MYHockey News
Centennial Cup 2024: Canadian JR A National Championship
Updated May 20 at 10:40 a.m. EDT
Ten Junior A hockey teams from all over Canada descended upon Sixteen Mile Sports Complex in Oakville, Ontario, starting May 9 to compete for the national championship. Nine Canadian Junior Hockey League champions and the host Oakville Blades battled it out until May 19 to see which team will take home the coveted Centennial Cup.
The CJHL has nine member leagues stretching from coast to coast, and many of those leagues send numerous players on to play Canadian Major Junior hockey and to the professional ranks as well as to NCAA divisions I, II and III and Canadian college programs.
The leagues included in the CJHL are:
- Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL)
- Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL)
- Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL)
- Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL)
- Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL)
- Superior International Junior Hockey League (SIJHL)
- Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL)
- Quebec Junior Hockey League (LHAAAQ)
- Maritime Hockey League (MHL)
The British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) parted ways with the CJHL three years ago. The nine CJHL league champions, along with the host Oakville Blades (OJHL), are competing for the Centennial Cup. The individual league playoffs were held over the course of the six weeks leading up to the tournament, with 117 teams competing across the nine leagues for the right to play in Oakville.
The puck dropped on the 2024 Centennial Cup Thursday, May 9, at 12 p.m. EDT as the MJHL-champion Winkler Flyers took on the SIJHL-champion Sioux Lookout Bombers. The 10 competing teams were split into two five-team pools, with the preliminary round featuring round-robin play and the top-three finishers in each pool advanced to the playoff rounds. The top seed from each group earned a bye into the semifinals.
The last two teams standing were the Ontario Junior Hockey League's Collingwood Blues and the Saskatchewan Jr. Hockey League's Melfort Mustangs, who faced off in the championship game May 19 at 3 p.m. EDT.
Congrtulations to the Collingwood Blues, the 2024 Centennial Cup winners and the Canadian Junior A national champions! The Blues defeated the Mustangs, 1-0, in a thrilling gold-medal game.
Here are the teams qualified for the Centennial Cup:
GROUP A Standings
- Colingwood Blues (OJHL) - 4-0-0, 12 pts
- Calgary Canucks (AJHL) - 3-1-0, 8 pts (SO W)
- Navan Grads (CCHL) - 2-2-0, 7 pts (SO L)
- Greater Sudbury Cubs (NOJHL) - 1-3-0, 3 pts
- College Francais de Longueuil (LHAAAQ) - 0-4-0, 0 pts
GROUP B Standings
- Melfort Mustangs (SJHL) - 4-0-0, 11 pts (OT W)
- Miramichi Timberwolves (MHL) - 3-1-0, 8 pts (SO W)
- Winkler Flyers (MJHL) - 2-2-0, 8 pts (OT L, SO L)
- Oakville Blades (Host – OJHL) - 1-3-0, 3 pts
- Sioux Lookout Bombers (SIJHL) - 0-4-0, 0 pts
CLICK HERE for Centennial Cup bracket
CLICK HERE for the Centennial Cup schedule
CLICK HERE for the Centennial Cup standings
CLICK HERE for the Centennial Cup team statistics
CLICK HERE for the Centennial Cup individual statistics
CLICK HERE to access Centennial Cup webstreams
2024 Centennial Cup Award Winners
Most Valuable Player - Julien Gervais, Calgary Canucks
Best Forward - Dalton Andrew, Winkler Flyers
Best Defender - Leith Olafson, Melfort Mustangs
Best Goaltender - Jaeden Nelson, Navan Grads
Most Sportsmanlike - Riley Hearn, Calgary Canucks
The schedule for the 2024 Centennial Cup, along with other team and matchup information, can be found below. At the bottom of this page is the road that every team took to get to Oakville.
2024 Centennial Cup Schedule & Results
All times Eastern. Games played at Sixteen Mile Sports Complex in Oakville, Ontario.
