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{| cellpadding="0" align="right" 
|- align="right" style="vertical-align: top" 
| 
| 
{| cellpadding="1" width="275px" style="font-size: 90%; border: 1px solid gray;" 
|- align="center" bgcolor="#dddddd"
|colspan=2| '''Ontario Provincial Junior "A" Hockey League'''
|- align="center" 
|colspan=2| [[Image:Ontario Provincial Junior A.png|125px]]
|- align="center"  bgcolor="#eeeeee"
|| '''Membership''' || [[Ontario Hockey Association]]
|- align="center"  bgcolor="#eeeeee"
|| '''Founded''' || 1972
|- align="center"  bgcolor="#eeeeee"
|| '''Ceased''' || 1987
|- align="center"  bgcolor="#eeeeee"
|| '''[[Dudley Hewitt Cup|Regional Champions]]''' || 10
|- align="center"  bgcolor="#eeeeee"
|| '''[[Royal Bank Cup|National Champions]]''' || 3
|- align="center"  bgcolor="#eeeeee"
|| '''First Champion''' || [[Toronto Jr. Canadiens|Wexford Raiders]] (1973)
|- align="center"  bgcolor="#eeeeee"
|| '''Last Champion''' || [[Owen Sound Greys]] (1987)
|}
|}
{| class="infobox" style=" text-align:center; border:1px solid #8Af; font-size: 95%;"
|-
| colspan="2" |<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Aurora Tigers RBC.jpg|175px]] -->
|-
! colspan="2" style="background-color:#acf;"|OHA Junior "A"
|- style="background-color:#def;"
|| [[Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League|SOJHL]]
|| (1970-1977)
|- style="background-color:#def;"
|| '''OPJHL'''
|| (1972–1987)
|- style="background-color:#def;"
|| [[Metro Junior A Hockey League|MetJHL]]
|| (1991-1998)
|- style="background-color:#def;"
|| [[Ontario Junior Hockey League|OJHL]]
|| (1993–Present)
|-
| colspan="2" | '''[[Ontario Hockey Association]]'''
|-
| colspan="2" | [[Canadian Junior Hockey League]]
|}
The '''Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League''' (OPJHL) was a Canadian [[junior hockey|Junior]] [[ice hockey]] league based in [[Ontario]] and sanctioned by the [[Ontario Hockey Association]] and the [[Canadian Amateur Hockey Association]].  The league operated from 1972 until 1987.  This league was the forerunner to the current [[Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League]] that was promoted in 1993.  From 1972 until 1977, the OPJHL shared their region with the [[Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League]].

==History==
{{further|List of OPJHL standings (1972–81)|List of Ontario Hockey Association Junior A seasons}}

The Ontario Hockey Association Tier II Junior "A" League was born out of the creation of the [[Ontario Hockey League]]. There have always been multiple tiers of junior hockey, but the top tier, then known as Ontario Hockey Association Junior "A", elected to split from the OHA and create its own level of hockey. The early 1970s sparked a vast reorganization of Canadian hockey across the country. The [[Ontario Hockey League]] was born out of this, as well was the [[Western Hockey League]] and the [[Quebec Major Junior Hockey League]] in other parts of Canada.  The new tier was known as Major Junior "A" hockey. The first Ontario Tier II League came in 1968 with creation of the renegade Western Ontario Junior A Hockey League, which became the [[Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League]] in 1970.

The aftermath of the annexation of the top tier left a vacuum for a new top tier of OHA hockey. What filled the gap in 1972 was the 12-team Ontario Hockey Association Jr. "A" Hockey League, which comprised five teams leaving the Metro Junior "B" (the [[Richmond Hill Rams (MetJHL)|Richmond Hill Rams]], [[North York Rangers (1967–1984)|North York Rangers]], [[Royal York Royals|Downsview Beavers]], [[Aurora Tigers]] and the [[Dixie Beehives]]), 6 expansion teams ([[Newmarket Hurricanes|Seneca Flyers]], [[Ajax Merchants|Ajax Steelers]], [[Wexford Raiders|Wexford Warriors]], [[Toronto Nationals (1970–1980)|Vaughan Nationals]], [[Weston Dodgers]]), the [[Kingston Frontenacs]] of the defunct [[Eastern Junior B Hockey League]], and the [[North Bay Trappers (1962–1982)|North Bay Trappers]] of the recently folded [[Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League]] [http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/leagues/seasons/opjhl19811973.html].

