Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League

The league's first ever game took place on September 8, 2006 between the

On December 11, 2007, the GMJHL announced a seven-game challenge series versus a

For the 2008–09 season, the GMJHL adopted much of the

In December 2008 and January 2009, eight teams of the GMHL hosted

In the summer of 2010, the GMHL expanded in two fashions internationally. First,

The Shelburne Red Wings were sold after the 2013–14 season, and were renamed the Shelburne Stars. However, the Stars did not play in 2014–15 and changed their name to the Shelburne Sharks and began play in 2015–16. In May 2015, the Rama Aces took a leave of absence but never returned. In November 2015, the Brantford Steelfighters suspended their operations after 18 games.

The Shelburne Sharks returned as the Shelburne Stars in June 2016, but the team folded soon afterwards. The Sturgeon Falls Lumberjacks re-branded as the West Nipissing Lynx, but remained in Sturgeon Falls. Early into the 2016–17 season, the

For 2017–18, the league added the Fergus Force, Ville-Marie Pirates, Wiarton Schooners, and Windsor Aces while losing the Toronto Attack. In late August 2017, the Parry Sound Islanders announced they were taking a leave of absence and merged with the Seguin Huskies. The Force and Schooners both folded during the season without winning a game.

After one season following the Islanders merge, the Seguin Huskies folded in 2018. The GMHL also added two teams originally in the Canadian Premier Junior Hockey League in the Niagara-on-the-Lake Nationals and Ottawa Sharpshooters for 2018–19. The Wiarton Schooners returned but folded midseason for the second consecutive season, and third consecutive midseason GMHL team folding in the town of Wiarton.

In 2019, the league added the Western Provinces Hockey Association (WPHA) as a Western Division in the GMHL for the 2019–20 season, which then rebranded as the GMHL West.^[4] The WPHA had played the previous season in the Western States Hockey League as the Provinces Division. The 2020 playoffs were then curtailed by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and no champion was named. The following 2020–21 season did not take place as scheduled due to pandemic restrictions in Ontario and Quebec, with six teams playing only two games each in December 2020. The four teams in the GMHL West were able to play a partial season and a playoff in May 2021. In 2023, all teams from the GMHL West were removed by the league, which then formed their own league called the National Junior Hockey League (NJHL).^[5][6]

Teams

2024–25 teams

2024–25 changes

• Ottawa Valley expansion team (Ottawa Valley Wolves)
• Wasaga Beach expansion team (Wasaga River Dragons)
• Richmond Hill expansion team (
  Richmond Hill Rampage
  )

Regular season champions

Bolded are overall regular season champions.

Russell Cup playoff champions

Bolded are overall champions, Italics are finalist.

College Showcase Tournament

Since 2009, the GMHL has had a mid-season prospect tournament. Generally, the top seven teams of the league compete in the tournament with an eighth team, the GMHL Selects representing the other teams in the league.

The 2012 tournament featured both the Bradford Rattlers and South Muskoka Shield being thrown out in the semifinal round. An incident, both on-ice and later off-ice, involving a player from each team and later two more players and a parent from one team entering the altercation, resulted in a police investigation^[7] and one team refusing to continue. The league disqualified both teams after the game failed to continue.

Since the 2012 tournament, the league changed the format to a prospect weekend with no championship rounds.

Season leaders

Scoring champions

Goals against average champions

*Min. 11 games, except 2020-21 due to COVID-19 (6 games).

Team records

*Records reflect teams playing full 42-game schedule.

• Best record: 2012–13 Bradford Rattlers (42–0–0–0)
• Worst record: 2021–22 Gibbons Pioneers (1–41–0–0)
• Most goals for by team, one season: 2017–18 St. George Ravens (404)
• Fewest goals for by team, one season: 2021–22 Gibbons Pioneers (82)
• Fewest goals against by team, one season: 2015–16 Kingsville Kings (71)
• Most goals against by team, one season: 2015–16 Bobcaygeon Storm (491)
• Largest margin of victory: Elliot Lake Bobcats 29 - Ville-Marie Dragons 1 on December 6, 2008

Individual records

• Most goals, one season: Bryce Yetman (81) — 2018–19 Windsor Aces
• Most assists, one season: Marc-Antoine Turcotte (106) — 2019–20 Temiscaming Titans
• Most points, one season: Marc-Antoine Turcotte (155) — 2019–20 Temiscaming Titans
• Lowest goals against average, one season: Wes Werner (1.20) — 2015–16 Kingsville Kings
• Highest save percentage, one season: Jan Pechek (0.951) — 2015–16 Kingsville Kings

Former teams

Timeline of teams

2006–07

• League is formed with seven teams: Bradford Rattlers, Deseronto Thunder, King Wild, Nipissing Alouettes, Richmond Hill Rams, South Muskoka Shield, Toronto Canada Moose

2007–08

• Deseronto Thunder become Deseronto Storm
• League expands by six teams: Douro Dukes, Elliot Lake Bobcats, Espanola Kings, Innisfil Lakers, Tamworth Cyclones, Temiscaming Royals