Thursday, May 9
12:00 p.m. EDT – Winkler Flyers (4), Sioux Lookout Bombers (2)
CLICK HERE for the game summary
CLICK HERE for the Winkler Flyers team preview
CLICK HERE for the Sioux Lookout Bombers team preview
Sioux Lookout netminder Jack Osmand stopped 44 shots to give his team a chance, but Dalton Andrew was the one player he couldn't figure out. Andrew scored four goals in an incredible Day 1 performance to lift Winkler to a 4-2 victory. He tallied once in each of the first and second periods and twice in the final 20 minutes, with Trent Penner, Brody Beauchemin and James Richards each assisting on two of his scores. Winning goaltender Malachi Klassen made 17 saves, allowing goals to Trevor Sanderson and Owen Riffel.
4:00 p.m. – Collingwood Blues (5), Calgary Canucks (4)
CLICK HERE for the game summary
CLICK HERE for the Collingwood Blues team preview
CLICK HERE for the Calgary Canucks team preview
Spencer Young and Dylan Hudon scored in a span of 2:06 of the third period as the Blues rallied for a 5-4 comeback win against Calgary. Collingwood trailed, 4-3, after Julien Gervais scored his third goal of the game 1:54 into the third period, but Young tied it at 14:31 and Hudon buried the game-winning goal at 16:37. Young also dished out three assists to finish with four points, while Hudon and Cameron Eke each added a goal and two assists. Gervais had three goals and an assist for the Canucks, while Nolan Paquette and Jack Plandowski added a pair of helpers apiece. Winning goalie Noah Pak made 30 saves.
7:30 p.m. – Miramichi Timberwolves (1), Melfort Mustangs (4)
CLICK HERE for the game summary
CLICK HERE for the Miramichi Timberwolves team preview
CLICK HERE for the Melfort Mustangs team preview
Melfort scored the game's first three goals to take a 4-1 lead that would hold up as the final score heading into the final 20 minutes. Aidyn Hutchinson scored twice and assisted on another goal for the winners, with Logan Belton and Chase Friedt-Mohr each adding a goal and an assist. James Venne made 26 saves to earn the win between the pipes, while Ludovic Dufort had the lone Miramichi goal.
CLICK HERE for the top-five plays of Day 1
Friday, May 10
12:00 p.m. EDT – College Francais de Longueuil (1), Navan Grads (5)
CLICK HERE for the game summary
CLICK HERE for the College Francais de Longueuil team preview
CLICK HERE for the Navan Grads team peview
Navan broke open a 1-1 game with three second-period goals and capped the scoring with a single marker in the final 20 minutes to earn the win. Cristobal Tola, Sebbie Johnson and Shaan Kingwell scored during the second-period run, and Colin MacDougall finished the scoring in the final frame. Kingwell finished with a pair of goals, while winning goaltender Jaeden Nelson made 30 saves. Samuel Beaulieu had the lone goal for the Quebec champs.
CLICK HERE for the top-five plays of Day 1
CLICK HERE for the 3 Stars from Day 1
4:00 p.m. EDT – Greater Sudbury Cubs (2), Collingwood Blues (10)
CLICK HERE for the game summary
CLICK HERE for the Greater Sudbury Cubs team preview
Collingwood exploded for six goals in the opening 40 minutes and then potted four more in the final frame to cruise to victory. Noah Pak made 29 saves to earn the win in goal. Mark McIntosh led the way for the Blues with four assists, while Jack Rimmer added a goal and three helpers and Calum Chau notched a hat trick. Marshall McCharles had a goal and an assist for the Cubs, with Hudson Chitaroni scoring the other goal.
7:30 p.m. – Miramichi Timberwolves (7), Oakville Blades (4)
CLICK HERE for live game updates
CLICK HERE for the Oakville Blades team preview
CLICK HERE for the live webstream
After skating to a 1-1 tie through 20 minutes, Miramichi scored three times in the first 10:34 of the middle frame to take a 4-1 lead entering the third period. The hosts stormed back, however, with three goals of their own in the first six minutes of the final period to tie it up. Elliot Robert, David Doucet and Justin David each scored for the T-Wolves in the game's final 10:10 to close out the victory. Adam Rouleau made 33 saves to earn the win in goal. David added three helpers for a four-point evening, with Hugo Audette dishing out three assists and Robert netting a pair of goals.