The Ontario Provincial league's only competition for talent in [[Southern Ontario]] was the [[Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League]]. The Southern Ontario League jumped to Junior "A" in 1968 as the Western Ontario Junior A Hockey League and changed its name two years later. From the 1972–73 season until the 1976–77 season, these two leagues put their champions up against each other to earn the right to compete for the [[Dudley Hewitt Cup]] as only one [[Ontario Hockey Association]] team could challenge for it. In 1973, the SOJAHL's [[Chatham Maroons]] defeated the OPJHL's [[Wexford Raiders]] 4-games-to-3. In 1974, the [[Wexford Raiders]] got their turn, defeating the [[Windsor Spitfires]] 4-games-to-3 to even the series. A year later, the SOJAHL's [[Guelph CMC's]] defeated the [[Toronto Nationals (1970–1980)|Toronto Nationals]] 4-games-to-2 and in 1976 became the [[Guelph Platers]] and defeated the [[North Bay Trappers (1962–1982)|North Bay Trappers]] 4-games-to-1 to win their second straight OHA Championship. The final chapter of this saga was slightly redemptive for the OPJHL as their [[North York Rangers]] went the distance and defeated Guelph 4-games-to-3. Down to four teams, the SOJAHL folded. The [[Guelph Platers]] and [[Hamilton Mountain A's]] jumped to the OPJHL, while the [[Owen Sound Greys]] took a season off then joined the [[Major Intermediate A Hockey League|Georgian Bay Intermediate A Hockey League]] and the [[Collingwood Blues (1988–2011)|Collingwood Blues]] changed their name and dropped to [[Georgian Mid-Ontario Junior C Hockey League|Junior C]]. After a five-year feud, the SOJAHL won the battle but lost the war as their champions won three of five OHA Championships but ultimately folded.

Over the next few years, the [[Guelph Platers]] [http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/leagues/seasons/opjhl19811978.html], [[Belleville Bulls]] [http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/leagues/seasons/opjhl19811980.html], and [[Kingston Frontenacs]] [http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/leagues/seasons/opjhl19811973.html] would all get their start in this league before jumping to the [[Ontario Hockey League]] [http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/leagues/seasons/ohl19891983.html] [http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/leagues/seasons/ohl19891982.html] [http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/leagues/seasons/oha19551974.html].

By 1986, the league was suffering from a variety of difficulties. With most of their teams folding or dropping to Junior "B", the league was left with 4 teams [http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/leagues/seasons/ojhl19821987.html], the OHA Jr. "A" League was forced to close its doors at the end of the 1986–87 season. The four remaining teams at the end of the OHA Jr. "A" League era were the Final Champion [[Owen Sound Greys]], the [[Aurora Tigers|Aurora Eagles]], the [[Markham Waxers]], and the [[Richmond Hill Rams (MetJHL)|Richmond Hill Dynes]] [http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/leagues/seasons/ojhl19821987.html]. The Central League agreed to take Markham, Aurora and Richmond Hill, while the Owen Sound Greys went to the [[Midwestern Junior B Hockey League]].

