Open to North American-born players 20 years of age or younger, the SJHL's 12 teams play in three divisions: the Nutrien, Sherwood and Viterra Divisions. A major attraction in Saskatchewan, the SJHL draws 400,000 fans each season.[citation needed] The winner of the SJHL playoffs is crowned the provincial Junior A champion and continues on to play in the ANAVET Cup against the Manitoba provincial champion (winner of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League playoffs) for the right to represent the Western region at the Centennial Cup, the national Junior A championship.
The modern SJHL was formed in July 1968 as a result of the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL) splitting away from the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) and affiliating with the rival Canadian Hockey Association led by Ron Butlin. CAHA president Lloyd Pollock arranged meetings across Western Canada to outline the CAHA's development plan for teams which had remained within the CAHA.[2] Later that month, he approved a series of exhibition games for teams in the Ontario Hockey Association to play the Regina Pats and Weyburn Red Wings, after Regina and Weyburn had asked for assistance in forming a new Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. Pollock also laid out plans to make player transfers easier between provinces to support the Saskatchewan teams.[3]
The league was originally known as the Saskatchewan Amateur Junior Hockey League until 1973. They re-adopted the "Amateur" in their name in 1980 and carried it until the 1987–88 season, when they dropped the "Amateur" again. They were one of the original Tier II Junior A leagues in the realignment of 1970. Their first two seasons they were eligible for the Memorial Cup.[citation needed]
On April 6, 2018 the Humboldt Broncos team bus suffered a fatal crash on their way to the team's semi-final playoff game against the Nipawin Hawks. Ten players, two coaches, an athletic therapist, two employees of a local radio station, and the bus driver were killed in the collision. The remaining passengers were injured, some critically. The SJHL playoffs were postponed as a result (the Hawks were leading the series 3–1). The league, at the request of the Broncos, resumed the playoffs on April 15, with the Hawks advancing to the finals to meet the waiting Estevan Bruins. SJHL President Bill Chow called the incident the league's "worst nightmare".[4]
In the wake of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash, TSN aired a national broadcast of the Bronco's 2018–19 home opener, the team's first regular season game following the tragedy.[5][6]
On March 13, 2020, pursuant to the suspension of all sanctioned activity by Hockey Canada and the CJHL due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the remainder of the 2019–20 SJHL season and all associated championships were suspended until further notice. The league championship was not awarded.[7][8][9]
The league resumed play for a 2020–21 season in November 2020,[10] with the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) allowing for limited in-person attendance (150 spectators).[11] However, the Flin Flon Bombers were forced to suspend operations on November 12, 2020 until at least the new year, after Manitoba issued a "Code Red" circuit breaker that ordered the closure of non-essential businesses and recreational facilities. The team considered the possibility of conducting all hockey operations out of nearby Creighton, Saskatchewan, but were unable to reach agreements with the SHA and Manitoba Health that would allow them to resume operations.[12][13] In turn, the SJHL was forced to suspend play on November 27, as Saskatchewan ordered the suspension of all group and team sports activities.[14]
In February 2021, the league submitted a return-to-play proposal to the Saskatchewan government that would have involved as many as three hub cities.[10] Despite other provinces such as Alberta having allowed their Junior A leagues to continue,[10] Saskatchewan continued to maintain its prohibitions on sport.[15] The SJHL and its teams have faced growing financial issues due to cancelled games and other events, prompting the provincial government to provide a $1 million relief package to be divided between its teams.[10][16] On March 23, 2021, the SJHL announced that its return-to-play proposal had been rejected, citing concerns surrounding the current state of the pandemic in Saskatchewan. The SJHL therefore announced that the 2020–21 season had been cancelled and will not be resumed. The league championship was not awarded for the second season in a row.[17]
Media
In January 2019, the league announced a broadcasting deal with SaskTel, under which a game will be carried on its television service per-month for the remainder of the season, as well as coverage of the league final.[18]
Teams
Current
The SJHL currently fields twelve teams, eleven located in the province of Saskatchewan and one in Flin Flon, Manitoba, a community located on the border between the provinces. A team based in Lloydminster, Saskatchewan (on the Saskatchewan-Alberta border) elects to play in the Alberta Junior Hockey League.