CLICK HERE for the 3 Stars from Day 2
CLICK HERE for the top plays from Day 2
Saturday, May 11
12:00 p.m. EDT – Melfort Mustangs (6), Winkler Flyers (5) - SO
CLICK HERE for the game summary
Winkler scored a pair of goals in the final 5:54 of regulation to force overtime, but shootout markers by Clay Sleeva and Ryan Duguay thwarted the Flyers' comeback hopes as goalie James Venne only allowed a goal on one of Winkler's five attempts. Dalton Andrew and Zach Nicolas scored to force overtime after Melfort had built a 5-3 lead on the strength of goals from five different players. Chase Friedt-Mohr had a goal and an assist for the Mustangs, while Connor Jensen, Zach Nicolas and Andrew each recorded 1-2-3 for Winkler. Venne finished with 23 saves. Tye Evans, Nolan Patterson, Leith Olafson and Aidyn Hutchinson scored Melfort's other goals.
4:00 p.m. – Calgary Canucks (5) College Francais de Longueuil (1)
CLICK HERE for game summary
Calgary scored the first three goals of the game in the opening 21 minutes and cruised to the 5-1 win. Alexandre Derome cut the lead to 3-1 for Longueuil at the six-minute mark of the second period, but Riley Hearn and Cody Pisarczyk scored to put the game away for the Canucks. Julian Molinaro stopped 20 shots for the winners, while Mathis Lacrois-Goulet kept Longueuil in it with 36 stops. Adam Leitch and Julien Gervais handed out three assists for Calgary, and Pisarczyk potted a pair of goal.
7:30 p.m. – Oakville Blades (5), Sioux Lookout Bombers (2)
CLICK HERE for the game summary
The hosts got in the win column by scoring five times in the game's final 33 minutes. Sean Clarke, Maxwell Donohoe, Jacob Crisp, Kenneth Belanger and Matthew Indovina scored for the winners, and Mikkel Christensen made 32 saves. Noah Tyrrell handed out three assists for Oakville, with Donohoe and Belanger each posting 1-2-3. Owen Cotter had two assists for the Bomboers, while Cobe Delaney and Trever Sanderson scored the goals.
CLICK HERE for the top plays from Day 3
CLICK HERE for the 3 stars from Day 3
Sunday, May 12
4:00 p.m. EDT – Navan Grads (5), Greater Sudbury Cubs (1)
CLICK HERE for the game summary
Navan broke open this one in the third period, turning a 2-1 game through two periods into a 5-1 win. Matthew Roy made the game 3-1 at 11:15 of the third period to set up empty-net insurance goals by Nicholas Paone and Devon Savignac. Maximus Crete and Marshall McCharles also scored for the winners, and Jaeden Nelson made 27 saves. Marshall McCharles had the lone Sudbury goal.
7:30 p.m. – Sioux Lookout Bombers (3), Miramichi Timberwolves (5)
CLICK HERE for the game summary
Elliot Robert had a goal and two assists, with Justin David and David Doucet each adding a goal and an assist each as Miramichi pulled away in the third period. Goalie Jack Flanagan stopped 23 shots to earn the win in goal, while Tait Howell and Alex Lucas each had 1-1-2 for the Bombers.
CLICK HERE for the top plays from Day 4
CLICK HERE for the 3 Stars from Day 4
Monday, May 13
12:00 p.m. EDT – College Francais de Longueuil (0), Collingwood Blues (8)
CLICK HERE for the game summary
Spencer Young notched a hat trick with a helper, while Dylan Hudon proved two goals and an assist as the Blues rolled to remain undefeated. Collingwood scored six goals in the opening 60 minutes and never was challenged. Noah Pak stopped 22 shots to earn the shutout in net, with Calum Chau contributing three assists to the winning effort.
4:00 p.m. – Calgary Canucks (3), Greater Sudbury Cubs (2)
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Ty Hipkin scored at 12:52 of the third period to give the Canucks a 3-1 lead and some breathing room, but Samuel Assinewai tallied 4:26 later to make the final 2:42 exciting. Calgary hung on, however, as winning goalie Julian Molinaro stood tall in the waning moments to finish with 28 saves. Chris Kobelka and Gavin Schmidt potted the other Calgary goals, and Julien Gervais contributed a pair of assists.