==Member Teams==
{| cellpadding="0"
|- align="left" style="vertical-align: top" 
| 
| 
{| cellpadding="1" width="500px" style="font-size: 90%; border: 1px solid gray;" 
|- align="center" bgcolor="#CD5C5C"
|colspan="11"|'''Former OJHL Teams'''
|- align="center" bgcolor="#dddddd"
| '''Team''' || '''Centre''' || '''Joined''' || '''Exited''' || '''Status'''
|- align="center"
|'''[[Ajax Merchants]]'''
|[[Ajax, Ontario]]
|1972
|1977
|Folded
|- align="center"
|'''[[Aurora Tigers]]'''
|[[Aurora, Ontario]]
|1972
|1987
|Joined [[CJBHL]]
|- align="center"
|'''[[Belleville Bulls]]'''
|[[Belleville, Ontario]]
|1979
|1981
|Joined [[Ontario Hockey League|OHL]]
|- align="center"
|'''[[Brampton Warriors]]'''
|[[Brampton, Ontario]]
|1980
|1982
|Folded
|- align="center"
|'''[[Cambridge Winterhawks]]'''
|[[Cambridge, Ontario]]
|1982
|1983
|Joined [[Mid-Western Junior Hockey League|MWJHL]]
|- align="center"
|'''[[Dixie Beehives]]'''
|[[Dixie, Ontario]]
|1972
|1986
|Folded
|- align="center"
|'''[[Guelph Platers]]'''
|[[Guelph, Ontario]]
|1977
|1982
|Joined [[Ontario Hockey League|OHL]]
|- align="center"
|'''[[Hamilton Mountain A's]]'''
|[[Hamilton, Ontario]]
|1977
|1984
|Folded
|- align="center"
|'''[[Kingston Frontenacs]]'''
|[[Kingston, Ontario]]
|1972
|1973
|Joined [[Ontario Hockey League|OHL]]
|- align="center"
|'''[[Markham Waxers]]'''
|[[Markham, Ontario]]
|1973
|1987
|Joined [[CJBHL]]
|- align="center"
|'''[[Newmarket Flyers]]'''
|[[Newmarket, Ontario]]
|1972
|1986
|Joined [[CJBHL]]
|- align="center"
|'''[[North Bay Trappers (1962–1982)|North Bay Trappers]]'''
|[[North Bay, Ontario]]
|1972
|1982
|Folded
|- align="center"
|'''[[North York Rangers]]'''
|[[Toronto|Toronto, Ontario]]
|1972
|1985
|Folded
|- align="center"
|'''[[Orillia Travelways]]'''
|[[Orillia, Ontario]]
|1981
|1986
|Joined [[CJBHL]]
|- align="center"
|'''[[Owen Sound Greys]]'''
|[[Owen Sound, Ontario]]
|1985
|1987
|Joined [[Mid-Western Junior Hockey League|MWJHL]]
|- align="center"
|'''[[North York Rangers|Richmond Hill Rams]]'''
|[[Richmond Hill, Ontario]]
|1972
|1987
|Joined [[CJBHL]]
|- align="center"
|'''[[Royal York Royals]]'''
|[[Toronto|Toronto, Ontario]]
|1972
|1980
|Folded
|- align="center"
|'''[[Toronto Nationals (1970–1980)|Toronto Nationals]]'''
|[[Vaughan, Ontario]]
|1972
|1977
|Folded
|- align="center"
|'''[[Weston Dodgers]]'''
|[[Toronto]], [[Ontario]]
|1972
|1977
|Folded
|- align="center"
|'''[[Wexford Raiders]]'''
|[[Scarborough, Ontario]]
|1972
|1981
|Folded
|- align="center"
|'''[[Whitby Lawmen]]'''
|[[Whitby, Ontario]]
|1984
|1985
|Folded
|}
|}

==Champions==

===League===
*[[1986–87 OJHL season|1987]] Owen Sound Greys
*[[1985–86 OJHL season|1986]] Orillia Travelways
*[[1984–85 OJHL season|1985]] Orillia Travelways
*[[1983–84 OJHL season|1984]] Orillia Travelways
*[[1982–83 OJHL season|1983]] North York Rangers
*[[1981–82 OJHL season|1982]] Guelph Platers
*[[OPJHL Standings (1972-1981)#1980-81|1981]] Belleville Bulls
*[[OPJHL Standings (1972-1981)#1979-80|1980]] North York Rangers
*[[OPJHL Standings (1972-1981)#1978-79|1979]] Guelph Platers
*[[OPJHL Standings (1972-1981)#1977-78|1978]] Guelph Platers
*[[OPJHL Standings (1972-1981)#1976-77|1977]] North York Rangers
*[[OPJHL Standings (1972-1981)#1975-76|1976]] North Bay Trappers
*[[OPJHL Standings (1972-1981)#1974-75|1975]] Toronto Nationals
*[[OPJHL Standings (1972-1981)#1973-74|1974]] Wexford Raiders
*[[OPJHL Standings (1972-1981)#1972-73|1973]] Wexford Raiders

===[[Dudley Hewitt Cup]]===
*1986 Orillia Travelways
*1985 Orillia Travelways
*1984 Orillia Travelways
*1983 North York Rangers
*1982 Guelph Platers
*1981 Belleville Bulls
*1980 North York Rangers
*1979 Guelph Platers
*1978 Guelph Platers
*1974 Wexford Raiders

===[[Royal Bank Cup|Manitoba Centennial Cup]]===
*1985 Orillia Travelways
*1983 North York Rangers
*1978 Guelph Platers

==League records==
*Best record: '''1981-82 Guelph Platers (40-4-6)'''
*Worst record: '''1979-80 Richmond Hill Rams (4-39-1)'''
*Most goals, one season: '''Steve Thomas (68) -- 1981-82 Markham Waxers'''
*Most assists, one season: '''Adam Oates (105) -- 1981-82 Markham Waxers'''
*Most points, one season: '''Adam Oates (159) -- 1981-82 Markham Waxers'''

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20061105065518/http://www.opjhl.ca/ Current OPJHL Website]
*[http://www.ohahockey.org/ Ontario Hockey Association Website]

{{OJHL}}
{{CJAHL}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League (1972-1987)}}
[[Category:Defunct ice hockey leagues in Ontario]]
[[Category:1972 establishments in Ontario]]
[[Category:Sports leagues established in 1972]]
[[Category:Sports leagues disestablished in 1987]]
[[Category:1987 disestablishments in Ontario]]

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