The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) is the governing body for Major Junior Hockey (formerly known as Tier One Junior A) in Canada. Its predecessor was the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA). The CHL currently oversees the Western Hockey League (WHL), the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and the Quebec Youth Hockey Major League (QMJHL). All three leagues have teams in both Canada and the United States.
Each league plays individual regular-season and playoff schedules. The annual CHL championship is determined by the Memorial Cup tournament held in May.The CHL, or Canadian Hockey League, is composed of three individual leagues in Canada and is known as “Major Junior Hockey”. It's called “Major Junior” because it's one level above Canada's Junior A. In terms of development to play at the college level (NCAA), most Division 1 hockey players who play youth hockey in Canada play only a few different leagues within the CJHL.The NA3HL, a “secondary league” of the NAHL, is sanctioned by the North American Hockey League and by USA Hockey, as one of the only level 3 youth hockey leagues in North America.
The CHL and its clubs, which play before more than 9 million people with tickets each season, are the highest-rated sports properties in 46 Canadian markets and have intimate connections with Canadians and their communities. The Memorial Cup was first presented in 1919 in memory of Canadian hockey players who died in World War I.With hundreds of youth hockey teams across North America, understanding it all can be a challenge for those unfamiliar with the system. Compared to Canada, it seems that with only a few youth hockey leagues, the United States and USA Hockey have almost nothing. The Canadian Hockey League (CHL) has always been one of the main development leagues in the National Hockey League, although in recent years it has rivaled the NCAA.The CHL Top Prospects Game is an annual event sponsored by Home Hardware and organized by the CHL, in which 40 of the best prospects eligible for the NHL draft of the Canadian Hockey League play against each other, like in an all-star game.
The EHL, also known as the Eastern Hockey League, is a level 3 youth league sanctioned by USA Hockey based on the east coast of the United States.Players who play major youth hockey in Canada are currently not eligible to play NCAA hockey in the United States. However, in some cases, youth hockey leagues (specifically, the CHL in Canada) are not considered amateur leagues. Junior “C” hockey is a level of Canadian hockey that is largely considered to be a development league for the Canadian clubs Junior A and Junior B.USA Hockey denied it and the USPHL then withdrew all its status as governed by USA Hockey.