7:30 p.m. – Oakville Blades (0), Winkler Flyers (4)
CLICK HERE for the game summary
After a scoreless opening period and first 23:27 of the game, red-hot Dalton Andrew scored the first of four unanswered goals as Winkler pulled away for the win. Malachi Klassen made 24 saves to record the clean sheet in goal, while Nicolas McKee, Avery Anderson and James Richards scored the other Flyer goals. McKee finished with a goal and an assist, and Connor Jensen dished out a pair of helpers for the winners.
CLICK HERE for the top plays from Day 5
CLICK HERE for the 3 Stars from Day 5
Tuesday, May 14
12:00 p.m. EDT – Sioux Lookout Bombers (3), Melfort Mustangs (5)
CLICK HERE for the game summary
Melfort trailled, 2-0, more than 28 minutes into the contest before rallying for the 5-3 win by scoring five of the final six goals. Danton Cox and Ryan Duguay scored in the second period to tie the game at 2, but Alex Lucas responded three minutes later to put Sioux Lookout back on top. From that point on it was all Mustangs as Cox and Duguay scored again to give hem the lead before Tye Evans provided third-period insurance. James Venne stopped 19 shots to earn the win in goal.
4:00 p.m. – Calgary Canucks (4), Navan Grads (3) - SO
CLICK HERE for the game summary
Navan came out on fire, scoring twice in the opening 11:05 for the early advantage, but Calgary battled back from a pair of two-goal deficits with a two third-period goals to force the extra period and a shootout. Gavin Schmidt's shootout goal turned out to be the winner as winning goalie Julian Molinaro thwarted Navan's final four attempts. He finished with 22 saves, seven less than counterpart Jaeden Nelson. Nolan Paquette and Ty Hipkin scored in the third period to force overtime, and Jack Plandowski had the other Calgary goal. Schmidt also assisted on Hipkin's goal that tied the game, and Paquette finished with a goal and an assist. Easton Hewson added a pair of helpers for the victors.
7:30 p.m. – Miramichi Timberwolves (3), Winkler Flyers (2) - SO
CLICK HERE for the game summary
Jeremy Duhamel and Ludovic Dufort scored shootout goals, and winning netminder Adam Rouleau shut down Winkler's final four attempts after making 40 saves as the Timberwolves recorded a huge Day 6 win. Winkler's Connor Jensen opened the scoring at 18:03 of the first period, but Elliot Robert and Justin David responded in final 1:03 of the opening frame to give Miramichi a 2-1 lead after one. Connor Jensen tied it for the Flyers at 13:58 of the middle stanza, and the goalies took over from there. Rouleau turned out to be the hero, though, as Winkler piled up a 42-24 shots-on-goal advantage only to fall short.
CLICK HERE for the top plays from Day 6
CLICK HERE for the 3 Stars from Day 6
Wednesday, May 15
12:00 p.m. EDT – Greater Sudbury Cubs (6), College Francais de Longueuil (0)
CLICK HERE for the game summary
Marshall McCharles scored twice and assisted on aother goal, while Ben Lacroix Justin Seguin, Cameron Shanks and Mason Chitaroni each tallied once as the Cubs rolled to their first tournament win. Noah Beaulne stopped all 22 shots sent his direction to record the shutout win in goal. Both teams concluded round-robin play out of the playoff picture.
4:00 p.m. – Collingwood Blues (3), Navan Grads (2)
CLICK HERE for the game summary
Matthew Roy scored for Navan in the final five minutes of the second period to cut the margin to 3-2, but Collingwood netminder Noah Pak continued his hot play and stood tall in the final 24 minutes to backstop his team to victory. Pak made 37 saves as the Blues earned the top seed in Group A and a semifinal bye. The Grads ended up third in Group A and will have a quarterfinal game Friday. Ethan Facchina, Spencer Young and Landon Wright scored for the victors, with Jack Rimmer dishing out a pair of assists.