2008–09

• Douro Dukes move and become Brock Bucks
• Richmond Hill Rams become Ontario Lightning Rams
• Oro-Medonte 77's join league
• Ville-Marie Dragons join league
• Minden Riverkings join league
• Temiscaming Royals leave league for Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League

2009–10

• Ville-Marie Dragons fold mid-season (January)
• Tamworth Cyclones fold mid-season (January)
• Ontario Lightning Rams leave league
• Espanola Kings leave league
• Nipissing Alouettes leave league
• Algoma Avalanche join league
• Ville-Marie Dragons move and become Powassan Dragons
• Minden Riverkings fold mid-season (November)

2010–11

• Shelburne Red Wings join league
• Sturgeon Falls Lumberjacks join league
• King Wild move and become Vaughan Wild
• Brock Bucks move and become Bobcaygeon Bucks
• Innisfil Lakers leave league
• Jamestown Jets join league from Northern Junior Hockey League (league's first American team)

2011–12

• Mattawa Voyageurs join league
• Temiscaming Titans join league
• Halton Huskies join league
• Orangeville Americans join league
• Vaughan Stars join league
• Vaughan Wild move and become Lefroy Wave
• Powassan Dragons change name to Powassan Eagles
• Oro-Medonte 77's leave league
• Jamestown Jets leave league

2012–13

• Rama Aces join league
• Powassan Eagles
  return
• Bradford Bulls join league
• Toronto Attack join league
• Bracebridge Phantoms join league^[8]
• Elliot Lake Bobcats leave league for Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League
• Deseronto Storm leave league for Empire B Junior C Hockey League
• Algoma Avalanche leave league

2013–14

• Expansion granted to the
  Alliston, Ontario
  .
• Expansion granted to the Seguin Huskies of Seguin, Ontario.
• Expansion granted to the
  Toronto Predators of Toronto, Ontario
  .
• Expansion granted to
  Halton Ravens of Burlington, Ontario
  .
• Expansion granted to Knights of Meaford of Meaford, Ontario.
• Toronto Canada Moose renamed Toronto Blue Ice Jets.

2014–15

• Expansion granted to the Cambridge Bears of Cambridge, Ontario.^[9]
• Lefroy Wave relocate to
  Grey Highlands Bravehearts
  .
• Expansion granted to the
  Tottenham Steam of Tottenham, Ontario.^[10][11]
• Bobcaygeon Bucks leave league for CIHL.^[12]
• Mattawa Voyageurs relocate to South River, Ontario and become Almaguin Spartans.^[13]
• Expansion granted to the North York Renegades of Toronto, Ontario.
• Bracebridge Phantoms change name to
  Bracebridge Blues.^[14]
• Expansion granted to
  Port Colborne, Ontario
  .
• Powassan Eagles relocate to Parry Sound, Ontario and become Parry Sound Islanders.
• Shelburne Red Wings are sold; change name to Shelburne Stars and take season off to restructure.

2015–16

• Expansion granted to Bobcaygeon Storm of Bobcaygeon, Ontario.
• Expansion granted to Brantford Steelfighters of
  Brantford, Ontario
  .
• Expansion granted to Colborne Chiefs of
  Colborne, Ontario
  .
• Expansion granted to Coldwater Falcons of
  Coldwater, Ontario
  .
• Expansion granted to Grey County Grizzlies of
  Feversham, Ontario
  .
• Expansion granted to Haliburton Wolves of
  Haliburton, Ontario
  .
• Expansion granted to Kingsville Kings of Kingsville, Ontario.
• Expansion granted to Komoka Dragons of
  Komoka, Ontario.^[15]
• Expansion granted to
  London Lakers of London, Ontario
  .
• Expansion granted to Norfolk Vikings of Simcoe, Ontario.
• Expansion granted to Oshawa Riverkings of
  Oshawa, Ontario
  .
• Orangeville Americans were renamed the Orangeville Ice Crushers.
• Shelburne Stars were renamed the
  Shelburne Sharks
  .
• Brantford Steelfighters take leave of absence after 18 games played; league revokes membership.^[16]
• Grey County Grizzlies cease operations after 23 games played and only one win.
• Sturgeon Falls Lumberjacks end season early due to lack of players.^[17]

• Wiarton, Ontario.^[18] The newly named Wiarton Rock
  would then fold midway through their first season on 14 December.
• Expansion granted to Tillsonburg Hurricanes.^[19]
• Bobcaygeon Storm membership revoked
• Coldwater Falcons membership revoked
• Grey County Grizzlies membership revoked
• Haliburton Wolves membership revoked
• Brantford Steelfighters membership revoked.
• Expansion granted to Lincoln Mavericks of Lincoln, Ontario, but withdrew from the league on November 21 during their first season.
• Colbourne Chiefs rebranded as Northumberland Stars after ownership change.
• Alliston Coyotes rebranded as New Tecumseth Civics after ownership change.
• Sturgeon Falls Lumberjacks
  return to league. Change of ownership and rebranded as the West Nipissing Lynx.
• Shelburne Sharks
  rebrand as Shelbourne Stars but fold prior to the beginning of the season.
• Norfolk Vikings take 2016–17 hiatus
• Toronto Blue Ice Jets fold just before start of season.
• Bracebridge Blues
  removed from schedule after playing five games and forfeiting a sixth.
• Komoka Dragons folded after 12 games.
• Orangeville Ice Crushers suspended operations in January. Three of the team's owners had been arrested for drug distribution in November 2016 and were suspended by the league. The league transferred control to another shareholder who ceased operations of the team after two months.

