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Canadian Hockey League

The Canadian Hockey League is an umbrella organization that represents the three Canadian-based Major Junior ice hockey leagues for players 16 to 20 years of age. The CHL was founded in 1975 as the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League, and is comprised of its three member leagues, the Ontario Hockey League, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and Western Hockey League. Despite the league's name, its three leagues and 60 teams represent five American states as well as nine Canadian provinces.

The CHL schedule culminates in the Memorial Cup tournament, which sees each of the three league champions, as well as a host team, play a round-robin tournament to determine a national champion. The CHL also hosts the CHL Top Prospects Game, for the top draft eligible players in the league, as well as the ADT Canada-Russia Challenge, a six-game all-star exhibition series against a team of Russian juniors.

Introduction

The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) is the governing body for Major Junior Hockey (formerly known as Tier One Junior A) in Canada. Its precursor was the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA). The CHL currently oversees the Western Hockey League (WHL), the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). All three leagues have teams in both Canada and the United States. Each league plays individual regular season schedules, and playoffs. The annual CHL championship is determined by the Memorial Cup tournament held in May.

More than half the players in the National Hockey League for the 2005-06 NHL season had played in the CHL. The CHL is generally considered the world's top professional development junior hockey league. It is a key supplier of new players and officials for the many North American professional hockey leagues, such as the National Hockey League, American Hockey League, ECHL, International Hockey League and the North Eastern Hockey League. Many CHL players also opt for Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS).

The CHL also seeks to raise the profile of the junior game by hosting annual events such as the Memorial Cup, CHL Top Prospects Game and the ADT Canada-Russia Challenge. The organization also provides many scholarships and bursaries for its players who exemplify extraordinary efforts and community involvement. These programs are supported by the many corporate sponsors.

Annual events

Memorial Cup

The Memorial Cup Tournament is the championship of Junior Canadian hockey. Each year it features the champions from the (WHL, OHL, QMJHL) and the host CHL team. The annual event is one of the biggest sporting events in North America, attracting thousands of spectators and generating increasing revenue for both the CHL teams and the host city. The event is currently sponsored by MasterCard.

CHL Top Prospects Game

The CHL Top Prospects Game is an annual event sponsored by Home Hardware and hosted by the CHL in which 40 of the top NHL Entry Draft eligible prospects in the Canadian Hockey League play against each other much like an all-star game. Each draft prospect hopes to boost their draft ranking with the NHL scouts and general managers who attend. The players are typically coached by a pair of hockey celebrities, usually Don Cherry and Bobby Orr. The event has been held annually since 1992. From 1992 to 1995 the event was known as the CHL All-Star Challenge and usually pitted one of the CHL's leagues against the other two. The 2008 Top Prospects Game was held at Rexall Place, home of the expansion Edmonton Oil Kings. The 2009 game will be played at the General Motors Centre, home of the Oshawa Generals.

Canada-Russia Challenge

The CHL hosts annually, the ADT Canada-Russia Challenge, sponsored by ADT Security Services to showcase Canadian junior talent versus Russian junior talent. Each year a Russian junior team plays 6 games in total in Canada, two games against each CHL member league (WHL, OHL, QMJHL).

CHL Import Draft

Each year, every team in the CHL has the option to chose up to 2 players from outside North America to add to its roster. Picks are chosen in reverse order of the team's standings in the CHL. The Import Draft is seen as a way to raise the level of competition in the CHL, as well as to broaden its fan base while retaining high North American content.

CHL awards

List of annual awards given by the CHL:

Memorial Cup Awards:

Teams

The league comprises 60 teams located in nine Canadian provinces and five American states. For lists of teams see the articles about each member league. In 2008, the St. John's Fog Devils will move to Montreal, becoming the Montreal Junior Hockey Club, and will leave Newfoundland and Labrador as the only province without a team. The newest team is the Edmonton Oil Kings of the WHL, which will begin play in the 2007-08 season.

The Western Hockey League, with 22 teams in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Washington, and Oregon.
The Ontario Hockey League, with 20 teams in Ontario, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.
The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, with 18 teams in Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Maine.

Attendance

Top CHL teams by average attendance, 2007-08 regular season. Teams with an average attendance over 6,000 shown.

1.	Québec Remparts	(QMJHL)	10,980.9
2.	Calgary Hitmen	(WHL)	9,071.6
3.	London Knights	(OHL)	9,012.9
4.	Vancouver Giants	(WHL)	8,717.3
5.	Ottawa 67's	(OHL)	8,103.3
6.	Halifax Mooseheads	(QMJHL)	7,588.7
7.	Spokane Chiefs	(WHL)	6,557.1
8.	Everett Silvertips	(WHL)	6,424.5
9.	Kelowna Rockets	(WHL)	6,118.2
10.	Kitchener Rangers	(OHL)	6,038.2