7:30 p.m. – Oakville Blades (1), Melfort Mustangs (3)
CLICK HERE for the game summary
The Mustangs clinched the top seed in Group B and earned a bye into the semifinals, while the hosts finished fourth in the group and out of the playoff hunt. Luke Johnson got Oakville on the board first with a short-handed goal 9:31 into the game, but Logan Belton responded 1:29 later to even the score. He would connect again in the second period, netting the eventual game-winner, before Kaleb Binner provided the insurance goal with 9:10 left in the game. Nolan Henderson dished out two assists for the winners, while winning goalie Kristian Coombs made 29 saves.
CLICK HERE for the top plays from Day 7
CLICK HERE for the 3 Stars from Day 7
Friday, May 17 - Quarterfinals
4:00 p.m. EDT - Navan Grads (4), Miramichi Timberwolves (8)
CLICK HERE for the game summary
Miramichi exploded for six goals in the opening 40 minutes to take a 6-4 lead and closed out the win with a pair of third-period markers. Navan got on the board first when Shaan Kingwell scored in the opening minute, but the Timberwolves responded with five straight goals in a span of 20 minutes to take control of the game. The Grads put together a three-goal run of their own in the second period, but Zachary Aprea-Ricard's goal with 42 seconds left in the middle frame gave Miramichi the momentum entering the final stanza and they put away the game on goals by Cole Foston and Elliot Robert. Robert finished with two goals and an assist, with Hugo Audette adding 2-1-3 ad Lodovic Dufort contributing 1-1-2. Winning goalie Adam Rouleau made 38 saves. Matthew Roy had 1-2-3 for the Grads.
7:30 p.m – Winkler Flyers (2), Calgary Canucks (4)
CLICK HERE for the game summary
The teams battled to a 2-2 draw through 40 minutes despite Calgary's piling up a 29-13 shots advantage, but the Canucks got goals from Chris Kobelka and Matthew Paszkiewicz in the first 4:34 of the third period to skate into the semifinals. Calgary also got goals from Ty Hipkin and Gavin Schmidt, with Ethan Casper dishing out a pair of assists. Julian Molinaro recorded the win in goal with 21 saves. Zach Nicholas had a goal an an assist for Winkler.
CLICK HERE for the top plays from Quarterfinal Friday
CLICK HERE for the 3 stars from Quarterfinal Friday
Saturday, May 18 - Semifinals
4:00 p.m. EDT – Miramichi Timberwolves (2), Collingwood Blues (5)
CLICK HERE for the game summary
Collingwood scored the first four goals in the opening 31:22 and never led by fewer than two in earning a trip to the title game. Jack Rimmer scored a pair of goals for the winners, with Cameron Eke dishing out four assists and Calum Chau contributing two helpers. Dylan Hudon, Sam Lockyer and Ethan Facchina also scored, while winning goalie Noah Pak continued his hot play with 32 saves. Elliot Robert and Ludovic Dufort had the Miramichi goals.
7:30 p.m. – Calgary Canucks (1), Melfort Mustangs (2)
CLICK HERE for the game summary
In a tight, playoff-style semifinal matchup, Ryan Duguay's goal with 9:11 left in the second period held up as the game-winner as James Venne stopped 27 of the 28 shots he faced to hold off the Canucks and propel Melfort into the championship game. Julian Molinaro stopped 22 shots for Calgary, which got its lone goal from Ty Hipkin. Duguay also assisted on Chase Friedt-Mohr's tally, which gave the Mustangs a 1-0 lead 4:05 into the contest.
CLICK HERE for the top plays from Semifinal Saturday
CLICK HERE for the 3 Stars from Semifinal Saturday
Sunday, May 19 Championship Game
3:00 p.m. EDT – Melfort Mustangs (0), Collingwood Blues (1)
The tournament's two undefeated teams face off for the Centennial Cup in Oakville.
CLICK HERE for the game summary
Jack Silverman scored the game's only goal 4:01 into the second period, and red-hot goaltender Noah Pak made it hold up as Collingwood claimed the Centennial Cup and Canada's Junior A national championship. Jack Robertson and Ryan cook assisted on Silverman's tally, while Pak shut the door with 23 saves to earn the shutout. His counterpart James Venne also concluded a strong tournament by stopping 35 of the 36 shots sent his way.
