In 2010, the trophy was rededicated to all fallen Canadian Military Personnel.
The Memorial Cup has become a symbol of ultimate success in junior hockey, and teams from the WHL have won the most titles since the tournament adopted its current round-robin format in 1972, with a total of 19 championships. The New Westminster Bruins/Kamloops Blazers franchise holds the record for the most Memorial Cup titles with five wins (1977, 1978, 1992, 1994 & 1995), while the most recent champion from the WHL was the Edmonton Oil Kings in 2013-14.
Of the last 51 years, OHL clubs have claimed the Memorial Cup on 17 different occasions, and the Windsor Spitfires were the last team to raise the trophy in 2017. The QMJHL has celebrated 13 titles during that time, including the last three Memorial Cups won by the Acadie-Bathurst Titan (2018), Rouyn Noranda Huskies (2019), and Saint John Sea Dogs (2022).
The 2023 Memorial Cup, presented by Kia, is supported by Kia Canada along with associate sponsors BetRivers, Real Canadian Superstore, and Kubota. For more information about the Cup, visit chlmemorialcup.ca. With such a rich history and tradition surrounding the Memorial Cup, it is sure to continue to be a highly coveted trophy in the world of junior hockey for years to come.
Credit: chl.ca
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