2017–18

• Fergus Force granted membership as an expansion team. Folded after playing 16 games, all loses, with one credited win for a Wiarton forfeit.
• Ville-Marie Pirates granted membership as an expansion team.
• Wiarton Schooners granted membership as an expansion team. Folded after eight winless games and a 25–1 loss to the Knights of Meaford.
• Toronto Attack removed from GMHL's list of teams on website.
• Windsor Aces granted membership as an expansion franchise.
• Parry Sound Islanders cease operations and merged with Seguin Huskies.

2018–19

• Niagara-on-the-Lake Nationals expansion team added from the Canadian Premier Junior Hockey League after the Nationals decided to not participate in the CPJHL.^[20][21][22]
• Ottawa Sharpshooters joined as expansion team for 2018–19 season from the Canadian Premier Junior Hockey League.^[23]
• The Seguin Huskies folded prior to the 2018–19 season.
• Wiarton Schooners returned to league after folding during the previous season. Folded again after 17 games played, and a 1–16 record, in 2018.^[24]

2019–20

• Bancroft, Ontario, was granted an expansion franchise with the Bancroft Rockhounds.^[25]
• Oshawa Riverkings sold and rebranded as Durham RoadRunners.^[26]
• Niagara-on-the-Lake Nationals folded after one season.
• Tillsonburg Hurricanes ceased operations
• Cold Lake Wings of Cold Lake, Alberta coming from the Western States Hockey League granted membership as an expansion team in the West Division.
• Cold Lake Wings of Cold Lake, Alberta lost their lease in a dispute with the City of Cold Lake and became known as the Edmonton Academy Wings but were unable to obtain a satisfactory lease in Edmonton.
• Edmonton Academy Wings of Edmonton, Alberta, former Cold Lake Wings, played as Edmonton Academy Wings umtil November 10, 2019 when they switched names to High Prairie Red Wings and played in High Prairie, Alberta.
• High Prairie Red Wings of High Prairie, Alberta, former Edmonton Academy Wings moved to High Prairie part way through 2019-20 season.
• Hinton Wildcats of Hinton, Alberta coming from the Western States Hockey League granted membership as an expansion team in the West Division.
• Hinton Wildcats of Hinton, Alberta lost their lease in a dispute with the Town of Hinton and folded before the season started.
• Northern Alberta Tomahawks of Enoch, Alberta granted membership as an expansion team in the West Division.
• Rosetown Red Wings of Rosetown, Saskatchewan granted membership as an expansion team in the West Division.
• Rosetown Red Wings of Rosetown, Saskatchewan were announced to move to High Prairie, Alberta but the Alberta Academy Wings seems to have moved there instead but played with Rosetown Red Wing uniforms.^[27]
• Slave Lake Icedogs of Slave Lake, Alberta granted membership as an expansion team in the West Division.
• The Ottawa Sharpshooters folded in December 2019.^[28]

2020–21

• The
  Plattsville, Ontario, as the Plattsville Lakers.^[29][30]
• The
  Tottenham Steam rebranded as the Tottenham Thunder
  .
• Fox Creek Ice Kings of Fox Creek, Alberta granted membership as an expansion team in the West Division.^[31]

2021–22

• The Toronto Predators relocated to
  Niagara-on-the-Lake Predators.^[32]
• Edson Eagles of Edson, Alberta granted membership as an expansion team in the West Division.
• Gibbons Pioneers of Gibbons, Alberta granted membership as an expansion team in the West Division.
• Mackenzie Mountaineers of Mackenzie, British Columbia granted membership as an expansion team in the West Division.

• The Le Bécard de Senneterre joined from the defunct Canadian Premier Junior Hockey League.
• South Muskoka Shield was forced to suspended operations and put in dormancy with the option to return if new owners are found by February 1, 2024.^[33]
• Bancroft Rockhounds take leave of absence
• New Tecumseh Civics not active
• Windsor Aces take leave of absence
• The entire GMHL West was removed from the league prior to the 2023–24 season. The Burns Lake Timbermen of Burns Lake, British Columbia; Edson Eagles of Edson, Alberta; Fox Creek Ice Kings of Fox Creek, Alberta; Gibbons Pioneers of Gibbons, Alberta; High Prairie Red Wings of High Prairie, Alberta; Kitimat Saax of Kitimat, British Columbia; Mackenzie Mountaineers of Mackenzie, British Columbia; and Northern Alberta Tomahawks of Enoch, Alberta; formed the National Junior Hockey League (NJHL). The Slave Lake Icedogs of Slave Lake, Alberta folded. The British Columbia teams plus the Northern Alberta Tomahawks folded prior to the NJHL season opening. Most, if not all, the West Division teams were owned by a closely related group.

References

External links

• Greater Metro Jr. "A" Hockey League official website