CLICK HERE for the Championship Game highlights
CLICK HERE for the 3 stars from Championship Sunday
THE ROAD TO THE CENTENNIAL CUP
Below is a recap of how each team captured its league championship to advance to the Centennial Cup in Oakville.
The Calgary Canucks rolled through the AJHL playoffs, compiling a 12-3 postseason record and sweeping the Whitecourt Wolverines in the best-of-seven AJHL Finals to win their 10th league championship. Despite capturing their 10th league crown, the title represented the Canucks’ first since 1999.
CLICK HERE for all the AJHL Playoff results
MJHL Playoffs
Similar to the AJHL champs, the Winkler Flyers ended a 26-year MJHL championship drought by sweeping the defending-champion Steinbach Pistons in four games to capture the Turnbull Cup. The finals were much closer than the final result indicated as Winkler needed overtime to win Games 3 and 4. The Flyers posted a 12-3 postseason record in capturing the Turnbull Cup.
CLICK HERE for all of the MJHL Playoff results
The SJHL Canterra Seeds Cup Finals concluded April 30, with the Melfort Mustangs earning a four-games-to-two victory over the Flin Flon Bombers. Flin Flon also fell to the Battlefords stars in four games in the 2023 SJHL Finals. Two of the championship-series games required overtime, with the Bombers earning a 4-3 OT victory April 25 to stay alive and avoiding elimination again April 27 with a 5-2 victory. The Mustangs clinched the series with a 4-2 Game 6 victory. Melfort needed five games to get past the Estevan Bruins in the opening round and went the distance before knocking off the Humboldt Broncos in the semifinals. Flin Flon swept its first two series, avenging last season’s loss to Battlefords in the semifinals.
CLICK HERE for the SJHL Playoff results & schedule
The Greater Sudbury Cubs defeated the Powassan Voodoos, four games to one, to capture the NOJHL championship and claim the Copeland Cup-McNamara Trophy. Sudbury compiled a 12-4 record in winning the title and won four-straight games in the Finals after dropping the opener, 5-2.
CLICK HERE for all of the NOJHL Playoff results
The Collingwood Blues and Trenton Golden Hawks faced off again for the Frank L. Buckland Trophy after Collingwood captured the championship a year ago. Colingwood. Collingwood rolled to the Finals with a 12-1 postseason record, while Trenton went 12-2. And for the second-straight year, Collingwood captured the Buckland Trophy and advanced to the Centennial Cup thanks to a 3-2 Game 6 victory April 29.
CLICK HERE for all the OJHL Playoff results
The Sioux Lookout Bombers swept the Kam River Fighting Walleye in four games to capture the Bill Salonen Cup and earn a trip to the Centennial Cup. Sioux Lookout dropped just one of its 13 games en route to the championship and outscored the defending champs, 18-9 in the Finals.
CLICK HERE for all of the SIJHL Playoff results
The Smith Falls Bears advanced to the CCHL Finals again after falling to the Ottawa Jr. Senators in seven games a year ago. Smith Falls knocked out the Cornwall Colts in five games to win its semifinal series and advance to the best-of-seven Finals vs. the Navan Grads. Navan beat Rockland, 4-1, to earn a trip to the championship series. The Bears dropped two games en route to the Finals, while Navan posted an 8-3 record. Unfortunately for the Bears, they fell in the championship series for the second year in a row after dropping Game 6, 5-2, May 1. As the CCHL champions, Navan was awarded the Bogart Cup.
CLICK HERE for all of the CCHL Playoff results
College Francais de Longueuil has captured the Napa Cup and advanced to the Centennial Cup.
CLICK HERE for LHJAAAQ playoff schedule and results
The Maritime Hockey League is a 12-team Junior A hockey circuit based in Eastern Canada. The Miramichi Timberwolves defeated the Summerside Western Capitals in the Matalfab Cup Finals, four games to two, after cliniching their first-ever title with a 5-4 Game 6 victory. They also won Game 4, 4-3, April 28, but Summerside stayed alive with a 2-1 double-overtime Game 5 victory April 30. The Western Caps also won Game 1, 6-5, in two overtimes, but the Timberwolves rallied to take the next two contests, 5-1 and 3-4.
CLICK HERE for all of the MHL playoff results
